Something lumbered by on big, soft feet, jarring her from a half slumber. She wondered how long she had been semi-conscious. The light was dimming, and she wondered at this since she had been wide awake when she hid. Perhaps it was the shock catching up with her. She still felt oddly drowsy and lethargic. A bunch of the flowers of the plant she had taken refuge under hung before her face, giving off a heavy perfume. Idly she tried to brush the blossoms aside and found that she could not move her hand. With growing horror she felt her body pinioned by root-like growths that trailed from the branches of the plant above her. Eyes wide, she realised that the ground beneath the bush was carpeted with the bones of animals.
Trying to make little sound, she struggled for her life. Gradually the roots yielded. They had sent out fine, hairlike rootlets, which penetrated her clothing. The rootlets stung as they pulled away from her flesh. She thanked Ymir that the passing beast had awakened her before the evil plant had had a chance to kill her.
One by one the roots tore away from her as she dragged herself with her hands toward the open. With a flinging wrench, the roots binding her legs ripped loose. Quickly she scrambled out from under the bush and lay, panting and exhausted, upon the ground.
The darkness increased rapidly even as the fumes from the plant cleared from her head. A pearly, ambient light remained after the last of the sunlight was gone. What kind of place was this? She had been afraid of the demons. It had occurred to her to fear the beasts or people of this place. She had not expected that she would have to fear the plants as well. For the first time the extent of her isolation and danger was borne in upon her. Never had she been so lost and alone. She shivered upon the ground and not entirely from the cold. Where could she go from here? She was utterly exhausted, yet she dared not sleep, as much as she yearned for it.
Shakily she got to her feet and examined herself. Her fine, fur-trimmed gown was in rags where the roots had torn away, exposing far more flesh than a well-born northern lady was accustomed to display. Her fair skin was covered with welts where the rootlets had been pulled from her. It was a good thing, she reflected, that the weather here was so mild.
The light grew stronger as the moon rose over the trees. It looked much like the moon she was used to, but it appeared much larger, and its colour was greenish. She had never travelled far from her home, but she was fairly certain that people saw the same moon in all
lands.
She could neither smell nor hear the demons anywhere nearby, and direction seemed to be purely a matter of convenience, so she decided to go downhill. There were many clear pathways in the forest. She chose one that descended alongside one of the slow-flowing streams. There was little sound in the forest except for the occasional splash of a fish leaping in the
stream.
She had been walking by it for some time before she realised that something was odd about the stream. She stepped closer to the water and squinted at it. Unsure of her sight in the dimness, she found a light-coloured leaf and tossed it in. She had been correct. The stream flowed uphill. None of the widely-travelled people she had spoken with had ever mentioned this happening in the far places of the world.
In a half trance she staggered on for some time, until she wandered from the path and walked into a tree. The shock of hitting the unyielding trunk jolted her into wakefulness. It was plain that she must rest, but where could she do it safely? She came to an open glade that had no vegetation except the short, springy grass. She went to its centre, as far as she could get from any large plants, and lay down. She was so numb from fatigue that she was unaware of the chill air or anything else. Gratefully she allowed sleep's black wings to enfold her.
She awoke stiff and sore. Her body was bruised and scratched, and she was chilled to the bone, but she was rested and clear-headed. A night such as she had spent would have killed or at least seriously weakened a high-born woman of the more civilised parts of the world, but in the frozen North even the queens were hard as steel.
She looked around her and gasped when she saw that a middling-sized tree stood near her. It had not been there when she had lain down to sleep, and now it was only a few paces from her. It stood upon a mass of tangled roots, and she now saw that the roots were moving with almost imperceptible slowness. Long, horny, vine-like growths hung from its branches, and she had little doubt of their purpose.
She rose hastily and walked away from the menacing tree. Now, in daylight, she saw that she was at the foot of a mountain. Upon its slopes towered the great structure she had seen when she was still in the hands of the demons. That seemed impossible, for at that time it had appeared to be many leagues away, and she could have covered only a fraction of that distance in her flight. Could it be a similar hall on another mountain? And yet she had been sure that there were no mountains nearby when she made her escape. It was another mystery, but she put it from her mind. In any case she had no intention of going near that stronghold. It looked ominous, and she did not want to encounter the folk who might live in such a place.
The rising sun, which at least appeared to be normal, gradually warmed her. She was very hungry, but what did she dare eat? In a place where plants walked and ate living victims, how was she to know which things were poisonous? She had no weapons for hunting and no skill at trapping, no hooks, line, or net for fishing. She could endure much privation, but if she did not eat today, she would weaken, making it harder for her to find food, making her easier prey.
A lengthy, tiring trek brought her to level ground below the mountain when she heard a great commotion behind her. As she crossed a wide clearing she cursed her carelessness. She should have skirted it, keeping close to the tree line. The trees might be dangerous, but at least they seemed to be unable to catch moving prey. She broke into a run, striving to reach the tree line straight ahead, when she looked back to see a panicked beast break into the clearing. It was the size of a horse and had lyre-curved horns. Its hide was dappled white and brown. It ran straight for her but she could tell by its rolling eyes that it did not see her. She knew a hunted animal when she saw one.
She had not reached the far trees when the hunters entered the glade. Flight was now out of the question; she turned to face them. They appeared to be men, and the animals they rode seemed to be horses, but she could not be sure. The riders were clothed in fantastic costumes of leather and cloth and metal, in many colours. Masks of fanciful design hid their faces. The mounts were likewise caparisoned gaily in bards of silken cloth, and their heads were adorned with horns and antlers and other outlandish ornamentation, clearly artificial. Little of the beasts was visible but for their hooves, which looked like true horse hooves except for their bright colours
One of the riders drew a short bow, and an arrow flew from it to plunge feather-deep into the fleeing beast's side. It staggered on a few more steps, then collapsed almost at Alcuina's feet. The riders rode up to her and reined in. Their speech sounded like the twitter-mg of birds, and one of them seemed to address her.
She shook her head. 'I do not understand you.'
They seemed taken aback. The one who had addressed her wore a hawk-mask covered with feathers, and now he lifted it from his head, like a helmet. His features were elfin and his hair like spun silver. His eyes were featureless silver balls and his skin pale as
'Are you from the world of men?' he asked.
What other world is there?' she asked.
They all seemed to find this highly amusing and uproariously, the sound of their laughter high-and warbling. Now the others removed their and they were so much alike that they might have been siblings. Some appeared to be women, but in their heavy, fanciful costumes sex was difficult to judge.
A group of dwarfish figures emerged from the tree line, but die riders paid them no attention. The dwarfs ignored her as well and set about cutting up the dead beast with great efficiency.
'What kind of person are you?' asked the one who had spoken before.
'I am Alcuina, queen of the Cambres,' she answered
. They found this amusing as well.
'What are Cambres?' asked another.
'They are my people, my nation. I do not know what place this is, nor how I arrived here, but I must return home. I crave the boon of your hospitality until I may find a way to return.' She had no idea who these people were, but their horses and rich clothing suggested that they were nobles. The tradition of hospitality between persons of high birth was observed everywhere that she had ever heard of, so she presumed that it would be so here as well.
The strange people twittered among themselves for a moment, then the one who seemed to be their spokesman said, 'Very well, you shall be our guest. You shall ride with me.'
'I thank you.' She reached up to mount behind him.
His stature was not great, and he was slender, but he was inhumanly strong. He took her beneath her arms and lifted her easily to sit before him.
With incredible speed the dwarfs had dismembered the dead animal and were now packing off the joints. One bore the lyre-horned head and another the hide, and only the hooves and a pile of offal remained upon the ground.
The little group of hunters set off, taking a wide trail that led uphill. Alcuina sat with her spine straight, seeking to maintain her dignity in the midst of these daunting changes in her life. She was ashamed of her ragged condition, now little more than near-nudity. But she made no futile attempt to restore her appearance, knowing that it would only make her look more helpless.
'Who are you?' she asked the man she rode with. 'What manner of people are you?'
'I am Hasta, and we are Getae, the masters of this, the Shifting Land.'
Alcuina thought this an odd name for a place. 'How is it that you speak my tongue?'
'Many of us speak the tongues of men. Those of us who practice the great arts need such facility with speech.' As if to confirm this, another rider drew even with them. The face was similar to Hasta's but the voice, although husky, was feminine.
'You appear to be in great distress, my dear. When we reach the castle I shall find you more suitable.'
'Alcuina,' Hasta said, 'this is my sister, Sarissa. She is mistress of many arts.'
The two smiled at her. She did not like the way they smiled, but she had never seen such faces, so how could she know how to read their expressions?
'And this,' Hasta said, gesturing grandly, 'is our home.'
Alcuina looked up the mountain path and saw, to her fear, the great hall she had seen and- had wanted to avoid. It was made of greenish-black stone, and she could see no joints between blocks. It was as if the took structure had been carved from a single, massive Hock of stone. The doorway and the windows were strangely irregular, their outlines wavery and vague. It looked more like something that had grown there of itself than a thing built by human hands.
They rode beneath the lintel of a great, gate way, its stone carved with peculiar and disturbing figures. Alcuina first stared at them, then looked quickly away. More of the dwarfs appeared to lead away the mounts.
She had expected a courtyard inside the gate, but instead they had ridden into a gigantic room illumined only by narrow windows high on the walls. Her entire garth would have fitted into the room.
Sarissa led her up a stairway and through a wide door. The door was flanked by crouching, sculpted figures that bore the lintel of the doorway upon their tortured backs. The whole massive, gloomy aspect of the building was oppressive and daunting.
Taking her hand, Sarissa led Alcuina through mosaic-decorated halls and sumptuously furnished chambers until they came to a door of richly-carved wood, which opened for them without human or even dwarfish aid.
Sarissa entered and began to strip off her colourful, leather garments. 'Come, the bath is this way.'
She led Alcuina into a room full of thin, fragrant steam with a pool in its centre. The room, indeed the entire castle, felt warm despite the apparent absence of fires.
Sarissa had now removed her outer garments, and Alcuina saw that, in spite of her facial resemblance to her brother and the others, Sarissa was indeed a woman. Decidedly so. She now wore only a harness-like arrangement of straps, buckles, and rings, to which her outer clothing had been attached. It covered nothing but instead framed and emphasized all her feminine attributes. Her body was so voluptuous that Alcuina felt like an adolescent girl beside her.
'Remove those rags, my dear,' Sarissa said, beginning to peel the rags from Alcuina's trembling body. 'You shall feel far better after a bath.'
Hesitantly Alcuina complied. She was a little apprehensive of the pool. In her home, bathing had been accomplished in a sweat-room, with hot stones, buckets of water, and a stiff brush. Bathing with another woman did not bother her, since all the free women of the garth had bathed together, but actually submerging herself in die water was a decidedly outlandish idea.
Sarissa freed a few buckles and her harness dropped to the floor, to join the remains of Alcuina's clothing. For a moment she stood, pridefully naked, so challenging in her flaunted womanhood that Alcuina wanted to draw herself up in reply, yet a strange timidity filled her. To her surprise she found herself childishly stretching out a trembling hand. With a cruel smile Sarissa took the proffered hand possessively and drew Alcuina down a series of small steps into the water. As the warm water rose up her legs, it leached the sting from Alcuina's many small injuries. A languorous feeling of well-being replaced the alien sensations. She had never felt anything so pleasurable. Sarissa seated her on a stone ledge so that the water was just below the level of her chin.
Sarissa clapped her hands, and such was Alcuina's state of lazy contentment that she was not disturbed when several men and women, clad only in silken loincloths, entered bearing trays of gold and silver. As one of the men crouched by her to proffer a goblet of red wine she noticed that he wore a wide collar of plain iron, such as some northern peoples put upon their bondsmen.
'Are these thralls?' Alcuina asked dreamily.
'Slaves,' Sarissa confirmed. 'Toys, existing for our convenience and pleasure.'
Alcuina saw a lovely girl whose back was covered with the red weals of a recent lashing. She pointed to the girl. 'Are they often rebellious?'
Sarissa shrugged. 'Perhaps. Or perhaps someone desired the pleasure of giving her a good flogging.' She sipped at her own wine. 'I may have done it myself, but I do not recall it.'
At another time Alcuina might have been horrified at this statement, but just now she was curiously unable to feel anything except an idle interest. She raised a pale, shapely leg, hardly aware of the other's smiling, watching, and examined it. The welts left by the carnivorous plant were quickly fading to faint pink marks. Soon they would be gone entirely. She ate from the proffered trays of sweetmeats until the edge was taken from her ravenous appetite, and soon the whole world took on a sort of rosy, restful glow.
The two women left the bath and were dried by slaves with thick, soft towels. Never had Alcuina dreamed of such luxury. This seemed to be the correct way for a queen to live. She wondered how she had lived for so long without this. Still nude, they returned to the outer chamber, which was Sarissa's sleeping-place. The bed it contained was larger than the bower that Alcuina shared with her maids at home. 'Now, we must have you properly attired,' Sarissa
said.
She fired off words Alcuina could not understand, and the slaves began to open chests and bring forth scarves and jewels and cosmetics.
Under Sarissa's direction, Alcuina was adorned and painted, her nails lacquered and her lips stained red.
She was draped with necklaces and bracelets and anklets and waist-chains of gold studded with gemstones, far more delicate and subtle in design than the massive northern jewellery she was used to.
'Now, look at yourself, my dear.' Sarissa, still naked, took her to a tall glass.
Alcuina's eyes widened at the transformation wrought in her appearance.
She was richly draped with precious metals and stones, and her face was subtly painted to highlight her g
reat beauty. Something seemed to be missing, though. In an abstracted fashion she realised that, except for waist-chains and a large, glowing red jewel in her navel, her body was still entirely bare. Every bit of the jewellery seemed designed and placed to frame her full breasts and rounded buttocks, to emphasise the curves of thighs and hips. She appeared more naked than if completely unclothed, and every inch of her was flaunted brazenly.
'Perhaps,' Alcuina said hesitantly, 'some garments now?'
'Not necessary,' Sarissa said. 'Just one more item.'
She took something from a slave and fastened it wound Alcuina's neck. So slow had Alcuina's reactions become that it was some time before her eyes widened horror at the broad iron collar that had been clamped wad her slender white neck.
'My new toy,' Sarissa purred.
VII
The Bell-Scorpion
'How can you be sure of your direction in this accursed place?' demanded Conan. He and the old man had been wandering through the Shifting Land for three days, and its bewildering changes of terrain had the Cimmerian utterly baffled.
'The first lesson in this place,' Rerin said, 'is never to trust the evidence of your senses. Here the voices of the trees and the animals tell me where we are and where we must go.'
'I would not trust these trees to tell me my name, even if I could understand their speech!' Idly he lopped a branch from a nearby tree with his sword. 'Trees that eat people should not be trusted.'
Rerin laughed: a rare thing for him. 'Is it so strange that plants should eat men? After all, in the world we come from, men eat plants. Why should the green things not enjoy a turnabout here?'
'It is not natural,' Conan maintained. 'Man-eating animals I can put up with. I have even encountered cannibals, but plants should stay rooted properly in the earth, not go about in search of prey.' They had spent wakeful nights avoiding the alarming flora of the Shifting Land.
'The beasts here can be worse,' Rerin said. 'I am surprised that we have encountered so few.'
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