The other door was ajar enough for Rowan or Maera to slip through, but Vlandar looked at Nemis, then Malowan.
“It’s dark out there and quiet for the moment. According tothe map that Mal found, we aren’t far from the back way out. We’ll need to gothrough the barracks to reach it, though. That means more wolves.”
“We can manage wolves,” Rowan said steadily, “but not a company of ogres orhobgoblins.”
“We have the map and the scroll Mal found,” Vlandar said. “Weshould go now before the guards in the entry decide to come looking for us.”
“I will not leave,” Khlened said flatly. “We have foundlittle treasure, and this is a giants’ holding. There must be somethingto make the journey thus far worthwhile.”
“You,” Vlandar said, “will follow orders. I will not remindyou again who is captain, Khlened. You would not last long in this place alone!”
The barbarian glared at him. After a moment, he nodded. “Sorry, sir,” he said, though he didn’t sound it. “Forgot myself. I swore anoath to you, I won’t shame my kind by breaking it.”
“Fair enough,” Vlandar said. “Let us go.”
He and Malowan dragged at the door, making enough room for the larger of them to get through, but he was back at once. He and the paladin leaned into the heavy slab of wood, forcing it shut. “Those wretched youths haveone of the doors to the great hall wide and they are still arguing about where we went. They’ll see us if we move out, but they’ll likely discover the mess inthe kitchen any moment.”
Nemis took the warrior’s place against the door, a sleekstone in his hand. “Market charm,” he murmured. “I haven’t many more revealspells memorized. This should work almost as well, though. There’s somethingelse-a party of creatures, I think-coming this way from the south. They’removing fast.”
Malowan spoke under his breath, and his eyes went wide. “Norkers-a pack of them. I fear the search is on, Vlandar.”
“We cannot battle a hoard of norkers,” Rowan said.
“Aye,” Malowan agreed. “We leave-now or never.”
Vlandar backed away from the hall door and grabbed hold of the other. “Down,” he ordered.
“No, not yet,” Malowan said. “Only if they come looking forus here. Get that door partway open now. Nemis, be ready with that beneath notice spell of yours. We can wait here, let them think we went on up the hall seeking a way out. Once they’ve passed, we’ll have a chance at the entry.”
“Better than cutting ourselves off,” Khlened agreed softly.
“Shhh,” Maera hissed, then went silent herself as they heardsomeone shouting nearby. The voices of several giants came from the hallway, and they were growing louder. They were speaking a heavily accented Common as they approached, but Lhors could pick out a few words here and there.
“Quick!” Vlandar hissed. “In the pantry!”
Everyone edged into the smelly pantry, and Vlandar eased the door shut, leaving it open just enough to see out. Lhors, standing just behind Vlandar, could see over the warrior’s shoulder.
Several heavy-footed brutes stormed into the large room. All of them were armed and looked determined to shed blood. The giants looked around, but none seemed to see anything.
Lhors clamped his jaw tight and refused to breathe.
“Door to the hall is open!” the lead giant bellowed. “You,you, you”-he pointed as he spoke-“go after! Check pens and warn keeper to guarddoor! You”-he motioned to the last giant-“come with me!”
“They’re searching the room,” Vlandar hissed. “Nemis, quick!Use your beneath notice spell.”
Lhors heard the mage whisper a brief incantation. With all of the noise they were making, surely they hadn’t heard Vlandar. Please, Lhorsprayed, please don’t let them have heard him! Everyone in the party was tired.Even fresh, there was no way they could defeat so many giants. Trapped in the pantry as they were, they would have the advantage of surprise for only an instant before the slaughter would begin.
Three of the giants ambled off as their chief shook the door latch. “Locked. Guard killers not be this way. You and you, go into slave pensand look for outsiders hiding! You and you, go search sword rooms! Rest come with me!”
The giants stormed out. Soon, the sound of their footsteps faded.
“It worked,” Vlandar sighed. “They overlooked the pantry.Praise all the gods at once.”
“What next?” Malowan asked. “I can’t tolerate this stenchmuch longer.”
“The large room is empty,” Nemis offered.
“Move out, then,” Vlandar said. “Rowan, you lead. Nemis stayclose to her. Into the hall and start for the entry. Most of that party went the other way, so we should be safe for the moment. The door through the barracks is barred against us. It’s the main way or none.”
They made it safely past the doors, but partway into the south passage, Rowan backed against the wall, dragging Nemis over with her.
“Guards coming!” Rowan hissed.
Vlandar pulled Lhors close. He touched Malowan’s arm then anddrew a hand across his throat.
The paladin nodded and tightened his grip on his sword.
9
The party made it back into the hall before the guards couldsee them. Everyone fanned out around the door, which the paladin shut, leaving just enough of a crack to see through.
The hallway was broad enough for the two giants to come on side by side-barely. One of them was grumbling under his breath, and Lhorscaught the word “orders” but nothing else. The two stopped where they were,effectively blocking the passage.
“Blast Ukruz and his orders!” the first giant snarled loudly.
The other mumbled something in response. He sounded more bored than upset.
“You saw ’em out there, Jinag! Old Furks and his brutes andstupid little Hookin. Ask me, Hookin was drunk and said the wrong words to Furks. Furks hated ’im anyway.”
“Furks hated everyone but his wolves,” Jinag said. “Ukruz’llskin us or feed us them nasty norkers if we don’t get back to-” He turned tolook down the passage. “What’s that?”
The other giant peered into the gloom of the passage behind them. Rowan eased down onto one knee and drew her bowstring back, but before she could fire, the two went back the way they’d come and disappeared down thehallway to the right.
“They won’t stay there long,” Nemis said. “I made a voicespell down there, but it’s only good for a few words.”
“We don’t dare alert the guards searching for us,” Malowansaid, “and there are norkers in the entry.”
“Not anymore, there aren’t,” Rowan hissed. “Look!”
Lhors couldn’t make out much in the gloom, but he couldclearly make out the sound of scuffling feet and the occasional clink of armor.
Vlandar gripped Lhors’ shoulder and pushed him toward thepantry. “Back, everyone! Back into the pantry! Quickly! We’ll let them pass andtry for the entry again.”
“If they pass,” Maera muttered, but she was on herway, stopping just short of the kitchen to be certain it was empty before easing out of sight.
Lhors followed, but as he reached the kitchen he glanced over his shoulder, caught his boot on a raised stone and nearly went headlong. Malowan hauled him up, but Agya glared at him.
“Pick up y’r feet, y’ oaf,” she hissed.
The youth bit back a retort and followed her into the next room, his thoughts furious. Agya was still mumbling to herself until both Malowan and Maera gestured sharply for her to be still. The little thief glared at Lhors, as if the reprimand was his fault. He glared back defiantly. He thought, my father would never have put me on a quest with such an arrogant, full of herself, spoiled rotten, lousy little flat-chested wretch of a thief!
It wasn’t necessarily all true, but the outburst-even in hisown head-made him feel a little better.
Malowan had the pantry door open as everyone filed in, pulled it shut behind them, then laid his hands against the easternmost wall. After several long, unnerving moments, he nodded. “They’ve passed,” he murmuredsoftly, “small, foul creatures and at least two giants or ogre guards. They wentthrough a door, I think. My sense of them diminished all at once, and I am certain I just heard a door shut.”