Dragolem set the Swordsman down and landed up on a higher point away from the bronze man. He wanted no part of angering a true dragon in their midst.

"Next time survey your surroundings, Irzen before you call in a strike like that. Not very tactical on your part, it could of have been a blunder instead." The elementalist said juggling some pebbles. "But hey all that mattered was the enemies were defeated and the captives freed."

"Forgive me, Alyson," Irzen smiled coyly, "I'm not half the geologist that you are, but maybe I will be when I grow up."

At this point Lazheros had finished up healing the four dwarves and walked over to Alyson and Irzen arguing again, "She has a very good point, Lord Irzen. Perhaps looking before leaping may benefit you in the future." He turned to the ranger now, "I believe these are the dwarves that went missing, or at least some of them when the horde hit the valley."

"I acted as I did to take out our enemies and to save lives," Irzen retorted, "That is why I acted as I did. But I will take your advice into consideration in the future, Alyson."

"There is only one way to find out," Willow turned towards the Dwarves and began to speak in the local Dwarven dialect, "Greetings, who are you? Where are you from? How are you doing? And how did you come by being captured by those Goblins?"

The four dwarves look at each other for a moment before responding and then one approached the ranger. He was a burly dwarf with reddish blonde hair and a short beard, "No offense but your dwarvish needs work. We're from this region unlike our underground cousins who prefer to be in the earth, we'd rather traverse over it. Well we did until that blasted horde showed up and we were forced to take the ridge line into the narrow ravine here. Damnable goblins jumped us, and that ettin used us like punching bags before he ate some of our companions. My name is Danvald and these sir, are my kin, Gimim, Thinbar, and Gruo."

"We are sorry for the losses that you have suffered," Willow replied honestly, "And we are sorry that this evil befell you and your kin. These are my friends," The Prince pointed to each one in turn, "Irzen the Swordsman, Lazheros the Cleric, Serna the Shield Maiden, Alyson the Elementalist, Caliaphy the Fairy and Dragolem the Elemental."

Danvald chugged down some more water again and wiped his mouth, "Aye sir, we have an old accord with Sunrider of Northaven, providing metals and gems for his military and in return, we get hardy stock animals to help out with our work. We don't ask for much just a place to call home."

"A fair trade if there ever was one," Willow concluded with a firm nod, "Where were you heading before you were accosted?"

"We were going about our business as usual when the sounds of raging orcs echoed into the valley and spooked our mules that pull our wagons. The ones riding the goats rode after the mules to get them back. We were left behind with the wagons and managed to hide a few of them off the road but half of the supplies were taken by the horde. If we can get word to the rest of my kin, we can hold off the horde from making their way to the southern gate of the capital. We may be hill dwarves but when pushed we push back even harder. I've got a contingent of sappers ready to go but my fellows and I need to get there without being spotted by the horde scouts, Orcs that ride worgs." Danvald clenched his fist angrily.

"As much I am against splitting up the party, I would say this is a good time to do so," The Bronze Man added looking at the swordsman and up to the draconian, "Lord Irzen and Dragolem, do you have any objections to helping them?"

The black-shadow draconian glanced down at the Bronze Man, "No problem here."

"None on my end," The Swordsman replied, "My only questions are where exactly are we going? How much of a detour this is going to be? And whose going to join us? Serna? Alyson? Lazheros?"

"I think I'll stick with Willow," Serna replied honestly, "He needs someone to shield him in battle and you'll have Dragolem to do that."