Ice, Luck and Honour
Chapter 11: Out of the Frying Pan…
“Vaerana Hawklyn. Vaerana Hawklyn. Vaerana Hawklyn.”
“So, there’s an Ambergod inside this?” asked Milo as he turned the coins over in his hands.
Thalin shook his head as he walked, “No, not quite. And it’s Emberguard. That coin is just a spell, but something, somewhere is attached to it. Watch.”
Thalin stopped walking and Milo put the two coins into his companions hand. Thalin inspected them, noting that both coins were crafted with the same marks. One side bore three tufts of pelt, and on the reverse a triangle of halberds. The ice mage did a minor incantation and three thin silver lines of magic hazed into existence and traced southwards. The line stretched beyond Milo’s eyesight, and was lost among the skee and erratic boulders that surrounded the halfling.
“There are three lines because, as the coins faces show, there are three creatures attached. And these three use the halberd.” Lectured Thalin, his knowledge of Summoning Coins almost exhausted.
“But what are they?” crowed Milo, his face shaking at the expectation.
“I don’t know. We’ll find out. If we use one.”
“Now?”
“No”
“Why not?”
“Because Milo, the summoned creatures will want to fight”
“Maybe they won’t”
“Yes they will. That’s the way the spell works”
“Can’t we make friends?”
“No. If you use them now then you can fight them all on your own,” admonished Thalin.
Milo weighed up the options, then took the coins back and slipped them into his pocket, where Isplit carefully slotted them back into their respective pockets-within-pockets.
The heroes had made good time along the valley floor and Mikka had guessed their destination was perhaps only six hours walk. Thalin had entertained Milo’s constant questions, ranging from which of the villagers he would like to fight, all the way to trying ascertain a more concrete mental map of Ysgard (which he had read about somewhere, and would like to see for himself one day). Torious, meanwhile, had spent a great deal of his time telling Vaerana of his adventurous exploits, and was in the depths of relaying his battle with the sword spider when he noticed a large hole in the ground off to the left of the trail.
Torious called from up ahead, “Thalin! Take a look at this."
Thalin heard and made a move to catch his companion up, Milo galloping alongside. Vaerana called a halt to the column of villagers and told them to rest a while. Pots and pans quickly appeared and the remainder of the rations were swiftly unwrapped. Errilinth and Vaerana helped the villagers tend to any wounds (there were a few cases of frostbite) as the three companions picked their way towards the hole.
The hole turned out to be a crater, a ragged tear sat in the bottom of the depression and dropped away into darkness. Milo picked up a small stone and skimmed it into the hole with an expert shot. The stone disappeared and a clatter could be heard.
"Something fell from the sky," muttered Torious
Thalin sat on a nearby rock, “go check it out Milo.”
Milo didn’t need to be asked twice and with a pompous grin Milo summoned an unseen servant into being. He waved with childish glee at his companions as he floated down into the hole.
Milo cast a light spell on his right thumb, then inspected his surroundings. He was hovering in a rough-hewn chamber, the walls looking like they had been chopped at by large picks. Below him, another puncture in the earth led downwards.
Something had fallen hard and fast! mused Milo, his curiosity floating him towards the next hole. Tentatively, he drew
Sliverspike. Four years ago, an Ankheg had eaten his uncle. Milo certainly wasn’t going to meet the same end.
- - - - - - - - - -
“Vaerana Hawklyn. Vaerana Hawklyn. Vaerana Hawklyn,” mimed Thalin, “is that all that’s on your mind?”
“Watch your words mage,” said Torious, “I was just informing you of what our companion has said”
“Our companion? Have you taken leave of your senses?” started Thalin.
“No, I haven’t” answered Torious, “I have prayed to Tyr concerning this matter”
“Oh bloody great,” snarled Thalin as he folded his arms, Dariel looked up in distaste from the rock-sparrow he was gutting, “well at least we have Tyr’s word on this one.”
Torious turned menacingly, “don’t you dare question my father’s judgement!”
Thalin smiled back as Torious’ glare, “careful whom you place your trust in Torious, even orcs hear voices now and again.”
“What in Hades do you mean by that?”
“As much as you wish to learn from it,” answered Thalin, “just remember that we can’t trust a woman in red. It doesn’t help that we have two.”
- - - - - - - - - -
“Well, that’s just it Borunn,” for that was his silent companions chosen name, “Maybe I am over-thinking things. The chicken industry of Amn would be a tough nut to crack, but that’s not to say it can’t be”
Borunn was, as ever, silent.
“Have you ever been to Amn? No, I suppose not,” wondered Milo as Borunn set him down on the third chamber floor, “its just I need an experienced viewpoint. Anyway, thank you for your help, see you soon.”
Borunn drifted out of the Prime material. Milo pointed his thumb all around. He was in a low-ceilinged (even for him) chamber that had a slow river running to his left. By his feet, in a small but deep crater, was a set of gauntlets. They glistened beautifully in Milo’s thumb-light. Stepping softly over, he crouched next to them. Concentrating, he began to recite a simple spell that Thalin had taught him.
- - - - - - - - - -
“…and you think this Errilinth is any more trustworthy?” cried Torious, now pacing up and down in front of Thalin.
“No, I’m not saying that,” said Thalin in exasperation, “I’m saying both of the women are as much of a threat as each other. Each has something a little strange about them”
“And what is strange about miss Hawklyn?” defended Torious.
Thalin rolled his eyes, “look, I’m sure Tyr hasn’t taught you about the devils that are women, but my father certainly did. Don’t be waylaid by her charms Torious.”
“I haven’t been waylaid Thalin, her energies flow with a righteous spirit,” countered Torious, quite sure of his spells truthfulness.
“It’s just I think…” Thalin changed tack, “It’s just for justice. That’s all. We can’t rule anyone out or assume anything. Right?”
“Tyr says…” began Torious, but he was interrupted as the disembodied voice of Milo emanated from Dariel’s sparrow carcass.
“Hello. Hello, Torious Mangrane and Thalin Vorspen,” spoke Milo haltingly, “Can they hear this? Well, if you can then I’ve found what caused the craters – a pair of gauntlets, though they don’t seem to actually weigh anything. Well, I guess that’s it. Cheerio for now.”
The voice of Milo subsided and Dariel skulked away from the talking carcass with a squawk.
“Well, that’s that,” Thalin said as he groaned to a stand, “we should start everyone moving soon”
“Help Milo up then,” replied Torious gruffly, breaking a sullen silence.
Thalin frowned at Torious then went to throw a rope to Milo. No use in wasting spells thought Thalin. He hadn’t travelled two steps into the crater when with a crash of skee, Thalin disappeared into a well-placed deadfall.
- - - - - - - - - -
Milo strapped the gauntlets into his pack (resisting the severe instinct to just put them on), then gazed upwards through the ragged holes of light above. For a sudden moment, Milo felt a little wave of sickness. He coughed and swallowed. Looking up, Milo saw that the room had become molten and watery. The walls swam with strange lights and looking down at his hands, they were back to front. The obvious way out was the iron-shod gate leading to his mother’s orchard. Milo had a moment to contemplate that his mother certainly didn’t own an orchard, before realising his mistake and (of course) wandered up to the door of Robar’s cottage with a shake of his head at his own stupidity.
- - - - - - - - - -
Torious sprinted back and slid up to the pitfall that Thalin had collapsed into. The mage lay at the bottom with a grimace on his face. He was covered in skee but not at all hurt. Torious unwrapped his rope from his bag. Thalin scrambled to his feet and unlatched
Erifeci from his pack with a shout “Stay back!”
Torious watched in stunned surprise as the dark purple carapace of a huge insect lunged at Thalin from the shadows, clamping two wicked looking mandibles on his leg. Thalin screamed out in pain as a claw cleaved across his chest. Flaps of skin hung from his shirt. Torious cast the rope aside and leapt forwards onto the back of the beast with a celestial howl.
- - - - - - - - - -
The two knights of Robar rounded the corner and the first flicked up his visor as he saw the crowd of people huddled next to the road.
“What is this?” exclaimed the knight, pointing his companion’s gaze to the villagers.
With a squeeze of their legs, the knights galloped towards the crowd.
- - - - - - - - - -
Vaerana heard the scream and darted towards the crater, her longsword unslung.
- - - - - - - - - -
Mikka snapped to attention as Vaerana suddenly moved. Watching in concern, his thoughts were drawn to the tug of a child’s hand on his shirt.
“Yes little one?”
The village girl pointed in distress at the two approaching knights, their red plate protruding like a scar among the stones. Mikka looked to warn the villagers, but found his eyes locked with Errilinth’s who shook her head, then dragged herself to her feet. Mikka nodded in recognition. He motioned for everyone to keep quiet then stood himself, though making sure his handbow was ready to be drawn...
