Against the Giants

4

While the rest of the company hid in a small valley shelteredby 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 ortoo 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 thedark corners and agreed with him. “No places for anything bigger’n a bug to getin. And I found a chimney-bit of a hole going west with the wind blowing thatway, as well. We could have a fire for hot tea or soup, and the smoke won’t blowtoward the Steading. Shouldn’t come out anywhere about at all, in fact.”

“I’m still not sure about fire,” Vlandar said, “but perhapsNemis or Mal can keep it from unfriendly noses. I admit I’d welcome a hot mealor 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 thedry 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 toavenge them.

“All right,” Vlandar announced to everyone as the last of hiscompany 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 guardtower. 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 theentry, 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 senseevil. 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 ourbenefit. 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 girlmumbled with a sidelong glance at her mentor.

“She’ll fill in the map for me, and I will draw it out forthe 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 allof 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 eyedthem all. “If we have to fight, we are no longer gathering information, and itis 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 keeptreasure 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 isanother 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 backfrom 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 waslaughing about orders-some sort of in-joke probably, and one of the fire giantstold him to be still, that ‘the Masters’ would have them all killed for such aslip.”

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

“Well,” Malowan said, “before coming in, Nemis and I went outto 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, andit 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 destroyit. I could sense many within-hill giants, possibly other giants, orcs, trollsand 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. Isensed metal, anyway.”

“Bears ain’t safe, mage! There was a juggling bear for yearsin 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 Isensed 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 wewill find,” Maera said as she sighted down an arrow to check it forstraightness. “It isn’t likely giants will come this way, but our father used tosay, ‘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 illusionarywall, 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 thewall, 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’twant 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 nomiracle-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 quitewarm 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 orno?” 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 shouldbe 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 asNemis 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 weare 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’theard him.

“Agya,” Malowan said, “please go tell Vlandar that we areready 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 ifwe 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 shestill 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.

Once they reached the crest, Nemis went flat and tugged Malowan’s ear close. “Can you make it out?” he breathed.

Malowan gazed out and down, then finally nodded.

“Good. Straight down the slope you’ll find a boulder and somethorny scree. Don’t speak once you move from here-it’s near enough the towerthat the guards will hear us.”

The paladin nodded again, then drew his ward close. She tensed, then leaned against him briefly.

“Ready?” he asked softly. She gave him Rowan’s sign for Wego now. Malowan replied in like fashion, then eyed Nemis. “Lead, we’llfollow.”

Nemis moved out, low on hands and knees.

This side of the hill was steeper than the way they’d comeup. The mage reversed himself and eased down feet-first, turned sideways with one hand out to catch at the tough brush so he wouldn’t slide to the bottom.What grass there was here was slick with dew and slippery as ice underfoot. Fortunately, most of the slope was dirt and rock.

Nemis finally stopped and drew them down with him into a shallow depression between a fat boulder and thick brush. Malowan edged forward and gazed down for some moments, then eased silently back, gripped the mage’sshoulder and without further ado, moved to his right and began working his way down into the dell. Agya followed.