Twin Soul Series Omnibus 2: Books 6-10

by McCaffrey-Winner

  Ellen spotted the metal and hissed in surprise. She could just make out Ibb’s head from the two glowing eyes — were they glowing, even? The rest of him seemed lost under the weight of stone and rubble.

  She stared at him for a long while, trying to understand him, to see if he was alive or night.

  Finally, she had a thought. She raised her finger up to his eyes and produced a faint white light.

  “Ibb?” she said. “Can you see that? Can you make the same color?”

  She lowered her hand and looked into the dim eyes of the mechanical man. She found herself holding her breath until she spotted the faintest of white sparks in his eyes.

  She said nothing, raising her hand again and bringing forth a red spark. “And this?”

  Again she waited. Perhaps the first light was a reflection, perhaps she’d imagined it. But — there! A faint red dot glowed in his eyes.

  She gasped in delight and patted his cheek gently. “You’re alive!” she cried joyfully. “We’ll get you out, never fear! By the gods, you’re alive!”

  She turned back to join Acelin and share the news.

  “This may make things more difficult,” Acelin said sadly. “We cannot think of a way to get him out safely without endangering the others.”

  “We’ll think of something,” Ellen declared. She pointed toward the exit. “Let’s go tell Rabel and the queen.”

  On the difficult scramble back, Ellen wracked her brains and tried out her thoughts on the zwerg miner. Acelin listened attentively but every plan Ellen suggested, the zwerg miner had to reluctantly declare impractical.

  Finally, Ellen said, “We’ll melt him.”

  “What?” Acelin cried in surprise.

  “He’s not human, he’s made of metal,” Ellen continued excitedly. “You can build supports to take the weight he’s holding up, can’t you?”

  “Y-yes,” Acelin allowed reluctantly.

  “So we melt him, and we pull him out, letting the weight rest on your supports, and then we pull out the others,” Ellen said.

  “Child, if you melt him, won’t he die?” Acelin asked.

  “He’s crushed already, isn’t he?” Ellen said. “We won’t melt him completely, just enough to make his body soft enough to pull out without jarring your supports.”

  “But how will we get him back to his proper shape?” Acelin asked.

  “First, we need to get him out, then we’ll worry about that problem,” Ellen said.

  Acelin was silent for a moment. Then she said, “I wonder what your Rabel will say.”

  #

  “Is there any other choice?” Queen Diam asked Rabel when Ellen finished outlining her plan back outside of the ruined fort.

  Rabel shrugged. “If there is, none of us have thought of it.” He made a face. “Certainly, if we had days we could perhaps come up with a better plan but —”

  “Those trapped with him won’t last days,” Diam agreement grimly. Acelin had brought the news that there seemed to be three people breathing and, from their sounds, two were humans. One had softer breathing which could mean either a zwerg or a younger human; they didn’t know.

  “If we go with this plan,” Acelin said waving toward Ellen, “then we’ll have to move quickly, getting everyone out as soon as we can. We can’t say how much longer the ruins will remain stable.” She turned to Rabel. “So, friend of Ibb, can you tell me?”

  “Tell you what?”

  “How much does the metal man weigh?”

  Rabel gave her a surprised look. “I honestly don’t know.”

  “In snow, his feet sink no deeper than a human’s,” Ellen said.

  “So, let’s say two hundredweight, perhaps three,” Acelin said. She grew thoughtful. “And if we consider the others to be humans at as much as two hundredweight themselves — and the littler one at half that… we’d need sixteen zwerg to carry them all.”

  “If we arranged a relay could we get them out faster?” Diam asked.

  “A relay would help,” Granno agreed. “But you’d need to switch some of the people off or they’d get too tired.”

  “And they’ll need to get out quickly.”

  “I can help carry them,” Ellen said.

  “No, little one, I’m afraid that you can’t,” Acelin said. Ellen pouted. “You are young and your weight is less than even the lightest of them.” Acelin turned to Granno. “We should arrange that she is carried out just after the mechanical.”

  “What?” Rabel said, surprised.

  “You’re too big,” Diam said. She nodded to the girl. “Ellen will have to do this.” Diam turned to Granno. “We should arrange to leave as soon as we’ve recovered everyone.” She made a face. “I’m worried about the stones that hold these ruins together.”

  “I agree,” Granno said. “You get the troops and the miners arrayed, ready to depart when we return.”

  “We?”

  “Am I not the strongest zwerg in the kingdom?” Granno asked her with a twinkle in his eye.

  “And I,” Imay spoke up for the first time. Diam shot her a look but the princess returned it regally. “I’m rested and I’m strong for my age.”

  Diam glanced toward Granno who jerked his head as if to say, it’s your problem. Finally, Diam nodded.

  Imay rose to her feet with a smile and jerked her head toward Ellen. “Let’s go! This will be an adventure for the bards!”

  #

  Ellen moved quickly and more sure-footedly than she had the first time she’d been in the ruined turret. After all, she reasoned, she knew where she was going. And they didn’t know how much time the humans had.

  Behind her, the zwerg split off and took positions along the ruined turret, ready to haul the trapped survivors swiftly out of danger.

  Imay held Ellen’s hand and followed behind her, while Acelin led the way once more.

  It took them ten minutes to reach the ruined form of Ibb, the metal man. It was only when they arrived that Ellen realized the flaw in her plan.

  “Ibb,” Ellen whispered as she approached him, “I have a plan.” She waited to see if his eyes might spark in response but they didn’t. “It’s the only one we can think of that might save the others with you.” She found her throat dry, felt Imay tense behind her as she guessed that all was not right. “I’m going to use my power to heat you up, make your metal soft enough that we can pull you out.” She lifted a finger and brought forth a bright spark of light. “The zwerg will build supports that will take the weight when we melt your skin and then we’ll pull you out and get the others.”

  This plan sounded so much better when she’d first thought of it than now, when she was trying to put it into practice.

  “You two move back,” Acelin ordered. “Aenor and Ricon and I are going to set the supports.”

  Imay tugged on her hand and Ellen backed up slowly.

  It seemed to take forever before Acelin said, “We’re ready.”

  Ellen moved forward, jerking her hand out of Imay’s and put both hands on Ibb’s metal body.

  “Aenor and I will pull when you give the word,” Acelin told her in a soft voice. “Ricon will pull you out as soon as you do, so don’t be surprised.”

  “But how will I know if it worked?” Ellen whimpered.

  “You’ll know when we pull Ibb outside,” Aenor said.

  “Go on,” Imay called softly to her. “I know you can do it.”

  The zwerg princess’ words were all that Ellen heard as she closed her eyes and imagined flames growing along the palms of her hands, bathing Ibb’s metal face with heat and fire.

  #

  Major Morris grunted as he cut down another zwerg and moved forward, glancing to his sides to check on his scouts. Two of them were down but two more had broken through, racing off in opposite directions as quickly as they could, se
arching for gold and avoiding the ground-dwellers.

  He had lost both his lieutenants and countless other men. Behind him, he heard General Filbert at the gates, shouting to the wagoneers who tried to haul the carts over the metal rails that obstructed their way.

  Morris was certain that somehow the rails were normally arranged to provide movement for carts similar to their own but he had no time to consider the situation as another wave of zwerg charged his men.

  There were fewer zwerg than before. He noticed a knot of them to one side and decided that they were guarding the most prized two pathways — forward and to the left — but he couldn’t tell whether that was the way to their homes or to their palace.

  He heard a sound of running feet from behind him and pointed at the softer defences on the right, shouting, “There! Attack them!”

  The new, fresh troops roared with fury and soon beat down the smaller zwerg guard, breaking through and racing down the cavern, breaking into smaller parties as they came upon crossings.

  The zwerg guarding the more precious hallway groaned in despair but fought no less fiercely than before.

  He heard a clatter of hooves behind him and shouted, “Take the right! We’ve broken through there!”

  “Very well,” General Filbert shouted back. “Hold the crossroads here and we’ll return with the gold!”

  Or abandon us and find another way out, Morris thought with a grimace. He had the measure of the general now and knew what to expect.

  #

  Lissy had worn herself out trying to wake the dragon. She’d shouted, begged, pleaded, whimpered, and tugged — all to no avail.

  “Jarin, please, we have to go!” Lissy said. “Humans are invading, we need to get to safety!”

  She pinched him, pulling down his eyelid and —

  — suddenly the dragon was looking at her.

  “Jarin?” Lissy asked in a small voice.

  Outside the room, came a shout of surprise, the sound of swords crossing, a fight and a groan as someone lost.

  “Jarin,” Lissy said in a whisper, “what are we going to do?”

  In answer, the dragon gently pushed her aside and dug deep into the piled gold coins until he was buried under them, completely out of sight. Lissy watched with widening eyes. Was the dragon abandoning her? She whimpered.

  Just then, the dragon twisted its long neck enough to expose its head from under the coins and give her a long, slow wink.

  Oh!

  Lissy winked back, knelt down, pushed the gold coins back over the dragon’s exposed skin and slowly climbed her way to the top of the mound of treasure.

  Chapter Seven

  It happened so fast that Ellen had a hard time describing it, later. One moment she was heating Ibb, the next she heard the stones above her groan and creak — and then she was jerked away, hauled by small but rough hands with a speed that left her breathless, the rumbling sounds of falling rocks growing louder in the distance.

  And then she was outside, in Rabel’s arms and then on the ground as the smith turned to the opening, expression fierce and guarded. She had barely time to gasp for breath before Rabel moved forward blocking her view and helping a swarm of zwerg pull a heavy burden out of the hole in the side of the turret.

  “We need a wagon!” Rabel roared. Hooves clattered and the pony drew the wagon forward. “Careful, careful!”

  The wagon creaked under as it took a heavy load and settled. Rabel jumped aboard. “Ellen, come along!”

  Ellen had a moment to look around nervously before hands hauled her up to join Rabel next to —

  — the ruined and crumpled metal form that once was Ibb the mechanical.

  “Move out!” Queen Diam ordered. “Bring up the next wagon!” She turned toward the soldiers. “Be ready!”

  Those sounds were lost to Ellen as she took in the ruins of Ibb’s body. She rushed forward to his battered head, tears flowing down her cheeks. “Oh, Ibb, I’m so sorry!”

  Rabel’s arms went around, drawing her up and back. “Ellen.”

  She jerked against him, trying to free herself. “Let me go!”

  “Ellen,” he said softly, “open your eyes.”

  Ellen opened her eyes and looked down on the ruined form of the mechanical man.

  Rabel waved a hand invitingly toward Ibb’s eyes. “Look at his eyes.”

  Ellen took a breath and wiped her tears, leaning against Rabel’s arms to crane forward and peered down. “They’re — they’re glowing!”

  “He’s alive,” Rabel said. “You saved him.”

  Ellen pulled forward once more and Rabel released her. She flung her arms around the metal man’s head and cried softly. “Ibb! Oh, Ibb!”

  #

  Major Morris was surprised when one of his scouts returned from the right passageway. Morris puzzled his memory for a moment, trying to recall the man’s name. Kalfland. Ivon Kalfland. Good man. The scout made his way to him, ignoring the fighting and dying of soldiers and zwerg to their left and front.

  “We found the treasury, sir,” the scout reported wearily.

  “Good work, Kalfland! Did you see the general?”

  “Yes, sir, and I reported to him and he took off, telling me to come back here,” Kalfland replied. He made a face. “He said you could probably use my help more than him.”

  “Hmmph,” Morris replied. “Well, if you’ve found the treasury, he’ll soon be back here with the gold.” He jerked his head towards the exit. “Get out, scout our way away from here back to camp.”

  Kalfland jerked his head in a quick nod and disappeared into the mass of fighting men.

  The battle had trailed off, somewhat, Morris decided. The zwerg were probably awaiting reinforcements or they were trying to contain the breakout down the right cavern — or they’d heard about the treasury. Whichever way it was, Morris was not ungrateful for the respite. He pursed his lips. If the general returned this way, he should probably arrive in the next half hour or so. If he found another way, the major might find himself on the short end of things. The short end! Major Morris snorted with amusement as he glanced toward the short zwerg soldiers battling in front of him.

  #

  Diam grunted in relief as she counted out the last of the miners from the turret. They’d rescued three humans as well as the metal man and had lost none of their own. In fact, Diam was thrilled to discover, one of the recovered was Hamo Beck, the mayor of Korin’s Pass and one of Diam’s kin.

  All of them were severely bruised and had broken bones but they would live, thanks to Ibb who had protected them when the fort had collapsed. Hamo had managed to tell her as much. The other tall human was the captain of the fort, Captain Berold. Judging by their looks, the boy child was his son. The full story would have to wait until they could rest and recover from their ordeal.

  “Let’s go!” Daim said to the wagon driver as the rest of the troops assembled and moved off into the darkness. She raised a hand and pointed “We’ll head to the south entrance —”

  A gout of flame lit the night just where her hand was pointing.

  “What happened?” Granno shouted, racing back to join his queen.

  Diam peered toward the rapidly dimming flames.

  “The oil,” she said. “Someone attacked the south gates and we set them on fire.”

  Around them, the zwerg rumbled in alarm as the news spread. Diam pointed to Granno. “I want you to take both platoons back on the double —”

  “But, what about you?”

  “I’ve got twenty zwerg miners and Ophidian’s sorcerers to protect me!” Diam shouted.

  “And me!” Imay added stoutly.

  “And my own eldest daughter,” Diam added with an approving glance toward Imay. “We’ll be fine! Go!”

  “The Silver Earth will advance, on the double!” Granno shouted, pulling h
is sword from over his shoulder and pointing it toward the dying flames. “For the queen!”

  “For the queen!” the troops shouted enthusiastically, bursting forward as though they had not already spent the whole night marching.

  #

  The doors to the treasury burst open, startling Lissy awake. She stood up, glancing down to the piled gold coins covering Jarin, to make certain that he was well-hidden.

  Shouting came from the doorway and she heard the gruff voices of soldiers.

  “General, it’s here! Gold, sir! Mounds of gold!”

  “Stand aside, let me in!” a harsh voice bellowed, and an old man pushed the soldiers out of his way. In the distance, Lissy could see a cart and heard others clattering to a stop outside the treasury.

  “Mountains of it!’ the man exclaimed. “And not a guard in sight!”

  “I would not touch it, if I were you,” Lissy cried down from the mountain of gold, staring down at the gruff man who was dressed with two gold stars on his shoulders. A general, Lissy guessed.

  “Who are you?” the man shouted, glancing up toward her. He gestured toward his guards and they moved forward in front of him while a pair of archers moved in from outside, their bows drawn and arrows knocked.

  “I am Lissy, princess of the Silver Earth,” Lissy said, drawing herself up to her full height and glaring down at him. “And I tell you: leave now, while you can.”

  The general laughed. “You! A little girl! Who are you to stand up to my men?”

  “I told you already,” Lissy replied in a slightly peeved tone. “I am princess Lissy and this is my kingdom.” She waved at him. “And who, sir, are you?”

  “I am General Diggory Filbert,” he said with a chuckle, clicking his heels like he was saluting her. “And I’ve killed countless of your subjects while you cowered in your gold.”

  “Then you’ll pay,” Lissy said. Killed? Dead? She knew such things happened but she never knew someone might brag about it. “Surrender.”

  “What?” General Filbert cried in outrage. “Surrender? Little girl, you are all alone here. Your people are dead, fleeing or dying. It’s you who should surrender.”