The rangers were nearly out of sight on both sides, Malowan right behind Rowan and Vlandar on Maera’s heels. Lhors tried not to be ill as hefollowed. His knees ached from the steep climb, but as he emerged onto the level, things were mostly under control.
The guard did not seem very bright, and the space was too small for him to maneuver well. He was struggling to reload his ballista when Vlandar leaped on his back and pulled him off-balance. The giant threw him aside, but Rowan was set. She launched an arrow that plunged deep into the guard’s eye and into his brain.
Lhors stared across the cavern. The ledge was bigger over there, he thought, but Malowan had drawn the flaming sword he’d taken from theSteading’s treasury. Blinded, the guard stumbled away from him. Maera finishedhim with one of her new spears, and the guard sagged out of sight.
Vlandar led them back down the stairs and into the hall, sending Khlened and Bleryn ahead to make certain the dais guards hadn’t beenalerted of their companions’ demise. He then sent the rangers back to be certainno one came out of the kitchens and caught them. The rest of the party, except for Mal and Nemis, retreated against the east wall where an alcove under the stairs put them out of the immediate line of sight.
Agya sniffled. Lhors glanced at her and was surprised to see her eyes were wet as she gazed after the dead giantess.
“Don’t seem fair,” she whispered and met the youth’s gazedefiantly. “Poor creature didn’t ask for this.”
“I know,” Lhors replied quietly. “None of us did, nor wouldwe have wished such a fate on her.”
The young thief merely shook her head in disbelief and went to join Malowan.
“You’ve a head on your shoulders, m’lad.”
Lhors jumped. To his embarrassment, Vlandar had come up behind him and probably heard most of that.
“You’ll do,” the warrior added mildly. He glanced up asMalowan came back, Agya at his side.
“Nemis is keeping an eye on the dais. There are guardsbehind it. Both of us sensed them. They are alert and tense, but they don’t seemto be about to leave their post. The kitchens next?”
Vlandar nodded. “We’ll take them now. How many in there?”
“Three giantesses and four ogres,” Malowan replied. “Noguards.”
“Hmm.” Vlandar suddenly smiled. “Khlened, it’s time for agenuine berserker attack, I think. The noise won’t matter, and it may scare thecooks into surrendering their prisoners. If not, Mal can be there to free them.”
The barbarian grinned fiercely. “Good idea. Give me Bleryn,though. He and I fight good t’gether, and more’d be in th’ way.”
“Agreed,” Vlandar said. “We’ll wait out here to grab any thatescape you.”
“Won’t be any,” the barbarian assured him, and with an unholygleam in his eyes, he drew the two-handed sword and strode into the kitchen. Bleryn was right on his heels, battle-axe in one hand and sword in the other.
Vlandar and Malowan drew their own swords and eased around a rock that partially blocked the entry. Lhors and Agya followed on their heels.
Khlened stopped partway into the room to bellow what sounded like vicious curses in his own language. The dwarf simply roared and charged straight at the cook, who shrieked, tripped and fell, then turned to scramble away on her hands and knees, but only as far as a rack of knives. Bleryn beat her to it, and brought his axe down on her arm. She howled in agony, collapsing on the floor in a huddle. The other two giantesses turned to flee into the hall, saw swordsmen there, and hesitated.
Malowan’s sword burst into flame. The giantesses shrieked interror and turned to flee into the dark to the north. Bleryn charged after the two, but Khlened swung the sword like a madman, sending steaming pots flying and sweeping piles of things onto the floor. At some point, he’d downed two of theogres, and one was most definitely dead while the other crawled toward the door, bleeding freely and apparently unaware of Vlandar or Malowan. The paladin brought his sword up and drove it into the ogre’s neck.
It was suddenly, blessedly quiet in the kitchen. In the distance, they could hear whimpering and Bleryn’s roar, muted by a some turn inthe passage. Khlened looked around then strode off that way. Malowan began murmuring-praying, Lhors thought-under his breath. The whimpering ceasedabruptly, and moments later the dwarf came back, Khlened right behind him. His eyes were dull now, and he seemed barely to have the strength to get his sword back into the sheath, but no one would have dared to offer him help.
Agya tugged at Malowan’s sleeve and the two sprinted acrossthe kitchen to open cages and free the four imprisoned men. They all moved stiffly, but they didn’t seem harmed otherwise, and they were warmly clad. One,a tall, black-haired fellow with a grizzled beard, spoke briefly to Malowan, then came over to grip Vlandar’s arm.
“I’m Jebis, out of Furyondy,” he said. “Member of the LakeGuard. These three men”-his gesture took in older men who seemed dazed by thesudden turn of events-“are from the high country around the barrens north ofthat. Frost giants caught me as I was riding back to my barracks. Mobry here says he and his two mates were hunting when they were taken. All four of us got hauled in here two or three days ago. We owe you service, but why are you here? It’s no safe place unless you’ve got an army.”
Vlandar explained, giving them a very brief version of their mission.
Jebis considered this. “Sounds mad to me,” he said finally,“but service I said, and I’m King’s Guard. I’ll help if I can.”
“Do you know this place?” Malowan asked. “We could use aguide, frankly.”
Jebis shrugged. “Not so well. There’s a throne in the bigcave and a passage to the left of it, but a big rock blocks the end. There’s abig room past that with all manner of junk in it: weapons and trophies and such. Up from that, there’s another enormous cave with all kinds of giants. Lookedlike families to me, young ones and all. Guess whoever our guards wanted wasn’tthere, so they hauled us back out to that throne and the chief came out-”
“Came out from where?” Vlandar asked.
“The same tunnel I mentioned, I suppose, but I don’t think hecame from that big room. There was a heavy drape over the far end of that junk room, and this Jarl had a look about him that reminded me of my captain when he’s called out from his private quarters. I can’t be sure of that, of course.”
“Anything else you saw then?” Malowan asked. “Guards comingfrom any of the other tunnels, perhaps guests? Anything, however trivial, anything odd?”
“Odd…” Jebis echoed, then shook himself. “Was one thing,not so odd perhaps, though it struck me at the time. When the Jarl came out, there was someone behind him-human-sized and all wrapped in a cloak. A servant Ithought then, or maybe a slave. But the way it stood… it looked arrogant.Even though I couldn’t see any weapon on the creature, the Jarl kept glancingback as if it scared him. And the creature just looked at him. I mean,” he addedwith a forced smile, “I’ve been here all of a few days, and I learned right offwho’s in charge here.”
“What else could you make out?” Vlandar asked.
“Not sure it wasn’t just the light,” the man said. He frownedat his hands, apparently trying to recall something. “But even when thecreature’s head was tipped back, what was under the hood was uncommonlydark-black, even.”
Malowan and Vlandar eyed each other briefly, before the paladin spoke. “It’s possible that may prove useful. We’ll bear it in mind.”
“Whether it is or no,” Vlandar assured him, “we’ll try to getyou safe from here.”
“Give me a sword or a pike, and I’ll help you best I can,”Jebis replied.
Bleryn handed over two of his pikes. Jebis hefted them, tested the balance, and nodded his thanks.
“All right,” Vlandar said. “Our way is south, then left pastthe throne. Everyone alert, and Nemis, stay up front with me. Mal, keep an eye and a spell on our back trail.”