Malowan stepped away from his companions, and the young giantess scrambled out of the way, trying to hold her ripped garb together. She really is a child! Lhors thought. She looked no older than Agya, and he was surprised to feel sorry for her pain. The young giantess cast them a terrified glance and then crawled into the corner with her companions.
“That’s good, lad, keep an eye on them,” Vlandar said quietlyas the aged horror advanced on Malowan. “Mal may need my help. The young oneslook helpless, but they may choose to aid the old one.”
Lhors nodded and cast a quick look at Malowan. The matron was an arm’s length taller than her adversary. When Lhors looked back at the corner,the three young ones were crouched behind the bed, only their hair visible.
“Mal!” Agya sounded afraid.
“Do not distract him,” Vlandar said sharply. “You know hemust let her strike the first blow. His code requires it.”
“I know what you are,” Malowan said flatly.
Lhors risked a glance, but the combatants were motionless-sizing each other up, perhaps.
“You enjoy hurting children. What harm could they do todeserve your wrath?” He had swung his sword to ready. The aged female sneeredand countered his move but still did not strike. “Your masters have taught youwell, but you shall answer to me!”
Lhors moved to where he could keep an eye on the three serving maids and see the paladin fight. The matron might have understood some of what Malowan said after all. She glared at him, teeth clenched and muscles bunched under her sagging skin as she brought her weapon up two-handed. The aged giantess snarled, “Enemy of Nosnra! I kill you! Kill all! Scar them as I please!You do not stop old Jhuka!” She brought the blade down in a slashing overhand.Malowan sidestepped the move and ducked as she brought the blade around in a sweeping arc from the other side. The paladin evaded with what looked like ease to Lhors.
“Gea nukh!” she swore in Giantish. She clutched the hilttwo-handed, high above her head, and plunged it down.
Malowan finally acted. He sidestepped her attack and stabbed up into her belly, twisting his sword almost all the way around. The giantess cried out, but a sudden gush of blood muted her scream into a gurgling choke. Malowan jumped back, hauling his sword with him. The giantess’ dagger rattledonto the floorboards. She took one staggering step back, righted herself, and came back at him, her eyes glittering with hate. Three strides from the paladin, her gaze went blank, her knees wobbled, and she fell.
Lhors made certain the maids had not moved, then he dared a glance at the paladin. Agya was already beside Malowan, one of her short daggers in hand as she tested the giantess’ throat for a pulse. The serving maidsslowly came to their feet, peering at their fallen elder.
Vlandar had moved over to ease the door open a little. After a quick glance, he pressed it shut and came over to Malowan. “It is still quietout there. Rather, there is no one in the corridor except our people. Are you done here, Mal?”
“Nearly,” he said. “I need Nemis to translate for me.”
Malowan and the mage approached the serving maids. Nemis asked them something in a low, guttural language. Lhors listened but could not understand a word. One of the three maids-the only one who looked uninjured-gotto her feet and answered him.
“What’s it about, then?” Agya asked quietly.
Malowan shrugged and said, “I asked Nemis to ask if theywould help us in exchange for me healing their injuries.”
“You’d heal ’em anyhow,” the thief said sourly.
“Of course. It may help cleanse me of that creature’sdeath-necessary as it was.”
“What makes them better then?”
“They may not be,” the paladin replied, “but they deserve thechance, do they not?”
“Huh,” Agya said shortly. “Not if they warn others we’rehere.”
“That will not happen,” Vlandar said mildly. “We can see tothat, if we must. Nemis?”
“The aged one was the matron of all the serving girls,” Nemissaid. “This one is called M’na’vra, which is ‘butterfly’ in their speech, thoughamong her folk it is not a complimentary tide. She tells me to thank the armored one who saved them from the rages of Jhuka. She tells me she and her two companions came here from their own land to the north. They have no family to protect them, and they swear to keep quiet about our presence here if you will only let them live. All they want is to leave this place and return to their homeland where there is always snow, but at least there is sun and blue sky, and maidens-even the orphaned and impoverished-are treated with some respect.
“They also offer-if you do not trust them-a bribe. Old Jhukahas a collection of potions in a case in her closet. There are also coins,” headded. “M’na’vra asks if they might keep the coins in exchange for the bottlesand powders. They are young and pure, but even the young and pure need coin for dowry if they wish to wed.” The mage was watching Khlened.
Lhors glanced at the barbarian and to his surprise, Khlened seemed to accept this.
“Some sense in that,” Khlened allowed. “Who’d want a lasswith no coin to bring to the marriage?”
Agya glared at him. “Not you, for certain,” shegrowled, “but these creatures-why let ’em loose to breed more of their kind?Kill ’em all, I say!”
The paladin gripped her shoulder and gave it a brisk shake. “When there is time, I will explain better. For now, accept that they have hadenough of violence. They may well choose mates who are less warlike, and they may raise offspring who aren’t monsters like that”-his eyes flicked toward thedead matron-“or like those brutes in the next chamber.”
Agya’s lips twitched, but she said nothing further.
Malowan moved to the mage’s side and smiled at M’na’vra, whocautiously smiled back. “Tell her,” he told Nemis, “that we agree to thisbargain, and furthermore that I will heal their wounds before we go. Tell them to show us the potions and keep the coin.”
“And tell me, Nemis,” Vlandar said, “that you can usethat spell of forgetfulness on them. Otherwise, we will need to bind them. Khlened, you and I need to get that body out of sight in case someone looks in here. Under the nearest bed will be good enough.”
“I have a spell that will serve,” the mage said. Hetranslated Malowan’s brief acceptance of terms. The maids broke into nervous buthappy laughter. The smallest-Ilowig, which Nemis said meant “swan”-was the onlyone daring enough to dig through the matrons pockets for her keys and unlock the closet where her valuables were hidden. Nemis took possession of the rough-hewn box and rummaged through it quickly, choosing several bottles and setting the others aside. Several went back into the box, which he shoved back in the closet.
Vlandar stayed close to the door as Malowan healed the giants’ bleeding cuts. Lhors watched, fascinated as the three went blank-eyed.Their eyes closed, and they fell back on the bed. “They will waken normally, andthey will remember nothing.”
“Take the matron’s blade,” Vlandar said, “so none of them areblamed when the creature’s body is found.”
Vlandar put Lhors in front of him as he and Khlened got the door open. He led the way north, stopping just short of the partly open door. They waited while Nemis and Malowan consulted.
The paladin shook his head and beckoned for them to move away from the opening. “There are servants and a guard with wolves out in thathallway. If the feast is ending, we could wait here, but if there are bedchambers down here for any of the feasters…”
“Yes,” Vlandar said. “The other way might work better.”
“The passage between kitchens and banquet hall will be evenbusier once the masters have left the table and the servants are sent to clear,”Maera said.