Against the Giants (10 page)

Plowys saw him and spurred his horse forward. Crashing
through the trees with no attempt at stealth, he vaulted from the saddle. He was
still smirking, but before he could say anything, Vlandar pounced, hauling him
off his feet by his shirt and throwing him to the ground.

Maera and Rowan grabbed his winded horse and did their best
to quiet the beast.

“I
chose
not to bring you on this journey, boy!”
Vlandar hissed. “You were not wanted, and you are still not wanted!”

Plowys stared at him, slack-jawed. “I-I—”

“Silence! I am on the king’s mission. If I chose, I could
kill you now for ignoring my orders.”

The boy paled. “You wouldn’t dare!” he managed as he got to
his feet and began to dust himself off. “My mother would—”

“She is not here,” Nemis said grimly as he came to stand over
the fallen youth. “
We
are, and your precious mother has no hold
over
me,
boy.”

Plowys licked his lips. “You won’t do it.” But he wouldn’t
meet Vlandar’s eyes or the mage’s. He glanced at the circle of grim faces, then
fixed on the paladin.
“You
won’t,” he told Malowan, “and you won’t let
them, will you?”

Vlandar and Malowan exchanged tired looks, and the paladin
sighed. “I dare not, if I would remain a paladin. But neither does that mean I
openly welcome you. My order strives for purity, but few of us are truly free of
petty emotions.”

“It is not petty,” Vlandar growled. He strode forward,
leveling a finger at Plowys’ nose. The boy eyed it warily. “You will give me
your solemn oath here and now that you will behave as a fighter. You will
cooperate with everyone here.
Everyone.”
he added as he named the company
in turn. “Your life may depend on how good a thief Agya is, or how good a job
Lhors can do watching our backs for enemies. You are no better than anyone else
here.

“
And
you are a common member of a company where
I
am captain. You will obey my orders or the orders of whomever I put in charge of
you. Should you do otherwise, I will order you tied and left on the spot. Do you
understand?”

Plowys nodded almost meekly.

“Young idiot,” Nemis muttered as the youth went to tend his
horse.

Khlened scowled. “Don’t trust the snotty little beast so
far’s I could spit him.”

Vlandar’s mouth twitched. “I know. Why do you think you’re
keeping an eye on him for me?”

Khlened smiled, but Lhors did not envy Plowys his newfound
protector.

While the rest of the company hid in a small valley sheltered
by trees and huge boulders, Lhors joined Maera and Rowan in scouting for a
suitable base camp. For once, Lhors finally proved himself useful. Aside from
the rangers and Vlandar, he was the only member of the company experienced in
hunting in the open without being seen. Although the trio saw no giants, there
were signs of danger everywhere: huge footprints, here and there a tree that had
obviously been felled by a massive blow, and the crude scrawlings of orcs and
other creatures.

Despite what Vlandar had been told, there were precious few
suitable caves in the area. The few they had found were either too small or were
in plain sight of the giants’ hold. There were also a few caverns too narrow or
too low for even Agya to enter.

After several hours of fruitless searching, they finally
found a suitable site. Lhors went through the small chamber, making certain it
had no other holes that could let in bears, snakes, or even nastier things.
After the company moved in, Vlandar set the rangers to watching for enemy and
gathering firewood in case it was possible to have a fire. While the rest of the
party was busy settling in, Vlandar sent Nemis to see what he could learn of the
giants’ fortress.

Lhors pronounced the cave as a good safety, but he was
grateful that Khlened, who’d come in with an armful of wood, also checked the
dark corners and agreed with him. “No places for anything bigger’n a bug to get
in. And I found a chimney—bit of a hole going west with the wind blowing that
way, as well. We could have a fire for hot tea or soup, and the smoke won’t blow
toward the Steading. Shouldn’t come out anywhere about at all, in fact.”

“I’m still not sure about fire,” Vlandar said, “but perhaps
Nemis or Mal can keep it from unfriendly noses. I admit I’d welcome a hot meal
or at least a warm drink.”

Not long after full dark, Nemis and Malowan were hard at work
on a fire. Mal constructed a pile of very dry sticks while Nemis muttered a
spell over the chimney hole. The air around it sparkled briefly, and smoke that
began a pale gray just above the pile of kindling turned clear as it swirled
through the mage’s fingers. Suddenly, Lhors couldn’t smell it either.

Maera, to Lhors’ surprise, began preparing a soup from the
dry packets they all carried, and to his mind it was as good smelling as
anything Gran had made.

Gran, he thought sadly. I wonder where she is tonight. At the
moment, she seemed very far away, almost like someone from another life. That
was good. He would mourn his people properly later, once he’d done his best to
avenge them.

“All right,” Vlandar announced to everyone as the last of his
company settled down. “Remember that we need to change our regular patterns.
Hill giants are active at night, mostly. By daybreak, all but a few servants or
guards will be sleeping or passed out. Remember that we are infiltrating to
learn what we can and wreak any damage we can. We need information. Remember
that this”—he held up his interior map—“is blank beyond the entry and the guard
tower. We know nothing about how the Steading is set up inside. There may be
traps, and there will certainly be guards. We need to know what’s beyond the
entry, so I’m sending Mal and Agya in first.”

“What?” Plowys blurted. “Why?”

“Mal’s a paladin and has protection we don’t: he can sense
evil. And Agya is a thief.”

“
Was
a thief,” Malowan interjected mildly.

Agya wrinkled her nose but said nothing.

Vlandar shrugged. “She has talent, and she uses it for our
benefit. I tested her myself. She has a phenomenal memory, and she can penetrate
a maze and map it in detail afterward.”

“’Tis no talent. Was needed, back in th’ city,” the girl
mumbled with a sidelong glance at her mentor.

“She’ll fill in the map for me, and I will draw it out for
the rest of us,” Vlandar said.

“And if Malowan and Agya are caught?” Maera demanded sharply.

“It is a risk,” the warrior conceded, “but not so much as all
of us going into an unfamiliar place. What if one of us opens the wrong door and
walks into the barracks just as a company is arming to go plunder?” Vlandar eyed
them all. “If we have to fight, we are no longer gathering information, and it
is vital we learn why the Steading giants are attacking and razing villages and
if they intend to go against cities next. Remember that we’re allowed to keep
treasure only if we find out what’s going on and why.”

Nemis stepped forward, his hands loosely clasped before him.
“I can tell you this much,” he said quietly, “I have heard rumors that there is
another force that uses the giants for its own ends.”

Malowan eyed him keenly. “And you know this… how?”

Nemis shrugged. “Several weeks ago, I saw raiders coming back
from up near the Stark Mounds, and they were a mixed company, which is unusual.
Hill giants are unmistakable by their bulk, as cloud giants are by their height
and fire giants by their coal-black skin. I was nearer than I would have liked
to be—close enough that I could hear some of their speech. One hill giant was
laughing about orders—some sort of in-joke probably, and one of the fire giants
told him to be still, that ‘the Masters’ would have them all killed for such a
slip.”

“There was more than one kind of giant in my village, I
think,” Lhors said. “Some were much taller than others. There were many kinds of
armor and weapons, but I saw none who were very dark-skinned.”

“Well,” Malowan said, “before coming in, Nemis and I went out
to view the fort, and I can tell you what we have here. The Steading is set low
in one of those nasty, damp depressions. All the hills may be dry, but there
will be rain in the hollow. Fog is a near constant. That is to our advantage,
since the guards won’t be able to see us, and if we’re quiet…”

Nemis nodded. “I used a simple reveal spell on the fort, and
it is a formidable structure. The walls are as thick as I am tall, the logs
immense and very damp. An army couldn’t break into it, and fire cannot destroy
it. I could sense many within—hill giants, possibly other giants, orcs, trolls
and other slaves who serve the giants. I cannot tell you how many of each kind,
only that there are many who are armed. Oh, and a cave bear, at least one.”

Agya licked her lips. “A bear?”

“Restrained,” Nemis assured her, “on a chain, perhaps. I
sensed metal, anyway.”

“Bears ain’t safe, mage! There was a juggling bear for years
in lower market, and old Yoryos kept
it
chained! Well, it got free during
a show and
ate
’im!” She shivered.

“I know, Agya.” Malowan laid a hand on her shoulder, “but I
sensed the restraints, and I can detect it before it sees or smells us. So, as
long as you do not go off on your own… ?”

The little thief’s lips twisted. “Now I won’t.”

“I agree that this place is possibly as near a haven as we
will find,” Maera said as she sighted down an arrow to check it for
straightness. “It isn’t likely giants will come this way, but our father used to
say, ‘If I had a silver penny for every time the completely unexpected happened,
I’d have retired to a palace and not a village hut.’” She glanced to Nemis.
“This is, after all, an open cave, and it is not that far from the Steading.
Think of coming so far only to die because some oversized brute saw light or
heard voices.”

“The lady is right,” Nemis said. “I can build an illusionary
wall, suitably matched to the local stone, of course.”

Lhors cleared his throat. “Um, but this
is
their land.
If someone made a wall where I knew a cave was, even if I never used it, I would
notice.”

Nemis smiled. “Just so. But I have my own version of the
wall, and it includes a non-detection spell. Once set around a person or place,
those who pass simply won’t notice it.”

Agya laughed. “Oooh, just gimme a spell like
that…”
She grinned as the paladin cleared his throat ominously. “For certain, I don’t
want it
now
; but to have ’ad it when I was still a-lifting purses…”

Vlandar nudged the paladin. “Changing her are you, Mal?”

“I am,” the paladin replied grimly, “but I’m no
miracle-worker.”

Agya seemed to take offense at this and glared at Lhors when
he chuckled.

* * *

The air inside the cave stayed constant all night—not quite
warm enough for comfort and a little stuffy as the hours passed. By contrast,
the predawn air outside was damp and chill.

Malowan tugged the dark hood over his helm and wrapped wool
around his arms, pulling the thick cloth around his hands.

Agya matched his actions, then looked up at him. “We on it or
no?” she demanded quietly.

“Waiting for Nemis,” he reminded her. He sniffed cautiously,
then held up a hand. “No wind—good. We’ll need to be quiet, but the fog should
be thick enough to hide us.”

“Fog,” Agya mumbled. “Who’d’a thunk I’d be glad of fog?”

“You won’t be in it for long,” Malowan said. He turned as
Nemis came out, two leather thongs clutched in his hand. Malowan took them,
touched the smoothed, pale blue stones that had been threaded onto the soft
leather, then gave one to Agya. “Put it on,” he said. “Nemis will know where we
are by these.”

“And in what condition—” the mage began.

Malowan gestured sharply, silencing him, then sent his eyes
flicking toward his ward. Agya was studying the charm and apparently hadn’t
heard him.

“Agya,” Malowan said, “please go tell Vlandar that we are
ready to depart.”

“But y’just tol’ ’im yourself!” she protested.

“Agya…” the paladin replied with a warning look.

“Oh, all right,” she hissed and disappeared inside the cave.

“I didn’t want her hearing this, Nemis, but you will know if
we are taken or dead?”

The mage nodded.

“What if we are taken and they search us?”

“My beneath-notice spell is on the charms,” Nemis replied.
“It may only affect the charm and not the wearer, but tell her of it if she
still worries about the bear.” He looked skyward. “We had better go now.”

Malowan repositioned the small pack under his cloak and
finished just as Agya reemerged. They followed the mage away from the caves, out
of the ravine, and up a low, brushy slope.

Near the top, Nemis eased onto his hands and knees. Malowan
shoved his cloak aside and crawled after him. Agya, much shorter than either
man, went into a low crouch and brought up the rear, keeping a wary eye all
around them, though there was little to see and it was still too dark to see
very far.