The Wizard's Council by Cody J. Sherer Page A

still needed to be as stealthy as possible. They were still outnumbered by the goblin army that Cormac wished to avoid. His orders were to clear the infested tunnels, but he knew that systematically wiping out the goblin patrols before taking on their army was a better move. The dwarves wandered the tunnels for nearly an hour without finding the goblin camp or any of their patrols. Cormac stopped the group and waited for Borfin to join him at the front.
    “Up ahead, a small goblin patrol.” Cormac pointed to the two goblins that were arguing at the end of the tunnel.
    “How do we take them by surprise?” Borfin asked.
    “I’ll cast a spell, you get the men ready.”
    Borfin nodded and pulled out his battle axe. The rest of the dwarves followed his example and readied their weapons. Cormac raised his staff, creating the illusion of an empty cavern. His army slowly crept forward, confused as to why the goblins couldn’t see them approaching. Dwarves never do seem to understand magic , Cormac thought as they closed in on the unsuspecting sentries. Borfin and another dwarf each grabbed one of the goblins and slit its throat. The dwarven Wizard smiled, it had been a long time since he had seen the dwarves in action, and he had forgotten how efficient they could be. They hid the bodies in nearby alcoves and continued on toward the rest of the scouting party. There were thirty goblins in all. The majority of them were situated around a fire waiting for their food. Cormac’s twenty dwarves took up their positions around the camp and waited for the signal.
    With the thrust of his staff , Cormac snuffed out the large bonfire in the middle of the goblin camp. The goblins were engulfed in darkness and their eyes would take some time to readjust to the dark. Cormac’s men were able to see perfectly due to an enchantment that he had cast before putting out the flames. The goblins flailed around in the dark as the dwarves began to cut them down. Cormac watched as several of the goblins who tried to escape were cut down by dwarven throwing axes. Borfin had taken the lead in the assault and commanded the men in such a way that made it look as though they had been fighting together for several years. Borfin rejoined Cormac at the end of the tunnel and watched as the rest of the dwarves worked to clear the cave.
    “What’s our next move?” Borfin asked.
    “We can’t chase goblins all day, and we aren’t strong enough to take out their main force head on. We’ll need to use some sort of a diversion to distract them while we deal a crippling blow.” Cormac was already processing several different plans in his mind.
    “How can we do that?”
    “We’ll either need to take out their leader or their supplies. Those are the two things the goblins can’t do without. I’ll be providing the distraction, so it is up to you to choose which one is the better target.”
    “That sounds dangerous. The King wouldn’t want his cousin dying in battle, you can’t do this alone.” Borfin grabbed Cormac’s shoulder and held tightly.
    “It isn’t negotiable. I will provide the diversion , and you will lead the men to their target. You get in, get out, and get home. No matter what happens, don’t come back for me. I’ll do everything in my power to meet you back at the castle, but this is a job I must take on alone.” Cormac looked Borfin directly in the eyes.
    Borfin nodded, not wanting to argue with Cormac. They both knew that only a mage could provide the kind of distraction needed to allow the dwarves to deal a devastating blow to the goblins. The two rummaged through what little was left of the camp until they found a map of the goblin territory. They found two routes to the main goblin camp and then split up. Borfin took the small force and went via the smaller tunnel. Cormac went alone and took the larger tunnel. Each path was sure to have goblin sentries, so Borfin and his men gave Cormac a head start. The dwarven mage used the