“Who is Vaka?” she asked.
“I am Vaka of Croft,” came a dwarf’s deep voice. “At your service, Éhal of Angorain.”
“There is no time now for pleasantries,” said Florin brusquely. “Come, we must rejoin Baldric.”
When they reached Baldric, she heard him speaking with Hamron, Jonden, and an elf whose voice she recognised as Piter of Minden.
Piter, although young, was a renowned weaponsmaster who disliked having to lead while his own sword and bow were idle. Éhal felt a pang of guilt as she realised he had had to assume her command.
“Éhal,” said Baldric, “our forces are off to strafe our foes who are little more than a league away. Piter here tells me you have an idea of how to inflict much damage on them under cover of darkness.”
Éhal took a deep breath. “Have they ceased lighting fires to make difficult their detection?”
“They have,” said Piter.
She swallowed and continued. “When we have observed goblins and gnomes travelling in large numbers, they have moved in poorly organised groups, with the most expendable on the outside, and the leaders safely in the center. Attacking these groups is like stirring up a beehive; those in the center have to make sense of the milling confusion around them, and it takes time for them to become organised enough to retaliate.