Chapter 21: Tulvarick

Tarrick stroked the karkhash. He and his companions had recently arrived in Forsholden, which made Tulvarick very happy because now the allies had a fleet! The ballistae were disassembled and lubricated by astvatska. Chainmail, armor, helmets and some of the weapons were already been greased, but the snunorfs made more astvatska during this time, and now it was the ballistae turn to be protected from fire.

"Come on," the king of the tonnebeards found Tarrick, "it's time for a meeting."

Tarrick patted the karkhash and followed Tulvarick.

A large number of people have gathered in the hall. Hemrockhever is a tonnebeard, cousin of the deceased Darfairick. Veyron Darksorden is a zerdwerg (major) of a tonnebeards, stout with a red beard and cheerful green eyes. The larmarians Leslie, Pastinar, Friedribert and Henriker were already there. Tulvarick's annoying snunorfs Richten, Birdog and Wilbert drank and joked with junior officers snunorfs, loitnentans (an analogue of lieutenants), Ulrihelga Bjorskarson, a curly young brunette with an oval face and grey eyes and Elfierta Frosthangen, a dark-haired woman with a triangle-shaped face and green eyes. Richten was left by the snunorf king to represent the throne. The king of the northerners had still not returned from the capital of Norvinoria, Frostgarstrad.

Tulvarick still did not understand what position he occupies here, because he is the king of the tonnebeards, and although the northerners listened to him, they more quickly carried out the orders of the king when he made a round of the city with Richten or Birdog. But Richten got him with vulgar jokes or jokes about dwarfs, although he is not averse to often joking, however, the constant laughter during preparation for war does not allow him to concentrate on the matter. Ganrikter could not order the tonnebeards king, so he simply said before leaving, "Look after these careless brats, or they'll be drinking more often, and they won't notice the dragons roasting them for a supper. And after eating them, the dragons will get drunk, and I don't want to remove all these drunken dragons from Forsholden! Oh, and watch the war preparations, cause adult brats cannot cope without you, mighty bearded majesty" They laughed then.

Tulvarick entered the hall, and no one even blinked an eye. "Mighty bearded majesty, is it?" he thought.

The king looked from one to the other, and just as he wanted to say something, Tarrick barked loudly, "The King is in the hall!"

Everyone turned and stared first at Tarrick, and then at Tulvarick.

"Please, sit down," the king said, and many, finding a place, sat down, but some remained standing. "In the coming days, we will have everything ready to ship the parts of ballistae, for transporting weapons, military equipment and–"

"Why?" Pastinar Bruckoist interrupted him. "Even if we deliver all the ballistae on our ships, with such manoeuvrability on the water, how many dragons will we kill before they burn the entire fleet?"

Many nodded approvingly, supporting the question.

"This is what we must discuss today," the king agreed, "how can we try to land unnoticed, and assemble ballistae, setting them in hard-to-reach places, where dragons will have to descend and get closer to their deaths?"

"It's impossible," Pastinar continued. "You've never been on the Larmar islands, Your Majesty... Well, believe me, while we disembark, dragons will burn all ships, every boat, as well as those, who landed. The result will be nothing but dead bodies, and no astvatska will save anyone!"

"That is why I have called a meeting today!" The king did not let up. "I had a plan, and I admit it's a bad plan. I want to hear better suggestions because it's not in the spirit of the tonnebeards to sit and do nothing! My people are waiting for me! They want to fight!"

"Yes! Yes!" the king's mood was picked up by his tonnebeards kinsmen.

"We need to lure the dragons to us," - suggested Richten, "in my opinion, there are no other options. Let's assemble ballistae here in Forsholden, city has nice strategic bonuses, I won't describe it, because it is clear. Install ballistae and lure dragons. That's my plan."

"And how are we going to lure dragons?" Leslie interjected.

"We'll have to sacrifice your fleet, that's how we will lure them," continued Richten, "we will arrange your ships so that the dragons flew from one to another. The dragons will then fly to the coast and face several squads that will be waiting for them, casting spells, shooting and distracting, directing them straight for Forsholden."

"You want to sacrifice our ships?!" young Friedribert could not restrain himself.

"How else can we lure the dragons? If one ship sails, it will be burned, if the ships lined up, and the wind is favorable, then the speed may be enough so that when one ship appears insight, the other would sail away, picking up speed–"

"Who told you that dragons are idiots?" Friedribert continued to press."They can simply ignore the ships and fly over here, burn your squads and wait for our fleet. And then the entire fleet returned, it will be finished!"

"Maybe your fleet is already sinking, while we sit here scratching our tongues!" Richten reacted.

Suddenly, the young snunorf, who was in charge of the birds, came running in, out of his breath.

"The ehput… aiwen has just arrived..," he said, breathing heavily, "a message from the king of Eileenelia, with a note of importance."

King Tulvarick reached for the twisted bundle, but Richten was ahead of him. Tulvarick clicked his teeth involuntarily. Richten read it to himself, and as he read, a smile crept across his face. He turned to the Tulvarick.

"We have a plan!" Richten exclaimed, "the king of the arqilunians was able to make a dragon an ally, which now flying and looking for other renegades! Perfect! We'll just use the dragon as bait!"

Many of those present burst out in approving exclamations, shouts of joy and poured each other a drink.

Tulvarick was not so happy, he always reasoned like a king about the actions of other rulers from the point of view of benefits. The forest elves have always envied Farderland, the dwarf land, resources, even its huge trees, the largest trees in Ermir, the aranisoias. And now they have a dragon, and maybe there will be several. What will cause Aelarnal to give up his desire to take over the land of the tonnebeards? The progressive peaceful views of modern elves? Friendship-allied treaties? Tulvarick knew how power corrupts when it gets out of control. What could one do having several dragons? Arrange genocide! And then seize the territory, burn it, and rebuild a new country on the ashes. So Tulvarick didn't share the enthusiasm of the gathering. Problems need to be solved not as they arise, but at the stage of prediction. Tulvarick saw the only solution, and it horrified him.