Sean Russell - The Shadow Roads

“Will you set a guard this night?”

“The pack will stand guard. The men who chased you todaywould be foolish to come here, but if they do, we’ll know.”

The giants could have easily been brothers, but it turnedout they weren’t. It seemed they were reluctant to speak with the strangers,but every time they looked over at Crowheart and found their wolf still alive,their reticence softened a little.

“Are you the only two living here?” Alaan asked. “It seems alarge keep.”

“There is a third here this night. He might show himself byand by,” Stonehand said. “Others kept to the mountain this day to hold thestrangers at bay. We’re here for four full moons to watch the north pass.” Hegestured with a hand. “It is quiet duty, but needed all the same.”

“There is some threat from the lands to the north?” Alaancontinued.

The Dubrell glanced at each other, then Wolfson answered.

“You’re the first in many a year. ’Tis the to the south thatour lands are threatened.”

Stonehand glared at him, and Wolfson fell silent, applyinghimself to his stew without looking up.

A door opened then, and an old man came in. If anything hewas taller than the two giants present, even though he stooped a little underthe weight of his years. White beard and hair made a great contrast to hissun-stained face and troubled blue eyes.

The old man stopped short when he saw the strangers gatheredat the table, then his gaze took in Crowheart sitting by the injured wolf.Immediately he crossed to the animal, and Wolfson rose and went to where theold man crouched, stroking the wolf’s head.

Wolfson began speaking in their strangely accented language,of which Tam understood only a few words. It occurred to him then that if thesegiants were isolated enough to have developed such a thick accent, how did theylearn to speak the common tongue as it was spoken in the land between themountains?

The old man muttered a few words, then raised his eyes fromthe wolf to stare at Crowheart. After a moment, he got stiffly to his feet andwalked over to the table. Stonehand stood up as the old man approached, hismanner respectful. Alaan quickly followed suit, and the others did the same.

“This is Uamon, who dwells in this place,” Wolfson said, andintroduced the strangers, forgetting no one’s name.

“Sit,” the old man said. “Eat while your dinner is hot.”

Wolfson brought Uamon food and drink and seated him at thetable’s head.

Fynnol glanced over at Tam and raised an eyebrow, but Tamdidn’t know who or what this old man was either.

The Dubrell had a few more words, then Uamon spoke.

“Where is it you travel?” he asked in a smoky voice.

“South,” Alaan said, though Tam sensed he was reluctant tobe their spokesman.

“South?” Uamon said. “Better you went some other way.”

There was an awkward silence.

“Our route lies south,” Alaan said firmly.

Uamon dipped a spoon into his bowl, raising it to blowgently on a steaming chunk of lamb. He had a gentle aspect, this old giant, butthere was also a sorrow about him, Tam thought.

“Our people have trouble to the south,” Uamon said. “It ismy duty to ask what would take you there?”

“I seek someone who lives beyond your lands.”

Again Uamon sipped at his stew. “Beyond our borders you willfind dark lands. Shadow lands. My people don’t go there willingly. Of those fewwho have, only one returned.”

“We all have our duties,” Alaan said. “Ours lead us south.If you will let us pass, we shall bother you no more.”

“I suppose if a man goes seeking Death, one cannot stop him,for Death can be found anywhere-even within this room.” He glanced over at the wolf,who moaned quietly by the fire. “But what of your companions? Do theyunderstand where it is you go?”

“We have met Death’s servants before,” Fynnol said. “Onceyou have faced them, there is nothing left that will frighten you.”

“Do not be so sure of that. My people have long stood vigilover our southern border. Beasts have been seen there that were the stuff ofnightmare.” He shivered visibly. “What duties could take you to Death’skingdom, I wonder?”

Alaan’s reluctance to answer was obvious, but clearly hefelt there was no choice. They must have free passage from the Dubrell. “Wewill not go there-not to the gate. Only into the borderlands.”

“Ah. Only into the borderlands,” Uamon said softly.Still he concentrated on his food, not looking at Alaan. “I fear you do notunderstand what it is you do. Where it is you go.”

“I have been to the borderlands before,” Alaan said.

Uamon’s head lifted, his troubled blue eyes coming to reston Alaan. “What do you seek there, if it is not Death?”

“I seek … knowledge.”

“Better to sit at the feet of a wise man.”

“No wise man is foolish enough to have learned what I wishto know,” Alaan said, his voice growing testy. “Is it not enough that we aremen of good character, and that we mean no harm to your people? There areother races with their own struggles, their own troubles. We seek only tobring aid to our own people.”

Uamon gazed at Alaan a moment, while the other giantsshifted uncomfortably on their benches. They did not think Alaan should speakto their elder so.

“It is not enough,” Uamon said. “I must be assured that yourduties will not bring greater suffering to my own people-for this could be donewithout it being your purpose. The lands to the south are a great mystery.”

Before Alaan could answer, a deep rumbling was heard. Tamfelt suddenly disoriented, as though he were falling. His soup slopped overonto the table, and he felt himself thrown violently back, then forward. Andthen it was calm, only a spray of sparks from the logs shifting in the fire.

“They happen more often now,” Stonehand said, looking not atall surprised. “The earth is restless.”

“No,” Alaan said. “A great spell is unraveling. A spell thatwalled Death into his kingdom and held two great lands apart. The earth tremorswill grow worse. Even the mountains might not stand against them, and in theend Death will be released and overrun the world of the living.”

Uamon’s spoon stopped as it traveled to his mouth, and hishand trembled visibly. He glanced over at Crowheart, then back to Alaan. “Howdo you know this?”

“Because I saw the chamber where the spell was made. I didn’trealize what it was then, but now I know. The spell is decaying, and I seekthe help of someone who might know how it could be repaired.”

“You know too much of sorcery,” Uamon said quickly.

“I don’t know enough,” Alaan answered. “Will you let us passthrough your lands?”

Uamon stirred his spoon through his soup. “I will considerit,” he said, then rose from the table, disturbed by what he had learned.Stonehand and Wolfson lurched to their feet as the old man rose, and the othersdid the same. Uamon crossed the room without looking back, closing the doorsoftly behind him.

The companions stared at the closed door for a moment, thenturned back to their food. An awkward silence settled over the room, brokenonly by Crowheart humming over the injured wolf.

Tam, Fynnol, Cynddl, and Alaan were led to a long barracks,where a dozen beds lined up against one wall. Stonehand had slipped away andlit a fire in the hearth here, but the room was still cool and damp. The bedswere made for the Dubrell and seemed almost comically large to the companions,especially as they were each made for one man.

Cynddl lay down on top of his bed, staring up at theceiling. “I shall need a growth spurt before I fit this bed.”

“Yes,” Fynnol said, “I’ve heard of having large shoes tofill, but I hate to think what having a large bed to fill might mean.”