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For several seconds the two creatures, mortal
adversaries by race and heritage, remained frozen. Horgan
sensed that the ogre desired escape more than battle.
Horgan himself was oddly reluctant to fight. He couldn't
understand why.
Then, in a flash, he recalled the bitter memory of his
cowardice at Thoradin Bridge. His face flushed with shame
and anger. Clenching his axe, he raised it and took a step
forward, his shield couched carefully at his chest.
Gobasch raised his great sword.
Suddenly, by mutual consent, both combatants halted.
Another sound intruded into their tightly focused
concentration.
"Horses!" grunted Horgan, as he heard the
unmistakable clattering of hooves upon rock.
"Men!" Gobasch snarled, his voice louder than
Horgan's but still hushed.
With a flash of irritation, Horgan realized that the
ogre's observation was more acute - it was the humans, not
their poor, dumb mounts, who mattered.
Carefully the dwarf backed away from the ogre,
determined to investigate the new intrusion without giving
this monster a fatal opening. But Gobasch sought the
shelter of his dark cave again, vanishing into the shadowy
entrance. Horgan imagined that he could see those two tiny,
bright eyes glittering outward at him and the valley
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