Prince Birch boldly strode into the room donned in a technicolored robe that seemed more the thing an eclectic Bard would wear than a Prince of a royal house. Like his brothers, Birch was both tall and lean. Unlike his brothers, his right eye was brown while his left one was blue and his hair was light brown as opposed to the dark brown of his father and brothers.

Prince Birch's wife, Princess Cauladra, followed her husband, entered the throne room and upon seeing her father-in-law curtsied before him. Beneath her alabastar skin, sky blue eyes and auburn hair, Cauladra carried herself with a regal air as she quickly assessed her current situation.

Opening his arms wide, Prince Birch strode towards King Sunrider and without hesitation embraced his father warmly, "Father! It is good to see you again! Long have I wished to gaze upon you, my sire and my king!"

Releasing his sire, Prince Birch turned towards Prince Willow and clapped his hands atop his own head, "WILLOW!!! YOU'RE HERE TOO!?! OUT-STANDING!!!"

"Mae govannen, toror'" Prince Willow placed his hand over his heart in a formal greeting.

"BROTHER!!!" Prince Birch immediately bearhugged Prince Willow, lifted him off of the ground and held him aloft, "I HAVE MISSED YOU SO!!!"

Willow audibly gasped from Birch's bearhug of love and squeaked, "And I have...missed you too...brother. Can you please...set me down so I...can breathe?"

"Of course, brother, of course," Birch release Willow who landed on his feet catching his breath, "I simply must compose a poem for this occassion! I shall call it, 'The Return Of The Lost Brother'!"

Alyson's eyes went wide in sheer disbelief in how Prince Birch was definitely not all there but he was family, so he must have some influence. She was about to say something but decided not to as her attention shifted to the eldest brother, the crown prince, Ash. Following behind him was Lazheros and Irzen having been escorted so to speak.

Captain Lion came over and stood next to the elementalist turning in her direction, "Alas, I heard you returned to Asylum, young lady. It is good to see here helping the elves of Northaven."

She smiled, "Yeah, sorry I didn't have a chance to stop by and see how you were doing, Captain Lion."

"That young lady is for another time," he nodded to her with his behind his back, "Now we shall focus on defeating the horde and it is vast and terrible."

The Royal Guards looked at each other and stepped for none of them have the skill set to challenge Prince Ash in combat. Upon entering the throne room, the Crown Prince entered first and bowed to his father, "Hail, Sunrider, Tenth of his line, Father and King of Northaven! I have heard your summons and came as quickly as I could!"

"BROTHER!!!" Prince Birch strode over to Crown Prince Ash and gave him a warm hug before their father could respond, "As always, it is good to see you again!" Birch released his brother, clapped him upon his back and announced to the entire assembly, "Gaze upon us, one and all, our enemy has much to fear! For the Sons of Sunrider are coming home! Let those who oppose us despair!"

Irzen gave the Elven King a curt bow out of respect though he was surprised to find that Captain Mandur, Willow and Alyson had arrived at the palace before they did. And then, out of the corner of his eye, Irzen spotted a sight that filled him with complete dread.

Leaning against a pillar not more than a few feet from The Oaken Throne itself stood a tall, blonde Elf Maiden with braided hair donned in the long flowing robes of a Noblewoman or Bardess. While she studiously recorded all that was happening in a giant tome within the crux of her right arm, the She-Elf gave The Swordsman and The Cleric a seductive yet friendly wink of the eye.

"Gi shuu!" Irzen hissed to Lazheros, "Lu'usstan ssiggrin ussta tangi gumash naut inbau jala wruuty."

Translation: "Oh crap!" Irzen hissed to Lazheros, "And I thought our day could not get any worse."

The bronze man just stood there quietly knowing if the Chronicler were to do anything rash it would be bad not just for her but for everyone else here. He could sense the tension in the throne room. The ranger's people were taken nearly off guard by the invading Horde and now everyone is taking up a defensive position within the capital itself.

King Sunrider approached his eldest son and embraced him, the look of worry upon his wizened face for Prince Yew troubled him deeply. "Amin eldest utinu has tul a eska."

Translation: My eldest son has come home.

"Atar, sii' tanya most en' lye nosse naa sinome, along yassen niasa, lye will drive sina goth tuulo' lye lands!" Ash replied confidently.

Translation:: Father, now that most of our family are here, along with allies, we will drive this enemy from our lands!::

Sunrider narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the Drow Swordsman, "How is it that one of the fallen have come to be in my presence? Willow, do you know this drow, and can he be trusted?"

Irzen said nothing. He merely stood stock still at a parade rest.

"I do, sire," Prince Willow approached The Swordsman and stood by his side, "King Sunrider, Tenth of His Name, I would like to introduce you to Lord Dy'var Irzen, Captain of the Shadow Riders, First Lord of Shadows-By-The-Lake or Shadow Haven to use the Common tongue. Captain Irzen is not only an ally but also my friend. Through my many travels and adventures, he has saved my life as often as I have saved his. I have no truer friend than this Drow."

"In addition to his friendship, sire," Prince Willow continued unabated, "Before he turned upon The Dark Lord, Captain Irzen once served in Gruummasht's army acting as scouts for his forces. He knows the tactics and strategy of the enemy we fight and he knows them well. His military insights will prove invaluable to us if we ever hope to defeat this terrible enemy."

"Finally, Captain Irzen has offered to assist us and asks for nothing in return other than safe passage from our lands when our war is won," Willow concluded, "He wants neither fame nor glory nor fortune for the assistance he is giving us. He is helping us because he is my friend and because I need his help now more than ever."

After carefully listening to all of Willow's testimony and defense of the drow swordsman, and noticed how his eldest defended Irzen, Sunrider surmised that having someone of that kind of intelligence and cunning would be a great asset to the cause. "Very well, my sons. I will hear what this Drow Swordsman has to say for the enemy draws ever nearer as we speak."

The Drow Swordsman came out of his parade rest and spoke in the Common tongue, "Sunrider Elven King, I will tell you and the assembly gathered here what I told your daughter-in-law, Princess Liliandra, back in Westfall. You can expect ash and death if Gruumasht emerges victorious."

Irzen continued simply, "Gruumasht believes in total war. He asks for no quarter and he gives none. If he succeeds in conquering your people, he will take every scrap of food and water you have to feed his army. Then he will put your forests, your fields and your farmlands to the torch until they become a smoldering cinder. And to make sure no living soul ever occupies the land again, he will order his troops to pour salt into the earth to make sure nothing grows again."

The Swordsman added, "And then he will start on your cities, your towns and your villages. He will loot, sack and burn them one-by-one until they are a smoldering ruin. He will kill your males and your children in front of your eyes. And he will spare your females only so he can enjoy their lamentations before he gives each and every last one of them over to his Orcs as his playthings."

The elven king pondered what Irzen told him weighing the pros and cons of his knowledge of Gruumasht knowing what kind of orcs he was dealing, the worst of Venger's rejects apparently.

Irzen concluded, "Heed my words, Sunrider Elven King, you cannot make peace with Gruumasht! He cannot be bargained with, he cannot be reasoned with, he neither feels pity nor remorse nor fear. And he absolutely will not stop. Ever. Until you and your people are dead!"

"Do you take me for a fool? There will be no quarter for that swine who dared traverse and defile my kingdom!" King Sunrider proclaimed with a clenched fist.

The Dark Elf concluded, "These are the stakes, Sunrider Elven King, I know strategies and tactics that we can use to defeat Gruumasht's horde and gladly will I share them with you. But I only ask one thing of you in return: I want your word of honor as king that when this war is over and we stand victorious, I will be given safe passage when I depart your lands. I ask for neither gold nor glory nor honor but this I do ask. What say you, Sunrider Elven King?"

"Drow tactics?" Sunrider questioned him abruptly, "Very well, Captain Irzen, lets us discuss what you're capable of in the war room. Ash, Birch, Willow and company, you may join us as well."

The king strode forward away from his throne and lead the party to another room with a large table made of the hardest black oak anyone had seen. On its surface was the complete map of his domain. Red flags indicated where the horde was in relation to the capital.