Uzek laughed shortly. "Did I hear you correctly? You want to help me? What sort of help do you think you can give me? And what makes you think I would accept anything from you?"

Aeron said, "Oh yes, you do. You need our help. This is not about you alone. It is about your people. If you want to survive the war that is coming, you must accept help."

Uzek saw that Aeron himself wasn't joking or trying to sound funny. "Continue," He said, folding his arms.

Aeron took a breath and kept his voice even. "First, you must welcome us. Then we will tell you how we plan to help your people survive the coming attack. I see you have been training your fighters, but you and I both know there is little chance of surviving the hydra this way."

Uzek watched him carefully for a long moment. Then, without another word, he motioned for them to follow. One of Uzek's men stepped forward and took their weapons before they entered the chief's private chambers. A guard whispered to Uzek, "Are you sure you'll be okay with them alone?"

Uzek shook his head. "Do not worry," he said. "I know what I am doing."

They sat around a low round table and looked at one another. Aeron spoke first. "You sure do trust us enough to be alone with us. What if we tried to harm you?"

Uzek answered calmly. "You would not try that. You wouldn't think of it when you know you would not survive it. I have thousands of soldiers around this camp. They would shred you into pieces before you reached your dragon."

"So let's get straight to it. What help is this that you speak of?" Uzek asked.

Aeron leaned forward. "We offer shelter. A safe place for those of your people who cannot fight. We invite you to the kingdom of Dorch. We will give you land inside the walls to keep your families safe during the war."

Uzek's eyes narrowed. "And what do you want in return?"

Aeron met him without blinking. "You fight with us. Stand at our walls when the hydra comes. Fight as an ally. Fight with us so that your people and ours may live."

Then Uzek began to laugh. At first it was soft, but soon it grew louder. Finally, he stopped and shook his head.

"You must be out of your senses, boy," Uzek said at last. "You must be a fool to think you can feed me such lies. To think I would swallow them like a child. You would grant us shelter in Dorch? Shelter from King Rollo and his people? Even a newborn here would not believe that."

Aeron did not flinch. He kept his gaze steady, waiting for Uzek's voice to die down and when the laughter ended, he spoke calmly.

"But it is so," Aeron said. "I know what you think. You believe the king would never allow it, that the people of Dorch would never accept it. And yes, on normal days you might be right. But these are hard times. And in hard times, people bend, they compromise. They have no choice."

Aeron reached into his cloak and pulled out a rolled parchment sealed with wax. He placed it on the desk between them.

"This is from King Rollo himself," Aeron said. "Read it, and you will see his words. He accepts you. He welcomes you. He asks that you fight with us."

The room became silent. Uzek's smile faded as his eyes fell on the scroll. Slowly, he reached forward and picked it up. He turned it in his hand, staring at the seal pressed deep into the wax.

"This… is from Rollo?" he asked in disbelief.

"It is," Aeron replied. "And if you know his writing, you will recognize it for yourself."

Uzek broke the seal and unrolled the parchment. His eyes scanned the words, his lips moving quietly as he read. At last, he lowered the scroll and looked at them again.

"I know his royal stamp when I see it," Uzek muttered. "And this is no forgery. This is truly his mark. But still… him accepting this? Him accepting us? It is something I would never have believed in all my years."

"It has already happened," Aeron said. "Whether you believe it or not, the king has made his choice. He has accepted you, Chief Uzek. He has chosen survival over pride. And you must do the same, for I know one thing you and Rollo both share. You both want your people to live. Nothing else matters more than that."

Uzek leaned back, as his hands gripped the scroll. His eyes narrowed, looking at Aeron as if studying him.

"And if we do not?" Uzek asked.

"Then you fight alone," Aeron answered. "And if you fight alone, you will not survive. You know it as well as I do."

Uzek's jaw tightened. His voice dropped lower. "But how do I know this is not a trap? A trap set by Rollo himself to end our long dispute once and for all? How do I know he does not use this as a chance to crush us while we stand with open arms? How do I know that this is not his master plan to wipe us from this earth?"

Aeron leaned forward.

"Think about it," he said. " Why would we waste our time, our strength, and our men plotting such a trap? Why would we make such a plan when the Hydra already marches upon us? Why would we go this far only to kill you, when we could have left you to face the hydra alone?"

"We gain nothing by destroying you. But we gain everything if you stand with us and fight. Alone, you will not survive. And if this were a trap, you would not survive either. So choose the option that gives you a chance to live. Fight with us."

"..."