Against the Giants

guard-posts between. She will point them out in exchange for her freedom.”

“Done,” Vlandar said tersely. “All of you stay alert.”

He led the way back into the main passage, collected Nemis, the rangers, and dazed-looking Florimund, then eased along the west wall that bowed into a deep bay. Lhors could no longer see down the vast south chamber, but that also meant no guards down there could see him.

Agya had moved stealthily ahead, and she suddenly held up a hand for the others to wait, then turned to beckon Nemis to her side. The mage murmured a spell and held up four fingers. Khlened started to draw his newly won sword, but Vlandar shook his head and drew Nemis aside so the two could talk. The mage brought Maera and Rowan over and ran an odd-shaped piece of metal up and down the shafts of several arrows and three of Maera’s javelins. The rangerstook them back and slipped around the point.

Lhors held his breath, listening intently, but almost at once the two were back. Maera went straight back to Florimund, but Rowan hesitated with Vlandar long enough to hold up four fingers before slashing them across her throat. The warrior nodded grimly.

The youth’s eyebrows went up. Four dead, and he hadn’t hearda thing.

Malowan had left the giantess with Agya-oddly, to Lhors’thinking, the two seemed fairly comfortable with each other, though the huge female drew back even from him. The paladin, who had moved across the chamber, now came back, his face pale.

“Vlandar, the kitchens are there, and there are prisoners-human ones.”

“Hah,” Khlened snarled under his breath. “Lunch, more like.Poor brutes.”

“No,” the paladin said flatly. “I will not leave them thereto die like a peasant’s lamb. I dare not. Vlandar, leave me Agya. We will dowhat we must and catch up with you.”

“We stay together,” the warrior said tersely. He held up ahand for silence as Nghora came up.

She didn’t seem as tottery as she had earlier, Lhors thought,but neither Vlandar nor Mal looked worried. Vlandar asked the paladin to talk to her.

“The chamber beyond this is open, with the Jarl’s throne atthe south end. She says there are guards under cover of the dais, always on alert, and halfway down we will be able to see guards on the ledges above the main floor. However, not far from the entrance, there are stairs along either side leading up these ledges.”

“Then we need a diversion,” Vlandar said. “Khlened. You andBleryn, how’d you like to strut down there like you owned the place? I’ll sendNemis or Mal to shield you. You distract the guards, and while they’re watchingyou, we’ll be able to dispatch them without alerting the guards behind thedais.”

“The kitchen is making a racket,” Malowan said, “that willhelp us.”

“Good. Rowan, Maera, you’ll be the best at getting up thestairways unnoticed. Agya and Lhors, you’re backup, one to each of the rangers.Nemis, do you have enough of your beneath notice spells to use one here, if I send you ahead with Khlened?”

The mage merely nodded.

“Gerikh, you’ll stick with me and lead Florimund for Maera.And, Mal, if Nghora…?”

The paladin had been talking to the giantess quietly for some moments, Lhors realized.

“She wants to go instead, Khlened,” Malowan said, and hesounded surprised. “She says, tell the red man if she walks out there, theguards will see nothing else.”

“Yer mad and so’s she,” the barbarian said, a wary eye on thefemale who towered above him. She seemed to shrink back as he met her eyes. He sighed. “Ah, could be she’s right. Let’s be at it.”

“Right.” Vlandar nodded. “Khlened, you and Bleryn stand watchhere and be ready to come to our aid if the guards under the dais come up behind us.”

The two companions looked none too happy about being left out of the immediate action, but they both readied their weapons and obeyed.

As they entered the room, Rowan pointed out the stone stairs-a native-looking flow of rock down each wall and high on each side. Atthe end of each stair was a rocky ledge tall enough to hide a guard.

Some distance ahead, Nghora strutted down the length of the fall. She might never have been a terrified, weak prisoner, Lhors thought. He glanced at Agya, who seemed to have the same uncomfortable thought.

The massive female squared her shoulders and tossed a thick mass of hair over her shoulder as she strode forward. Nemis’ hands were movingrapidly as he worked some spell or other. The giantess walked on, unchallenged.

Near the entrance, the rangers separated so they could work up both ledges. Malowan pressed hard against the west wall, his lips moving soundlessly, though with the clatter and shouting that echoed from the opening to the kitchen just behind them, he could have spoken his spell aloud and not been heard.

Agya had gone to join Malowan, and they were behind Maera. Lhors was grateful when Vlandar beckoned him to the east wall, even though the stairs were uncomfortably near the kitchen. He felt more comfortable around Rowan.

He froze as he heard the twang of a massive bowstring above the kitchen noise. That couldn’t have been Rowan’s bow.

He felt more than heard something fall to the floor. Looking to the middle of the chamber, he saw Nghora stagger to her knees. As Lhors and the others watched helplessly, she collapsed facedown, a gigantic spear protruding from her back. Lhors clapped both hands across his mouth and stared. Vlandar tugged at his shirt and drew him quickly up the stairs.

The rangers were nearly out of sight on both sides, Malowan right behind Rowan and Vlandar on Maera’s heels. Lhors tried not to be ill as hefollowed. His knees ached from the steep climb, but as he emerged onto the level, things were mostly under control.

The guard did not seem very bright, and the space was too small for him to maneuver well. He was struggling to reload his ballista when Vlandar leaped on his back and pulled him off-balance. The giant threw him aside, but Rowan was set. She launched an arrow that plunged deep into the guard’s eye and into his brain.

Lhors stared across the cavern. The ledge was bigger over there, he thought, but Malowan had drawn the flaming sword he’d taken from theSteading’s treasury. Blinded, the guard stumbled away from him. Maera finishedhim with one of her new spears, and the guard sagged out of sight.

Vlandar led them back down the stairs and into the hall, sending Khlened and Bleryn ahead to make certain the dais guards hadn’t beenalerted of their companions’ demise. He then sent the rangers back to be certainno one came out of the kitchens and caught them. The rest of the party, except for Mal and Nemis, retreated against the east wall where an alcove under the stairs put them out of the immediate line of sight.

Agya sniffled. Lhors glanced at her and was surprised to see her eyes were wet as she gazed after the dead giantess.

“Don’t seem fair,” she whispered and met the youth’s gazedefiantly. “Poor creature didn’t ask for this.”

“I know,” Lhors replied quietly. “None of us did, nor wouldwe have wished such a fate on her.”

The young thief merely shook her head in disbelief and went to join Malowan.

“You’ve a head on your shoulders, m’lad.”

Lhors jumped. To his embarrassment, Vlandar had come up behind him and probably heard most of that.

“You’ll do,” the warrior added mildly. He glanced up asMalowan came back, Agya at his side.

“Nemis is keeping an eye on the dais. There are guardsbehind it. Both of us sensed them. They are alert and tense, but they don’t seemto be about to leave their post. The kitchens next?”

Vlandar nodded. “We’ll take them now. How many in there?”

“Three giantesses and four ogres,” Malowan replied. “Noguards.”

“Hmm.” Vlandar suddenly smiled. “Khlened, it’s time for agenuine berserker attack, I think. The noise won’t matter, and it may scare thecooks into surrendering their prisoners. If not, Mal can be there to free them.”

The barbarian grinned fiercely. “Good idea. Give me Bleryn,though. He and I fight good t’gether, and more’d be in th’ way.”

“Agreed,” Vlandar said. “We’ll wait out here to grab any thatescape you.”

“Won’t be any,” the barbarian assured him, and with an unholygleam in his eyes, he drew the two-handed sword and strode into the kitchen. Bleryn was right on his heels, battle-axe in one hand and sword in the other.

Vlandar and Malowan drew their own swords and eased around a rock that partially blocked the entry. Lhors