David Drake - The Gods Return

The goat was scrawny, but even so it was bigger than the runt tugging it along. "The youth will guide you to the cave," Teliday said. He turned on his hind legs to leave. Cashel laid his staff on the adult demon's shoulder. It wasn't a blow, just a tap, but it got Teliday's attention just like it was supposed to do. "Sir?" said Cashel. "I think you better take us like you said. The boy can bring the goat, if you like." "This way," said Teliday, turning again without argument or even hesitation. "Lord." Cashel didn't have any special reason for saying with he did. He'd worked for a lot of crabbed, grudging farmers when he was a boy in the borough, though, and learned that you didn't ever let them out of a hair of what they'd promised. If you gave them the least break, then before it was over they'd leave you without two coppers pay for a month's hard work. Some people were just that way.

And like he'd said to Rasile, these demons were people. The valley Rasile had brought them to had branches off it, though the pattern was more like jagged spears of hoarfrost than like anything water had carved. Teliday took them up one of the angles, then into a third that was narrower yet. There weren't any demons or goats in that last branching, though there was more of the skimpy vegetation than there'd been till then. Cashel couldn't figure whathad made the valleys. There wasn't any sight of a river or even a dry streambed so far as he could tell. The rocks weren't worn, either, except by windblown sand. "The cave is just ahead," Teliday said, pointing with both arms together.

"Lead us," Cashel said, shifting the quarterstaff slightly. The canyon here was narrow enough that he could've touched either wall with a ferrule if he'd wanted to stretch the staff out at arm's length. The demon bobbed his torso. "Lord," he said obediently as he walked on ahead. His hooves made slow click/click/clicks on the rocky soil.

Cashel glanced over his shoulder. Rasile was close behind him, while Liane walked at the back. She still had her knife out, but with her free hand she clasped the little demon leading the goat. Cashel smiled at her and went back to watching what was ahead of them. Garric had found a good one, and Sharina had a good friend. "Lord," said Teliday, bowing again and pointing his arms toward a jagged opening in the canyon wall. "This is the entrance." Unexpectedly the demon splayed his four legs and sprawled flat on the ground. "Please, Lord!" he said. "I have brought you to this place at your request. Release me now." Cashel felt uncomfortable. "Ma'am?" he said to Rasile. "This is the entrance," she said. "The entrance to the entrance, I should say.

I know of no reason why Teliday and this boy shouldn't go back to where they'll be more comfortable. Though we'll need the goat with us." "Lord?" Teliday begged. "I have the goat's lead," Liane said in a clear voice. "Because Rasile says we must." "All right," said Cashel, turning to speak to the little demon. "You two can go. Thank you-"

Teliday went bounding past. The little fellow unexpectedly hugged Liane's knee before trotting off himself. "-for your help." Cashel cleared his throat again. The air in this place was fierce with sulfur, but he guessed he could stand anything a goat could. "Rasile, do you want me to lead?" "No," she said, "I will. It shouldn't be far." So speaking, the old wizard stepped into the cave. It was big enough for Cashel to walk upright, though he had to be careful how he slanted the staff so it didn't knock the walls. He wondered if he should've brought a torch, and wondered what he'd make one out of if he went back outside. Rasile paused; Cashel moved up beside her. The cave had opened out, though how far he couldn't be sure in the dim glow from the entrance. Liane joined them, holding the goat's harsh twine halter. "Together, now," Rasile said. She stepped forward.

Cashel waited just an eyeblink to make sure Liane was coming, but of course she was. Quarterstaff braced before him, Cashel strode into a forest of unfamiliar dark trees. Insects trilled in a night smelling of damp loam. In the moonlit clearing before him, sprites no taller than his ankle danced. *** Ilna walked deliberately onto the natural bridge. It wasn't as slippery as it looked from a distance, because the ghoul's great feet had worn a path through the flow rock which the drips of a thousand years had deposited in a thin, glassy layer. Though wet and fine-grained, the limestone beneath wasn't quite as dangerous a surface. Still, it was stone and she-Ilna smiled minusculely-was stone's enemy, at least in her own head. Regardless of whether or not stone really had an opinion. Ilna trailed the climbing rope behind her. It was only long enough to stretch a double-pace onto the upward curve of the arch. For choice she'd have been able to pass the centerpoint of the bridge, but for choice she'd have been home in Barca's Hamlet, weaving at her big loom on the porch while Chalcus and Merota chatted beside her. She didn't have to like the reality of the world-she didn't remember a time she had, save for the brief period when Chalcus and Merota were with her. No one had ever claimed that Ilna didn't accept reality, however. She didn't look over her shoulder at Usun. If things went as planned, he'd be out of sight anyway. Ilna smiled again. If things didn't go as planned, she'd be dead very shortly and probably buried in the belly of a ghoul. She supposed she could throw herself over the edge of the chasm to prevent that, but if suicide had had any attraction for her, she wouldn't have survived this long. If things went wrong, she'd attack the ghoul with the bone-cased paring knife she carried in one sleeve of her tunic. From what Usun had said, its hide was so thick with bony nodules that the little blade probably wouldn't be able to nick him. Still, it was something to do while the creature bit her face off. Ilna placed the loop precisely on the pathway and straightened. She rather liked the rope. It was of good quality linen, and it'd been wound tight and smoothly. A pity to dispose of it in this fashion, but all things end.

The rope presumably didn't care. She walked on, past the center of the span. The ghoul might be watching her through the falls, though there wasn't any obvious reason why it would keep its attention a secret instead of rushing out to rend and devour her. "Ghoul!" Ilna shouted.

How good was the creature's hearing, anyway? This close, the water snarled as it tumbled down into the gorge. "Come out!" She had only Usun's word that the ghoul was there. An almost-smile lifted the left corner of her lips. Indeed, she had only Usun's word that there was really a cave behind the waterfall. Well, she'd done far more foolish things in the past than shouting insults at a solid stone wall. "You visited me!" Ilna said. She took another cautious step. Her eyes were on the waterfall, and to slip here would be more than embarrassing: the chasm was many furlongs deep. "Now I've come to see you, filth-eater!" The curtain of water shivered aside. The ghoul stepped out, a hulking blackness against the blue shimmer. "Are you afraid of me, ghoul?" Ilna said. Could the creature even understand speech? It was hard to believe that something so huge and misshapen had ever been human. Usun had been right on everything else he'd said, though. The ghoul raised its bull-like head and roared, setting the waterfall atremble. Ilna stood where she was. She'd have to retreat shortly, but not just yet. The ghoul stamped down the path toward his side of the bridge. Its steps were deliberate but as certain as the approach of dawn. She wondered if shecould outrun the ghoul. Probably not, since its size would be an advantage in this waste of stone jackstraws.

Besides, there was nowhere to run, save to the pocket where Gaur deposited its dead. She wouldn't have a candle to drive the creature away a second time. Not that it mattered. Ilna wasn't going to run.