Merlinscribe: The Journal of James P. Mallory

Hello again! Leutric's objection to giving the Elves The Bones Of The Earth is that the Elves will use them to wipe out the Otherfolk--probably before they try to take on the Endarkened. His coalition of the Otherfolk is a very fragile thing, and since everybody has a different view of the peril represented by the Endarkened, it's hard to get all of them on the same page. Also--and I don't think this is very clear in the previous book--the Endarkened have never stopped raiding the Otherfolk. It's only the Elves who got to take a major break, mainly because the Endarkened were justly-fearful of the effect that Elven Magery would have.

The Endarkened would be smart to pit the Otherfolk against the Elves, but they just haven't thought of it. It's a piece of canon I haven't quite figured out how to showcase in the books: the Endarkened are really really stupid. But since they're also immortal (unless somebody kills them entirely dead), eventually they have enough "experience points" to make them cunning and clever. This is probably the only reason there is any life and Light left in the Brightworld at this point.

I don't know yet whether Rune will pass into legend the way Vieliessar has--or even will be remembered. Much of the time as I am writing, I am as surprised by new developments as you are when you read.