Free Tides of Blood and Steel by Christian Warren Freed Page A

Skuld had been forced to travel through this part of the tunnels. He wasn’t even sure which direction they were traveling. They might well be on their way up to Chadra Keep for all he knew. The consequences were dire. They couldn’t risk being caught now, not after going through so much. The sheer responsibility of it all daunted him. All hope rested in his hands.
    He ventured, “These tunnels run under the main parts of the city, but I do not know which direction we are heading.”
    “I trust you, lad. You’ll make the right choices,” Anienam encouraged.
    The praise was unexpected and did wonders for his morale. Skuld strengthened his resolve and pushed forward. Hopefully each step brought them closer to the surface and a reunion with their friends.
    * * * * *
    Dorl Theed dropped to his knees and threw up. All of the dirt and debris came flooding out of him, coating the broken cobblestones. Lord Argis sagged against the wall, struggling to regain his breath. Nothol Coll half dragged, half carried Maleela free. He coughed and sputtered, but recovered enough to gently ease her down and splash their faces with water from a nearby rain bucket.
    “The wizard?” Dorl asked. He wiped the strings of saliva away with the back of his sleeve.
    Nothol looked back to the gaping darkness and then shook his head.
    “Damn.”
    Argis spat. “Then it was all pointless. Harnin has already won.”
    “That’s the problem with you people. You’re always so quick to admit defeat. We are far from letting Harnin or Badron from having their way with this kingdom,” Nothol admonished sharply.
    Argis bit back, “The wizard was our best hope for stopping the coming war. Without him the rebellion will be washed in blood.”
    “If you don’t have the stomach for it, you shouldn’t have gotten involved,” Dorl chipped in.
    “I am a lord of Delranan!”
    Nothol replied, “Then start acting like one! The rebellion will go on with or without you. The consequences of your actions will be seen in the amount of blood spilled. Stand now or step aside. This is no time for indecision.”
    Maleela looked up at them with tears streaking her face. Her heart wept for what was happening around her. “Please, Argis.”
    Argis stewed silently. No one but Badron had spoken to him so harshly in a very long time. Newly kindled rage colored his cheeks.
    “If Anienam is dead then we have lost the initiative,” Dorl said before Argis had the chance to answer.
    Nothol Coll shrugged. “We’ve been in tighter spots.”
    “Not by much.”
    “There has to be more than a single reference for this damned hammer,” Dorl added. “I don’t believe that some forgotten temple beneath Chadra is all.”
    “What hammer?” Argis asked suddenly.
    They told him, albeit reluctantly, what they knew of the Blud Hamr. Argis listened intently, deeper conversations forming in the back of his mind. Clearly Bahr and his wizard keeper didn’t fully trust him. He balanced on the edge. Should the rebellion fail, he might still be able to get this information back to Harnin in exchange for his life. Blood hammer indeed .
    Nothol Coll added random bits of knowledge to the tale while focusing on Argis’s facial expressions. Not even an accomplished liar could hide his true feelings. Besides, Argis had already betrayed one group. It was no stretch to imagine he would do the same again. Nothol kept his left hand close to his sword. Whether from a growing sense of alarm or just from habit, Argis couldn’t be sure.
    “Do we go back in?” he asked.
    His heart fluttered. Horrors awaited them in the forgotten places of the night. That such evil dwelt within his home city could have deep implications for the future. He doubted the cave-in had permanently trapped the undead.
    Nothol looked back at the ruin of the tunnel entrance. “There is no going back.”
    “If what Skuld told us is right there must be a dozen entrances,” Dorl said.
    “None of which do us much good even