gave you the staff. Did you come down here?'
'I don't know,' Riverwind said wearily. 'I remember nothing about it. Nothing-except the dragon.'
Tanis fell silent. The dragon. It all came down to the dragon. The creature loomed large in everyone's thoughts. And how feeble the small group seemed against a monster who had sprung full grown from Krynn's darkest legends. Why us? Tanis thought bitterly. Was there ever a more unlikely group of heroes-bickering, grumbling, arguing-half of us not trusting the other half. 'We were chosen.' That thought brought little comfort. Tanis remembered Raistlin's words. 'Who chose us-and why!' The half-elf was beginning to wonder.
They moved silently down the steep stairway that curled ever deeper into the hillside. At first it was intensely dark as they spiraled down. Then the way began to get lighter, until Raistlin was able to extinguish the light on his staff. Soon Sturm raised his hand, halting the others behind him. Beyond stretched a short corridor, no more than a few feet long. This led to a large arched doorway that revealed a vast open area. A pale gray light filtered into the corridor, as did the odor of dankness and decay.
The companions stood for long moments, listening carefully. The sound of rushing water seemed to come from below and beyond the door, nearly drowning out all other sounds. Still, Tanis thought he had heard something else-a sharp crack- and he had felt more than heard a thumping and throbbing on the floor. But it didn't last long, and the sharp crack wasn't repeated. Then, more puzzling still, came a metallic scraping sound punctuated by an occasional shrill screech. Tanis glanced at Tasslehoff questioningly.
The kender shrugged. 'I haven't a clue,' he said, cocking his head and listening closely. 'I've never heard anything like it, Tanis, except once-' He paused, then shook his head. 'Do you want me to go look?' he asked eagerly.
'Go'
Tasslehoff crept down the short corridor, flitting from shadow to shadow. A mouse running across thick carpet makes more noise than a kender when he wants to escape notice. He reached the door and peered out. Ahead of him stretched what must once have been a vast ceremonial hall. Hall of the Ancestors, that's what Raistlin called it. Now it was a Hall of Ruins. Part of the floor to the east had fallen into a hole from which a foul- smelling white mist boiled up. Tas noticed other huge holes gaping in the floor, while chunks of large stone tile stuck up like grave markers. Carefully testing the floor beneath his feet, the kender stepped out into the hall. Through the mist he could faintly distinguish a dark doorway on the south wall… and another on the north. The strange screeching sound came from the south. Tas turned and began walking in that direction.
He suddenly heard the thumping and throbbing sound again to the north, behind him, and felt the floor start to tremble. The kender hurriedly dashed back into the stairwell. His friends had heard the sound and were flattened against the wall, weapons in hand. The thumping sound grew into a loud whoosh. Then ten or fifteen squat, shadowy figures rushed past the arched doorway. The floor shook. They heard hard breathing and an occasional muttered word. Then the figures vanished in the mist, heading south. There was another sharp cracking sound, then silence.
'What in the name of the Abyss was that?' Caramon exclaimed. 'Those weren't draconians, unless they've come up with a short, fat breed. And where'd they come from?'
'They came from the north end of the hall,' Tas said. 'There's a doorway there and one to the south. The weird screeching sounds come from the south, where those things were headed.'
'What's east?' Tanis asked.
'Judging by the sound of falling water I could hear, about a thousand-foot drop,' the kender replied. 'The floor's caved in. I wouldn't recommend walking over there.'
Flint sniffed. 'I smell something… something familiar. I can't place it.'
'I smell death,' Goldmoon said, shivering, holding her staff close.
'Naw, this is something worse,' Flint muttered. Then his eyes opened wide and his face grew red with rage and anger. 'I've got it!' he roared. 'Gully dwarf!' He unslung his axe. 'That's what those miserable little things were. Well, the won't be gully dwarves for long. They'll be stinking corpses!'
He dashed forward. Tanis, Sturm, and Caramon leaped after him just as he reached the end of the corridor and dragged him back.
'Keep quiet!' Tanis ordered the sputtering dwarf. 'Now, how sure are you that they are gully dwarves?'
The dwarf angrily shook himself from Caramon's grasp. 'Sure!' he started to roar, then dropped it to a loud whisper. 'Didn't they hold me prisoner for three years?'
'Did they?' Tanis asked, startled.
'That's why I never told you where I was these last five years,' the dwarf said, flushing with embarrassment. His face darkened. 'But I swore I'd get revenge. I'll kill every living gully dwarf I come across.'
'Wait a minute,' Sturm interrupted. 'Gully dwarves aren't evil-not like goblins at any rate. What could they be doing living here with draconians?'
'Slaves,' Raistlin answered coolly. 'Undoubtedly the gully dwarves have lived here many years, probably ever since the city was abandoned. When the draconians were sent, perhaps, to guard the Disks, they found the gully dwarves and used them as slave labor.'
'They might be able to help us then,' Tanis murmured.
'Gully dwarves!' Flint exploded. 'You'd trust those filthy little-'
'No,' Tanis said. 'We cannot trust them, of course. But nearly every slave is willing to betray his master, and gully dwarves-like most dwarves-feel little loyalty to anyone except their own chieftains. As long as we don't ask them to do anything that might endanger their own dirty skins, we might be able to buy their aid.'
'Well, i'll be an ogre's hind end!' Flint said in disgust. He hurled his axe to the ground, tore his pack off, and slumped down against the wall, arms folded. 'Go on. Go ask your new friends to help you. I'll not be with you! They'll help you, all right. Help you right up the dragon's snout!'
Tanis and Sturm exchanged concerned glances, remembering the boat incident. Flint could be incredibly stubborn, and Tanis thought it quite likely that this time the dwarf would prove immovable.
'I dunno.' Caramon sighed and shook his head. 'It's too bad the dwarf's staying behind. If we do get the gully dwarves to help us, who'll keep the scum in line?'
Amazed that Caramon could be so subtle, Tanis smiled and picked up on the warrior's lead. 'Sturm, I guess.'
'Sturm!' The dwarf bounded to his feet. 'A knight who won't stab an enemy in the back? You need someone who knows these foul creatures-'
'You're right, Flint,' Tanis said gravely. 'I guess you'll have to come with us.'
'You bet,' Flint grumbled. He grabbed his things and stumped off down the corridor. He turned around. 'You coming?'
Hiding their smiles, the companions followed the dwarf out into the Hall of the Ancestors. They kept close to the wall, avoiding the treacherous floor. They headed south, following the gully dwarves, and entered a dimly lit passage that ran south only a few hundred feet, then turned sharply east. Once again they heard the cracking noise. The metallic screeching had stopped. Suddenly, they heard behind them the sound of pounding feet.
'Gully dwarves!' growled Flint.
'Back!' Tanis ordered. 'Be ready to jump them. We can't let them raise an alarm!'
Everyone flattened himself against the wall, sword drawn and ready. Flint held his battle-axe, a look of eager anticipation on his face. Staring back into the vast hall, they saw another group of short fat figures running toward them.
Suddenly, the leader of the gully dwarves looked up and saw them. Caramon leaped out in front of the small running figures, his huge arm raised commandingly. 'Halt!' he said. The gully dwarves glanced up at him, swarmed around him, and disappeared around the corner to the east. Caramon turned around to stare after them in astonishment.
'Halt…' he said half-heartedly.
A gully dwarf popped back around the corner, glared at Caramon, and put a grubby finger to his lips. 'Shhhhh!' Then the squat figure vanished. They heard the cracking sound and the screeching noise started up again.
'What do you suppose is going on?' Tanis asked softly.
