Forgotten Lore (Updated M-W-F)

Chapter 190

Majerion came over to where Kosk was sitting on a low bench along one of the side walls of the house. The dwarf had pruned back the vines that had drifted down from the broken ceiling, clearing a space to sit while he waited for Loriellan to finish preparing the evening meal.

“I have traveled far and wide,” the bard said, “and you are the first dwarven devotee of the Open Fist that I have encountered. I did not know that the monastic orders had gained an appeal among your people.”

“Life often follows unexpected paths,” Kosk said.

“Indeed. May I?” Majerion asked, gesturing toward the end of the bench.

“If you must.”

The elf bowed as if the statement had been a grand invitation, sweeping a segment of vine away with one boot before he settled into the space. “Have you known Glorianna for a long time?”

“Less than half a year,” Kosk said. “Though it seems like longer sometimes.”

Majerion cracked a smile at that. “How did you meet, if you do not mind me asking?”

“A job,” Kosk said. After a moment’s delay he added, “The abbot at the monastery I was at owed a wizard a favor. Glori showed up for the same job.”

“Artifact hunting, wasn’t it?”

Kosk shot the elf a hard look. “You are well informed.”

“Well.” The elf leaned in conspiratorially. “Secrets are my trade, after all.” He drew back and tugged a small cheroot from a pocket of his coat. “Do you mind? It’s a filthy habit, but one that I picked up in my travels.” At Kosk’s shrug the elf snapped his fingers, summoning a tiny flicker of flame that he touched to the end of the cigar. When it caught he drew a deep draught from it and then released it into the air, leaning back with a contented sigh. “I am glad that Glori has found some good friends who care about her,” he said.

Kosk’s response was a non-committal grunt.

Majerion let out another plume of smoke. “Has she spoken much of me?” he asked.

Kosk turned to look at him directly. “Look. My philosophy is that I prefer to stay out of other people’s business. Glori is my friend, and I look out for her, but as far as I’m concerned, whatever exists between the two of you is not my concern.”

The elf nodded. “That is a philosophy that I can respect, even if I do not share it.” He stood. “I will leave you to your meditations, master dwarf.”

He started to turn away, but hesitated as an intent look crossed the dwarf’s face. “What is it?”

“Did you hear something?” Kosk asked.

Majerion cocked his head. “No, though I will reveal a shameful secret of my own: I am slightly deaf in my left ear.” He seemed unconcerned, but Kosk noted how he shifted slightly so that his lyre slid around his body into his grasp.

Both men took a quick look around the room. The Rangers were either gathered around the fire or checking their gear. Brightbriar had not yet returned, but as Kosk stood he saw Shreskra watching him, the firelight glowing in her eyes.

“I am going to check on Glori,” Kosk said. But before he could take one step there was a loud crash and someone fell through the roof. He landed in the middle of the floor, falling into a crouch as broken shingles pattered to the ground around him.

Everyone started in surprise as the figure rose to his full height. He had hit the floor with enough force to leave a divot in the wooden boards of the floor, yet he did not seem affected by his calamitous descent. He looked like a younger version of Brightbriar at first glance. He was clad in similar garments in forest colors, though his were in a state of advanced decay. But there was something definitely off about him, even leaving aside the unusual means of his arrival in the cabin. The light of the fire revealed skin that was a clammy gray, drawn tight over a face that left his eyes glowing within deep hollows. There was something else, a slight greenish tinge to both his flesh and his clothes. As he turned, the source was revealed to be a fuzz of mossy growth that appeared to cover him from head to toe, the stuff sprouting even from the exposed skin of his face and hands.

By chance Tenaille was closed to him, and she was first to respond, drawing two knives from the assortment at her belt as she lunged forward. The altered Tender reacted quickly, stepping in to meet her before she could strike. He seized hold of her with both hands and with a seemingly effortless motion hurled her across the cabin. She struck the wall near the hearth with enough force to dislodge some of the building stones, then dropped limply to the floor. The knives made a jarring clatter as they fell.

As the rest of them reached for their weapons the creature’s jaw dropped open. A terrible, low moan issued from his lips. That sound was echoed a moment later by a reverberating crash that seemed to come from just outside the cabin. Kosk recognized it; it was the familiar pulse of a thunderwave.

But before he could do anything else, the creature attacked.

Chapter 191

The altered Tender turned to face Kosk. The dwarf did not know whether it was undead or something else, but he had already gotten a pretty good idea that it was extremely dangerous. And from the fading echoes of Glori’s thunderwave, he would have given good odds that there was at least one more of them outside.

He prepared to divert its attack, but before it could lunge at him the way it had at Tenaille Majerion distracted it with a thrust from his rapier. He barely clipped it on the shoulder, but darted back quickly before it could do to him what it had done to the Ranger.

Kosk took full advantage of the distraction, charging toward the heavy door that led out of the cabin. But the creature, moving quickly, beat him to it. It slammed a hand against the wood, and Kosk could see the wood shift as it swelled in response, with sprouts of twisting brown and green erupting out of its substance. He didn’t have to try the door to know it would resist his strength as if it had been secured with a heavy lock. Whatever the thing before him was, it didn’t want any of them going anywhere.

The creature shuddered as an arrow from Darethan’s longbow slammed into it from behind. Kosk could see the point poking out slightly from its chest, but there was no blood and the wound did not seem to faze it in the least. Loriellan was next, his sword gleaming in the firelight, but once again the creature proved its speed. It carried no weapon but apparently needed none, swiping out with its arm to strike the Ranger hard in the chest. He was knocked sprawling into a table with enough force to snap off one leg and send both him and it to the floor.

Once more it turned toward Kosk, but the dwarf was ready. Even it its other arm started to reach out he leapt up and kicked off the thick threshold of the doorway, turning into a spin that drove his other foot into the thing’s chest. Strong as it was it could not resist the force of that impact, and it was knocked sprawling into the corner of the cabin. As it reached up to steady itself Kosk could see tiny sprouts extending out from its fingertips, helping it gain purchase on the uneven stone. He glanced back to see what the others were doing. Loriellan was still down but moving. Shreskra had gone to Tenaille’s aid, though it looked like the Ranger was unconscious if not worse. Darethan had fitted another arrow to his bowstring but from the look on his face he too had recognized how little an effect his first shot had had on the creature.

But Majerion had advanced to the center of the room, and as the creature began to pull itself back up he stepped forward to confront it. He carried not his rapier but his lyre, and he quickly strummed a melody that even Kosk could feel was laden with power. The magic gathered quickly, and in response the corner of the room where the creature was standing exploded into flames. They engulfed the thing, which did not cry out but struggled to get clear.

Kosk didn’t wait around to see how effective the bard’s spell was. Turning back to the door, he paused just a heartbeat to focus before spinning into another precision kick. This one struck the door at a precise point, and the thick layers of wooden planks shattered. He followed with a punch that tore the remnants out of the jam and opened a path for him to charge through. He could feel sharp splinters poking into him as he pushed out into the night. Behind him there was a heavy thud as Loriellan and Darethan thrust the damaged table into the burning creature, pushing it back into the inferno of Majerion’s wall of fire. One of the elves cried in pain, either from being burned or from a counterattack from the monster, but Kosk continued forward, seeking Glori and Embrae.

It only took him a moment to find them. Glori’s lyre was playing a furious melody, pulling him forward. He charged around the edge of the building to see that his earlier fear was correct; there was a second one of the Tender-creatures battling the two women. Glori was injured, one side of her face smeared with fresh blood. She turned and saw him, but to his horror that creature took advantage of that distraction to leap forward, its arms outstretched to snare her. Embrae was half a dozen paces away, too far away to immediately intervene.

He shouted a warning and sprinted forward, knowing he was too late. But to his surprise the creature passed right through her. Too late Kosk realized that the sounds of playing he had heard were being echoed by another dark figure in the shadow of the building.

The creature, having failed to catch his foe, immediately turned toward Kosk. But before it could charge again Embrae lifted her hands and unleashed a bolt of brilliant energy into the creature.

The light blinded Kosk for just a moment. The thing flinched back, and as Kosk’s vision returned he could see that the growth that covered it had been seared black. As he watched he could see its flesh crinkle and char, leaving a hole in its neck and the side of its jaw where she’d blasted it. He could also now see that there were other marks on it that suggested this wasn’t the first time she’d hit it with her power.

The creature turned toward her, but Kosk came up quickly behind it and slammed his staff hard against the backs of its knees. They buckled and the creature fell to the ground. It quickly pushed itself up again, but before it could ready another attack Embrae stepped forward and extended both hands toward the thing. She waited just a beat for Kosk to get clear, then her eyes flashed with light and a searing gout of pure fire erupted from her fingertips. The flames engulfed the creature, which struggled and flailed but could not escape. She did not cease until the thing was destroyed.

Kosk turned as Glori hurried forward to rejoin them. The wound on her face had not only been part of the illusion, he saw, but she seemed otherwise okay. “Are you all right?” she asked.

“I’m fine, but there’s another one of those things in the cabin,” Kosk said. The whole place was on fire now, with smoke pouring up from the corner where Majerion had conjured his spell.

The three of them quickly hurried back to the entrance and got there just as the elves were staggering clear of the entrance. Shreskra was carrying Tenaille, who was still unconscious, and Darethan was supporting Loriellan. Majerion turned with a look of relief as he saw Glori and the others approaching.

“Is it destroyed?” Kosk asked.

“It took some doing, but it’s not coming out of that,” Majerion said. As if in response to his words there was a loud crash as part of the damaged roof gave way, and a bright surge of fire rose up into the night sky. The four of them stared through the open doorway at the conflagration within, unwilling to leave the circle of light despite the searing heat that poured out from the dying cabin.

Shreskra staggered to her feet. “Where’s Razelle?”

Glori looked around. “We didn’t see her.”

The Ranger started to walk away from the burning cabin, but Kosk stepped forward to block her. “There might be more of those things out there. The Tender’s still missing as well, but we shouldn’t get separated.

For a moment it seemed almost as if she would ignore him, but then she glanced back at the wounded survivors of her command and nodded. Glori had already rushed over to Tenaille, while Majerion attended to Loriellan. Both Rangers responded to the healing magic that the bards commanded, and soon Tenaille was groaning as Glori eased her carefully up to a sitting position.

“Feels like… I was hit by… a battering ram,” she said.

“Whatever those things were, they were strong,” Kosk said. “What happened with you two?” he asked Glori.

“One came on me in the dark,” she said. “I thought it was Embrae at first, or maybe Razelle, but then it attacked me. It got in a good hit, but then I hit it with a thunderwave.”

“We heard that,” Kosk said. “But one dropped in through the roof before we could do anything.”

“Those things, they were Tenders?” Glori asked.

“We can’t know that for certain,” Shreskra said. “We need to find Brightbriar, and Razelle.”

“Give them a moment to recover,” Majerion said.

The Ranger leader turned toward him. “What you did in there, that was reckless. We could have all been burned to death.”

“With all due respect, Ranger, what you were doing to that point didn’t seem to be working all that well.”

Shreskra looked like she would say more, but they were interrupted as Tender Brightbriar emerged from the nearby forest and hurried toward them. “Where in all the hells have you been?” the Ranger asked, all but shouting.

“I took a walk to clear my head,” the Tender said. “What happened?”

“We were attacked,” Glori said.

“By possible friends of yours,” Kosk asked.

The old elf looked confused, and after a moment Kosk said, “Let’s show him. There’s not much left of the one outside, but maybe he might have some answers.”

“I have to find Razelle,” Shreskra said. “You take him, stay here. Darethan, you’re with me. Loriellan, are you okay to scout?”

Tenaille quickly stood. “I’m all right too,” she began, but Shreskra shook her head. “Stay with them. Don’t let them out of your sight.”

To Glori it was obvious that her words had another meaning, but the Ranger leader was already heading off into the forest, flanked by her men. Kosk met her eyes and nodded in understanding. “All right, come on then,” she said to Brightbriar.

Chapter 192

“What are we looking for?” Bredan asked.

“Not looking, listening,” Darik said.

The four of them—Bredan, Quellan, and Xeeta, along with the dwarf warrior—stood in silence atop the battlements of the Darkfall Gate. The dwarves had removed the bodies of their own fallen and the trolls they had defeated, but the stones were still sticky with blood and a thick scent of death hung in the air.

“I can’t hear anything over that racket,” Xeeta said. “What are they doing over there, anyway?”

The noise came from beyond the edge of the lights that shone from atop the wall. It was a complex din of hoots, drums, and the harsh noise of metal striking stone.

“They want us to know that they’re still out there,” Bredan said.

“It’s more than that,” Darik said. “They’re digging in, fortifying. There’s at least one formorian still out there, possibly more. But that isn’t what I brought you here for. Come on, let’s go below.”

They made their way back down the stairs, passing dwarves who were bringing up satchels of fresh ammunition and other supplies in anticipation of another assault. Darik led them into one of the guard houses, then, after an exchange of words with a sentry, through a door into a tunnel that penetrated into the interior of the wall itself. The sounds of activity faded behind them as they came to a set of narrow steps that descended to a small chamber. There was another dwarf on duty there, but at a look from Darik he gave up his post to make room for the new arrivals.

As they crowded into the close space the companions could see what the dwarf had been guarding. There was a low stone pedestal in the center of the room, upon which a round metal frame had been attached. A glass half-sphere rested in the frame, and inside that was a slightly smaller globe, surrounded by metal prongs that hovered over it like bent fingers.

“Ah, this is the second seismograph that the Loremaster mentioned,” Quellan said. “It’s bigger.”

“What’s a seismograph?” Bredan asked. He leaned over the device to get a better look, careful not to touch anything.

“It detects movements in the earth,” Quellan explained. “Those marks indicate disturbances.”

“It must be incredibly sensitive,” Xeeta said. “Don’t all the dwarves moving around above set it off? For that matter, what about us?”

“The sensors that operate the device are embedded deep in the surrounding bedrock,” Darik explained. “Each of those stylus arms is linked to a different sensor.”

Bredan continued to study the globe, and the markings that formed elaborate spirals around the central axis. “These here, this was the attack on the Gate, right?”

Darik did not need to examine the indicated line. “Yes.”

“There’s something else, then,” Quellan said.

Darik came forward and indicated a line extending from another of the metal styluses. The companions bent over it for a long moment, but could not see anything remarkable at first.

“There’s a tiny squiggle here, I think,” Xeeta finally said. “What does it mean?”

“It means that they’re burrowing,” Darik said.

Chapter 193

They continued the briefing in another meeting room one level up from the Darkfall Gate. Ambassador Konstantin rejoined them, along with Akhenon Loremaster, Dergan Steelhammer, and a handful of senior dwarven officers clad in suits of heavy armor.

“It would take months to hack through enough solid rock to bypass the Gate,” one of the officers was saying.

“Do not underestimate the raw strength of the formorians,” Darik warned. “Or the intensity of the trolls.”

“I do not think any of us will forget that, not after yesterday’s adventure,” Koron Deepdelver said. It wasn’t clear why the warrior was there; he did not appear to have any particular rank or special standing, but none of the senior dwarves had objected when he’d filed in with the rest of them.

“I appreciate you including us in this discussion,” Konstantin said. “What is it you intend to do, and how can we assist?”

“We need intelligence,” Dergan said. “We must know what they are planning, and whether our assessment of their ability is accurate.”

“The sensors have given us a good idea of where they are focusing their efforts,” another of the officers said. “We’ll know how quickly they are progressing before they get anywhere close to a breakthrough.”

“Unless they have a surprise planned,” Bredan pointed out. Every eye turned to him, but he did not falter under that scrutiny. “They’ve already proven that they can do the unexpected.”

“We’ve beaten them once, we’ll beat them again whatever they try,” the officer said.

“Still, it cannot hurt to be wary,” Dergan said. “A scout is called for.”

“The tunnels will be crawling with trolls,” another of the officers said.

“It’s too bad Glori isn’t here,” Bredan said quietly. When a few of the dwarves looked his way, he added, “She can make people invisible.”

“This is a magic that is known to us,” Akhenon said wryly. “But it would be of little use here. Trolls have an exceptional sense of smell.”

“There are ways of stinkin’ like a troll,” Koron pointed out.

“Especially if you’re already halfway there,” Xeeta added under her breath.

“Sounds like you would need a way to fit in enough that you could escape casual notice,” Bredan said. He turned to Xeeta, who looked alarmed for a moment before she finally sighed and nodded.

“What did you have in mind?” Dergan asked.

Xeeta stood. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and then extended her arms and called upon her power, her Demon.

Her body began to shift and swell. Her arms thickened and lengthened, the skin taking on a coarse, stony texture. Her torso expanded, her shoulders sliding forward as her back took on a slight hunch. Finally her head transformed, her mouth spreading wider as her horns twisted back into a protruding ridge that extended over eyes that had shifted into a pale yellow.

Several of the dwarves had drawn back in alarm as the tiefling completed her spell. She leaned forward, clicking hands that now ended in sharp claws upon the table.

Koron barked a laugh into the sudden tension. “That’s a pretty trick!” he said. “Can ye do it for a couple of us?”

“I can only use alter self on myself,” Xeeta said. The transformation had thickened and deepened her voice, but it was still recognizably hers. “But my amulet can give the seeming of such to one other person.”

“That would be me,” Bredan said.

“It would be dangerous,” Konstantin said before any of the dwarves could respond.

“If she goes, I go,” Bredan said.

“It looks good,” one of the officers said. “But you don’t know the tunnels. And what if one of the real trolls decides to stop for a chat?”

“Some of us would have to go with you,” Dergan said simply.

“I know the tunnels as well as anyone,” Darik said. “I volunteer.”

“And I,” Koron said. “I won’t let anyone do something this batshit crazy without tagging along.”

“To clarify, this would just be a reconnaissance mission,” Konstantin said.

“Indeed,” Dergan said. “Bredan, Xeeta, you have already proven yourselves on the field of battle, and we are grateful for your further offer of aid. There is risk, significant risk, but the need justifies it in my view. It is not a perfect plan, but I believe it has the greatest chance for success.”

“How would we get down there?” Xeeta asked. She undid her casting even as she spoke, and her form shifted back to normal. “Surely they must be watching the Gate closely.”

“Leave that to us,” Dergan said.

“When?” Bredan asked.

Dergan shared a meaningful look with the other dwarves around the table. “It will take a little time to get everything ready,” he said. “We will send for you when it is time.”

Good story, bro.

Thanks, HubHacken.

* * *

Chapter 194

“All right, your turn,” Xeeta said.

Bredan looked into the bucket and gagged, “Gods, that’s foul.”

“Hey! This was your idea. If you can’t handle it, I’ll smear it on you myself.”

Bredan shook his head and then reached into the bucket. It looked as though it took a significant effort to keep his lunch down as he took a handful of raw gunk and rubbed it onto his legs and arms.

“Don’t forget the chest,” Xeeta said helpfully.

They were standing in a small stone anteroom. Bredan was wearing Xeeta’s magic amulet, but he hadn’t yet activated its power. Xeeta likewise had left her alter self spell for the very last moment, since she could only maintain the casting for an hour. The dwarves assured them that it shouldn’t take them that long to reach the site of the trolls’ excavation and get back, but they all knew that anything could happen to throw off the best-planned timetable.

“How are the eyes?” Xeeta asked as Bredan reluctantly spread the foulness from the bucket onto himself. It was not something any of them would have wanted, but from what Akhenon had told them about troll noses, absolutely necessary. There had been plenty of raw material left behind after the assault on the Darkfall Gate.

“It’s still a bit weird,” he admitted. There was no light in the room, but the dwarves had provided a wizard whose darkvision spell had temporarily granted him the ability to see. That would be essential where they were going, where even a small light would bring the dwarves down on top of them. “Is this how you see all the time?”

“Only in the dark,” she said.

The door opened and Darik and Koron came in. “Ah, I see ye’ve already gotten started without us!” Koron said. He reached into the bucket with a bare hand and slapped a generous dollop of troll waste onto his belly. The others watched with distaste as he smeared it in.

The dwarves had turned in their heavy armor for garb more suited to stealth, with dark cloaks and soft boots. They wore breastplates over cuirasses of boiled leather that would give them at least some protection from attacks without making too much noise. Bredan’s had been hastily altered so that it would fit over his elongated frame. It was good work, but he still missed the reassuring bulk of his mail hauberk.

Darik applied his own masking scent with the same grim determination that he applied to all of his work. “Come on, they’re waiting for us,” he said.

They made their way out into the hall, then down a long corridor. There was no casual traffic in this part of the dwarven complex. They had already passed through two locked doors to get this far, along with another deadfall trap that could seal the passage in case of assault.

They ended up in front of yet another door, this one a steel disk set into a deep niche in the surrounding stone. A dwarf stood sentry there, his nose wrinkling in protest as they approached.

“They’re waiting inside,” he said as he operated the door’s complex latching mechanism and swung it open. They all had to duck to fit through, even the two dwarves.

The space beyond the door looked like a natural space in the rock that had been expanded slightly to make it larger. A roughly round tunnel in the far wall descended at a slight angle.

Akhenon and Quellan were waiting for them inside. The half-orc looked unhappy even before he caught a whiff of the stench. “I still think I should go with you,” he said.

“We’ve been over this,” Xeeta said. “Even if we could come up with some way to disguise you, sneaking around has never been your strong suit.”

“And there’s no time for the dwarves to adjust a suit of armor to fit you,” Bredan pointed out. “We’ll be fine. We’re just going to take a quick look and come back.”

“And we all have healing potions in case something goes wrong,” Xeeta added.

“It is time,” Akhenon said. The elder cleric seemed able to ignore the stink through an effort of will. “Gather around.”

The dwarf priest chanted the words of a spell. He held his holy symbol in one hand and a small patch of fur in the other. As he finished the spell he touched each of them with it in turn. Bredan blinked as he felt a surge of something pass through is body.

“Now remember, the blessing will only last for an hour,” Akhenon reminded them.

Koron smacked his arms together, though Bredan noted that he was careful not to make too much noise. “That’s what I’m talking about!” he said with a grin.

“Be careful,” Quellan said. “I prepared something extra for you,” he added, turning to Bredan. He touched his holy symbol to the warrior’s forehead. “This warding will resist fire,” he explained. “Just in case Xeeta needs to cut loose.”

“Thank you,” Bredan said. “We won’t be long.”

Darik led them down the corridor. It was a bit of a tight fit for Bredan, another reminder that bringing Quellan with them would have been a mistake. From what the dwarves had told them the trolls could not follow them back even if they did learn of the secret route, but he could not help but think of what might happen if he had to return this way while being pursued. The slant of the tunnel helped a bit, but that only meant it would be that much harder on the return trip.

The tunnel finally deposited them in another small, natural chamber. The only feature of note was a small winch bolted to one wall and a gaping hole in the center of the floor. Another dwarf sentry was waiting here, watching the hole. “No sound, no movement,” he reported.

“Time for your disguises,” Darik said.

Xeeta cast her alter self spell once more, while Bredan concentrated on the amulet the way that she had instructed. He’d practiced with a mirror, but it still felt strange as he looked down to see his hands shimmer and twist into a troll’s claws. Fortunately, these deep trolls were not as large as their surface cousins; even so they would be a bit on the small side.

Bredan judged the success of his effort by the way that the dwarves looked at him and Xeeta. “Shall we lower the rope?” he asked.

“No need,” Koron said. He edged over to the rim of the hole with a grin.

Bredan went over and took a look. “That has to be at least twenty-five feet!”

“You need to have faith, kid,” the dwarf said. Without waiting for a response, he dropped into the hole. He hung onto the edge with one hand for a moment before letting go.

Bredan looked down after him, expecting to see the dwarf splatted on the ground below, or at least clutching his broken legs. But Koron had landed smoothly and was waving up at him. “He’s crazy,” Bredan said.

“Yes, but he’s not wrong about this,” Darik said. “The enchantment that Akhenon put upon us gives the body enhanced agility, including the ability to absorb falls.” He jumped down after Koron, and this time Bredan could see how he dropped into a roll upon impact and came up into a crouch a few feet away. Despite the armor he wore and the gear he carried, the whole event made barely more noise than a heavy step would have.

“We can lower the rope, if you want,” Xeeta said.

“No, if this is the worst of what we have to face, I would be quite content,” Bredan replied. Even so he lowered himself as much as he could before letting go of the edge. He resisted the urge to close his eyes as he fell. At the last instant he feared that his legs would lock up, breaking them regardless of whatever magic coursed through his veins, but before he knew it he was down and rolling. Apparently, the magic didn’t need his help in keeping him alive.

Xeeta was down almost before he was back on his feet, landing in a light crouch that made the men seem awkward by comparison. “Shall we, gentlemen?”

Bredan took a quick look around. The vision granted by the darkvision spell was monochrome and shallow, almost as if he was looking at a picture instead of a three-dimensional landscape. But he had adjusted to it enough to make out the general details of their surroundings. They were in the center of a broad cavern, maybe sixty or seventy feet across. The shaft through which they’d entered was directly above them, the rim well out of the reach of even a formorian. But one of the giants could probably toss a troll up there pretty easily, Bredan thought.

There were multiple exits visible around the perimeter of the cavern, but there was little doubt about the way they needed to go. A faint but constant sound of stone being struck was clearly audible. Bredan took a few steps toward the passage where the sound seemed loudest but was interrupted by Darik’s hand on his arm.

“That’s the fastest route, but we know a way that might help avoid detection,” he said. “Maybe give us a vantage on what they’re up to.”

“All right,” Bredan said. “Lead on.”

“Actually, we should probably go first,” Xeeta said. “In case we run into some of them.”

“A good idea,” Darik said. He indicated a smaller tunnel mouth a bit further up along the wall of the cavern. “That way to start, then.”

The four of them set out in that direction, creeping slowly over the bare rock until they disappeared one at a time into the dark tunnel.

Chapter 195

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to get much closer than this,” Xeeta said.

The four of them were crouched atop a ledge that overlooked a broad cavern below. The ledge had a bit of a raised rim, offering them decent cover, but they still kept as low as they could.

The disadvantage of darkvision was that its range was quite limited. Most of the cavern was beyond that distance, but there were bits of light here and there, tiny gatherings of radiance from faintly phosphorescent growths that clung to the walls or the mineral-rich stalactites that dangled from the ceiling. It was just enough to see the trolls that were moving busily across the cavern. Some carried burdens, bulging sacks or baskets that might have be full of the tailings from a digging operation, or might have been anything at all. Others just looked to be rushing about with no particular agenda.

Most of the traffic seemed to be coming and going from a large tunnel on the far side of the cavern. That was also the area that held the scouts’ interest, for the noises that had led there here were coming from there. The din filled the cavern, and was more distinctive now that they were this close.

“We’re not going to learn much if we aren’t willing to take a few risks,” Koron said.

Xeeta shot the dwarf a dark look. They’d already taken plenty of risks thus far, to her reckoning. The magical disguises had held up, or at least they had been enough with the two groups of trolls they had encountered thus far. In neither case did the creatures get close enough to really test them, however.

“This is just a reconnaissance mission,” Bredan said.

Darik stared out into the vast dark with a pensive look on his face. “From the sounds I would say there are three giants at least, maybe four.”

Koron grinned—as if he was eager to find those giants—but Darik quickly added, “I agree that this is as far as we’re going to get this way. But there’s another option we can try before heading back.”

“The Cavern of Stars?” Koron asked. At Darik’s nod the dwarf turned to the others and said, “Yer in for a treat. It’s a pretty place.”

“I am sure the trolls won’t mind if we stop and enjoy the scenery,” Xeeta said.

“How much more time do you think we have?” Bredan asked.

“My time-sense is a bit off down here, but I’d say maybe half an hour,” Xeeta replied. “Maybe a little less.”

“You can refresh the spell, right?” Bredan said.

“Yes. But remember that we need to get back, as well. And I can’t do anything about the enchantment that Akhenon placed on us.”

“Let’s get moving, then,” Darik said.

They retraced their steps and crossed a twisting cavern to another passage high along its wall. The passage dumped them in still another subterranean chamber, this one crowded with pillars made from stalagmites that had gradually risen to meet up with their overhanging stalactites over years and years of patient dripping. The air was thick with moisture, and they had to move cautiously to avoid slipping on the slick stone.

They were halfway across the cavern when Bredan hissed a warning. “Trolls!”

He and Xeeta ducked into cover, while ten paces back the dwarves simply disappeared, their dark cloaks making them look almost like random rock formations themselves. The trolls did not come their way, but merely emerged from one passage and vanished into another. Bredan waited twenty full heartbeats before he reemerged from his hideaway, the others gathering around him.

“Is that the way we’re headed?” Xeeta asked.

“Fortunately, no,” Darik said. “The tunnel we want is just around that big jut of rock.”

“There was something odd about those trolls,” Bredan said.

“Odd how?” Xeeta asked.

“I’m not sure. But I’d like to check it out really quick.”

“We do not exactly have time to spare!” Xeeta hissed, but the young warrior was already shuffling forward across the cavern. He had to circle around a broad gash in the cavern floor and crawl up a brief ascent that led to the spot where the trolls had been, but he reached it and had started back before the others had covered half of the distance.

“I found this,” he said, holding up a hand. It was covered in some sort of viscous goup. Koron stuck a finger in it and sniffed it before sticking it in his mouth.

“Gah, disgusting,” Xeeta said.

“It’s mud,” Koron said. “Nothing special.”

“Is that common down here?” Bredan asked. “Don’t you need topsoil to have mud?”

“You do occasionally find dirt down here,” Darik said. “The way they came, it leads away from where we want to go. We don’t have time to check both ways. Do you think it’s important?”

“I don’t know,” Bredan said. “I have a feeling.”

“Uh oh,” Xeeta said.

Hmmmmmmm, I have an idea and it involves rock... and mud. IYKWIMAITYD...

carborundum said:

Hmmmmmmm, I have an idea and it involves rock... and mud. IYKWIMAITYD...

Click to expand...

As it happens, I happened to recently come into possession of a certain D&D supplement...

* * *


Chapter 196

They had no difficulty following the trail left by the trolls. The pats of mud were frequent and in places formed a solid slick on the uneven floor of the tunnel. The sounds of the mining operation receded somewhat behind them, but it was gradually replaced by sounds of activity from up ahead. They slowed their pace and cautiously followed a bend in the tunnel until it opened into a larger space.

They found themselves in still another cavern, this one a long ellipse that ascended toward its far end, a slope that began modestly but which became almost vertical. Directly in front of them was a sinkhole maybe forty feet across. The depression was full of a glistening mass of mud. They could see a slick of it that ran down from the other side of the room, where they could just make out an opening of some sort high along the cavern wall.

The scouts quickly moved out of the exposed mouth of the passage into the cover of some rocks that studded the edge of the sinkhole. The new vantage didn’t offer much of a better view, but it was enough to clearly spot the bustle of activity around the opening. “There’s a lot of trolls up there,” Xeeta whispered.

“What are they doing?” Bredan asked. “Digging?”

“This mud’s too slick to dig through,” Koron said. “It must be flowing naturally from somewhere above.”

“It can’t be a coincidence,” Bredan said. “Look at that shaft, the shape of this room… the way it’s set up, the mud drains from up there right into this hole.”

“Magic,” Xeeta said, drawing their eyes to her. “There are spells that can transform solid rock into mud.”

“That’s what they’re doing,” Bredan said. “The attack on the Gate, the giants’ digging… it’s a distraction. Where does this lead?” he asked Darik.

“I don’t know,” the dwarf said. “But I think you’re right. The route we took to get here, the angle of that shaft… it must lead somewhere inside Underhold.”

“We have to get back and warn them,” Bredan said.

“We could attack them from behind,” Koron said.

“No, Bredan’s right,” Darik said. “There are too many of them, and we don’t know how many might be in that shaft.” He stared into the darkness. “We can only hope that they haven’t broken through yet. Come on, let’s get out of here before…”

He didn’t get a chance to finish, for even as he started to turn back around Xeeta hissed a warning. It was unnecessary, since all of them could clearly see the cluster of trolls that was just emerging from the passage they had just navigated. The four of them froze, and for a moment it looked as though the trolls would walk past them. But then one turned and looked their way. It looked surprised to see Xeeta and Bredan, the pair still appearing as slightly smaller trolls, but then its eyes settled on Darik, who could not be mistaken for anything other than what he was.

“Kreee-ak!” the thing screeched. Its companions—five of them altogether—immediately spun as one to face the threat. But worse than that, an echoing cry came a moment later from the much larger gaggle of trolls on the far side of the cavern.

“Oh, crap!” Xeeta exclaimed.

Oh crap indeed!

(Great idea with the mud thing, by the way!)