Against the Giants

and Agya followed on their heels.

Khlened stopped partway into the room to bellow what sounded like vicious curses in his own language. The dwarf simply roared and charged straight at the cook, who shrieked, tripped and fell, then turned to scramble away on her hands and knees, but only as far as a rack of knives. Bleryn beat her to it, and brought his axe down on her arm. She howled in agony, collapsing on the floor in a huddle. The other two giantesses turned to flee into the hall, saw swordsmen there, and hesitated.

Malowan’s sword burst into flame. The giantesses shrieked interror and turned to flee into the dark to the north. Bleryn charged after the two, but Khlened swung the sword like a madman, sending steaming pots flying and sweeping piles of things onto the floor. At some point, he’d downed two of theogres, and one was most definitely dead while the other crawled toward the door, bleeding freely and apparently unaware of Vlandar or Malowan. The paladin brought his sword up and drove it into the ogre’s neck.

It was suddenly, blessedly quiet in the kitchen. In the distance, they could hear whimpering and Bleryn’s roar, muted by a some turn inthe passage. Khlened looked around then strode off that way. Malowan began murmuring- praying, Lhors thought-under his breath. The whimpering ceasedabruptly, and moments later the dwarf came back, Khlened right behind him. His eyes were dull now, and he seemed barely to have the strength to get his sword back into the sheath, but no one would have dared to offer him help.

Agya tugged at Malowan’s sleeve and the two sprinted acrossthe kitchen to open cages and free the four imprisoned men. They all moved stiffly, but they didn’t seem harmed otherwise, and they were warmly clad. One,a tall, black-haired fellow with a grizzled beard, spoke briefly to Malowan, then came over to grip Vlandar’s arm.

“I’m Jebis, out of Furyondy,” he said. “Member of the LakeGuard. These three men”-his gesture took in older men who seemed dazed by thesudden turn of events-“are from the high country around the barrens north ofthat. Frost giants caught me as I was riding back to my barracks. Mobry here says he and his two mates were hunting when they were taken. All four of us got hauled in here two or three days ago. We owe you service, but why are you here? It’s no safe place unless you’ve got an army.”

Vlandar explained, giving them a very brief version of their mission.

Jebis considered this. “Sounds mad to me,” he said finally,“but service I said, and I’m King’s Guard. I’ll help if I can.”

“Do you know this place?” Malowan asked. “We could use aguide, frankly.”

Jebis shrugged. “Not so well. There’s a throne in the bigcave and a passage to the left of it, but a big rock blocks the end. There’s abig room past that with all manner of junk in it: weapons and trophies and such. Up from that, there’s another enormous cave with all kinds of giants. Lookedlike families to me, young ones and all. Guess whoever our guards wanted wasn’tthere, so they hauled us back out to that throne and the chief came out-”

“Came out from where?” Vlandar asked.

“The same tunnel I mentioned, I suppose, but I don’t think hecame from that big room. There was a heavy drape over the far end of that junk room, and this Jarl had a look about him that reminded me of my captain when he’s called out from his private quarters. I can’t be sure of that, of course.”

“Anything else you saw then?” Malowan asked. “Guards comingfrom any of the other tunnels, perhaps guests? Anything, however trivial, anything odd?”

“Odd…” Jebis echoed, then shook himself. “Was one thing,not so odd perhaps, though it struck me at the time. When the Jarl came out, there was someone behind him-human-sized and all wrapped in a cloak. A servant Ithought then, or maybe a slave. But the way it stood… it looked arrogant.Even though I couldn’t see any weapon on the creature, the Jarl kept glancingback as if it scared him. And the creature just looked at him. I mean,” he addedwith a forced smile, “I’ve been here all of a few days, and I learned right offwho’s in charge here.”

“What else could you make out?” Vlandar asked.

“Not sure it wasn’t just the light,” the man said. He frownedat his hands, apparently trying to recall something. “But even when thecreature’s head was tipped back, what was under the hood was uncommonlydark- black, even.”

Malowan and Vlandar eyed each other briefly, before the paladin spoke. “It’s possible that may prove useful. We’ll bear it in mind.”

“Whether it is or no,” Vlandar assured him, “we’ll try to getyou safe from here.”

“Give me a sword or a pike, and I’ll help you best I can,”Jebis replied.

Bleryn handed over two of his pikes. Jebis hefted them, tested the balance, and nodded his thanks.

“All right,” Vlandar said. “Our way is south, then left pastthe throne. Everyone alert, and Nemis, stay up front with me. Mal, keep an eye and a spell on our back trail.”

Maera stepped in front of him, Florimund’s hand in hers.“Paladin, your sort preach kindness. You cannot leave my cousin in this state!You saw his condition when we found him, and I know well that he fears to sleep because his dreams put him back in that cell or the torturer’s-” She closed hereyes and swallowed hard. “He has done nothing wrong! Weak as he is, he has donehis best to help you, and for that, our fine mage has forced him to sleep.”

“A dreamless sleep,” Nemis began.

But Maera waved him off. “So he says, Paladin, but I havebeen with my cousin this hour, and your mage has not. I can keep him quiet and I swear to you I will, if you but lift the spell.”

Malowan glanced at Nemis, then fixed his eyes on Maera, who met his gaze steadily. Her voice was hoarse, as if she fought tears. “How canyou allow an innocent to be so cruelly used, Malowan?” she whispered.

Lhors glanced at Rowan. The ranger’s eyes were fixed on thedistant throne, her lips set.

Malowan looked at Vlandar, who gazed back at him without any sign Lhors could make out. “The innocent must not suffer,” Malowan said, verysoftly. “And so, what dare I, except to grant your plea?” He laid his hands uponthe half-elf’s face, and at his touch, Florimund awoke.

If he cries out, Lhors thought, we’re all doomed. But thepaladin had done something to soothe the fellow, or perhaps Nemis’ earliersleep spell had. The half-elf merely gazed around, then allowed Maera to draw him aside so they could speak.

“You know why I cast that spell,” Nemis said. He lookedangry.

Malowan shook his head. “Yes, and I agreed with what you did.But would it not be better not to distance Maera from us-or her sister? We knowto watch him, after all. And you and I have ways of watching that use more than eyes.”

18

As the party gathered for a brief rest, Nemis went off withRowan to guard his back. He was sure that he could get close enough to cast a spell on the two guards beneath the dais. They were gone no more than a few moments.

“Sleeping like little lambs,” the mage announced with asmile.

“Well done,” Vlandar said. “Take a few moments to rest, thenwe’re off again.”

Maera drew the injured half-elf back into the kitchens with her, talking to him the whole time. She looked tense, Lhors thought. Florimund gave Nemis and Malowan a baffled look but finally shrugged listlessly, as though nothing mattered much. He still seemed unsteady on his feet and winced as the ranger laid a hand on his arm.

“Odd,” Nemis remarked softly to Vlandar after the half-elfwas out of earshot. “When I heal someone no worse hurt than he was, the healingtakes. He was in pain, yes, but mostly cut and bruised-nowhere nearly as bad assome I’ve helped.”

“I agree it seems odd,” Vlandar said. “You didn’t take hismemories away, did you?”

The mage shrugged. “I did what I could to ease his mind, youknow. But whatever aid I’ve offered him since, Maera refuses for him. And hedoes not seem eager for that healing.”

“I’ll tell you that ’e’s fakin,” Agya murmured. She had comesilently up behind them. “Not my business, listenin’ to wizard-talk, but yonFlorimund? I don’t trust ’im so far’s I could spit ’im.”