As soon as everyone got up from their seats, a guard entered and approached the princess relaying a message that the cavalry captains had come. The guard turned towards the door motioning them to enter. First Captain Andearaen came in followed by Captain Mandur of the Hill Dwarves.

"Your highness," Captain Andaerean bowed before both Willow and Liliandra.

"Captain Andaerean, Captain Mandur, you are most welcome here," Willow acknowledged the Wood Elf.

"My Liege," The dwarven captain bowed glancing about the room and noticed the bronze man standing to the left of the princess, "You are most welcome, Grand Cleric. How does my cousin fare these days in Asylum?"

"Captain Mandur, it has been some time since you came to visit," Lazheros nodded in kind, "Knight-Captain Martuk fares well keeping order and in keeping would be enemies at bay."

Liliandra looked at Lazheros curiously, "Grand Cleric? Are you not the Guardian of Asylum as well?"

"To clarify, your highness, Grand Cleric is the name those who serve Bahamut choose to call me. The common folk refer to me as the Bronze Man, to friends who know me by name. I am still and will always be the Guardian of Asylum since founding it long ago." Lazheros stated.

"Captain Mandur, it is good to see you again," Irzen smiled, "Thank you for the loan of the wargoat. It has served me well."

Captain Mandur looked the elven captain for a moment then shrugged, "If the wargoat was loan as you call it, it would of returned right after you rejoined your fellows, Lord Irzen. The wargoat did not return and therefore you have a mighty fine steed at your side. Two, since you are from the Underdark, you have a steed that is quite capable of traversing the rough and rocky terrain that horses simply aren't capable of walking on."

"That is VERY good to know," The Swordsman grinned from ear to ear, "That is very good to know indeed."

The princess waved for everyone to follow her into the next room and centered in the middle was a huge table with a map of the entire kingdom of Northaven. The capital being in the center and Westfall at the western point. The southern valley was still watched by both the wardens and the hill dwarves keeping the horde at bay there.

"My riders and army is set on the inner most part of the southern valley along the border from Westfall to the eastern side. I also received word that my cousin, Knight-Captain Martuk has sent a phalanx of axe throwers, guardians fighters, champions and clerics of Moradin and Clanggeddin Silverbeard, more wargoats, a few rune keepers from Port Thelmys, and finally four of the Iron hills finest catapults. Total is roughly five hundred added to my own troops brings it up to seven hundred." Mandur tugged his beard describing what his regiment entailed.

Irzen listened carefully but said nothing.

"Thank you for your aid and for that of your cousin as well," Willow reassured Mandur, "In our darkest hour, it is good to know that we have such stout and true friends as your Hill Dwarven kin to call upon."

Serna took everything in but said nothing as well. All she did was take the occassional glance at Caliaphy every now and then to see what she would do next.

"Before the horde came, the cavalry consisted of three thousand riders." The elven captain pointing out where the main force was located, "One third was dispatched to the capital, another thousand was sent scouting and accessing the size, and make up of the horde, giants, ogres, orcs, worgs, elite orcs, Gruumasht and one hooded figure using the black arts."

"Barakas most likely," Lazheros glanced to the swordsman, "Did you ever encounter this fell half-orc?"

"Yes," Irzen replied simply, "Although, when I knew him a hundred years ago, he wasn't practicing the black arts at all. He was Gruumasht's Chief Torturer. He never really tortured people for information. He did it purely for Gruumasht's amusement. Humph! It seems Barakas has stepped up his game since the last time I saw him. He's gone from whips and chains to black magic."

The Swordsman turned to the Elven Captain, "You said that you had three thousand cavalry but you split them into three groups. One guards the capital, the second was out scouting but where is the third one?"

"The third are the Lancers, heavy horses and riders and they are here in Westfall. Their sole purpose is to trample all in their path and had the horde had gotten closer to the city, they would of been unleashed. The Lancers do not charged head long into the enemy forces rather they flank them from the sides." Captain Andaerean addressed the swordsman, "The heavy horses were gifts from a neighboring human settlement just to north of here. While we prefer horses built for speed and grace, these horses are taller, heavier, and built for war."