Ru Emerson - Keep on the Borderlands

They paused again while Mead, Willow, and Jerdren scouted. The three were back in short order, and Jerdren beckoned the party close.

“A tunnel cuts off to the left, just short of that secondtorch. No guards near, Mead says, but there’s hobgoblins down there, he thinks.Willow could hear someone wailing. I think you’re right, Eddis. This might bewhere Zebos was held.”

Blorys leaned forward. “What Zebos told me-if that’s where weare-is that there’s only one way into that chamber and only a couple guards. Butif you keep straight on this way, you’ll come to a guard room beyond that lasttorch somewhere. Hebold and his men were taking him that way, said it was how they’d come in, when they were attacked. The guards came from their left, Ithink, but he could see daylight at that point.”

Jerdren nodded. “Good, but one thing at a time. We’ll be ableto tell if it is a prison cell, once we get closer. If it is, we hit it hard, fast, and quiet as we can. Grab any prisoners. Kadymus, that’ll be your task.Once we distract the guards, you find keys for the cells or manacles, and be ready to use ’em once we’ve killed the guards.” He met Eddis’ eyes. “You allright?”

She nodded.

“Good. In and out as quick as we can, kill the guards fastand quiet. Prisoners will be our only concern here. If there aren’t any, we killthe hobgoblins and make sure we find any wealth they’ve got on ’em. Let’s go.”

Eddis stayed with Flerys as M’Baddah went ahead with Willow.The child clutched a spear nearly as long as she was tall in her right hand-oneshe’d picked up during that last fight. She gave the swordswoman a round-eyedlook and a faint smile that was gone as quickly as it came, but she seemed merely awed by the strangeness of her surroundings and not afraid of them. She’ll probably have nightmares for the rest of her life if she survives this,Eddis thought.

And if we’re headed into a dungeon, a prisoner’s cell? She’dseen what was left of tortured, dead men just once, and it had sickened her to her very soul. Better if Flerys didn’t see. How to shield her, though?

They reached the branching of ways without incident. Once they stopped, Eddis thought she could hear faint noises down the left passage. Mead went on ahead but came back almost at once, shaking his head. No one that way-at least close by. Jerdren indicated the left way with a jerk of his head,and started off at a ground-eating long stride. As he fetched up against the first bend, he set his back to the rough stone and listened intently. Eddis could now see her companions clearly. There was plenty of light ahead. Someone down there moaned non-stop, and someone or something else was jabbering in what sounded like Orc or Goblin to her. A deep voice snarled threateningly, and the shrill one was momentarily still.

Willow took the lead then, arrow nocked to the string of his longbow, and stopped just short of the light, Mead right behind him. Blorys slid into place at Eddis’ left and gave her a questioning look. She held up herright hand, flexed the fingers, so he could see they were working again, then drew her sword.

He murmured against her ear, “Good. All the same, stay out ofthis fight if you can. Keep the girl back.” She nodded, drew the child to herside, and let Panev go by. The priest’s eyes were black, his face stern, and hislips moved silently.

M’Baddah knelt to draw on his thick gloves and hooked theleather envelope of sh’khuris to his belt where he could reach them. That done,he tested his bowstring and joined Willow. M’Whan followed, one arrow nocked tothe string, a handful stuffed up his sleeve where he could grab them quickly and fire. How he can do that without losing them all or slicing his arm? Eddis wondered. The youth’s points were long as her finger and wickedly sharp on allfour sides.

Tense silence as Willow held up a hand and touched it briefly to his lips, then held it out as a warning to be ready. The high-pitched voice was whimpering once more. It sounds like a dog that’s been beaten, Eddisthought. Flerys bit her lip. Her hands tightened on the spear. The elf brought his hand down sharply and sprinted around the corner, Jerdren and M’Baddah righton his heels, the rest following. Eddis kept the girl back with her.

The passage bent once more, then opened out into a small, brightly lit chamber. Eddis could make out humans shackled to the far wall, and near them, a gnoll hung from chains. The wall was pale rock, splattered with blood. Eddis drew Flerys aside with her as men and elves slammed into the hobgoblin guards. Already the fighting was so fierce that it took the woman a moment to figure out there were only two of the monsters, but both were armed with thick-bladed swords. They were swinging the blades with vicious intent and not much skill-which could be just as deadly in close combat. One of the Keepmen fell back, sword dangling from his hand, blood pouring down his arm. Mead dragged him aside, and Jerdren bellowed an order for the swordsmen to get back.

“No arrows!” her co-captain yelled. “You could hit theprisoners!” He pulled back himself, freed up his short boar spear, and waitedfor an opening.

One of the guards slashed a wild path through the attackers and charged past the Keep men. Eddis drew Flerys farther into the chamber in case the thing was trying to escape, but it turned sharply, sword still swinging, and threw itself at Blorys. Blor parried an overhand blow with his blade and was sent sprawling. Eddis started but subsided against the wall as Flerys snatched at her arm.

Somewhere deep in the turmoil of bodies, M’Baddah shouted,“Down!” A moment later, he broke free and began working his way around thecreature, a glittering, deadly metal star gripped in one gloved hand. M’Whan’sspear broke against the brute’s armor. Another hit and clattered harmlessly tothe floor.

The hobgoblin was starting for Blorys once more when the sh’khuri thudded home, lodging in its throat, just above the armor. Blood randown the monster’s throat, but it seemed merely enraged by the wound. A seconddeadly missile sank in deeper, just above the first. Men and elves scattered as blood sprayed everywhere. The hobgoblin pawed at the sh’khuri but succeeded onlyin slicing its hand open. It toppled slowly backward. Blood shot high briefly, slowed, and stopped.

The second hobgoblin was trying to gain the entry and escape. Eddis brought up her sword, took two long steps to put herself squarely in the creature’s way, and thrust Flerys behind her. The priest was back in thehallway. He was armed, and a good fighting man, but if he was distracted by prayer, he’d be caught unawares and probably cut down. Not, Eddis thoughtgrimly, while I’m here to prevent that. She was aware that Flerys had moved apace to one side, could see the steady spear. But two of the Keep men knocked the brute flat from behind, swinging mace and morningstar in a smooth, precise maneuver. Before it could struggle to its feet, Blorys and Jerdren finished it off.

“Good work, people,” Jerdren said. He sounded out of breath.

“Noisy,” Blorys objected as he sheathed his dagger.

“Only in here, Brother. Panev said he’d make a silence spellback there, across the passage.”

Eddis glanced across her shoulder as the priest came into the open.

“Anything?” the ex-soldier asked.

“I saw the fight but heard none of it,” the priest replied.“Nothing is moving this way, just yet.”

“Good. Let’s be quick about this.” Jerdren turned on one heelas Kadymus came hurrying up, a clanking batch of heavy keys in his hands. “Fastwork, lad,” he added, and the thief smiled.

“Was hanging just there, in plain sight,” he said, and toEddis, he sounded smug and self-confident once more.