"Better not what?"

"Stay."

Another pause. "Are you giving up?"

"No. We still have the farms and the mines… but… we're going to have to dig in. Song Chen, we need to fortify our territory. Build walls and towers. We can't claim the whole forest any more, but maybe we can still hold the mines."

"What about the farm?"

Remian shook his head. "That much land could be too much to defend. Leave it be for now. Doom specifically ordered his Wilds not to attack it, so maybe we can just leave it as it is."

"We may not need walls, but I would want at least a patrol on it just in case."

"Good idea. Two or three patrols would be good too. But more importantly, we have to fortify the hospital and the Guild. Those are the most vulnerable, and the Wilds have no orders from Doom concerning them."

"Understood. We will be stretched thin, however. Manpower will be short."

"See if the Iron Legion can help."

"The Iron Legion has given up on the south. They have abandoned the Wave Trail Road." Song Chen said, then. "They are focusing on the road north, saying that we had best ease the way for reinforcements than for enemies. Also, construction on the airport has come to a halt. It is repaired only to basic functionality."

"They're really going all-out on the road to Fal'Herim now, aren't they?"

"They are, indeed. A lot of the Sand People are helping them. There is talk of returning home."

"What does Asda say about it?"

"She is planning the first trip back to Fal'Herim for supplies. They are taking a whole Sky Barge as soon as Arnold finishes arming the second Tug. That will be roughly the day after tomorrow."

"I thought it would have been done by now. We did tell him to skip the frills and just build the bare necessities, planks-and-netting style."

"Losing the forge was a major setback. The Burning Steel took all day yesterday to set up a new one inside KarGoth. Please hold. Aren wishes to speak with you."

"Put him on."

"Remian? I have good news!"

"That's rare. What is it?"

"We found Flaming Silver! Or actually, it found us… or rather, it's down in the Pit's new extension tunnel."

"Wait. What is Flaming Silver? And what's this about a new extension tunnel?"

"Right. Well, you remember the Beast Tide's Tier 6 Land Wyrm? Yes, it left a forty feet-wide tunnel pa.s.sing right through the bottom of the pit, and it leads to richer deposits below KarGoth. There's more Fire Copper down there, and even some Flaming Bronze. Oh, right… Flaming Bronze is an even richer fire-elemental ore. It looks like metal fire, as if actual flames had hardened into metal. It's like the colors could actually move if you didn't watch them too closely, all wavy reds, oranges and yellows. It's mostly orange, the lower quality ones are more reddish, like Fire Copper, while the higher quality ones are more yellowish, like Blazing Gold."

"What's Blazing Gold?"

"Ah, right. That's an even higher quality fire-elemental ore in the same series."

"And is there an even higher one that that?"

"Only in legends. It's called White Fire Metal, but I've never seen it or heard of where a sample could be seen."

Remian s.h.i.+fted. "Speaking of the new tunnel… what happened to that land wyrm?"

"No idea. After it wrecked Fort Spoas, it just went on tunneling under the river, and then water filled in the lower tunnels so that's that. Fort Spoas is as far as the dry tunnels go. I'm half-tempted to build a railway along this tunnel and use it ourselves."

"There's a Tier 6 Land Wyrm tunneling around these parts and you want to build an underground railway in there?!"

"Well… it's gone, isn't it? I don't think it's coming back."

"What are you saying? Beast Waves always come back."

There was a short silence.

"Maybe we can make friends with it?" Aren tried again. "That's your plan isn't it?"

"Maybe." Remian s.h.i.+fted. "That depends on what happens with Doom when we find him."

"Kick him in the tailroots for me?"

"No promises."

George came on next. "The Feelo-Wasps are complaining that Wulfgar is taking too much honey. It wasn't much before, but now he's drinking non-stop and beating himself up over losing Darian at the same time. Somebody's got to do something."

"Why not you?"

"Me?"

"If not you, then who? Chances are, n.o.body else can, or will."

"What can I do?"

"Send him to look for Darian! Pack his bags and a.s.sign him a team, if you have to! See if he can catch up to us. But if, and only if he can sober up."

"I thought you didn't want him to go with you."

"Not while he's drunk, I don't!"

"But you'll send him into the Wildlands on foot drunk?"

"Not without a few trusty companions. Like wolfcats. Wolfcats are good."

"They're not too fond of the way he smells."

"Can you have him washed?"

"He won't do it."

"Figure it out yourself. Think of something."

***

Two minutes later, at the farm's lake…

"Guwaaah!"

*Splash*

"Does he smell better?"

[Still smells.]

*Splash, splash, splash*

"Gubuwuoooh!!"

"Now?"

[There's just a bit more…]

"Gubwuaaaa!"

"Hey! Don't run away! Everyone, GET HIM!"

"Awooooo!!"

"Miqweeeik!"

"Whyyyyyy…?!"

***

Meanwhile, on the ground hundreds of feet below the Red Fang, a lion and a stag met on the open plains.

No, it wasn't dinner time. This was, frankly speaking, a meeting of two Lords.

[Golden Lion Lord.]

[High Crown Stag Lord.]

Two Tier 5 Lords of the Wilds met, showing teeth and antlers, the air around them visibly rippling with psionic power gathered and ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice. Roughly fifty feet behind each Lord, their friends, kin and kind waited tensely in case they were called upon in a hurry.

Each of the lords was easily thirty feet tall, almost forty if you counted the Stag Lord's antlers. When they walked, the ground twitched with every step. When they spoke, the echoing ripples of their psionic transmissions gave off a tangible pressure to every Wild listening close by.

[What brings you to my doorstep?] the Stag Lord asked.

[There are men. They have come again.] the Golden Lion Lord looked up.

[So why did you not call your father and destroy the Defilers?]

[They move quickly.] the Golden Lion Lord observed. [They will enter your turf before word reaches my father.]

[Then he has slipped your grasp. What a pity.]

[Not if you permit us to pa.s.s…]

[Never. Not for man. Not for anything short of the Twin Dragons. You will not enter without a fight.]

[Then it is up to you to handle them.] the Golden Lion snorted. [And any blood they shed from this point forward is on your head!]

The Stag Lord said nothing as the Golden Lion Lord turned and loped away at a fierce pace.