Ru Emerson - Keep on the Borderlands

“I know what you mean, Eddis.” He smiled. “Though, if you askme, something killed whatever lived here and left. The place feels deserted.” Helooked around in alarm as Mead got to his feet. “What?”

The elf shook his head. “Do not alarm any of our wounded,please. I just wish to test the place. There is no life in this chamber, but…” His voice trailed off, and Eddis could hear him mumbling under his breath. “Icannot detect anything close by,” he said finally, and he sounded frustrated.“But I feel something wrong.”

“Oh. Great,” Eddis muttered. She came halfway around and ontoher feet, sword and dagger out, as Kadymus’ low mumbling suddenly stopped.

“Hey!” he announced. “There’s an odd thing over here!” And asBlorys came up with the lamp. “Oh, sorry. Guess it’s just a puddle, but itlooked strange, like it was moving, and I-” He yelped. “Gods above, it’s comingat me! Look out!”

Eddis threw herself to her feet, sword in hand as Blorys caught the thief by his collar and yanked him back. Candlelight shone on something pearly, gray, and snakelike. It reared from the cave floor to snap at Eddis, who threw herself to one side. The thing followed, and Blor hauled out his sword to slash at the thing.

Mead’s voice echoed. “Get away from it!”

Blorys stared. “My sword! What’s it done to my sword?”

The blade was smoking, dissolving. Molten metal splattered to the cavern floor, and he threw the hilt with an oath as it began to steam. Eddis tugged at his arm.

“Get away from it!” the mage yelled again. “It is gray ooze,and it eats anything metal!”

Kadymus shrieked and pelted back across the chamber, stopping only when he reached the mouth of the cave. The ooze puddled on the bone-littered floor, but it was already beginning to form itself for another strike. Eddis hauled Blorys around with all the strength in her, and they ran.

“Eats… metal!” Blorys sounded as stunned as he looked. Herounded on Kadymus. “That was my best sword! I’ve had it since before I went inthe army! You filthy, wretched, light-fingered, little-!”

“Be grateful you still have your armor,” Mead said sharply asthe man paused for words. “And the metal buckle of the belt that holds up yourpants. Jerdren,” he added, “it seems to me that the storm is moving on. So,unless you know how to stop gray ooze, we had better get out of here. That thing knows we are here, and I have nothing that will even slow it!”

“Out,” Jerdren ordered sharply. “Everyone, out-now!”

It was still raining heavily, and the wind blew hard, tearing small branches free to pelt down on the company as it wrapped sodden cloaks around their legs. But the storm was as short-lived as it was fierce. By the time they reached the road, the rain had turned to a thin drizzle, and the sky overhead was a deep blue.

It took time to get a fire going, since all their wood was soaked. The company devoured the bland mess their provisioner cooked up for them, then spent the remaining daylight hours tending to minor wounds, drying cloaks and blankets. One of the Keep men brewed hot mulled wine.

“Wonder where our big, bad hero wound up,” Eddis remarkedsourly as she sipped the spicy, steaming liquid. “One muscle-bound brute and ahandful of weakened monsters taking on an orc den? He must be mad.”

Jerdren shrugged. “Really? He impressed me. Think how longthose bugbears held him, and somehow he kept himself fit and fed, ready to fight his way out if he got the chance.”

“I hope he will work off his rage against his captors, if hecomes here,” M’Baddah said. “But against so many orcs-”

“Wasn’t so many as all that.” Hebold’s voice boomed out.

Eddis snarled a wordless curse as the man strode into the firelight.

“Lost most of my allies, worse luck, but I did all rightmyself. Just look here!”

He hauled a length of rope from his belt. Eddis peered at his hand, realized what she was looking at, and thrust Flerys behind her. Severed orc hands were strung on the rope.

The “hero” grinned at her proudly, then looked at Jerdren,his chest expanding.

“Jerdren, isn’t it?” Hebold asked. “Thought you might becamped hereabouts-this was the safest spot we found, anyway.” He brandished histrophy. “Proof of my kills.”

Eddis glared at him, her eyes narrow slits. “Get that messout of this camp. Now!”

He stared at her blankly.

Eddis freed up a dagger and bared her teeth. “Far, far out ofcamp! Or you can take yourself back to that bugbear cell and lock yourself in, for all of me, but you won’t stay here!”

He took a step forward and scowled. Eddis held her ground, jaw set, and freed up another dagger.

“Woman,” he snarled, “where I come from, your kind tendfires, provide pleasure, and nurse babes.”

“Go back there, then,” Eddis overrode him. “In this company,Jerdren and I are equals. Captains. If you’re thinking of fighting with us, oreven staying here the night, you’d better remember that.”

Hebold gazed down at her for a long, utterly still moment, then turned and strode from camp.

“Nice going, Eddis,” her co-captain said mildly. “He’s bigand tough, a good fighter, and he knows more about these caves than we do. And you’ve alienated him.”

Blorys caught hold of her shoulders. “Are you mad, woman?He’s big enough to break you in half!”

“He won’t, Blor. Don’t you know? The gods protect the mad,”Eddis replied.

Blorys laughed quietly. Jerdren shook his head and went off after Hebold.

She sighed faintly. “I’m just glad we got all that silver outof sight before he showed up. I don’t trust him.”

She looked up as Jerdren laughed aloud He and the big man were standing together at the edge of the clearing, talking quietly. Trading exploits, no doubt. So long as they don’t trade stories where I have to listento them, she thought. Or Flerys. She turned to look for the child and found her waiting quietly.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” she said. “I didn’t want you tosee what he had.”

“Didn’t hurt,” Flerys replied. “I saw, but bandits took handssometimes.” She shrugged. “Is just hands, not anything messy.” She shivered intoher cloak as a cool breeze sprang up and went back to the fire.

Eddis glanced at Blorys. “Gods. That poor child. You thinkregular guard’ll be enough to keep an eye on that Hebold tonight-if he stays?”

“Oh, he’ll stay, all right,” Blorys said glumly. “But Jers’llprobably be up half the night, trading war stories with him.”

Near dawn Eddis was wakened by men shouting and a dash ofweapons. She snatched up her sword, but Jerdren and two of the Keep spearmen were already on their way back to the fire. Jerdren grinned and wiped his bloody sword.

“Orcs,” he said as Eddis looked at him. “We killed three, andHebold went after the last two.”

“Great,” she muttered and tugged the cloak around hershoulders. “They’ve found us.”

“If they were a scouting party, there won’t be any of ’emleft to report what they found,” Jerdren replied. “It’s early, Eddis. Go back tosleep.”

When she woke again, it was full day. We’re waiting for themen from the Keep, she remembered. No fighting today-unless more orcs or otherthings come looking for us. Just as well, she thought as she sat up. Everything ached at the moment.

Jerdren had posted guards. She could see a spearman out there, pacing the road. A few others sat together talking quietly and honing their blades, and Flerys was getting another archery lesson from M’Baddah.

Across the firepit from where she lay, Jerdren and Blorys had Zebos’ map out. Hebold was looking over their shoulders.