by Dan Willis
Tal and Kellik brought Serl in on the stretcher and laid him down near the water. Corin stayed out long enough to brush away any sign of their flight into the cave.
“You’ve got to exert yourself less,” Tal said, coming up beside Bradok. “You started bleeding again.” He opened his bag and pulled out the strips of cloth that he used for bandages. He repacked the wound and wound a bandage tightly around Bradok’s stomach, making it a little difficult for him to breathe normally.
The shoulder wound wasn’t as deep and seemed to be mending well, though Tal recommended Bradok still keep it in the sling.
“Let’s take a look at that ear,” Tal said finally. He unwound the wrapping and peeled away a bloody wad of something.
“Can you hear all right?” he asked, snapping his fingers in front of Bradok’s face.
“It’s a bit faint on the right side,” he said.
“That’s to be expected when you lose an ear,” Tal said. “It doesn’t look too bad. We’ll need to change the packing every few days, and it should be scabbed over well enough in a week or so.”
“Serl’s awake,” Corin said, coming over with Kellik and Rose. “He wants you.”
Bradok made his way over to where Serl lay. The old dwarf was trembling as if he were freezing, and his skin had a gray pallor.
“Bradok,” he gasped, reaching out to take the proffered hand. “I can hear them.”
“Hear who?” Bradok asked.
“The Rhizomorphs,” he said. “I can hear them talking, in my mind. They’re looking for us. They’re trying to use me to find us.”
Bradok didn’t know what to say.
“I won’t let them,” Serl croaked. “I need your help, though.” He gripped Bradok’s hand tightly. “I wish you to end my life. I’m no use to you alive. I’m no use to them dead.”
Bradok wanted to protest, but he didn’t know what to say. Serl’s bravery and selflessness moved him.
“Thurl,” he said. His voice wasn’t loud, but as he suspected, the assassin seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“You called,” he said.
Bradok handed the Daergar Serl’s water bag.
“Thurl is putting something in your water,” he told Serl.
Serl nodded, understanding.
“Thank you,” Serl said to Bradok, tears leaking from the corners of his milky white eyes. “You’ve done a splendid job, my boy,” he added softly. “Get the rest of these people to safety.”
“I’m sorry,” Bradok said.
“Don’t be,” Serl said, a smile creeping across his face. “I’ve lived a long time, and I’ve had a good life. I have no regrets, except that I won’t be around to celebrate when you reach safety.”
Thurl pressed the bag into Serl’s hands.
“Now if you don’t mind,” he said, releasing Bradok’s hand. “I think I’d like to be alone.”
Bradok put his hand under his leg and painfully forced himself to his feet.
“Don’t bother about burying me,” Serl added stoically. “As soon as you can, get yourself out of here and to safety.”
“I will,” Bradok promised; then he and Thurl turned and walked away.
Rose had laid out Bradok’s cloak with his pack for a pillow. Knowing what had just transpired, they all watched Bradok, waiting for him to say something. Rose wondered what he was feeling.
“We’ll set a watch tonight,” Corin said as Rose helped Bradok lie back on the makeshift bed.
“What do we tell everyone in the morning?” she asked finally when Bradok quietly announced that Serl had wished to die.
“The truth,” Bradok said gruffly. “That Serl died peacefully in his sleep. Now, everyone, get some rest.”
Rose and Tal stood and left. Corin remained, considering Bradok for what seemed like a long time.
“Something on your mind?” Bradok asked.
“I didn’t think you had it in you,” Corin said. “We Daergar are taught that you higher-ups are all soft and spineless. I see some of that is wrong. You did what you had to do.”
“Thanks,” Bradok said, not sure if he was flattered or offended by such remarks.
“I had a mind to stay with you only until we got somewhere where I could get my bearing, then go my own way,” Corin added. “But now I think I’d like to stick by you for a while.”
“Why?” Bradok asked.
“I figure we’ve got a better chance at survival with you than with anyone else,” Corin said. “You’ve grown as a leader. You don’t want to make the hard decisions, but you do anyway.”
Corin pulled up his hood, making his face disappear into shadow. “Get some rest,” he said, looking out over the sleeping band of dwarves. “I have a feeling tomorrow will be a very long day.”
He strode away without a backward glance. Bradok turned to where Serl lay, a still figure draped with a cloak. He knew he couldn’t sleep; there were too many things weighing on his mind.
Within three minutes he had fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep born of exhaustion.
CHAPTER 23
Don’t Make a Sound
Something touched Bradok’s face, and he started awake to find a hand pressed down over his mouth.
“Don’t make a sound,” Rose whispered in his ear.
When he nodded his understanding, she gently removed her hand. He sat up more quickly than he should have, confused by being awakened in such a manner. Pain lanced through his side, and he crumpled back to the ground, biting his tongue to stifle a groan.
Rose’s hands grabbed him gently under his shoulders, and she helped him up slowly. Behind Rose, Bradok could see Much waking Kellik in a similar manner. Bradok looked at Rose questioningly.
Putting her finger to her lips, she pointed past Bradok, out toward the curtain of water that separated them from the cavern outside. Through the waterfall, Bradok could see the glow given off by the Reorx’s torch mushrooms. Suddenly, a dark, humanoid shape passed in front of one of the lights. As Bradok watched, he saw other forms moving around the cavern, drifting in and out of the pools of light.
Then a figure loomed out of the darkness, passing by the pool just beyond the waterfall.
There was no mistaking its form. Four segmented back legs held up a humanoid torso with long, backward-facing swordlike arms; transparent body armor; and a glowing blue organ where its eyes should be. Apparently it hadn’t taken the Disir long to realize their scouting party had gone missing.
“How many?” Bradok mouthed at Rose.
Rose shook her head and shrugged, then held up ten fingers twice.
Even if it was just a guess, twenty Disir were far too many for Bradok’s battered and wounded band. He reached for his sword belt and gingerly began to strap it around his waist.
“What now?” Bradok asked Rose, leaning close so she could hear his barely audible whisper.
“We’re waking everyone,” she explained. “Much thinks the waterfall is confusing the Disir with all its noise and echoes, so as long as we’re quiet, they won’t know we’re here.”
“They’ll find this cave eventually,” Bradok said.
Rose shrugged. “Maybe not. There aren’t any obvious cracks or openings. Remember, we had to walk through the water to get in.”
Corin approached, treading slowly and quietly. “I need your help,” he whispered, leaning down so Bradok could hear him. “I need to wake Omer up, and someone has to help me keep him calm. The last time we fought these things, he cowered in the tunnel. They terrify him.”
“Why me?” Bradok asked.
“Remember Teal?” Corin said. “You’re the only one he’d give her body to. He trusts you for some reason.”
Bradok nodded and stood. He picked his way slowly among the dwarves to where Omer lay. Much and Kellik had managed to wake most of the others, and all eyes were turned toward the waterfall and the certain death that lay just beyond its fragile curtain.
Corin shook Omer gently. The lad opened his pale blue eyes. Bradok was a
mazed at how innocent he looked. His body showed the first signs of manhood, and his beard was beginning to come in, yet his eyes and face reflected a childlike mind.
“Hi, Corin,” Omer said before Bradok could shush him.
“You have to whisper, Omer,” Corin said. “It’s very important.”
“Why?” he asked.
Omer’s voice couldn’t have been very loud, but it seemed to Bradok as if the boy were shouting. Reflexively, he turned his head and stared at the Disir pacing just beyond the waterfall. He thought he saw the creature pause for a moment, then go back to its searching, but at that distance, he couldn’t be sure.
“The bad creatures are looking for us,” Bradok explained. “If they hear us, they’ll try to hurt Teal. You don’t want that, do you?”
Omer clutched the rag doll to his chest protectively and shook his head anxiously. He cast his eyes toward the waterfall and shut them tight against the horror he’d glimpsed.
“Don’t worry,” Bradok said, patting Omer on the shoulder. “They won’t bother us if they don’t hear us, so just be as quiet as a mouse.”
Omer didn’t open his eyes again; he only nodded.
Corin motioned Jeni over and told her to keep an eye on him. Jeni sat and held Omer’s head in her lap, stroking his hair gently. Her kindly manner almost made Bradok forget that she was the woman who had been imprisoned for murdering her own children.
Corin gave Bradok a nod to indicate Omer would be all right then stood. Bradok got up and followed Corin back to where Rose waited anxiously.
“Look,” Rose said as they arrived, pointing.
The Disir that had been patrolling the bank by the waterfall had been joined by a second, and the two seemed to be conversing in a strange language made up of clicks and groans. After a short talk, they both began to probe the depths of the waterfall with their long arms.
“Can those things swim?” Rose asked.
“I hope not,” Bradok said. “Their bodies are pretty heavy, and they really don’t have anything to paddle with.”
“No, look, they can’t. Thank Reorx for small favors,” Corin said.
The Disir had finished their probing of the water, apparently finding it too deep for their liking. They had another short discussion; then the second one went away.
“What do you suppose that means?” Rose hissed.
“No idea,” Corin said. “One thing’s for sure, we’re not going anywhere soon with that thing hanging around out there.” He nodded at the Disir who had resumed his patrol along the water’s edge.
“Maybe we could kill it real quiet like,” Thurl said.
Everyone jumped. Bradok stifled a curse. The Daergar assassin had crept up on them so silently.
“That won’t help. There’s more of them out there,” Rose said.
“But if I could kill that one,” Thurl said, “and then maybe we could sneak out of here somehow.”
Rose shook her head.
The crunch of gravel announced another arrival. Bradok turned to see Xurces kneeling down beside them.
“We’ve got trouble,” he said in a ragged whisper.
“We know that, Xur,” Corin said, nodding at the patrolling Disir.
“No,” Xurces said, “another kind of trouble.” He pointed over his shoulder toward the back of the cave. “That kind.”
Behind Xurces, Bradok could see Lyra, lying back on her blanket. Her daughter, Jade, was holding her hand. Lyra’s breathing seemed to be coming in great gasps.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Corin said, glancing nervously back at the Disir. “Couldn’t be worse timing.”
Bradok stifled another curse. “Rose, go find Tal,” he said quickly. “Then get over there and help. For Reorx’s sake, keep her quiet.”
“If it’s all right, I’d like to go too,” Xurces said. “I promised her I’d hold her hand through the delivery.”
Bradok exchanged glances with Corin before jerking his thumb in Lyra’s direction. “Go,” he said.
As Rose and Xurces made their way back to Lyra, Much, Chisul, and Kellik joined the other dwarves warily watching the Disir poking around on the other side of the waterfall.
“Lyra’s tough,” Bradok whispered to the newcomers. “She’ll stay quiet.”
“I hate to burst your bubble, lad,” Much said in a low voice, “but I’ve seen babies birthed before, and they don’t come quiet.”
“He’s right,” Kellik said.
“And when that baby cries,” Chisul said, “the Disir will know right where we are.”
“I guess we’d better do something fast, then,” Tal said, joining the group, “because that baby will be crying soon.”
“Shouldn’t you be helping Lyra?” Kellik demanded.
“I’m more needed here,” he said. “I’m a doctor, not a midwife. Rose can handle what’s happening with Lyra.”
“There’s too many to fight,” Chisul hissed. “It’s hard to count them all, but I figure there are at least fifteen, maybe more.”
“We can’t just sit here debating,” Thurl said impatiently. “Somebody’s got to do something.”
“Look,” Chisul gasped, pointing through the waterfall.
The rippling water made it difficult to distinguish anything clearly, but Bradok could see a line of shadows moving past one of the pools of mushroom light-moving past and away.
“They’re leaving?” Chisul said, feeling a surge of hope.
“It sure looks that way,” Much said, nodding enthusiastically.
“Then why is that one still standing around out there?” Corin said, pointing at the Disir who stubbornly stayed outside the waterfall.
“They must be leaving him behind, like a guard or something,” Kellik whispered.
“One guard shouldn’t be too hard to deal with,” Tal said.
“That’s what I’ve been saying,” Thurl said.
“There may be others, out there beyond the light. We need to get out there and take a look,” Much said irritably.
Bradok silenced them with a gesture. After checking to make sure the Disir hadn’t heard them, he spoke quietly. “We need to give the others time to get far away from here,” he said. “Then we’ll kill this guard nice and quiet and dump his body in the pool.”
“And if there are others?” Corin said.
“We’ll have to deal with them too,” Bradok said.
“What about Lyra?” Tal said.
“We can carry her as far away from here as we can. We will stop long enough for her to give birth, then pick her and the baby up and keep going. With any luck, she’ll have the baby quietly,” Bradok said, adding, “and fast.”
“That’s a lot of luck you’re counting on,” Corin said, his whispered voice still managing some sarcasm. “We haven’t been very lucky so far.”
“At least it’s a plan,” Thurl said. “I can see us doing it.”
“Yes, it’s a plan that gives some hope,” Chisul admitted.
“So how long before we act?” Corin asked.
Bradok turned to Tal. “Go ask your sister how long Lyra’s going to be,” he said.
“You can never tell with these things,” Tal cautioned. “But I’ll ask.”
“But how in the world can we kill the Disir silently?” Chisul asked. “Last time they took a fair amount of effort.”
Thurl held out his scarred hand to Bradok. “Give me that fancy sword of yours,” he said.
Not wanting to go through the pain of drawing his sword, Bradok turned so Thurl himself could pull it from his scabbard.
Thurl nodded at the heft of it. “One of you needs to attract his attention,” Thurl said. “Throw some rocks through the waterfall and into the pool. While he’s distracted,” Thurl said. “I’ll rush in and cut off his head with this.” He held up Bradok’s sword, his eyes gleaming. “Quick and silent.”
“Bad news,” Tal said, hurrying back. “Urlish says the baby’s coming right now. It’ll be here in minutes.”
“
Then I go now,” Thurl declared.
“Wait,” Bradok said, putting out a hand to stop him. “It’s too soon. If there are other guards, they will call the warriors back.”
“If that baby cries, all hell is going to break loose,” Much said, nodding at Thurl.
“We have to try it now,” Corin said. “We have no choice.”
Still, Bradok hesitated. “All right,” he said finally, praying it was the right decision. “Chisul,” he said, “you and Kellik gather some small rocks then meet me at the water’s edge.” He turned to Thurl, clapping him on the shoulder. “Get yourself in position then give me a sign. We’ll do our part. Good luck to you.”
Thurl grinned, showing his pointed teeth, as he stole over to the edge of the water. He moved so stealthily, Bradok could have sworn the scarred dwarf was gliding above the ground.
Thurl waited until the Disir had turned back toward the far end of the pool before slipping slowly through the curtain of water. He raised his hand then dropped it, giving the signal. Simultaneously, Chisul and Corin hurled fist-sized rocks through the waterfall and into the pool near where the monster stood.
The Disir snapped to attention, raising its bladed arms and looking around the pond for the source of the splash. At that very instant, Thurl darted forward from a different angle. The Disir was significantly taller than Thurl, so the assassin had to swing Bradok’s enchanted blade high over his head, then down in a glittering arc, landing right on the joint where the upper and lower body joined.
With a crack that echoed through the chamber outside, the Disir snapped in half. Its lower body staggered for a moment then seemed to just plop down on its four stubby legs. The upper body hit the ground with a loud thud. The Disir opened its mouth, perhaps attempting to cry for aid with its last breath. Thurl didn’t give it the chance; he stepped forward and kicked the upper body into the pool, where the stricken creature sank like a stone.
“Chisul, Kellik, Corin,” Bradok commanded. “Get out there and see if there are any others about.” As they went, Bradok heard a slap and the sound of a baby crying. He turned to the survivors.
