"I would not worry overmuch about the Wood Elves," Tolan replied. "I think it will not be nearly as difficult as you might believe to secure their aid. I notice that your Wizard, Gareth, is himself a Wood Elf, and his presence would go far in reassuring the inhabitants of Macul." Tolan raised his hand quickly, before Irzen could protest. "But I realize you have stated that you cannot spare any men. I understand this well. We have other means. Yarfell and the kingdom of the Wood Elves are indeed friends. Ensuring this has been a mission of mine since I was called to the Council, as it was a mission of my brother's and our father before us." Making sure that Irzen could see, Tolan very deliberately ran his fingers through his long hair, pushing it back from his face and revealing ears that, while not quite as pointed as an Elf's, were clearly not as rounded as a human's.
"I, and my family, have preached harmony with the Wood Elves for more than one reason," he explained. "And I see that you now understand why. My great-great grandfather was a Wood Elf. I have cousins amongst them. Distant cousins, to be sure, and ones I have not seen since I was a small boy. I might be able to use that to our advantage, if they remember me. And if I cannot convince them, I'm sure my little sister can charm them into it. Had you met my sister, Lord Irzen? She was the one shouting insults at the negotiations." Tolan smiled with genuine, brotherly affection. "My sister is a beautiful young lady who could probably even charm the Dungeon Master into telling a straight answer if she put her mind to it, but she has a bit of a stubborn streak that I fear might get her into trouble one of these days."
He shook his head with a wry grin, reminding himself to get back to the subject. "The Wood Elves will not take lightly to the orcs desecrating their forest. Nor will the Swan May. Once we convince them to coordinate their efforts, and as long as we can make them understand that your men are asking for a truce for the time being, I believe we have found a bottleneck where we can stifle the army's advance!"
