Against the Giants

Vlandar got everyone close together again to get everyone searching the chamber, but Malowan, his face pale and his mouth set, interrupted. “We are blocked from behind by Nemis’ spell of silence, and thereis nothing and no one to the east. I tested. Vlandar, you cannot let him do this.”

“I can,” the warrior replied steadily, “and if it seems thebest course to me, I will. Mal, be sensible. Take Agya and go out of sight. What bloodshed these two have caused-”

“That is between them and the gods,” Malowan said flatly.“They are living beings, and unlikely as it seems to any of us, they may one daybecome good.”

Khlened snorted in disbelief.

Malowan fixed him with a flat look, and the barbarian subsided. “Even if they do not, their fellow mortals are not given the right tojudge. I will not risk the path I have taken for so many years, simply because this mage-”

“This mage, is it?” Nemis said stiffly. “Your Heironeouswon’t take your powers from you because of my choices, my friend, and youand I both know it.”

“I will not let you do this,” Malowan gritted.

“You cannot stop me,” Nemis replied.

“Mal, listen at ’im,” Agya urged in the uncomfortable silencethat followed. “C’mon, you an me, we’ll just go that way, y’won’t see a thing.”

She shrank back as Malowan transferred the glare to her. He must be upset or very angry, Lhors thought. As far as he could tell, the mage didn’t even notice his ward’s reaction, though normally he was careful notto upset her.

“I have not decided yet,” Vlandar began.

Malowan shook his head, silencing the warrior. “Yes, youhave. Don’t think me a fool because of my calling, Vlandar.”

“I don’t-”

“Then don’t pretend you haven’t seen them dead in your mindand felt good because of it!” the paladin snapped.

“I have seen them dead, and I’d be glad for it,” Vlandar saidevenly. “My friend, we’re wasting time we do not have. Search the chamber forthe things you know we need, and I’ll study the problem while you do.”

“Oh?” Malowan swung around to face him. “And what of theirtime?”

“Give it up, Mal,” Vlandar demanded harshly. “Take Agya andgo past that drape to the east. I’ll see to it they don’t suffer.”

“And if I won’t go?”

Vlandar’s jaw clenched. Even Lhors could tell that thewarrior was swiftly becoming angry himself. “You will go, even if I have to getKhlened and Bleryn to drag you. I’d rather not, but Mal, I will if you leave meno other choice. I ask this out of our friendship, but remember that you swore to follow my orders along with everyone else.”

Silence. Lhors noticed the four kitchen prisoners had moved back away from the verbal sparring. He couldn’t blame them. It made himuncomfortable to hear Malowan, Nemis, and Vlandar arguing.

Lhors jumped as someone touched his arm. It was Nemis, who was very red in the face, particularly for one normally so pale.

“What say you, lad?” the mage asked quietly. He used his eyesto gesture behind him at the sleeping giants.

The two had been at table drinking wine. On the far side of the great slab of wood, a massive, silver-haired giantess slept awkwardly in a chair, her face pressed into the table, arms dangling. Lhors could just make out the two wolves sprawled by her feet. Nearer to him, the Jarl lay in a heap on thick fur rugs. The giant was snoring faintly.

“What do you mean?” the youth whispered.

Nemis smiled grimly. “I know these two by repute. They havepersonally killed hundreds of humans and elves. By their orders, many hundreds more have died-just as your family and all those in your village died, or asJebis and the hunters would have.”

Lhors stared at the sleeping giants, vaguely aware of Vlandar and Malowan still arguing behind him.

“Imagine being held in a cage,” the mage whispered, “withgiants all about to tease you that very soon you would be cut into pieces and eaten, or bound alive over a spit….” He hesitated as Lhors cringed awayfrom him, eyes tightly closed and a hand over his mouth.

Do not think about the babes and that soup pot! At the moment, it was all he could see. Then in a flash the image of his father eclipsed everything-his father pinned to the ground, writhing with a spear thesize of a young tree trunk through his gut.

Nemis touched his shoulder and gasped, then laid both hands on the youths face, pulling him around. “I am sorry, lad. I didn’t know, thoughI should have suspected. I did not mean to cause you such pain.”

Lhors nodded, eyes still tightly closed. He couldn’t speak.

Nemis let go of him. “But if these two, the Jarl and hislady, were part of the command that set Nosnra’s giants against your village, ifyou could avenge your father and your village now would you?”

Lhors drew a deep breath and opened his eyes. To his astonishment, the mage held out a long dagger.

“There is no burden on you to do this. Any of the four menheld prisoner in that kitchen yonder might be willing, but they faced only loss of life, however dreadful it might have been. You lost your family, your village, and your father-everything you knew. It is your choice. If you strike,you grant them a cleaner death than your father had. While another may become Jarl here, at least this one will order no more deaths.”

Lhors gazed longingly at the hilt. Father, I swore I would avenge you, and here within my reach…

But he wouldn’t even reach for the blade. “I know you areright, Nemis-about them and all giants. But no, not like this. My father-itcannot change that he is dead, and it would not avenge anything. Not for me.”

Nemis eyed him gravely then shoved the dagger back into its sheath. “As you choose,” was all he said as he turned away.

Lhors drew a deep, shuddering breath, blotted his eyes on his sleeve, and realized Vlandar and Malowan were still arguing fiercely. The whole exchange with Nemis had taken next to no time at all.

Khlened had come up unnoticed. “Done right, boy,” he mutteredand patted the youths shoulder awkwardly. “I’m no headsman either. There’s noglory in butcherin’ a sleepin’ foe.”

Bleryn snorted. “Listen at ’em, arguing whether such killersdeserve to live. Small wonder dwarves don’t go for being paladins. We got moresense’n that. This is execution flat out, not murder. Such brutes don’t deservean honorable death.”

Behind them, Malowan’s voice rose. Nemis swore angrily andbegan muttering a spell. Khlened ran over to help Vlandar wrestle the paladin down. It took Gerikh’s help to get it done, and as Nemis stepped back, thepaladin’s angry, weeping voice was abruptly silenced, though the man clearly wasstill bellowing at Vlandar and the others to let him go.

Vlandar, who had Mal’s feet, leaned away from the man and metBleryn’s eyes. “We can’t hold him long! One of you, get it done and that’s anorder!”

Bleryn nodded and turned away, shielding his blade before beckoning Jebis over. “I was prisoner in the Steading’s smithy, and I owegiants, but no one offered t’ make me into food. So you’ve a right, too.”

Jebis declined, but one of the hunters came to his side with a dagger clenched in his hand.

“We owe ’em,” the man said. He glanced at his dazed companion. “Poor Gorbisthere, he may never be the same. Kill one, dwarf. I’ll see to the other.”

“Good,” the dwarf replied. “Y’know how to give a stag aclean, quick death. Do as much here.”

Nemis came over to stand next to Lhors.

“Stay there, lad,” he said. “Close your eyes if you choose,but help me keep Mal from seeing anything.”

He hadn’t meant to watch, but Lhors found himself unable tolook away. The dwarf’s eyes were locked on the hunter’s. “We’ll kill the wolvesfirst.”

The hunter nodded. “Make it as bloodless as you can. Feller’dfreeze around here in blood-soaked clothes.”

The two dispatched the wolves by bringing a heavy blade down across the neck of each, severing the spine. The hunter then picked up a short spear leaning against the table, brought it over his head in a two-handed grip, and plunged it down through the giantess’ eye. She jerked once, then the breathwent out of her in a faint sigh.