Melegaunt raised his mitted hand toward a white-hotpoker, and Bodvar, not thinking, reached for it-then shrieked in surprise asMelegaunt used a cantrip to summon the utensil and spare him a burned palm.
Idona giggled, drawing an embarrassed, though tender,frown from her husband. Melegaunt shook his head in mock exasperation atBodvar's clumsiness, and she broke into full laughter.
"You see?" Bodvar complained lightly."This is what comes of treating with devils."
"Of course, my husband," Idona said."This bearded one is always saving you from something, the mudbreathingknave."
"That is what worries me," Bodvar said, histone more serious.
Desperate not to let Bodvar's suspicious nature underminethe unexpected openness his humor had won from Idona, Melegaunt poked at thecoals, then changed the subject.
"Speaking of mudbreathers and saving you, Bodvar,you never did tell me why the bog people and dragonmen were trying so hard towipe out your tribe."
"Were?" Idona echoed. "They still are. Why do you think we stay camped atthe other end of your walkway? If it wasn't for you-"
"Idona!" Bodvar snapped.
Hiding his delight behind a tolerant smile, Melegaunttossed the poker aside-it remained hovering in the air-and began to feed morecharcoal into the fire.
"I'm only happy to be of use." Melegauntfixed his gaze on Bodvar and added, "But that still doesn't answer myquestion."
Bodvar flushed and said nothing.
"Are you going to answer him, Husband,"Idona, smirking, asked, "or am I?"
The more Idona spoke, the more Melegaunt liked her.
"By all means, Idona," Melegaunt said,"I would rather hear it from your-"
"I had this idea," Bodvar began. "Iwanted to build a fort."
"Fort?" Melegaunt asked.
He stopped feeding the flames and stood.
"For the treasure caravans," Idona said,rolling her eyes. "He actually thought outlanders would give us good coinjust to sleep with a roof over their heads."
"And to have us stand guard," Bodvar addeddefensively. "When we're out hunting, they're always asking to share ourcamps and fires."
"Do they pay then?" Idona demanded.
Bodvar frowned and said, "Of course not. Who'dpay to pitch his own tent?"
"I see." Melegaunt found it difficult tokeep the delight out of his voice. At last, he had discovered something thatmight move Bodvar to take help from a "shadow devil." "But thebog people and dragonmen prey on the caravans, and they have other ideas?"
Bodvar nodded and said, "The dragonmen sacked ourfirst fort before it was half completed, and when we tried to move south to amore defensible site … well, you saw what happened."
Idona took his hand.
"We're better off anyway," she said."Who wants to live one place the whole year? What happens when the herdsmove?"
"What indeed?" Melegaunt asked absently.
He was looking over his shoulder toward the granitesummit of his little island. On a clear day, it was possible to look across thebog clear to where the log road ended-or began, if the caravan was coming fromthe mountains with its load of treasure. If he could see the road,then anyone on the road would be able to see the top of the island.
"Melegaunt?" Bodvar asked.
Realizing he had not been paying attention, Melegaunttore his gaze from the summit and turned back to Bodvar.
"Sorry," he said. "You weresaying?"
"He was inviting you to take feast with us,"said Idona. "It's Higharvestide, in case you have lost track."
"It's Idona's idea," Bodvar added, thoughhis friendly tone made it clear that he did not object too strenuously."She says it's only common courtesy."
"And no more than we owe," Idona added,frowning at Bodvar. "Considering all you have done for us."
"All I have done for you?" Melegaunt waved ahand in dismissal. "It's nothing, truly, but I can't join you. NextHigharvestide, perhaps."
"Next Higharvestide?" Bodvar scowled at the furnace where the last sword lay on its bed of sizzlingtin. "If you're staying to watch over that sword, you may as well come,because-"
"It's not the sword," Melegaunt said."The sword will be done by nightfall. I must have my rest tonight.Tomorrow will be a busy day for me."
Idona's face was not the only one that fell.
"Then you are leaving?" Bodvar asked."If you are, be certain to take your swords with you, because they willonly-"
"I'm not leaving." Melegaunt had to turntoward the island's granite summit-try as he might, he could not hide hissmile. "Tomorrow, I start work on my tower."
"Tower?" Idona echoed.
"Yes." Finally in control of his expressionagain, Melegaunt turned around. "To watch over the treasurecaravans."
But Melegaunt knew he would have no rest that night.He had read in the dawn shadows that it would be the evening when the MoorEagles moved onto the island with him. His divinations proved correct shortlyafter dark, when the clan's mead-induced revels were interrupted by theclanging of the sentry's bell. Melegaunt lita signal beacon he had prepared for theoccasion, then went to the front of the work site to inspect the situation.
A cloud of white forms was descending from the peaksof the dragonmen, their wings flashing silver in the moonlight as theyspiraled down toward the bog's edge. Their spellcasters were already hurlingmagic bolts and balls of golden flame at the Moor Eagles, but the rest of thewarriors were taking care to forestall counterattacks by keeping theirmagic-users well screened from Melegaunt's island. A sporadic stream of arrowsbegan to rise from Bodvar's camp and arc into the night, falling pitifullyshort of their targets.
Melegaunt spread his arms and cast a shadow fog overthe camp, more to prevent the Moor Eagles from wasting their time and arrowsthan to delay the dragonmen. Still, they had not forgotten the sticky rain hehad called down on them in the bottomless bog-half their number had sunkbeneath the peat and drowned-so they gave the dark cloud wide berth, anglingaway to land in the foothills on the far side of camp.
Leaving the Moor Eagles to fend for themselves, Melegauntturned his attention to what he was sure would be the second part of thedragonmen's plan and found a company of bog people slithering up to block hisboulder walk. The clan women were gamely rushing forward to meet them, Idonaand a few of the others wielding iron swords or wood axes, but most armed withnothing more deadly than fire-hardened spears and cudgels so light Melegauntcould have snapped them over his knee.
"Hold!"
Melegaunt's Vaasan had grown passable enough over thepast few months that Idona recognized the command for what it was and calledher sisters to a stop. He pointed at a hole in the exact center of theshadow-walk and spoke a single word of magic. A whirling pinwheel of black tentacleserupted from the hole and slashed the bog people into so many chunks of slimyflesh, then withdrew back into the hole.
"Now youcan come," Melegaunt called, using his magic to project his voice."And bring those foolish husbands of yours, or the only Higharvestidefeast will be that of the dragonmen."
Idona raised her sword in acknowledgement and sent theother women forward with the children, then rushed back into the shadowswaddled camp. Melegaunt waited impatiently for her return. It seemed to takeher forever, and he feared the surviving bog people would regain their couragebefore she could convince her husband to retreat to the safety of the island.Finally, warriors began to stagger onto the boulder walk in twos and threes,often supporting and sometimes carrying each other. Melegaunt thought for amoment that the evening's festivities had simply been proceeding faster than heexpected, but then he noticed that one of the men was missing an arm andanother had something dangling on his cheek that might have been an eye.