“Wait,” Khlened said. “Frost giants are behind allthis? They haven’t the brains for it!”
“They are not in charge,” Nemis said quietly. It was thefirst time he’d spoken in hours. “They are also under orders… fromelsewhere.”
“Oh? And where’d that be?” the barbarian demanded.
The mage shrugged gloomily.
“I hope to learn that information here in the Rift,” Vlandarsaid, “And that is all I think we can hope to learn here. Mal, have youthat scroll?”
The paladin fished out the clear tube he’d found in thewoodpile and held it up. At Vlandar’s gesture, he handed it to the mage. “Nemisspeaks and reads many languages, including Giantish. That is written in Giantish, though not by a giant. Nemis tells me the one who penned the scroll is unlikely to be here and I believe him. In short, I see the Rift as a passage to another place, not a destination in itself. We must all listen to Nemis and Malowan-and Mal, I hope you both will prepare for tomorrow by choosing spellsthat help us remain unseen and unheard, but just as importantly, spells that will locate devices like that chain.”
Khlened said, “So we look beyond th’ Rift ’cause it isn’t afrost giant in charge? Suits me fine. I left Fist-lands ’cause cold like this isnasty. No sane man’d stand it, if ’e didn’t have to.”
Bleryn put in. “I dislike cold. Never want to see a whitebear again.”
“Bear?” That, predictably, was Agya. “How’d y’see ’em throughall this white stuff?”
“I can sense them,” Malowan assured her, “but Khlened isright-and so is Bleryn. We’re here because the alternative was dying in theSteading’s dungeons, but this is not much better because the cold will kill usif the frost giants and their allies do not.”
Vlandar nodded as he got to his feet. “Nosnra knows by knowthat we were in his secret room and that we stole his chain. If he has any other such device to transport messages or himself, the Rift may already be preparing for us.”
“If deer had wings, the wolves would starve,” Maera repliedsarcastically.
“And if the rangers stay alert, no tree will fall,” Vlandarretorted-almost as sharply, to Lhors’ surprise. He smiled suddenly. “Apologies,ranger. Stay alert, but I know you all will. Do not be led astray. We seek a quick way from these frozen heights, either back to Keoland or on to find the master who ordered the attacks on Keoland.”
Lhors started as the name bit into his mind.
Vlandar’s hand gripped his shoulder. “Yes, we can return toKeoland with what we know, and I am certain the king will reward us. But what matters wealth if we see the chance to wipe out a dire enemy-and we hesitate?”
“If the conditions and the numbers are against us…” Maeracountered. “But I agree, warrior. Turn your back on such an enemy, allow her togrow stronger-”
“Her?” Nemis said sharply.
The ranger smiled at him, but the smile did not reach her eyes. “He, they, us, you, them, another, whichever. If there is a chance todefeat such a one-yes, I am of your mind, Vlandar.”
Khlened spat. “More sneaking? Never met a frost giant asdeserved t’live! Kill ’em and be done!”
“I side with the Fist,” Bleryn said flatly. “Happens myfolk-their shades’ll curse me forever, did I not kill every bastard son of ’em Icould.”
Silence. Vlandar and Malowan waited. Khlened and Bleryn stared back challengingly.
“Remember who leads this party,” Vlandar finally said.“Remember I may know things you do not, about this place and about our goal.Still, I will not stop you from killing giants-but only if you will swear to methat you will not act recklessly. You will not draw attention to us, you will not get us killed, and”-he added sharply as dwarf and barbarian grinned at eachother-“you will both pledge to keep a close eye on the less winter-hardy of us.We do no good if we die here of cold, and frozen heroes cannot spend treasure. Also, ten of us have a better chance of winning through than two crazed fighters who have no one to back them.”
“A point,” Bleryn said promptly, and drew Khlened aside sothey could talk.
Vlandar turned to the rest of the company. “I will setwatches by twos tonight. We dare not let the fire go out.”
In the end, he chose himself and Malowan for the first, Maera and Gerikh for the second, Lhors and Rowan for the third, Bleryn and Nemis after, leaving Khlened as most winter-wise of them all to build up the fire and set a pot of hot gruel to soaking.
“What of me then?” Agya demanded sharply.
“Sleep and plenty of it,” the warrior replied. “We will needyou alert tomorrow.”
Lhors wondered when she didn’t argue. Perhaps the cold hadsapped her temper. One good thing about this place then, he thought as he wrapped up in his cloak across the fire from her.
Rowan settled close enough to the youth, he could have touched her. “Maera?” she said quietly. “Florimund ate and he’s sleeping, but heis restless.”
“Do you wonder at that?” Maera asked sourly.
Lhors eased his eyes open a little. The sour twin-as he hadcome to think of her-managed a thin smile. “Rowan, I told you I will stay withhim and wake him from his bad dreams. I said he would be my task.”
“Of course,” Rowan murmured.
Maera got up and left, leaving the cave silent.
“Lhors?” Rowan asked quietly.
He hadn’t been asleep, and of course, she knew that. His facefelt hot. “Yes?”
Rowan laughed, deep in her throat. “When we share watchlater, pay attention to my sister and her charge, will you? She’ll know if I do,and it will make her angry.”
“Whatever you ask,” he said.
Rowan laughed again and patted his stubbly cheek. “Don’tpromise such a thing. It’s dangerous.” Her face suddenly turned more serious. “Ido not trust Florimund. I can’t say why. Maera does, but she chooses her martyrswith her heart. I do not.”
Lhors frowned. “I think I see. She believes whatever he hastold her, but you are afraid there may be something, um, behind the words?”
“Just so,” Rowan replied gravely.
“But he was a prisoner of the giants, and they-”
“Tortured him?” Rowan finished for him. “Yes. Still, I havelearned by hard experience to trust my distrust, if you see what I mean. Thank you, Lhors.” She gained her feet gracefully and went to shake out herblankets.
Lhors sighed faintly, then eased onto one elbow and looked around. Khlened and Bleryn seemed to be asleep-at least one of them was snoring.Gerikh huddled almost on top of the firepit, while Agya was only visible as a tuft of ruddy hair poking out of a pile of blankets. The paladin lay close by, wrapped only in his cloak. Nemis bent over his spellbook. The last vision Lhors had before he fell asleep was of the mage, a blanket draped casually over his shoulders, his lips moving soundlessly as he turned the pages.
Watch followed watch, and outside the sky grew slowlylight-briefly very bright indeed as the sun speared through heavy cloud. Butgloom returned at once. The wind died down, but never for long. The shriek of harsh air storming the stones outside made sleep hard to come by, but the fire kept the immediate stone floor warm, and each of the watches brought in pots of snow to keep two pots steaming, one of plain water, the other one of Maera’steas. During the last watch, Nemis stirred up a large pot of gruel, then sought his blankets while Khlened kept the fire going.
By the time Vlandar was awake, Khlened was pacing, eager to be off. “We need t’find entry-”
“Already found,” Nemis said. He sounded half-asleep andseemed to be having trouble getting his gruel from his clay cup to his mouth. “Ihave the map of the Rift-both levels-that was hidden in Nosnra’s secret roomwith the chain.”
To Lhors’ surprise-and Nemis’ visible displeasure-Vlandarsent Khlened and Bleryn out to scout the area. Vlandar must have been aware of the mage’s mood. After the two had vanished in the still-swirling snow, he said,“Nemis, this is not mistrust. I know you have the map, and you have searched asfar as your magic can reach. But those two are used to action. Give them a little now, and they may be easier to control later. Who knows? They may actually find something your spell did not.”