“It was my shoes, actually.”
I laughed despite our dangerous circumstances, or maybe because I was light-headed from using so much magic over such a short amount of time. “That’s a hell of a way to meet someone. I…”
“Here they come,” said Russell.
I fell silent and forced more magic through my exhausted mind, and about a half-second later a dozen orcish mercenaries burst from the forest. They skidded to a stop at the edge of the trees, looked up, and saw us.
“Hi, guys!” I shouted, and I thrust out my hand.
The fireball soared down the slope and hurtled towards the orcish soldiers.
They had seen enough of me in the valley to react in time, and most of them threw themselves to the ground or retreated into the trees. I only managed to kill four of them and knock three others off their feet. The rest of the orcs roared and started scrambling up the hillside, brandishing battle axes. Behind them Rebel soldiers burst from the trees, leveling sleek black weapons.
“Crossbows!” shouted Riordan. “Down!”
He ducked behind one of the boulders, and Russell threw himself behind the obelisk. I started to dodge, realized it was too late, and cast the Shield spell. A hazy half-dome of translucent gray light appeared before me. The Rebels pulled the triggers on their weapons, and a storm of bolts hurtled towards us. Four of the bolts slammed into my Shield, and I felt the impact shoot through my clenched will, but it was a hell of a lot better than feeling them slam into my body.
Then the orcs roared up the slope of the hill, their black eyes bulging in their blue faces with battle fury, and we had to fight for our lives.
Riordan moved like a storm, the Shadowmorph blade a blur of darkness in his right hand. I had seen him fight hand-to-hand several times during the battle in Milwaukee and our previous jaunt to Venomhold to steal that Nihlus Stone for Morvilind. It still took my breath away. He was so fast, and he made it look so easy, which was the mark of a master. The orcs tried to hit him, but he dodged their blows with a half-second to spare, and the Shadowmorph blade cut them apart.
I started casting spells, throwing volleys of lightning globes. I let Riordan deal with the orcs, and I sent the lightning globes spinning down the slope to hit the Rebels with the crossbows. I managed to kill several of them, but the rest dodged into the trees.
Worse, more Rebels were coming into the clearing. How many of them had chased us? If Corbisher hadn’t seen me, we might have gotten away clean. Nicholas and the other Rebel commanders probably would have assumed that some of their soldiers had gotten into a fight, the survivors fleeing to Grayhold to escape punishment. But Corbisher had seen me, and Corbisher had probably run right to Nicholas. And Nicholas would not spare any effort to kill me.
I sucked in another breath, trying to pull together a spell. But I was so tired, and I was starting to feel woozy. My left arm felt hot, and I realized I was still bleeding from the cut. Just how much blood had I lost? Then again, it was entirely possible I was hitting the hard wall of magical exhaustion.
I gritted my teeth and hurled another volley of lightning globes, sending them spinning and twisting to kill more Rebels. But more soldiers surged from the trees, and despite his skill and speed, the orcs were surrounding Riordan. I had to think of something. I had to think of something clever right now, but sometimes there was no way out of a situation.
Maybe this was the end.
I started another spell, and then something unexpected happened.
The blast of a war horn rang over the clearing, and I looked in surprise to the side.
A frost giant stepped from the trees, a gleaming silver sword in his right hand.
Chapter 6: Frost Fever
The Rebels and the orcs froze, both looking at the frost giant in astonishment.
To be fair, Russell, Riordan, and I were all doing the same thing.
I had seen frost giants before a long, long time ago in Madison, though I suppose to everyone else it would only seem like two years. The frost giant stood nine feet tall, his hair and long beard a deep black. His skin was silvery-blue, a paler shade of blue than the skin of the orcs, and his eyes glowed with harsh silver-white light. The frost giant wore unadorned gray armor, and his right hand he carried a sword that shimmered with silver-blue mist.
Frostfever.
That was where it had all started, wasn’t it? My father had been a man of the Wizard’s Legion, fighting the High Queen’s enemies in the Shadowlands. He had been wounded by a frost giant, probably by a sword that looked just like that, and he had come back to Earth with the frostfever that killed him and my mother, and nearly killed Russell. Then Morvilind had found me, and…
I shoved aside the thought, watching the frost giant.
What the hell was a frost giant doing in Grayhold?
“Nadia,” said Russell, blinking. “Those…those are frost giants, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“What are they doing here?” said Russell.
“The frost giants have often allied with the Knight of Grayhold,” said Riordan. “They share a hatred of the Dark Ones.”
The trees rustled, and more frost giants came into the clearing, dozens of them. The Rebels and the orcish mercenaries shifted, adjusting their grip on their weapons. One of the frost giants lifted a horn and blew another blast, and the giants shouted something in their language.
Then they leveled their weapons and charged.
The orcs howled in rage and rushed to meet their enemies, raising their axes to strike. The Rebel soldiers shied back, and some of them broke and ran in the direction of Venomhold. Others raised their crossbows and fired at the giants or drew their swords and attacked.
The Rebels and the orcs crashed into the frost giants.
It was a slaughter.
The frost giants were taller, stronger, and far better armored. The weapons of the Rebels didn’t penetrate the gray armor, and the frost giants fought with discipline and skill, cutting down the Rebels and the orcs with every step. For that matter, the frost giants also used ice magic, throwing lances of ice that speared their enemies like giant crossbow bolts.
I started casting spells, throwing single lightning globes into the orcs.
I wanted the frost giants to know that we were on their side. Well, maybe not their side, but definitely not their enemies. Because if the frost giants decided to kill us, that would be that. We couldn’t have held off those Rebels. We definitely couldn’t fight that many frost giants, especially not with my stamina so drained. If the frost giants attacked us, Riordan would kill a bunch of them, but they would overwhelm us in the end.
My lightning globe killed another Rebel, and the survivors fled into the forest, running for Venomhold as fast as their legs could carry them.
The frost giants did not pursue.
Instead, they started to climb the hill, mist-wreathed weapons ready.
“They’re going to attack,” said Riordan, voice grim.
I stared at one of the frost giants, and recognition clicked.
I had seen him before. Come to think of it, I had spoken with him briefly. It had been back during the attack on Madison when I had been on one of Morvilind’s jobs and gotten caught in Sergei Rogomil’s attack. That frost giant had been one of Jarl Rimethur’s sworn warriors…a knight? No, a thane, that was it, the sworn warriors of a frost giant jarl were called thanes. What was his name? Damn it, what was his name?
I stepped forward, frowning at the frost giant thane.
“Nadia,” said Riordan. “Get…”
The name clicked.
Yeah, it took me a while to remember, but give me a break. It was a hundred and sixty years ago.
“Valjakar!” I shouted. “Valjakar, thane of the Jarl Rimethur of the Great King of…of…”
Damn it, what was the name of the frost giants’ homeworld?
“Jordenhalm,” murmured Riordan, who must have caught on to what I was doing.
“Valjakar, thane of Jarl Rimethur of the G
reat King of Jordenhalm!” I said. “I would speak with you!”
Valjakar scowled at me but raised his free hand, and the other frost giants stopped.
I was committed now. If we tried to run, the frost giants would kill us with ice magic. I could put up a hell of a fight, exhausted as I was, and so could Riordan. But if we tried to fight, the frost giants would win in the end.
For a moment no one spoke. The frost giants glanced at each other.
Valjakar let out a rumbling growl.
“And what words would you have for me, voidtouched scum?” said Valjakar, his voice a basso rumble. He spoke English well, but with a thick accent that sounded vaguely Norwegian but wasn’t.
“Hey,” I said, folding my arms. “I’m not voidtouched. I don’t have anything to do with the Dark Ones. And I’m hurt that you don’t remember me.”
Valjakar managed to look puzzled behind his thick beard. “We have met?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “You don’t remember? It was only…um…two years ago. You were part of Jarl Rimethur’s embassy from the Great King to the High Queen. We actually met in the rotunda of the State Capitol of Wisconsin while Jarl Rimethur was…”
“Wait,” said Valjakar, his glowing eyes narrowing. “I remember you. The human wizard thief.”
“Technically, I’m not a thief,” I said. Which was true, that one time. “I didn’t steal the Ringbyrne Amulet. Jarl Rimethur let me leave with it.”
Valjakar growled again. I remembered that he didn’t like me. In fact, he had suggested that Rimethur have me stripped naked and watch me freeze to death since humans were weak.
“But now you have sided with the voidtouched and their allies,” said Valjakar.
“No,” I said. “I most certainly have not. Were you paying attention? Those Rebels and their orcish friends were trying to kill us. You might have noticed, what with them attacking us with swords and axes and stuff.”
Valjakar looked dubious.
“And,” I said, gesturing at Riordan, “he’s a Shadow Hunter. You guys have heard of them, right? The High Queen founded them, they hunt Dark Ones…er, the voidspawn, I think you call them.”
Valjakar growled and looked at one of the other frost giants, who cast a spell.
“The human speaks the truth, lord,” said the frost giant. “The older male is bonded to a Shadowmorph.”
“It is unlikely that the human symbiont of a Shadowmorph would aid the voidspawn,” said another frost giant.
“Unlikely, but not impossible,” said Valjakar, his glowing gaze swinging back to me. “Then tell me, human female. Why were you fleeing from Venomhold?”
“Because the Rebels were trying to kill us,” I said.
“This could be a clever stratagem of our foes, wizard child,” said Valjakar. “Trying to infiltrate the ranks of our alliance.” Alliance? “And the Jarl might have given you the amulet, but you had come there to steal it.”
“If I was working on a clever stratagem to infiltrate your alliance, whatever that is,” I said, “I think I would be smart enough to find a way that didn’t involve getting chased by a hundred pissed-off orcs.”
“Pissed?” said Valjakar, frowning. “Why would the orcs be drunk?”
“Drunk?” I said. “No, they were angry. You know, pissed.”
“Were the orcs angry drunks?” said Valjakar, who only looked confused.
“British slang,” murmured Riordan. “In parts of the UK, ‘pissed’ means drunk. Valjakar must have learned his English from a Brit.”
“Huh,” I said. “I did not know that.”
“The orcs’ state of inebriation is not relevant!” boomed Valjakar, trading confusion for anger. “Why were you in Venomhold?”
“It was my doing, Lord Valjakar,” said Riordan. I wondered if he had dealt with the frost giants before. “We have a writ of execution against the leader of the Rebels, and I infiltrated their ranks to draw closer to him. Unfortunately, we were discovered and had to flee.”
“Why did you flee to Grayhold?” said Valjakar.
“I am also Graysworn,” said Riordan.
Valjakar’s eyes narrowed. “A human Shadow Hunter is also Graysworn? That is unusual.”
“I know Jacob Temple from when we were men-at-arms together,” said Riordan. “He has far too high of an opinion of himself, and he talks far too much…”
Valjakar snorted, once.
“But he is opposed to the Dark Ones, the creatures you call the voidspawn,” said Riordan. “In war, we must take our allies where we can find them.”
“Look,” I said. “You were talking about an alliance, right? You’re allied with the Knight of Grayhold, just like you guys were at Madison. Jarl Rimethur and the Knight set that up between them to screw the Rebels, and I bet the frost giants are working with him again.”
Valjakar’s eyes narrowed once again. “You are entirely too well-informed.”
“We want to join your alliance,” I said.
“What?” said Valjakar.
“What?” said Russell.
Riordan nodded.
“And why should we ally with a Shadow Hunter, a renegade human wizard, and…” Valjakar frowned at Russell. “I do not know who the younger male is, but he is obviously infected with frostfever.”
“Impossible,” said another frost giant. “Frostfever would have killed him years ago.”
“I’m her brother,” said Russell.
One of the frost giants cast a spell and frowned at me.
“The female’s aura, thane,” said the giant.
“What about it?” said Valjakar.
“It is wrong,” said the frost giant. “I was with you and the Jarl in the human city of Madison. I checked her aura for the lord Jarl.” I had a sudden memory of that frost giant holding some sort of tablet device in the Wisconsin State Capitol as he scanned me. “Her magical power has increased exponentially in the last two years. It is impossible for a human’s power to increase so quickly, or to such levels.”
Valjakar snarled. “Then this is a trick.”
“No, it’s not,” I said. “I spent a lot of time in an Eternity Crucible.”
“A what?” said Valjakar.
I realized that the frost giants had probably never heard of an Eternity Crucible.
“This is a clever trick, some stratagem of the Knight of Venomhold to insert spies into our alliance,” said Valjakar. “It…”
“We could be spies,” said Russell.
We all looked at him. I was impressed that he managed to look so confident while having several dozen belligerent frost giants staring at him. Then again, he had stared down Nicholas and had gone into Last Judge Mountain, so maybe the frost giants weren’t as frightening by comparison.
“What?” I said.
“We could be spies,” said Russell again, “and we could also know what the Rebels and the Knight of Venomhold are planning. Because you don’t know, do you?”
Valjakar said nothing, his eyes narrowed.
“That’s why you guys are doing patrols along the border to Venomhold,” said Russell. “Not to make sure the Rebels are attacking Grayhold. They’re not dumb enough to do that…”
“They chased you here,” said Valjakar.
“That’s because we had the bad luck to take a rift way to Venomhold,” said Russell. “My sister ticked off the Rebels, and they tried to kill us. So that’s why we had to run here. We thought my sister could open a rift way back to Earth from Grayhold, but we didn’t know that the Knight had sealed this place off.”
“Then if you know the enemy’s plan,” said Valjakar, “you will share it with us now.”
“We should probably talk to Jarl Rimethur,” I said. “Or the Knight of Grayhold himself. Since they’re the ones in charge.”
Valjakar started to answer, but Russell talked right over him.
“Or you could bring us to Earl Rimethur…”
“Jarl,” I hissed. “Jarl.”
“Jarl Rimethur,” sai
d Russell without missing a beat, “will be very pleased since we can tell him the Rebels’ plan. I think you would be doing your lord great honor if you took us to him.”
“And if we’re spies,” said Riordan, “the Knight can deal with us. Either way, Lord Valjakar, you will bring honor to your lord Jarl. If we have valuable information, we shall deliver it to the Jarl and the Knight of Grayhold. If we are spies, you will have cleverly captured us, which will also bring honor to the Jarl.”
Valjakar scowled. “For spies, you are very talkative.”
“It’s a failing,” I said, “but you know they’re right.” I started to feel a flicker of hope. Jarl Rimethur would remember me from Madison, and the Knight of Grayhold would remember me, and he would definitely remember Riordan. If we got to Jacob Temple, I could talk him into opening a rift way to Earth for us.
Valjakar growled again and then shrugged. “Very well. You shall prove the truth of your words to the Jarl himself, human wizard. You will come with us now.” He turned and snarled a stream of orders to the other frost giants, and they started to move off. A dozen of them climbed the hill towards us, no doubt to make sure we moved along in an orderly fashion.
“Well,” I said. “Looks like we’re going for a walk with the frost giants.”
“Yes,” said Russell. “You’d think that would be the strangest thing I’ve done in my life, but no. This isn’t even going to be the strangest thing I’ve done today.”
“Day isn’t over yet,” I said. One of the frost giants beckoned, and I nodded and started picking my way down the slope. “That was some fast talking, Russell. Thanks.”
Russell shrugged. “You can negotiate with anyone. All it takes is…”
“Confidence, I know, I know,” I said. “If we live through this, you should go into law. Or used car sales.”
“I’ve actually thought about that,” said Russell. “And you’ll need a way to invest that million dollars that Connor gave you. Maybe we can open a car dealership together.”
I snorted and then blinked. “Wait…million dollars?”
“The bearer bond that Connor gave you,” said Russell.
I sighed. “I think it was in my coat. Which caught fire.”
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