to rush in and kill. When the last one fell with Vlandar’s spear in its belly, Khlened brought his sword down two- handed acrossthe back of its neck. Malowan threw himself at the giant, who stood dumbfounded that the party had dealt with the slaves so quickly.
The fat giant never had a chance, even with his longer reach. Malowan gave him first thrust, leaped aside, and then swung his blade with both hands. It sliced through the creatures pants, cutting deeply into his leg just below the knee. Malowan came back around, this time stabbing deeply into the side of the brutes leg and severing at least one tendon. The giant went down heavily on his side, the spit clattering free. Before the giant could react, Malowan drove his blade deep into the brute’s eye, killing him.
In the momentary silence, Rowan hissed a warning. “Someonecoming!”
A leather and sheep-skin-clad giant came wandering into sight from the south passage, yawning cavernously. He blinked, enormous hands kneading the small of his back as he turned toward the kitchen.
Vlandar gestured urgently for his people to retreat past the fireplace, but it was too late. The monster blinked at the dead ogres, bristling with spears and long-shafted arrows, then at the fallen giant. He looked uncomprehendingly straight at Lhors, then his eyes flashed and he drew a single-edged axe.
Malowan stepped forward, blades at the ready, and countered,
Lhors stared as the two slowly paced toward each other. “Whatdid they say?” he asked Vlandar, but Vlandar was already moving to Malowan’sside and gesturing for Khlened to get behind the creature.
Agya growled. “Means, ‘Your fate, dead and damned one!’”
The youth gave her a look of disbelief.
She shrugged. “’Tis the only Giantish I know, and that’cause I asked what he’d say if he went against any of ’em.” She sighed heavily.“Get ’imself killed, saying bits like that.”
Nemis stood nearby, speaking to himself, and the doorway briefly glowed a faint blue. “Good,” the mage said. “There won’t be anyone elseto hear this. Maybe.”
The giant threw himself at Vlandar. Malowan stabbed at the back of the creature’s knee, but the blade hit something-armor, Lhorsassumed-and the paladin nearly fell. Agya took a step forward then stopped.
“Get ’im killed, girl, you go to help,” she mumbled under herbreath.
Malowan recovered his balance and tried again, lower this time, and Vlandar slashed up at the same time. Both blows connected, spraying blood over the combatants. The giant abandoned his axe and pulled a dagger nearly the size of the paladin’s sword. Malowan parried as Khlened got behindthe massive brute and cut low. The armor didn’t reach his ankles. Thebarbarian’s sword cut deep through the tendon, the giant went down. Giving himno chance to recover, Vlandar stabbed him through the throat.
Lhors grabbed Agya’s arm and hauled her back nearly to theentry as blood sprayed everywhere, coating the stack of platters and hissing into the fire. Malowan, who’d managed to avoid the arc of blood by some fastfootwork, leaned against the fireplace stones, gasping for air. Agya pulled free and ran to Malowan.
“Not hurt, are you?” she demanded.
He shook his head, too winded to speak.
She glared up at him. “Lucky you’re not dead,” she snapped,turning on her heel, and stalking back over to Lhors.
“All right,” Vlandar announced quietly. “Mal, catch yourbreath. Rowan, can you see anyone else out there? What happened to those young ones who spied us? Khlened, you and Maera go where those kobolds went and the ogres came from. See what’s there.”
“Quietly,” Maera warned the barbarian.
“Huh,” he growled as he wiped his sword and hands on the deadgiant’s sheepskin vest. “Like we were just now?”
“I’ve blocked the sound,” Nemis said impatiently.
Khlened cast up his eyes but followed Maera. The two were back in a matter of moments.
“There’s a bigger room-empty now-and an alcove, two doors.One smells like it might be a pantry. The other doesn’t close tight. It comesout on that hallway. No one’s in sight, including those kobolds.”
“If they went for help-” Khlened began.
“They’d be back by now,” Malowan said flatly. He stillsounded short of breath and was shaking his hands out.
“Can we go before more come?” Agya asked.
Vlandar got everyone into the large room north of the kitchen. It was empty except for a cold fireplace and a large table. He and Khlened shifted the one door, and Vlandar went in. He returned at once. “As Ithought. There is a pantry, but the second set of stairs is just beyond the cabbages.”
The other door was ajar enough for Rowan or Maera to slip through, but Vlandar looked at Nemis, then Malowan.
“It’s dark out there and quiet for the moment. According tothe map that Mal found, we aren’t far from the back way out. We’ll need to gothrough the barracks to reach it, though. That means more wolves.”
“We can manage wolves,” Rowan said steadily, “but not a company of ogres orhobgoblins.”
“We have the map and the scroll Mal found,” Vlandar said. “Weshould go now before the guards in the entry decide to come looking for us.”
“I will not leave,” Khlened said flatly. “We have foundlittle treasure, and this
“You,” Vlandar said, “will follow orders. I will not remindyou again who is captain, Khlened. You would not last long in this place alone!”
The barbarian glared at him. After a moment, he nodded. “Sorry, sir,” he said, though he didn’t sound it. “Forgot myself. I swore anoath to you, I won’t shame my kind by breaking it.”
“Fair enough,” Vlandar said. “Let us go.”
He and Malowan dragged at the door, making enough room for the larger of them to get through, but he was back at once. He and the paladin leaned into the heavy slab of wood, forcing it shut. “Those wretched youths haveone of the doors to the great hall wide and they are still arguing about where we went. They’ll see us if we move out, but they’ll likely discover the mess inthe kitchen any moment.”
Nemis took the warrior’s place against the door, a sleekstone in his hand. “Market charm,” he murmured. “I haven’t many more revealspells memorized. This should work almost as well, though. There’s somethingelse-a party of creatures, I think-coming this way from the south. They’removing fast.”
Malowan spoke under his breath, and his eyes went wide. “Norkers-a pack of them. I fear the search is on, Vlandar.”
“We cannot battle a hoard of norkers,” Rowan said.
“Aye,” Malowan agreed. “We leave-now or never.”
Vlandar backed away from the hall door and grabbed hold of the other. “Down,” he ordered.
“No, not yet,” Malowan said. “Only if they come looking forus here. Get that door partway open now. Nemis, be ready with that beneath notice spell of yours. We can wait here, let them think we went on up the hall seeking a way out. Once they’ve passed, we’ll have a chance at the entry.”
“Better than cutting ourselves off,” Khlened agreed softly.
“Shhh,” Maera hissed, then went silent herself as they heardsomeone shouting nearby. The voices of several giants came from the hallway, and they were growing louder. They were speaking a heavily accented Common as they approached, but Lhors could pick out a few words here and there.
“Quick!” Vlandar hissed. “In the pantry!”
Everyone edged into the smelly pantry, and Vlandar eased the door shut, leaving it open just enough to see out. Lhors, standing just behind Vlandar, could see over the warrior’s shoulder.
Several heavy-footed brutes stormed into the large room. All of them were armed and looked determined to shed blood. The giants looked around, but none seemed to see anything.
Lhors clamped his jaw tight and refused to breathe.
“Door to the hall is open!” the lead giant bellowed. “You,you, you”-he pointed as he spoke-“go after! Check pens and warn keeper to guarddoor! You”-he motioned to the last giant-“come with me!”
