“Farther in and up,” Jerdren said promptly. “Something elsethe madman told Blor-how the creatures close to the road weren’t as deadly asthose farther in and higher up? We can waste a lot of time killing kobolds and their kind, Eddis. Creatures that are a nuisance but not deadly, and there’s alot of ground to cover here-more than I would ever have thought back at theKeep. I’m thinking we get farther back in and up on the ledges, where we can geta better feel for what’s here. Me, I’m all for scouring out these cavesentirely, but even I can see that isn’t likely. Snow’ll bury us to our chinsbefore we get that far. Autumn’s well on, and this summery heat can’t last muchlonger. Besides, say we completely clean out one cave like we did with those kobolds, maybe something else comes along right behind us and fills it up, and there we are again? I say we start picking our fights, get smart about it. We kill off bugbears and others like ’em, maybe the goblins and orcs’ll see thedamage we can do, and they’ll up and run for it.”
“Could be. Good point, though-picking our fights.” Eddis tookthe map from him and eyed it for some moments, finally shrugged and handed it back. “Farther back in it is. Keeping in mind that we’ve got a few new fightersto break in.”
“They’ll do all right, and we still have our priest and ourmage,” Jerdren reminded her.
“Yeah, well, whatever else we accomplish here, we can atleast leave something of a map for any who follow us.”
“Don’t talk like that, Eddis!” Blorys protested. He’d come upbehind them. “You sound like you think we’ll all die here!”
She shook her head, smiled up at him. Her eyes were warm. So were Blorys’. Jerdren blinked and looked away. Eddis and my brother? When didthat start? Blor’d never smiled at a woman that way in his young life, and Eddis…
Even more unnerving, he felt disappointed. As if I would have a chance with her… He shook the thought off, let his eyes wander. Man like mehasn’t any business wanting a woman, even a fighter like Eddis.
“I’m not planning on it,” Eddis told him, “but I agree withJers. Let’s pick our fights from now on. It’s no good battling rats when there’sbear in the woods. Another thing,” she added with a sidelong glance Jerdren’sdirection. “We did all right against that ogre, but if we find ourselves in aspot like that again, and it looks like we’re losing- well, that won’t help theKeep or us. At that point, there is
Jerdren stared at her, astonished.
“Dead heroes don’t kill anyone,” she reminded him. “Smartheroes back off and go find another cave to play in.”
Jerdren let his head fall back, and he laughed heartily. “Gods, but you have a tongue on you, woman! Don’t look at me like that, Brother.She’s right, and I’m smart enough to see it.” He folded the map and put it awayas he got to his feet. “If everyone’s ready,” he added, “we’d better move out.
They hadn’t gone far when Willow, who was ahead, stopped andheld up a hand for silence. “I hear something overhead,” he said softly. “Adroning noise.”
“Stirge,” Jerdren said flatly. “Stay close, all of you, andkeep your eyes open. If one lands on you-”
He spun around as Flerys yelped. An insect as long as her upper body was clinging to Eddis’ back, its long proboscis feeling along theside of her face as she swore under her breath and furiously swatted at it.
“Hold still, I’ll get it,” Blorys said, but Eddis spun aroundand slammed into the nearest tree, squashing the thing between her and the trunk. Green muck and blood splattered. The swordswoman staggered away, nose wrinkling at the foul odor and the mess. M’Baddah was at her side then, rubbingbriskly at her neck, armor, and leather cap with the cloth that held his spare bowstrings.
“Get moving, now!” Jerdren ordered. “There’s never just oneof those things.”
Eddis nodded, dragged out her own bowstring cloth, and mopped at her face as they started out again.
They heard the deep, whining buzz several times but saw no more of the bloodsuckers. Once within the ravine, they moved north, staying fairly close to the rock wall, moving warily but quickly now, crossing the few open places at a near run.
When the ledge at their right hand began to curve south, Jerdren called a halt so they could get their breath back and study the lay of the land. The trees were very thick here, the air musty and humid. From the little he could see, he thought they might be near the inner curve of the ravine. Good as anywhere for a start. A few moments later, they went on.
The rock face rose steep and crumbly here, but there were plenty of handholds, and Blorys found a way up they could all negotiate. In the thick dust, Jerdren could make out footprints. Lots of them, and very big. A few paces on, Willow found a rough trail that worked its way up the ledge.
The trees came together again, leaving them in a twilightlike gloom. The cave that came into sight among the trees was even darker. There were signs on both sides of the entry, written in several languages, including Common.
“Safety to humanoids,” Eddis read in a low voice. “Welcome!”Her lips twisted. “Someone has a sense of humor.”
“Hope it’s not more hobgoblins,” Jerdren murmured. “Man couldget bored, fighting them twice in a row.”
He sent M’Baddah and Mead on ahead, holding back the rest ofthe party until they could check the opening.
Silence, broken only by the echoing
“I sense large beings, evil ones,” the mage said, “and thepassage smells like wet dogs.”
Jerdren nodded grimly. “Our luck’s holding,” he said quietly.“We’ve got bugbears in there. Watch for traps. They’ll have ’em all over theplace. Remember-they’re big and fast but not very bright.”
There was no door on the cavern entry and no guards, though they could hear harsh laughter coming from their left. The passage ended almost at once, joining another that went off right and left. Distant torchlight faintly illuminated the right passage, and Jerdren could make out a room the other direction by the flickering light of a fire. Low voices came from that direction.
The air in this tunnel was cool and unpleasantly moist. It still smelled like wet dog, but he could also make out the savory odor of roasting meat.
“Left,” Jerdren said quietly and stepped back to let M’Baddahand Willow take the lead as he drew his sword.
The passage was quiet and empty. Just short of the room, they passed a flight of stairs going up into gloom on their right. M’Baddah stoppedjust short of the light, and Jerdren came up behind him. It’s a guard room, hethought. Cots, blankets… and guards.
Two cots piled with filthy looking furs and cushions had been shoved against the far wall, a massive bronze gong suspended from the ceiling between them. Three bugbears, dad in leather armor, sat around a brazier mid- room, keeping a close eye on long spits of meat. Some guards, Jerdren thought.
He beckoned Mead close and murmured against his ear, “Makesure none of ’em get to that gong.”
The mage nodded.
Eddis set an arrow to her bowstring and glanced at Jerdren, nodded once, and moved quietly into the room, back against the wall, M’Baddahright on her heels. Jerdren tapped two of the Keep archers to watch the stairs and the passage behind them. Blorys sheathed his sword and drew a pair of throwing knives.
The three bugbears turned slowly as someone’s foot scrapedacross the stone floor. Only just aware they’ve been invaded? Jerdren wondered.They didn’t seem too concerned about it. One bared its teeth in what might havebeen a smile, scooped up the nearest skewer, and bit into the meat, then slowly got to its feet, holding it out to Eddis. The other two followed his lead.
“Don’t trust that, you men,” Eddis warned and leaped aside asone lunged, trying to pin her to the wall. She let go her bowstring, but the arrow merely sliced along the bugbear’s neck. Bleeding but barely damaged, helunged at her again.
Off to Jerdren’s right, someone yelled in pain, and one ofthe bugbears snarled triumphantly. Jerdren slashed at the bugbear after Eddis, fell back as the brute swiped at him with the skewer. Eddis’ second arrow clovedeep into the bugbear’s arm, but didn’t slow the creature at all. One of theKeep men jammed his spear between flaps of leathers and yelped as the wood was torn from his grasp.
