Keep on the Borderlands

by Ru Emerson - (ebook by Flandrel; Undead)

  “Don’t make assumptions like that,” Eddis added flatly. “We’ve been blessed lucky, two fights in a row. Only a fool would think they’re all going to be as easy as this was.”

  Jerdren rolled his eyes ceilingward and led the way back out, beckoning M’Whan to join him. The rest followed.

  Near the end of the passage, where they could see light from outside, Eddis called a brief halt for water and a rest. When they moved on, she and Willow were in the lead, several paces ahead, the elf listening intently for the sounds of goblins or other creatures moving around the passages. For now, there didn’t seem to be any, and within moments they reached a four-way branching passage. A faint light flickered straight ahead—perhaps a candle or oil lamp in a deep niche, Eddis thought. Otherwise it was quiet and dark that way and utterly dark to their left. She glanced at Willow, sent her gaze that direction.

  The elf listened and sniffed cautiously, then whispered, “It’s a dead end, I think.”

  To their right, however, came a sudden burst of coarse laughter. They’d found the guards. These were laughing at some joke, or maybe simply drunk—she couldn’t tell. Ruddy light flared as though someone had tossed a log on a fire, and by that she could make out that the whole south wall of the chamber—a large chamber—was open to the passage. Great, she thought. We won’t be sneaking up on anyone here. She and the elf drew back to describe the layout to the others.

  Jerdren thought for a moment, then listened as the priest spoke into his ear. The swordsman nodded vigorously.

  “Eddis, M’Whan, and two of you Keep men who can run fast, we’ll go first,” he whispered. “Arrows ready. We’re gonna sprint along that passage, fire, and keep going until we reach the far end of the chamber.”

  “Where they can pick us off one at a time?” Eddis objected.

  “No. Panev says he has something that will distract ’em.”

  He was gone before she could say anything else, moving along the tunnel until a step or two more would bring him into the open. Blorys sighed faintly and gripped her arm as she swore under her breath. She smiled at him, fitted an arrow to the string, and went to join Jerdren. Two of the Keep men and the priest were right on her heels. A glance over her shoulder as she settled in to wait. Panev tilted his head back and began to pray quietly.

  Jerdren went into a low crouch, then burst into the open, Eddis right on his heels. She could hear the pounding of boots right behind her. Movement—there, to her right, and not as far away as she would have liked. She swerved as her co-captain came to an abrupt halt and turned to fire an arrow, then took off again. She shot two arrows wildly and ran, slamming hard into Jerdren’s outstretched arm. She had a sharp mental image of stunned goblins staring at them, mouths agape, until Jerdren’s arrow brought one of them down yelping. The Keep men ran up, and the orcs were coming for them.

  We’re dead, Eddis thought, and was suddenly angry.

  “Jers, you brainless oaf—!” She caught her breath in a startled gasp. Brilliant light, painful as lightning, flooded the room.

  “That’s Panev,” Jerdren hissed. “Back the way we came—now!”

  If he’d run fast coming over, he was almost flying now. Eddis stretched her legs and tried to keep up.

  All four made it back across without incident. Most of the goblins were clutching their eyes and wailing, but as Eddis ran for the relative safety of the corridor, two of the goblins scooped up a bundle from the floor and fled through a massive wooden door she hadn’t noticed before. Two others drew short swords and swung them wildly, as if they expected the crazed humans to sneak up on them and kill them while they were blinded. One accidentally slashed its companion in the forearm.

  He screeched in pain and flung himself away from the blade, crying out, “Bree-yark!”

  Kadymus pushed past Eddis, laughing. “Hey, get that! Hit ’em with a little light and a few bad shots, and they give up!

  Jerdren snatched at the youth’s sleeve but too late. The young thief was already halfway across the room, swaggering toward the huddled creatures, sword in one hand, long dagger in the other.

  “Gotta be one of you understands some Common, I bet, just like I know that surrender word of yours. So you just drop those swords and give up n-now… ?” His voice rose to a girlish squeak. Two of the goblins were coming for him, still blinking but ready to kill. As he retreated a pace, the door slammed against the far wall. A massive brute filled the doorway, huge club clutched in one hand. It raised a meaty fist and leered at the youth only paces away, revealing brownish, ugly teeth. Kadymus’ sword fell from his hands, and he staggered back into the nearest wall. Jerdren darted into the open, grabbed him, and dragged the youth back into the passage.

  “Gods,” Blorys said reverently. “It’s an ogre! Willow,” he added urgently, “you and Mead, back, out of sight!”

  “It knows we are here,” Willow replied calmly, though he’d gone pale. “It can smell us, but I will not run from it.”

  “Now what?” Eddis asked. Her sword felt puny, all at once. The creature was head and shoulders taller than she, if not more, and muscled like a blacksmith. Still, there was only one….

  “We fought one in the north,” Borys said. “They’re mean and strong but not smart or fast. Remember, Jers?”

  “Sure. You remember what we did to stop it?” his brother replied, as tersely.

  “Hope so.”

  “You’d better remember! M’Baddah, you and M’Whan come with us, and the rest of you, deal with those goblins, so we can concentrate on that ogre!”

  Jerdren moved out into the chamber again, sword drawn, and his back against the nearest wall.

  The ogre was in the chamber now, the goblins backing warily away from it, though two had begun a slow stalk along one wall.

  “Watch it,” Eddis said and indicated the two with her chin. “They’re trying to flank us.”

  Willow brushed by her and shot two arrows at them. One struck its target, and the goblin sprawled across the passage, twitching and snarling. The other yelped in surprise and darted back to join his companions near the doorway. The ogre growled at them, and they backed hastily from the door, edging along the north wall, out of his reach.

  Jerdren yelled something guttural, a single word. The ogre’s eyes narrowed, and it drew itself up straight, grip tightening on the club as the man ran for the far wall, just as he’d done earlier. This time, he didn’t stop. The ogre, astonished, turned to watch him. Blorys and the outlanders flung themselves into the room, M’Whan clutching a throwing spear, M’Baddah his bow, Blorys his sword.

  Gods, it’ll kill them! Eddis knelt, bow in hand and tried to sight on the brute’s eye or its throat—either was big enough to make a decent target. The Keep men moved around her, staying close to the wall, and began firing arrows and spears at the goblins.

  The ogre spun around as M’Whan’s spear missed it by inches, and it swiped at Blorys with one massive hand. Blorys leaped out of the way, ducking as M’Baddah’s arrow sang over his head, and sliced across the monster’s shoulder. It didn’t even notice, Eddis thought, and shifted her attention to the orcs, who had been bullied into a pack by one of their number and were charging the Keep men. She fired several arrows at them, but most were foiled by armor or went wild. They slammed into the humans, and she didn’t dare shoot any more. Willow eased past her, sword in one hand, dagger in the other, and went to help.

  M’Baddah’s second arrow bounced off a bony hip. The next sank deep into the ogre’s belly. Behind Eddis, Mead was muttering—setting up a spell. Off to her right, one of the men yelled and went down. Another slid down the wall.

  The ogre plucked at M’Baddah’s arrow, snarled, and left it where it was. Its filthy leather pants were slick with blood. Eddis stared in horrified astonishment as Blorys darted back and forth in front of the massive creature, waving his arms and shouting taunts. She brought up her bow and shot high. The arrow tore through the air where the massive head had been, but the ogre was on th
e move, its attention locked on Blorys as it swung the club.

  Too hard. It overbalanced and fought to regain its feet, but as the man ran in, sword swinging, it smacked him with an open hand, sending him rolling across the floor, half-stunned. His helm rolled the other way and cracked against Eddis’ knee. She dropped her bow and drew her sword, throwing herself into the open between Blor and the brute. The ogre laughed, an evil sound that filled the chamber and left the orcs drawing back in a terrified huddle. Brushing past M’Baddah and M’Whan, the creature raised its club high.

  Eddis slashed wildly with her sword, hoping to force the ogre back. Behind her, Blorys was fighting to sit up and gasping for her to get away.

  “Don’t distract me!” she yelled.

  The ogre bared its ugly teeth in a savage grin and reached for her.

  Eddis tightened her hands on the sword hilt and swiped at the ogre’s hand. The blade rebounded. She staggered back, off balance, and Blorys shouted a warning. Jerdren came running then, sword a blur as it cut the backs of both the ogre’s legs. The brute snarled and fell hard, one or both of the long tendons cut, but it was fighting to turn and bring the club down on the head of the man who’d injured it. M’Baddah, M’Whan, and Willow threw themselves at the brute, stabbing at its throat and eyes. The ogre jerked once and was quiet. A little blood trickled down its filthy cheek but soon stopped.

  Blorys staggered to his feet and fell back into the wall. Eddis wrapped her free arm around his shoulder to draw him away from the fighting, and when he tried to resist, her hand tightened.

  “Come with me! You’ll get someone else killed trying to protect you!” He went with her then, back into the passage where Mead, the priest, and Flerys waited. He was still panting for air and not walking very well, but he wouldn’t go any farther than the entrance.

  “Gotta… see,” he gasped.

  Eddis swore under her breath as she eased him down to the floor and handed him her water bottle. A glance over her shoulder assured her that the goblins were retreating.

  “How bad?” she asked quietly.

  “Just… knocked the wind… out of me,” he replied.

  Eddis tensed and spun around, sword ready to slash, as Jerdren yelled. She couldn’t make out what he said, but the few goblins still standing shrieked in what sounded like pure terror and ran through the open door.

  Blorys laughed. “Jers… learned a word or two of Goblin … back in the army. When… we… fought ’em. Forget… what that means. Don’t think they’ll… come back, though.”

  A moment later, he let Eddis help him back to his feet as Jerdren came running across the guard alcove to join them.

  “Blor! You all right?” Without waiting for answer, he said, “Ogre’s chamber beyond that door. Know what that means, don’t you, Brother? Come on, all of you!”

  Eddis kept a steadying hand on Blorys’ arm as they went back into the open. Two of the Keep men were down and still. Another leaned against the wall, lips tightly compressed while one of his fellows wrapped his forearm. The man’s fingers were bloody. Several goblin bodies were scattered around as well. M’Baddah and Willow moved around the room, dispatching the wounded creatures.

  Jerdren paused as they started past the dead ogre. “Got an idea,” he said. “Those goblins that ran? I’m pretty sure I could see daylight on the far side of the ogre’s den. So, I’m thinking they just kept going, all the way out of the cave. It looks to me like there could be more chambers on ahead, but if anything’s there, they aren’t coming at us.”

  “There are creatures that way, I think,” Mead said, “but not near.”

  Jerdren nodded. “So what if we drag this monster back into his lair? Some other goblins come through here later, and they’ll see all this blood, all the dead guards, they’ll figure the ogre went nuts and killed ’em. Won’t go looking for him, then, will they? And they won’t suspect we’re here, and we still have surprise on our side.”

  “You’re forgetting the guard who ran back the other way,” Blorys said. “Still… it might work to our advantage, and we’re a couple of men short.”

  “What about our men?” Eddis asked.

  “Bring them into the ogre’s den as well,” Jerdren said “Best we can do for them, don’t you think?”

  Eddis glanced at the remaining Keep men. They looked grim to a man, but no one protested.

  M’Baddah shoved a last arrow into his quiver. “My son, two of you others, keep watch up and down the passage. Only fools would let themselves be surprised now.”

  It took time. The dead men were brought in first and laid against the wall, behind the door. The ogre was awkward and heavy, and it took four of them dragging at the massive arms to get it moving. They hauled the body just far enough inside the chamber that the door could be pushed shut.

  Jerdren strode into the darkened cave, hands on his hips, looking around. Eddis’ nose wrinkled. A faint breeze rustled dry leaves piled here and there on the cave floor, but the air remained utterly foul, like poorly tanned hides and meat gone rotten.

  “What’s that?” Flerys demanded sharply and brought up her spear. “Nasty brute keeps a bear?”

  At first glance, the thing near the far walled did look like a sleeping bear. Eddis drew her sword and stalked warily toward it, but after a few steps she realized it was a hide. Probably the source of the odor, she thought and backed away from the thing.

  “Just a skin,” she said.

  Flerys gave her a doubtful look.

  Jerdren was rubbing his hands together and grinning cheerfully. “Only other ogre I knew kept his treasure close—and he had plenty of it. Too bad for me and Blor that was when we were infantry, because the officers got most of it. Still… some of you, look under things and in things. Coin, gems, gold, jewelry, any of that should be just what it looks like. Anything you see that doesn’t look like that or like food—”

  “Like garbage, you mean,” Blorys said.

  “Food or garbage.” Jerdren shrugged. “Ogres collect stuff. Magic devices and amulets among ’em. Anything that looks odd, you let our priest or our mage check it before you touch it, got that? I think I’ll start—there.” He pointed.

  There was a large leather sack that smelled nearly as revolting as the bear hide did. Eddis decided to keep an eye on the outer door for the moment, dividing her attention between Jerdren and what she could see outside. The sky was bright as midday, but the twisted forest was gloomy as ever. Nothing moved out there. The ex-soldier cut the ties on the huge bag and pulled several smaller bags from it, examining each in turn.

  “Cheese—too old for any but an ogre to appreciate. Whew! Mmm—this is brandy by the smell. Nice little keg but awkward to carry around, and here’s no place for a drink.”

  “Save it for a toast, back at the Keep,” Blorys suggested. He sounded normal once again.

  “There’s a notion. Ah! Here we are—coins. Clever brute to sort ’em by kind, so far’s I can tell. Gold here, copper here—here’s some silver.” He hefted one. “Eddis, any notion of how late it is?”

  “Midday, maybe,” she told him.

  “M’Baddah, anything the other way?”

  “Not a sound, but they will change guards at some point,” the outlander said quietly.

  “I know. If we plan on going back the way we came, we’d better go soon. Eddis, you think you could find this cave from outside?”

  She shrugged, eased through the opening, and after a cautious look all around for enemies, she backed away to study the door and the rock face surrounding it. The door was ordinary, the trees and brush and rocks no different from any others she’d seen. She drew her dagger, made a small cut, just above the handle, and eased back into the chamber. After a few breaths of fresh air, the ogre’s den smelled worse than ever.

  “I can find it,” she said.

  “Good. Remember we came this way to clear the cave of goblins, so they wouldn’t catch us between ’em—the ones here and the ones beyond that door back yonder.
Now, we can either quit fighting for the day and carry all this trove back to camp, or we could take it with us and go jump those brutes on the other side of that door. But we’ll be overloaded, and most of us will be thinking more about gold and silver than about fighting.” He grinned. “Me included. It’s natural. I say we leave the stuff here—under that hide, maybe—and come back for it from the outside when we get the chance.”

  “I agree,” Eddis said. “You saw how scared those goblins were of their ally. They won’t come in here looking for him after they see the mess out there.”

  She looked up as one of the Keep men exclaimed in surprise. One of his fellows had just dragged a clinking, heavy bag from the ogre’s water barrel. Across the room, mage and priest were rummaging through a heap of bones, and as she watched, Panev pocketed several small items, while Mead wrapped a bit of cloth around a handful of arrows and slid the bundle into his quiver.

  “Eddis is right,” Jerdren said. “But just in case…”

  He separated out three of the bags and piled them by the door where anyone pulling it open would be sure to see them. “Leave that wet bag here, too,” he added. “That’s the one they brought in here. Must hold his pay for taking us on. They’ll expect to find it, if they look, and they’ll also find a bag of silver, the cheese, and the brandy. Wager my share of what’s hidden that they won’t look any further.”

  “What if they do?” That was Kadymus, of course. “We fought pretty hard for this stuff!”

  “You sure did,” Eddis replied bitingly. “Took their surrender, didn’t you?”

  He flashed her a dirty look but fell silent.

  “I agree with Jers,” she went on. “We’ve spent enough time in here. Shove the rest of those bags under that hide, and let’s get out of here.”

  They retraced their steps, back into the other guard chamber. It was still empty, except for the dead goblins. The fire had burned to a sullen red glow. Willow and M’Baddah listened intently at the entrance to the next passage and pronounced it empty.