Vlandar drew him back a little farther up the broad passageway where he squatted near the wall close to Malowan. Agya crouched by his feet, eyes moving constantly. The paladin’s eyes were closed, his handsoutstretched, and his lips moving soundlessly. As soon as the two passed Malowan’s fingertips, Vlandar nodded and spoke in a low voice. “You can talkhere. Malowan has worked a spell to keep sound within the tube of space formed around his arms.” A faint smile turned his lips. “Had he longer arms, everyonecould hear at the same time.”
“I’ll pass on to my sister anything she needs to know,” Rowansaid. She glanced up the hall where Khlened and the Maera stood.
Lhors gave a brief account of what he had seen. Once he was done, Rowan took up the narrative.
“There is a long passage, half the width of this, and achamber at the end with no door. There are two giants asleep on a mat near a fire, and there may be others. I know there are more fires. I could see the light of at least three. It must be a torture chamber. I am sure I saw a rack and a spiked crown of pain hanging from a chain. There is a door straight down from here flanked by matching doors. Both are barred. Farther west, an opening seems to angle southwest. There may also be another passage going north. I could just make out shadow but nothing else.”
Vlandar nodded, then fixed his gaze on the opposite wall as he decided on a course of action.
Lhors studied the rest of the group while he waited for Vlandar’s decision. Maera seemed to be talking to Khlened. As Lhors watched, theranger drew the man into the middle of the corridor away from the wall. What Lhors could see of the barbarian’s face was unnerving. He was dead white andsweating freely. His eyes were screwed shut, and he was chewing on a corner of his moustache.
“He fears caves,” Rowan murmured against his ear, “any darkand enclosed place. He admitted that last night when Maera and I pressed him about it. Do not let him know you know it. It shames him to be afraid of anything, but he cannot control it.”
“Two of the women in my village had such fear,” Lhors said.He eyed Khlened for a long moment. “It must be hard for such a brave man tolearn he can fear something.”
“Yes. He can learn to bear it, if he will listen to Maera.”
Vlandar nodded sharply and dismissed them, beckoning for Nemis, Khlened, and Maera to join him. Lhors watched from nearby. He could see Vlandar’s lips moving, then Maera’s and Khlened’s. Nemis merely folded his armsand listened, but Lhors could hear nothing of what was said.
Several moments passed before Nemis beckoned. Rowan gripped Lhors’ shoulder and drew him back over to the rest of the group. The magecaught hold of Mal’s hand and stretched his own arms as far as they would go.
Making a bigger tube, Lhors realized.
Vlandar gestured for all of them to come close. The air inside the tube felt as if a storm was coming-Nemis’ contribution, perhaps.Lhors swallowed dread and tried not to think about the last time his hair had stood on end.
Vlandar cleared his throat. “We can’t stay like this for long. Anyone oranything down here sensitive to magic will sense the tube and surely know we aren’t their kind. If you must say something, it better be important.” Thewarrior quickly laid out his plan. “We won’t go east. Nemis says the regionbeyond the rockslide leads to the caverns he sensed earlier-with the way outthrough water and the other through dread creatures. Besides, there is one bugbear just visible, and it seems to have orders to keep constant watch on the ruined passage. There are others inside the chamber, and they are ready to fight.”
“Why?” Lhors asked. “What enemy could they have back there?”
“Mal thinks they are orcs-a good many of them. From what wesaw of the way these giants treat their servants and slaves, I believe there may have been rebellion down here. The bugbear on guard down there feels anxious, Mal said, and his companions are very alert.”
“Bugbear guards… afraid of orcs?” Khleneddemanded.
“Orcs are as big and as bloodthirsty as bugbears. If theywere enslaved and are now armed and spoiling for revenge… well, they wouldbe a dangerous enemy even if there were only a few of them.”
Several of them nodded agreement, then Vlandar continued, “Sothat is no way for us, even if we chose to face the pool or chance the other portal. Nosnra is also our enemy, but that would not make the orcs our allies. The three chambers across that hall are orc housing, but Mal does not think they are prisoners-servants or trusted slaves perhaps.”
“Trusted?” Rowan protested. “They are barred from theoutside!”
“A loyal slave is still a slave,” Vlandar reminded her, “butthey are not our business. Now, down the right-hand corridor where Lhors heard what could be a smithy, Nemis sensed… you tell them, Nemis.”
“I was aware of several sources of strong emotion: fear andhate mixed, and in some a sense of hopelessness-also extreme heat and at leasttwo giants. Besides the giants, there are slaves-possibly human, perhaps elf ordwarf-I cannot be sure, but they are not orcs or the like. That I can tell.”
Malowan’s eyes fixed on Vlandar, but he said nothing.
Vlandar looked at the paladin and nodded. “Yes, Mal, we willgo there. Nemis, have you another of your beneath notice spells?”
“Better to save those for special need,” the mage replied. “Ican create invisibility, though we will need to be as quiet as possible to pass unnoticed by the two giants in that torture chamber. You do not want to attack the bugbear?”
“No,” the warrior said, “not unless we are seen or heard bythat guard. Their hearing is not keen, and he is concentrating on his task anyway. I’ve fought them before. The noise would alert every giant in thevicinity. No, we deal with those in the torture chamber and the smithy, and then take on the bugbears if we must. We aren’t enough to battle enemy fromboth sides. So, the west passage.”
Nemis nodded. “And move with care around here.”
“I plan on it,” Maera said flatly.
“More than usual,” the mage replied. “These walls-all thisdown here-it was not built by giants, you know.” He smiled, but it wasn’t apleasant expression. “Something older and darker…”
“Set me at it with m’ sword, and I’ll gut it!” Khlenedsnarled, but he’d gone very pale again.
“The gods grant you the opportunity and the strength shouldsuch a chance come,” Nemis replied.
“My arms are growing tired,” Malowan added, “and we havestayed here long enough.”
“Agreed,” Vlandar said.
Vlandar led the way, waiting at the end of the north-south corridor while Nemis cast his spell of invisibility. He then divided his company, placing himself at the fore with Lhors and Maera, then Nemis who wanted to be central should he need to reinforce his spell or create a new one. Khlened came next, then Agya and Malowan with Rowan moving silently behind, a drawn bow in her hands and her eyes fixed on the bugbear guard.
Things went well for some moments. They could hear a faint noise from down the east passage, as if someone were dragging stones away from the other side of the barrier. The guard was halfway off his stool, a morning star clutched in one hand and his whole attention fixed on the boulder wall and beyond.
Suddenly he yelled what might have been an order, his voice a hellish roar that echoed in the relatively narrow space.
Vlandar gestured furiously for everyone to back up against the north wall and stay still. Before they could obey, half a dozen bugbears, all heavily armed, poured into the hall, most of them pelting straight for the boulder wall. Unfortunately, the last of the lot stumbled on loose rock, caught the guards stool to right himself, and wound up on his knees, staring straight into Rowan’s eyes. His jaw dropped and he sucked in a loud breath to yell.