Flashback ( PDFDrive )

In a way, it felt a little inspiring to know that the two hostile
species would be setting aside their prejudices to protect her.
But Edaline and Elwin shared a look that definitely couldn’t be
good.
“Well . . . while everyone was discussing the advantages of bringing
in an ogre,” Edaline said carefully, “Sandor realized that each of the
intelligent species had something unique and essential they could
offer if they were willing to serve.”
It took Sophie another second to process what that meant.
“Please tell me I’m not going to be stuck with four bodyguards.”
Edaline shook her head. “Five.”
“FIVE?” Sophie repeated. “What does that even mean? I’ll have
Sandor, an ogre, a dwarf, a troll, and . . .”
“A gnome,” Edaline finished for her.
Sophie didn’t know where to begin.
Or, maybe she did. “Gnomes aren’t fighters.”
The child-size creatures were much more plantlike than animal,
drawing nourishment from the sun and requiring almost no sleep.
Their efficiency was legendary, and the produce they grew surpassed
anything Sophie had ever tasted, but . . . gnomes spent most of their
time singing to trees. They definitely weren’t warriors. In fact, they
lived in the Lost Cities because the ogres starved them out of their
homeland.
“Elves aren’t fighters either,” Elwin reminded her.
“Yeah, but—”
“It was Flori’s idea,” Edaline jumped in. “And she was very
determined.”
“Flori?” Sophie repeated, wishing she’d misheard.