“Good. We’ll shove him in that cell and lock him in.” Malowanwaited while Khlened and Bleryn moved the unconscious guard, then turned the key in the door and tossed the ring in the other cell.
“Mal, you stay back with Agya,” Vlandar said. “Bleryn, staywith me. Which way?”
Bleryn pointed back in the general direction of the fallen staircase. “The treasure room’s through there.”
“Small room off by itself?” the engineer asked. “I know it.They had me working on the locks not long ago. Couple of the guards were talking about the things supposed to be inside.”
“Let’s get there first,” said Vlandar.
Nemis gestured that the main chamber was clear. Some moments later, Lhors found himself back in the small chamber where they’d slept earlier.The torches were guttering. Once Khlened and Bleryn lowered the door, it felt almost safe here, but he could still hear the distant thud of workers above them.
“We can’t stay long,” Vlandar said. “Bleryn or Gerikh, do youknow of any guards nearby?”
“At least one guard, a giant,” the engineer said, “assigned to guard thetreasure room. But I overheard the prison guards saying that Nosnra had caught him pilfering and had him torn apart. I don’t know if he’s been replaced.”
“Heard about ’im,” Bleryn said. “Figured between that and allthe guards on us when we repaired the traps, there must be wealth in there.”
“It isn’t so much wealth, I heard,” Gerikh said. “That chiefof theirs comes down now and again, and he comes back with a scroll-orders, oneof ’em said his captain told him. And sometimes he comes down here after thoseorders come, and he goes in-but he isn’t in there. Way their captain got it fromhis boss, the chief has some magic thing that takes him to other giants, and he has to go when they say.”
“We’ll go now,” Vlandar said.
Maera, who was blotting Florimund’s face with a wet cloth,looked up, her mouth set.
Vlandar saw her look and said, “Tell our companion we willtend his wounds properly once we’re free of this place.”
Rowan whispered something to her sister. Maera nodded, but she still looked angry.
Agya had the panel moved away from another wheel that, when turned, revealed a chamber nearly the size of the main one, but more dimly lit. Vlandar put Bleryn and Gerikh with him to help guide the way. The rest came close behind, Nemis last.
A wild howling and shrieking suddenly shattered the silence. Agya jumped closer to Malowan, and Lhors tightened his grip on his boar spear. Everyone turned frantically, but they could see nothing in the dim light.
Silence once again.
Lhors could just hear Bleryn whisper. “Manticores. They’repenned.” They moved out, hugging the wall, and stopped short of the entry to apassage heading east. In the silence, they could hear giants’ voices, but theysounded distant.
The dwarf pointed. “Stairs back that way down a side passage.Chief comes that way, I think.”
Malowan asked softly. “Nemis, what are they saying?”
The mage leaned against the wall. “Nosnra is there, andsomeone else wants to put down another ladder. Nosnra says no, his sub-chief has already been killed in the stair’s collapse, and they will break through to therubble on the other stairs by middle night. The other argues that is too long.”He listened a few moments more. “They don’t know where we are, and it seems ourassumption was correct. Some orc workers revolted and have killed two giants.”
“Where are the orcs now?” Khlened asked. “Are they stillroamin’ down ’ere?”
“They did not say,” the mage replied, “though I would surmisethat the orcs have been dealt with, since Nosnra’s main concern seems to be withus.”
Vlandar said, “We need light. I cannot see a thing downthere!”
Nemis fished a small object from his belt and threw it down the passage. A bail of light rose from the floor partway down the short passage, illuminating walls of finely dressed stone. A dark opening yawned to their right. Lhors thought the distant voices were that way.
“Straight,” Bleryn said. “Main trap’s just beyond the door. Ican point it out.”
“We can manage a trap,” Nemis said mildly.
Once Gerikh located the lever to shift the door, it required him, Khlened, and Vlandar to move it. Lhors tried not to listen to the angry voices echoing from above. Gerikh went through first, closely followed by Khlened and Bleryn. Agya jumped as something heavy and metal squawked in protest at being moved. Something else rumbled briefly, then all was silent.
“It’s fine,” Malowan assured her quietly. “Nemis has thesound blocked for us again. Let’s go.”
He put his ward and Lhors ahead of him. Nemis came last, the ball of light following him like a pet firefly. Once the chamber was sealed, Vlandar beckoned everyone close. “Mal, you and Nemis will know what we want fromhere. Find it quickly. We haven’t much time. The rest of you look around.Khlened, remember there are things we need more than gold. Lhors, help Rowan. Look for scrolls, written messages, maps. None of us except Mal and Nemis are to open anything-there will likely be traps.”
Lhors eyed the jumble resignedly. He could see one large chest, a metal box close by, some smaller chests, and a pile of wooden rubble against the opposite wall. Another wall,vas thick with a dampish looking yellow growth that smelled like moldy bread.
Maera had braced Florimund in a corner. She, Rowan, and Lhors waited until Nemis used a reveal spell on the chests and boxes. Agya came behind him with her lock picks, but Bleryn had already broken the lock on the iron box with his knife. There were coins-more than Lhors could ever have imagined in oneplace. The thief gasped, then grinned broadly and plunged both hands into the pile.
“Treasure,” Rowan said. “Remember you may have to carrywhatever you take here for some time.”
“Thought we were going back to th’ river,” Agya said as shelooked up from the chest.
“That depends on what we find here to get us out of here,”Malowan said. He’d come quietly up behind her. “Take a purse’s worth of coin.You’ve have earned it.” He turned to one of the rangers. “Rowan, look there.”
Lhors turned as he heard the ranger gasp. He was almost afraid to look. The smelly yellow stuff had vanished, revealing swords, spears and other weapons. Rowan crossed the chamber and took down a quiver of long arrows. She drew one. The fletching-feathers shimmered.
“These will do nicely,” she said admiringly. “Besides, I haveonly two of my own arrows left.”
“Magic arrows?” Lhors asked as the ranger fastened the quiverto her shoulder.
“They are from the Valley of the Mage,” Maera said as shecame up. “Is this safe, Rowan?”
“They are not evil, as some tales say,” Rowan replied. “Touchthat spear, and tell me what you feel.”
Maera eyed her mistrustfully but laid a hand on the shaft. She smiled then, took the weapon down and ran loving hands over the shaft.
“They were made for good and will serve you well,” Malowansaid as he came over. He turned back just as Agya reached for one of the swords. “Do not-”
But he was too late. The girl wrapped her hand around a hilt then cried out in pain. Malowan pulled her away from it and cupped the hand gently. Blisters covered her palm and ran up her thumb and fingers. “Easy,child.” He murmured under his breath and ran gentle fingers across the back ofher hand and, when it relaxed, across her palm and fingers. Agya eyed it fearfully, then in wide-eyed astonishment. There was no sign of injury.
“Touch nothing else unless I tell you it is safe,” thepaladin warned her, then took both swords down. Agya stared up at him, and he smiled. “For me, these are safe. I will take one. Nemis?”
“I am not pure enough to wield the thing,” the mage said fromacross the chamber, “even if I could use one-or needed it. Mal, come here. Youbrought that red powder, didn’t you?”
The paladin settled one sword against his back, reluctantly put the other back on the wall, and fished a tiny box from a pouch at his belt. He handed it to the mage, who sprinkled some of it over the shattered wood that might have been a barrel at one time. There was a faint explosion and a bloom of ruddy smoke that cleared to reveal a solidly built cask. Another pinch of the red powder, and this too burst open.