White Plume Mountain

“Yes, in every possible way!”

Pleading hands reached up toward the human men. “Pleaserescue us! Come into the water and we’ll give you anything you like!”

Flying high above, Escalla wearily rolled her eyes.

“Oh, brother! Who are you two kidding?”

“But it’s true!” The minstrel girl pouted, stung to tears bythe nasty-old faerie. She looked imploringly up at the Justicar. “I’m aninnocent girl trapped here by a spell! I’ve been so lonely! I’m human, and I’maching to be yours!”

The elf fought her way to the fore.

“I’m aching too! I bet I ache more!”

“You do not!” The brunette whirled and began arguing with hercompanion. “I was aching this morning!”

“Well I was aching yesterday!”

The minstrel maid went into a sulk. “That’s just like you!You never want to share!” She turned and flicked a hand toward the human males.“Oh, just come in the water and take me!”

Jus felt an ensorcellment rippling across his soul, only to flare out and die against the well-tried power of his magic ring. Sir Olthwaite also seemed magically immune. Bereft of such protection, Polk gave a howl of joy and ran straight toward the women.

The Justicar spun, punched Polk unconscious with a single massive left to the jaw, and caught the man by the scruff of the neck as he fell. He sat the man up against the wall, then glared down at the two girls in the water.

“Kelpies. Gods, but Kelpies annoy me.”

The two water-women made an “Awww!” of disappointment andlooked imploringly up out of the water.

“We can do drow.” The elfmaid’s form shifted, her silky whiteskin deepening to coal black and her hair shimmering into a silvery white. “Isthis better?”

“Knock it off!” Hovering high above the water, Escallafrowned “Jus? What are they?”

“Kelpies-intelligent weeds.” The Justicar dragged Polkupright with one heave of his arm. “They charm males, let them drown, then chewthem up for plant food.”

The faerie bridled in alarm.

“But that’s horrid!”

“We’re sorry.” The two women hung their heads, then cast alittle glance up at the Justicar. “You should probably spank us.”

“Shut up, or I’ll come back with a bucket of weed poison.”The ranger managed to drag Polk, backpack and all, around the rim of the room. He tested the way ahead with the tip of his sword. “The edges are shallow, themiddle’s deep. Head for the stairs.”

The two kelpies were left behind as Sir Olthwaite, the Justicar, and Escalla scaled the stairs. Pouting unhappily, the kelpies sniffed as Jus tramped past. “Mammals have no sense of fun!”

Jus ignored them. Stamping his boots to try to free them of some of their burden of dungeon water, the big man reached the top of the stairs, dropped Polk against the wall, then felt in the teamster’s pockets forthe inevitable flask of liquor. He trickled a little of the alcohol into the man’s open mouth, took a pull on the flask himself, and passed it up to thefaerie.

Escalla drank, coughed as though she had just swallowed acid, and tossed the drink back down to the Justicar.

“Ooooh, amphisbanae piss! You don’t get much of thatnowadays.” The girl sounded hoarse. “How is he?”

Jus shrugged, hardly caring. At his feet, Polk swallowed, stirred, and opened an accusing eye. Mightily offended, the man cradled his jaw and said, “What did you do that for?”

“They were evil animated water weeds, and they wanted togrind you up for fertilizer.”

“The fiends!” Polk bridled and shot a regretful glance backdown the stairs. “Even the minstrel girl?”

“Definitely the minstrel girl.” Jus hauled the little manup to his feet. “You’re all right. Take another drink, and let’s get going.”

Blinking in amazement, Polk suddenly gazed up at the Justicar and sputtered, “You saved me! You saved my life!”

“Yup.”

“You’re a hero!”

“If you say so.”

Suddenly Polk felt the weight of his backpack and raised a suspicious brow.

“You just didn’t want to have to dive into the water toretrieve the magic hammer.”

“Yup.” The Justicar smiled.

The little teamster muttered, took a drink from his flask, and cast an eye about the room. Sir Olthwaite stood guard against the upper passage while light still reflected from the kelpie pool below. Feeling victimized, Polk tenderly probed his own jaw.

“Kelpies, eh? How did you throw off the evil spell?”

The Justicar held up a hand and removed his gauntlet. A bone ring shone on his finger.

“Useful trinket. Protection against fear and charm spells.”The man cast a glance up at Escalla. “And Escalla’s safe. It’s not like thekelpies have anything to offer her.”

Biting her knuckle and casting an eye back down the stairs, Escalla gave a start.

“What? Oh, yeah! Didn’t do a thing for me! Not even theelfmaid!”

All eyes now turned toward the paladin. Sir Olthwaite drew himself up proudly, his chiselled face radiating a superior air, and he said, “Vows of chastity armor a man against such feminine wiles.”

Escalla and Jus both raised a brow. Sneering from atop the ranger’s helm, Cinders snarled at the paladin.

Burn…

“Later.” The Justicar looked at the plain wooden door at theside of the steps and then at the huge double- flanged metal portal that sealed off the corridor. He jerked his chin toward the metal doors. “That way.”

Escalla fluttered curiously in front of the metal doors and frowned.

“Must be something really important on the other side.”

“Something that eats fish heads.” Polk sniffed. “Can’t bemuch.”

“Yeah, you’re right!” The girl let the humans push open theway. “Well, we’ve had vampires, giant flesh monsters, green slime, and talkingkelp. There can’t be much left.” Her wings whirring, the girl made a toast withPolk’s own flask and then flew into the dark. “Here’s to something small!”

19

“Ha! A fish head!” Forgetting to remain invisible, Escalladarted back and forth over the floor finding clues. “And another one! We’re onthe right track!”

It took a nose less sensitive than Cinders’ to sense thetrail ahead. The first huge metallic doors had swung open upon a short passageway that led to a duplicate portal of the first. Fish heads had been dropped here and there, and the tracks of some kind of handcart trailed mud across the floors.

Escalla fluttered about impatiently as Sir Olthwaite and Jus put their shoulders to the next doors and swung them slowly outward, revealing yet another chamber blocked by metal doors. The fish reek came more strongly as the doors opened wide. An old fish head had clearly fallen free as it was carried over stone flanges in the floor, and the stench was enough to bring water to the eyes.

Escalla fluttered about the last pair of doors. Halting to the rear, Jus knelt and examined the previous portal, inspecting the perfect fit of the doors against heavy stone flanges built into the corridor. The doors were absurdly easy to open from the south but seemed to be built to stop an assault of some kind from the north.