by Sean Russell
A tongue of flame flared out among them, setting cloaksafire and chasing both guards and their enemies in all directions. Toren feltthe floor shiver, and he was thrown off his feet. Among the ring of flamesomething hideous rose. It spread out its arms and bellowed, shaking the Isleto its very roots.
A giant leapt the line of flame, bounding into the circle, agreat blade raised. He struck the creature a blow that shook the air andshattered his sword, but the monster brushed him aside with a single swipe andturned its back on the pitiful scuffling of mortal men.
“We should never have left the stairwell,” Eber said. Heclutched his son’s hand tightly and gave it a little shake. “Don’t leave myside again! Look at the danger you’ve put us in!”
Theason glanced over at the small man, who was trying toshield his son from the battle, as though his ancient body might stop a blade.The fighting ranged over the floor of the great chamber, careening this wayand that. It drove them around two sides of the left wall, where they slunkalong at the edge of the floor, hoping to go unnoticed.
“What is going on, Eber?” Theason whispered. “Do you see?”
In the center of a flickering ring of red flame, somethinglarge was moving just perceptibly.
“It’s feeding,” Eber said, his voice flat, frightened.
“On what?”
“The carcass,” Eber whispered, “of a man-”
“River save us.”
The light was poor, and the tide of the battle could not beguessed. Hafydd collapsed suddenly and was supported by two of his guards. Theothers fought a ferocious battle against Elise and her company, Orlem drivingthe black guards back wherever he went. The giant leapt the flame and attackedthe soul eater, but it sent him tumbling back through the flames.
And then a tongue of fire struck out at the fighters,scattering them this way and that.
“You have lost, Sister!” a voice cried over the fighting. “Goback while you can.”
The fighting seemed to waver, the black-clad guardsgathering about their master, Elise and her company standing defiantly acrossthe floor. Theason could see her there, tall and straight-backed, undaunted andproud.
“I shall bring this cavern down upon us first!” she calledout.
Raising her sword she struck the ground with it, a blow thatshook the walls and threw them all down upon their bellies. Theason scrambledup and helped Eber to his feet.
“Where is Llya?” the old man said, looking aroundfrantically. “Where is Llya!”
A second blow, greater than the first, and Theason wasthrown hard against the wall and lay for a moment, dazed. A deafening rending,and he opened his eyes to see massive broken blocks of stone tumbling down fromthe ceiling.
The shock of their landing buckled the floor, throwing thelittle man into the air for a moment, then slamming him down. He thought heheard someone whimpering and realized the voice was his. Something fell soclose that he was tossed up again, and again smashed down. Smoke stung his nostrils,then darkness fluttered over him, like a fall of black snow.
Beldor felt something jerk around his neck, and then slideover his hair. He thought he moaned. He slipped away for a moment, then wokeagain, darkness, but not far off, a little light. His vision was blurred, andhe tried to shake his head to clear it. The murmur of a soothing voice.
A rubble of stones ranged around him, and Beldor lay in somespace between. He moved his arm and felt down his side. There was no feelingthere, as though the flesh belonged to someone else. He struck his hip but feltit only in his fist.
“What has happened to me? I can’t move.”
His vision blurred, darkness bleeding in around the edges.But there, in the center of the darkness, he could see a figure hunched down ina faint light. A voice, very distant, murmured, like water running over stones.
“There, granddaughter,” it said softly. “Death shall nothave you this day-you or the poor girl who bears you.”
The figure rose, a woman. Gracefully, she slipped down a narrowpassage between fallen stones. He could almost see her face.
“Can you help me?” he whispered, his words poorly formed.
The woman hovered over him an instant, as though weighinghis request.
“You made your bargain with Death,” she said at last. “Iwill not interfere.” And she turned away.
“Please,” Beld heard himself say. “At the end, I forsook mybargain.”
“Too late, man-at-arms,” she said. “Too late.”
“No,” Beldor whispered. “Not too late … Not for me.”
Darkness dribbled across the scene, like ink over glass, andBel-dor felt a sudden warmth spread through him. He exhaled a long breath-anddid not draw it in again.
Tam held his torch aloft. A rubble of boulders, half thesize of houses and greater, spread over the floor of the cavern. Smoke waftedabout the place as though it could not find an escape, and a burble of waterechoed eerily.
“What happened here?” Fynnol asked.
“We came too late,” Alaan said, and cursed. “Caibre …Hafydd and Elise fought.”
“Who survived?” Tam said.
“Perhaps no one. Come let’s look.”
A crash shook the chamber, and Tam flinched, almost burningFynnol with his torch. A great chunk of the ceiling had fallen, breakingboulders beneath. They began to search among the rocks, ducking down as theywent, fearing the ceiling would collapse at any moment and bury them all.
Tam dropped down a crack between two boulders and foundhimself in a narrow passage.
“Are you all right?” Fynnol called down from above.
“Yes. Stay up there, Cousin. I might need your help to getout.”
“Easy for you to say. The ceiling will kill me first.”
“Yes, but it will kill me second. I will trade places withyou if you wish?”
“No, Tam. Go on as you are. We’ll search together.”
Tam wormed his way between the stones, getting down on hisbelly here and there to push himself through small openings. Every few momentshe met a dead end and was forced to find another way, but Fynnol proved usefulscouting the route from above.
“Fynnol? I thought I heard something-like a voice.”
They both stopped and tried to quiet their breathing.
“A moan. Yes! This way, I think.”
Tam tried to follow his cousin, who leapt from boulder toboulder, quickly finding his way. A tight squeeze, then he tripped oversomething soft.
“I found someone!” Tam pushed himself out of the cleft betweenthe stones and crouched, holding the torch so that he might see.
“Who is it?”
“A man-dead, I fear.” Tam turned the man’s head a little,the eyes staring at him vacantly. “You know, Fynnol, I think this is Bel-dorRenne.”
“No. He was taken by the servants of Death in theStillwater. Don’t you remember?”
“Nevertheless, I think this can be no other.”
“Tam?” came a faint whisper.
“Well, Tam, if you thin-”
“Fynnol! Quiet!”
“Tam?” came the voice again.
The Valeman held his torch aloft and swept it this way and that,throwing its light down the narrow crevices between the fallen ceiling.
He leapt up. “Elise? Elise?” He forced his way between twoclose stones, tearing away cloth and flesh. And there he found her, lying in avoid between the fallen boulders.
“Elise! Fynnol! Call Alaan!”
He dropped down, wedging the torch into a crack, and tookher head in his hands.
“Can you move? Where are you hurt?”
“It is all right,Tam. I’m unharmed … or at least healedfrom all my hurts. Give me a moment,” she whispered, close to tears, “and I’llget up.”
“Oh, Elise,” he said, unable to contain his feelings. “Ithought never to see you again.”
Her hand slipped, small and warm, into his. “Something keepsthrowing us together, Tam,” she said softly, “no matter the distances between.”
Alaan appeared above. “Ah, there you are! How badly is sheinjured, Tam?”
“I’m unharmed,” Elise said, though she did not open hereyes.
“That is a miracle,” Alaan responded, leaning over theopening, his face appearing in the flickering light of Tam’s torch.
“Perhaps. Someone healed my hurts, or so I dreamed. What ofthe others?”
Alaan did not answer, and Elise suddenly rose to a sittingposition.
“Tell me,” she demanded.
“We found Slighthand … crushed beneath a stone.”
Elise covered her face, tears running out between herfingers, like blood from a wound, but there was no sound.
“Who else?” she whispered.
“Some Renne men-at-arms. Knights wearing gray cloaks.”
“Toren? A’brgail?”
“We have not found them yet.”
Her silent tears continued. “He had survived for so long,”she whispered, haltingly, “and given up the sword. If Kai had not found him,and sent him after you-”
“We might all have perished in the Stillwater,” Alaan said,interrupting her gently.
“He saved me when Death’s servant had me in its claws,”Fyn-nol said sadly.
“Slighthand saved many from death,” Alaan said, “but we haveno time to mourn him now.”
A distorted shout from some distance silenced them all.
“Can you climb up?” Alaan asked, reaching down as far as hecould. “I think they’ve found some others.”
Alaan and Fynnol pulled them both up. Elise swayed, supportingherself on Tam’s shoulder.
They made their way across the rubble, jumping from boulderto boulder, until at last they reached a place where the ceiling had notfallen, though the floor was buckled and broken. Here, a small company huddled,some lying, others sitting propped against the wall. A channel ran with water,and a small distance off, a round pool steamed, glowing faintly white.
Some of the gathering were wet through, and others laystill, injured, or dead, or sleeping.
“Thank the river,” Elise said with feeling, “not a few havesurvived.”
Baore rose as he saw them approaching over the rubble. Hiscarriage was bent to one side as though he favored an injury there. Threegray-clad Knights also found their feet, raising weapons as though ready todefend themselves, though they looked like they could hardly stand. There weretwo in Renne blue, neither of whom could rise, little Theason, and Eber, hisback against the wall, knees up, and a hand over his face.
“You need not fear us,” Alaan called out. “It is Alaan. Andwe have found Elise unharmed amid the rubble.”
One of the gray-robed Knights came forward, and one of thetwo in Renne blue.
“Sir Gilbert,” Elise said. “I am heartily glad to see you unharmed.”
“None of us have gone unharmed,” he said, as they drew near,then nodded to the old man leaning against the wall, “though none of us havereceived so great a hurt as Eber.”
Elise had climbed down onto the buckled floor, but there shestopped. “Llya …” she breathed as though the wind had been knocked from herlungs.
“Gone,” Eber said, the word coming out as a sob. “Washedinto the channel by a wave formed when the floor was broken. It rose up andswept him off. Gone before I could even gain my feet.” He began to sob, hisface hidden by his knees and a bent gray hand.
Elise went forward, crouching down on one knee before theold man. “Eber. I’m so sorry …. I said I would protect him-”
“And you did not!” the old man said, pulling his hand awayfrom his face, fierce with grief. “What kind of father lets a child-hardly morethan a baby-lead warriors in search of a monster?”
“Eber,” Elise said, drawing back a little, “there was no oneelse to lead us. Hafydd had to be stopped.”
“But we did not stop him. I gave up my son’s life fornothing! His precious life!” Again he was overcome by grief and sobbed asthough there were no one there to see.
None of the others would look directly upon Eber, but allturned a little away, their faces filled with sorrow and pity and guilt. Elisecame slowly to her feet, tears running down her cheeks. Tam could see theaccusation had cut her deeper than a blade ever could. She hesitated, as thoughseeking something to say, something to do, and turned away.
Theason caught her eye with a gesture. “Theason saw it happen.Hafydd’s terrible creature leapt into the pool and broke through the ice,dragging the limp body into the river, his master close behind.”
“His master?” Elise said.
“Hafydd,” Theason said. “It grew very dark then-a cloud ofdust thrown up by the falling ceiling-but Theason thought he saw a woman. Atfirst Theason believed it was you, Lady Elise, covered in dust and dirt, but itwas a dark-haired woman.” He looked suddenly a bit hesitant, even embarrassed.“She went into the river. It will sound mad, but she seemed to change as shewent. Certainly it was only the poor light, the dust in Theason’s eyes-”
“She appeared to turn into a swan,” Alaan said.
Theason looked at him, surprised. “A black swan, yes.”
Alaan nodded and walked to the pool, where he crouched, staringinto the water.
Toren Renne came forward and embraced his cousin. “Wethought you dead,” Toren said, pounding Dease on the back.
“I don’t know how I survived. The fire tried to burn me, thesmoke to choke me, and then I was found by Alaan, a coal spat out of the fire,stumbling along the bank.” The two pulled apart.
“I cannot tell you how glad I am to see you. How your losshas preyed upon my mind when I should have concentrated upon other matters …”Toren ran out of words.
Dease met his eye, moved by this show of feeling. “I amhere, Toren, and largely unharmed.”
Toren nodded, pulling himself up a little and trying tosmile. “Yes, we have other matters to concern us. Other losses.”
Elise picked her way across the broken floor to Alaan’sside.
“He’s gone,” Alaan said. “Theason is right.”
“We failed utterly-and murdered poor Llya in the bargain.”She dropped down to her knees, staring into the steaming pool. “Would Elise Willshave used a child so, I wonder? Or is it only the part of me that is Sianonthat would do such a shameful thing?”
“We have no time for remonstrance. Hafydd and his monsterare escaping.”
“What can we do against that thing?” Baore asked. He, Tam,and Cynddl all had come to stand a few paces off. “It tossed Slight-hand asidelike a child.” He winced at his choice of words.
Alaan stood. “The soul eater begins to weaken soon after itis born. If we could catch it before it passes through Death’s gate … It is avain hope, but I would not want to see Llya die for nothing.”
Elise looked up at Alaan. “Is there any chance at all?”
“A slim chance. Sainth can take shorter paths than the souleater.”
“Then while we have breath we must try,” Elise said firmly.She scrambled to her feet. “If nothing else, we might have revenge for Llya’sdeath.”
“Spoken like a true Wills,” Alaan responded.
“It will take us hours just to reach the surface again,”Cynddl said.
Alaan pointed down the channel, which disappeared into a roundtunnel. “We will go this way.”
“But not everyone can swim.”
Alaan turned to make a quick head count. “There are enoughof us who can to get the others out. We have a boat hidden near the end of theisland to bear us on.”
Cynddl glanced back at the others. Eber had lapsed intosilent tears, his face hidden again. “Everyone is injured and exhausted beyondmeasure.”
“Only those who can still travel with speed need join us.”Alaan looked down. At his feet, carved into the floor, were words in a tongue Tamdid not know.
“What does it say?” he asked on impulse.
“‘Here sleeps Wyrr, son of Tusival, until the ending ofthe world! “
“Nothing turns out as pla
nned,” the Fael said, crouchingdown to run his hand over the letters, “not even for the great and powerful.”
“Especially for the great and powerful,” Alaan responded. “Come,let us make haste.”
No one complained or even muttered when Alaan roused them.Elise went into the water first and returned a few moments later.
“It empties into the river not far off, and, though it’sdark, there is air all the way but for the last twenty feet.” Her skin hadbecome as white as snow, and the color seemed almost washed from her eyes. Tamfound her appearance disturbing and looked away.
“Tam?” Elise called out. “Would you bring me Slighthand’ssword. No one else could bear it out. It’s too heavy.”
“It’s broken,” Alaan said. “Perhaps it should stay here?”
“No, I will have the hilt at least, so never to forget himand all that he did.”
Tam brought the hilt of the heavy sword to her, and she tookit, its weight not seeming to affect her at all as she floated in the channel.
She gestured with a hand. “It is a fitting burial chamberfor Orlem Slighthand, though not as grand as it was.”
A cracking sound reached them, and a massive boulder tumbledfrom the ceiling, crashing down on the stones below, spraying dust and debris ahundred feet.
“We must be gone from this place,” Alaan said.
He and Tam took Eber between them, and Toren and Dease Rennehelped A’brgail, who had already learned much of swimming in the tunnels ofthe Stillwater. Mail was shed, and they climbed stiffly into the water. The currenttook hold of them, and Tam looked back once at the ruined chamber. What pridethese sorcerers had to make themselves such places to lie in death. But thenWyrr had not seemed wholly dead. Some part of him had been half-awake … untilHafydd came.
They went from the dim light of the Wyrr’s chamber into thedarkness of the tunnel, though some of Elise’s party had blades that glowedfaintly green and offered a little light.
“Stay together,” Alaan warned, his voice echoing hollowly inthe tunnel. In a few moments they came to a place where the stream disappearedinto rock. Alaan bore Eber through and Elise took A’brgail. The others managedon their own, the current speeding them along and spewing them out into thenight river.