me my life.”
Rowan gazed into his eyes for a long moment, then nodded. “Ibelieve you.” She sent her eyes back toward her sister, who was trying to getFlorimund to his feet. The male clung to her weakly. “This is not easy for me,”she said reluctantly. “Maera does not trust non-elves very much, as you mustknow by now. I am not so certain as she that he is cousin, and I am less…”She gazed blankly at the wall, then met the paladins sympathetic eyes. “I do nottrust him, but she does. I pray you keep an eye to Florimund, sir.”
Malowan gripped her fingers. “I will. Indeed, I have since hemakes me…
Rowan inclined her head and got to her feet. She went over to help her sister with Florimund, and Maera managed a faint smile at whatever Rowan said. Florimund seemed to get hold of himself, enough that Rowan left the injured half-elf in her sister’s care so she could crouch herself at Lhors’side.
“Caution, my young friend,” she murmured. “You and I willhave a hard role to play here. Mind you don’t let me down!”
“I-” He gaped at her. “But Rowan, I would…” He leanedback, the corners of his mouth twitching. “It’s another of your jokes, isn’t it?So I don’t get too scared to help?”
“You’ll do fine,” she assured him. “I’d do the same for Maeraor Malowan-or even Vlandar. Relaxed and ready, that’s what’s best for you.”
Vlandar gestured
He smiled faintly and shook his head.
Malowan pressed past her, a gesture reminding her to stick close to Maera. Bleryn and Khlened followed paladin and mage, all hugging the south wall.
Lhors swallowed hard as he got his first look at the entry guard: a brute of a giant with some sort of patch- possibly a captain’srank-roughly slapped onto his fur jacket. The fellow had a good view of thecorridor all the way up to the narrows, but at the moment he’d turned away andwas shouting something at another somewhere deep in the chamber. By the sound of the other voice, it must be a giant with too little sleep, too much ale, too many years, or altogether too few brains. Possibly all of them at once. The captain swore an oath that set the corridor ringing and turned back to his post.
Too late. Khlened and Bleryn were already in place, and while the dwarf brought his axe down across the brute’s calf, Khlened launched theblood-darkened morning star at the monster’s neck. It sank into the mail coifaround the fellow’s neck, tangling in it. The giant swore savagely as he fell,dropping his pike so that he could use both hands to free the weapon. Khlened caught up the pike, staggered back under its weight, and then ran forward to plunge the sharp end deep into the captain’s throat. Blood arced across thechamber, and in two heartbeats the giant was quite dead.
Vlandar shoved past the barbarian as two other giants came running up. One was a graybeard who came from Nemis’ marked post in the southend of the cavern. He settled into place, blocking an ill-lit greenish passage, The other stood with his back to the shining black rock ledge, brandishing a manic grin and two long swords.
“
“The god Kord is mad,” Bleryn said flatly. “Do I have towatch yer back so’s ya can steal that monster’s blades? If so-well, I’m notthat wild to die, Fist!”
Khlened shook himself. “’Course not!” But before anyone elsecould say a word, he’d howled out a challenge and launched himself across thechamber.
“Deliver me from berserkers!” Vlandar swore, and Lhors wasready to agree with him, but to his surprise, Khlened stopped short of the giant, waited for him to raise both his swords, then shifted grip from hilt to point, and threw his sword. At that distance, he couldn’t miss. The blade burieditself in the giant’s throat, and the Yrik-knecht hit the floor with a clang.The giant landed on them half a breath later.
Khlened swore in obvious frustration, but before he could seize either sword, a bulky giant with a massive stone in each hand came from an alcove in the west wall and headed straight for him. Rowan shot arrow after arrow at him, but they bounced off his armor or stuck in the fur he wore. Lhors and Maera’s spears fared no better.
Nemis pressed her aside to launch a barrage of fireballs from his fingers. The giant was unaware of him until his fur jacket and hair caught fire. He dropped the stones and ran, arms flapping wildly as he tried to put himself out. Another giant came from behind the wall to help him. Both went down together, the burned one clutching his companion as both of them shrieked in agony. Agya clutched her hands over her ears and retreated behind Malowan, eyes tightly closed.
Nemis shifted his angle, hurling more fireballs as another giant came around the north side of the ledge, but the giant brought up a broad-bladed axe and parried them. Finally, one hit the floor by his feet. Nemis grinned hugely.
“Khlened, stay
The barbarian raised his just-retrieved morning star in salute and braced his feet wide so he could swing the weapon as the giant glared at him and raised the axe. As the fur-clad brute tried to close the distance between them, his feet went from under him and his chin cracked on the icy floor. Vlandar ran up and plunged his sword through the dazed brute’s eye.
He swore. The blade wouldn’t come back out. “Someone guard myback while I free this!” he shouted, but Lhors and Rowan were at already insidethe chamber.
The ranger turned with a cry of warning and began firing a deadly stream of arrows toward the south end of the ledge. Lhors turned to see two giants charging from around the stone barrier.
“Beware, Khlened! Two are behind you!” Vlandar bellowed.
“See ’em!” the Fist shouted back. He threw himself across thegiant he’d killed and dropped the morning star to tug furiously at the hilt ofone of the swords, only letting it go at the last moment to catch up the ball and chain. He swung it furiously and let it fly. The giant ducked, then went to pick it up.
“Ah, frozen hells!” With a massive effort, Khlened draggedone of the enormous swords free, wrapped both hands around the hilt, and began to swing it. The second giant, who’d just come around the ledge, retreatedpromptly, but the first had just retrieved the morning star and was in the process of turning back to kill his enemy with his enemy’s own weapon.
Khlened roared out a challenge in his own language and let the sword’s weight carry him around. He dug in his heels at the last moment andlet the blade do the rest. It sliced through thick fur and whatever hardened leather the giant wore beneath. Blood sprayed everywhere. The barbarian was momentarily blinded, but even as Malowan leaped forward to protect him, the giant went down.
Khlened tottered back, bringing the weapon up again with an effort that corded the tendons in his throat. As he turned, Nemis had just finished off the last of them with some spell that left the monster swollen, blue-faced, and very dead.
“Do not ask,” he said crisply.
“Wouldn’t of” the Fist replied flatly and knelt to wipe hisnew sword on the giant’s fur before going back to retrieve his own sword.
Nemis went to help Khlened retrieve his blade. The Fist finally dragged it free and wiped it on his dead enemy’s trousers.
“We go quickly,” Vlandar said as he gathered his companyclose.
Nemis spoke. “Our way leads to the lower level through thatpassage there.” He pointed to the south where Lhors could just make out a dimlylit opening. “The master’s throne will be there-and his personal chambers. Thereis no indication of a stronghold on the map for this level, but I think it unlikely anything like the chain that brought us here from the Steading is up here. It will be where the master can lay his hands on it.”
“Why’d we want t’go someplace else, eh?” Agya wanted to know.
The mage shrugged. “Because I know the drow. The dark elvescontrol the Steading giants. You and Malowan found the letter of orders from drow to Nosnra. Because the drow are cautious and devious, they would never hide in a place once removed from the hill giants. Likely their safety is another spell or charm away from this place. Their
