was stirring, as were some of the other members of the warband. Water runnelled everywhere, it seemed, and Vex whined and licked the face of Lissa, the Pysk not moving. And Aravan swung his gaze about, trying to locate and identify who was shouting.
Atop one of the towers, with water cascading from runoff slots, he saw Binkton standing at the lip of what looked to be a parapet, with a rope strung loosely from where the buccan stood to one of the high openings in the central tower. Aravan could just discern that Binkton called for Pipper, but the swirling wind and hammering rain drowned out what else he cried.
Aravan looked down at Aylis. Her eyelids twitched, yet she did not come awake.
Brekk heaved himself to his knees and took his war hammer in hand, the armsmaster glaring about, seeking foe. Yet there were only felled Dwarves and fallen sailors at hand. He glanced across at Aravan. “Captain?”
“See to the others,” said Aravan, yet cradling Aylis. The cold rain beat on her upturned face, and he leaned over a bit to shield her from the worst of it, though it was rather like trying to stem a flood.
As Brekk slowly moved among the crew, others came to.
And still the rain hammered down.
“Find us some shelter,” said Aravan. “One of these structures will do.”
Brekk looked about. “There is a door open to that tower.” He looked up. “And what is Binkton doing atop?”
“I know not,” said Aravan, rising to his feet, Aylis yet in his arms.
Nikolai regained consciousness and got to his knees.
Aravan paused at the side of his second in command and said, “See to Lissa, Nick.” Aravan inclined his head toward the Pysk. “Bring her to the tower where I go.” And, carrying Aylis, Aravan crossed to the door and in.
Nikolai got to his feet and stepped to where Vex whined over Lissa. “ Aylos Garlon!”
“What is it?” asked Brekk.
“See?” said Nikolai.
Brekk looked. The Pysk lay on a yellow jade pavestone laced with metallic streaks.
With a puzzled gaze, Brekk looked up at Nikolai. “I don’t-”
“Pysk brown hair now gold,” said Nikolai, even as he squatted and took tiny Lissa up. Cupping her away from the rain next to his chest and, with Vex trotting at his side, off toward the open door he strode, leaving an astonished armsmaster behind.
Still the rain poured down, and Brekk sent Bruki to discover just why Binkton was shouting. Occasionally Brekk would look up, and long moments later he saw Binkton shinnying along underneath the rope to get to the central tower. The armsmaster could see Bruki standing at the edge of the parapet, one end of the line cinched about the Dwarf’s waist.
“Pip, Pip, wake up, Pip,” urged Binkton, soaked to the skin, holding his cousin close.
Pipper moaned, but did not awaken.
“Come on, Pip. Come on.” Binkton patted Pipper’s face, and his cold hands seemed to rouse Pipper. So Binkton drew Pipper to one of the openings, where rain swirled in on the wind.
Pipper sputtered and wakened. “Oh, Bink, I was having the most terrible dream; there was this darkness and-” He looked about. “It wasn’t a dream, was it? Oh, my”-his face filled with alarm, and he struggled to get up-“we’ve got to get out of-”
“No, Pip, no,” said Binkton, pressing his cousin back down. “You killed the thing. It’s gone, wailing away on the wind.”
“Gone?”
Binkton smiled, nodding.
“Dead?”
“Blew away on the wind.”
“Good,” said Pipper. “Say, how did you get here?”
“The rope.”
“But there was nothing to tie it to,” said Pipper.
“Bruki is anchoring it,” said Binkton, releasing Pipper.
They both got to their feet, and Pipper asked, “Shall we get out of here now?”
“Aye,” said Binkton. “Beware, though, the rope is wet: slick as an eel.”
“Eight Chakka and five Humans, Captain,” said Brekk. “That’s how many the thing slew.”
“Where are they?”
“We bore them out of the rain and into another building, a low one with a roof.”
As Aravan nodded and glanced about at the survivors, Brekk looked at Aylis, kneeling at Lissa’s side. “Know you what the dark thing was?”
“A wraith, I think,” said Aylis. “Some call it a Shade.”
“ ‘Only shades and shadows now dwell therein,’ ” said Aravan, quoting the clay tablet they had found in the Caer Pendwyr archives.
Pipper and Binkton, now down from the roof, having shinnied across the line, sat shivering, yet cold from the chill rain. And Pipper quoted the writing from the statuette:
“Thrice I dreamt the dream
From the City of Jade I fled
Nought but shades now dwell.”
He looked at Aravan and said, “Perhaps we should have fled as well.”
Even as Aravan glumly nodded, Aylis shook her head. “’Twas an aethyrial presence who loosed the Shade.”
All of those within hearing looked in astonishment at her, and Aravan asked, “Aethyrial presence?”
“Aye. Just as did I assume an aethyrial form to explore the Black Fortress, so, too, did someone enter the tower and set the Shade upon us.”
“Who?” asked Binkton, an angry glint in his eye.
“The King,” said Pipper, and as Binkton turned to look at him, Pipper added, “the King of Swords.”
Aylis glanced over at the Warrow. “Most likely, Pipper. Most likely.”
“Kapitan,” said Nikolai, kneeling beside Aylis, both of their faces showing concern, “little one, she no wake.”
“We’ve got to get back to the ship,” said Aravan, “for warmth and food and respite. Once there, Desault can treat her.”
“In this rain, Captain?” asked Willam, one of the cargo men.
Aravan looked at the trembling Warrows. “We must. The forest is drenched, and even should we find wood, starting a fire is uncertain at best.”
“And impossible at worst,” said Binkton.
“And there be no wood in this city of stone,” said Tarley.
“It’s not that far,” said Pipper, “and perhaps the canopy will shield us from the worst of the downpour.”
Aravan looked at the others and said, “We will return when the storm has passed and take up our dead for decent burial.”
“Stone or fire,” said Brekk. “Nought else will do.” And he cast his hood over his head, as did all the surviving Dwarves.
And so, with Nikolai carrying Lissa, and Vex following at his side, the entire band headed for the Eroean.
Pipper was right in that the canopy sheltered them from the worst of the torrent, though the path itself ran ankle-deep with water, and the noise of rain in the leaves above drowned all speech. It was a grim-faced, sodden group that came up the gangplank.
Counting Vex, thirty-five had set out for the city, but only twenty-two returned.
When all had been warmed and fed and dressed in dry clothes, Aravan had called the crew together and had told them of the dreadful events in the city, Binkton and Pipper relating what they had done to destroy the dreadful Shade. All grieved at the fate of their shipmates-sailors and warband alike-yet they knew that death was a risk they each faced, and though it didn’t lessen the sorrow, it somehow helped them to deal with it. Aravan then had held a meeting with his officers, and they decided what they would do in the days to come. Night had fallen,
