Free Taker Of Skulls (Book 5) by William King Page A

multiply in the depths. The Old One may take any runes for himself. For all we know, that’s why he’s here.”
    Kormak shrugged.
    “Graghur was afraid of you,” Karnea said.
    “He’s afraid of my blade but he might not stay that way for long.”
    “I am reluctant to come all this way and then simply leave,” said Karnea. Fear and something else warred on her face. She frowned.
    “We can avoid the goblins,” said Sasha. Kormak looked at her. The prospector woman seemed just as surprised as he was by her own words.
    “What?” Karnea said.
    “We can avoid the goblins. I know we can.”
    “There was an awful lot of them,” Boreas said.
    Sasha laughed. “There were maybe a hundred.”
    “There could be a lot more down below.”
    “Even if there were, it would not matter. You have no idea how big Khazduroth is. It makes Taurys look like Varigston, not the capital of a kingdom. There are dozens of levels, thousands of streets. They must run for hundreds and hundreds of leagues. A hundred goblins could hardly cover one plaza, let alone the entire city.”
    “They don’t need to. They can just watch the entrances.”
    “They can’t watch all the entrances,” Sasha said. “There are too many of them.”
    “Why are you so keen to go below?” Kormak asked.
    “Because a quarter share of nothing is nothing,” she said. “And I need money for Sal’s medicine. And I need to get my kid out of these mountains.”
    Karnea looked calm once more and she smiled tentatively as if her natural cheerfulness was reasserting itself. “Do you really think we can get down into the Forge Quarter without meeting any goblins?”
    “If we can find an unguarded entrance, and I think we can.”
    Karnea said, “If we can find another of the Lost Runes, the risk would be worth it. If we could find netherium, the dwarves below Aethelas would trade many secrets.” She sounded like a starving woman considering a banquet.
    Kormak was not sure of this. Both women sounded desperate now although for different reasons. “I do not think this is wise,” Kormak said.
    “If you wish to remain here, you may, Guardian,” Karnea said. “I would not blame you for doing so.”
    “You are not seriously thinking of going down there alone,” said Boreas. He was looking at Karnea in rather a different way from a bodyguard contemplating a client.
    “I was rather hoping you would go with us.”
    The big scarred man let out a long sigh. “Of course I will.”
    Kormak considered his options. Despite the dangers it seemed like the others wanted to go below. He did not like the risks but he had his orders and he had made a promise to Tam. “Very well, then. Sasha, if you can show us an unguarded entrance we will take it. If you can’t, we go back.”
    Boreas looked relieved at being given an out. “I don’t think the Guardian can say fairer than that.”
    “There’s an old path up the side of Grim Peak. It leads to a small postern gate. I found it when I was prospecting with Duncan,” Sasha said. She paused for a moment when she said the name. “From there we can take a spiral staircase down past the gates.”
    “Let’s get going then,” Kormak said. “We don’t have time to waste.”

Chapter   Ten

    THEY PACKED THEIR gear and headed down the valley. Ahead of them Kormak could see the great stone gates in the mountainside, and the two massive statues flanking them.
    This was the best view he had of them so far. He could see the details on their squat armoured forms. Massive runes had been inscribed on their shields and hammers, beards stretched from their chins to their boots. Helmets covered their heads and obscured their eyes. The armour did not look as if it had been made by humans. It was more angular, with flat surfaces intended to carry numerous runic inscriptions.
    They were about halfway down the valley when Sasha led them off up a path by the side of some rocks. The climb very swiftly got steep and Kormak found himself