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concluded.
    “Yes! Fire giants on the move,” Ordin interrupted. “I smell the call to battle.” Dwarves have a deep-rooted hatred of evil giants and barely tolerate the good mountain and thunder giants that inhabit the remote areas of the Alliance. This derived from a long-standing conflict between the two groups.
    “Over a hundred giants and multiple chromatics,” Wierangan repeated with some concern, but you could see in the intensity of his focused steel blue eyes that surveyed the portrayed terrain that he was already working on course of action for a battle plan.
    “At least that many, with likely much more,” Deless added.
    “Smells of Morgathian involvement of some sort, with Keystone and Eladran Weirs as their target,” Gallanth stated. “The giants are a concern, but the presence of red dragons with death knights means a Morgathian directive of some sort to control that amount of power,” he continued. Metallic dragons had a particular disdain for the evil giant races but little respect for them, for they were not nearly a match in battle. Mkel did have a concern about giants, for even the smaller common giants were very physically powerful creatures, as attested to by the injury he received on his right elbow from an ice giant’s axe in a skirmish some years ago.
    “Can you sense anything additional, other than what Gallanth feels, Jodem?” Mkel asked.
    “No, but I do not like the gathering of that much power that close to our border, and where there is a death knight, there is a Talon sorcerer of some power,” Jodem added.
    “We must increase our patrols in that area,” Wierangan said. “Can we tie them in closer with the Lucian elf clan and Eladran Weir’s rangers and centaurs?” he asked Mkel, who nodded a response.
    “Yes sir, we will need a couple more seeing crystals, though, for we have three new rangers,” Lupek immediately replied.
    “We’ve found several good specimens in the northern mines, which we will bring to Gallanth and Jodem tomorrow,” Ordin chimed in.
    “We will see to it, sir, and tie in with your patrols on the northern part of the Gray Mountain pass,” Mkel said to Wierangan. “Lieutenant Lupek will meet with Haldrin next week when his other patrol comes back from the mountains. Gallanth, Jodem, and I will be going to Battle Point the day after next to talk to General Daddonan about his concerns on the frontier, at his request. Until then we will have at least one patrol along our border of the Gray Mountains, as well as the flights of the rangers and the Weir eagles over the pass,” Mkel finished.
    “I will see to the eagles,” stated Dekeen.
    “Colonel Wierangan, I will speak to Talonth of Eladran Weir after the meeting and have him relay our concerns of the Morgathian and giant incursions along our shared borders to his rider Colonel Lordan and the entire Eladran wing,” Gallanth’s deep commanding voice added. Dragons can instantly telepathically communicate with each other, like two people can with seeing crystals.
    Dekeen spoke up again and said, “I will have Beckann send a message to Haldrin’s wife as well and let them know to expect Lupek and Deless. They will be told to closely watch their eastern boundary with the mountains.”
    Colonel Wierangan stood up. “Excellent, gentlemen. Gallanth, Captain Mkel, we shall bring this matter up to the Colonel’s Council next week during the monthly gathering and senate session, as well as any concerns General Daddonan has at Battle Point when you and Master Wizard Jodem return. Captain Mkel, how are the preparations for the exercise going?”
    “Excellent, sir,” Mkel replied. “They finished setting up the targets this afternoon; the final coordination made by Pekram and your soldiers was a great asset in manpower. All our supporting leaders will be coming in before the evening meal to finalize the plan.”
    “Good; remember that this operation will focus on the Weir garrison initially being the