“Why?” Bradok asked.
“I figure we’ve got a better chance at survival with you than with anyone else,” Corin said. “You’ve grown as a leader. You don’t want to make the hard decisions, but you do anyway.”
Corin pulled up his hood, making his face disappear into shadow. “Get some rest,” he said, looking out over the sleeping band of dwarves. “I have a feeling tomorrow will be a very long day.”
He strode away without a backward glance. Bradok turned to where Serl lay, a still figure draped with a cloak. He knew he couldn’t sleep; there were too many things weighing on his mind.
Within three minutes he had fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep born of exhaustion.
CHAPTER 23
Something touched Bradok’s face, and he started awake to find a hand pressed down over his mouth.
“Don’t make a sound,” Rose whispered in his ear.
When he nodded his understanding, she gently removed her hand. He sat up more quickly than he should have, confused by being awakened in such a manner. Pain lanced through his side, and he crumpled back to the ground, biting his tongue to stifle a groan.
Rose’s hands grabbed him gently under his shoulders, and she helped him up slowly. Behind Rose, Bradok could see Much waking Kellik in a similar manner. Bradok looked at Rose questioningly.
Putting her finger to her lips, she pointed past Bradok, out toward the curtain of water that separated them from the cavern outside. Through the waterfall, Bradok could see the glow given off by the Reorx’s torch mushrooms. Suddenly, a dark, humanoid shape passed in front of one of the lights. As Bradok watched, he saw other forms moving around the cavern, drifting in and out of the pools of light.
Then a figure loomed out of the darkness, passing by the pool just beyond the waterfall.
There was no mistaking its form. Four segmented back legs held up a humanoid torso with long, backward-facing swordlike arms; transparent body armor; and a glowing blue organ where its eyes should be. Apparently it hadn’t taken the Disir long to realize their scouting party had gone missing.
“How many?” Bradok mouthed at Rose.
Rose shook her head and shrugged, then held up ten fingers twice.
Even if it was just a guess, twenty Disir were far too many for Bradok’s battered and wounded band. He reached for his sword belt and gingerly began to strap it around his waist.
“What now?” Bradok asked Rose, leaning close so she could hear his barely audible whisper.
“We’re waking everyone,” she explained. “Much thinks the waterfall is confusing the Disir with all its noise and echoes, so as long as we’re quiet, they won’t know we’re here.”
“They’ll find this cave eventually,” Bradok said.
Rose shrugged. “Maybe not. There aren’t any obvious cracks or openings. Remember, we had to walk through the water to get in.”
Corin approached, treading slowly and quietly. “I need your help,” he whispered, leaning down so Bradok could hear him. “I need to wake Omer up, and someone has to help me keep him calm. The last time we fought these things, he cowered in the tunnel. They terrify him.”
“Why me?” Bradok asked.
“Remember Teal?” Corin said. “You’re the only one he’d give her body to. He trusts you for some reason.”
Bradok nodded and stood. He picked his way slowly among the dwarves to where Omer lay. Much and Kellik had managed to wake most of the others, and all eyes were turned toward the waterfall and the certain death that lay just beyond its fragile curtain.
Corin shook Omer gently. The lad opened his pale blue eyes. Bradok was amazed at how innocent he looked. His body showed the first signs of manhood, and his beard was beginning to come in, yet his eyes and face reflected a childlike mind.
“Hi, Corin,” Omer said before Bradok could shush him.
“You have to whisper, Omer,” Corin said. “It’s very important.”
“Why?” he asked.
Omer’s voice couldn’t have been very loud, but it seemed to Bradok as if the boy were shouting. Reflexively, he turned his head and stared at the Disir pacing just beyond the waterfall. He thought he saw the creature pause for a moment, then go back to its searching, but at that distance, he couldn’t be sure.
“The bad creatures are looking for us,” Bradok explained. “If they hear us, they’ll try to hurt Teal. You don’t want that, do you?”
Omer clutched the rag doll to his chest protectively and shook his head anxiously. He cast his eyes toward the waterfall and shut them tight against the horror he’d glimpsed.
“Don’t worry,” Bradok said, patting Omer on the shoulder. “They won’t bother us if they don’t hear us, so just be as quiet as a mouse.”
Omer didn’t open his eyes again; he only nodded.
Corin motioned Jeni over and told her to keep an eye on him. Jeni sat and held Omer’s head in her lap, stroking his hair gently. Her kindly manner almost made Bradok forget that she was the woman who had been imprisoned for murdering her own children.
Corin gave Bradok a nod to indicate Omer would be all right then stood. Bradok got up and followed Corin back to where Rose waited anxiously.
“Look,” Rose said as they arrived, pointing.
The Disir that had been patrolling the bank by the waterfall had been joined by a second, and the two seemed to be conversing in a strange language made up of clicks and groans. After a short talk, they both began to probe the depths of the waterfall with their long arms.
“Can those things swim?” Rose asked.
“I hope not,” Bradok said. “Their bodies are pretty heavy, and they really don’t have anything to paddle with.”
“No, look, they can’t. Thank Reorx for small favors,” Corin said.
The Disir had finished their probing of the water, apparently finding it too deep for their liking. They had another short discussion; then the second one went away.
“What do you suppose that means?” Rose hissed.
“No idea,” Corin said. “One thing’s for sure, we’re not going anywhere soon with that thing hanging around out there.” He nodded at the Disir who had resumed his patrol along the water’s edge.
“Maybe we could kill it real quiet like,” Thurl said.
Everyone jumped. Bradok stifled a curse. The Daergar assassin had crept up on them so silently.
“That won’t help. There’s more of them out there,” Rose said.
“But if I could kill that one,” Thurl said, “and then maybe we could sneak out of here somehow.”
Rose shook her head.
The crunch of gravel announced another arrival. Bradok turned to see Xurces kneeling down beside them.
“We’ve got trouble,” he said in a ragged whisper.
“We know that, Xur,” Corin said, nodding at the patrolling Disir.
“No,” Xurces said, “another kind of trouble.” He pointed over his shoulder toward the back of the cave. “That kind.”
Behind Xurces, Bradok could see Lyra, lying back on her blanket. Her daughter, Jade, was holding her hand. Lyra’s breathing seemed to be coming in great gasps.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Corin said, glancing nervously back at the Disir. “Couldn’t be worse timing.”
Bradok stifled another curse. “Rose, go find Tal,” he said quickly. “Then get over there and help. For Reorx’s sake, keep her quiet.”
“If it’s all right, I’d like to go too,” Xurces said. “I promised her I’d hold her hand through the delivery.”
Bradok exchanged glances with Corin before jerking his thumb in Lyra’s direction. “Go,” he said.
As Rose and Xurces made their way back to Lyra, Much, Chisul, and Kellik joined the other dwarves warily watching the Disir poking around on the other side of the waterfall.
“Lyra’s tough,” Bradok whispered to the newcomers. “She’ll stay quiet.”
“I hate to burst your bubble, lad,” Much said in a low voice, “but I’ve seen babies birthed before, and they don’t come quiet.”