Against the Giants

mouth. He almost felt sorry for the creature, but Khlened swore a vicious sounding oath and ran forward, sword high over his head. He had to bring it down across the back of the giant’s neck twice before the brute laystill.

Malowan eased past the two dead giants and contemplated the dwarves. They gazed back at him, quiet for the moment. Most looked wary, but one fellow-shorter than his fellows, his brown hair shot with gray, and his beardand moustache a mix of brown, gray, and red-gave the paladin back the samemeasuring, thoughtful look. Malowan broke the silence. He tried two different languages before the dwarves seemed to understand him. The ruddy-bearded one answered him at some length.

Suddenly, Khlened came across to stare closely at him. “Bleryn?” he asked. “Is that you?”

“Fist?” the dwarf replied in guttural common. He grinnedsuddenly and would have come forward to embrace the barbarian, but his chain caught. “My old friend Khlened, the fool of a Fist?”

Khlened swore, happily this time, and closed the space between them, pounding the dwarf on the back. “Ye great idiot, which of us isfool now? Knew ye’d wind up some place like this someday.”

“Hah,” the dwarf retorted as he freed himself from the roughembrace and gripped Khlened’s forearms. “Much help you would have been!Some surprise to me that you’re alive at all.”

“I’m not the one wi’ silver in m’ beard,” the barbariangrowled then turned to grin at Malowan. “This ’un you can trust beyond alldoubt. I know him, I fought with him, and I’ve reason to owe him.”

“Ah, that,” the dwarf said easily, “was nothing. Happened tobe where I could be of use when I was needed.”

“Saved my mother and sister from certain torture at the handsof frost giants up in the Griff Mountains,” Khlened said flatly. “Wasn’t for himand his helping us in battle, well…”

Back near the entry, Agya stirred and mumbled something under her breath. Lhors eyed her curiously. “What was that?”

Her lips twitched. “Ain’t it a good finding someone hetrusts? Makes me want ’im for companion.”

“You don’t think…?”

“Wager we gained us a dwarf-one at least,” the girl repliedsourly. She suddenly spun partway around, throwing dagger in one hand. Lhors brought his own spear to the ready, but they both relaxed when a familiar form emerged from the gloom.

A half-breath later, the mage-who must have slipped back upthe hall after containing his bee spell-came walking into the light.

“How do you do that?” Lhors asked the girl. Sheshrugged, clearly not understanding, and he continued, “Your reflexes, how canyou be that fast? And how did you know he was there? Did Malowan teach you his magic or something?”

“Me?” the girl snorted, but she was grinning now. “Learnpaladin magic? There’s a good ’un. Takes all kinds of purity to do what ’e can,and not just body purity-if it was only that, then p’raps I could.” Her grinwidened as Lhors felt himself blush. “Nah. ’Tis where and how I lived, and how Ikept alive.”

“You mean stealing?”

“Nah, not so much that as…” She frowned at the dagger,returned it to the sheath in the side of her boot and considered this. “City,especially th’ poor parts, is a trap like ’ere. You want t’ eat, it means y’steal food or steal that as lets y’ buy it. And that’s th’ simple bit. Then yaneed th’ right allies to ’elp ya avoid enemies.” She shrugged.

Lhors merely nodded. So far as he could recall, this was the first time she had actually spoken to him without being rude or sarcastic. His eyes sought out Vlandar. The warrior leaned back against the wall not far away, but as the youth took a step that way, Malowan caught his eyes and shook his head. Lhors swallowed and tried to fight dread.

Agya looked up as Malowan came over. “What’s t’ do?”

“Vlandar will be all right.” The man smiled faintly, turningto Lhors. “He’s one of those who can’t bear being fussed over when he’s hurt orill. But I told him you were worried, and he said for you to come. Both of you need to come listen, anyway. Khlened’s old ally knows the dungeon level well,and he’s willing to share the information if we take him with us and give him anequal chance at battle and at treasure.”

Agya glanced at Lhors. Her eyes seemed mocking again. “Tol’you, didn’t I?”

Malowan merely gestured for Agya and Lhors to follow him, and together they went back to Vlandar. The warrior was leaning against Rowan, his teeth tightly clenched. The back of his hand and his fingernails were bloody.

“All right, everything’s under control, Vlandar,” the paladinsaid. “It’s safe for me to take the time to heal that-and no, I will not insiston removing your armor.”

“It won’t do you any good,” the warrior gritted between histeeth. “I will not let you, and if you even think of touching that…”

“Lhors is here to help me,” Malowan said evenly.

Vlandar swallowed, then managed a faint smile. “So he is.Hullo, Lhors.”

“Sir,” the youth managed.

Malowan patted his shoulder. “He’ll be fine. It’s not muchmore than a scratch, is it, my friend?” He moved his hands just above thewarrior’s armored shoulder.

“Aye,” Vlandar smiled, but Lhors could tell it was forced.“But it would have been much worse for me if not for you, Lhors. Rowan told mewhat you did. I owe you my life.”

Lhors tried a smile of his own, but he could feel the heat rising into his cheeks and forehead.

“That was you?” Agya gasped incredulously. “I thoughtit was Maera!”

“Not Maera,” Rowan answered. “I saw it myself. Lhors felled afire giant in one shot.” She gave Lhors a nodding salute.

“Ha!” Agya said as she eyed Lhors up and down. “Well, well.Seems ya might not be so useless after all, Lhors Giant Killer.”

“Is someone besides Nemis keeping watch, I hope?” the paladinadded, mercifully drawing attention away from Lhors.

Rowan nodded, and she eased Vlandar into a more comfortable position against her. She brushed damp hair from his brow. “Maera is. And I’vebeen paying attention to what’s going on here. Khlened is working on his friendBleryn’s chains.”

As if on cue, the dwarf’s fetters clattered to the floor. Theother dwarves were still chained and looking restless, but Khlened brought Bleryn over and squatted next to Malowan.

“Tell ’em,” he ordered the dwarf.

The dwarf’s voice was very deep-not giant-deep, but deeperthan any human voice Lhors had ever heard. “This Fist say I can trust you, youwarrior and yer folk. These others are dwarves like me, but they aren’t family.I’d not trust ’em, though. All they want’s to flee. They know this undergroundbetter’n me, been here longer. I’d be glad of it if y’could free ’em where theywon’t run into guards and give us away. Selfish, aye, but there it be.”

“Sensible, rather,” Khlened growled. “’E tells me th’ othersare from th’ south, and so far’s ’e can tell, they’ve all been ’ere since theygot caught. Bleryn knows a little more of th’ place. Tell ’em.”

“Wait,” Malowan said and murmured under his breath.

Vlandar drew a deep, shuddering breath and let it out in a gust as he cautiously moved his arm.

“There,” the paladin said grimly. “Thank me by not doing thatagain.”

“I would just as soon,” Vlandar agreed and gripped Lhors’hand. “There, good as new, my young friend.”

Lhors managed a smile for him, but he felt sick. This was twice now. Hadn’t his father said three times paid for all?

“Go ahead,” the warrior added with a nod to Bleryn, “finishyour tale, but quickly. We dare not stay here much longer.”

“I speak Common, but thems”-he sent his eyes toward thestill-bound dwarves-“don’t. As this Fist says, most of ’em hasn’t been beyondthis room and th’ far corner where we sleep. Me, I got talent at buildin’, makin’bridges and such, so when I got took, it seemed only sense to me to act like I’dcooperate with ’em.”

“Sensible,” Khlened agreed. “You cooperate, they trust you,you escape. I’d’ve done the same.”

“Worked-all but th’ last part,” the dwarf admitted. “Still, Iknow this level. Up there is the torture chamber. There’s a temple back down thelong way and over the barrier, but it’s not a good place. And the caverns beyondwhere stone is piled-forget ’em.”