“Y’ speak for me,” Khlened growled. “What about th’ other dwarves, though? Leave ’em and th’ next giant as comes in…”
“Yes, they might think the dwarves helped kill these two. We cannot leave them chained. Bleryn, tell me this. If we simply free them, what will they do?”
“Run,” the dwarf replied simply. “We all know of the passage beyond the rockfall, and there is also one with a way out through water. It’s above the main prison where the ‘masters’ come down from the main level or send servants with orders.”
Malowan eyed Vlandar then Nemis, who nodded. “The passage just north of the prison cells ends in a well, as I told you. It is a way out, if you fear water less than you fear this place. I say loose them. They can arm themselves here and be no worse off than we.”
“If they alert guards—” Vlandar began.
Nemis shook his head. “They stand as good a chance as we. I have read their hearts and doubt they would stand with us. They will be no worse off if they go down fighting the giants or their guards than if they stayed here.”
“They are not our responsibility,” Malowan said to Lhors’ surprise. “Let them go, and let us go. Khlened, if you vouch for Bleryn, that is good enough for me, but your oaths bind him as well. He follows orders same as everyone else.”
“Aye,” the barbarian said with a sudden grin. “And y’ve tested ’im in yer own way, ’aven’t ye?”
“Pay no heed at yon Fist,” the dwarf said and held out both hands to grasp Vlandar’s. “He told a little of what y’ plan to do here. Maybe I can help some. Said y’ need a way from ’ere, and somethin’ ’bout treasure. Was a chamber I could show you, if I can trace back th’ way from here. Small place, wit’ ten giants guardin’ me and a pair of orcs. We was stuck buildin’ a pit that guards the way between a door and a small room wit’ but an odd chest or so in it. Odd, they’d guard us so well if there was nothing of value in there.”
“Odd,” Khlened replied, grinning fiercely.
“It’s a plan,” Vlandar said. “Let’s get going on it and get out of here.” He eyed the still-chained dwarves. They looked back at him, mostly expressionless. “Let us free these fellows and then be gone. We have business to finish here.”
Vlandar led the way back toward the main east-west passage, but as they neared it, Malowan drew him back.
“You were wounded back there.”
“And you healed that,” the warrior replied.
The paladin shook his head. “You and I both know you don’t get over the shock of such a blow right away, even healed. Be a sensible leader and delegate.”
Vlandar sighed faintly but nodded agreement.
“Nemis,” the paladin added, “if you have a spell of heavy sleep that you can use from here, put it on those two.” He indicated the torture chamber with a nod of his head.
“Get me to the end of this passage, and I can,” the mage replied softly.
“Maera and I will look first,” Rowan said, “to be certain nothing is waiting for us.”
Malowan laid a hand on her shoulder before she could leave.
“Nothing is,” he said. “I searched.”
Agya came up to join him, but he sent her back with Lhors and Maera. When she was about to argue, a finger against his lips and a stern look silenced her.
“You are not here as a fighter,” Malowan said, the words barely reaching Lhors.
“And a good ward don’t argue with ’er protector,” Agya mumbled under her breath. “Yessir.”
The girl turned away, her lips twisted in frustration.
Malowan gestured for Bleryn to join him—probably learning where things were, Lhors thought. He couldn’t hear any of that, but the dwarf seemed to be glancing at him—or maybe Agya or Rowan who were also close by—as he talked. The youth leaned against the rough stone wall, then settled on his heels to wait.
Vlandar came over to crouch next to Lhors. His hand was dark with dried blood, but as he caught the younger man’s troubled look, he pulled a cloth and his water bottle out and scrubbed the mess away.
“It wasn’t half as bad as it looked,” the warrior assured him, “and it’s completely healed now. I’m fine.”
Yes, Lhors thought, this time. He had precious few people left in the world whom he could call friends, and he didn’t want to lose any of them.
“We’re just waiting for Nemis to deal with those giants you saw sleeping earlier,” said Vlandar.
“But aren’t they already asleep?” Lhors asked.
“A sleep spell will keep them asleep until someone comes to waken them. With no doors on that chamber they may not wake for hours. With a little luck, we will be able to get to where Khlened’s friend the dwarf knows the way into another passage.”
“You think we’ll find a way out from there?” Lhors asked. To himself he said, maybe we will never find a way out. Maybe there is no way out except back up through a hoard of giants and others who are waiting to kill us all. Not a good thought, especially in this gloomy passage.
Vlandar shrugged and smiled. “Their chief must come down here sometimes. He wouldn’t do that if he couldn’t get out, would he? Even hill giants aren’t stupid enough to build only one way out of a place.”
Lhors looked up as Nemis came back to join them. The mage closed his eyes briefly and made a pillow of his hands, his mouth sagging open, pantomiming sleep. Vlandar got to his feet and held out a hand to help the youth to his feet. Lhors felt a little less worried. They might not be strong as giants or as big, but they had a company with experience and skills.
Malowan beckoned everyone close. “The two giants in that chamber won’t waken now unless someone shakes or kicks them. But remember there are other guards about. We must go quickly and quietly, but Bleryn has just told me something.” He eyed the rangers.
“It’s the ears,” the dwarf rumbled. “When giants first took me, they brung me down some stairs and into th’ cells ’cross the main room yonder. They kept us separate, but I could see others when they was took out. Your ears reminded me there’s an elf down here.”
Maera shook her head. “An elf? Malowan, we can’t—”
“I know we cannot ignore such a prisoner,” the paladin broke in, “but there are barracks near the cells. We must be quick and quiet.”
“Fine,” Maera said evenly. “Get us there, and we will.”
Malowan merely nodded, gestured for Khlened to bring up the rear, and took the dwarf with him as he led the way into the east-west hall.
They eased into the long passage and waited against the south wall while Agya flitted across to listen at the end of the north passage. Vlandar and Lhors watched that way. Malowan and the others kept a close eye on the east passage. The girl shook her head and gestured, None close, then glanced into the torture chamber and quickly away. But as she looked down the hall the way they were about to go, she clapped both hands over her mouth and froze. Lhors heard Rowan draw a startled breath. The hair on his neck stood up, and it was an effort to turn and see what frightened them so.
A hideous hill giant and a long-armed hairy brute shambling on all fours came out of the north passage to the main chamber. The keeper and his ape.
The keeper was a crook-backed creature. When he turned to glare through the open barracks door, Lhors could see that one of the giant’s eye sockets was empty and a portion of his nose was missing. A thinning shock of filthy hair stuck straight up from his head like rotting corn stalks in a winter field. The one ear Lhors could see was torn and bleeding. Light glinted on a grubby rag of a jerkin that exposed more than it hid of a chain-mail shirt. He snarled something, baring a few misshapen teeth, perhaps calling for the guards who should be in that chamber.
Lhors glanced back. Agya hadn’t moved. The giant seemed preoccupied with the missing bugbear guard, but the ape rose to its hind feet, head moving as if testing the air. Maybe it smelled fresh blood, Lhors thought.
The party hadn’t been seen yet, but they soon would be,
Lhors knew. If they moved, that ape would be aware of them. Possibly it could smell them from where it was; the distance wasn’t that great, but enough light poured into the passage from the torture chamber that the guard and his ape would see them as soon as they turned this way.
The ape tugged at its chain. It knew where those guards were. Lhors was certain of it. The guard snarled what might have been a name or a curse, then dragged the ape back and cuffed it. The creature fell back, but still sniffed the air suspiciously.
The giant turned to look down the long end of the passage. At first, he stared at them blankly. When his one eye took in what it saw, he hauled a two-edged battle-axe from his belt and yanked hard on the ape’s chain, dragging the creature off its feet and sending it sprawling. The beast opened its mouth to scream, but he yanked on the chain again.
Agya shrieked—a faint little cry that Lhors barely heard—but the ape was suddenly aware of them as well. It rolled onto all fours and bared its teeth, snarling.
“That’s done it,” Rowan muttered. She ran across the hall to grab the girl and haul her back to the relative safety of the company. Nemis began mumbling under his breath as Rowan drew the girl close and began talking to her in a low voice. “It won’t get you, child. We will keep it away from you.” Agya nodded and drew a steadying breath as Malowan, Khlened, and the dwarf pelted down the hall straight at the two monsters. The keeper stared at them, then smiled unpleasantly and freed the ape.
The beast shambled toward them on all fours. It looked awkward but moved at astonishing speed. Malowan brought up his sword to slash at it. Khlened and Bleryn braced, back to back, the barbarian with his morning star and the dwarf with a massive axe in one hand and a thick-shafted pike in the other.
Lhors drew a spear, but both enemies were out of range. He’d never get enough arc to his throw.
“Clear the center!” Rowan shouted. “Arrow, mid-hall!”
“You two, hug that wall!” Malowan gestured with his sword for the pair of fighters to go south. He leaped for the north wall just as the ranger’s arrows zinged between them. Two hit the ape. It yammered in pain, then swiped the shafts free. An instant later, Maera ran forward and threw a javelin deep into the creature’s shoulder.
The ape charged once more, eyes red with hate and pain, its mouth wide and foamy slaver dripping from horrid fangs.
“Lhors, you and Agya behind me!” Rowan said as she steadied another arrow on her string.
“Watch that giant!” Malowan ordered Khlened as he turned back.
“We’ve got it!” Vlandar said. “Stay there!” He drew Lhors with him, putting Rowan and Maera behind a second line of defense. Agya came behind them close to Nemis.
Lhors clutched a boar spear with two hands. He could hear the brute panting, slowing now and looking surprised at the number of them—or deciding which of them to kill first. He could hear Nemis behind him, talking in chant that meant a spell. The stones seemed to shift slightly beneath his feet. Khlened shouted a wordless warning as the giant came toward them, swinging his axe. Lhors saw Bleryn and Khlened jump back as the weapon bit into the stone floor, then brought his attention back to the ape.
“Bleryn!” the paladin shouted. “Does the creature speak Common?”
“Not as I know, why?” the dwarf responded.
“Good!” Malowan shouted back. “You two get as far along his blind side as you can. He can’t judge distance with only one eye!”
“He’s got enough reach, ’e don’t need to see so good!” the barbarian gritted.
Rowan shot another arrow, and Maera threw one of her spears. The ape yelled and plucked both free, then backed away from them—perhaps to flee or in response to whatever his keeper was shouting.
Lhors glanced at Malowan, who had his back against the wall so he could keep an eye on both giant and ape.
Khlened was now mid-passage, swinging the morning star furiously over his head. He suddenly released it, staggering back into the south wall as the spiked ball slammed into the giant’s chest and stuck there. The monster wailed much like the ape had and pawed at the weapon to no effect. Blood stained the mail—but not enough of it to cause him lasting damage.
“Damn all! Most of it was took by ’is mail!” Khlened shook out his numbed arm.
The dwarf snarled and ran forward, pike back and ready to strike.
“Get his other eye!” Khlened called out. The giant left off trying to pull the morning star free and swatted at the pike. More by luck or skill than good vision, he succeeded. The point bounced off the wall, and Bleryn went down. Khlened ran to help him up, and Malowan came after. The ape snarled low in its throat, then to Lhors’ astonishment, seemed to freeze in place.
“He will not come after us now.” Nemis’ voice reached Lhors. A moment later, the mage came around him, his hands moving. “Mal, Khlened! Down flat, all three of you! I’ve spelled the brute! The jailer is now his monster!”
“Are ye mad?” Khlened demanded. He’d hauled Bleryn out of the giant’s reach and had drawn another blade.
Malowan slashed at the giant, who was trying to free the morning star with one hand and swiping at the paladin with the other. The man’s blade slammed into the giant’s leg, bounced off bone or hidden armor, and flew behind him to hit the north wall. The creature clamped his teeth together and gripped the spiked ball with both hands.
Malowan backed away to scoop up his blade. “I know what he’s done, Khlened! Both of you, over here, now!”
The barbarian swore but grabbed Bleryn and hauled him over as the paladin threw himself flat. Lhors stared as the ape suddenly came to life and shook itself. Khlened dragged the dwarf down under him moments before the ape thundered past them. The giant stared dumbfounded as the ape threw itself on him. Both went down.
Before Malowan could get back to his feet, the rangers darted past him, weapons ready to take on the survivor. When Lhors would have followed, Vlandar held him back.
“There may be guards back that way,” he said. “Watch for them.”
“There are, but they heard nothing,” Nemis said. “I blocked the corridor on all ends with a spell of silence before I bespelled that ape.”
“Watch anyway,” Vlandar ordered the youth. “The rangers and Mal have matters in hand up there.”
Lhors glanced that way briefly as the giant grappled with his ape. The creature was much smaller, but it seemed far stronger. With a final, hellish shriek, the giant went limp and blood poured over the stone floor. The ape rose high on his legs, beating his lest, hissing and grinning before he crouched to feed. The youth turned away again and bit his lower lip.
“He won’t notice us,” Nemis reassured them. “That spell will hold him as long as—”
Maera snorted. “What? Until he runs out of meat? I’m not leaving that thing alive, mage.”
“Nor I,” Rowan said grimly.
“Kill it now,” Vlandar ordered.
Lhors stole a glance at him, then down the hall—carefully not looking at the ape. Rowan approached the creature cautiously, bow fully drawn. She took careful aim and launched an arrow deep into the creature’s back, then backed quickly away, dragging Maera with her. The creature spun to search for the source of the arrow, and Khlened brought his sword down across the ape’s neck.
“Good,” Vlandar said.
Lhors looked, but all he could see now was the motionless ape sprawled across the body of its master.
Malowan stole down the hall to peer up into the north passage that led back to the destroyed stairs. Agya came up behind Lhors and swore under her breath as the paladin vanished that way, but he was back almost at once, signing that the passage and the vast chamber beyond were quiet.
In a few heartbeats, the party was moving again. Fires still burned high in the torture chamber. Lhors thought he could hear snoring but nothing else. He wondered if the dwarves had made it beyond the rock wall.
No one emerged from the prison hallway. If there were prisoners and guards that way, t
hey wouldn’t come out unless it was time for a change of guard or if a prisoner was being moved.
“No one outside this corridor can hear anything,” Nemis said.
“But someone might come out and see us,” said Vlandar. “We need to go. The giants were digging down through that stairwell when we left, and that was some time ago.”
He sent Agya ahead to join Malowan and Bleryn, put Khlened and Nemis at the rear, and stayed in the middle between the rangers and Lhors.
“Sir,” Lhors asked as they skirted the dead giant and his fallen ape, “are we just leaving them? Is that wise?”
“Rowan took her arrows, and Khlened has that oversized morning star back. We shouldn’t waste the time moving them, even though this seems to be an hour when not much moves around down here. We don’t need another fight just now. But look at them, lad. Wouldn’t it seem to you that the two fought, the ape killed his master, then died of his own wounds? Keep things simple, when you can.”
* * *
They made it up the broad passage and into the open room without seeing or hearing anything. Once up against the south wall of the chamber, Lhors could hear someone quarreling on the other side—but at a distance, as if another closed door or another wall was between him and the fighters.
Malowan laid his hands lightly on the wall, then whispered, “Bugbears. None near. Many asleep.”
The door to the cells was slightly ajar. Light leaked around it and through a narrow peephole. None of the party were tall enough to see anything but the ceiling through it. Maera whispered something to Khlened, who knelt and made a cup of his hands for her foot then hoisted her up. She gazed through the slit for some moments, then leaped lightly down.
One guard, she signed. Four, maybe five cells. Some prisoners, one human for certain.
Guard where? Malowan signed.
Close, the ranger replied, then gestured for silence.
Lhors suddenly heard the bugbear stomping toward the outer door, muttering under his breath. Malowan signed for the rangers to move to the hinge-side of the door and for Khlened and Bleryn to take up position on the other side. He braced himself directly in front of it, sword in one hand and a long poniard in the other.
Against the Giants Page 18