“Behind you,you fool,” Stygl shouted, “The pink one’s gettingaway.”
Cyrus did notdare look back. He ran as fast as he could for the mouth of the cave. Thewooden liquor barrel caught him in the back of the legs. Again, he struck theunforgiving floor. His hip and shoulder screamed and his neck popped. Like adrunk, he tried to regain his footing. A muddy hand squeezed him around thestomach, pushing the life from his lungs.
“Think you canget away that easy?” Grim asked.
Cyrus’ headwas ringing. He could not bear to look at the troll’s brutish features. Hisvision swam with stars, or was it snow? He peered down at Grim’sthumb. What was on his thumb?
“He took myeye,” Stygl shrieked, “He’s mine!”
There was asnowflake on Grim’s thumb. The snowflake had eyes.
“Edward?”
The spiderscurried up Grim’s wrist. Cyrus recognized the lookon his best friend’s face. Someone was about to die…
“Hand himover,” Stygl demanded, grabbing Grim’sarm.
Stygl had pulled the branch from his ruined eye. The socket seeped brownishsap.
“Get off,”Grim shouted.
He pushed Stygl’s face away with one hand, holding Cyrus out of reachwith the other.
“Can’t -breathe,” Cyrus wheezed.
His bodyswelled with anxiety. He was about to pass out.
“Ouch!”
Grim dropped Cyrus.Cyrus struck the ground, smashing his elbow on the granite floor. He lay on allfours gasping for breath.
“Rotten spiderbit me,” Grim continued.
Cyrus lookedup. The troll was inspecting his right hand. Cyrus waited for Grim todisintegrate.
“Ouch,” thetroll said, a second time, “It bit me again!”
He began tosquirm and smack at his arm. Why was he not dead? Styglpushed Grim aside and clutched Cyrus’ right leg.
“Mine!” hesaid, raising Cyrus to his mouth.
Cyrus hadbarely regained his breath. He struggled and squirmed, but had little strengthleft.
“Put himdown,” commanded a warbled voice.
“Impossible!”Tier gasped, still chained to the wall.
Cyrus twistedand peered towards the mouth of the cave. Fibian!It had been the glow of the froskman’s eyes thathe saw outside the cave earlier. Fibian stood hunchedin the cavern’s threshold, pale and sweaty. He held the yeti rifle in his hands.The weapon looked absurd in his relatively small grip.
“What are yousupposed to be, some sort of filthy klops?” Stygl asked.
The trollraised his foot to stomp the froskman.
“Stygl, he’s got that bewitched staff, you fool!” Grimshouted.
BOOM!
A lead ballblew Stygl’s middle toe off, then buried itself inhis forehead. His head lolled as he collapsed forward. Fibianstepped aside. The brute’s face smashed into the ground beside him. Cyrus tumbledfrom his grip and rolled to the floor. The troll’s body gurgled and burped,then grew still.
“What have youdone?” Grim roared. “Now I’m the only one left.”
He movedtowards Stygl. Slowly, Cyrus crawled to Fibian’s side. The froskmanre-aimed the rifle.
“One stepfurther and there will be none of you left.”
It was anempty threat, Cyrus knew. The rifle was dry, but Grim did not know that.
Cyrus lookedto Fibian. The froskman’seyes were dim, his lips pale, and his waxy flesh beaded with black oil.
“Don’t killme,” Grim said, “I can be of use to you. I can help you avoid the klops.”
Edwardappeared on the troll’s shoulder.
“Forgetavoiding the klops,” Tier said.
She rattled herrusted chains.
“You’re goingto take us up the mountain. You’re going to lead us right to their queen!”
Cyrus and Fibian looked at each other. Was this another trick?
Chapter 17
TABLES TURN
EARLY MORNING FOG cloaked the mountainside.Cyrus sat beside the glowing fire, warming his shaking bones. He had retrievedhis clothes from the inner cavern, but still his blood ran cold.
Grim broodedon one side of the cave, his wrists and ankles bound in spider silk, Tier satchained to the wall on the opposite side.
“I’m sorry,”Edward said, curled in Cyrus’ hand, “His hide was too thick. It was like bitinginto tree bark.”
“You did great,”Cyrus said, unable to keep the smile off his face, “You and Fibianboth. But how did you find us?”
The froskman sat hunched to Cyrus’ left, eating a loaf ofbread.
“You didlittle to hide your tracks,” he said, shaking uncontrollably, “And the trolls dideven less. We would have come in sooner, but in my weakened state I thought itbetter to try and take them in their sleep.”
Along with therifle and crossbows, Fibian had recovered Tier’s foodand powder satchels the trolls had discarded by the campfire.
Cyrus wipedthe black oil from Fibian’s smooth face and gave himwater from the skin warmed by the fire.
“The rifle wasempty,” Cyrus said, “How did you get it to work?
“I am a quickstudy,” Fibian said, “I watched carefully as Tierreloaded it, back within the ravine.”
“You were shottwice through the chest,” Tier said, chewing on a heel of bread, “Once by my mother,and once with a poisoned klops arrow. Never mindreloading the rifle, how are you still alive?”
Cyrus notedthe disappointment in her deep voice.
“We’re tougherthan we look,” he said.
“The poisonslowed the healing a great deal,” Fibian added, touchinghis wounded chest with his good hand, “but I believe most of the toxins havebeen purged from my system.”
“One of hishearts stopped at one point,” Edward said, stepping across Cyrus’ palm, “I wasso afraid.”
“Whoever heardof a talking spider?” Grim said, pouting, “Warlocks and murderers, the lot of ya. We wasn’t goin’ a eats you.We was just playin’.”
The troll’svoice echoed throughout the shadowy cave, as water collected in frozen spikesfrom the towering ceiling.
Edwardmotioned towards Tier.
“What do we doabout her?” he asked.
Cyrus lookedover at the yeti. Tier stared back.
“She couldhave killed me,” Cyrus said, “or at least kept me from escaping, but shedidn’t. She was going to double-cross me, but she changed her mind.”
“We can useall the help we can get if we are to rescue the yeti from their slave camp,” Fibian added.
“I don’t trusther,” Edward replied, “Her mother set us up. What’s to say she won’t do thesame?”
“Well, wecan’t leave her here like this,” Cyrus said, “and I’m not just going to killher in cold blood.”
“Help rescuemy people,” Tier interrupted, “and I will consider my mother’s death a casualtyof war. Fail me, and no amount of spider’s poison or that blue-eyed demon’ssorcery will stop my revenge.”
Edward lookedat Cyrus. He shook his tiny head no.
“We have no choice,”Cyrus said, rubbing his hands over the fire.
“I agree,” Fibian added, dining on the yeti’s food.
“Then get meout of these filthy chains,”
