“Besides,” Malowan put in, “the scroll is in there, and weneed it. I don’t relish the idea of walking all the way back to Keoland.”
Vlandar nodded with a smile, then eased over to peer into the hall. He drew back suddenly.
“Guards,” he rasped, “three of ’em at the far end of thehall. They’re standing there talking. Sure your spell’s holding, Nemis? Mal?”
Both men nodded.
“We won’t go yet, then. Nemis, tell us what to expectinside.”
Lhors doubted the warrior had forgotten anything. He was keeping them all from worrying about things or getting restless-and making sureeveryone else remembered.
Nemis shrugged.
“If nothing has changed since I was here years ago, it’sabout twice the size of the cave we were in last night. It is divided into two rooms by a curtain. The far chamber is her bedchamber. It is all dimly lit. One or two clerics have the outer chamber, and that’s where we will come in. They’llbe competent magicians, but Mal or I will do what we can to neutralize them so that you fighters can take them on. If any of the drow has a thing like a lash with several snaky ends, don’t let it touch you. It will sap your strength.Eclavdra-if she’s here-Mal and I will take her. Agya, Lhors, Gerikh, andFlorimund, you can serve us best by staying out of the way and guarding our backs. Rowan, Maera, whatever arrows and spears you have left from the Steading trove, save them for her.” He thought a moment. “Ah, I nearly forgot. She andany of her drow who come here use a spell scroll. There is another such scroll here to take them back. If any drow tries to get to it, do all you can to stop him.”
“Why?” Agya asked warily.
“So we don’t all get transported underground,” Nemis saidevenly. “And the king’s wizards may be able to use it. Vlandar, are your guardsstill up there?”
“Still there,” the warrior reported, “but wait. One’s gone onnorth. The other two are heading this way.”
He eased back against the wall, and the party fell silent. Some moments later, two trolls strode past and went down the hall and around the bend. Rowan edged around Vlandar and pressed against the south wall of their hiding place, listening intently.
She finally nodded. “Truly gone.”
“Good. Let us go then,” the mage said and stepped into theopen.
Lhors sighed faintly as he moved back into the hall. Look upon me, Father. Help me be brave.
Nemis drew them to a halt just short of a smithy. The dinhere was strong and echoed into the hallway. Dark ruddy light from several fires lay across the stones. The mage nodded and led them up the hall.
Another few paces brought them to another broad hallway, this one heading east. It was gloomy that way despite a few torches stuck into the wall. Most of those burned fitfully, and all but one was at the far end of the passage. To the north, Lhors thought he could hear voices, echoing eerily as if the speakers stood in a huge chamber.
Nemis gestured for them to follow him and moved swiftly into the east passage. Some paces on, he stopped and drew everyone close against the north wall. Lhors was aware of a wide passage that dropped down just past where they stood and a vast, drafty space that way. Nemis pointed the other direction at a rough section of the wall across the passage from them.
The mage gestured for complete silence, then stepped back to let Malowan take his place. The paladin gazed at the wall for some moments. Then, with a glance at his companions, he pressed his palms together. His lips moved for some moments. He eyed Nemis, nodded, and walked steadily across the hall.
To Lhors’ astonishment, the paladins hands seemed to go into the wall as ifit were water. Malowan withdrew one hand and beckoned for the others to join him. Khlened and Bleryn exchanged wary looks but moved out, the rangers right behind them. All four had weapons at the ready as they went into the wall and out of sight. Florimund stayed quietly where he was until Agya took hold of his arm and drew him across the passage. The half-elf willingly went with her.
He’s given up, Lhors thought. He went next, followed byGerikh and Vlandar. Nemis brought up the rear. The wall felt flaccid against his skin and seemed to cling to him, but he was through it and next to Agya in an instant.
The chamber was hung with purple and black drapes and was thickly carpeted. A black candle burned in a deep holder on a table partway across the room, another deep in a wall-niche.
Khlened and Bleryn were already partway across the room, advancing on a couch near the west wall and the black-skinned fellow who blinked at them sleepily.
He’s so small! Lhors thought.
Lhors’ eyes shifted briefly as Vlandar stepped away from himand threw one of his daggers. A second drow had come from behind one of the drapes, his lips moving in a spell. The dark elf ducked the dagger, and Vlandar reached for another. Rowan’s arrow sang past Lhors’ ear and caught the drowbetween shoulder and throat. The fellow’s eyes went wide with pain but his lipswere still moving. Maera ran him through with her spear.
“Well done! Get back now!” That was Nemis.
Maera freed her spear, but Rowan only had time to grab one of her arrows before the mage pulled her back.
On the other side of the chamber, Lhors could see Khlened towering over his adversary. The barbarian grinned fiercely and brought up his sword, but the drow rolled from the couch and under it, emerging on the other side as the barbarian brought the weapon down in a slashing blow that cut deeply into finely carved wood. Before he could free it, the drow snatched up a long rod from the floor and lashed out. Writhing tentacles smacked into Khlened’sarm. The barbarian sagged against the wall, gasping for air. Even with two hands, he couldn’t seem to lift his sword.
The drow chuckled and raised the weapon for another blow.
Bleryn jumped back just in time, then brought his javelin down savagely across the clerics slender wrist.
Lhors winced as he heard the unmistakable crack of bone. Bleryn shoved the fallen weapon aside with the tip of his spear and took a step forward. The drow reeled back a pace, his lips moving. Bleryn froze, weapon upraised. Khlened wasn’t moving either.
“Spell,” Nemis hissed. “Mal, watch the drape!”
The mage took a pace into the open, catching the drow’sattention. The fellow cradled his broken arm against his breast, but his lips continued to move. Nemis murmured something, then held up his hands as the cleric bared his teeth. The drow stayed that way, as if suddenly turned to stone.
“Sent the magic back at him,” the mage explained. “Leavethem, Vlandar,” he added softly as the warrior started toward Khlened. “There isnothing you can do now except fight to protect them until we are done.”
The mage moved across the room, stopping several paces from the brightly colored drape that covered most of the east wall.
Lhors tightened his grip on the daggers he’d drawn andswallowed past a dry throat. Why hadn’t this Eclavdra attacked them yet? Werethey alone? He suddenly realized he’d been holding his breath since he’d firstseen movement on that couch. The entire attack against the two drow had taken no time at all.
Nemis, Malowan, and Vlandar stood in the middle of the room facing the drape. Rowan had taken up a position near the corner and knelt to fit an arrow to the string. Maera was so near Lhors, the youth could have taken a step and touched her.
She looked at him, thought for a moment, then finally spoke. “Keep Florimund safe for me.”
He didn’t quite know what to say.
“We’ll keep ’im,” said Agya from behind Lhors.
Nemis moved to the very center of the room, gesturing for his two companions to move away from him, then he took a deep breath.
“I know you are there, Eclavdra,” he said, making no attemptat silence. “Come forth or we will set fire to the chamber.”
Silence answered them.
“We control the palace of the fire giants, Priestess. This isno longer a haven for you.”