Khlened roared out a challenge in his own language and let the sword’s weight carry him around. He dug in his heels at the last moment andlet the blade do the rest. It sliced through thick fur and whatever hardened leather the giant wore beneath. Blood sprayed everywhere. The barbarian was momentarily blinded, but even as Malowan leaped forward to protect him, the giant went down.
Khlened tottered back, bringing the weapon up again with an effort that corded the tendons in his throat. As he turned, Nemis had just finished off the last of them with some spell that left the monster swollen, blue-faced, and very dead.
“Do not ask,” he said crisply.
“Wouldn’t of” the Fist replied flatly and knelt to wipe hisnew sword on the giant’s fur before going back to retrieve his own sword.
Nemis went to help Khlened retrieve his blade. The Fist finally dragged it free and wiped it on his dead enemy’s trousers.
“We go quickly,” Vlandar said as he gathered his companyclose.
Nemis spoke. “Our way leads to the lower level through thatpassage there.” He pointed to the south where Lhors could just make out a dimlylit opening. “The master’s throne will be there-and his personal chambers. Thereis no indication of a stronghold on the map for this level, but I think it unlikely anything like the chain that brought us here from the Steading is up here. It will be where the master can lay his hands on it.”
“Why’d we want t’go someplace else, eh?” Agya wanted to know.
The mage shrugged. “Because I know the drow. The dark elvescontrol the Steading giants. You and Malowan found the letter of orders from drow to Nosnra. Because the drow are cautious and devious, they would never hide in a place once removed from the hill giants. Likely their safety is another spell or charm away from this place. Their mistress may well be beyond that.” Heshrugged again and managed a faint smile for the girl. “I know them. Drowdislike such cold as this even more than you or I do.”
“Sensible of ’em,” the little thief allowed.
“Fought ’em once, that’s enough,” Khlened agreed. He lookedcheerful though, as he shoved the blood-blackened morning star into his belt and mounted the scabbard for the two-handed sword on his back. Lhors tried not to stare. The effort of drawing it corded the barbarian’s muscles, and the bladeand hilt together were nearly as tall as Khlened himself.
Bleryn snorted. “You’ll break your arms, swinging thatthing.”
Khlened laughed. “Yer just jealous that you didn’t think ofit first.”
“Th’ thing’s overlong for me,” the dwarf said with somedignity. “Jealous of a blade,” he muttered under his breath as they started outonce more.
Agya and Malowan led the way through the cavern and out into a passage that turned south for a short distance, then went sharply west. A ways on, a branch went south and steeply down.
Agya sniffed cautiously but shrugged. Nothing near, Lhors hoped it meant.
Malowan murmured a spell-another reveal one, perhaps. Hepointed west and shook his head almost at once, indicated the south way and nodded firmly. Vlandar stepped aside to let Nemis ease partway down the south passage. Whatever spell he used caused a very tiny puff of smoke. The mage looked at Vlandar and gestured, Giants. Others.
“Beings-many of them-well down the west tunnel,” Malowanmuttered, “but none close by. The passage stays level for a long ways and goesaround the Rift. That”-he nodded toward the south passage-“is our way.”
“Mmm,” Vlandar murmured agreement. “Remember,” he added toall of them, “we get in and get what we need. We do nothing else here, unless Isay!”
Lhors saw Khlened and Bleryn exchange exasperated looks, but neither said anything. Gerikh merely nodded and clutched his spear. Nemis was already partway down the south passage.
“We keep quiet,” Vlandar cautioned. “Mal or Nemis will go infront, and the other at the rear to keep us as undetected as possible. My nose,”he added with a scowl, “is frozen and so are my ears. I want out of here beforethe rest of me turns to ice.”
17
Greenish light still leaked through the ice, but it was notas bright now that they were going deeper into the hold. They could still see each other and ahead for at least four long strides, but beyond that was only emerald dimness.
They reached level ground and emerged into a long, high-vaulted cavern. Passages vanished into gloom south and east. It was very quiet here, and neither Malowan nor Nemis could find any sign of guards down the passages. The mage froze, hands moving in some spell and eyes fixed on an enormous boulder leaning against the east wall.
“There is a dragon beyond that,” he breathed.
“Dragon?” Khlened demanded softly. His eyes gleamed, butbefore he could move, Vlandar gripped his shoulder and shook his head. The barbarian cast his eyes up but turned away.
“Remember what I said above!” the warrior ordered quietly.“We are not in this place for treasure or to kill dragons!”
“Aye, sir.” Khlened cast one last wistful look at the blockedentry. “Which way’s ours, then? Yon?” He pointed at the south passages.
Malowan shook his head.
“Giants?” asked Rowan.
“Something unpleasant,” Malowan whispered. “To the west,giants. Our way.”
Nemis was already across the chamber, hands flat on a massive slab of stone. Malowan went over to join him while Vlandar beckoned the others close. “There are guards in the chamber beyond,” he whispered. “They will bewarned someone is here when that stone is moved. It won’t be quiet. If we canlure them into this area…”
Lhors swallowed dread. Was Vlandar asking him to volunteer?
But the warrior had already turned to Agya. “You’ll go intotheir sight, hesitate only long enough to draw them, then run.”
The little thief was very pale. She bit her lip and nodded.
“Good lass. Everyone else, along the west wall where no oneinside will see you. Go.”
Vlandar drew Lhors with him to the north. Khlened and Bleryn joined them, while the rangers, Gerikh, and Florimund went south. Agya raised her chin, shoved the hood from her short red hair, and found a place nearly mid-cavern to stand where she’d be seen.
Nemis motioned for Malowan to get back then raised his hands. The boulder vibrated and emitted a clear, deep tone, like an enormous bell. In the silence that followed, they could hear two or more guards mumbling just beyond as the stone silently moved toward them. At Nemis’ gesture, it glided tothe side and came to rest against the south wall. Lhors could just make out Rowan kneeling behind it, an arrow at the ready. Malowan blocked his view south. The youth turned his head so he could watch Agya.
The little thief’s eyes were huge, but she held her ground astwo leather-clad brutes, one clutching a huge chunk of ice, emerged cautiously and stared at the girl. Her lips twitched in a nervous grin. “N-nice t’see it’sonly two ’f ya in there!” She turned and sprinted toward the upper level,and the guards casually went after her. One was chuckling, and the brute with the ice tossed it over his shoulder. Easy prey, they clearly thought.
Malowan stood so near Lhors, he could hear the paladin quietly praying. “Heironeous, see my need and judge of my worth: I ask of you ahammer.” It made no sense to Lhors, but suddenly a ruddy light formed above theman’s head, elongating and shifting to resemble a warhammer. The paladin gazedat the giants who were nearly upon his ward and whispered, “Go!” The hammer flewacross the chamber, slamming into one enormous head and then the other. The first giant went to his knees, clutching his skull. The second fell flat and did not move.
Before Malowan could use the weapon again, Khlened, Bleryn, and Vlandar were across the room, weapons drawn, and the guards were dispatched without a fight-and with scarcely any sound other than the bell-like soundNemis’ spell on the stone had made.