The Beginning Of The End.

The next day was more of the same as Rose and Felicia came back to the house. We had breakfast together and then I took Rose out hunting. I think she was trying to find a way to connect with her mothers blood. Her elven half. She managed to kill her first deer, well take it down should I say. I had to finish it off with my knife but it was an impressive shot. We took it back to the tavern were her dad was actually impressed. Me and Aurora went shopping in the city getting things we needed for the house while Rose and Felicia went to work but we all met back for dinner. Felicia had convinced me to send Daisy to help with the farm until Selena and Delilah get back. Not sure if that was the best idea given how close the cow girls were but it wouldn't hurt her.

We ate dinner and then went to clear the table as a knock came at the door. I went over and opened it and there stood the queen.

"Your majesty." I said

"I need your assistance if you mean to stand by your value to the kingdom and my family." She said giving me a look that told me this would be dangerous.

"I do." I nodded.

"Please come with me." She nodded and went out onto the porch.

"Okay." I nodded and looked at the girls. "I will be back." The queen walked to the boundary and crossed over holding out her hand. I reluctantly took it knowing what came next as we went instantaneously to another place. I managed to keep keep dinner down somehow.

"Here we are." She said. I saw the queens cabin in front of us where Lady Cassandra stood waiting on us.

"Lady Cassandra or should I call you Princess now." I smiled and did a little bow.

"No not yet but it does have a nice ring to it." She smiled and then looked at the queen. "So why are we here your majesty?"

"I will show you." She opened the door and we went in to see Araseli standing next to another woman in a chair with a hood over her head.

"Take off the hood." The queen said and Araseli lifted it off to reveal Kasar.

"Kasar, please tell me you did not go back to smuggling again." I shook my head. This wasn't the first time I had seen her with a hood over her face.

"Yes, well no, not yet at least. But I was kind enough to tell this pretty birdie here that I was doing so." She smiled and looked up though Araseli looked unfazed.

"Tell them what you told me." Araseli nodded.

"Yesterday I was approached by a man who wanted me to smuggle something for him. He was cryptic about what but he gave me enough to piece it together. In two days time I am to carry him and several men to smugglers cove."

"Never heard of it." Cassandra shook her head.

"We would have to change the name if you had dear." Kasar smiled. "Needless to say it is on the other side of the border. This man was dark skinned from my native continent across the southern sea and the travel times he mentioned would suggest he intends to sail home. This man wanted to know two things in particular. The speed of my ship and how many people I could carry in my cargo hold."

"They are buying the humans from the goblins as slaves." I said.

"Yes. That was my thought as well. I had him followed and I am not the only smuggler he spoke to about the job. He has employed other ships to arrive at the cove in four days time. From my estimates he is looking to buy hundreds if not thousands from the goblins and sell them in the south were they fetch a pretty copper if they are even half as pretty as these lovely ladies." Kasar smiled and looked at Cassandra making her blush.

"Do you trust this woman?" The Queen looked at me.

"Depends on how much you are paying her. She wouldn't tell all of this unless she wanted something."

"He knows me to well." Kasar smiled.

"How does your weight in gold sound once we have the women." The queen asked.

"Then I am yours." Kasar nodded.

"You will tell us the location of smugglers cove." The queen said.

"Do you have a map?" Kasar nodded. The queen showed her a map and Kasar pointed out the spot. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. "So is that all you need from me?"

"For now when we have the girls you will be paid but if you betray us..." The Queen began to say.

"I trust your word your majesty and you have promised to pay me more then they ever will. With the amount of money you have offered I can sell my ship and live a comfortable life. I might even cut my men in." Kasar shrugged.

"Then you will deliver these men as promised." The queen said. "Wait outside please with Araseli."

"As you wish your majesty." Kasar bowed and gave Cassandra a wink as Araseli led her out.

"You attended to let them take the girls?" Cassandra spoke up now that Kasar was outside.

"She means to draw them into the open. They will make easy targets on the road." I spoke up. I could already see what she was thinking. That was a long way to travel with slaves in tow and hundreds of possible ambush spots along the way as the map outlined forest and hills along the route the would take which would be the shortest one.

"Exactly. Plus your brother will arrive with a small armada before the slaves reach the cove." The queen pointed. That cove kept them hidden but it would also trap them in when inside. "Araseli will fly south and tell him personally. I will need you two to travel north with a small contingent of my husbands men I know I can trust. You will head to your fathers camp and give him a letter." The queen looked at Cassandra who nodded. She pointed to the spot. "Our friend will head onward to meet up with Willow and her troop. After the civilians are clear your father will attack Goblintown & Willow and her troop will attack the caravan." The Queen pointed to a spot close by Goblintown.

"What about the goblin army?" Cassandra asked. "If they know we are coming."

"They will be occupied else were." The queen smiled. "I have told each of my most trusted advisers three diffrent stories. One of the human army moving from the south. The second of the elven forces attacking from the west, and the last of an army of hired gnomish mercenaries attacking from the north." She showed on the map.

"Which is true." Cassandra asked. It was a final plow by the queen to see who she could trust on her council.

"All of them." The Queen smiled.

"Which ever direction the bulk of goblin army heads will tell you who is supplying information to the east." I smiled.

"Yes. I have told no one of the real location of your fathers army. They will take goblins town and cut off the goblins retreat. They will be surrounded on all sides ending the war with the goblins."

The Goblins would be slaughtered against three armies attacking at once. Especially if they did receive word of one of the attacking armies and headed to face just the one and with goblin town off the board they would be defeated and there would be four armies for the orcs and King Warwick to face in the north. The map indicated a second massive army near the border to east of here. A little close to the everwoods then I liked given I had family there.

"Yes." The Queen nodded and gave a smile.

"You will both need to gather your things and be ready to ride at day break." The Queen said.

"Yes, your majesty." We both nodded. She sent me back home first and I went inside to get ready.

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