Even before the dirt and snow had settled, the gnolls were charging forward. The gate was a shattered tangle, a barrier no more. The first line of the warren's defenses had been destroyed in a matter of seconds.
"What was that?" Vil shouted as he scrambled forward to fill the breach. Martine jerked her sword free and stumbled up to join him, stepping amid the mewling bodies of the gnomes who'd been closest to the door.
"How should I know?" the woman gasped. "With Vreesar's powers, maybe-"
The rush of the Burnt Fur cut short any further talk as the dog-men sprang through the wreckage. The first gnoll through the gap took both their swords full in the chest and died before it even had a chance to clear the threshold. It had not yet fallen when another wild-eyed gnoll elbowed the dying body out of the way, jabbing with a spike-headed axe as it kicked away the broken boards. The wolf-man was quick, beating back their blades as it bulled forward. Another gnoll with a maul battered the still-standing frame to widen the gap.
Jouka, his face blood-streaked and eyes ablaze, slipped between the two humans and darted beneath the gnoll's axe to stab the beast in the thigh with his thick-bladed spear. Howling, the gnoll swung downward at its new tormentor, lowering its guard in the process. Martine hacked furiously at it, and the gnoll's hand suddenly flew free of the beast's body. The gnoll staggered back, screeching as blood jetted from the stump. Just as Vil moved in for the kill, the maul-wielder crashed through the remaining splinters and swung madly at the former paladin. Vil shifted targets in midswing and chopped the second gnoll across the face. The maul crashed down helplessly as the gnoll flopped forward with a gurgling spray of blood, its lower jaw and windpipe sliced away.
For a second, Martine thought the three of them just might be able to hold the tide at the gate. The gnolls in the
front rank had been killed, and the reinforcements were already falling back, fleeing from the bloodbath in the doorway
Then, too late to do anything about it, Martine saw Vireesar raising its hands for yet another blast. The elementals tiny mouth twisted in triumph as it callously condem
"Gods-"
The rest of Martine's oath was extinguished by an explosive roar. The shock wave, an invisible bubble of force, hit like a battering ram, jerking the Harper from the floor and flinging her slight body toward the back wall. The dying axe-wielder had caught the full force of the magical blast in its back. Now its body flopped forward with a flattish, splayed look, riddled by ice-torn holes. Its insides spilled through the huge gashes. Jouka was hurled across the debris-cluttered floor, bouncing against the overturned benches that blocked his way. Vil, whom she could barely see, reeled against a side wall as he awkwardly avoided falling ceiling timbers.
The ground came up hard, even though Martine's fall was cushioned by a tangle of Vani. Her side, blistered and torn, took the brunt of her slide, so that Martine's knees buckled as she crawled free from the struggling mass.
There was no rush into the gaping breach. The gnolls were apparently unwilling to charge lest their chieftain launch another strike. That delay was all the Vani had going for them. Reaching out, the woman seized dazed Jouka by the collar and dragged him from the center of the floor. "Get them out of here! We can't hold out any longer"
Jouka didn't argue. Instead, he merely nodded weakly. "Fall back!" he gasped, shoving nearby warriors toward the inner door. They required no further urging.
A strong hand grabbed Martine's shoulder and hoisted her up. "Thank Torm, you're alive!" Vil breathed huskily. "I fear the warren is lost." He pulled her toward the temporary safety of the inner hall, for they both knew the respite granted by the gnolls would not last.
"We can still defeat them," Martine objected. They were the last two through the inner gates. The doors quickly closed behind them. Tables and benches were braced against the doors-anything that could absorb the brunt of Vreesar's icy blasts.
"At what cost, Harper? There are women and children here." A Vani scream from the outer chamber, drawn out and agonizing riveted everyone's attention. The gnolls were celebrating their victory. At least it will buy us more time, Martine noted grimly.
"Would you sacrifice them, too?" Vil demanded, speaking not only to the woman but also to Jouka, whose face was set hard. "It's time to evacuate the warren."
"This is our home! This dirt is in our blood," Jouka snarled contemptuously. "We will not run. Maybe you would be chased out of your home and idly watch it burn, human, but we make our stand here." Jouka looked fiercely to his fellows for support, but instead of a passionate band of warriors, he saw a handful of tired and frightened family men who held no false illusions of honor. The dwindling screams from beyond their sight reminded all of the fate that might be in store for their wives and children.
"Jouka, the human is right," Elder Sumalo gasped. The priest had been wounded in the first blast and now lay on a litter, bloody blankets bound around his side. "We cannot stand against their magic. Every door we close will be blasted like the first. We must think of our families."
"Where will we go, Elder Sumalo? If we leave the warren, we'll freeze," Jouka protested. "It's all the fault of this human-her and her plan."
"Who is at fault is not the issue, Jouka. Survival is," Martine countered. "Look, we can hole up at Vil's cabin."
"Unfortunately it lies that way." Vil pointed toward the doors leading to the east gate. "We'll never make it from another gate in this storm."
Martine sagged against the wall. She just wanted to give up. Why had Jazrac even offered her…
"Jazrac! Gods, I forgot about him completely. He hasn't left yet!" The Harper's face brightened, and she turned to Sumalo and Jouka with renewed hope. "Gather the women and children in one of these rooms on the eastern side. Make sure they're well away from the fighting and send someone to have the wizard join them. He can get us out." `The wizard is useless." Jouka spat contemptuously. "He's our only chance."
A loud thud sounded against the doors, and everyone glanced at them nervously. "Gather everyone at the granary," Jouka said stiffly as he relented reluctantly. When the inner door shattered under two ringing blasts from Vreesar, the gnolls charged into an empty chamber. Confused, the warriors ripped through the meager furnishings of the hall, howling in triumph. They were certain of victory. The gnolls broke into hunting packs and scattered down the empty halls.
"Now!" Vil cried out as the marauders cleared the first corner. The passage echoed with the sharp twang of crossbows fired by the small cadre of Vani accompanying him A loud shriek proved at least one quarrel had struck home, but Vil didn't wait to see. "To the next position-go!" he bellowed. The gnomes sprang from their hiding places and ran down the hall, past where Martine lurked with another small band of warriors.
After several minutes, the gnolls reappeared cautiously, peering around the corner. "Hold your fire," the Harper hissed. The Vani next to her trembled slightly. The head disappeared, and then a single gnoll slowly stepped forward, nervous and wary. Martine waited as he advanced two cautious steps forward. "Fi she shouted. The gnoll shrieked and slumped to the floor. "Back, everyone!" she barked as the gnomes pulled out quickly. They had barely reached Vil's new position around the next corner when a handful of magical ice hurtled down the passage and burst in a small explosion right where they had been.