whatever the eyes were-at least it was a distraction from all that spooky laughter in the darkness-but
Jacob's tone dissuaded him.
'Of course not,' he answered. 'I was just securing the hook. Has anyone else looked over the side of the boat lately?'
'Yes, but don't worry about it. We're at the end of the line.'
Ahead, the cave ceiling narrowed, ending their boat ride. Aleena moved the tiller to angle toward a cave mouth to the side, which led up and out of sight. Harloon hopped into the water and dragged the boat to the shore. Noph gasped and leaned over the side, watching for the eyes in the river.
'Sdop dhere,' a voice boomed.
'Doll, you musd pay a doll,' another voice shouted.
'Dheir lighds so brighd,' bawled another.
'Shud up, 'ficial doll keepers can'd be bodhered by lighds,' scolded a fourth voice.
The party quickly drew their weapons and leaped to the shore. Three immense creatures with two heads apiece stepped out of the cave shaft-ettins! Each of the monsters carried a stone club the size of a man in each hand. They wrapped themselves sloppily in dark brown cave bear hides, covered in a thick layer of crusty dirt. Their wild, wiry hair grew long and unkempt, and then-large teeth thrust at odd angles from their puffy red mouths. With their large, watery eyes and upturned, piggish snouts, they resembled freakish ores.
'We no fighd widh you if you pay doll,' the right head of the middle ettin claimed. 'We keep dhis area clear of monsders. We ged dolls for dhis.'
'We led everyone pass who pays doll,' said the other head, resting its two clubs on the ground. 'You have sheep or caddie?'
'Aleena could blast these brutes,' suggested Noph, casting a worshipful look at the enchantress. 'That would send them running.'
'Wait,' interrupted Miltiades, pushing Noph back with his warhammer. 'These very intelligent creatures are attempting to provide a service. I suggest we deal honestly with them and be on our way.'
The ettins smiled at the compliment, displaying their rotting teeth.
'Dhad's righd,' said the first one. 'We very indel… imbled… inbred..
'Smard,' supplied its other head.
'Righd. Smard.'
'If they perform a useful service, they have every right to expect a fee,' said Kern.
'Looks like dhey don'd have caddie,' remarked the left head of the ettin on the right.
'Or sheep,' added the other head.
'Could we make dhem bring sheep back?' asked the left head of the last one.
'Nod likely,' answered the right side, sadly.
'Now what?' asked Aleena.
'Look,' interrupted Noph, 'I know all about ettins; there are lots of stories about them in Waterdeep. They're big, but they're stupid. We give 'em a little light show and they'll back right down.'
'Sdupid!' cried the ettins.
'If dhey god no sheep, dhen dhey looks like lunch do me,' the leader's left head snarled.
The middle ettin reached behind its back and produced a coil of clean, silky rope. Its gigantic hand clamped upon one end of the hemp while it flung the rest toward the heroes. The loops unfurled gracefully as the rope sailed through the air, and a circle opened perfectly to settle over Kern and Miltiades. With a distressing crunch, the rope yanked them together. The paladins fell to the ground, and coil upon coil of the rope lengthened and wrapped around them.
The three ettins brandished their clubs and roared as they closed in to fight the rest of the party. Aleena pointed her finger and uttered a sharp command, and streaks of light shot from her fingertips, striking the giants. She directed three of the shafts at the leader, which howled in pain and tumbled to the ground, letting go of the rope; neither of the other ettins took notice of the jolt to their bodies. They screamed in anger and came on harder.
Able and Harloon moved to intercept them with their warhammers while Jacob drew his sword and Trandon brought his staff to bear, moving in upon the shins and knees of the ettins. Noph grabbed for his boot knife while stumbling back from the giants' charge. He tripped and rolled into the river with a loud splash, only to emerge a moment later, glancing over his shoulder for the glowing eyes.
Aleena waved her hands, and a hypnotic swirl of lights danced in the air. The giants' dull eyes followed the lights even as they pressed the attack. One swung at Harloon, only to feel Abie's crushing blow at the back of its knee. The wounded ettin bawled in rage and spun around, opening its back to the swordsman, who landed another biting attack. The second ettin struggled against Jacob and Trandon. That left the third one, the leader, which climbed unsteadily to its feet, still smoking from Aleena's first attack. Noph waited for the tower of muscle and sinew to stand fully erect, then charged with his knife, aiming for the heel.
'Noph, duck!' screamed Harloon, breaking off his attack. He pushed the young man out of the way, as the ettin made a vicious swipe with its club. There was a sickening crack and Harloon's body fell twitching to the ground. Noph hit the dirt and rolled between the feet of the ettin. He carved a gash in the monster's ankle, came to his feet, and spun about with a smile on his face, until he saw Harloon lying close by.
'Harl!' he screamed, heedless of the monster standing over him, its club raised to smash in his head. The ettin bellowed in triumph as it waved both clubs aloft, but five brilliant missiles drilled into its chest, boring a hole straight through. It stood there for another moment, looking down at the gap in its body, then collapsed on top of Noph. He grunted under the weight and struggled to push the horrible-smelling body off of him.
'Free us from this Tyr-blasted rope!' ordered Miltiades, who still lay on the ground, bound with Kern. Jacob and Aleena rushed to unwrap them while Able and Trandon stood behind. With a few tugs on the loose end, the coils relaxed and tangled normally about their legs. The leaders rose to their feet but fell silent at the sound of sobbing behind them. Slowly, they turned to behold Noph, cradling Harloon's bloodied head and shoulders in bis lap.
Somewhere in the caves beyond, distant laughter mocked the fallen hero.
'What have I done?' Noph wept, rocking his silent friend, back and forth. The warrior's eyes stared lifelessly. 'He saved me. I would have died if he hadn't pushed me down.' Tears streamed down his face. 'Does he have parents? Someone will have to tell them. I should go back now… to tell them, I mean. No one should die in the darkness like this. Can I take him up and bury him in the sun? We can't just leave him here. What are we going to do? What am I going…'
'Noph, you're babbling,' said Trandon. 'Get up!'
Miltiades knelt down next to Noph and shut Harloon's lids. 'He died well, Freeman Kastonoph, but we must move on.'
Noph looked up at the paladin, shocked. 'And just leave him here?'
'Indeed. The quest must continue.'
The boy began to sob through his words. 'Harl worshiped you, as well as Tyr! He gave his-his life for me and-and you expect me to walk away from him-leave him here? Is that some kind of-of honor?'
Miltiades stood erect and looked down severely upon Noph. 'Foolish youngling, we have all lost friends- friends whom we have known for years. If Harloon died saving you, honor him by finishing what he started.'
'But we can't just leave him here!' protested Noph. 'We can't!'
'There will be time to mourn him when the quest is completed,' said Kern. 'Come on, Noph. Be strong.'
'I don't want to be strong! My friend is dead!'
'I have an idea,' Aleena intervened. She knelt next to Noph and stroked his hair. 'I have an idea, Noph. Let's put him in the boat, set it on fire, and send it down the river. He would have liked that.'
Noph looked into her eyes with a mixture of adoration and tears but did not speak.
'Freeman Kastonoph, he saved your life,' said Miltiades. 'If you honor Harloon, then justify his death by completing his quest.'
Kern and Aleena helped Noph up. 'After we finish rescuing Lady Eidola, I'll introduce you to Harloon's parents,' the red-haired paladin offered. 'They're merchant folk. You'll like them.'
Able delivered a prayer for Harloon's quick passage to the Seven Heavens while the paladins chanted. Trandon and Jacob poured oil over the boat. Aleena drew a candle from her pack, anchored it in the floor of the
