CONTENTS

PRELUDE

PART 1

2. NOT WELCOME. 23

3. RETREAT INTO VICTORY.. 36

4. CONFLICTING LOYALTIES. 43

5. WHERE GHOSTS ROAM... 51

6. SMARTER THAN AN ORC THOUGHT.. 66

7. THE TRAPPINGS OF. 72

PART 2

8. AROUND THE EDGES OF DISASTER.. 81

9. BECAUSE THAT’S HOW WE DO IT.. 88

10. NOT WELCOME. 103

11. ON A FIELD OF THEIR CHOOSING.. 109

12. SPIN.. 115

13. THERE, I SAID IT ...120

14. THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD SEEN IT ALL. 128

PART 3

15. INTOLERANCE. 137

16. THE HERO.. 146

17. MIELIKKI’S APPROVAL, 151

18. A CITIZEN IN GOOD STANDING.. 156

19. MORTAL WINDS BLOWING.. 164

20. SHARP TURN IN THE ROAD.. 173

PART 4

21. THE AURA OF BEING KING.. 185

22. TOO CLEAR A WARNING.. 191

23. SWORD AGAINST SWORD.. 198

24. WITH SURPRISING SKILL. 208

25. THE KEPT HALFLING.. 216

26. POINT AND COUNTERPOINT.. 229

27. WHEN HOPE FADES. 240

28. BOWING BEFORE THE WRONG GOD.. 244

29. WHERE ROADS MEET AND ROADS DIVERGE. 253

EPILOGUE. 258