– and screamed.
His torso snapped forward as if he’d been punched in the gut, and he fell to the floor.
The power that had been running through the circle dissipated, and the disciples moaned like starving men denied a last meal. One of them reached out, careful not to cross the pact circle.
“Master …?”
“Gone,” said Jagun Ghen. “They’re gone.”
“How much farther?” Elret asked.
Uncle had long since disappeared into the forest, and Hweilan led them along the twisting course of the river. Through the forest would have been quicker had she been on her own, but she knew that bearing Maaqua through such rough country would have slowed them too much.
“Not far,” she replied.
“You said that a half-mile ago.”
Hweilan kept going, not even turning as she spoke. “Distances can be odd here sometimes.”
“Then how do you know where you’re going?”
“I used to live here.”
“Then tell me where we’re going.”
“No.”
“No? Why?”
Hweilan did see the wisdom in giving her the simple truth. The river ended at Gleed’s lake. But in truth, she didn’t want to tell Elret out of pure spite. So she said nothing.
“I asked you a question,” said Elret.
Still not turning. “I heard you.”
Hweilan heard Elret approaching-the swish of her robes through the brush, the angry footsteps.
“You will answer m-”
It was the hand on her shoulder that did it. Elret grabbed Hweilan, trying to stop and turn her at the same time. Hweilan did turn, but she grabbed Elret’s arm and twisted as she did so, bringing it behind the hobgoblin’s back.
Elret screamed, more in fury than pain, and arched her back to ease the tension on her tendons. Hweilan planted her right boot in the small of Elret’s back and pushed her in the river.
The other disciples’ eyes went wide, and they looked at each other, not sure if they should put down their queen to help Elret.
Buureg cursed, but it seemed directed at both of them.
The swift current took Elret a few yards downstream, but the water here was not deep, and she was soon on her feet again. She rose, her eyes staring daggers at Hweilan. She pointed at Hweilan and raised her staff. Purple fire played along its length.
Buureg stepped between them. “Enough of this! Both of you!”
Elret spat. “You-”
And then the river rose up, a great palm of water, and slapped her back down. Mud bubbled around Buureg’s feet, soil and roots rising up to cover him below his waist. The warchief shrieked and batted at the soil with his sword, but he succeeded only in trapping the blade. Vines from the nearby trees writhed outward, entangling the four disciples and their queen. They screamed and thrashed, but the vines tightened around their throats, and their cries ceased.
Elret came out of the river, recognizable only by her terrified face. River mud and the roots of trees had bound her just as snugly as her companions.
Then everything settled, the only sounds those of the river and the ragged breathing of the hobgoblins.
“Hweilan!” said a voice from the woods.
A wizened figure stepped out from behind one of the trees. He was very much as Hweilan had last seen him. He had the sharp features and elongated ears of the hobgoblins, but his skin had a decidedly greenish cast in this light. He tinkled as he walked, for from his tattered robes hung dozens of tiny amulets, bits of chain, coins, and scraps of precious metal. He was standing to his full height-which was scarcely up to Hweilan’s chest-one hand weaving an intricate pattern in the air, the other holding his staff that glowed with an emerald light.
“Well met, Gleed,” she said.
“You did come back. I so hoped you would.” He looked at the captured hobgoblins. “And I see you even brought dinner. How thoughtful.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
A section of the mud holding Elret exploded, sending mud and rocks and smoking roots splashing in the river. Her arm emerged from the gaping hole, and in it she held her staff, purple fire and sparks of light sizzling around its length.
Gleed spared Hweilan a glance, then said, “Hm” and flickered his fingers.
The mud closed around Elret again. A tree root slithered out of the soil, wrapping itself around Elret’s arm and tightening. A section of the root held her elbow while another part pressed down upon her forearm, bending the arm backward. Elret shrieked, equal parts fury and pain.
“Drop your plaything,” said Gleed.
Elret could not move her head, but her eyes searched out Buureg and the other disciples. “Help me, you cowards!”
But the other hobgoblins were just as bound as she.
Gleed made another motion with his fingers, and the tree root pressed harder.
Elret screamed, all pain now, and the arcane energies flickering around her staff began to fall all around her. But she kept her grip.
Gleed smiled at Hweilan. “This one has spirit.”
“I think she’s just mean.”
Elret screamed again.
“Drop your staff,” Hweilan told her, “or he will break your arm.”
“I’ll kill you both! I swear on my mother’s ashes! I-”
Hweilan shrugged. “Break it.”
Elret opened her mouth, but before she could say anything-
“Gleed!”
The voice was so frail and fraught with pain that Hweilan barely heard it.
Gleed looked to the tangle of vines holding the disciples and the litter. Taking a good look at it for the first time, his brow crinkled, but when his gaze fixed on the wrinkled face peeking out amid the leaves and vines, his eyes went wide.
“Maaqua?”
Her eyes were open, but by the way they looked every which way, Hweilan knew the old queen was blind.
“Gleed?” she said, her voice coming out more a croak. “Help … me.”
Gleed looked back to Elret. Sparks were still spouting out of her staff, but her eyes were fixed on her queen.
“Will you stop this foolishness?” said Gleed.
“You can help her?” said Elret.
“Not if you persist in keeping me from it. Now drop the stick.”
The arcane energies sputtered out, and the glow emanating from the staff died away. “I’ll stop-if you help her. But I keep the staff.”
Gleed waved as if shooing a gnat. The mud and roots holding Elret and Buureg fell away, and the vines holding the four disciples relaxed. Gleed rushed over to Maaqua, examining her for wounds. He looked up at the nearest of the disciples. “What happened to her?”
The disciple looked to Elret.
“Now, damn you!” said Gleed.
Hweilan walked over to look down on the queen while Elret gave Gleed a brief version of what had happened.
Gleed looked down at Maaqua. “You old fool. You never did know not to meddle in affairs beyond your skills.”
Maaqua’s eyes closed, but Hweilan thought she saw the faintest hint of a smile on her lips.
Gleed waved the disciples back. “Get back, all of you!”
He raised his staff, his free hand’s fingers weaving a pattern in the air as he muttered. The vines rose up again, holding Maaqua, but just enough to keep her from falling.
“What is this?” said Elret, raising her own staff.
“Be still, Elret!” said Buureg. “Can’t you see he’s helping her?”
The vines took on the vague form of a man-shaped, headless hulk. Maaqua was cradled in its arms like a sleeping child. Agile as a monkey, Gleed climbed up its legs and arms to rest on the shoulders, then pointed with his staff. The mass of vines lumbered off into the forest.
“Where’s he taking her?” said Elret.
Gleed did not turn back as he answered. “Hweilan will show you the way. But wash yourselves first. I won’t have you dripping mud all over my home!”