Free Against the Giants by Ru Emerson - (ebook by Flandrel, Undead) Page A

map of the lands of
southern Sterich and the Joten mountains. Another that he’d drawn himself was of
the Steading and the lands around it for two leagues. A third, even rougher,
showed the outside of the fortress-like building—what he’d been able to learn of
entries, guard towers, and the like. The last, mostly blank, was an outline of
the outer walls. Vlandar had roughly marked the location of the main entry and
the doors leading into the rest of the building. His only source of information
had escaped by hiding amid the cloaks and wrappings piled in the entry. With the
chaos of so many coming in at once, he’d been temporarily forgotten.
    The first meeting of the full group—again, after dark, since
it gave the members of the company an opportunity to comb the market for things
they would need for the journey—was less pleasant than Lhors had expected.
Plowys returned, sullenly mouthing threats and trying to pick fights with
everyone, including Lhors.
    Khlened finally picked him up by the collar and tossed him
into the night. Khlened himself was in an obnoxious mood, picking on everything
he saw as poorly planned. He seemed both fascinated and repelled by the rangers
and raised one objection after another over division of treasure. The rangers
exchanged annoyed glances whenever he turned away.
    The two rangers also spent some time helping Vlandar and the
others in the company work out a rough series of hand-signs.
    “Maera and I have our own,” Rowan explained, “but it’s
complex—”
    “—and private,” Maera interrupted. She didn’t look at all
pleased, and Lhors wondered if they had quarreled about sharing their code.
    Rowan glanced at her and moved her index finger and thumb
sharply.
    Maera nodded and added, “Mostly, it’s complicated—a twin
thing.”
    “But we think there might be times when it’s dangerous to
speak aloud,” Rowan went on, “and so if we all had a set of signs for such
things as ‘danger’, ‘monster’… Vlandar, you’re our captain, you’ll know
best what we need besides what Maera and I have worked out.”
    “Well thought,” the warrior admitted. “We’ll have a little
more time here and some time on the road each night. I’ll think on it.”
     
    * * *
     
    The company rode out of the city at daybreak three days
later. Vlandar took the lead, and the others strung out behind him. Bringing up
the rear was a score of Lord Mebree’s best fighters and Pferic, who led two pack
animals while his assistant, Zyb, a freckled boy of perhaps fourteen years, led
the third.
    For the most part, they rode in silence along the east bank
of the Javan River, with an occasional word from Vlandar on direction or stops.
The rangers had their own mode of silent communication and moved out ahead to
scout once they left the farmsteads and pastures behind. Khlened seemed to be
hung over or simply sulking about yet another imagined slight. Nemis’ lips
moved now and again—perhaps going over spells that might prove useful. Agya had
quarreled with the paladin over one of the last pranks she’d pulled in the lower
markets the night before they left. Though she now and again spoke to Vlandar,
she ignored Malowan. Lhors found himself riding most of the day next to the
paladin, who pointed out an occasional landmark along the broad, smooth-flowing
river that began high in the Barrier Peaks and ended in the Azure Sea.
    There wasn’t much to see to the east and north but hills.
Although Lhors had never been quite this far north, every tree and bush seemed
to speak of home to him. It was all he could do not to turn and head south, but
a small, despondent voice in the back of his mind whispered, but you have no
home now….
    The desire for revenge that had seized him the other night
was still there, but it smoldered now, and he let it alone to do so. Better to
concentrate on the task at hand.
    Not very far to the west, Lhors could make out the feet of
mountains,