gasped and squirmed.
An iron shard slipped around his attackers throat. 'Ah-ah,' Twilight said. The eyes widened at its sound. 'That one's mine.'
Then Twilight hissed and wrenched herself aside just before a shaft of wood could fall on her skull. It merely clipped her temple as she rolled. She kicked out and knocked her attacker to the ground. He gasped raggedly.
'Asson!' The weight vanished from atop Liet, leaving him sputtering, and the woman-for so she was, a lithe, golden-skinned woman-leaped to her companion's side. The human man was old and weak, and he coughed as he settled into her protective arms.
'We…' Liet coughed into the floor. 'We aren't your enemies…'
The golden woman looked at Twilight, who stared as though startled by her golden hair or perhaps just dazed. The features were different but just as delicate. An elf, Liet realized as he gazed, fascinated.
'We thought you were our captors, come to torture us.' She narrowed her eyes, as though still uncertain, then glanced at the old man, concern in her eyes.
This broke her hold over them both.
Twilight got to her knees. Her fingers probed gently at the blood trickling down her cheek. 'We're here to release you… unless you'd prefer torture.' Liet's jaw dropped, until he saw her smile.
'We owe you amends, then,' the golden elf said. 'I am Taslin, and this is my husband, Asson.' The old man waved weakly. 'I am a priestess of Corellon Larethian, though my prayers could not reach him in that place.' She gestured at the cell. 'Asson is very sick. I would use my remaining strength to heal him rather than your wounds.'
Liet stood stunned. Twilight merely waved with acceptance. 'As you will.' She pointed down the corridor. 'We shall meet in that chamber, when you can.'
The golden elf nodded and turned her eyes on Liet, where he sat, dumb. The youth mumbled something he hoped was agreement. Taslin began chanting tenderly.
Something nudged Liet in the ribs. There was Twilight, eyeing him in something like exasperation. He rose with the aid of her hand. 'What's the matter?' he asked.
Twilight just rolled her eyes and pulled him away.
Liet knew he'd never understand yet always admire two things: elves and women.
'How goes it, little one?'
In response, the lock clicked under Slip's delicate touch and the door to the fourth cell swung open. The halfling turned. 'I don't like it here,' she said. 'It's dark.'
'Yes,' Twilight said. Her aching head was muddy. 'You and Liet go…' She frowned at the boy. 'Well, take Liet and go free the others.'
'What?' Liet's face went ashen.
'Yes, Mistress!' Slip nodded, didn't look at Liet, and scampered toward the last door, the one farthest from Twilight's original cell.
'Wait,' Twilight said. She bent her face to the door and inhaled a familiar scent. Through the small window, the darkness in the cell was impenetrable, and she sensed nothing within. It blocked her magical sight. Somehow, though, she sensed eyes-eyes that stared at her from a hair's breadth distant. Not pleasant.
She looked back. Liet was massaging his neck and Slip was staring up at him, as though trying to place him. Twilight shrugged that oddness away-the halfling did not seem exactly normal for her kind.
'No-you collect this one.' She lifted the ring of keys. 'I'll go free the last.'
The halfling looked at her for a long breath, then silently pulled the door open.
'Come,' Twilight said, pulling Liet across the corridor. She took out the shard.
'The last?' Liet asked.
'Six, including you, but not me. Choose one.' She extended the keys.
Liet tapped one at random, dully. Twilight put it in the lock.
'You know of this place?' Liet pressed.
'No.' The lock clicked open. 'What an amazing guess.'
Liet opened his mouth but Twilight grinned and slipped into the cell.
Twilight could see with greater acuity than any human when light was lacking, as it certainly was in the cell. Unlike others of her kind, however, she could see as well in the dark as any dwarf or orc. And what she saw took her by surprise.
A huge form huddling in the corner did not look up. At first glance, it might have been a massive man, towering seven feet in height, but the skin was leathery and thick. She could see no color, but did not expect that it would match any human shade. Tattered sackcloth covered its body. The chamber was silent, but not from any spell.
'Hail, good sir,' she said aloud. Liet sucked in a breath at her side, surprised at the sudden noise. Twilight had forgotten-of course, the human couldn't see.
No response came from the creature. It might have been dead for all Twilight saw of it, but she could sense faint breath stirring its lips.
'A giant of some-' she started, but a viselike grip cut off the flow of air that powered her words. She tried to breathe or think, but couldn't manage either.
The creature had closed the distance between them faster than she had seen it move, and seized her up. Now Twilight's feet dangled six hands off the ground.
In the blackness, she could see it only too well. Its flesh was a mottled gray and its arms rippled with muscles. Red patches lay patterned across its skin, and bumps and protrusions like small pebbles spotted its flesh. Most of all, though, Twilight saw the creature's green eyes-pupilless orbs that drank her in even as its muscular body crushed the life from her.
'Let go of her!' Liet shouted from somewhere in the darkness.
He leaped upon the creature's left arm. It slapped him aside as easily as one swats a nagging insect. Liet crashed against the wall and slumped to the floor.
The attempt had given Twilight the distraction she needed. She swung her legs up to lock around the thick arm-one under, one over-so as to gain leverage, and twisted herself to the right, sliding the creature's rough hand off her throat and onto the back of her neck. As she had expected, the creature turned its attention back to her. She scissor-kicked it in the face as she leaped down.
The elf fell lightly onto her fingers, pushed off, and rolled away. As she went, Twilight whipped out her jagged shard of metal and made ready to slash.
The creature did not follow. It towered in the center of the room, facing Liet, who blinked dazedly at the behemoth. The giant rumbled something in a harsh but somehow musical tongue. The words were deeper than any human or dwarf could utter, low and strong like stones breaking upon one another. Then he spoke a word she understood.
'Quick,' he said.
'Indeed,' Twilight replied with a nod. 'And you?'
'Strong.'
She had to grin at that. 'I am called Fox-at-Twilight,' she said. She put a hand on her breast. Then she beckoned to him. 'And you are called?'
The giant stepped into the light from the corridor. His skin was gray like stone, and tiny swells rose like warts along thick muscles. A design in red, like a birthmark or tattoo, spanned the creature's mostly bare chest and belly, covered only by a tattered tunic. Twilight stiffened and had to stop her fingers from straying to her lower back.
'Gargan Vathkelke Kaugathal,' he said. 'No… giant.'
A keen intellect shone in the creature's emerald eyes-eyes that flickered with something like recognition. This creature was not simple-minded. More than that, an eerie wisdom burned there-an uncanny intuition. He seemed more than capable of understanding what was said, likely from body language and inflection. A rare talent.
Suddenly afraid, she forced a peaceable grin.
'If not a giant, then what,' asked Liet, climbing to his feet shakily, 'are you?'
