Maera went in as her sister got the door open. Rowan set her jaw, then followed.
The paladin and the rangers were back out moments later, a tall, slender fellow held up between them. A grayish rag encrusted with old blood hid one eye, but Maera tugged it loose, and Lhors saw with relief that it had covered a nasty scrape. He’d imagined much worse.
The rangers got the fellow over to the guard’s bench and lethim down. Rowan shoved his long, filthy hair back He seemed only half-conscious. She tugged at one of his pointed ears and quietly said, “We have come to rescueyou.”
No response. She said something in another language. His eyes opened warily, and he looked at her and then at Maera for some moments, then replied in what might have been the same language.
“He’s Florimund, a half-elf” Maera said as Rowan continued talking to him.“He remembers very little. Woods and giants, and then pain. Rowan, we need toget him out of here.”
“I agree,” Rowan replied. She and Maera got Florimund to hisfeet and brought him up by the door where Nemis was keeping watch.
Malowan came away from the last cell, its door unopened. “It’s a trap. Leave it be.” Then he too left the room.
“We have what we came for,” Vlandar said. “Let us go beforethe guard changes. This is no place for us.”
The paladin drew his sword. “Nemis, same sleep spell on thisguard?”
“He won’t waken on his own,” the mage said.
“Good. We’ll shove him in that cell and lock him in.” Malowanwaited while Khlened and Bleryn moved the unconscious guard, then turned the key in the door and tossed the ring in the other cell.
“Mal, you stay back with Agya,” Vlandar said. “Bleryn, staywith me. Which way?”
Bleryn pointed back in the general direction of the fallen staircase. “The treasure room’s through there.”
“Small room off by itself?” the engineer asked. “I know it.They had me working on the locks not long ago. Couple of the guards were talking about the things supposed to be inside.”
“Let’s get there first,” said Vlandar.
Nemis gestured that the main chamber was clear. Some moments later, Lhors found himself back in the small chamber where they’d slept earlier.The torches were guttering. Once Khlened and Bleryn lowered the door, it felt almost safe here, but he could still hear the distant thud of workers above them.
“We can’t stay long,” Vlandar said. “Bleryn or Gerikh, do youknow of any guards nearby?”
“At least one guard, a giant,” the engineer said, “assigned to guard thetreasure room. But I overheard the prison guards saying that Nosnra had caught him pilfering and had him torn apart. I don’t know if he’s been replaced.”
“Heard about ’im,” Bleryn said. “Figured between that and allthe guards on us when we repaired the traps, there must be wealth in there.”
“It isn’t so much wealth, I heard,” Gerikh said. “That chiefof theirs comes down now and again, and he comes back with a scroll-orders, oneof ’em said his captain told him. And sometimes he comes down here after thoseorders come, and he goes in-but he isn’t in there. Way their captain got it fromhis boss, the chief has some magic thing that takes him to other giants, and he
“We’ll go now,” Vlandar said.
Maera, who was blotting Florimund’s face with a wet cloth,looked up, her mouth set.
Vlandar saw her look and said, “Tell our companion we willtend his wounds properly once we’re free of this place.”
Rowan whispered something to her sister. Maera nodded, but she still looked angry.
Agya had the panel moved away from another wheel that, when turned, revealed a chamber nearly the size of the main one, but more dimly lit. Vlandar put Bleryn and Gerikh with him to help guide the way. The rest came close behind, Nemis last.
A wild howling and shrieking suddenly shattered the silence. Agya jumped closer to Malowan, and Lhors tightened his grip on his boar spear. Everyone turned frantically, but they could see nothing in the dim light.
Silence once again.
Lhors could just hear Bleryn whisper. “Manticores. They’repenned.” They moved out, hugging the wall, and stopped short of the entry to apassage heading east. In the silence, they could hear giants’ voices, but theysounded distant.
The dwarf pointed. “Stairs back that way down a side passage.Chief comes that way, I think.”
Malowan asked softly. “Nemis, what are they saying?”
The mage leaned against the wall. “Nosnra is there, andsomeone else wants to put down another ladder. Nosnra says no, his sub-chief has already been killed in the stair’s collapse, and they will break through to therubble on the other stairs by middle night. The other argues that is too long.”He listened a few moments more. “They don’t know where we are, and it seems ourassumption was correct. Some orc workers revolted and have killed two giants.”
“Where are the orcs now?” Khlened asked. “Are they stillroamin’ down ’ere?”
“They did not say,” the mage replied, “though I would surmisethat the orcs have been dealt with, since Nosnra’s main concern seems to be withus.”
Vlandar said, “We need light. I cannot see a thing downthere!”
Nemis fished a small object from his belt and threw it down the passage. A bail of light rose from the floor partway down the short passage, illuminating walls of finely dressed stone. A dark opening yawned to their right. Lhors thought the distant voices were that way.
“Straight,” Bleryn said. “Main trap’s just beyond the door. Ican point it out.”
“We can manage a trap,” Nemis said mildly.
Once Gerikh located the lever to shift the door, it required him, Khlened, and Vlandar to move it. Lhors tried not to listen to the angry voices echoing from above. Gerikh went through first, closely followed by Khlened and Bleryn. Agya jumped as something heavy and metal squawked in protest at being moved. Something else rumbled briefly, then all was silent.
“It’s fine,” Malowan assured her quietly. “Nemis has thesound blocked for us again. Let’s go.”
He put his ward and Lhors ahead of him. Nemis came last, the ball of light following him like a pet firefly. Once the chamber was sealed, Vlandar beckoned everyone close. “Mal, you and Nemis will know what we want fromhere. Find it quickly. We haven’t much time. The rest of you look around.Khlened, remember there are things we need more than gold. Lhors, help Rowan. Look for scrolls, written messages, maps. None of us except Mal and Nemis are to open anything-there will likely be traps.”
Lhors eyed the jumble resignedly. He could see one large chest, a metal box close by, some smaller chests, and a pile of wooden rubble against the opposite wall. Another wall,vas thick with a dampish looking yellow growth that smelled like moldy bread.
Maera had braced Florimund in a corner. She, Rowan, and Lhors waited until Nemis used a reveal spell on the chests and boxes. Agya came behind him with her lock picks, but Bleryn had already broken the lock on the iron box with his knife. There were coins-more than Lhors could ever have imagined in oneplace. The thief gasped, then grinned broadly and plunged both hands into the pile.
“Treasure,” Rowan said. “Remember you may have to carrywhatever you take here for some time.”
“Thought we were going back to th’ river,” Agya said as shelooked up from the chest.
“That depends on what we find here to get us out of here,”Malowan said. He’d come quietly up behind her. “Take a purse’s worth of coin.You’ve have earned it.” He turned to one of the rangers. “Rowan, look there.”
Lhors turned as he heard the ranger gasp. He was almost afraid to look. The smelly yellow stuff had vanished, revealing swords, spears and other weapons. Rowan crossed the chamber and took down a quiver of long arrows. She drew one. The fletching-feathers shimmered.
“These will do nicely,” she said admiringly. “Besides, I haveonly two of my own arrows left.”
“Magic arrows?” Lhors asked as the ranger fastened the quiverto her shoulder.
“They are from the Valley of the Mage,” Maera said as shecame up. “Is this safe, Rowan?”
“They are not evil, as some tales say,” Rowan replied. “Touchthat spear, and tell me what you feel.”
Maera eyed her mistrustfully but laid a hand on the shaft. She smiled then, took the weapon down and ran loving hands over the shaft.
