Against the Giants

20

It was very dark in the lower level of the palace-dark, dryand hot. The place they hid was so dark that Lhors couldn’t tell whether it wasa chamber, a passage, or a niche cut in the wall. There seemed to be dead air behind them, and a faint but unpleasant odor like things long dead. Lhors shuddered and forced his attentions elsewhere.

Test your spears. You can do that by feel. Make certain thewood is not cracked or the points loose. He’d learned the trick from hisfather years earlier, how to do that in full dark and not lose a finger. The spears-he had only two left-were still in good shape. So were the expensivedaggers that he’d nearly forgotten about. It took him a moment to rememberPlowys’ name. After all that had happened since the fellow had died on theirfirst foray into the Steading, Lhors was surprised he could remember that much at all. He was astonished when he counted up the long daytime rests that counted as their nights. Plowys had died only six days earlier, but it seemed like a distant memory. Lhors’ life had become little more than running, hiding,killing, and more hiding. In between were times of restless sleep that brought only bad dreams.

He thought Rowan and Maera were also checking their weaponry. Malowan and Nemis sat close together, talking very quietly. The two men were probably going over some magic they would use together. Whatever grievance the paladin might still have toward Nemis, he had set it aside for now.

Lhors sighed and took another sip of tepid water. Drink small amounts, but often when you’ve little to see you through, his fatherhad always told him. The bottle might get him through one full day, but not two. Water in this place…

I’d never trust it, Lhors told himself. Malowan or Nemiscould find water and possibly even cleanse it if there was time. If we dared to go looking for water. Nemis was right, the voice in the back of his mind whispered. This is no place for any of us. We’re all going to die here in thedark.

Lhors pushed the gloomy voice away and wondered how much longer before they would move on and how much longer before they would battle these drow. They sound very dangerous. Perhaps, he thought, we really will all die in here-or all of us except Nemis. Suddenly, Lhors could understand whyKhlened and some of the others didn’t fully trust the mage, especially sinceNemis didn’t often explain himself unless Vlandar insisted.

He gazed into the dimly lit hallway that ran south to north and across it to the stairway they’d come down. It was blessedly quiet up there.He couldn’t imagine that would last for long. Even if that horrid fat giant kingcan’t free himself from the place he hid, he mused. Some guard will come lookingfor him. They’ll see Gerikh’s bar across the way in and then…

Lhors drew back as two brutish trolls suddenly stomped down the hall, hesitating at the staircase. His heart sank, and he feared discovery when the two turned to look his way. But Nemis’ protective spells were as goodas the mage claimed. The two monsters tromped on south, hesitated a moment at the bend in the passage, then trod back north, their footsteps echoing and growing fainter until they ceased entirely.

Vlandar sat next to him, back propped against the stone wall and legs stretched in front of him. He seemed fairly relaxed, content to let Malowan and Nemis work out their plans while he rested. Lhors reminded himself that so far, Vlandar and the others had kept them safe.

And you’ve helped. You’ve killed giants. Father’d be proud,had he lived to see that. Lhors Giant Killer Agya had called him. He smiled to himself. True, others had helped in the killing, but twice now, Lhors had dealt the killing blow-once in pure rage and once in sheer panic, but bothcreatures were equally dead.

Seems ya might not be so useless after all. The wordsechoed in his head.

Lhors settled his shoulders next to Vlandar’s. He was stillafraid, but that was sensible in a place like this. Fear would help to keep him alive. He’d manage.

Some moments later, Vlandar stirred. “Everyone caught theirbreath? Legs rested? Weapons checked?” There were a few quiet murmurs of assent.“Good. Nemis, how much farther and what can we expect when we get there besidesa brutal fight?”

Nemis slid over next to Vlandar. “Not much farther-as long aswe can go straight up this hall and then east. Once we’re there, things will getinteresting. Complicated. There is one main entry blocked by a dreadful trap-atentacle wall. It looks like an ordinary part of the wall until you get close, then the tentacles grab you. I have some spells to use against it, but I doubt they will entirely neutralize it. And if only the tentacles are destroyed, there are other things on the wall-beaks to bite you.”

“What about my arrows from the Steading trove?” Rowan asked.

“They might harm it, but if you touch the wall, it warnsthose inside. An arrow-or any weapon for that matter-might have the sameeffect. The only other way in is through a secret door inside the cells. I suggest we not go that way.”

“Why fight ’em at all?” Agya demanded softly. “Why don’t youand Mal go close by, make a spell t’learn who’s in there, then get away, or putsleep on ’em and search in there?”

“I think it unlikely a sleep spell would work on every drowin there. I am certain it will not work on Eclavdra. But we must get in. If only servants or clerics are there, we can kill or disable them and then search for further proof against Eclavdra-other allies she has, perhaps even more maps. Ifshe returns here to find her sanctuary violated, it won’t stop her, but it maymake her wary for a while. If she is here…” He drew a deep breathand expelled it in a rush. “Then we must kill her.”

“If we can.” Vlandar nodded. “We must go before someone findsour handiwork above.”

“Remember,” Nemis told them as he got to his feet, “the drowdo not expect open attack here. The rooms are guest chambers and placed in the very midst of this palace. King Snurre’s guards patrol frequently, but the drowtake normal precautions only. Also,” he added with an almost cheerful grin, “itis daylight out there. Drow live deep in the ground, but even so, many of them choose to sleep when the sun lights the lands above them and wake when the sky is black. If there is a chance for us to surprise them, this is the hour.”

“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.”

“You do not.”

Lhors started as a resonant, low female voice wafted through the room. He hadn’t seen any movement of the drape, but she was suddenlythere.

The clerics had seemed small to the youth, but Eclavdra-ifthis was truly she-was smaller than Agya. Unlike the little thief, the drow wasalmost fragile-looking. She wore a flowing black robe barely touched with silver. Sheer fabric slid smoothly over high breasts and a flat belly. Long silver hair rippled from beneath a cap the color of her skin. Tendrils of her hair slipped across her wrists and shoulders as she shook her locks back from sharp ears.

Lhors caught his breath.

Faint as the sound was, the delicately boned face turned his way and large, dark eyes met his very briefly. Her lips turned in amusement.

The youth could feel himself blushing, but Eclavdra’sattention was again fixed on Nemis.

“You do not control the palace,” she said again. “I would know.” She laughedthroatily. “But it is good to see you again, Nemis. I expected you to return tome, but scarcely like this.” She gestured. “A handful of would-be heroes to…what? Take your vengeance against one who cared for you? I did, you know. Why else did I put up with your sulks and your angers, your loathing for your uncle, and your kind touch on my-”

“Save that,” Nemis said flatly. “This is justice, notvengeance-”

Whatever else he would have said went unheard. Eclavdra’speals of laughter stopped him.

“I see. You will take vengeance against me for the sake ofgrubby peasants and ignorant herders, is that it?”

Agya gripped Lhors’ arm when the enraged youth surgedforward.

“Stay put!” the little thief hissed. “Can’t y’tell? She wantsus angered! She wants t’get Mal and Nemis so mad as they can’t think proper,then she c’n kill us all.” She kept hold of him until he took a deep breath andlet it out slowly. She was right, of course.

Lhors had missed something in listening to Agya. The sorceress had apparently said something to upset Malowan. His mouth was grim as he took a step toward her. “What can you hope to get from this? All the fieldsand cities of Oerth? They are no use to you!”

“No? We could live again on the surface, if we chose-if itwere ours. In the meantime, it will be a source of wealth, worked for us by slaves with giants to oversee the harvests, collect the cattle and sheep, even dwarves to mine for us. Of course,” she added with a tight-eyed smile inRowan’s direction, “we will do away with aberrations such as that atonce.”

The ranger merely raised her chin and sighted down her arrow.

“Do not bother with that toy,” Eclavdra added with a nastylaugh. “I can turn it against you-or better, turn it against your sister.”

The drow’s hands moved sharply.

“Mal!” Nemis shouted a warning as, with a faint cry ofprotest and pain, Rowan turned away from the drow and aimed it at her sister. She struggled against the magic, but it was of no use. She let go the arrow, and it shot through the air straight into Maera’s throat. The ranger fell, oneflawless end of the arrow protruding from under her chin, the bloodied point emerging from the back of her neck.

Lhors dropped his daggers and ran to take the half-elf’sweight in his arms. She weighed less than he would have thought. He scooped her up as gently as he could and backed away. Agya was at his side, holding his daggers and ready to throw. Lhors eased Maera back close to the wall. He set her down gently on the floor, careful not to jar the arrow. The ranger was shuddering slightly but seemed to have passed out from the shock. Lhors could just hear a faint rasping. She was still breathing!

“Don’t touch the arrow,” rasped Gerikh, who had come over tohelp. “She’ll bleed more, and it might kill her. As long as she’s breathing, thepaladin can still save her.”

Lhors couldn’t see Rowan, but he could hear her franticweeping, then even that was lost under Eclavdra’s wild laughter. The rest of theparty had been stunned into inaction at the attack upon their comrade. Even Vlandar and Malowan stood stunned, eyes wide. In that instant, the sorceress darted forward to touch Vlandar’s arm then threw herself back against the drape,Vlandar screamed and staggered, his arm bleeding from shoulder to elbow.

“Get back!” Nemis bellowed.

Lhors half-expected some taunt from Eclavdra, but the drow seemed too intent on her spells to bother. As her lips moved this time, Malowan threw himself to one side and began a spell of his own.

The colorful drape behind the sorceress suddenly sprouted thorns. Eclavdra jumped, and when she stepped away from the wicked points, there was blood in her hair.

Not enough to slow her, Lhors realized unhappily. He glanced back at Maera. Dreadful as the rangers wound was, it was scarcely bleeding, and she was still breathing in ragged, shallow breaths. Maybe the paladin could heal her, if any of them managed to get out alive….

Lhors swallowed and turned away. Agya handed him his daggers and drew her own, shoving the dazed-looking Florimund behind her.

A swarm of lights darted around Nemis’ head-some spell ofhers, no doubt. But the lights didn’t seem to bother the mage. As Eclavdrabegan another spell, Nemis began one of his own.

Rowan, still sobbing, ran out to grab Vlandar from the melee and drag him back behind one of the couches. Her eyes were puffy and red, and tears ran two pale tracks down her dusty cheeks.

Movement along the wall caught Lhors’ eye. Bleryn hadKhlened upright and was trying to get him out of the open. Eclavdra shouted something and a searing flame tore across the room. The fire slammed into Bleryn, throwing him into the wall with a bone-shattering crunch, and the dwarf went up like a torch. He didn’t move as the flames consumed him.

Khlened, who had fallen heavily when the dwarf let him go, dragged himself onto his hands and knees. He tried to escape the hellish heat, but he was too near to get away. The barbarian’s cloak began to smolder, hishair steamed, and then he too was enveloped in flames.

Lhors clapped his hands over his ears to try to shut out the barbarians howls of agony, vaguely aware of Agya huddled tight against him. The agonized cries suddenly ceased, and the only sound from the far end of the chamber was the cruel crackle of flames.

Malowan turned briefly to speak in that direction, his eyes dark with pain. Whatever he did, the fire stayed where it was, and even the smoke didn’t seem toget any thicker.

“We end this now!” roared Nemis.

The drow laughed wildly. “You end this? I think not.”

She lashed out with a spell, and Malowan stumbled and clutched his eyes. Lhors tackled Agya before the girl could run to the paladin. A sidelong glance from Eclavdra told him the sorceress had wanted that.

Ignoring Lhors and Agya for the moment, Eclavdra caught hold of a mace and took a cautious step toward the paladin.

“Mal!” Nemis shouted. “Metal weapon!”

“Can’t see!” Malowan said. He sounded furious.

Eclavdra laughed again, and Malowan turned toward the sound, his hands moving. The handle of her mace suddenly turned a dull red and the drow’s laughter rose to a shriek of pain. She dropped the weapon, and it fellwith a dull thump, the carpet beneath it beginning to smolder.

Malowan’s lips curved in a grim smile.

“Paladin!” Rowan’s voice was low, but it cut throughEclavdra’s wailing and the crackling flames.

Malowan began backing toward her, moving his feet cautiously across the carpet so that he wouldn’t trip over anything.

Eclavdra held up her hands, and Lhors could see that her palms were red and badly blistered.

“You have only one spell to neutralize whatever I use againstyou,” Nemis said grimly. “I know you, Eclavdra-and that was your greatestmistake. When I woke today, I made sure I would have several such spells. Go ahead and try to blind me. You’ll be the one who cannot see. You wasted yourfire on two who couldn’t have fought you anyway. Now you cannot touch me.”

The sorceress’ lips began to move, her black eyes fixed onhis, but before she could complete the spell, an arrow sang past Nemis’ ear andplunged deep into the hollow between the draw’s throat and shoulder. She criedout, staggered, and almost managed to catch herself before she reeled back into the thorns. Blood soaked into her tattered robe as she tried to pull away from the clinging barbs.

Nemis gazed into her eyes for a long moment.

The sorceress drew a deep breath and began another spell. “Ignisthre navlanim,” he said quietly and pointed at her. A spear of fireerupted from his fingers and enveloped her. Eclavdra fell back full force into the thorns and hung there. A faint moan escaped her, and then she hung limp and lifeless.

“Water!” Nemis shouted urgently.

Lhors stared as the blackened horror curled in on itself, still burning. Agya caught up her water bottle and ran across the room. Nemis stopped her from throwing it on the burning drow.

“No! For Mal. Go.”

The mage did something that smothered the flames and stopped the smoke.

“Rowan, leave Mal to Agya and help Vlandar. He is cut badly.Lhors and Gerikh, help me find Eclavdra’s chest. We need to get out of here, butI won’t leave without proof if it is here!”

“What of Maera?” Rowan sobbed.

“She’ll die with the rest of us if we don’t leave here soon,”Nemis said. “The silence spell did not hold. We will all be killed in a fewminutes if we don’t find that scroll!”

“But-”

“If there is anything to be done for her, we can heal her inCryllor! Now obey me!” The mage’s was grim as he looked across the room whereKhlened and Bleryn’s remains lay smoldering. His gaze hesitated on Maera, thenhe turned away. “We owe it to them.”

Nemis did something that reversed the spell on Malowan’seyes. The paladin joined in the search for evidence then. His reveal spell found a chest deep in a cupboard where the clerics’ spare clothing was stored. Hefreed the box and handed it to Nemis. The mage made a quick check for traps, then began rummaging through the chest.

“Here!” He shouted in triumph as he withdrew a scroll.

Malowan handed the chest to Gerikh as the mage began perusing the scroll.

“It’s your only responsibility,” said the paladin. “Keep itsafe.” He moved across the room, pausing to pray briefly over both dead clericsand the sorceress. He walked slowly over to look down at what was left of the barbarian and dwarf. Agya joined him.

The paladin knelt to pray, but Agya stood very still, her head tipped to one side as she listened. “Mal, Nemis! There’s someone comingthis way!”

“I know,” Nemis replied. “Almost ready.”

A white-faced Vlandar stood behind them, his sleeve torn and stiff with blood. Lhors ran to help him. The warrior managed a faint smile for him, but his eyes were dark with pain.

“All of you, over here!” The mage commanded sharply. “Now!”

Agya helped Lhors get Florimund to his feet. Rowan stared down at her sister and refused to move when Vlandar tried to draw her away. Nemis came over then, scooped the ranger up in gentle arms, and handed her toMalowan.

“Everyone, get as close together as you can,” the mage saidsharply.

Lhors could hear deep voices out there now, and someone began slamming something heavy against the wall.

“They can’t get in… can they?” Agya asked nervously.

“It doesn’t matter,” Nemis said simply, then he voiced hisspell.

The smoke and heat and carnage were suddenly gone, and so was the chamber. The world twisted and turned, blurring in and out of existence. Before Lhors could draw breath, he found himself sitting on wiry, coarse grass and cold ground. A cool wind ruffled his air, bringing the smell of road dust and horses. He blinked at the familiar walled city he’d seen only days before.

Cryllor, he thought dazedly. They weren’t more than twohundred paces from the main gates. He could see people on the walls-guards andsoldiers-staring at them. Two farmers riding a cart piled high with hay haddrawn their bony horse to a halt so they could stare.

Vlandar crouched next to him. He was very pale and obviously still in a great deal of pain, but seemed in very high spirits. Gerikh set the chest down at Vlandar’s side and tugged a blanket from his pack to cover thewarrior.

Most of the onlookers had fled in fright, but a few alarmed guards with shields up and spears raised were beginning to approach tentatively. Ignoring their surroundings, Malowan let Agya spread another blanket so he could lay Maera on that. Rowan knelt there, silently weeping.

“It will be all right,” Malowan told her. “We’re safe. Shestill lives. When I draw the arrow out, there likely will be a great deal of blood, but she should be fine. Gerikh and Lhors, you should hold her down in case she wakes.”

As gently as he could manage, Lhors sat across the wounded ranger’s knees and pinned her wrists to the ground while Gerikh leaned heavilyupon her shoulders. The paladin knelt, snapped off the bloody point of the arrow, and with one slow, smooth motion, he pulled it out. There was a horrific gush of dark blood. Maera shuddered violently and whimpered but did not wake.

Whispering an almost silent prayer, Malowan laid his hands over the wound. Blood seeped between his callused fingers, and still the ranger did not wake. After a moment the paladin removed his grip and sat back with a sigh. Maera’s wound was completely gone.

“A moment’s rest, Vlandar,” the paladin said tiredly, “and Iwill see to you.”

Vlandar nodded. With a painful wince, he got to his feet and waved at the cautiously approaching guards. “It’s Vlandar of the outer guard!”he shouted. “Send someone to let the lord know we’ve returned and get men outhere to help us!”

Lhors felt light-headed, all at once. He watched, bemused, as men came running to clap Vlandar on the back. Everyone was suddenly talking at once, but the youth couldn’t understand a word of it. There was a strangethrobbing pulse in his ears, and a sudden exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him. He moved obediently when a healed Vlandar wrapped an arm around his shoulders and drew him into the city. He followed dreamlike through the streets and through the arched gate leading into the ruling lord’s courtyard. All thewhile, their party was surrounded by astonished soldiers and gawking townspeople.

Later, he could remember very little of those following hours. After a very quick washing and change of clothes, Vlandar addressed the lord and his council. The entire party accompanied him, but no one else except Nemis and Malowan spoke. Somewhere in all that, Lhors must have fallen asleep, because when he opened his eyes, he’d been rolled into a blanket. It took him amoment to recognize the rough wood wall as Vlandar’s barracks and the pricklymattress as the one he’d slept on before.

The room was quiet and dark except for a low-burning candle that had been shuttered next to his bedside. Malowan and Vlandar sat at the small table talking in hushed tones, but as the youth rolled over and edged onto his elbow, Vlandar looked at him and smiled. “It’s all right, lad. We’re allhere, and you’re safe.”

“I know,” Lhors said, and lay back down.