“Imagine being held in a cage,” the mage whispered, “withgiants all about to tease you that very soon you would be cut into pieces and eaten, or bound alive over a spit….” He hesitated as Lhors cringed awayfrom him, eyes tightly closed and a hand over his mouth.
Do not think about the babes and that soup pot! At the moment, it was all he could see. Then in a flash the image of his father eclipsed everything-his father pinned to the ground, writhing with a spear thesize of a young tree trunk through his gut.
Nemis touched his shoulder and gasped, then laid both hands on the youths face, pulling him around. “I am sorry, lad. I didn’t know, thoughI should have suspected. I did not mean to cause you such pain.”
Lhors nodded, eyes still tightly closed. He couldn’t speak.
Nemis let go of him. “But if these two, the Jarl and hislady, were part of the command that set Nosnra’s giants against your village, ifyou could avenge your father and your village now would you?”
Lhors drew a deep breath and opened his eyes. To his astonishment, the mage held out a long dagger.
“There is no burden on you to do this. Any of the four menheld prisoner in that kitchen yonder might be willing, but they faced only loss of life, however dreadful it might have been. You lost your family, your village, and your father-everything you knew. It is your choice. If you strike,you grant them a cleaner death than your father had. While another may become Jarl here, at least this one will order no more deaths.”
Lhors gazed longingly at the hilt. Father, I swore I would avenge you, and here within my reach…
But he wouldn’t even reach for the blade. “I know you areright, Nemis-about them and all giants. But no, not like this. My father-itcannot change that he is dead, and it would not avenge anything. Not for me.”
Nemis eyed him gravely then shoved the dagger back into its sheath. “As you choose,” was all he said as he turned away.
Lhors drew a deep, shuddering breath, blotted his eyes on his sleeve, and realized Vlandar and Malowan were still arguing fiercely. The whole exchange with Nemis had taken next to no time at all.
Khlened had come up unnoticed. “Done right, boy,” he mutteredand patted the youths shoulder awkwardly. “I’m no headsman either. There’s noglory in butcherin’ a sleepin’ foe.”
Bleryn snorted. “Listen at ’em, arguing whether such killersdeserve to live. Small wonder dwarves don’t go for being paladins. We got moresense’n that. This is execution flat out, not murder. Such brutes don’t deservean honorable death.”
Behind them, Malowan’s voice rose. Nemis swore angrily andbegan muttering a spell. Khlened ran over to help Vlandar wrestle the paladin down. It took Gerikh’s help to get it done, and as Nemis stepped back, thepaladin’s angry, weeping voice was abruptly silenced, though the man clearly wasstill bellowing at Vlandar and the others to let him go.
Vlandar, who had Mal’s feet, leaned away from the man and metBleryn’s eyes. “We can’t hold him long! One of you, get it done and that’s anorder!”
Bleryn nodded and turned away, shielding his blade before beckoning Jebis over. “I was prisoner in the Steading’s smithy, and I owegiants, but no one offered t’ make me into food. So you’ve a right, too.”
Jebis declined, but one of the hunters came to his side with a dagger clenched in his hand.
“We owe ’em,” the man said. He glanced at his dazed companion. “Poor Gorbisthere, he may never be the same. Kill one, dwarf. I’ll see to the other.”
“Good,” the dwarf replied. “Y’know how to give a stag aclean, quick death. Do as much here.”
Nemis came over to stand next to Lhors.
“Stay there, lad,” he said. “Close your eyes if you choose,but help me keep Mal from seeing anything.”
He hadn’t meant to watch, but Lhors found himself unable tolook away. The dwarf’s eyes were locked on the hunter’s. “We’ll kill the wolvesfirst.”
The hunter nodded. “Make it as bloodless as you can. Feller’dfreeze around here in blood-soaked clothes.”
The two dispatched the wolves by bringing a heavy blade down across the neck of each, severing the spine. The hunter then picked up a short spear leaning against the table, brought it over his head in a two-handed grip, and plunged it down through the giantess’ eye. She jerked once, then the breathwent out of her in a faint sigh. Bleryn gave the Jarl the same, looked down at him for a long moment, and then backed away, taking the hunter with him.
Lhors swallowed and turned away. So easy to kill… He wassuddenly sick of death, the threat of death, and all the horrid forms death could take.
Behind him, Vlandar had let Malowan up and seemed to be trying to say something to the paladin. Malowan ignored him and brushed past Lhors to gaze down at the dead giants and their pets, then bowed his head in prayer. Tears etched paths down the man’s face, and he looked sickened.
How can he be so… so…? Lhors couldn’t think of a wordto describe a man who could forgive even giants. Lhors could not have done the deed himself, and he wasn’t sure he entirely agreed with Vlandar’s order, but hecertainly felt no remorse for the two giants. He backed away and went over to join Vlandar, who looked very unhappy indeed as he gazed after Malowan. As the youth came up to him, Vlandar shook himself and turned to get his people working.
Nemis was checking the contents of the cavern for traps, using a charm of some sort. As he finished each pile or chest, he nodded, and Vlandar put one of them to work, searching.
Khlened found gems in one box and set them aside so he could finish searching to the bottom. Agya brought out two bags of coin and set them with Khlened’s jewels. Vlandar scooped them up and shoved them to the bottom ofhis pack, then went to work on another coffer.
“That one’s safe,” Nemis said, pointing to a round-toppedchest, “but leave the other. It’s a trap and deadly at that.” He got to his feetand went around the curtain where Rowan and Maera had taken Florimund.
The mage was back at once. “Bedchamber there. There’s a spellburied in a trunk in there.”
“I’ll come,” Vlandar said. “Send Rowan back for Mal, willyou?”
“I’m here,” the paladin said as he came over to help out.
Lhors wondered what he would say to Nemis, but the man simply passed the mage, a worried Agya on his heels.
“Khlened,” Vlandar said as he watched the paladin worriedly,“you, Bleryn, and Gerikh stay here to finish up. If you don’t recall if Nemissaid a thing was safe, leave it. Jebis, you and your companions come with us.”
Lhors followed on Vlandar’s heels.
Nemis was already kneeling before a massive trunk, his hands on the lock. With a faint puff of bluish smoke, the lock snapped, and he forced the lid back.
Lhors peered over the mage’s shoulder, but he could see onlyfurs and other clothing. Nemis didn’t seem interested in the contents. The magefiddled with the lid and suddenly a piece of wood slid aside, revealing a hidden cache. The mage chuckled softly and drew out several scroll cases. He shoved two of them back inside at once, then ran his charm over the others. “Check thatone, Vlandar. These are spell scrolls.”
“It’s a map,” Vlandar said as he unfurled the scroll. Lhorshelped him hold it open. “But not much use unless we travel overland to theplace. And it may have no bearing on our journey. Nemis, you read Giantish. Tell me what it says here.”
Nemis gazed at the map for some moments, then licked his lips. “This,” he said, “is Muspelheim, home to the fire giants. You are right.It would be a dreadful journey on foot.”
“Yes,” Vlandar said, “but is it our goal? Can you tell that?”
“There is nothing here to tell me that,” the mage saidtersely, “and if I were you, Vlandar, I would pray to my gods that it isn’t.This is no place for us.”
“How’d y’know that?” Agya asked.
The mage eyed her gravely as he rerolled the map and shoved it into its tube. “Because I have been there.”