 
### Isle of the Ape

By Jason Halstead

Published by Novel Concept Publishing LLC at Smashwords

©2013

All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Cover art © 2013 Willsin Rowe

Proofread by Faith Williams

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Jason Halstead's website: http://www.booksbyjason.com

Keep an eye out for these other Order of the Dragon books coming soon:

Isle of the Ape

Sands of Betrayal (Coming soon)

Chasing the Dragon (Coming soon)

Dragonlady (Coming soon)

And look for these Blades of Leander books:

Child of Fate (book 1)

Victim of Fate (book 2)

Silver Dragon (book 3)

or pick up all 3 at once in the Blades of Leander boxed set

### Chapter 1

"Still happy for the fresh air?" Sir Celos asked his squire as her boot sank deeper into a pit of mud. He held out a branch for her to grab and ignored the buzzing insects around him.

Aleena forced a smile on her face and pulled herself out of the bog. She looked around and wrinkled her nose. "Not much fresh air here, but it's good to be on the move again. I enjoy my time spent at the church learning and in prayer, but there's nothing better than living Leander's will."

Celos shook his head and chuckled. "You're something else."

"I am, I know," Aleena admitted with a grin. "But why do you think so?"

"It's impressive, what you've accomplished. Your attitude and your dedication have not gone unnoticed."

Aleena felt the heat come to her cheeks. She glanced away and then back up at him. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face in spite of the stench of the marsh surrounding them. "Unnoticed by whom? Does Sir Celos Lyonsbane think I'm worthy?"

Celos snorted and turned away to find another path through the swamp. "You proved yourself worthy last year in the battle at Dragonsgate. Unconventional, but worthy."

Aleena's brow furrowed when he called her unconventional. "One of those men serves the church still and the other, I'm told, returned home to speak kindly on our behalf. Without those mercenaries changing sides that battle may have gone differently."

"Not may, would," Celos glanced back at her and said. "None of us would have lived through the day."

"Might not have mattered anyhow," Aleena said. "After Alto killed the dragon, the army just fell apart and ran back to their caves and holes."

A frown crossed Celos's face before he turned back and started through the marsh again. "Had we not been there, they would have come out of the mountains."

Aleena nodded at the conviction in his voice. "I believe you," she said.

Celos stopped and raised his hand. Aleena dropped her hand to the sword at her side and followed his gaze into the gloomy marsh. They'd entered the bewitched forest just after noon but a few hours had passed. The terrain had grown worse as they trekked north into the woods, with the trees looking sickly and the undergrowth dying and rotting. Even the mushrooms were shriveling up and splitting apart.

Shapes moved through the gloom. The trees were covered in vines and moss that hung like aging cobwebs in a barn. What leaves grew on the limbs worked with the moss to blot out the sun's light.

"This place needs Leander's blessing," Celos murmured. He drew his great sword and started forward again, heading towards the shapes they'd seen.

Aleena slipped her shield off her back and set it on her arm, and then drew her sword and followed her mentor through the dying forest. She glanced to her left and behind, making certain they weren't being surrounded. The mists rising off the pools of water swirled, giving her starts and making her think she saw things that weren't there. From her right, she heard water bubble as swamp gas belched, startling her.

"Celos! Look." Aleena pointed through the swamp in the direction where the methane had escaped. The fuzzy outline of a cottage could be seen.

Celos turned. "We'll start there," he said.

Aleena nodded, but glanced sharply to her left when she heard a splash. She couldn't see anything, but the trees and ridges of land that ran through the swamp could have hidden a small army. "Hurry," she urged.

They saw the cottage was in good shape, unlike the rest of the swamp. The door was closed and no light shone around the edges of the wooden shutters, but only a few vines had begun to crawl up the stone walls.

"Doesn't look like anybody's home," Aleena observed.

Behind them in the swamp they heard some splashing and then a roar. It was followed by more splashing and the bray of another animal they couldn't identify. Celos and Aleena looked at each other long enough to be certain they were both thinking the same thing. Celos turned and hammered on the door with his gauntlet.

Aleena jumped when she heard a loud croak beside her. She glanced down and saw a large frog with horns hop out from where it had been sitting in a corner of the cottage's walls. The frog stared at her and croaked again. She stared at the horns, each one forked out for a total of four points and covered in velvet like a stag.

"What is that?" Aleena gasped.

"I don't know," Celos admitted.

The frog's mouth opened and its tongue shot out, crossing the three feet between them to slap against Aleena's boot. She yelped and tried to yank her foot back but it was stuck fast to the creature's tongue.

Celos's sword flashed, severing the tongue and forcing the frog to rock back on his hind legs. Aleena cried out and then stepped forward to kick the creature and send it rolling into a puddle.

"Into the cottage!" Celos ordered. He turned and tried the door. It was locked. Undeterred, he threw his metal-clad shoulder into it and broke the feeble catch on the lock.

Aleena followed behind the knight and turned to throw the door shut. She glanced around and saw nothing to bar it.

"Here!" Celos carried a short wooden bench from inside the house and the two of them wedged it against the door.

Aleena grabbed up her sword from where it rested against a wall and stepped over the bench so she could look into the house. It went deeper than she'd expected, an open archway leading to another room beyond the kitchen they found themselves in.

"Hello!" Celos called in to the house.

When no response greeted them, Aleena allowed herself to ask the question that had plagued her since they opened the door. "What's that smell?"

"Smells like the rest of the swamp," Celos said. He glanced around the kitchen and frowned. Herbs and roots had been gathered and stored. Mismatched cups and plates were stored on open shelves. "Whatever it is, it's not coming from this room."

Aleena slipped past him and made her way deeper into the house. She found a room with a table and a chair. Along a wall, a small cot rested next to a bookcase and a chest. A free-standing mirror sat in a corner next to a diagram that had been painted on the floor. The walls had shelves built into them with jars filled with ingredients she dared not begin to guess at.

"Witch!" Celos growled as he surveyed the room from behind her.

"Or wizard," Aleena pointed out. She could feel him scowling behind her. She was outspoken and difficult, but she considered it part of her charm. It made her unique and allowed her to be taken seriously among the church. It had been hundreds of years since another woman had joined the ranks of the Knights of Leander. She hoped to encourage other girls so it would not be so long after her.

"Keep going or get out of my way," Celos growled. "A Knight of Leander does not fear the unknown."

"I was studying the room," Aleena snapped back. "A knight also doesn't blindly rush into danger."

She heard him harrumph. She moved forward, heading towards the next doorway and slowing as she approached it. The stench of death was stronger there. "Something's dead in here," she said.

"The owner of the cottage, no doubt."

Aleena wrinkled her nose as she stepped up to the doorway and pushed the door open. Insects and small lizards fled at her approach. She saw the dried out and partially eaten corpse of a man lying on a bed. Drawn about it lay another mystical diagram.

"This is bad," Aleena whispered. She sheathed her sword after looking around the large bedroom to be certain there were no other threats.

Celos stepped up beside her and coughed on the odor coming from the dead man. His eyes had been plucked out and insects still crawled in his nose and mouth. He shook his head and sneered. "This is the fate that awaits those who toy with powers beyond their control."

"Are you sure? Looks like natural causes to me. A knife in the heart will naturally end your life," Aleena said before she stepped closer to the bed. Breathing as shallowly as possible, she plucked the dagger from his chest. She gasped and dropped it as a jolt of arcane power leapt into her hand and wrist.

"Are you all right?" Celos asked, at her side again.

Aleena squeezed her hand into a fist a few times and nodded. "Just a moment of pain. Burned me, I think."

"Fey wizardry," the knight muttered.

Aleena nodded. She turned and looked around the room at the bookcases and more shelves with strange materials. She thought she saw eyeballs floating in one. Fighting the urge to gag, she looked past it at the large desk and the many tomes piled on and around it.

"If this is the source of the enchantment in the forest, I'd say we're too late," Celos mused. "This wizard's cast his last spell. Fetch me that blanket; we'll cover him up at least."

Aleena turned back to the dead man and nodded. She grabbed the blanket that was bunched up at the foot of the bed and was going to pull it up when she stopped.

Celos sneered at her. "The man's long past dead and indecent, hardly the kind of thing a proper woman should be looking at!"

"I have young brothers and I spent my childhood working in a bar. I've seen a man before," Aleena reminded him. She pointed at marks on his chest and stomach. "What are those marks? Bugs didn't make them."

Celos leaned closer to the marks Aleena pointed out. "More magical foolishness cut into his body."

Aleena nodded. They had a pattern to them. Runes of some sort. Like Celos, she felt uncomfortable around them, but she'd spoken to Alto's friend Kar enough that she didn't fear them like her pious mentor.

"A man doesn't plunge a dagger into his own heart," Celos said. "Nor does he carve on himself."

"You think there's someone else?" Aleena asked.

Celos glanced at the naked man's crotch. The hungry creatures of the swamp had been at work there, too. "A man doesn't lay in his bed naked without cause."

"Some men do."

Celos scowled. "A right and proper man doesn't!"

"I do, sometimes."

Celos narrowed his eyes and turned on her.

"I'm not a man, I know, but I don't think it's fair of you to assume that all men should be as pious and righteous as you."

"You're risking heresy," Celos warned.

"No, I'm not." Aleena stood her ground. "Leander's teachings allow for love and for a man to take a woman as a wife. He encourages prudence and propriety in all things, but He does not forbid pleasures of the flesh of any sort. Even that of luxuriating in the feel of freshly washed sheets upon bare skin."

"I do not approve of this," Celos said, dismissing it. "Whether he was enjoying his sheets or not, no sane man enjoys being carved up like a roasted turkey."

Aleena nodded, agreeing with him. "So there's someone else, another wizard?"

He scowled. "Perhaps. These wizards are wrong on every level."

Aleena sighed and turned away to walk out of the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

Aleena sighed and studied the middle room again. Why was there a small bed here as well? "I'm looking for something to help explain what it is we might be up against."

"We should leave and burn this unholy place to the ground!"

She moved and opened up one of the shutters to peer into the swamp. It had gotten darker outside. They'd been in the cottage longer than she realized. She gasped when she saw movement in the darkness. She looked further and picked out more shapes, and then she hurried to another window in the kitchen and opened it. It was a little lighter on the western side of the house but that only helped her see the bizarre creatures that had gathered and surrounded the cottage.

"Celos, I don't think I'm ready to leave this place yet."

"What nonsense is this? Are you bewitched?"

"We're surrounded by some very unnatural, um, beasts."

Celos clanked through the house until he stood at her side and stared out the window. "By Leander's grace," he whispered.

Aleena nodded and stared at a creature that looked like a large black bear with the front legs of a hunting cat. "Let's dig a little deeper first, shall we? It's getting dark and we didn't see them during the day. Perhaps we should stay the night?"

Celos frowned while he stared at the growing crowd of aberrations in the swamp. He nodded. "Yes, perhaps. While we search for answers, at least."

Aleena smirked behind his back. "I'll get to it."

* * * *

Aleena looked up from the latest book she'd been reading when Celos walked into the middle room from the bedroom several hours later. "I'll never get this stink out of my armor," he complained.

"It was a woman," Aleena said, ignoring his whining. She shifted a lantern to shine light in the open chest.

Celos stopped and followed the light into the chest. He saw robes that were folded neatly. "Hardly proof. Wizards often wear robes. I've seen them at court."

"These aren't a man's robes," Aleena said. She held up a small item of cloth that resembled a small rag with a string nearly a foot long attached it. "There's other clothing in here."

"What's that? A bib for a baby?"

Aleena snorted. "The string goes around a woman's thigh. It's for a woman's monthly—"

Celos held up his hand. "You've proved your point. What else have you found?"

Aleena tried not to enjoy her mentor's flushed cheeks. Or at least not visibly. She glanced at the books surrounding her and sighed. "Much of it is beyond me. Arcane texts I have no interest or understanding in. There are books on herbs and minerals. Components, they call them, and what properties they have to help wizards do magical things."

"Useless," Celos muttered.

Aleena bit her tongue. All knowledge was useful, even if it wasn't practical to her. She shrugged the matter aside. "There are many books in his room on animals and even his own diaries on experiments he conducted."

"The dead man?"

"I believe so. He was a wizard, Therion. He experimented on the animals, trying to turn them into powerful beasts. He controlled them, but they were never good enough for him. And they could never breed on their own."

"So that tells us something, at least," Celos admitted. "He was the source of evil corrupting this forest. But what of the, um, woman who killed him?"

"I haven't found anything about her yet," Aleena admitted.

"I wonder if she's still around, or a visiting sorceress from another realm?" the knight mused.

"Based on her books versus his, I suspect she was an apprentice."

"An apprentice? How can you know this?"

"Smaller bed, no privacy, and she had books describing roots and bugs compared to his. Some of his books have text that swims across the page before my eyes and makes me want to purge myself. She had none of that."

Celos grunted and glanced at the closed door to the wizard's bedchamber. "So why would she kill him and where has she gone?"

"There's more," Aleena said, drawing his attention back.

"Of course there is," Celos sighed.

"His journals tell of a nymph and a warrior."

"Hardly appropriate reading for a servant of Leander," Celos scolded.

Aleena rolled her eyes and shook her head. "It's not that kind of a story! Well, it is, but he doesn't recount that part of it."

The knight's brow furrowed. "Then what does it say?"

"He tells of how the forest became corrupted in the first place, by the nymph who loved a man and refused to let him go. I think he escaped, or perhaps he died. Whatever the case, she pined away for him and sought to bring him back or something. I got lost in his notes. What I'm sure of is that he felt her spirit was still her and she'd learned how to twist nature to her own ends. He wanted to harness that power and learn about it. That's why he came here, and that's the source of the army of aberrations out there."

"They're still out there," Celos confirmed. "More than ever. Growing closer to the cabin, too."

"Their master is dead," Aleena said. "They must suspect but aren't quite sure."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because we're still alive."

Celos snorted. "No unwholesome beast will spill my blood!"

"Just as no minion of dark forces could slaughter the true and faithful of Leander?" Aleena asked.

"Rightly so!" Celos boasted.

"Sir Celos, need I remind you of how many of our brothers fell during the battle of Dragonsgate? Would you find their resolve or faith lacking? Even Sir Amos's heart nearly failed him."

Celos let his glare settle on her until she began to doubt the wisdom of speaking out. When she glanced away, he spoke. "If your body should falter, it is a weakness of the flesh, not the spirit. Leander's faith requires that we put our duty forward first. You may love, you may fight. You may seek to do a great many things in life, but chief among these must be your faith in Him."

Aleena was captivated by the gleam in Sir Celos's eyes as he spoke. "Even if death is our only recourse?"

"That is when the need for faith is greater than at any other time," he counseled. "It's not merely for those who have not felt Leander's blessings, nor is it only to boost the morale of our own brothers who may be shaken. We must put our faith first to strengthen our own spirits. One day our bodies will fail us. It will happen to us all, but our hearts must have the strength to endure. Without the purity of spirit, our lives will have been for naught."

Aleena bowed her head and nodded. "Thank you, Sir Celos, for this lesson. And forgive me for questioning you."

Celos nodded. "I suspect we could all use a challenge from time to time. Take our situation as an example. If you can find a means of dispatching these creatures without wading through mud and cutting them apart one at a time, I would be a fool not to listen to you."

Aleena smiled. "I'd never dare to call you a fool."

Celos chuckled. "You might not call me one, but I know you well enough to know you'd think it!"

Aleena gasped but found she had nothing to come back with.

"Now put your head to those books and find what you can of this nymph. If the wizard's creations came from her and she still lingers, perhaps we can put her to rest and end this corruption once and for all."

Aleena nodded. "I may question your decisions at times, but your wisdom is without fault."

Celos offered her a smile and then moved to the kitchen to check on the wizard's creations that surrounded them. Aleena jerked her eyes away from him and searched the piles of books she'd accumulated. She took a pensive breath and grabbed a book on the top of a pile. She frowned when she saw it was named _The Order of the Dragon_ , and set it aside. Beneath it she found something far more promising. The new book was titled _Tales of the Fairy_.

### Chapter 2

"This is it, my lady," the guide said softly, lest his voice carry on the winds. "This is where Alto slew the dragon!"

Rosalyn slid off the sturdy mountain horse and hoped that her legs would hold her. They did, though she felt like they might buckle at any moment. The ride through the mountains had been long and arduous. Not to mention filled with peril of the savages who had been reclaiming their lands in the Northern Divide.

"This is a barren slope with nothing but the remains of long gone camps," Rosalyn said.

The guide pointed at a flat topped mountain to the north of the shallow hill. "It was in there that Princess Patrina was held to be sacrificed. That's where Sir Alto went and battled the beast!"

Rosalyn smirked. "Sir Alto? He's a knight then?"

"Well, no, but I heard tell he's some sort of noble to the Kelgryn. Even has Princess Patrina's hand pledged to him!"

Roslyn's rueful smile faded. "I knew Alto once," Rosalyn said. It wasn't a lie; she had watched him for days until Therion had ended the spell that scried him through his mirror.

"I've heard he is gracious and humble, yet the size of an ogre himself," the grizzled mountain man said.

"You speak fondly of him."

"He freed these lands and saved Highpeak not once but twice!"

"A mighty man, to do these deeds alone."

The guide chuckled. "Well, he had his company with him. The Band of the Dying Dragon!"

"How fitting." Rosalyn sighed. "And tell, where is the merry band of men now?"

The man shrugged. "Alto spends time near Portland—he owns land there—or at Holgasford, courting the princess. The others travel with him or returned to their own lands. Garrick, the giant slayer from the north, returned to his people last I heard. Karthor and Kar spend their time in Portland, as does Namitus. Mordrim—he's a dwarf, if you believe it—is a servant of Lady Patrina and they're in Holgasford."

Rosalyn nodded. "You're well informed."

"I wouldn't be worth the silver if I wasn't," he said with a wink. He glanced around and felt the mountain breeze on his face. "Storm's coming, I think. Summer's on but the dragon messed with the weather last year; it's not caught up yet. We should start back and find shelter for the night before the wolves or worse come out."

"Why not those caves?" Rosalyn pointed up the hill to the extinct volcano Sarya had used.

The guide hissed and traced a sign in the air with his fingers. "That's cursed! Not even giants will dare to go there!"

Rosalyn hid her smile. "Have you known many giants, Ketten?"

"What? Known a giant? Are your wits addled? No man talks with a giant and lives!"

"Then you don't know that a giant won't go in there," she reasoned. His jaw dropped at her logic. She frowned and said, "I paid you to bring me to where Alto slew the dragon."

Ketten flapped his lips a few times before he could make words come out of them. "And I done that! Now we need to be on our way."

"This place is cursed?"

"By the spirits of the dead! All them foul beasts Alto's men slew and the soul of the dragon himself!"

"Herself," Rosalyn corrected.

"What?"

"Alto killed a dragon named Sarya. Sarya was a female dragon. Old even among her kind."

"Right, so that made her more dangerous."

"Does an old woman who can't walk without her cane seem dangerous?"

Ketten stared at her for a long moment. Long enough that Rosalyn presumed she'd stricken him dumb with a simple question.

"I'm going in that cave, Ketten, and as my guide you'll accompany me."

"You're daft!" he blurted and backed away a step.

"You said yourself these lands are cursed and none will enter them. We have nothing to fear from the ogres, giants, goblins, wolves, and other creatures of the mountains."

"Ain't the creatures you need to be worrying about! You go in there and it won't be your body that needs protecting—it's your mind and your soul!"

Rosalyn stared up at the cave and then looked back at him. She smiled and asked, "Do you have any idea what I am?"

"Wh—what you are?" Ketten stammered. "You're a fool woman with more gold than common sense. None of my business."

"I'm a witch."

He gasped and backed up again.

"Running won't save you," Rosalyn said. "I can make the stone beneath your feet grab you. I can turn you into a juicy rabbit waiting for a wolf to pounce. I can burn out your eyes with a spell and disfigure you so that you must sit to relieve yourself."

Ketten stumbled on a rock that had once been part of a ring surrounding a campfire. He fell and grimaced, but tried to back away with his elbows and foot dragging his butt across the ground.

Rosalyn pulled a crooked wand from her shirt and pointed it at him. A dark purple glow lit the tip of it a moment until silver motes began to swirl around it. "You have more to fear from me than you do the mountains. You will accompany me to the mountains or I will leave your smoking corpse here on the hillside for the ravens to feast on. Do you understand me?"

Ketten's eyes danced around, seeking escape or a weapon he might use against her. When he saw nothing, he nodded.

"Excellent," Rosalyn said, lowering the wand and calling back the magic that illuminated it. "On your feet and lead the way."

Ketten rose slowly, wincing from the pain in his buttocks his fall caused him. He dusted himself off and glanced at her out of the side of his eyes. He turned away quickly and started towards his horse.

"I think we'll walk," Rosalyn said. "A fine evening for a walk, don't you think?"

"Was going to grab some torches," Ketten mumbled. "You know, for exploring the cave."

"I don't need a torch."

Ketten gasped and then turned back to the caves up the hillside. He started towards them, glancing left and right with every step. Rosalyn followed behind him, her wand in one hand and her other tightly on the dagger at her waist.

Her guide hesitated at the precipice before he crossed into the massive cave. Nothing remained at the entrance to prove it had once been a stronghold of a dragon and her dark army. Ketten straightened little by little as nothing leapt out of the shadows at them.

After they'd walked deeper into the cave and the reflected sunlight faded, Rosalyn risked pocketing her wand and retrieving components from her pouches. She combined two powders together and then poured them into a dimple she made in a small ball made from the rich mud from the swamp. The witch worked and mixed the powder into the mud and then pierced it with her dagger.

Ketten turned and raised his hands in fear when he heard Rosalyn chant. She finished her spell and caused an orange flame to burst out of the alchemical mix on her dagger. A strong yellow light that rivaled a torch illuminated the cave. Rosalyn held the dagger out and retrieved the wand from her pocket. She motioned with the wand, drawing a circle in the air to let Ketten know he should turn back around.

Her guide did as instructed and moved on until the passage opened into a large hall. He looked to his right and then his left before he froze. Rosalyn followed his gaze and found herself smiling.

"It's true," she hissed.

Ketten jumped at the sound of her voice. They'd grown accustomed to hearing only the whistling of the wind in the tunnels. "Of course it's true!" he whispered. "All of it, which means every breath we take in here is borrowed."

Rosalyn dismissed his concerns with a sidelong glance. She walked closer to the remains lying on the cavern floor. Ketten was forced to follow or be left in the dark. She stopped after she passed the tattered and ruined giant boots, each nearly as tall as her. A few scraps of clothing remained on and under the skeleton but the meat and even some of the smaller bones were missing.

"A giant," Rosalyn whispered.

"Garrick killed this one," Ketten said.

"How do you know this?"

Ketten pointed at the giant's skull. In the center of its forehead there was a hole. "He used Mordrim's hammer."

"Impressive," Rosalyn admitted. She stepped in closer and studied the scratches on the giant's bones where the teeth of scavengers had torn away the meat. "It's been a little over a year. Our large friend is gone thanks to the scavengers in the mountains."

"What?"

"Wolves, birds, insects, and whatever else might live in these mountains," Rosalyn explained. "They're not as frightened of this place as you think they are."

Ketten swore and spun around, staring into the darkness. "We must flee!" he pleaded.

"I must see the dragon," Rosalyn said. "Take me to it."

"I don't know—"

"You knew that Alto's barbarous friend slew this giant," she interrupted. "You know where the dragon is. Take me there. The sooner you show me, the sooner we can be on our way."

The guide cursed again and turned back to the way they'd already come. "Back there. The way I heard it, he took a passage on the far wall."

"Then let us take that same passage."

Ketten led her along the passage to the smaller cave that led up into the mountain. It emptied into a room complete with another skeleton, though this one wore a gleaming suit of a plate mail.

"Turn him over," Rosalyn commanded.

Ketten risked a glance at her and then muttered under his breath while he heaved the heavy armor over. The skeleton inside fell apart, allowing some of the armor to clang and crash across the smooth stone floor. Ketten fell back from it, his hand going to the short sword at his hip while his eyes darted from one entrance to another.

"Order of the Dragon," Rosalyn breathed as she stared at the emblem on the dead knight's chest. She knelt next to him and set her wand on the ground so she could trace the dragon carved into the breastplate. "Who was this?"

Ketten shook his head when she turned to glare at him. "I know there was a knight named Beck, but Alto killed him after he killed his family down near Portland. I don't remember nothing about a knight here!"

Rosalyn scooped up the handful of coins that had fallen beneath the dead man before she grabbed her wand and straightened. "Let's go."

Ketten picked himself up and looked at the different passages before he chose one and started up the ascending tunnel. Rosalyn followed him until the tunnel allowed for an opening into a great circular chamber.

Ketten cried out and backed up. He held his arms out and backed Rosalyn into the passage.

"What are you doing?" she hissed at him.

"I seen two red eyes!" he said. "They was evil; I could feel it!"

"Watch out, fool," Rosalyn snapped. She pushed his arm aside and stepped ahead of him. Light filtered down into the caldera from above but the distance was great enough to leave the floor covered in shadow. The shadows made it easier for her to see the glowing red eyes that gleamed in the darkness. She walked forward, her heart hammering in her throat and her wand trembling in her hand. She lifted the dagger overhead and hoped it wouldn't slip in her sweaty grip.

"Blood of the saints," Rosalyn whispered in awe when her light revealed the corpse of the dragon.

"Be careful!" Ketten called to her.

"She's dead," Rosalyn said as she studied the flattened skin and bones of the dragon. Her eyes traveled to the far wall of the crater and followed the shadows up to the baleful eyes that followed her as she walked closer to them. In moments, she could make out the shape of the enormous silver statue. The light from her dagger began to be reflected off the many shining curves of the dragon and made the ruby eyes in its head glisten. "It's just a statue. You can come out."

She heard scuffling and then some cursing before Ketten stood next to her. He shivered and hugged his arms. "This place is evil," he muttered. He saw Rosalyn pulling supplies out of her pouches and asked, "What are you doing?"

Other than to warn him, "Don't leave the circle," Rosalyn ignored her guide and pulled out three candles from a pouch and set them on the floor around them. A fine line of dust followed, drawing lines that connected the candles. She grabbed another vial of a different colored powder and added to the diagram, and then she began to chant.

"What is this?" Ketten spat. "I didn't agree to be part of no unholy witchcraft!"

The witch held her dagger high and continued her spell. The flames at the tip of Rosalyn's dagger flared and erupted in sparks that shot to each candle and lit them. She lowered the knife, now free of the burning substance, and spun around with it inside the circle. She thrust her hand out and came to an abrupt stop when the hilt of the dagger slammed into Ketten's head.

Ketten grunted and fell to his knees. Her boot to his chest sent him sprawling on his back. His arms and legs twitched as though he meant to move. The smoke from the candles drifted through the air, unaffected by the breeze, and surrounded him. Rosalyn straddled him and sat upon his stomach. She cut his leathers, baring his chest to her. She took another tin from a separate pouch and opened it, chanting all the while. She dipped her dagger into the dark ink in the pouch and then began to carve symbols into his chest.

Ketten stared up at her, his eyes focusing once she started cutting into his flesh. He grimaced but did little more than twitch under the effects of her magic. Rosalyn ignored him and focused on chanting the words beyond when her mouth dried and her throat threatened to rebel her. She rose up from him and untied the laces on her shirt to loosen it so she could pull it over her head. She let it fall outside the circle and sank back down to sit high on his stomach, her skin bared to him and revealing the patterns of swirls tattooed into her flesh.

Rosalyn wiped her dagger clean on Ketten's shirt and lifted it to her full breast. She cut into it over her heart, making the blood well up and run down the blade. The witch pulled the blade away from her skin and reversed it, and then drove it down into Ketten's chest in the middle of the circle of runes she'd carved into him. He stiffened under her as her dagger delivered her blood straight to his heart. She pulled it free and stood, and then stepped carefully outside the circle.

She fought the burning in her throat and thrust her hands up into the air to finish her chant. Ketten collapsed onto the ground. Around him, the three candles had burned through.

Rosalyn scuffed the powder with her boot and crossed into it. She pushed Ketten over on his back and said, "Your life is mine now."

Ketten stared at her and coughed. He looked down at the blood on his chest and reached up to feel it. His fingers probed the smooth flesh on his chest. Were it not for the runes permanently marking him and the blood on his chest, it might never have happened. She saw him look at her chest and search for the cut in her skin. It was healed the same as his were. He gasped and coughed again.

"Magic," Rosalyn explained to his questioning eyes. "The darker side of nature. Your life is bound to mine now. If I die, you will die. If I suffer, you will suffer. I will know where you are. I can kill you with a command, or maybe only hurt you, should you displease me. But you wouldn't displease me, would you?"

Ketten gasped and shook his head. He rolled onto his side and then his knees while he focused on her. "Why?" he asked.

"I asked around. Nearly everyone said Ketten is the man I needed. He knew the mountains like few others. He knew the monsters and how to avoid them. And he had no family. No one to miss him."

Ketten's lips parted as he stared up at the half-naked witch. Rosalyn smiled and turned to look at the statue, uncaring of her scandalous state of dress. "We're going to be spending a lot of time together, Ketten. I need to stay here, right here. I have things I must learn and things I must do."

"You're daft!" he whispered.

Rosalyn smiled. "I see why you've no family. You should never speak like that to a lady."

"You're not a lady, you're a witch!"

Rosalyn winced. She spun on him and curled a hand into claws that looked curled around something. Ketten wheezed and clutched at his chest. "I am a witch," Rosalyn snarled. "I'll be the greatest witch who ever lived! I'll have power undreamt of! The power of nature and of dragons. What are the elements compared to those who can defy them or use them for their pleasure?

"Do you see these markings?" Rosalyn relaxed her hand and gestured at the tattoos across her chest and arms. Ketten slumped forward and had to lift his head back up to look at her. "The last man I stayed with thought to enslave me with them. He underestimated me and he was an arch mage! I have what he taught me and his power now, just like I can take yours as I take your life if you displease me."

Ketten straightened his back slowly and regained his composure now that she'd released her magical grip on him. "Seems I don't have a choice," he said.

Rosalyn smiled. "You learn quickly.

"It grows late and we have much to explore," Rosalyn said. "Fetch the horses and bring them in. We'll need food and if they run off or are eaten, you'll have to hunt something for us."

"What if I run off?" Ketten asked.

Rosalyn chuckled and tapped her breast over her heart. "You won't unless you desire a fate more painful than death."

Ketten glared at her a moment longer and then turned away. He tried to pull his split shirt and leathers together but he had nothing to tie them together with. He scowled and headed back towards the passage.

"Do hurry, there's much to be done," Rosalyn called to him right before he slipped into the tunnel that would take him back to the hill below.

Rosalyn turned and stared at the statue of Sarya again. She moved closer to it and stared up at it, and then closer until she could reach out and lay her hand on the leg of the silver dragon. The witch gasped when she felt the warmth within. "You're still here!" she whispered.

Rosalyn grinned and glanced at the corpse behind her. The meat was long since rotted away but the bones and great flaps of dragon hide remained. Sarya's hoard of treasure had been acquired and distributed among the realms of the north, for the survivors of Highpeak, the northern barbarian tribes, the Kelgryn people, and the final share going to the Church of Leander. Rosalyn chuckled. They'd missed the real treasure. It lay in Sarya's remains, both living and dead.

She turned away and went to fetch her shirt. She had a lot of work to do if she was going to punish the man who had ruined her.

### Chapter 3

The young man burst through the trees and leapt off the boulders, only to land and roll until he could come to his feet again. He stumbled on and then regained his balance and continued to sprint down the rugged northern hillside.

The boy splashed through a stream and used his youth to spring down a ravine before he landed in the glen where his family had built their hall. His father and the warrior from the Snowbear clan were outside working on the timber wall around their house.

"Ho there, Borwin!" his father called out with a chuckle when he ran through the gate gasping for breath. "Racing your brother again? How long until he walks in?"

Borwin shook his head and had to gasp a few more breaths until he could speak. "Never! Harn's dead!"

"Dead?" Amvar echoed.

"Ogres," Borwin panted. "Too many to count!"

The visitor grabbed up his scabbard and slipped it over his back and then drew it tight. He checked the great sword on his back and asked, "What happened?"

"You saw him die?" Amvar demanded, ignoring their guest.

"Rock hit him in the head," the boy said. He'd caught his breath enough to slow down so they could see the trails of tears that had run down his face and the snot he wiped from his nose with the back of his hands. "They surprised us while we was fishing! He was closer."

"It killed him or you left him lying senseless?" Amvar demanded.

"An ogre-hurled stone will break a bone easy as an axe," the visitor declared.

Amvar turned to him. "I've fought ogres before, Garrick; I know what they can do."

Garrick nodded. "Then let us avenge your son."

Amvar nodded and turned to grab his own sword. Borwin shook his head. "There's too many!"

Amvar buckled his belt about his waist and turned back to his son. "They followed you?"

"I don't know," the boy admitted. "I ran as fast as I could once Harn fell in the river and I saw the blood."

"Did you even see the ogres?" his father asked with his fury barely controlled.

Borwin nodded hard enough to jostle his brain. "More than I could count. A score, maybe more!"

"Fetch Lars," Amvar said.

Once Borwin ran to the hall, Amvar turned to Garrick. "The boy's got a mouth and he's spun his share of stories, but this is too much."

Garrick nodded. "He's a good boy, but to lie about his brother being killed by ogres?"

Amvar sighed. "I never wanted him to lie to me so much in my life."

Garrick offered the patriarch a troubled smile and turned to the opening in the wall they'd been building. "This wall won't hold ogres for long. If there's twenty of them, they can smash it down or go through the holes we haven't filled yet. We can slow them but they'll surround us. Your hall is no better; they'll tear the walls down to get to us."

Amvar's eyes narrowed. "The winds speak of you as a giant slayer. A man who knows no hunger except the lust for battle. You've told us tales that seem unlikely, save you speak of a warrior from the south that is your equal. If you were full in your cups, you'd have no man who could stand beside you."

Garrick nodded. "If Alto were here, he might have a plan to fight. He is not. I would suggest we march and take the fight to them. Even surrounded in a field is better than trapped here. Your wife and daughter might escape that way, even if we fall."

Amvar scowled. "I agree we must take the fight to them, but Aressa will not flee. A Spottedwolf woman takes a single man and will love no other."

Garrick bowed his head. "Then let us be off. Borwin can use a bow or sling while we fight."

The door opened and Lars, Amvar's eldest son, emerged. Borwin followed, as did Aressa and Kendall, Amwar's daughter and the real reason for Garrick's visit. They met near the gate and saw Aressa's cheeks were white with the news of her son's death. Kendall wiped tears from her eyes and stood with her hands cross tightly in front of her chest. Garrick reminded himself not to smile in spite of how pretty she looked with her hair blowing in the northern breeze.

"Lars, Borwin, we go to stop these ogres," Amvar said. "Garrick will come with us. Show him you've got the spine of the mountains in you and do the Spottedwolf clan proud!"

Aressa nodded. "We'll wait inside for your return."

Amvar nodded and turned to the others. "Come, boys. No mercy to these beasts!"

Garrick caught Kendall's eyes and thought he saw a flicker of a smile in them. "We'll stop them," Garrick promised.

"Then you'd best be hurrying," Aressa snapped.

Garrick turned and saw the others had already made it to the gate. Garrick spat out an oath and hurried after them, his cheeks burning. He caught up outside the gate and nearly ran into Borwin. He leapt to the side to avoid knocking the boy over and saw the company of ogres sliding, falling, or climbing down from the steep hillside above.

"They're fast!" Borwin breathed.

Garrick snorted. "Large and stupid, not fast. They chased a bunny but didn't know it was guarded by wolves."

"Spottedwolves," Lars agreed.

"And a bear," Garrick referred to his own clan of Snowbear.

"There's so many!" Borwin whispered, daunted by the approaching ogres.

Garrick frowned. The boy was right; there was a lot of them. More than a score. Alto or even Mordrim would have come in handy. "Last time I seen this many was when the dragon had gathered them."

"The dragon's dead, you said," Lars said.

"Seen the body with my own eyes," Garrick confirmed.

"Then let's hope they didn't learn to get along," Amvar offered.

"Right here, in the open?" Borwin stammered. "There's so many!"

"Throw rocks, sticks, whatever you've got!" Garrick said as he drew his sword and started forward. "I'll keep them busy."

"You're one man!" Lars said.

"He's not alone," Amvar said. "Stand with us, son, or guard the women—no one will think any less of you."

Lars snorted and hurried to catch up to the two men. He barely drew his sword before Garrick spun away from the swinging club of an ogre and surprised the ogre beside it with a crushing blow that hewed deep into its arm and chest. Garrick wrenched his blade free and cut the first ogre's arm off at the elbow.

The ogre howled and grabbed his spurting stump. He stared as his blood stained the short grass of the small valley and then grunted when Amvar's sword thrust up and into his heart. The ogre fell back while the men continued their assault on the small army of ogres.

The momentum of the barbarians halted as Lars cried out when a tree limb held in the hand of an ogre smashed his blocking sword down and then broke against his shoulder. Amvar's eldest son crumpled to the ground and screamed in agony. Amvar turned to hamstring the ogre that had hurt his son but was driven back as others pressed their attack against him.

Garrick drifted apart from the barbarians. He sprang back and forth, never standing still and giving the ogres a target. The barbarian had a feral grin on his face as he remembered the battle at the base of Sarya's mountain. It had been similar odds and he'd broken his sword fighting. He had little fear of that this time. Mordrim had forged him a great sword from dwarven steel. Garrick had aided the dwarf in the forging and had to admit that he'd never seen its equal.

The other difference between the battles was the Blades of Leander. His friends were competent warriors. Amvar and Lars were unknown to him, though he'd heard praise of the father of the Spottedwolf family told around dinner fires.

Garrick kicked an ogre in the side of the knee, knocking the creature off balance and giving him time to knock the old and rusty sword the ogre wielded from his hand. To a man, the ogre's blade would take two hands to wield. Garrick turned, unable to finish the ogre when he glimpsed an ogre with a thick spear thrusting at him. He battled on, turning blows intent on killing him into mere bruises or misses with his uncanny agility.

"Garrick!"

Garrick's sword was locked overhead with the club of an ogre when he heard Amvar call for him. He dropped one hand to his waist and strained against the club the ogre was now pushing down towards him. He pulled his axe free of his belt and slammed it into the ogre's ribs, snapping one with hewing deep enough to make the ogre's strength fail him. Garrick let go of his axe and spun around, driving the ogres back as his great sword swept in an arc around him.

Having a moment of time, he grabbed his axe and thrust it through the loop in his belt, trusting he could tie it later. He lunged at a fresh ogre, driving it back from his feint even as he leapt in the opposite direction and drove his shoulder into the belly of another of the nine foot tall creatures.

The ogre stumbled back, surprised by Garrick's assault, and tripped on one of its brethren. Garrick scored a flesh wound on another ogre to his right and slipped between them so he could stand at Amvar's side.

"Lars is hurt," Amvar said. "Borwin's being chased by ogres and others are making for the house. There's too many!"

Garrick risked a glance and saw that Amvar was right. They couldn't protect his family. He thrust his sword into the thigh of an ogre that came too close and was blasted by the broken chips of rock and wood when another ogre's overhand blow landed where he'd been standing a heartbeat before and shattered the ogre's weapon.

The barbarian dispatched the surprised ogre and turned to see Amvar clutching his left hand tightly to his side. Blood ran from a wound on his face that had laid his cheek open to the bone. Garrick paused and nearly paid for his hesitation with his life as a spear snagged the hides he wore and tugged him back a step before he tore free of the wooden tip.

"I can go to them," Garrick snarled while hewing into the spear that had come so close and knocking it from the ogre's hands.

"It's my job," Amvar said. "Stand over Lars."

"I can fight!" Lars protested while struggling to his knees. He picked up his sword in his left hand and rose to his feet unevenly.

Amvar nodded. "You make me proud, son."

Lars nodded, a smile coming to his face right before an ogre's club smashed into his head from behind and sent his twitching body flying.

Garrick turned, distracted by the sudden attack. He winced and then jumped back out of instinct. An ogre stumbled into the spot he'd just occupied, a crude blade leading the way. With Garrick gone, he turned and thrust the primitive steel into Amvar's wounded arm. Amvar cried out and stumbled towards his son's body. He pulled himself free of the impaling steel and thrust his own blade up into the throat of the ogre that had killed Lars.

Garrick's great sword cleaved the spine of the ogre that had stabbed Amvar. He kicked the ogre out of his way as it fell and turned to parry another strike against him. "Go!" Garrick cried. "There's no more to be done here."

Amvar stumbled away, breaking free of the fight and gaining speed as he ran for his house. He came upon two ogres just as the rocks they held smashed open the door to his house. He stabbed one from behind and hacked into the side of the other ogre's head when it turned to face him. The patriarch stumbled over their corpses and saw more ogres fast approaching.

"Amvar!" Aressa cried when she saw him. She put the sword she held down and looked at him. Behind her, Kendall clutched a shorter blade and bit her lip. She shook her head as tears ran down her face.

"They come for murder and sport," Amvar told her. "They'll have no sport with my family."

Aressa nodded and turned to grab Kendall in her hands. The girl shook her head and blubbered but Aressa soothed her. "Hush, child, you're a daughter of the Spottedwolf clan. Be strong, even now."

Kendall's sobs softened as she lowered her head. She trembled in her mother's arms. Aressa looked at Amvar and nodded, and then lowered her own head.

The sound of wood breaking caused Amvar to turn. Two more ogres were tearing the entrance to his hall, yanking the stone and wood so they could enter. He turned back to his women and took a deep breath. He'd run out of time.

* * * *

Garrick heard a roar of rage and pain and knew that he was the last. Well, unless Borwin was still running. Rather than letting the death of his friends weigh him down, he let it free him. He let a primal roar loose from his own throat and jumped into the ogres circling him. Blood sprayed from his sword with every swing. He seemed to be always ahead of the ogres, moving before they expected him to.

The ogres gave him room after a time. He stood and breathed in the northern winds tainted with the smell of smoke from Amvar's burning house. Garrick saw the flames reaching the sky from the corner of his eye but dared not take his attention from the ogres. He was glad the man had managed, at least, to deny the ogres any pillaging.

"I'm only one man," Garrick shouted at them, making them jump back from his sudden outburst. "Come on, taste my steel! Come and die on the blade of Garrick, slayer of giants!"

The ogres stayed where they were and grunted to one another in their crude language. Garrick's eyes narrowed as he wondered if they were making a plan to rush him. He'd gotten his wind back and the burn had left his arms. Should he rush them instead? He counted close to two dozen left, perhaps more since he could only see the ones closest to him clearly. Insurmountable numbers for a single warrior, but he hadn't lived this long by being told what he couldn't do.

Besides, if Alto could kill a dragon singlehandedly, surely he could handle a small army of ogres!

"I'm tired of resting," Garrick snarled at them. "Either you come at me or I'm going to kill every one of you sons of dogs!"

The ogres parted to let an older member of their war party through. The ogre stared at Garrick and snarled, a scar across his face disfiguring the already ugly brute. He held an iron-bound club with spikes driven into the end of it.

"You the leader?" Garrick shifted his stance and asked. "Don't know why I bother asking—you're too stupid to know how to talk."

"Me Grack," the ogre said in a heavy voice. "Grack means bone crush."

Garrick stiffened in surprise and then relaxed back into his fighting stance. Grack and Garrick. He scowled and decided to make sure the sound of their names was where the similarity ended. He glanced around but none of the ogres had moved towards him.

"You Garrick?" Grack asked.

"You hard of hearing?" Garrick taunted.

"You come," Grack said.

"You go," Garrick countered.

Grack scowled. "You come and you might live. You fight, you die."

Garrick swung his sword for effect. "I seem to be doing okay so far. How about I kill you first?"

Grack snarled and brandished his club.

Garrick raised his sword. "I'll kill every one of your motherless dogs," Garrick growled.

"You die," the ogre spat.

Garrick leapt forward and thrust his sword at the ogre. Unlike the other ogres, Grack was quick enough to dodge back, though not without earning a cut on his cheek to match the scar on the other side. His club swung across and bounced off Garrick's back, knocking his breath from him and making his spine pop in several places.

"You first," Garrick snarled at him while he stepped to the side and kept his feet moving. His back hurt but he'd been too close to the ogre for the spikes at the end of the club to touch him. He stepped in and swung his sword, only to find the ogre blocked it with his club. Garrick spun away from the strike and delivered a glancing blow with his blade against the ogre's arm. Grack had moved his sword to block him again.

Grack snarled at him and brought the massive club across, barely missing the retreating barbarian's chest. Garrick jumped forward as soon as he felt the ground under the balls of his feet. His blade was knocked aside but not before it cut a furrow on Grack's hip. In too close, Garrick dropped his sword and pulled his axe free from his belt. He pushed himself into Grack's belly, the muscles straining in his legs as he forced the ogre to back up a step.

Grack raised his club overhand and was about to drop it on Garrick's head. Garrick hewed into the side of Grack's leg with his axe, staggering the ogre. He swung it up and buried it between the ogre's legs, earning a strangled yelp from Grack and making the ogre drop his club.

The iron-bound cudgel bounced off Garrick's shoulder, adding a flash of irritation from the pain. The northern man stepped back and watched Grack fall to his knees. Blood sprayed onto the sparse grass between his legs.

"I think I'll call you Grirl now," Garrick taunted. He spat on the ogre and picked up his sword. Returning his hatchet to his belt, Garrick turned to the other ogres to address them. He opened his mouth but realized they'd fallen back several steps. He didn't know if it was to give Grack room to fight or what, but he decided to use it to his advantage. "There's a lot of you left, more than you whore-sons can probably count. You could still kill me, but you have to rush me and I won't go easy. I'll kill the first one of you goblin-lovers that comes for me, then the second and the third. I'll keep killing until you bear me down or there ain't none of you left."

Grack spoke in the tongue of ogres, though Garrick could tell his voice was weak. He finished speaking and glared at Garrick. "Grack will kill you, man."

Garrick sneered at him. "You're going to need more ogres next time."

"Grack will be back!"

Garrick looked at the pool of blood spreading beneath Grack and shook his head. "You'll be dead soon," he prophesied. "Send your curs back and I'll let them drag you with them."

Grack glared at him and nodded, and then spoke again to the ogres around him. They grabbed him and hauled him up, and then supported him between two of them as they started to retreat into the mountains. Garrick chuckled at the trail of blood Grack left behind. He wouldn't last the night.

The barbarian turned back to the burning house. A wall fell in and the roof collapsed. An entire family butchered and killed. Garrick turned and found Lars' body. He ignored the gore and picked the young man up, and then carried him over to the fiery hall. He ignored the heat as best he could and tossed Lars into the heart of the fire, and then backed away until his eyes weren't smarting from the heat.

"They're all dead."

Garrick cursed and spun around. His hand was on his sword but he left it sheathed when he recognized the voice as Borwin's. He'd forgotten about the boy in the excitement. Garrick nodded. "They are."

"What about me?"

"You're alive," Garrick said. "Your family was strong; you should be proud."

"Not strong enough," the boy whispered as fresh tears crossed his cheeks.

Garrick found himself at a loss for what to say. He tried to think back to what his father had said to him the many times he'd been difficult. "Your father wouldn't want you crying," he tried.

Borwin looked at up Garrick. "You're alive too."

Garrick nodded.

"You killed the ogres and drove them back."

"I've fought brutes like these before," Garrick explained.

"I want to be strong. Will you teach me?"

Garrick saw the hopeful look amid the unshed tears in the boy's eyes. His heart went to the boy. Garrick turned and stared after the retreating ogres. They'd disappeared back into the mountains up the hill they'd come down. A war party that large he'd never seen before. At least not before Sarya, but she was gone. Had the ogres learned to join forces or was there more to it?

Garrick thought back to Grack and gasped when he realized the scarred ogre had known him. Or if he hadn't known him, he'd been interested in him. Something was happening in the Northern Divide. Something bigger than a tribe of his countrymen being slaughtered.

"Come, boy, but you must keep up. I have a long ways to go and little time to do it."

"You'll take me?" Borwin squeaked.

"I'll take you to my people and they will teach you to be strong. You will learn what your father would have taught you, to hunt and to fight."

Borwin nodded and dropped his eyes. He looked back up at Garrick a moment later and asked, "What will you do?"

"I'm going to find my friends and put an end to the threat in the mountains once and for all!"

### Chapter 4

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Alto asked his sister.

Caitlyn stared at him from behind the silks that covered all of her face save her eyes. "Sulim is a good man," she answered.

Alto frowned. "I didn't ask that. No matter how good he is, no man is good enough to deserve you."

Caitlin's eyes fell to her brother's chest and then all the way to the floor. "This from the man pledged to a princess." She brought her head up and looked at Alto again. She nodded. "This is what I want, Alto. He is a good man and he had given himself to me—"

"Now wait a minute, you're not wed yet!"

Caitlin reached up to cup her brother's cheek in her palm. "You're so sweet and caring. My innocence was lost long ago. Sulim doesn't care about that. And if you must know, no, I don't mean we've laid together."

Alto's scowl faded to a blush. He cleared his throat and glanced around before admitting, "None of my business, I suppose. You're a grown woman and all."

"But you'll always be my big brother," Caitlyn said.

"If you're not sure about this, we can go back north. I'll cut a path through them if they try to stop us," Alto said.

Caitlin's eyes wrinkled, the only sign that she was smiling Alto could see behind her wedding veil. "You would, too. My brother, dragonslayer and hero of the north!"

Alto scowled. "Stop it. This is about you."

She nodded and turned away from him. "It is. It's all about me."

Alto frowned from behind her and then stepped forward to put his hand on her shoulders. "Caitlyn, are you sure you're all right? You're acting odd."

"Wedding nerves is all," she said before she reached up to grab one of his hands and give it a squeeze. "My life changes tonight. In a few minutes."

"For the better?"

Caitlin nodded. "I've spent the last year out of place. Everyone treated me like family but I wasn't and I knew it. I wasn't royalty. I wasn't even kelgryn, but because of you they took me in."

"I built a new house for you on our father's land," Alto said.

Caitlyn sighed. "It's your land now, Alto, not mine. I never want to go back there. Not after what happened."

"That silly mask is driving me crazy," Alto admitted.

Caitlyn laughed. "Me, too, but it's only for the wedding. I take it off when we pledge ourselves to each other and never have to wear it again."

"I've heard that's not all you take off," he growled.

"Revealing ourselves to our spouse is a tradition in Shazamir," Caitlin said. She laughed when Alto stiffened and then spoke to set him at ease. "These days removing the veil is act enough; few couples disrobe in front of an audience."

Alto exhaled the tension in his shoulders.

"Come on, brother, it's time. I'm sure all that armor must be heavy and hot down here."

Alto shrugged, shifting the polished plate mail he wore. It was a gift from the dwarves for his help in clearing out the mines so they could work on reestablishing their mines. Being dwarf forged, the fit and comfort was remarkable. "It's not so bad. Better than wearing chain or leather. In fact—"

Caitlin reached up and put her finger to his lips to silence him. She glanced at the door but saw that they were still alone in the small anteroom. She smiled and pulled Alto down so she could press her veil-covered lips against his. The kiss was brief but it left Alto startled. "Thank you for this."

Alto felt the heat in his cheeks rival the heat from the sun in the desert nation. "This is you," he said.

Caitlyn shook her head. "No, I'd be dead if it weren't for you. Or maybe a beggar or the wife of a peasant who didn't know the world beyond his plow."

Alto frowned and nodded. His father had been a farmer by choice, giving up the life of a warrior out of love for his wife. Alto had nearly been a peasant himself until fate changed his fortune. It changed both their fortunes, he realized. "I've only done what I could to give you what you deserve. The right to choose your own life."

Caitlyn smiled and turned to the door. "Come, brother, give me to my new husband."

Alto took a deep breath and let it out before he took Caitlin's hand in his and then took the first step forward. He pushed the door open with his other hand. They paused to a collection of doves being released to fly up and out through the open windows above them in the palace chapel for Saint Havar, the patron of duty and honor. Music started, signaling Alto to guide his sister down the carpeted aisle to where Patrina stood in her two-piece blue Shazamir dress. Alto had to fight to keep from stumbling as his eyes fell on her; she was so beautiful with the long skirts floating about her legs and her pale midriff on display.

Alto escorted his sister down the aisle and then presented her to the southern lord who had courted her in Holgasford. He recalled the ceremonial words he was supposed to say and hoped he'd get them right. "Lord Sulim Badawi, I present to you my sister. May she keep your cup from running dry."

Sulim smiled and bowed his head. "It is my great honor to join our families, Lord Alto. May the saints favor us with many children who will bring their uncle pride."

Alto forced a smile on his face and stepped away to stand beside Patrina. He wasn't interested in Sulim's children bringing him pride and honor; he wanted Caitlyn to be honored. Alto pushed his irritation at the strange customs aside and forced himself to keep his eyes on the proceedings.

"Alto!" Patrina hissed at him.

Alto jerked and stiffened. The droning of the priest of Saint Havar had forced his thoughts to wander. Seeing the wedding reminded him of what was in his future; once the negotiations with the dwarves ended, Teorfyr, Patrina's father and the jarl of Holgasford, could begin rebuilding the lost city of Rockwood. Teorfyr had named Alto the lord to rule Rockwood, a choice the dwarves had been pleased with. It was there that the pleasantries had ended.

Now Alto saw that the priest was finishing the blessing of Sulim and Caitlin's union. Sulim lifted the veil from her face and let it fall to the floor, a symbol of their openness to one another. She was smiling, Alto saw, and that soothed the dull ache in his heart.

Alto smiled and clapped with the others, and then cheered them on as they walked out of the church. Patrina's arm wrapped around his and forced a grin on his face he couldn't hide. She smiled at him, her blue eyes sparkling beneath her blond hair that had tiny jewels threaded into it.

"I'm getting tired of all these parties." Namitus stepped up to them and sighed.

Alto saw the smirk on his roguish friend's face and knew better than to believe him, even though they had been strung from one party to another practically since they arrived two weeks ago. "I bet. All the attention a man who can sing and dance earns hardly suits you."

Patrina laughed. "Let's hurry; they'll expect us to be there. I'm her maid of honor and you're her brother."

Alto nodded. "Allow me, my lady," he said with a flourish.

Patrina's smile drove the worries from his mind as she said, "At your pleasure, my lord."

Namitus groaned and rolled his eyes as the two walked down the aisle arm in arm.

Servants guided them through the massive palace to the hall where refreshments and entertainment had been set up. Sulim was a cousin to the king of Shazamir, too far removed to have any chance at the throne but still a member of royalty. Sulim's wealth came from a large parcel of land he owned along the Khalalid River. In addition to providing water for the farmland along its shores, the Khalalid brought life-giving waters to the desert and to the Shazamir capital of Mira.

In the reception hall, they were seated at a table near the head table where Sulim and Caitlin were waiting. A line was growing as people moved to express their congratulations to the new couple. Alto saw his sister basking in the attention and it made him nod his head. "Perhaps this is for the best," he muttered.

"What's that?" Patrina asked him.

"Alto's finally accepting that his sister has grown up," Namitus offered.

Alto glared at his friend. "That's hardly it," he argued. "She's nineteen, older than many to be wed."

Patrina scowled at him. "Among your people, maybe."

Namitus laughed and earned another glare. Patrina was twenty and though she'd pledged herself to Alto, they had a year or more before they could be married.

"Among the people of Shazamir, too," Alto defended himself. "I've heard they marry girls as young as twelve and thirteen!"

Namitus's laugh turned to a snort. He hurried to take a drink to hide his embarrassment before saying, "That's long past. It's been a hundred years or more since there's been a marriage like that. At least a marriage of state; I don't know about the commoners."

"How do you even know that?" Patrina demanded.

"I've been here before, remember? Before I sailed north and enjoyed your father's hospitality."

"You were treated like a son!" the princess fumed.

Namitus held his hands up to calm her. "I was, and I'm eternally grateful for the kelgryn taking me captive and not killing me. It was the best six years of indentured servitude I've ever served."

Patrina's eyes narrowed as she stared at the rogue. Alto bit his lip to keep from laughing and cast about for something to distract the woman. "Clothing!" he blurted out, drawing strange looks from both of them. "I mean, the clothing here. The dresses and such. It's more than they usually wear but I think it's quite fetching. Would you consider it up north?"

Patrina stared at him for a long moment and then looked down at herself. She wore a blue silk top that covered her breasts, shoulders, and upper arms but left a lot of neck and upper chest on display. Strings hung from the bottom with beads of colored glass threaded through them to cover another couple of inches of her abdomen. Her matching silk dress sat low on her waist and reached most of the way to her sandals.

The kelgryn princess looked up at Alto. Her cheeks were glowing red as she said, "My mother and father would banish me for even suggesting something like this!"

Namitus nodded but wisely kept his mouth shut. Alto saw the nod out of the corner of his eye. "But you're wearing it and seeing your beauty makes me want to forget what is proper."

Patrina laughed. "You had your chance, remember? Now you'll just have to wait."

Alto frowned and lightly punched the table. His awkward question had worked, though; he'd distracted her and spared Namitus a verbal beating. Not to mention a possible international incident.

"So now what?" Namitus asked.

"We should pay our respects to the bride and groom," Patrina said to Alto.

Alto glanced at the long line. "Later, when the line dies down," he said.

Patrina sighed. "We'll need to leave before it gets too much later."

"What? Why?" Alto asked.

Patrina smiled. "Weddings in the south aren't like the weddings we have up north."

Namitus burst out laughing. They both looked at him and he chose to take another long drink.

Patrina shook her head and resumed her explanation, "Where we have dancing and toasting, they have entertainment. It's geared towards the bride and groom, although mostly to the groom."

Alto's brow furrowed. He refused to jump to conclusions but he couldn't help fearing the worst.

"There will be dancing, but at the end Caitlyn will dance for him and only him."

"Saints," Alto muttered as he turned to glare at Sulim. "How do you know this?"

"She asked me to help her with her dance."

Alto's head whipped around fast enough he pinched the skin of his neck on his armor. He ignored the twinge and glared at her. "You helped her?"

Patrina smiled and nodded. "You're not going to want to see it."

Alto turned back to Caitlin and saw her glance over at him. She offered him a smile but he saw something more this time. He saw a tightening of her eyes that he knew meant she was nervous.

"She's nervous that you'll see her," Patrina answered his unspoken question. "She's afraid of what you'll think. Of what you'll do."

"She should be," Alto growled.

"Alto, she's not your responsibility anymore," Patrina said. "She's a grown woman, ready to take on her new life."

Alto clamped his mouth shut and glared at his hands. He nodded at last and looked up at her. "All right, I'll let her go."

Patrina shook her head. "Don't do that; just let her live her own life."

Alto nodded and stared into the distance. "She's the only family I've got left; it's hard," he admitted.

"You've got me," Patrina assured him. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "Not that I need much looking after. I'll probably end up taking care of you."

Alto chuckled. "Yeah, because I've never had to rescue you before."

She grinned and leaned in to brush her lips against his.

"Hey, don't forget me. I was practically the stepbrother Patrina never wanted," Namitus spoke up, ruining the moment between them. "That makes us almost inseparable!"

Alto pulled back and smiled. He shook his head. "Come on, let's get out of here. Patrina's right. It's time my sister led her own life."

"Where are we going?" Namitus asked.

Alto shrugged. "I'm sure you can find another party."

Namitus frowned. "What about you two?"

Patrina winked at the boyish rogue. "I've been wanting to see the palatial gardens and I think Alto's the perfect escort."

Namitus's eyebrows rose as the two stood up from the table and began to move around it towards the exit. Alto caught Caitlin's eye and held it for a moment, and then he smiled and nodded to her. She grinned and returned the nod, and then gave him a small wave.

"I could just stay here at this party. I was invited, after all," Namitus reasoned.

Alto's iron grip landed on the rogue's neck. "And miss the chance to find another place to get yourself into trouble? Never!" Alto helped Namitus rise from his chair with his hand. "In fact, I insist."

Patrina burst out laughing as Alto guided his part-elven friend through the room and out the door of the hall.

### Chapter 5

Aleena closed the book and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She looked up and saw Celos through the archway to the kitchen. She took a deep breath and let it out, and then grimaced when she realized she'd gotten used to the smell of the dead wizard. It was just as well; that's where she needed to go next.

She rose up from the table and earned a glance from the Knight of Leander. She gave him a noncommittal wave and turned to the back of the cottage. She took another breath to steel herself before she opened the door and stepped into the bedroom.

Insects fluttered up and away, seeking to hide. Most crawled under the wizard's body or into the open wounds of his corpse. Aleena grimaced and forced herself to look away. She studied the shelves of books as quickly as she could, looking for anything that might tell more of the fallen nymph's tale.

She stopped when she came upon a gap in the books. She reached out to feel the empty position and then turned and looked at the rest of the shelves. Other books were missing as well. She couldn't begin to guess what they were about, though; it seemed the wizard had no sense of organization.

Aleena pulled out one book from a shelf with more empty space than filled and had to slam it shut as soon as she opened it. The words crawled on the page like hungry insects. She shook her head and put it back. Magic she didn't need.

She left the room behind and pulled the door shut behind her. Celos stared at her from the kitchen archway.

"Anything?"

"The woman who was here took several books from him," Aleena said. "Arcane texts mostly, but random bits and pieces here and there, too."

"How does that help us?"

"I don't know that it does," she admitted. "At least not right now."

Celos scowled. "So we've wasted our time then?"

"I didn't say that," Aleena replied. "I found more on the story about the nymph. Notes in the book written by Therion make me believe she was nearby."

"Was?"

"When she was alive," Aleena agreed.

"Then she's dead and we're back to wasting time."

"No, I don't think so. He scribbled down some thoughts about harnessing her power and using it."

"For what?"

Aleena shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe keeping the things out there alive."

Celos let a grim smile show in the lantern light. "And you say she's nearby?"

"In the swamp behind the cottage," Aleena said. "Somewhere. He mentioned a twisted tree."

Celos glanced around and frowned. "Let this serve as a lesson that Leander's Light can shine on all professions. Even that of a lumberjack."

Aleena laughed silently and nodded. "These twisted creations embrace the night; we should carry torches. It might frighten them."

Celos bowed his head in prayer and whispered words that Aleena couldn't make out. The holy symbol on his cuirass began to glow until it rivaled the lantern Aleena held. He looked at her and drew his sword. "Grab a torch or two. I'll keep the beasts at bay while you find the tree."

Aleena smiled. She turned and grabbed her shield from where she'd laid it on the bed and then grabbed a torch from the barrel near the door. "May Leander light your way," she said when Celos moved the bench from the door and glanced at her.

"And yours," Celos returned before he opened the door and stepped out into the soggy marsh.

The horned frogs were waiting for them. Celos shouted in surprise when two of them leapt at him and drove their velveteen antlers into his metal greaves. He kicked back and swung his sword, splitting one in half and spilling blood and entrails onto the ground.

Aleena pushed out behind him and swung her torch low, keeping the throng of amphibians at bay. They croaked loudly and shifted, turning as Celos led the way along the front of the cottage so they could get behind it. Aleena followed but spared a glance into the jungle and saw the reflection of her torch in the eyes of the corrupted animals. They were moving towards them.

Celos kicked another frog out of the way and hurried along the side of the wizard's house. Aleena walked backwards so she could use her torch to keep the horned frogs away. She stumbled twice on roots and clumps of mud but kept her balance until she backed into Celos.

"Keep going!" Aleena snapped at him.

"Where?" Celos asked.

Aleena risked looking away from the frogs that had followed them and saw the wizard's creations were waiting for them on that side of the cabin as well. Four sleek animals padded across the high ground on six legs. Their four rear-most legs were canine but the front two had the joints, pads, and claws of panthers. Their heads and mouths were feline and filled with teeth that were both large and sharp.

"Behind those beasts," Aleena suggested.

The light from Celos's breastplate shown on the beasts, causing them to hiss and spit while squinting their eyes into slits. "Oh, you mean where the bears are at?"

Aleena looked beyond and saw two bears standing. In place of snouts and fur on their heads, they had giant-sized versions of ant mandibles. "They're protecting her," Aleena reasoned.

"Why didn't you say so," Celos grumbled. He stepped away from the building and stalked towards the beasts. Aleena hurried behind him and tightened her grip on her torch.

The six-legged hunters shied away from Celos at first but his course led him into their midst. They growled and hissed but would retreat no farther in spite of the bright light that shone down on them.

"Be gone, foul beasts!" Celos cried out at them.

Aleena raised her eyebrow behind him. Magically created or not, she didn't expect them to understand him. Whether they did or not became irrelevant as soon as the two on either side rushed towards the knight. Aleena was about to cry out a warning when she felt something slam into her back and stagger her.

She spun and swung her torch but it sailed over the horned frog that had bounced off the metal plate on her back. The other frogs hopped forward, one of them leaping through the air only to crash against her shield. Two strikes later and her torch broke against a frog. The burning end fell into a fetid puddle and sputtered.

She fended off two more strikes with her shield before she could draw her sword. Blood stained her shield and breastplate from the mindless attacks the frogs made. It was their blood, not hers. She added to the gore by hewing into them with her sword as they threw themselves against her.

"Leander take you!" Celos cried out behind her.

Aleena kicked aside a frog that fell from her shield and turned to see Celos wrenching his sword free from where it had cloven one of the stalkers nearly in two. Another of the beasts already lay dead in the water beside it. Before he could free his blade, another leapt on him and sent him staggering away.

"Celos!" Aleena cried out. Two more frogs slammed into her, one managing to jam a horn between the pleats of metal and chain covering her behind. She ground her teeth and spun back around so she could stab the frog that had injured her.

When Aleena turned back, Celos was on his back but he had the shaft of his mace jammed into the teeth of the six-legged monster on top of him. The creature used its four canine legs to stabilize itself and clawed at the knight's armored arms and shoulders. The fourth aberration was circling on a path towards Celos's unprotected head.

Aleena knew she was too far away to reach her mentor, so she tugged her arm free of the straps of her shield and flung it towards the circling creature. It fell short but splashed water up into the feline face. The beast backed up in surprise.

She was already running, the few remaining frogs forgotten behind her. The squire took her long sword in both hands and thrust down, grating off the ribs and spine of the monster atop the knight. Her year of exercise and drilling paid off, pushing her blade through the creature's chest until the hilt was against its fur.

The beast threw its head back and snarled. Its teeth snapped the air and it clawed at Celos twice more before it shuddered and slumped down on top of him. The weight of the monster as it rolled off to the side tugged Aleena with it until she let go of her trapped blade. She saw the point of her sword had left a dent in Celos's breastplate after she'd impaled his attacker.

Movement made Aleena look up in time to be tackled by the fourth creature that she'd slowed down. He clung to her with his feline paws and rolled her through the shallow and fetid swamp water. Aleena gasped and coughed, drawing more of the water into her mouth. She pushed into the muck with her hands, trying to lift herself up when the jaws of the creature closed on her helm and pulled her face out of the water. It started to twist and pull, intent on snapping her neck, if not tearing her head off completely, when Aleena's face was suddenly jammed back into the water and the muck at the bottom.

She pushed away, sputtering, gasping, and blinded by the rotting mud. She rolled through the water, hacking and wheezing as she struggled to wipe her eyes clean with a dirty hand. Her other hand reached for her mace and found it still secured to her back. She yanked on the cord that bound it until it was loose enough that she could rip it free and swing it back and forth in front of her. She was still blind but she had a weapon again.

"It's dead," Celos gasped.

Aleena lowered her weapon and doubled over in a fit of wracking coughs. She retched a moment later, her stomach too upset by the swamp water and the convulsions of her coughing fit. When she straightened, she squinted and blinked until she could make out her mentor's fuzzy image. He stood in front of her and dispatched the last of the frogs that had pursued them. Other animals were approaching from the house, but she could only see blurry shapes.

She saw Celos turn and walk up to her. "Are you well enough?"

"Well enough for what?" she gasped.

"To fight!"

"I can't see a damned thing," she spat, tasting mud and bile. "But I'll fight so long as Leander's Light shines on me."

"Then let Leander's blessing fill you," Celos said. He reached forward, his hand suddenly as bright as the symbol on his chest.

Aleena's breath caught in her throat as the light burned away the filthy water and restored the clarity of her vision. Celos pressed his palm against her forehead, making Aleena realize her helm had been ripped from her head. The agony in her throat and chest was burned away by the warmth of a pure summer day that flooded her body. It faded when Celos pulled his hand away, the glow fading as he did so.

"Grab your sword," he said as he turned away.

Aleena stared at him, her mouth hanging open in awe. "You healed me!" she whispered.

"And I won't have time to do it again if you don't pick up your sword!"

Aleena scrambled over to the dead creature and pulled her sword free of its carcass. Celos did the same with his great sword. Aleena went to secure her mace but saw that she'd broken the straps. She dropped it and fetched up her shield.

"Come, to the bear-things. We must be quick or the others will be on our backs."

"What then?" Aleena asked.

"Then you find this tree and we kill the shade that poisons this place!"

Aleena hurried after him. The bears were waiting at the edge of a pond, their insect-like mouths wide open and dripping saliva. Celos cried out to Leander and charged forward. Aleena grimaced and followed suit so he wouldn't be outnumbered again.

She was stunned by the power of the bear's claw that smashed into her shield but she still managed to cut a jagged wound on the creature's flank. The mandible clacked together just over her head, spraying her with spittle. She backed away to avoid a swipe of the other claw and then lunged forward and thrust her sword into the ant-bear's shoulder. It screamed a piercing shriek and swung at her again, batting her blade aside.

Aleena backed up a step and saw Celos finishing the creature he faced with a mighty chop that had caved in its ribs. She brought her attention back in time to duck under another swipe and then thrust her sword into the bear's belly. She yanked it up, tearing through muscle and fur so that when she backed up a step, the entrails slipped free and hung like sausage from its stomach.

The bear came at her and then stopped and stared down when it stepped on its own intestines. Aleena cried out, "For Leander!" and swung her sword in an overhead chop that bisected its mandibles and crushed its bony skull.

"Run!" Celos said from where he'd approached behind her opponent.

Aleena saw him looking behind her and knew better than to question. She ran, passing him by as he turned and tried to match her speed. The water was up to her knees and the muck at the bottom sucked at her boots. She struggled forward, losing a boot and nearly falling over had it not been for Celos grabbing her shoulder beside her. She looked at him to thank him but instead saw him staring ahead.

"Where is it?" he demanded.

Aleena saw and heard the twisted creatures of the forest behind them. They splashed into the water and ran for them, whether on two legs or more. She turned back and saw a mound rising out of the gloom ahead of them. On it, a gnarled tree stump took shape with skeletal limbs that rose no more than a dozen feet in the air. It looked putrid and fallen, but still the trunk stood against the test of time.

"There!" Aleena pointed. "That's it! Come, Celos, we can end this!"

She turned to her mentor but found him absent. Something brushed against her leg, making her jump even as she spun in the water to look for him. The creatures had paused, venturing no more than a score of feet into the pond. She kept turning and saw water swirling and eddying as something moved beneath it.

Water sprayed as Celos burst from beneath the surface. Something thick and slimy was curled around his chest but he struggled against it and managed to drive his feet into the ground to hold his balance for a moment. "Go! Kill it!"

Aleena opened her mouth to respond when Celos was knocked back and pulled under the water again. She started towards him and then stopped when another serpentine shape snaked through the water towards her. She snarled at it and nodded. "You will die!" she raved before she turned and ran through the water to the mound with the tree on it.

She climbed up on the muddy bank and raised her sword, only to have the tentacle wrap around her bare ankle and pull her back. She cried out and swung her sword blindly, hacking into the sinuous appendage that foiled her. It hit with a wet thud, like the sound of an axe striking wood. She hacked twice more before it broke free and she could scramble out of the water.

The tree lay before her and moved as if to retreat from her. Aleena started at the rotting thing and reached out with her hand. She tore at the punky wood, yanking the rotten bark and meat of the trunk free. The more she dug at it, the sturdier the wood became until she pulled back on a piece that gave with a wet crack. A glow shone from within, purplish and red from the core of the cursed tree. Aleena cried out and thrust her sword into it, spearing the heart of the tree and causing a thunderous crack to pulse through the swamp.

Aleena picked herself up and looked around. The swamp was still; not even the water of the pond rippled. She saw a light beneath the surface of the water. A light that overpowered the darkness of the murky water. She ran to it and plunged in, grabbing onto Celos and pulling him free of the water.

She sat on the bank and looked at his still face. "Celos! Wake up. It's dead, Celos. I killed it! We killed it!"

But Sir Celos didn't stir. Tears fell from Aleena's face onto the fallen knight. She shook her head and whispered, "No," over and over. She rolled him over and beat on the back of his armor but knew it was pointless. She scrambled with the buckles and straps, removing his breastplate so she could hit him again with the flat of her palm.

Still Celos lay oblivious to the world. Aleena stared at the stars visible above her and prayed. "Please, Saint Leander, spare this man. It's not his time. There is so much good he can yet do. So much in your name. Take me in his stead. He saved me from falling and was taken by the evil instead."

A light grew beneath her chin, causing her to gasp. She stared down and saw that the light in Celos's plate had faded but this new light came from her hand. She stared at it and remembered when Celos had laid his hand upon her.

Not daring to breathe, Aleena pushed Celos back over and then reached down to touch Celos on the lips with her glowing fingers. The glow faded but she swore it slipped into his mouth and he swallowed it. A second later, he coughed and retched. Fetid water ran out of his mouth and nose. Aleena pushed him over and beat on his back to help him hack the putrid swamp out of his lungs.

Several tearful moments later, he drew a ragged breath and sat up. He stared at the tree with Aleena's sword still sticking in it and then he looked at her. "Not bad for a squire," he said.

Aleena stared at him, her jaw hanging open.

Celos chuckled and coughed again. He went to wipe his lips with the back of his hand but he saw his hand was even dirtier. One of his gauntlets lay on the ground nearby. He looked back up at Aleena and saw her still staring at him.

"Forgive me this, Sir Celos," Aleena finally managed before she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him without care for the mud clinging to them.

### Chapter 6

"My lady, an ogre named Grack seeks an audience," Ketten announced.

Rosalyn stared at the silver dragon statue and frowned. "He should be scouting the mountains and driving away outsiders," she snapped. "I'm busy. Perhaps later."

"He won't have a later," Ketten said. "He's been injured and is near death."

Rosalyn's frown turned into a scowl. She rose and turned. "Injured? By what? What of his men? Didn't they fight?"

"It is best if he tells you," Ketten deferred.

Rosalyn sneered at him and swept past him. She walked down the passage to the lower tunnel and fumed at the time it took to get anywhere in the dragon's lair. Her lair now, though it needed a great many things for her to find comfort in it. Rosalyn paused in the junction room halfway to the bottom hall. There was a spell she'd seen in one of Therion's spell books that she'd taken. It allowed for instant travel over short distances. She'd thought it pointless and expensive, given the components required at each transportation point, but now it began to make sense.

She moved on, intent upon studying the spell and understanding its intricacies when time permitted. Acquiring the necessary materials might prove even more difficult than unraveling the spell's mysteries, but she'd accomplish nothing if she didn't at least try.

She entered the lower hall and saw a dozen ogres milling about, including two that held up the commander of their troop. He was pale and dirty. She saw blood, mostly dried but some fresh, caked the insides of his legs all the way to his boots. Over his pants, cloth had been wound around his hips and between his legs. She smirked, guessing at the nature of his injury.

"Grack!" she said, rousing him from his stupor. He lifted his head and blinked the fog from his eyes. She could see a fire burned in them still.

"Dragon Lady," he growled. He paused as though each word was an effort for him. "We done what you wanted."

"And this is how you return?" Rosalyn asked. She heard Ketten emerge from the passage behind her. He stood at her side and kept his silence.

He flinched at her harsh tone. She noted the matching wound on his cheek to the scar on the other side of his face. "One man couldn't be killed. Garrick."

Ketten stiffened beside her. Rosalyn nodded. Garrick was one of Alto's companions. A mighty barbarian from the north, the giant slayer himself. If he could fight off a band of ogres, perhaps he was as mighty as the rumors claimed.

"And he gave you a lingering death," she stated.

"Heal me," Grack demanded.

"I'm not a priestess," Rosalyn snapped. "The saints do not heed my commands."

"He must die!" Grack spat. He raised himself up on his own legs and winced. Fresh blood ran down his legs and trickled onto the floor.

"And so he shall," Rosalyn said. "You may go to sleep knowing that he will be taken care of."

Grack shook his head. "No!" he demanded. "I must see it."

"Your will is strong, ogre. I admire that, but I haven't the time, materials, or power at hand to bind your spirit once your body fails. I am no necromancer."

"Your magic is nothing," the ogre declared.

Rosalyn stiffened. "Nothing?" she snapped at him. "I can rot the flesh from your bones where you stand! Is that nothing, mighty Grack? My spells can wreak havoc and death, not restore life. Perhaps if you pray hard to the saints, one might answer."

Grack spat on the floor, the movement shifting him enough that he lost his balance and crashed to his knees and one hand. He looked up at her and met her gaze. Rosalyn was amazed to see no fear in his eyes, only hate. It was hate for her at the moment, but she knew its true source was the barbarian named Garrick.

Her eyes narrowed as a thought came to her. "You are strong, yes?"

Grack nodded his head. "The strongest!"

"I believe you. No other man or beast would suffer such a wound so long. Hold on a little longer, Grack."

He nodded.

Rosalyn turned to Ketten. "Fetch some wood to make a small fire and bring some small stones that can be crumbled into dust. The smaller the better. Our large friend here won't last long if I must do the grinding."

Ketten opened his mouth and then closed it. He shook his head and turned to head off in search of Rosalyn's request. The witch glanced at Grack again and chewed on her lip. She spun away, her skirts whipping about her, and walked up the passage to where her bags rested on the floor above. She dug through them and pulled out two small jars, and then set them aside and retrieved a mortar and pestle, a flask, and a skin of water. She nodded at the ingredients and rearranged her saddlebags so she could fit it all inside of one. She carried it back down and found a suitable place to spread out her alchemical supplies on the stone floor of the passage.

Ketten returned a few minutes later with sticks and a sack filled with rocks. He dropped it next to her and shrugged when she looked at him. "You didn't say how many!"

Rosalyn shook her head and looked at Grack. He was watching her but his eyes had a glaze over them. His hands clutched at his groin. The ogre's fingers were red with his blood. "Grack, have one of your men smash these rocks and grind them into dust. It will go quicker."

Grack shook his head and turned. He rumbled in his own tongue and waited while two ogres came over and grabbed the sack. She pointed to a spot next to her and watched as they dumped the rocks out. They grabbed the largest rocks they could find and used them to smash the smaller ones into pebbles against the ground.

Rosalyn nodded and turned back to her satchel. She fished out her supplies and then took the wood that Ketten had delivered and arranged it in a pile. She began to chant a simple cantrip and after a few words, a lick of flame burst from her hand and ignited the sticks. It spread quickly among the seasoned twigs, earning a scowl from her. "Ketten, more wood; this is burning too quickly."

He nodded and jogged off in search of more kindling.

Rosalyn poured some of the powders and herbs she brought with her into the flask, and then shook it gently before she poured some of her water into it. She added more water and shook it again. Using tongs, she held it over the fire and swirled it gently as the heat spread. Ketten returned and added more of the twigs and small branches to the fire, bolstering it and heating the vial until the water began to bubble inside.

She added a fresh pinch of crumbled leaves from a jar to the mix and yanked her hand back before a burst of dark steam belched out of the bottle. She swirled it again and turned back to the ogres. "That's enough," she told them. Grack repeated it so the ogres would understand and back away. She looked at Ketten and said, "Gather up a fistful of the dust. No pebbles, just dust. Hand it to me."

Ketten moved around the fire and did as she bade. Rosalyn held out her hand and let him pour the dust into it. She removed the flask from the flames and swirled it until it was moving fast enough she could hold the flask still and pour the ground stone in at an even pace. She finished and continued to swirl it even though the mixture was thickening fast.

She looked at her mortar and frowned, and then saw a flat rock among the ones that hadn't been smashed to bits yet. She grabbed the rock and poured the flask onto it. The fumes rose as it cooled, smelling of sulfur and spice. She rose and walked over to Grack, and then handed him the rock.

"Quickly, coat your wound with this. It will stop the bleeding but it will burn."

"Burn?" he asked as he took it from her.

"Not from heat, from the plants within. Your wound will be cleaned and burned shut, but the plants are dangerous. A man would die from this, but you're bigger than a man."

"Stronger," Grack said.

Rosalyn smirked. "Yes, obviously. Now before it cools and hardens, use it!"

Grack nodded and pulled off the bandage. Rosalyn grimaced and turned away, having no desire to see his ruined genitals. The brief glimpse she saw of the blood-soaked fabric of his hide pants was bad enough.

She glanced back when she heard the ogre growl. She focused on his face as he continued to scoop the sludge into his wound. His clenched teeth parted after a moment and he roared, nearly deafening her. He scooped the last of the mixture and smeared it into his wound and then tossed the rock onto the ground. "Done!" he said.

Rosalyn nodded. "Well—"

She stopped herself as Grack slumped over onto his side and passed out. The witch smirked and looked to the other ogres. "If any of you can understand me, keep him warm. He must fight the ointment and he is weak. When he wakes, feed him as much as he'll take."

She turned to Ketten. "Gather my things. I've wasted enough time."

She swept away while Ketten scrambled to pick up her apparatus. The ogres were shuffling about and looking at Grack and at each other. Ketten sighed and repeated her instructions, this time speaking in the crude tongue of goblins that the ogres could understand.

* * * *

"Witch!"

Two days had passed and Rosalyn felt she'd grown closer to understanding the statue, or at least how to commune with the dragon's spirit that was trapped within. She looked up and saw Grack approaching her with Ketten a half step behind him. Grack walked using a thick log as a cane. He'd found clean pants as well, she noted.

"I see you survived," Rosalyn greeted him.

Grack nodded. "I lived. Little more."

"I told you I couldn't heal you. I only stopped you from dying," she reminded him. "Something no one else could have—or would have—done."

Grack nodded. "I have sons. My line will live on."

Rosalyn smirked. Human or ogre, it seemed all men worried about the same foolish things. "You owe me your life, ogre. How will you pay your debt?"

His eyes narrowed and he rose to his full height just shy of ten feet tall. "What you need?"

Rosalyn took in his mighty legs, thick arms, and broad chest. "I need a man who can protect me. You are not like your kin, you speak my tongue, and you think with a clear head."

Grack nodded towards the statue of Sarya. "I commanded many ogres for her. I learned the tongue of men from the humans."

"You will be my lieutenant, Grack. The man I rely upon for protecting me and for special projects. Serve me well and you will be there to see Garrick die. His life will be one of many."

"And after?" Grack asked.

Rosalyn smiled as she looked around the caldera. "This is hardly a fitting palace for a queen of the north," she said. "I will rule these mountains and the lands around them. A queen needs barons and dukes."

Grack nodded and smiled a toothy grin.

"Go now, Grack, and gather your kin. Teach them to fight and tell them that we will have what the humans have. Teach yourself to fight, too, not like a brute but like a thinking lord of ogres that understands when to cut and when to parry."

The ogre chewed her order over and nodded. He turned and limped away, using his cane as a support. Ketten stayed behind and watched him go. He turned back to Rosalyn and said, "You have bold plans, my lady."

"I have plans beyond your wildest imaginings," she confirmed.

"And what will my role in this kingdom be?" he asked.

Rosalyn smiled, but not because she was pleased with his question or his servitude. She smiled because he believed her. "What do you want, Ketten?"

The guide glanced around before looking at her and saying, "I got no want for great things. I'm a simple man. A cabin in the mountains free from threats is all I ever wanted."

Rosalyn's smile faded. She sighed. "When I'm done, you shall be rewarded. I am demanding, but fair."

Ketten's eye twitched at her self-evaluation but he kept his mouth closed.

"Now leave me to this. I'm close to a breakthrough."

"Yes, my lady," Ketten said. He hesitated and said, "Um, about this place. We've bedrolls and all, but there's little for comfort here."

Rosalyn waved her hand at him. "Do as you must," she said. "I've more important affairs to trouble myself with."

She saw Ketten bow out of the corner of her eye and then slip away. She was already searching for where she'd left off in the book she was reading. Communing with the spirits was one thing, but trying to talk with the still present soul of a statue was something entirely different.

### Chapter 7

"I would get lost in this city," Alto said from his seat in the open wagon the people of Mira used for conveyance. Patrina nodded while she stared down the roads of the busy capital of Shazamir.

"You wouldn't be the first," Namitus said from his rear-facing seat in front of them. "Sooner or later, you find your way, though. That or you walk down the wrong road and you're never heard from again."

"What? In the city?" Patrina asked.

Namitus chuckled. "Brotherhoods of thieves and assassins work together here, although killing merchants and public figures is frowned upon."

"Why don't the lords do something about it?" Alto asked.

Namitus rubbed his thumb against his fingers. "Look around, my friends. We're surrounded by desert! There's nothing here but people. The Khalalid River brings life to the city and crops along its shores, but there's no true wealth here."

Alto shook his head. "I saw a lot of wealth in the palace."

"And what do you see among the common people on the street? The peasant farmer in the north has more than that man selling trinkets or that woman there, carrying a basket full of snakes."

"Snakes?" Patrina hissed.

Namitus nodded. "I know; who'd dare to carry such a thing unless the gold was good? My guess is her husband catches them and she takes them to sell them while he looks for more. And they probably fetch less than a handful of silver for the entire basket."

"So what does that have to do with the city watch ignoring thievery?"

"Bribery," Namitus explained. "Everyone wants what the nobles and fat merchants have—gold. They'll do anything for it, not realizing that once it's spent, they're back where they were. If they don't get stabbed and robbed for having it in the first place."

Patrina reached up to her silver necklace with the small jewels set in the pendant.

The rogue laughed. "You should be safe; we're surrounded by royal guards. That and your champion sits beside you. Don't think word hasn't been spread of his exploits. Few are the men willing to risk the wrath of a dragonslayer!"

Alto scowled. Patrina reached over to squeeze his hand. "It wasn't a noble fight like the legends speak of."

"And you think the fairy tales were?"

Alto stiffened and looked at his betrothed. "I never thought of that."

She patted his arm. "That's okay. You're big, handsome, and strong. That takes a lot of work. I can do the thinking for you."

Namitus snickered and earned a glare from Alto. The warrior let the playful jibe pass and said, "I don't understand why so many people are here if there's so few resources? This city alone has more men in it than all northern kingdom!"

Namitus shrugged. "When you can't afford anything else, what do people do?"

Alto looked at Patrina and found her just as lost as he was. He shrugged.

"Why do nobles have so many fewer children than commoners?" Namitus asked.

Alto's eyes narrowed. "You mean they breed the common people here like cattle?"

The rogue barked out a laugh. "No! Well, not like that, but the nobles need workers so they can build their palaces and estates. They need men willing to work cheaply, and when there are more laborers than there are jobs, they can dictate the price."

"That's wrong," Patrina said.

"What would you do, ban people from marriage? Prevent them from having children? How?" Namitus challenged.

Patrina snapped her mouth shut and frowned.

Namitus nodded. "Beneath the surface of this beautiful city is a dark and fearsome world that makes it all possible."

"And you seem to know it well," Alto pointed out.

Namitus shrugged. "I wasn't in such robust company the last time I was here."

They let their friend's claim end the topic and fell into silence while hardy mules pulled them through the city streets. Men dressed in the robes and wearing the loose-fitting layered armor of the royal guards kept beside their wagon.

"I'm looking forward to getting back home," Patrina said a moment later. "I miss it."

Alto shrugged. "I don't know, I enjoy the road. And this weather here? It's wonderful!"

"It's hot!" Patrina said.

Namitus looked up at the sheet of fabric attached to the poles at the corners of the wagon. It provided them with shade without blocking the wind like a northern coach would. "You're shaded, at least."

Patrina snorted. "I'm still recovering from the sunburn I received on the voyage down."

"We'd talked about heading east, to the Havara Mountains where Mordrim's people live. Do we still want to do that?"

"My friend, you need to leave this place," Namitus said.

Alto's brow furrowed as he looked at the worldly man. "What? Why?"

"Your sister just married a minor lord. His valuation has increased because of that. If you were to disappear for a while and be found dead, Caitlyn would be the sole inheritor of your line."

Alto laughed. "My line? I have no line. I own a farm in the kingdom with fields that aren't tended, nothing more!"

"You've been named thane of Rockwood," Patrina pointed out.

Alto scoffed again. "A city that doesn't yet exist and may never, at the rate things are going."

"And you'll one day be the heir to Holgasford," Namitus pointed out. "Kill one little dragon and the world takes notice."

Alto opened and shut his mouth. He turned and stared into the busy streets while they rolled inexorably on. "This isn't what I wanted," he said at last.

"Leave it all behind," Namitus counseled. "Wander the world, as I've done. You meet some interesting people and make great friends."

Patrina gasped and Alto shook his head.

Namitus glanced at the princess and admitted, "Well, it would help if Patrina went with you."

"What of you? Are you still wandering the world?" Alto asked the rogue.

Namitus frowned. He leaned back in his seat and gazed over the sea of unwashed and sweaty humanity. "I take each day as it comes. The truth of it is I've never met a friend like you and I can't see my life getting boring enough around you to want to move on."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Patrina stared hard at the man she'd once considered a brother.

Namitus grinned and answered, "It means you and your husband-to-be are lodestones for trouble."

Alto burst out laughing. Patrina joined him a moment later, signaling that all was well among the friends. They fell silent and enjoyed each other's company until Alto glanced ahead and saw how close to the harbor they were. "So this is it then, we just go home? It's been an eventful trip, just rather dull."

Patrina frowned as she looked at Alto. Her gaze slipped to Namitus and saw the growing grin on his face. Her eyes narrowed. "What are you two up to?" she demanded.

"I have no idea," Alto said.

"Nothing," Namitus said. Patrina's narrowing eyes prompted him to throw his hands up. "Honestly! I just heard some of the sailors at the port talking about this island and—"

Patrina scoffed and asked, "You just heard about it?"

"What island?" Alto leaned forward and asked.

Patrina let out a girlish growl and threw her hands and eyes heavenwards.

"The island of Britanly," Namitus answered him. "It was an island nation for many years but they say it's cursed now. The people died off many years ago and anyone who's dared to visit hasn't come back."

"How do they know the people are dead if nobody's come back?" Patrina said, poking a hole in Namitus's story.

The rogue tilted his head and frowned. "That's a good point," he said. "Very mysterious!"

"They might need help," Alto reasoned.

"For the love of the saints!" Patrina blurted out. "You're both terrible! You're just making up an excuse!"

Alto and Namitus locked gazes and nodded. "It's probably nothing," Alto said. "Maybe a plague swept through them."

"Pirates," Namitus said. "Killed them all and stole anything not nailed down."

"Would they have anything that valuable?" Alto asked.

Namitus nodded and said, "They were once known for their weapons. They made fine arrows, lances, and spears. Indeed, it's said that Britanly spears are like no other."

"Britanly spears?" Patrina buried her face in her hands and shook her head.

Alto grinned. "Well, we should make sure they don't fall into the wrong hands if there are any left."

"That's what I was thinking."

Patrina groaned.

* * * *

"The sailors say a woman can be heard wailing," Namitus mentioned as they stood on the deck of the kelgryn ship. The vessel had a single sail and an open deck, with the exception of the small cabin that had been built for Patrina.

"Britanly spears and a woman screaming in distress," Alto said with a grin. "We were meant to come here!"

"Enough," Patrina said as she walked up behind the two men. "Stop with your excuses to go exploring."

Alto and Namitus turned and saw that Patrina wore her own dwarven-forged plate armor. It gleamed in the sun as she stood with her hands on her hips.

"Trina," Alto stammered as the sun glinted off her armor and dazzled his eyes. "I didn't think you wanted any part of this."

"Oh, I'm going," Patrina said. "Or have you forgotten the trouble you get into when you go off on your own?"

Alto frowned. "I've done pretty well by myself, I think."

"You were captured and nearly lost your hands and feet to the cold!"

"I was chasing after you," he retorted. "Trying to rescue you, as I remember. And after that, I managed by myself in the caves under the mountains. Then I spent weeks in the mountains alive and well."

Patrina scowled at him. "You were lucky."

Alto shrugged. "Perhaps."

"I think she's more worried about what happens to her when she's not with you," Namitus offered.

Patrina glared at the rogue while Alto chuckled. He nodded. "That has the ring of truth to it."

"You boys are impossible!" Patrina snapped at them.

"Boys?" Namitus asked.

"Yes!" she said in a huff. "You both act like children sometimes!"

Alto snorted. "Could a boy have done the things I've done?"

Patrina stared at him with her mouth open. Finally she snapped it shut and shook her head. "I thought you said you were lucky?"

Alto's stiffened. "Well, yes, but I did them. Nobody else would do what needed to be done."

"That's where you're wrong," Patrina snapped at him. "We all tried to help. We all wanted to stop Sarya. And we all came looking for you when you ran off into the mountains."

"But you didn't need to; I was fine," Alto argued. "I had to rescue you. Three times, if I remember right. Four if you count the dwarven city where I sacrificed myself for everyone else!"

Patrina stared at him until her glaring eyes softened and moistened. She looked away and blew out her breath, and then turned without another word and stomped across the boat to her cabin.

"See, she knows I'm right and can't argue," Alto said as he turned to his friend.

Namitus raised his eyebrows and turned to look over the rail at the island of Britanly ahead of them.

"What?" Alto demanded.

"She's a woman," Namitus explained. "A magnificent woman who cares about you almost as much as you care about yourself."

"That's nonsense," Alto spat. "Doesn't she know all the things I've done for her? The times I've been willing to die to protect or save her?"

"She knows," the knowing rogue said. "And it eats at her. She wants you to prove you're willing to risk it all for her, but she doesn't want to feel indebted to you."

"What?" Alto blurted. "That's impossible! How can she want both?"

Namitus chuckled. "She's a woman, my friend. A wonderful, confused, beautiful woman."

Alto stared at the island slowly growing larger as they approached it. He sighed and shook his head. "I'll never understand her."

Namitus chuckled. "No, you won't, but that won't make it any less fun!"

"Fun for you at my expense, maybe," Alto muttered.

"Oh, I expect you'll have your share of fun, too. Now stop moping. We need to get ready for the island and then you need to go and kiss up to Patrina."

"Kiss up?"

"If we set foot on that island without her with us, it's going to be a long voyage back. That's if she doesn't order the boat to set sail without us!"

"I could see her doing that," he admitted. "She has a temper."

"Yes, she does. I recommend we get your armor on before you make up with her," the rogue said.

Alto chuckled and nodded. With the help of the smaller man, he girded his armor in a matter of minutes. Alto stared at the cabin on the boat and steadied himself. He started towards Patrina but stumbled as a wave caught the ship broadside. Others cried out, making Alto feel better that he wasn't the only one caught unaware.

"Stand ready there, lads! The backwash from the island's making the sea act up," the captain of the vessel called to them from his position near the ship's prow.

Alto waved to him and walked bow legged across the deck until he reached the cabin. He rapped on the door and waited. A moment later, the door swung open to reveal Patrina staring at him with red eyes and pale cheeks.

"Um, are you okay?" Alto managed. He had to reach out as the ship bucked under another breaking swell beneath them. His hand landed on Patrina's.

The princess shifted as the ship righted itself and looked at their hands. Her eyes went to his and she nodded. "The swells caught me by surprise is all," she said.

Alto grunted. "Me too, and I'm on the open deck."

"You're not a kelgryn," she said. "We're born to sail."

Alto sighed. "Look, Trina, I don't want to fight. I'm sorry about what I said, okay?"

Her right eye twitched as she stared at him. "I want us to be together," she said. "Not always running after each other."

"Me, too. What happened before was..." Alto hesitated while he looked for the right words.

"Complicated," Patrina offered.

Alto smiled. "Yeah, complicated. Very."

Patrina offered a faint smile of her own. The boat rocked again but they both swayed with it, their fingers intertwined on the doorjamb.

"No more complications?" Alto suggested.

Patrina's smile widened. "Keep me by your side and you won't need to worry about it."

Alto chuckled and opened his mouth as a larger wave struck them. He stumbled forward and stopped himself only when his breastplate clinked against hers. His hand went behind her to keep her from falling but her sea legs were worthy of her claim.

"Like this?" Alto asked with a boyish grin.

Patrina didn't respond with words; she pushed her face to his and kissed him. Alto nearly pulled back in surprise but he stopped himself and wished he hadn't put his armor on after all. She hadn't kissed him like that since their fateful trip to Sarya's lair.

Namitus coughed behind them, breaking the moment. "We're, um, anchored off shore."

They broke the kiss and stared into each other's eyes. "We should go," Alto said.

Patrina smiled. "Britanly spears screaming."

Alto's lips curled up. "Something like that." He stepped back and out of the way so Patrina could emerge from her cabin. His eyes swept across the deck but none of the kelgryn sailors showed any interest in the two of them. They were busy lowering the longboat and readying the ship to wait for them to return.

Namitus puckered his lips as Alto stepped past him. Patrina stopped and stared at him. "Not a chance."

Namitus shrugged. "So much for being family."

Patrina's scowl made him laugh. Alto shook his head and waited until the longboat was held steady against the side of the larger kelgryn ship. The low sides made it easy for large waves to swamp the ship but it also made it easier for the three to clamber into the longboat and join the two men already present at the oars.

"We'll take you to the shore, but no farther. When you're done, come back and wave. We'll come and fetch you," they said.

Patrina scowled. "I thought kelgryn men were made of sterner stuff than to be scared off by a yarn spun by fisherman who slept and drank instead of fished."

"Lady Patrina, this isn't the first we've heard of this place. All sailors along the coast know of this island. And all steer clear of it."

Patrina looked at Namitus but her pretend brother only shrugged. "Why is that?"

"Haunted, some say. Ghosts of the Britanly. Others say beasts roam the island."

The other sailor shook his head. "I heard it's the Britanly themselves, cannibals who will eat a man while he's still alive!"

Alto snorted. "I don't hear any wailing."

"Winds coming from the west," the first sailor said.

"Or they're waiting for new people to torture," the second one said.

"And what tales will you spin when we come back unharmed?" Patrina asked them.

The two sailors looked at each other, at a loss for words. "Depends on what you find," the first said.

Namitus grinned and leaned closer to them. "I heard it was a tribe of women who run naked through the woods. They've got no men among them, so any that stop by are passed around among them."

Alto lifted his head at Namitus's claim, as did the two sailors. Patrina slapped the rogue on the arm. "Enough. Let's be off and get this wanderlust out of your heads."

Alto raised an eyebrow and looked at Patrina's custom-fitted armor. "Our heads?"

She nodded and said, "Of course. I'm only here to fight off the native women."

Alto joined in the laughter with the others after Patrina winked at him. The kelgryn sailors put their backs to the oars and soon they were riding the breaking waves toward the island of Britanly and the mysteries it held.

### Chapter 8

Aleena backed away from her mentor and turned away. Through the skeletal trees, she saw a pink glow in the east. It was a glow that she was sure her cheeks matched. "It's almost dawn," she whispered.

Celos coughed and cleared his throat. He pushed himself to his feet slowly and grimaced at the mud and water in his armor and clothing. "So it is," he said after a moment.

"I'm sorry," Aleena said, still not looking at him. "You gave me such a fright, but Leander blessed you. He blessed us both. He let me lay hands upon you."

When Celos didn't respond, Aleena turned to look at him, afraid of what she might see. The frown he wore, she knew, wasn't disapproval; it meant he was thinking. He nodded and lifted his eyes to hers. "You've done well. Beyond well, even."

Aleena's teeth broke through the dirt and grime on her face in a smile. "Thank you! I was afraid I'd overstepped my bounds."

Celos let out a chuckle that sounded harsh for its brevity. "You destroyed the evil corrupting the swamp and Leander rewarded you with a gift few can hope to achieve. In this, I can't speak for the church, but I believe you're a squire in title only. To Saint Leander, you are one of his proven champions."

Aleena's mouth fell open. She stared at Celos until he laughed and shook his head. She clamped her lips together but only for a moment. "But I haven't passed any tests! My act wasn't one of heroism; it was of necessity. Your sacrifice was what made it possible."

"And what did you sacrifice?" Celos asked her. "What weighed most heavily on your heart when you released the spirit?"

Aleena tilted her head as she brought back her memories. When she looked at Celos again, her lips were twisting up into a smile. "I thought of helping you. No matter what happened to me, I had to destroy that tree so you would be released."

Celos nodded. "As I suspected. You acted without thought for yourself, only others. That is why you will be a knight when we return."

The impact of his words forced Aleena to take a step to keep her balance. "But...a knight? Already?"

Celos nodded. "There are knights among our ranks who have never felt the true blessing of Leander. Do not doubt their worth or their conviction; they simply have not been called upon. For those who have been given a sign such as the healing hand, the church makes special arrangements. We exist to serve Leander; even the most reclusive of our order do not make the mistake of putting our rules before His."

Aleena turned to the east and saw the uppermost branches of the dead and rotting trees in the swamp bathed in golden light from the dawning sun. She dropped to her knees in the mud and bowed her head in prayer. When she looked up a few minutes later, she had streaks of clean skin on her face where her grateful tears had washed away the grime.

"Sir Celos," Aleena addressed him formally. "I'm sorry about my, uh, excitement. I mean, what I did. It was because I was so overjoyed by everything."

Celos frowned and shook his head.

"I, uh, kissed you." Aleena's cheeks flared beneath the dirt when she reminded him.

Celos's face tightened and he nodded. He smiled thinly and said, "Leander does not frown upon celebrations nor does he forbid relations between men and women. You've pointed this out yourself."

"I know. I just, well, I wasn't apologizing to Saint Leander; I was apologizing to you."

"I see," Celos said. "Well, you were excited, like you said. I understand. And I thank you for your kindhearted resolve. I am willing to give my life in His service, but I hope to live a bit more of it before I'm called upon to do so."

Aleena grinned and nodded. "That's what I said! You've got too many good deeds yet undone to be finished this young."

Celos turned and looked around for his equipment that had been lost. He found his missing armor, save for a gauntlet and his weapons. Aleena was walking around with only one boot. By the time they were ready, the sun shone through the trees and warmed them.

"Back to Portland?" Aleena asked.

Celos frowned. "We should fire that hut first. There is much in it that could cause harm in the wrong hands."

"So can a knife or a rock," Aleena pointed out. "But there are some books I'd like to grab first."

Celos scowled. "Taking up wizardry, are you?"

Aleena laughed. "Far from it! There was one I know my friends might be interested in; it was on the Order of the Dragon. A few others had some fanciful tales in them, including the story of the nymph and the warrior."

Celos's scowl faded and was replaced with a cold and expressionless mask. He turned away and looked through the mists that rose off the water towards the cottage. The sun was already beginning to burn the mist away. Of the corrupt animals that had plagued them, there was no sign. "Then fetch your books," he grunted.

Aleena look at him for a long moment and then nodded. His sudden gruffness baffled her. Was it fear that she was going to be corrupted by the sorcery? He should know better than that, especially after she'd been given Leander's blessing! Rather than try to figure the complicated knight out, she turned and strode into the water, trying to retrace the path they'd taken a few hours earlier.

As Aleena and Celos neared the shore, she saw shapes through the mist. Unlike the shadows from the night before, these shapes weren't moving. After she'd taken half a dozen more slow steps through the sucking mud of the pond, she gasped. The shapes weren't rocks or logs she'd failed to notice last night: they were bodies. The bodies of the creatures that had been twisted by the nymph and the wizard.

"You vanquished more than a rotten tree," Celos said behind her.

Aleena jerked and turned to glance at him. She saw that he wasn't making fun of her, which prompted her to look back at the creatures lining the shore. She could see gashes and tears where the different species had been joined together, almost as though they'd tried to tear themselves apart. She shuddered and kept working her way through the waist-high water until she climbed onto the bank.

Aleena picked her way around the corpses and grimaced when she stubbed her bare foot into a rock. She glanced back at Celos and saw him studying the creatures. "Did you notice any spare boots in the wizard's house?"

Celos looked up at her and then dropped his eyes to her naked foot. He frowned. "I don't recall any. Could make for a long hike through the swamp."

Aleena grunted and turned away. She knew he'd offer her his if she made an issue out of it. Some champion of Leander she'd make if she needed to borrow other people's clothing. She clenched her teeth and moved ahead, snaking her way through the piles of bodies. She couldn't discern the smell from the general humid reek of the swamp but flies and other scavenging insects had begun to appear.

She turned and looked back at Celos as an idea occurred to her. "Should we burn the animals, too?"

Celos looked around and frowned. "We can't fit them all in the house and the wood is soaked through around here. The swamp will reclaim them. They weren't evil, just twisted by magic."

Aleena nodded. "Makes sense. Give me a few minutes to gather some things, then we can be on our way."

"Hurry. Wholesome or not, this place is going to smell worse as the sun bakes them."

Aleena made her way into the house and noticed immediately how run down everything looked. Wood was splitting and furniture showed signs of rotting and breaking. Many of the books had split or their bindings had fallen apart. She gasped at how it looked like the cabin had spent a few months in the swamp in the few hours since they last left it.

She had to put her shoulder to the door into Therion's bedroom; the door had warped and swollen shut. On her second attempt to open it, the rotting wood cracked and fell apart, leaving her to stumble into the room.

"Aleena! Are you okay?" Celos called from the front of the house. Before she could respond, he followed it with, "By the saints, what happened here?"

"I'm fine," Aleena said. She stared at the bed where Therion lay. Little more than a skeleton remained. Even the cloth sheets he lay on were beyond threadbare and rotted. She turned her head back to the door and called out, "Whatever magic preserved this place is gone."

"Hurry," he urged, "or else this place may fall down around us before we can set fire to it."

Aleena's eyes went to the books on the walls. More than half of them were rotting in the humid climate. The ones that remained she remembered all too well. They were magical texts, most of them with words she couldn't hope to read. Aleena picked through a few of them and then remembered that she'd hoped to find a sack to carry them in. Her hopes were dashed now. If the sacks were anything like the rest of the cottage, they wouldn't hold their own weight, let alone a book.

She went through the wizard's chests anyhow, wrinkling her nose at the garments that reeked of mold and decay. She turned away in disgust and went to his armoire. Expecting the same, she was amazed to see a dark gray robe with dark blue runes worked into the fabric. She frowned and took it out, amazed it showed no sign of decay. She glanced at the magical books and nodded. The robe must have been magical as well.

Many of the other garments were falling off their hangers. She pushed a moldy scrap that had fallen to the bottom of the armoire aside and found what looked like a whole piece of cloth. She picked it up and it unfolded and smoothed out to reveal a bag. She frowned. The bag looked to be in good condition. More than good, it looked like it had just come from a tailor's loom. Was the bag magical, too?

"What can magic do to a bag?" Aleena whispered to herself. She frowned and opened it. It looked the same on the inside as it did on the outside. She reached in and found nothing amiss with it. She turned and grabbed one of the wizard's spell books. Her fingers tingled, making her gasp and shove it into the bag. She held the bag open and stared at it; the book lay at the bottom.

Shaking her head at her suspicion, she turned and grabbed a few of the other magical texts that were less dangerous. Or at least they didn't make the hair on her arm stand up when she grabbed them. Eight books later, she realized the bag looked like it hardly had anything in it. Even the weight of it was slight compared to the many books she'd put in it. Aleena held it up and stared at it, and then opened it and peered inside. She could see several of the books, but the bag looked less than half full.

Aleena shook her head and shoveled more books into the bag, cleaning out the wizard's collection of arcane text and spell books. She grabbed his magical robe and put that in the bag as well, and then turned and went out to the books she'd collected the night before. The tome titled Order of The Dragon was still fresh and new. It had magic in it, she knew. Another reason she was glad she'd passed on it. Kar might find a way to safely read it. She slipped it and a couple of other books into the bag, and then frowned when she saw _Tales of Faerie_ had pages eaten by mold and a binding that had fallen apart.

"Are you hoping to spend the entire day in here?" Celos chastised her.

Aleena jumped and spun about. He had a stern expression on his face but he also held a pair of boots in his hand. She grinned at him and tied the bag shut before taking them from him. "I found a magical bag. It's holding more than a dozen books but feels like a load of feathers."

Celos's brow furrowed as he looked at the sack. "Is it safe?"

Aleena laughed as she tried the boots on. "It's a bag! What's it going to do, eat us in our sleep? Besides, everything else is rotted or falling apart."

"Close to it," Celos agreed. "Do those fit?"

"They might fall off my feet, but they'll do for now," Aleena agreed.

"Last thing you want is blisters breaking open. Swamp water gets in those and you're in for some trouble," he warned.

"No worse than if I break a toe on a rock or split my foot open on a sharp stick," she reminded him. "I can make do."

"Good. I want to be free of this swamp," Celos said. "I found some casks of lamp oil that are still good. Spread them about the back and I'll oil the front of the house."

Aleena nodded and fetched a cask, and then did as Celos instructed.

They met at the front of the cottage, Aleena holding her new bag over her shoulder rather than dragging it through the muck. Even with the load of books, it felt no heavier than her shield. Celos struck flint to steel and lit a rag, and then he tossed it into the open door and watched as the flames caught on the oil and spread quickly through the cottage. In a few minutes, it was ablaze and flames licked at the sky from the windows and door.

"Come, let's hasten back to Portland," Celos said. He turned away and stopped.

Aleena turned and ran into him. She stumbled back, nearly tripping on her oversized footwear, and scowled. "We'll get there faster if you move!"

Celos didn't respond, prompting Aleena to step to his side and see what his problem was. As soon as she could see past him, she stopped and stared. "Oh!" she exclaimed. A line of five unicorns stood in the shallow waters of the swamp. Behind and beside them, other creatures watched them. Some of the various creatures flitted through the air on tiny wings where others were large enough to look like nude children playing in puddles. Two women leaned against trees, their nubile bodies seductively concealed behind raised legs and crossed arms. Three of the gathered force looked like riders upon horses, save the riders and the horses were the same beings.

"Friends of yours?" Aleena whispered.

Celos frowned.

"Sorry, I forgot, you don't have any," she said.

Celos turned to stare at her, his brows drawing together in irritation.

"These are creatures of nature," Aleena explained. "They're the good guys."

"I thought we were the good guys?" Celos asked.

"Well, yes, we are, but from what I read last night, they would have opposed the things we fought last night."

"So where were they when we needed them?" Celos scoffed.

Aleena shrugged.

Before either could ask or do anything else, a shirtless boy walked between two of the unicorns and approached them. Unlike some of the others, he wore shaggy brown pants. He stepped out of a puddle and onto dry ground, earning a startled gasp from Celos. His pants weren't pants; they were fur. His feet were hooves.

"We have watched and waited," the strange being said. "In time, Nallipura's magic would have failed and she would fade. We kept it from spreading until the human arrived. He used it to defile the creatures and the forest."

"Why didn't you stop him?" Aleena asked.

Celos hissed at her but she ignored him.

"Who are you?" the boy asked.

"Aleena, a squire of the Knights of Leander," she thrust her chest out and said.

"And I am Sir Celos Lyonsbane, Knight of Leander," Celos said. "Who are you?"

"I am Esjederial," he said. "You may call me Jed. I am a servant of the forest. We didn't stop him because it would have done more harm than good. In time, they will all be gone, returned to the earth to bring forth new life."

"In the meantime, innocent people are harmed and their lives disrupted," Celos said. "We have dealt with it, and no harm was done to us."

"Who destroyed the tree?" Jed asked.

Aleena met the gaze of the servant of the forest and spoke. "I did."

He nodded and turned to look behind him. A moment later, a unicorn moved forward, his hooves splashing through the puddles and rising out of them without a hint of mud or water on them. The magnificent animal walked up to Aleena and lowered his head until his glowing horn touched her upon the forehead.

Aleena gasped as she felt the connection. It was over in a heartbeat but she felt as though she'd rested for a week. She lifted her hand to stroke the unicorn's neck but he stepped back and turned away from her. He whinnied, carrying on for a long moment before he quieted down. The other four unicorns moved forward, advancing slowly but providing an imposing wall of pure white equine flesh.

"Twice in a short time we have witnessed pure spirits who wish only good for the world within this forest," Jed said. "The last one was troubled, but he had much potential, enough to earn the assistance from one of our number."

"Alto!" Aleena hissed. She glanced at Celos and saw him staring hard at Jed.

"In hastening Nallipura's departure and with your own selfless purity, you have earned the assistance of the forest. Choose your companion, Aleena."

Aleena shook her head and forced herself to breathe. The unicorns stopped moving in front of her and bowed before her, tucking one of their hooves and stretching the other one out. She heard Celos catch his breath and then force it back out. She glanced at him but her mentor was focused on Jed.

Aleena turned back to the five unicorns and studied them. Her eyes kept coming to the smallest one that was also the furthest from her. She stepped around Celos and walked in front of the gathered magical steeds, taking in the beauty and power of each. When she reached the small one at the end, she knew she'd made her choice. She reached out to the unicorn and brushed her hand along its cheek. She felt a surge of warmth rush up her hand.

All five unicorns rose up. The other four turned away but Aleena only had eyes for the one before her. It lowered its head and brushed the glowing pink tip of its horn to her brow. Aleena felt the world disappear in the blink of an eye. Explosions of colors and sound filled her being. She felt elation and sadness, joy and heartache. She was left with a feeling of triumph and friendship. As her vision returned, she was left with a lingering sense of belonging and of acceptance.

"Her name is Moonshine," Jed said.

"Like the drink?"

Jed paused, his train of thought broken by Celos's interruption. "Like the beautiful luster of the full moon on a cloudless night."

"She's perfect," Aleena whispered and stroked the unicorn's neck. Moonshine nuzzled against her.

"She will travel with you and be there for you when all else fails," Jed said.

Aleena couldn't stop smiling until she turned and saw how stiffly Celos stood. "What of Sir Celos? I could not have defeated Nallipura without him. He kept her forces busy and sacrificed himself so that I could reach her."

The same unicorn as before walked forward. Celos held up his hand to stop him. "What wizardry is this?" he demanded. "I am sworn to Leander and I'll do nothing to weaken my bonds."

"Magic? This is life and it is nature. If you've naught to fear, then you need not fear, knight."

Celos turned back to the unicorn and nodded. "I am not afraid."

The unicorn's horn brushed against him and then he backed away. Aleena wondered if it had really been over in an instant with her, too. The unicorn relayed its verdict to the servant of the forest and then returned to the others.

"You are goodly and pure," Jed said. "But your heart is blinded to the world because of this."

Aleena heard Celos's sharp intake of air. "Blinded?" he challenged.

"You are too good," Jed continued. The boy-goat smiled. "Fitting, perhaps, for your beliefs, but it is no match for anyone here."

"I need no match," Celos said. "I serve Leander. He is chief among my priorities."

Jed nodded. "Much as the well-being of this forest is mine. You have our thanks, Sir Celos. I would invite you to share in the bounty of the forest with us. Come, rest, bathe yourselves, and enjoy the fruits of your labor."

Celos shook his head. "We have pressing affairs to tend to," he said. Aleena stared at him until his eyes flicked her way. He relaxed just enough for her to see his shoulders droop. "But I thank you for your offer. Evil does not rest and so neither shall we."

Jed smiled. "And once evil has been wiped out, what then?"

Celos returned his smile. "Then we will rest."

"Evil does not lie only in the hearts of men. One of our own succumbed to dark powers. I fear for you, Sir Celos."

"Fear not for me, noble servant; fear for the evil that I will uncover and release from the world," the knight said.

"No, good knight, it's my fear that you become so blind that you will become the evil you seek to destroy," he said.

Jed bowed low and turned away while Celos stared at him with parted lips. Aleena shook her head as Jed and the others disappeared into the swamp and headed to the south, where the forest became green and vibrant.

"You'll never become evil," Aleena told her mentor.

Celos snorted and stared after the retreating faerie folk. "It wasn't evil in the conventional sense he meant. He fears I will become cruel and merciless in my judgments. Or perhaps see fault where none truly lies."

"You wouldn't!" Aleena said with conviction.

Celos gave her a thin-lipped smile. "Wouldn't I? I was trying to stop you from becoming a squire. I believed it was what Sir Amos wanted and that I had to serve him and Leander best by doing so. There have been more than a few famous knights who were known not only for their good deeds, but also their merciless natures."

Aleena continued to shake her head. "I won't let you."

Celos chuckled. "I hope I don't let myself. It's easy to become confused at times.

"Come, we have many miles to travel and those boots make you look like you should be performing as a court jester," Celos said.

Aleena looked down at her feet and chuckled. She felt a nudge from Moonshine and she saw the unicorn had turned sideways to her and dropped lower. She smiled and nodded, and then grabbed her mane and swung herself up onto the unicorn's back. Both of the large boots fell off her feet into the soft mud.

Celos glanced over and chuckled. "Come, Moonshine, show me what you've got."

### Chapter 9

Garrick walked down the hill towards the large camp that had been set up. He frowned as he looked around. Some of the trees had been cleared and stumps pulled, but that was all the work that had gone into rebuilding the ruined city of Rockwood. He could make out a few figures walking between the tents but soon lost sight of them when he entered the tree line again. Garrick broke into a jog, anxious to learn more.

The barbarian slowed to a walk when he emerged from the pine forest a quarter hour later. He was spotted by kelgryn sentries. They grabbed up spears and bows until Garrick slowed and held up his hands. "Hail, I come alone. I am Garrick."

Two of the sentries approached him. "Well met, Garrick. Sorry for the rough meeting; it's been a slow summer."

"I thought the town would be built by now," Garrick said. "You've got stone, wood, and dwarves. What more is there to building?"

The man who spoke earlier laughed again. "If only it were that simple!"

"It's not?" Garrick blinked, confused.

"They can't agree to terms," the second guard said. "Dwarves are being greedy and demanding too much to do the work."

"So build it yourselves. The kelgryn have strong backs."

The guards looked at each other and chuckled. "That's what we thought, but the dwarves won't let us."

"Ain't their land," Garrick growled.

"The mines were theirs once and the jarl offered them back without contest. Plus the kelgryn aren't miners. Between that and the special benefits Jarl Teorfyr offered them, we're in a bind."

"Thought the mines was caved in? We hadn't made it out too long before Alto brought the damned mountain down on them."

"Much of it was, but many of the dwarf-built parts survived. Built to last, they said. Even an earthquake. The tunnels leading into the mines was caved in, though."

Garrick grunted and shook his head. "If this is civilized, I'll stick with the north. Is Alto here?"

"Holgasford, last we heard."

Garrick cursed. "Who's in charge here? Can't be just the two of you?"

The second guard shook his head and said, "They couldn't pay me enough to run this nightmare."

The first one nodded. "Man named Halfdir in that big tent. He's meeting with some dwarves right now. Might want to wait until he's done."

Garrick shook his head. He turned towards the mentioned tent and said, "What news I got concerns everyone, dwarf and man alike." Garrick started towards it while the sentries looked to each other before following after him.

Garrick pulled aside the tent flap and stepped in to see two men sitting at a table opposite three dwarves. Two more dwarves stood behind them. The negotiators looked up at him, stunned into silence by his interruption and sheer size.

The stillness was broken a moment later by a dwarven cry of, "To arms! An ogre!"

Garrick scowled and looked at his friend, Mordrim. The dwarf was grinning while the others looked back and forth, confused. One of the dwarves had reached for the axe leaning against the table beside him until he realized it was a joke.

"Don't worry, he'll trip over you on his way to reach me," Garrick responded before he stopped to realize there were other dwarves in the room. The dwarves glowered at him, not appreciating his sense of humor. He shrugged it aside; he wasn't there to make friends. "I'm looking for Alto. You seen him?"

Mordrim glanced at his kin and saw the tension in their faces. The dwarf ducked his head under the table, showing them the running camaraderie between the two men and came back up. "Not here."

The barbarian scowled and opened his mouth to return when one of the men, Halfdir, spoke. "Garrick, right?"

Garrick closed his mouth and nodded.

"Honored to meet you," Halfdir said. He rose from the table to an impressive height, though Garrick still towered over him, and offered his hand to the barbarian. Once Garrick clasped forearms with him, Halfdir continued, "Alto sailed to the south to Shazamir. We expect him back before fall. What brings you here?"

Garrick stiffened at the news. "Shazamir? What's that?"

Mordrim hopped off his chair and picked up his hammer. "Kingdom to the south in the desert. I'll tell you over an ale."

"Wait, are we done here? We've much to discuss still," Halfdir said.

"I came looking for Alto. I ran across a band of ogres in the mountains to the east. They came looking for war."

"Not so uncommon," Halfdir said. "They are ogres."

"Never seen that many at once except for when Sarya pulled the tribes together," Garrick said.

"How many?" Mordrim asked.

"Forty, maybe more."

"Forty ogres! That's a war band," Mordrim grumbled.

"You were wise to avoid them," Halfdir said.

Garrick laughed. "I killed half their number and fought their leader. Cut his jewels off and sent them running to the hills, but not in time."

Halfdir scoffed. "You slew more than a score of ogres?"

Mordrim tightened his grip on his hammer and ignored the kelgryn man. "In time for what?" he asked Garrick.

"They killed a family and burned their home. The man's youngest son, Borwin, came with me."

Halfdir frowned. "Where is he now?"

Garrick turned to him and said, "With clan Snowbear. They will teach him to be a man and keep the Spottedwolf clan alive."

"This is troubling," Halfdir agreed. "The dragon is dead—what drives them to attack? You yourself killed the dragon's general, or so it's said."

Mordrim held up his hammer. "He did. I seen it with my own eyes and he used this hammer to do it."

Garrick let his chest swell with pride before he said, "That's why I wanted Alto. I want help searching the mountains. There's no man who knows them as well as Alto who I trust."

Mordrim lowered his hammer and shook his head. "He's not here, but we need to know more. He left months ago and might be back in Holgasford now or soon. We should go there."

"We?"

"You think I'll be letting you do this on your own? Lady Patrina's with him and no doubt that boy's gotten her into trouble of some sort by now." Mordrim snorted.

Garrick nodded and forced his lips to stay down when he said, "Fine, just try not to get underfoot."

* * * *

Garrick knew Mordrim's stamina was legendary but he still took delight in pushing the stocky man as they ran throughout the day. The northerner's longer legs ate up the distance and forced the dwarf to push his legs twice as fast to keep up.

Their camp that first night was among the hills with the stars shining down on them. They were dining on dried meats and ale when Mordrim looked at the barbarian and asked, "You planning to run tomorrow like that giant's family is chasing you?"

Garrick looked at his friend and smiled. He poked the fire with a spare log and tossed it in, and then shrugged. "Might be important that we get there and let them know something's going on."

"And it might be that they're still in the southlands," Mordrim said.

Garrick nodded and took a drink of ale. He tied off the skin and offered it to the dwarf, only to have Mordrim shake his head. Garrick shrugged and set it on the ground beside him. "How goes the mines?"

"It's a mess. Some chambers and passages are fine. Most aren't. Clearing out the dead was the worst part," Mordrim said. "In places, they were trapped and ran out of air. In others, they had air, but no food or water. We got no way of knowing but I'm thinking the ogres and goblins fell to eating each other. No idea what happened with the men down there, but most of what we found was bones and a few bodies with rotting meat on them."

Garrick grimaced. "Going to reopen the mines?"

Mordrim nodded. "Soon. A month or two more. More mines than we got the dwarves to dig. Strong man like you could do some good down there. Ever think of mining?"

Garrick scowled. "I spent enough time in caves. I'll take the tundra and open sky."

Mordrim glanced up at the stars. "Suit yourself. No roof overhead has a way of making a man feel small."

Garrick laughed. "That why there's no Mrs. Mordrim?"

The dwarf's cheeks flushed under his beard. "Bah, you're a fool!" He stared into the fire and crossed his arms.

Garrick smirked and let the silence draw on. The barbarian stared up at the night sky above and picked out the groups of stars his father had told him stories about as a child. The history of his people was written in the stars, his father had taught him. Garrick frowned. If enough ogres and giants came out of the mountains, the stars would remain but there'd be no one left to tell their stories.

"How's the north been?" Mordrim asked after several minutes had passed.

"Good, until now," Garrick said.

"Heard you weren't to go back until the news of the mountains had been found?"

Garrick nodded. "Word spread by the time I reached them. I went home to a hero's welcome."

"That's good."

The barbarian shrugged. "More was expected of me. Men came from other clans and villages to meet me and introduce their daughters to me. Seemed I was expected to take a woman."

Mordrim laughed. "I don't remember you having trouble when it came to taking women!"

It was Garrick's turn to turn red. "Not like that. I mean as a mate. A wife."

Mordrim chuckled. "Were there any?"

"There were a few good ones. One, in particular," Garrick trailed off as he thought back to the shy but strong Kendall.

"Well? What of her? You going to have little Garricks running around the north?"

"She's dead."

"Oh!" Mordrim fell silent and stared into the fire again.

Garrick shrugged it away. "She was part of the family the ogres came after."

Mordrim grimaced but offered nothing in return. The dwarf used his boot to shift a few logs in the fire and then looked at the ground around him. "Well, if we've another day of running ahead, we'd best get some rest."

Garrick grunted, "I'll take first watch."

"I'll let you," Mordrim said as he shifted and lay on the soft grass.

Garrick stared into the darkness and listened to the sounds of the night, becoming accustomed to them. He was about to rise and stretch when the dwarf rolled over and stared at him, his dark eyes glittering with the firelight.

"Sorry to hear about the girl," Mordrim offered.

Garrick nodded. "I fought the ogres with her father and brother, but there were too many. Her brother was killed and her father hurt. I kept the ogres busy while he ran to the house and made sure his wife and daughter were taken care of."

"Taken care of?" Mordrim leaned up on his elbow.

Garrick nodded. "The men would be killed, but women the ogres would use."

"Use?"

Garrick nodded. "Slaves, until they died from the abuse."

"You mean..."

"Yes, they'd be passed among the ogres until they were of no more use."

"That's savage!" Mordrim growled.

"Better a clean death."

"I'm glad they got it then." The dwarf shook his head and lay back down. "You survived. Do you think they might have if they held out longer?"

"No," Garrick said. "I've thought on that already. Had the house not been burning, they would have fought on. They had no more reason to fight with the spoils of war gone and me proving no easy victim."

Mordrim blew out a sigh. "Again, I'm sorry."

Garrick accepted the condolences and listened as Mordrim's breathing soon grew even and deep. He rose up and walked around the campsite, staring into the wilderness and keeping watch from a distance. His thoughts strayed to Patrina, the woman who had first captivated him. He accepted her interest lay elsewhere, though, but then he'd met Alto's sister, Caitlyn. She had surprised him, at once soft and troubled but at other times strong and clever. Then she'd met the southlander and been swept up in his mystery. Garrick had left Holgasford behind then, disgusted by the man's exotic ways and longing for home.

And now Caitlyn had gone south to marry the southlander. Kendall was dead. Patrina had no interest in him. All he had was a snoring dwarf for a companion. Garrick smirked and shook his head. At the very least he could go wake the dwarf up and make him take his turn at watch.

* * * *

"Mordrim! Garrick! It's good to see you. Tell me, has an agreement been reached at last?" Jarl Teorfyr asked two days later.

Both men jumped up from the table they'd been sitting at and stood stiffly. Garrick chewed down the meat in his mouth and swallowed it noisily, and then glanced at his cup on the table. Mordrim glanced up at Garrick and then back to the jarl.

"Not exactly, Jarl," Mordrim said. "Negotiations continue. At this rate they'll be ready to build inside of five years."

Teorfyr scowled. "When we discussed bringing your people back to the mines, this was part of the deal."

"I know that!" Mordrim sputtered. "It's what I told King Grimdar when I sent my letter. You saw it!"

Teorfyr blew out a frustrated sigh and sat at the other side of the table. He waited and then motioned to both of them. "Sit, eat! You have the looks of men who have been too long without rest or a proper meal."

"Too right," Mordrim muttered.

"So what is the holdup now? When Alto left, he felt progress was being made. Halfdir has done next to nothing since."

Mordrim nodded. "He's not committing to much. I think he fears making too many concessions."

"What did Alto do?"

"Alto's a stronger negotiator," Mordrim conceded. "And my kin feel indebted to him for discovering the mines and helping to clear them. Then there's that bit with the dragon."

"Aren't you betraying your people, telling us this?" Garrick turned to Mordrim and asked.

"Bah, just the greedy fools at the top. The rest of us would rather have things working proper."

"Maybe you should be in charge," Garrick suggested.

Mordrim scowled at him. "I told them I wanted no part of it and I meant it. Besides, I spent too much time walking among humans; I don't see things the same way as much anymore."

Garrick chuckled. "Got a long walk to go and stumpy legs to do it."

Mordrim shook his head and looked to Teorfyr for assistance. The jarl chuckled and turned to Garrick. "What brings you down from the north, Garrick?"

"Ran out of snow bears to cuddle up to," Mordrim suggested. The dwarf gasped and turned to Garrick. "Wait a minute, that's why I never seen no northern women! They must be the polar bears!"

"Ogres," Garrick said, ignoring Mordrim. "I witnessed a war band of over forty destroy the home of a family north of the mountains."

"Forty? That's a large group for a raid," Teorfyr said.

Garrick nodded. "More than three times. And this is the first I've heard of since the dragon was killed."

Teorfyr nodded. "You fear there's more than just ogres working together?"

Garrick nodded. "No one I trust knows the mountains as well as Alto, but he's gone."

"To the south. I expect him back soon enough. Patrina and Namitus are with him; they went south for Caitlyn's wedding."

Garrick stiffened and nodded.

Teorfyr caught the movement. "I preferred you to Lord Sulim," the jarl offered.

Garrick took a drink and pushed his plate back. "Will you tell Alto of what I have seen?"

Teorfyr's brows furrowed. "You're leaving? Why not wait for him to return?"

"The ogres didn't wait before butchering my people."

"I understand," Teorfyr sighed. "Where will you go?"

"Highpeak," Garrick said. "Tristam still rules?"

Teorfyr nodded.

"Then yes, I will go to Highpeak."

"Drat, there'll be no agreement this year then," Mordrim grumbled.

"Rockwood? Why not?" Teorfyr asked.

"I'm the only one talking to the dwarves to get them to reason. Without me, there'll be no hope."

Garrick smiled. "Think you can keep up?"

"Think you can keep from trying to romance any animals we happen across?"

"Jarl!"

Garrick and Mordrim turned to see a guard rushing across the hall towards them. Teorfyr frowned and rose. "What news?"

"Jarl, the _Kraken's_ returned," the guard said in a rush.

"Kraken?" Garrick asked.

"Sea monster," Mordrim explained.

"No, it's the name of the ship Alto and Patrina sailed south on," Teorfyr said. "It seems you need not go alone after all."

The guard glanced back and forth between the three men. He forced his breathing even and then shook his head. "My lord, they're not on the ship."

"They're not? What nonsense is this, a ghost ship?"

"No, Jarl, the crew is there but Lady Patrina and her companions are not on it," he explained.

Teorfyr's eyes narrowed. "What is the meaning of this?"

The door to the hall opened before the guard could attempt an answer. A pair of men walked in, their legs and bodies stiff and awkward. "This man says my daughter and her betrothed are missing. Is this true?"

"Aye, Jarl, it is," one of the men said.

"Well, damn your eyes, Taldar, why?" the jarl demanded.

Taldar, the captain of the _Kraken_ , turned to the other man. "This is Dorgin. He was one of the men who took them ashore in a longboat. We waited but they never returned!"

"Ashore where?"

"The isle of Britanly," he said. "Alto and the lady insisted upon it even though we told them it was haunted."

"We heard the ghosts of the Britanly that first night," Dorgin nodded his head and said. "Them ghosts knew they came ashore!"

"How far is the island?" Mordrim asked.

"Two days if the wind favors you," Taldar said.

Mordrim turned to Garrick. "I'm sorry, my friend, but I can't go with you to Highpeak."

"We'll still go," Garrick said, "but we'll take the longer route by way of this island they speak of."

"We'll all be going," Teorfyr said. "I'll raise the fleet and—"

"No," Mordrim turned back to him and said. "If Garrick's right, there might be trouble in the mountains coming."

Teorfyr swore and looked at Taldar. "Did they say why they wanted to stop?"

"Not in plain words but I think they were looking for some fun before they returned."

"Fun?" Teorfyr spat out. "What fun is it now, to have them missing? Perhaps even dead."

Before Teorfyr could say more, Mordrim caught sight of Lady Kenna, his wife, entering the hall. Mordrim coughed and muttered under his breath, "Lady Kenna comes!"

He looked at Garrick and then at Mordrim. "Not a word of this to her. You will go?"

Both men looked at each other and then to the jarl. Without a word, they nodded.

Teorfyr looked at Taldar and said, "You will take them. Resupply immediately and set sail. Same crew, leave no man behind. No one is to know of this!"

Taldar nodded.

"I'll send a rider to the kingdom," he continued. "Stop at Amderfell. I'll see to it that your other friends, the priest and wizard, meet you there. Wait for them if you must. I'll have the messengers kill their horses if they must to speed their journey. Now go and may the saint's breath fill your sail."

### Chapter 10

"Do you hear that?" Namitus hissed.

The rogue's companions stopped and listened. Alto and Patrina looked at each other and then Namitus. "Sounds like a woman wailing," Alto said.

"That's no woman," Patrina said. She paused and then nodded. "Nobody's got that much wind in the chest."

"Sounds like a long ways away," Alto added.

Namitus chuckled. "That's the wind carrying it away."

Alto frowned and bent down to pick up a handful of the fine sand from the beach. He tossed it up in the air and watched as it swirled about. He frowned. "The sailors said the wind was blowing to the west, but now I'm not sure."

"It's probably shifting," Patrina said. "That happens at night sometimes."

"Why?" Alto asked.

Patrina shrugged. "I live inland, not on the sea. I don't spend much time on the sea."

"The air cools but the water is warm from the sun; it changes things," Namitus said.

"Oh, so now you're a sailor?" Patrina asked.

Namitus snorted. "Hardly. I keep my ears open, that's all."

"Come on," Alto said. "Woman or beast, we won't find it standing on the beach."

The others followed the young warrior as he trudged through the sand. He passed a line of tall grasses that marked the end of the beach and firmer footing before the sand was packed hard enough for trees and bushes to grow out of it. Alto frowned until he saw a path that seemed filled more with grass and weeds than it did with trees and heavier undergrowth.

"Where are you going?" Patrina hissed.

Alto shrugged. "Following a path."

"This is a path?" she challenged.

"Yes. Or at least it used to be."

Patrina harrumphed but made no other noise. Alto took that as a sign to continue, at least for now. He pushed through the waist-high grass and kept scanning ahead of him. He'd convinced Tristam that he knew how to track when he joined the retired warrior's company, the Blades of Leander. With Tristam's injuries and promotion to baron of Highpeak, the Blades of Leander had fallen to Alto to lead. Alto had other duties ahead of him, but his friends and the company, now renamed the Band of the Dying Dragon, were never far from his mind.

Alto had learned how to track passably well, and then his time alone in the mountains had forced him to hone his survival skills. The tropical island held terrain unlike anything he was accustomed to but he figured his self-taught survival skills were better than nothing.

A snuffling and grunting sound brought him to a halt. Alto reached for his sword but it barely cleared the scabbard before something gray and brown burst out of the foliage and slammed into his left thigh and hip.

Alto cried out as he was knocked to the ground. The impact jarred his magical blade free from his hand. Without contact with the bonded weapon, Alto felt worn down and weak. The creature that knocked him down pawed at him with sharp hooves and tusks that struck his plate and pushed him deeper into the grass.

Alto found his weapon, the Soulsword, when the creature rolled him on top of it. Energy flooded through him, sharpening his wit and speeding his reflexes. Alto rolled away from his attacker, bringing the Soulsword with him. He slashed up as soon as his arm and the blade were free, earning a sharp squeal that reminded him of a pig.

The warrior jumped to his feet and pushed his advantage. Blood-stained weeds moved as the creature tried to retreat. Alto waded through them and caught up with the wild boar within a few strides. He saw that his sword had shaved one of its tusks and opened a bloody furrow along its shoulder. He leapt forward and brought his broadsword down across the spine of the bore between its legs.

The beast fell to the ground and kicked, still trying to flee with a broken back. Alto finished it with a thrust to its chest. He stared down at it and felt the adrenaline of battle starting to wear off. His chest heaved for want of breath, reminding him that he had let himself fall out of shape.

"Dinner," Namitus said when he stepped through the grass and stared down at the bloody mess.

Patrina stepped up on Alto's left and frowned. "Are you okay?"

"I think so. Just surprised me is all," Alto said as he sheathed his sword.

"You're bleeding," Patrina said as she looked up and down Alto's left side. "Looks like a tusk slipped under your armor."

Alto scowled and tried to twist to see the wound. It was low on his back where the plates met and beyond his ability to see. He reached back and felt around, wincing when he put pressure against the area. His fingers came away wet with blood. "Is it bad?"

Patrina knelt down behind him and pushed and prodded, drawing a few hisses of pain from the warrior. She shook her head and slapped her metal gauntlet against his rump before she rose. "Just a flesh wound. We can bandage it later, when we camp."

Alto grunted and looked down at the dead boar. It was large, probably weighing over a hundred pounds. No wonder it had rolled him so easily. He knelt down next to it and drew a dagger.

"What are you doing?" Patrina hissed. "There might be more of them!"

"It's a wild boar," Alto said. "I startled it as much as it startled me. They're dangerous but usually they'd run away instead of attack."

"Well, this one attacked," she said.

"Like I said, I startled it," Alto said. "And like Namitus said, dinner."

"You're going to roast it for dinner? We don't even have a camp yet!"

"Too big to carry, plus we don't need that much meat," Alto said. "I figured I'd cut out the back straps and we could roast those later."

Namitus nodded. "Beats the salted pork and dried fruits on the ship."

Alto glanced at Patrina and saw her lick her lips. She frowned and then nodded. "Be quick; this grass is too tall to see what's around us."

A few minutes later, Alto secured his grisly prize and held the meat up. He turned to his companions and held it out, but neither looked anxious to take it. "I can't fight if I'm holding this," he argued.

Namitus laughed. "Slay your enemies with your pork sword!"

Patrina's eyes bulged and she burst out laughing. "Pork sword?"

Alto blushed but soon found himself chuckling. He forced it down and glanced around. Namitus and Patrina grew silent when they saw him keeping watch. "Let's see where this goes," he said and switched the meat to his left hand. He wiped the blood off as best he could on the grass and started down the overgrown path again.

They walked up a rise and then around a ridge. Behind it, the ground leveled off and the grasses grew shorter. A breeze from the east pushed against them, carrying the eerie sound they'd heard on and off more clearly.

"Not a woman," Patrina confirmed.

"Sounds like one," Namitus argued.

"There's no woman who can carry on that long!"

"I don't know—I've heard a few."

Alto chuckled and kept walking. He knew without looking that Patrina was glaring at his friend. The other thing of interest he noticed was a short mountain with a flat top in the distance. Atop it, he could make out the walls and towers of a castle. "Our mystery woman is probably up there," Alto said, pointing to the east.

Namitus and Patrina followed Alto's hand. Patrina sighed and then let out a gasp. "There's a village!"

"That's a castle," Namitus corrected her. "You haven't seen many living in your city with sharpened sticks for walls, but trust me."

Namitus cried out as Patrina's smacked him in the shoulder. "Ahead of us!"

Namitus rubbed his shoulder but looked ahead. Alto nodded his head; he'd been caught up in the castle, too. "Lucky we didn't trip over it," he said as he took in the crumbling buildings. "My guess is it's a good place to camp for the night."

"We've got an hour or more of daylight left," Namitus argued.

"Aye, but not enough to reach that castle," Alto said. He pointed at the base of the cliff at the ridges and forests. "There's no telling what's waiting in the forest and hills over there. Here we can have some shelter and defend ourselves."

"That's why he's going to be the thane of Rockwood," Patrina looked at Namitus and said with a smug smile.

When she turned away, Namitus pantomimed her talking, drawing a smirk from Alto. The warrior turned and headed into the ruins of the village, looking through each building before he nodded and turned to the others. He held up the long strip of meat in his hand and said, "Somebody make a fire. I'm going to find a stick to cook this on."

* * * *

The wailing grew louder throughout the night as the wind blew from the east. As dawn broke over the island, the wind began to change again, taking the howling noise with it. The three gathered together and, with Alto's wound freshly bandaged, they set off down a road that hadn't been used for anything more than a runway for animals in years.

They followed the abandoned road into the forest, though the trees and plants were unlike anything Alto had seen before. Large leaves and massive brown nuts hung from the trees high up the rough trunks. He saw bananas hanging in great bunches and trees laden with oranges.

"Do the Shazarim get their fruits from here?" Alto asked, in awe at all the fruit on the island.

"Hardly," Namitus said. "This island is haunted, remember?"

"They have farms along the Khalalid River or buy them from merchants," Patrina said. "I asked when we were there. I'd never had fruits like those before. I think I liked the pineapples the most."

"Haven't seen any of those yet," Alto said with a glance at the trees.

"I'm sure there are some around," Namitus said. "The Britanly people would have wanted all of it available."

The mention of the Britanly reminded him of the ruined village. "Funny how we haven't seen much of them."

"They're all gone," Patrina reminded him.

"Looks like it, but shouldn't there be other houses and farms?"

"Maybe there are," Namitus offered. "We haven't seen much of the island yet."

Alto grunted and pressed on, following the road deeper into the jungle. It grew darker as the trees grew taller and thicker, blocking out the sunlight from above. Tropical birds called out from overhead, alerting the forest of their passage. After a few moments of silence, a gentle hum of insects began to rise.

The coastal breeze fell away and left the sweat rolling down Alto's skin beneath his armor. He pushed the discomfort aside and sped up when he saw a bright spot ahead, marking either a clearing or an end to the jungle.

A shrill shriek carried through the jungle ahead of them. They froze and listened, only to hear an even louder and lower-pitched reply. Alto looked at his friends and saw their surprise and confusion mirroring his own. He turned and started ahead, jogging easily in his armor until the bright light at the entrance to the jungle left him squinting.

Alto slowed to a walk and moved up to the partly overgrown archway into the jungle. Through it and his narrowed eyes, he could make out several figures moving in a large clearing. They were on the far side of it but towered above the grasses and wildflowers that were chest high on Alto.

"What is it? I can't see." Patrina shaded her eyes with her hand and whispered.

"Five very big, um, monkeys."

"Monkeys?"

"Yes, furry beasts with a tail. They swing from trees and—"

"I know what a monkey is," Alto snapped. He'd seen one for the first time during his trip to Shazamir. He blinked to try to force his eyes to adjust to the light faster. "Monkeys aren't that big, maybe as high as my hip."

"These are," Namitus said. He nodded. "Yes, definitely big. I can't be sure—they're a ways off—but I'd say at least twenty feet tall. That's the four little ones. The big one is probably another three or four feet."

"Giants!" Patrina cried out in dismay.

"No, monkeys."

"Giant monkeys," Alto compromised. He shook his head. His vision was focusing the longer they watched. "They don't look like monkeys. I mean, they don't walk the same way."

"Apes then," the rogue said with a shrug.

"What's an ape?"

"Like a monkey, only bigger."

"Much bigger," Alto muttered.

Namitus chuckled. "Not normally."

"So what was all that screeching a minute ago? That wasn't the wailing we heard," Patrina asked.

Namitus nodded as the biggest ape picked up what looked like, from a distance, a large snake. He wrestled with it, roaring a few times until he threw it down and jumped on it. The ape pounded it with his fists several times before he straightened again and thumped his fists against his chest and roared anew.

The four others had cried out during the short battle and now shrieked louder, confirming the earlier noises. They fell on the slain creature, ripping into it and feasting.

"Never mind," Patrina said a moment later.

"You can see now?" Alto asked her.

"Wish I couldn't."

Alto nodded. "So we know we have to avoid those giant apes. How do we get around them?"

They looked at each other without an answer. Alto frowned and was about to turn around when he caught movement from the corner of his eye. He turned, his hand going to his sword, and saw a man dressed in dark leathers standing in the shadows of a tree with a bow drawn and an arrow pointed at him. A pair of matching swords rested in scabbards on his back.

"Been a while since I've had visitors," the archer said. "At least the human kind. Why don't you three take your hands off your swords and we can talk like civilized folk?"

"Why don't you lower your bow first?" Alto asked him.

One corner of the archer's lip curled up in a smile. "Spend some time out here and you forget how to act civilized," he said.

Patrina let go of her sword and held her arms up. "Do it," she hissed to the other two.

"What's this? A beautiful young maiden on my island?" The archer's gaze went to Patrina and his bow dipped an inch or so.

"Your island?" Patrina asked.

"Well, it's mine or Bucky's over there," the man said.

"Who are you?" Alto asked as he let go of his sword.

"And who's Bucky?" Namitus added and followed the lead of his companions by releasing his grip on the hilt of his scimitar.

"Name's Carson Twoblade," he said. Carson lowered the bow and released the tension under control. He kept the arrow nocked but turned to watch the apes in the field as they finished their dinner. "That's Bucky. Looks like he killed a crawler."

"Crawler?"

"Yeah, thirty feet long or so from head to tail, kind of like a giant centipede except big enough to bite your arm or leg off. Fast and mean. I think they're cousins to the crocs in the swamp on the south side of the island."

"Crocs?"

"Crocodiles," Namitus supplied.

"Yeah, that's right," Carson said after he gave Namitus a funny look. "Let's get away from here. You guys stink and the last thing we need is Bucky catching wind of you!"

"We stink?" Patrina said.

Alto scowled and started to reach for his sword again. Carson ignored him. "Not your fault; you just have scents on you from other places. Oils and spices. Some of it's in your skin, some of it's on your clothes. I could smell you from a ways away."

"You could smell us?" Alto echoed. Namitus sniffed his arm and wrinkled his nose.

Carson nodded. "Come on, Bucky's got a better nose and so do most of the critters here."

"How long have you been here?" Patrina asked him.

The woodsman frowned. "Please?"

"All right, let's go," Alto said.

Carson flashed him a smile but his eyes went back to Patrina quickly. Alto scowled and moved closer to his betrothed. The armored couple followed the strange woodsman as he led them into the jungle and away from both the clearing and the cliff they'd been headed towards. In moments, Alto couldn't track their movements anymore. He became lost as the trees closed in around them.

### Chapter 11

"Carson, where are we going?" Alto asked after the man had led them through the jungle for more than an hour. He'd kept them away from any clearings and barely even paused to let them drink when they cross two small streams.

Carson looked back at him and frowned. "A safe place," he said.

"We spent last night in the village; it seemed safe enough," Namitus ventured.

"I know. I didn't expect you'd last the night," he said with a grin. "You got lucky."

"There's more to us than you might think," Patrina said.

Alto caught her eyes with a glare and shook his head. She bit her lip and said no more, reading his look, if not his mind.

"We can handle ourselves," she finished.

"Sure you can, that's why you were about to walk into a mess of crawlers and lions. Not to mention Bucky and his girls."

"Who's Bucky?"

"Remember that big ape? He's Bucky."

"Why Bucky?"

Carson shrugged and glanced away. "He seemed like a Bucky to me, so that's the name I gave him. Now come on, I've got a place where you should be safe. No more talking."

"Wait, how much farther is it?"

"Half an hour."

Alto glanced at his friends. They met his gaze without a word. "Let's go," he said.

Carson was off, slipping through the trees and moving like a ghost. Alto watched whenever the man stopped and studied tracks in the ground. At times Alto had to search for the prints to be sure they were there. The woodsman glanced up at him once and saw his interest and confusion. With a grin, Carson traced a track with his finger. It popped out in Alto's eyes as though it had been painted red against a sea of green. He shook his head and acknowledged that Carson was a far better tracker than he was.

Carson turned away from the large-clawed footprint he'd traced and led them around a section of the jungle filled with undergrowth. If possible, even more insects buzzed about them. Alto found that his armor might be good for blocking swords and axes but it did little against the sucking bite of a mosquito.

They emerged into the sun and felt the wind from the sea on their face. Alto heard his friends gasp at the relief from the humid heat of the jungle. The sun was behind them, confirming his belief that they'd made it to the north side of the island. The angle of the sun in the sky made him realize more time had passed than he'd realized. It was almost evening.

"Come on," Carson urged them. "It's nearly time for the nighttime hunters to rouse."

"We've wasted the day," Alto muttered. "Our ship won't wait much longer."

Carson stared at him and then turned to look at the ocean through the tropical flowers and bushes at the jungle's edge. "You can head back if you want but you won't make it," he said after he turned to look at them again.

"Doesn't seem so dangerous to me," Alto said. "We've seen nothing but those apes and a boar that I startled."

"You saw the print of the panther," Carson reminded him.

Alto shrugged. It looked about the size of a large wolf's paw and he'd dealt with his share of wolves. "I doubt a panther could stop us."

"One, maybe, but they hunt in packs here. They know how to take down bigger game. Dangerous game. The crawlers come out at night, too. By day, they stick to the fields full of grass; at night they hunt the jungles, too."

"What, you're not going to try to frighten us with Bucky again?" Patrina asked.

"They settle down at night, so you don't need to worry about them," Carson admitted. He sighed. "Look, I haven't seen or talked to another living person in years. Stay tonight and I'll guide you back to your boat in the morning."

Alto frowned but before he could respond, Namitus spoke up and said, "I'll stay."

Alto scowled at his friend and received a weak smile in return. "All right, we'll stay."

Carson grinned. "Right this way then, my new friends. Pray tell, do any of you know any games of chance?"

Alto closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he followed after the tracker. Carson didn't take them much farther, only nearer to the cliff and then he stopped at the edge of it. Alto peered over and saw the jagged cliffs ended in frothing water as the waves pounded against the rocks nearly a hundred feet below.

Alto stepped back and groaned.

"What, afraid of heights?" Carson asked.

"I had a bad fall once," Alto offered. Patrina smirked beside him and reached over to brush her hand against his.

"No falling here," Carson said. "Just an easy climb to a cave."

"You live in a cave?" the princess asked.

Carson shrugged. "It's my home away from home."

"How many homes do you have?"

"Never know where you'll end up when the sun goes down," the hunter said. "I've got six or seven safe places set up around the isle. This is the best for you guys, what with the stink and all."

"We do not stink," Patrina snapped at him.

Carson's brow lifted. "To civilized folk you don't, but to the beasts here you smell like fresh blood in the water to a shark."

"Is that bad?" Alto asked.

Namitus chuckled and shook his head. "Yes," the rogue said. "It's very bad."

"How do we fix our 'stink'? " Alto asked.

"Take time. It'll wear eventually. You eat the food the island provides and that'll help. Leave the armor behind and maybe rub yourself in some local plants to mask the soaps and oils you've used."

Namitus was the first to scowl. "Want us to roll around on a dead animal while we're at it?" the rogue asked.

Carson looked thoughtful for a moment. "Might work, until something thought you smelled tasty that way." The tracker chuckled and shook his head. "No matter. If you're leaving, I'll do my best to keep you safe. Come on, though. Let's hurry before something comes looking for us."

"Where is this cave?" Alto asked as he edged closer to the cliff.

"Just over the edge and down maybe ten feet. Plenty of hand and footholds, even a ledge at the edge of it. Watch me. I'll show you and then come back up to cover our tracks."

"I'll go first," Namitus offered. "Save you the trouble."

Carson eyed the slender man up and down. "You sure?"

Namitus chuckled. "I think I'll manage."

"He can do it," Patrina confirmed. "He led us down a few hundred feet of wall under a mountain once."

"Under a mountain?"

"Long story," Alto said.

Carson snorted. "I bet it is. I look forward to hearing it. Go ahead, Namitus, and lead the way."

Namitus walked up to Alto and flashed him a smile before he turned and put his back fully to the ocean, crouched down and slipped his leg over the edge of the cliff, and then his other one. A moment later, he lowered himself smoothly beyond view.

Alto and Patrina leaned out, holding onto each other's hand and shoving their bodies inland as far as they could while still seeing over the edge.

"Another long story?" Carson asked as he stared at the two nervous people.

Patrina offered him a thin smile. "You have no idea."

He grunted and shook his head. "Hurry up. Or do I need to give you a push?"

"I'm down!" Namitus called up to them. "It's not bad."

Alto pulled Patrina back and then slipped his pack off his back. He pulled out a rope before putting it back on, and then he handed one end to Patrina.

"A rope?" Carson blurted. "It's like twelve feet!"

"Have you ever been lashed to a timber hanging over the edge of a cliff into the lair of a dragon for days on end?" Patrina snapped at him.

Carson's mouth opened and closed a few times before he shook his head and waved his hand. "After you, good lady," he said.

"Thank you." Patrina tied the rope tightly around her waist and then turned to put her back to the ocean. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, they found Alto's.

"You'll be fine," he reassured her.

"I know," she said. The white in her cheeks told a different story.

Patrina knelt at the edge and backed over slowly. She jerked her foot about rapidly until she found a nook to wedge it in, and then she did the same with the other. Alto had to force his hand to loosen when she finally lowered herself over the edge so the rope would pull through it. Each passing minute left him aching to rush to the edge and look over it to see if she was okay. When he could take no more, he felt her pull on the line.

Alto clamped his grip down on the rope, earning a strangled grunt from below. It was followed quickly by Patrina calling up, "Alto, I'm down. Let go."

He relaxed his grip and grinned, ignoring the sudden heat in his cheeks. His heart slowed in his chest, leaving him light-headed with the sudden relief of tension. Then he realized it was his turn. Alto nodded to himself and glanced at Carson. The tracker had a grin on his face.

Alto's cheeks burned hotter. He turned away and started towards the cliff's edge when Patrina called up to him again. "Tie the other end around your waist. Namitus and I will hold on."

Alto started to tie it when he realized he'd be dooming them all if he fell. "Me in my armor? I'd kill us all."

"We can hold you!" Patrina insisted.

Alto shook his head and dropped the rope on the ground. He'd let them think it was on him for a little bit. He turned and squatted down, focusing on the ground and on what he could see and feel. He knew better than to look beneath him as he slipped one leg and then the other over the edge.

"Are you coming?" Patrina asked.

"Just a minute," he said. It bought him some time before she checked on him. That meant he was committed. He narrowed his focus and moved as quickly as he dared, reaching for one foothold and handhold after another until he felt a narrow ledge beneath him. He looked to his left and saw the cave, and then shuffled along the ledge until he looked in the dark cave and saw Patrina and Namitus leaning back and holding the rope.

"What—where's the rope?" Patrina asked as she relaxed.

Alto reached down and grabbed onto it, and then pulled it until the other end fell past them. He hauled it up, coiling it as it went. "I couldn't bear knowing I pulled you both in with me if I fell."

Patrina stepped up to him and glared at him. She lifted her fist, making Alto flinch, and then pointed her finger under his chin. "I will never, ever strike you," she hissed at him. "But you should know that I want to do so very badly right now."

"Why?" Alto asked. "Because I don't want you getting hurt because of me?"

"Because you dare to think I could live my life without you in it!" she answered. "The saints put us together for a reason, Alto. I'll stand at your side in life or in death, it doesn't matter which. So don't you dare ever think to spare me by putting yourself in danger in my place. We face it together or not at all."

Alto opened his mouth but Patrina raised her finger and pushed it against his lips. "All I want to hear you say is, 'Yes, my lady.'"

Alto grinned and kissed her finger. "Yes, my lady."

She smiled and nodded once in satisfaction.

Namitus cleared his throat and asked, "So, um, what about me? Does that mean—"

"No!"

Alto and Patrina looked at each other, surprised at their simultaneous response, and then burst out laughing.

A scuffle at the entrance had them turn to see Carson slipping around the edge of the entrance and into the small cave. He pulled up short and stared at them. "I missed something, didn't I?"

Alto and Patrina locked gazes again before smiling and turning back to the ranger. "It's going to be a long night of telling stories," Patrina said.

Carson grinned and walked past them into the back of the cave. "I've got some fresh coconuts and a few oranges that should still be good back here. We can eat and talk."

"No meat?" Alto walked back to see what he'd stashed away behind the rocks he was moving.

"It doesn't keep. Making a fire is a pain. Even when I can start one, the smoke draws interest. Sometimes I risk it, but usually I eat it raw."

Alto felt his stomach twist at the thought. From the look on Patrina's face, he saw she felt the same way.

Namitus moved to the entrance of the cave and looked over the edge. "Too far to do any fishing from up here, even if you had a line."

"I've shot a few fish with an arrow before," Carson said. "Not from here, mind you. All in all, it's just easier to eat what the jungle provides. The trees don't fight back much."

"Much?" Namitus asked with a chuckle.

Carson turned and nodded. "Well, there was—watch out!"

Namitus spun in time to hear a roar that made him flinch. A black hand wrapped around him and yanked him out of the entrance, and then disappeared. Alto grabbed his sword but stopped after a couple of steps. Namitus was gone.

### Chapter 12

"Bucky! Damn you, ape! Not again!" Carson howled as he bumped into Alto on his way past.

The light coming into the cave was blocked again by the upside-down head and neck of the ape. Bucky glared at them and snarled, showing his teeth. He grunted a few times and hammered a hand or a foot against the cliff wall before he pulled back and away. They heard him scuffling against the side of the cliff again and then nothing until Namitus cried out for help.

"I'm going," Alto said as he rushed to the entrance.

"You can't!" Carson grabbed his arm and tried to hold him back. "Bucky's using him as bait! He's done this before."

The warrior yanked his arm free. "He picked the wrong wolf to trap," Alto spat before he swung around on the ledge and grabbed a handhold. He started pulling himself up, his mind focused on Namitus and not on the long fall to certain death below.

Alto pulled himself over the edge and saw where the grass had been trampled down. It was an easy trail to follow. Alto drew his sword and started after the ape, plunging through the squashed undergrowth until he ran into a wall of greenery. Alto stopped, surprised at the sudden absence of tracks. He turned around and wondered whether the ape doubled back.

Bucky was a monkey, or at least related to one. Alto turned back to the thick vegetation and looked up. Sure enough, the trees of the jungle were nearby. Close enough, perhaps, for the ape to leap and grab a limb.

Snarling at the lost time, Alto hacked his blade into the foliage and plunged into the gap his magical blade opened. In seconds, he was through the weeds and stumbling into the darker jungle beyond. He blinked and grunted when a dark shape slammed into his chest. He flung his arms and legs, trying to stop himself from falling. A heartbeat later, he realized he wasn't falling: he was trapped in the hands of one of the apes.

Alto hacked with his sword, cutting into the black-haired arm of the ape that held him. The high-pitched shriek as the ape flung him to the ground told him that Bucky hadn't attacked him; it was one of the female apes. Alto rolled and managed to come up on a knee before the ground shuddered from another female ape landing beside him.

Alto swung his sword and hacked into her ankle. She howled and leapt away, only to tumble and crash when she landed. She bent a tree with her weight before she fell away from it. The ape that had first grabbed him swung her hand at him, trying to recapture him. He jumped back but her thick-nailed fingers grazed his leg.

The impact from the glancing blow was enough to twist the warrior and send him into a tree. He grunted as he hit it but managed to grab on to keep from falling. He was ready to push himself away when he was hit from behind. His armor saved him from being crushed but the impact knocked his head into the jagged bark and stunned him.

Alto tasted blood and felt a numbing warmth spread over his face. His sword slipped from his fingers and with it some of his strength. The warrior's legs buckled but he held on to the tree and forced himself to focus on regaining his sword. He shook his head and started to kneel down to grab it when the ape smashed him into the tree again and he knew no more.

* * * *

"Move!" Patrina snapped as she tried to push past Carson.

Carson grabbed her. "You, too? You're both daft! You can't go out there. I won't let him take you all!"

Patrina spun and clobbered Carson with a steel-gauntleted fist to the side of his head. He staggered back and hit a wall before he fell. He stared at her, one hand on the side of his head. "You said you wouldn't hit!" he sputtered.

"I said I'd never hit Alto," she corrected him as she stepped out onto the ledge. "You were in my way."

"He'll kill you!" Carson shouted at her. "Just like he killed everybody else!"

Patrina clenched her teeth and promised herself that she owed Carson another fist to his face if she survived to face him again. She pushed him from her mind and focused on climbing up the cliff until she could peer over the edge. She saw nothing but smashed plants amid the greenery that bordered the jungle.

Patrina finished pulling herself onto the top of the cliff and took a moment to look around. She heard a heavy thud and then the sound of wood cracking or breaking. Patrina drew her blade and ran into the path made by the apes. She stopped a moment later when the harsh cries of the apes reached her ears. She heard grunting and a few more thuds that made the hair stand on her arms, and then the jungle grew quiet.

Patrina pushed ahead and reached the wall of plants that had a narrow path cut in them. Alto had gone through there, she knew. She parted the flowering stalks with her hands and stepped through them. On the far side, she blinked to adjust her eyes and crouched down with her sword raised to defend herself. By the time she could pick out the details among the shapes, she realized she was alone.

Patrina stood and looked around, trying to make sense of the scene. The trees were large and numerous, but not so much that anyone would be hiding behind them. Certainly not a creature as large as Bucky. She saw a tree that was bent at an angle, its roots breaking free of the ground on one side. Elsewhere, the ground was scratched and dug up. Her eyes adjusted further and let her see a dark spot on the already moist ground. She went to it and knelt to touch it, only to bring up fingers red with blood.

"They're gone."

Patrina spun about and saw Carson standing in the narrow passage through the weeds. She walked over to him, sheathing her blade on the way so she could grab his hide shirt and yank him closer to her. "You kept me from helping him!" she spat.

"I saved your life!"

Patrina ignored him and twisted her hand on his tunic, drawing it tightly over his chest. "You're going to take me to them and you're going to help me rescue them. Not in the morning—now!"

"You're mad!" Carson hissed at her. He grabbed her hand and pushed on it while pulling himself free. He pulled his tunic down until it rested comfortably again and then he shook his head. "Do you want to die?"

"I'm not afraid of death," Patrina told him.

"Seems like a good thing to fear," Carson muttered. "Unless you're crazy, which you must be. You came here of your own will, after all. So if you're not afraid of death, what are you afraid of?"

Patrina turned away from Carson and studied the battleground again. "I'm afraid of living if I can't have Alto at my side."

Carson shook his head again. "Look, you said you came on a boat, right? Well, here's what we do. We go to your boat and get more men. Or maybe send them to bring back an army. Bucky's been fighting for survival since the ship I was on was wrecked by a storm, eight years past. He collects people and plays with them the way a cat plays with a mouse. When he's tired of them or they can't amuse him anymore, he kills them."

Patrina clenched her jaw to help her fight the blurring in her eyes. She blinked and turned away, her eyes going to a closer tree with the bark scuffed and broken near the ground. "They're not dead yet?"

"Not yet," Carson agreed. "Probably."

Patrina nodded. She moved closer to the tree, trying to figure out what it was about it that bothered her. She saw more blood on the bark, but it was blood that was at her height, not higher up. She bit her lip and tried to swallow so her heart would drop back into her chest. She was about to turn away when she saw something lighter against the dark ground behind the tree.

Patrina knelt and picked up Alto's sword. It was warm to the touch and almost felt as though it was alive with an inner energy. There was blood and hair on the blade. Thick, dark hair. The hair of Bucky or one of his females.

"You will take me to him," Patrina turned to him and said. "Now. Tonight."

"Your friend walked into an ambush!" Carson hissed. "Bucky's smart—he'll set up more of them. We can't follow him, not yet."

"Do you know where they're going then?"

Carson hesitated and then nodded. "He has a few places they sleep, but when he has a captive, he always takes them to the castle."

"An ape in a castle," Patrina mused without humor.

"He's got a fondness for it. I don't know why," the ranger said. "Nothing else lives there, at least as far as I can tell. I don't dare go in. I've only seen it from a distance."

"Tonight we go in," Patrina said.

"I won't take you!" he refused. "Not at night. In the morning, we can head that way, but tonight we need to find a safe place."

"There are no safe places," she snapped.

"They could smell you. Probably been watching you, too, like I was."

"Fine!" Patrina set Alto's sword against a tree and stripped off her gauntlets. She dug at the clasps and buckles when they didn't do as she wanted until she let her breastplate fall to the ground with a muffled clang. Her pauldrons and greaves followed, and then the remaining harness and doublet that had chain and metal plates sewn to it for extra protection.

The kelgryn princess stood before him wearing her padded small clothes and boots. She buckled her sword back on and then picked up Alto's broadsword. The warmth of the hilt in her hand calmed her. She bit her lip and nodded. "Are there leaves and mud I must roll in too? A pool I must bathe in?"

Carson gaped at her until she spoke. While her disrobing seemed improper, Patrina knew she was still fully clothed. Even her smallclothes covered far more of her body than the finest of dresses worn among the Shazarim.

"Well?" she demanded. "What else must I do to get the stink of civilization off me?"

The ranger jerked out of his near stupor and said, "There are some weeds we can crush so you can smear the juice on your skin." He shook his head again. "Do you have a sister?"

"A sister?" Patrina asked with a furrowed brow.

"I've never met a woman as devoted and strong as you," he said.

"Then you've never met a woman."

He clamped his mouth shut after letting a sharp laugh slip out. "It's been years, I admit. I was little more than a boy when I came here, but even so, I've never known anyone who would risk so much for someone else."

"You haven't seen anything," Patrina promised him. "Now let's go."

Carson sighed and turned back to the weeds. He pushed a few aside until he found the broad bladed stalks he was after. He broke one off and turned back to Patrina. Once he saw he had her attention, he crushed the stalk in his hand and showed her the juice in his palm. "Rub this on your face, hands, neck, or anywhere the skin is exposed. In fact, rub it on your clothes and your skin beneath them, too."

Patrina scowled when she saw his eyes dance over her body.

"Here," he said before he thrust the plant to her. "I'll turn away and keep a watch on the jungle."

"Look at me and I'll cut your eyes out," she vowed.

"I'm sure you will," Carson muttered. "Now hurry."

Patrina did as Carson bade her, rubbing the shredded plant against her skin and clothing. She slipped it under her shirt and into her pants, crumbling the stalk and leaves of the plant against her skin. The smell was light and odd, almost like one of the oranges she'd had in Shazamir but with a sharp tang to it. She stood up after kneeling to rub it on her calves and then let the ruined plant fall to the ground.

"I'm ready," she said once she took up Alto's broadsword again.

Carson turned and nodded. He moved closer to her and sniffed. "Much better," he agreed.

Patrina's nose wrinkled in distaste. "You'd better be right."

Carson nodded. "I am. Now let's go. Be silent and stay close to me. Watch me, not the jungle, and do as I tell you." Without waiting for her to agree, he turned and started off, heading to the east and then slipping back through openings in the jungle's border to return to the cliffs.

"Why aren't we in the jungle? There's more cover there," Patrina hissed.

Carson turned and glared at her. "Be silent!" he growled. "There are more animals in the jungle, especially at night. And it'll be too dark to see in another couple of hours. That tree you lean up against in the dark might not be a tree."

"What would it be?" she asked, ignoring his warning.

"A snake big enough to wrap around you twice and crush the life from you before it swallowed you whole."

Patrina's eyes widened at the thought.

Carson let a wicked smile play across his face. "There are a lot of ways to end up dead here. Including not being quiet and listening to me."

Patrina's eyes narrowed as she glared at him but she got the message. Carson smiled again before turning and moving through the vegetation. The ground began to slant, taking them down closer to the ocean as they walked

Carson held his arm back, fingers splayed and palm facing her. Patrina stopped, guessing his intentions with the gesture. He glanced at her and then looked ahead of himself again. He moved forward, slipping between the bushes and smaller orange trees that dotted the cliff.

Patrina moved to kneel on one knee beneath one of the trees, and then twisted her neck to look to the west. She couldn't see the sun anymore; it had sunk beneath the tree line. She frowned and realized that they must not be heading east anymore or the sun would still be visible over the water. She turned and looked to her right but couldn't see anything above the tall jungle trees.

She returned her attention to the land ahead of her and gasped when she saw Carson nearly upon her. She rose up, her hand tightening on her beau's sword. The hunter came closer until he put his lips within inches of her ear.

"There's a small pool ahead. A stream feeds it and from there another stream falls over the rocks to the ocean below," he whispered. "We'll pause there, on the ocean side of it, and you can get a drink. It's a watering hole for animals, too, so be ready to run."

"Run where?" she asked.

"Away?" he said with a smirk. "It's not a long fall to the ocean, either, and the water's free of rocks and deep enough to jump."

"Death by drowning instead of by claw?"

He pulled back and looked at her with concern. "Can you swim?"

She snorted and said, "I'm kelgryn. Of course I can swim! I don't fancy climbing a cliff to get out of the water, though, especially with waves pounding me."

"Oh, well, there's a beach a few hundred feet ahead of us. I haven't been there in a long time. It's pretty but there's nothing of interest there. We're rounding the island. You can't see it but the mountain with the castle is south of us now."

"Why aren't we going south then?"

Carson sighed. "There's a jungle filled with hungry and toothsome animals between us. And when we get there, we'd still have to walk around the base of it to get to a path that will take us up and into it."

"Oh."

"Are you ready?"

Patrina nodded.

Carson set off, guiding her through the fringes of the jungle. The orange trees grew fewer as they walked and were replaced with tall trees with the green coconuts high above them. Patrina glanced up at a few and then nearly ran into Carson when she returned her attention to him. He'd stopped just ahead of her.

Patrina looked around him and saw a drop-off of a few feet in front of her guide. Beyond lay a crystal-clear pool of water, complete with a small sandbar in the middle that made an island. At any other time she might have smiled at the simple beauty of it. Alto would have liked it, she was certain.

"This way," Carson whispered. He worked his way along the edge of the pond until the ground sloped down to meet the edge of the water. He moved a few more feet until he was near the stream that left the pool and plunged a dozen feet away over the edge of the cliff and into the ocean.

Patrina dropped to her knees and set Alto's sword down. She leaned forward and put her hands in the cool water. She smiled in spite of herself and let the water wash away the dirt and juice from the plants before she cupped it and brought it to her lips. Patrina drank and then drank again. She hadn't realized how parched she was until the liquid slipped past her dry lips and down her throat. It invigorated her and sharpened her senses.

Several swallows later, Patrina lifted her head and looked around. Something felt off. She reached for Alto's sword and closed her hand around the hilt when Carson hissed at her, "Be ready!"

"What is it?" she asked.

He didn't answer. Instead, he rose from where he'd knelt and nocked an arrow to his bow. He side-stepped behind her and then twisted slowly as he walked around her, looking for whatever it was that had caused the birds and even the insects to go silent.

Patrina rose up with the unfamiliar broadsword in her hand. She was a far better warrior with her blade, but she didn't dare risk losing Alto's. He needed it, that much she knew. He'd told her how his blood had been used in its crafting and how it was tied to his very soul. He could function without the weapon but he acted half asleep when he tried.

Patrina took a step closer to the stream when the tall grasses burst apart and a black shape blurred out of them. Carson's bowstring sang as he released it but it was followed with a grunt as the black panther crashed into him and sent them both rolling along the ground.

Patrina shifted and looked for a chance to thrust her sword into the great cat when she saw three more of them pad out of the bushes and advance on them. She backed up again and stepped into the stream.

Carson rolled over on the panther and pushed himself away from it. His first arrow lay buried in the mighty cat's belly and blood dripped from its ribs where a small dagger remained impaled. He drew both of the swords on his back and swung them in circles, loosening his shoulder and arms. "Time to see why they call me Twoblade!"

"Who calls you that?" Patrina asked him, even if she was secretly glad he was all right. "You've been alone for years!"

Carson frowned. "Well, these cats might, if they could speak."

Patrina started to move closer to him when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw more of the cats approaching. They'd moved around the pond, flanking them. "Carson, there's more of them!"

Carson glanced over and nodded. He measured the distance to the cliff's edge and then turned to look at Patrina again. He scowled. "Ready for a swim?"

Patrina judged the distance against the pounce from the first panther that lay dead on the ground. "They'll be on us before we can make the cliff!"

"You're a bad influence," Carson said while the panthers slunk around them and tried to surround them. "You worry about jumping; I'll worry about these house cats."

"House cats?" Patrina echoed.

"You should see the lions—now those are big," Carson offered. He swung his blades a few times, causing the panthers to stop and retreat. One closest to him had its ears flat against its head. It growled and showed its large teeth. "Patrina, ocean. Now!"

"You're coming with me!" she hissed.

"Right behind you," he said.

She risked a glare at him and then nodded. "All right. On three?"

"Just go!" he spat while feigning a lunge towards the panther in front of him. Rather than leap back, the great cat lifted a paw and struck at him. The claws passed through air that Carson would have occupied had his attack not been a ruse.

Patrina took the false assault as a sign and turned and ran. She grabbed the sword in both hands and leapt off the cliff while sucking in her breath. She twisted as she jumped and saw Carson cry out as he lunged forward for real this time. Both of his swords leapt out and cut through the air towards the panthers that were distracted by their tactics.

Before she could witness or hear any more, the ocean slammed into her and sucked her under.

### Chapter 13

Patrina felt the sand under her hand first. She lowered her feet and crawled forward, clutching Alto's sword and gasping for breath. She made it to the beach and collapsed while the high tide still lapped at her. Her ragged breathing evened out as her exhaustion claimed her.

Patrina woke to something pinching her in the side. She grunted and rolled over, and then swung her hand to bat away the stick poking her. Except it wasn't a stick; it was a sword. She cried out and yanked her hand back, squeezing it tightly to stop the bleeding in the cut on her palm.

The kelgryn princess rolled away and grabbed up Alto's sword in hand. Her exhaustion slipped away as the weapon's warmth pulsed through her. She blinked and rose to her knees, sword held out in front of her to keep her attacker at bay. She blinked but couldn't make out her attacker with the sun silhouetting him.

"Kind of short to be a warrior," she commented when she realized that she was as tall kneeling as the man who'd discovered her was standing.

She heard him snort and turn around. He walked away from her and farther up the beach, giving her a chance to climb to her feet and risk a glance at herself. She was a dreadful mess: Her legs were soaked and her pants clinging to her skin. Her shirt was dirty and stiff with dried salt. Her hair had come loose from her braid in her panicked swim, leaving it tangled and messy as it fell about her shoulders, back, and chest.

She looked up again and saw the short man still walking. She hurried after him and shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun. She stopped and gasped when she realized he wasn't a man or a child—he was a goblin!

"Ey dere!"

Patrina looked up from the goblin and saw the mountainous green creature that called himself Thork. The troll shaman was standing next to a hut and using a knife to gut and clean fish on a makeshift table. He waved at her and Patrina was to numb to do anything else but wave back.

"Yous's got to be hungry after all dat swimming," Thork said. "Thork is making some fish stew. Yous wants some?"

Patrina nodded. She hadn't eaten since the wild boar Alto had killed two days ago. She stopped. Was it two days? She turned and stared at the crystal blue ocean behind her and then looked around. She was in a lagoon, with short rocky walls on either side of her. The water of the ocean wasn't just at the beach; it flowed out from inland in a channel that came from a dark cave.

"How long?" Patrina croaked.

"Da stew? Mebbe an hour?" Thork shrugged.

"No—" Patrina stopped to cough at the scratch in her throat. It grew worse, forcing her into near convulsions before she looked up and saw the troll standing next to her and offering her a cup. She took it without asking and drank, oozing the fire in her throat and belly.

"Stupid, yous shouldn't be drinkin' da ocean," the troll advised.

"I'm kelgryn," Patrina managed before a cramp in her chest made her stop.

"Yous a human, not a fish," the troll misunderstood her. "Even da kelgryn know beddur dan dat!"

She focused on breathing and took another sip of the sweet water in the cup. She nodded. "I know," she managed at last. "I was going to say I'm kelgryn, we know better."

"Den why you do it?"

Patrina blinked and stared at the normally fearsome creature. She shook her head to clear it. "Thork, why are you here?"

"Yous was choking," the troll said with furrowed brows. "Mebbe yous hit yous head in da water too?"

"No!" Patrina groaned and gave up. "Thork, you helped Alto in the past. Many times now."

The troll nodded and grinned. "Yous gots his sword."

"Yes, and I need to get it back to him. I need to get to him; he's in trouble. Will you help me?"

"Yous's scared," the troll stated.

Patrina wanted to shake her head but something in the feral gaze of the troll stopped her. He was a shaman of Jarook, the patron saint of fear. If anyone knew fear, it was Thork. She nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Yous not scared of Thork?" he asked.

"I probably should be," Patrina admitted. "But I'm not. I'm afraid for Alto."

"Dats not troof," Thork said with a frown.

"Yes it is!"

"Nope, not troof. Yous's scared for yous."

Patrina opened and shut her mouth, confused by his words. "Wait, you mean I'm afraid for me, not for him?"

"Somefin like dat."

Patrina's brow creased as she tried to make sense of the troll's words. It wasn't his large teeth induced slurring or his dialect that thwarted her; it was the concept of what he was telling her. "You mean I'm afraid for me if something happens to him. What will I do?" Patrina frowned and saw the troll nod. She repeated herself as she gave thought to it, "What will I do?"

"Dats da troof," Thork said. He turned and walked over to the large cauldron he had hanging over a fire pit that had coals and flames leaping from the husks of coconuts.

"I told Carson I wasn't afraid to die, that I was more afraid of living without Alto," Patrina said. "I meant it. I need to get to him and help him. I need your help, Thork. I don't even know where I am on this damn island!"

Thork grabbed a dented metal plate and punched it twice, denting it further into a bowl. He dipped it into the cauldron and scooped out some of the stew, and then handed it to Patrina. "Eat dis. Dat's da firstist fing yous need."

Patrina looked at the stew and wrinkled her nose. She jabbed Alto's sword in the sand and stuck her finger in the steaming liquid and blew on it when it proved hot. She tasted it a moment later and gasped. The little morsel of flavor on her tongue captured her and made her mouth water for more. She grabbed at the bits of fish meat and vegetables floating in it and gobbled them down, heedless of the stinging in her fingers and lips from the heat. When she'd eaten the larger chunks and spat out the bones the troll hadn't bothered removing, she tipped it up and slurped up the broth.

Thork laughed with his usual gusto and then pointed at her. He clapped his hands and said, "Thork was right, yous was hungry!"

Patrina snapped out of her hunger-induced trance and glanced down at herself. She'd spilled the stew on her shirt and hair. She turned and looked away, embarrassed at her lack of etiquette. Even a kelgryn man fresh from the sea to the table wouldn't have made such a display. She saw Bonky, Thork's goblin assistant, laying on a rock in only a loincloth.

"Bonky finks a tan is gonna help him wif da ladies," Thork explained, surprising her. "Thork's tryin a new potion dat keeps da sun from burnin so much. Bonky took some already."

Patrina watched as Bonky lay on the rock, his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. A few moments passed and she noticed that his skin was indeed darkening. It continued to darken before her eyes, passing from pale to tan to golden brown. In moments it continued, shifting into a darker brown and eventually even a black.

"Screw dat," Thork muttered. "Dats not gonna work."

"Did he just burn to a crisp?" Patrina gasped.

"Bonky! Is yous crispy?" Thork shouted.

The goblin jerked and sat up. He looked down at himself and cried out, and then leapt off the rock and ran around a couple of times before he turned to the ocean and ran into it. He emerged a moment later, spitting and sputtering. The goblin tried to wash the blackness off, to no avail.

"What did you do?" Patrina breathed.

Thork shrugged. "Dats why Bonky's da test goblin," he said. "Him gonna be okies."

"Uh, all right," Patrina said. She forced her eyes off the frantic goblin and back to Thork. "How long was I asleep? It was nearly dusk when I jumped into the ocean."

"Yous washed up on da beach last night. Bonky said yous was out of it, but yous wasn't waking up. Thork figured maybe sleep was good so Thork left yous dere."

"I could have drowned!"

Thork shrugged.

Patrina blew a deep breath out in a huff and then coughed at the leftover irritation in her chest. She shook her head and tried to run her fingers through her hair. It wasn't happening. "I need a brush," she muttered.

Thork turned and walked into the tall hut on the beach. He came out a minute later and handed her a comb made out of a large clam shell, complete with jewels laid into it. Patrina gasped. "This is beautiful!"

Thork shrugged and rubbed his bald head. "Keep it."

Patrina worked it into her hair and grimaced as it ran into tangle after tangle. "I'll be as bald as you by the time I'm done."

Thork guffawed and turned to look at the river of water that flowed out from the cave to the ocean. "Dats fresh water over dere. Go stick yous head in it."

Patrina frowned and glanced down at herself. Her clothing, what little remained, was a mess. "I'm a fright," she admitted. "I left my armor behind to help avoid the animals but they still tracked us. I should have left it on."

"Metal armor?"

"Dwarven plate," she answered.

The troll turned to look at the ocean. "Hope yous's a strong swimmer!"

Patrina covered her open mouth with her hand. "Oh! Good point. Good thing I left it, I guess."

Thork nodded. "Take a baf. Thork still be here when yous's done."

"What about Alto? Every minute I wait—"

"Is dat sword still warm?"

Patrina reached over and touched his sword. She nodded and even smiled at how comforting it felt to her.

"Den him's still kickin'. If Alto gets bashed, den dat sword gets bashed."

"Bashed?"

Thork picked up his spear from where he'd planted it in the sand and turned to a nearby boulder. He jammed his spear into it, green glowing tip first. The rock cracked loud enough to make Patrina jump and blink. When she looked at it again, she saw it had broken in three pieces. Thork's spear remained unharmed. "Bashed," the troll explained.

Patrina pulled Alto's sword from the sand and looked at it. It was whole and well; she hoped that meant he was, too. "All right, but I'll hurry."

The troll shrugged and wandered back into his hut. Patrina walked over to the edge of the river and glanced over her shoulder. She frowned and moved farther inland, following the edge of the river until she was almost in the shadows of the tall mountain next to her. She looked up and gasped. Was this the same mountain that Alto was being held in by the apes?

Patrina jammed the sword into the ground and took off her weapon belt and boots. She left them on the sandy ground next to Alto's sword. The kelgryn princess stepped into the cold water and fought the urge to cry out. She forced herself to walk in and found the bottom fell away after a few feet. She came back to the surface, sputtering, but still refused to say anything. Thork was nowhere to be seen but she saw Bonky was sitting on the beach hunched over and looking away from her. Sulking over the latest color the troll's magic had changed his skin, no doubt.

Patrina stripped off her clothing in the water and did her best to wash the salt out and dirt out of it. The river had a good current pushing into the sea, keeping it mostly fresh. She ducked her head under and scrubbed at her hair, wincing as she forced her fingers through the worst of the tangles. She glanced again at the troll and goblin and found them still paying her no attention. She shook her head, amazed to find nobility among such creatures, and then climbed out of the river and onto the shore.

Patrina wrung out her clothes and put the damp fabric back on. She washed her boots off and then slid them back on her feet before cinching her weapon belt and picking up Alto's sword. She used the comb and forced it through her hair, unsnarling it one painful tug at a time.

She'd removed the worst of the mess from her long hair by the time she returned to Thork's hut. She could hear him rummaging around inside and, when she walked around to the front of it, she gasped at the light spilling out from inside. "Thork?" she called out, uncertain if she should venture inside.

"Ey!" Thork called out. The light died away and he stuck his head out. He blinked a few times and then offered her a toothy smile. "Yous boyfriend gots a good handle on him's fear."

"Uh, I guess he probably does," she agreed.

"Yous's stinkin wif it," the troll added.

Patrina sighed. "People keep telling me I stink since I've got here. That's not something a lady is used to dealing with."

Thork's hearty laughter echoed off the cliff walls and nearly deafened the princess. "Animals can smell fear, even da animals like dat stupid ape."

"You know Bucky?"

Thork laughed again. "Bucky? Dat's a stupid name for a stupid monkey. Bucky him is!"

Patrina offered a weak smile. "So, about Alto? Bucky's got him and our friend Namitus trapped in the castle on the mountain. Can you help me get him?"

"Firstist, yous gots da wrong weapon," Thork said.

Patrina frowned and looked at the sword in her hand. "This is Alto's weapon."

"Thork knows dat, dumdum. Thork made it! Da sword yous got, dat's da wrong weapon for yous."

"I'm pretty good with it," Patrina said.

Thork nodded. "Dats cause yous didn't know no beddur. Here, try dis!" The troll ducked back into the hut and emerged a second later with a battle axe that boasted a blade on one side and a spike on the other. It had a shorter spike sticking out of the end of it.

Patrina took the axe, expecting the weapon to be heavy. She gasped when a pulse of energy shot up her arm and into her chest. It felt like a shock from rubbing her feet on a rug but without the pain. She pushed Alto's sword point first into the sand again and held the axe in both hands to get acquainted with it. "What is this?" she breathed.

Thork shrugged. "Thork found it sittin' in some chest after him bashed some stupid years an years ago."

"Was it his? The, uh, stupid's?"

"Him had it, but him couldn't use it."

"Why not?" Patrina frowned even though she was turning the axe over and looking it up and down.

"Dis fing only work for stupids dat doesn't want to use it to do bad fings."

Patrina blinked and focused on the troll. "I'm sorry, what?"

The troll pointed at Bonky. "Bonky can't use it, him would want to bash someone just for fun or cuz him wanted to take somefing shiny. Yous can. Yous will only bash for da right reasons."

"Oh, um, okay." Patrina frowned. "What would it do if Bonky tried?"

"Burn him's hands off."

Patrina nearly dropped the axe in surprise. She stared at it and nodded. "I'll use it for the right reasons, I promise."

Thork shrugged. He turned and stepped back into his hut before coming out with a shining bundle of metal. He grinned at her and held out the bundle. "Dis da only armor Thork's got dat will fit a lady like yous."

Patrina frowned and leaned her new axe against Alto's sword. She took the armor and unfolded it, and then held it up and stared at it. Her eyes went to the armor and then back to Thork three times before she lowered it and shook her head. "You're making fun of me, aren't you? This leaves half my chest exposed! And my belly. And my legs! What's the point? Am I to dazzle my opponents with skin instead of steel?"

Thork guffawed again until he calmed down so he could talk. "Dere's mojo in it, trust Thork. If yous can't dodge or block, da weapon gets pulled to da armor. Strong armor, stronger dan it looks."

"This is ridiculous," Patrina mumbled. "And I think you're a pig!"

The troll snorted with laughter, bearing further resemblance to a pig. "Put it on," he urged.

Patrina scowled and glanced around. "Fine, but I can't wear much of anything beneath it!"

Thork nodded. "Dat's da point. Da magic won't work if yous do."

"This was made by a lecherous man, wasn't it?"

Thork shrugged but she noted his toothy smile wasn't going away.

"If my father ever sees this," Patrina mumbled as she walked around behind the troll's hut.

She slipped out of her freshly scrubbed clothes and then shimmied into the armor. It was a combination of plates and chain that, while beautiful and ornate, did little to offer protection. As she fastened the buckles, the armor shifted and adjusted, making her gasp. In moments, it had a comfortable and secure fit against her skin. She'd been worried that, as a best-case scenario, she might slip out of it and put an awkward show on for people. Now that the magic had sized it to her, she realized she wouldn't have to worry about that, at least.

The plated skirt fell to her mid-thigh, leaving her legs exposed above her boots. The skirt was attached to the bodice portion, which was little more than chain with a fabric backing over her more sensitive areas. Metal scales that were curved to protect and enhance her had been attached to the chain. The neckline of the armor plunged to the additional cleavage the armor gave her. It acted like a cuirass without the side effect of suffocating her. A hole in the abdomen of the armor invited a foe to disembowel her even as it put her stomach on display. It would be scandalous in any kelgryn or kingdom city.

Patrina walked back around the hut and glared at the troll. Thork eyed her up and down and grinned. He held out a circlet that reminded her of a queen's crown. "Yous's pretty, but dis is part of dat armor. Dis da helm."

"You're lucky Alto's not here; he'd cut your tongue out," Patrina snapped. "And that is not a helm; it's a piece of jewelry!"

Thork guffawed at the empty threat. "Just put it on, lady." Patrina scowled at him and snatched it from his hand. She slipped it into her hair without more than a quick glance and then cinched her weapon belt tighter before grabbing her axe.

"Couple of fings," Thork said. He handed her a belt and scabbard for Alto's sword, and then he picked up a dagger. "Don't move," he warned.

"What?" she snapped, confused. After all that he'd given her, was he threatening her?

The troll threw the dagger at her. Patrina's eyes widened, shocked at the speed of the troll. The dagger flew at her face and then dipped low and struck her in the mail-covered breast. She grunted and stepped back, and then stared down at the knife that lay on the sand at her feet.

"See, dat's how it works!" Thork said before laughing again at her open-mouthed expression.

Patrina met Thork's gaze and glared at him. "Warn me when you're going to try something stupid like that!"

Thork's laughter faded. He frowned. "Womens never have fun," he muttered. He sighed and turned back to the river. "Follow dat in. Yous's gonna have to swim a little, den yous can get on da cave and walk up."

"Walk up to where?" Patrina craned her neck to look around his hut at the cave the river emerged from.

"To da castle, dumdum!"

"Oh," Patrina said. Her eyes widened a moment later. "You mean that's a secret entrance?"

Thork nodded. "Yep, dem needed a way to get out, just in case."

"Oh wow. Did they?"

"What?"

"Get out?"

Thork nodded. "Yep, dem's just waiting for someone to bash Bucky so dem can come back and start over."

"Start what?"

"Whatever fruity magic dem was doing dat made Bucky in da first place."

Patrina blinked a few times as she processed what the troll said. She stepped forward and hugged him, realizing too late that her new armor allowed far too much of the troll's skin to touch her own. She grimaced and pulled back, only to see the green skin on Thork's face turning an unusual purplish color. "Thork, thank you so much."

The scary troll cleared his throat and mumbled something, and then coughed and tried again. "Yous gots to face yous fear to get control of it. Den yous can fank Thork. Now git going. Dem apes isn't going to put up wif Alto for long."

Patrina nodded and grinned. She slid Alto's sword home in the scabbard and then slipped it over her back. She grabbed her new axe and hurried towards the cave, anxious to make her way up into the castle above and pay Alto back for all the times he'd rescued her.

### Chapter 14

"You don't look so good," Namitus told the warrior as he held his arm and slumped against the crumbling crenellation on top of the tower. "Does your hand hurt that badly?"

Alto looked over at his friend and shook his head. "No, that's not it," he said. "I mean yes, it's broken. I probably shouldn't have taken my gauntlet off to look at it; now it's too swollen to put it back on."

Namitus frowned. "So is it bad or not?"

"It is, but that's not what's bothering me," Alto explained.

Namitus chuckled. "It is kind of embarrassing, being trapped on top of a tower by a family of giant apes."

"What? Oh, I suppose, but that's not it, either," Alto said. "It's my sword."

"You lost it, you said. I've got mine and you've still got a dagger, not that it's much good against those beasts."

"No, it's not," Alto agreed. "I've never been without it for so long before, nor so far away."

"It's just a sword," Namitus dismissed the warrior's magical weapon.

"It's got part of my life in it."

The rogue blinked. "What? Part of your life? What are you talking about?"

"While you were cheating Tristam and that knight out of their gold at cards, we were forging a weapon mighty enough to let me kill Sarya," Alto reminded him.

Namitus waved his hand and winced as the movement jostled his broken leg. "I was there for parts of it, I remember."

"Remember Thork's magic healing me while he drained my blood and used it to cool the sword? That and his magic bound my life to it. Or my soul or something—I don't really understand it." Alto shrugged and sighed. He glanced over the crenellation and when he wasn't quite high enough to see, he gave up and slumped back down. "Without it at my side or in my possession, I feel like I've been fighting for days without rest, but sleep won't come."

"And now it's lost," Namitus said with a frown. "You remember where you dropped it?"

Alto nodded. "By a tree."

"Oh good," the rogue quipped, "shouldn't be any trouble finding it in the jungle then."

Alto's lip curled into a quick scowl but he didn't have the energy to hold it for more than a fleeting moment. "It's near Carson's cave. I'm sure I can find it."

Namitus gazed at him for a moment and then looked away. "That was pretty stupid of you, charging after me."

"It's not the first stupid thing I've done," Alto said. He sighed and added, "But it looks like it might be my last."

"You leapt off a mountaintop to land on a dragon and kill it, yet now you're giving up because some overgrown monkeys captured us? This doesn't sound like the Alto I know."

Alto stared at him and nodded. "It doesn't sound like me, does it? I'm so tired without my sword, I just want to lie down and give up."

"I'll create a diversion—you climb down and escape," Namitus offered. "Go get your sword and come back and get me."

"Yeah, because me fighting the apes worked so well the first time," Alto scoffed.

"So bring Trina and Carson back next time. Strength in numbers."

"They'll still outnumber us," the warrior reminded him. "Besides, you're in no shape to be moving or providing any distractions."

"I'll figure out a way if it means I don't have to put up with you moping around!" Namitus said with a grin that failed to bring a smile to the warrior's face.

Alto forced himself to his feet, grimacing as he brushed his broken left hand against the stone parapet that ringed the top of the square tower they'd been placed on top of. The tower overlooked the stables, a smithy, and the courtyard in front of the castle's gatehouse. Walls had once connected their prison-tower to other towers along the castle's perimeter, including the gatehouse, but the stone had been smashed and broken next to the tower, making it impossible to escape. There was no trapdoor leading down into the tower.

Looking away from the castle, as Alto did now, he could see almost straight down the northern cliffs of the mesa the castle sat upon. The top of the jungle waited over sixty feet below for anyone foolish enough to attempt to scale the cliffs or walls. Farther out he could see the ocean to the north and northeast, but no ships sailed the calm waters.

Alto turned and glanced over the far roof to where Bucky sat with his back against a partially crushed building. One of the female apes was picking at his hair while another one was chewing on either a tree limb or a sapling. The other two females were gone; either they'd left before the sun rose or they hadn't come back with them.

Alto turned back to the north. Something pulled his attention that way. He frowned and studied the jungle and water below. He couldn't imagine climbing the cliffs to escape and trying to jump would be certain death.

"What is it?" Namitus asked him.

"I don't know," Alto admitted. "Probably nothing. It just feels like there's something out there."

"I think there's enough in here," Namitus muttered.

Alto nodded but he continued to stare. He turned when he heard one of the apes moving. Bucky rose up to his full height, standing tall enough that his head was just above the level of the tower. He walked towards them, each step sounding loud enough to make Alto unsure if he felt the ground shake or if it was his imagination.

Bucky stopped next to the tower and reached up to place a large hand on the crenellations. He grunted a few times, his breath blasting over Namitus and making the rogue gag. He tried to move away but shifting his lower leg made him groan.

Bucky turned away and looked at the gate to the castle. One of the missing apes crawled through the gates, moving on three legs and clutching her right arm to her chest. Alto wondered if she'd been hurt by something.

As soon as the female ape was through, she straightened and walked towards Bucky. She held a branch torn from a tree with several bunches of bananas hanging from it. Bucky took it with the hand that had been resting on the tower and grunted at her a few times. She reached out and petted him and then turned and used her hands and feet to walk over to rest against what might have once been a guard house. Bucky plucked three bunches of bananas off the branch, crushing and bruising most of them, and set them on the top of the tower.

"Feeding time," Namitus muttered.

Bucky grunted and pushed the bananas with his finger, shoving one bunch towards Alto and the other towards Namitus. The third he left sitting in the middle of the tower. He grunted again before pinching off a fourth bunch and tossing all of them into his mouth at once and chewing on them. He grunted again, pointing at each man, and then stopped and watched.

"He wants us to eat," Alto said. The warrior shook his head. "I didn't know monkeys were smart."

"Everything eats," Namitus said.

"Yes, but why does he care if we do?" Alto asked.

"Fattening us up so he can eat us," the rogue suggested.

Alto frowned and reached out to tear a green and yellow banana from the bunch. "They've been eating trees and fruit so far. I don't think he wants to eat us."

"You forget about that walking snake?" Namitus asked him. "Carson called it a crawler."

Alto frowned. He had forgotten. "Carson distracted me. Did they eat that crawler or just kill it? I didn't see."

Namitus tilted his head. "I guess I don't know. I thought they ate it, but maybe they didn't. You're right, we were distracted."

Bucky grunted again and reached over to push the bananas near Namitus even closer to him. The slender man sighed and broke one off the bunch, and then peeled it back and took a bite. "There, happy?" he said to Bucky with a mouthful of fruit.

The ape grunted again and showed his large teeth. Bucky slammed his hand into his chest and then turned and walked away, using his hands and feet to cross the courtyard so he could settle in with his back to the broken building. His eyes stayed on them even when all three of the females moved closer to him.

"He's got a harem," Namitus chuckled. He laughed louder and added, "A hairy harem!"

Alto shook his head and began to eat his own banana. The ripe fruit was flavorless in his mouth. He swallowed the pasty substance down and took another bite, telling himself he needed to eat to keep his strength up even if he wanted to do nothing more than lay down and give up.

"No baby monkeys, though," Namitus thought aloud. "If you had four women falling over themselves to be with you, don't you think you'd be spending some quality time with them?"

Alto sighed. "I've got one and I can't manage much more than crossing her and making her angry."

"That's because she's hopelessly smitten with you," Namitus said while waving his banana. "You had your chance once, but you let your mouth get in the way. Stop talking and being so respectful and just take her!"

"Take her?" Alto echoed.

Namitus thrust his banana forward. "Take her!"

Alto shook his head. "I think you hit your head when you broke your leg."

The rogue grinned and let the topic die. After a few minutes passed he asked, "Think the _Kraken_ left yet?"

Alto glanced over at him and nodded. "I doubt they stayed past the first night."

"So this is how it feels to be a pet," Namitus mused.

"The pets I had on the farm were free to come and go as they pleased," Alto said. "We're like the birds the Shazamir keep in cages."

Namitus pursed his lips and nodded. "And we've both got broken wings."

Alto glanced up at the rising sun in the east. Clear skies promised a warm day without any shade. He considered taking his armor off but relaxed against the parapet instead. That could wait until it got too hot to handle; it was too much work and he didn't have the will to do it.

He lifted himself enough to stare over the edge of the tower and the cliff. Whatever it was that seemed to be calling him had moved. It was closer now, or at least he imagined it was. Probably his own delusions. He'd start raving soon if he wasn't careful. He wondered if he should warn Namitus that he might have hit his own head. Alto stared at the jungle below, his thoughts drifting away as he wondered what it was that lay beneath the green blanket far below.

### Chapter 15

Patrina pulled herself up onto the rock shelf and slipped the belt with Alto's sword off. She'd looped the belt around her axe, tightening it to her chest and keeping the axe from falling while she'd swum. She slipped his sword back over her back and held the axe in her hand, and then paused to try to squeeze the water out of her hair. She hadn't wasted the time braiding it again so she tore her old shirt in strips and tied it in a long pony tail that fell almost to her hips.

Patrina dumped the cold water out of her boots and then tried to peer farther up the dark tunnel. She could still see from the light that filtered in at the mouth of the cave's entrance but she knew her visibility was limited. Farther in, she suspected she'd see nothing at all. The troll must have known the cave would be dark; why hadn't he given her a torch?

"A torch while I swam?" Patrina whispered to herself. She glanced at the section of river she'd had to swim against and nodded. It would have ruined it. Plus she had no flint or steel to light it. "Looks like I'll be fumbling in the dark," she muttered.

She started forward along the shelf, padding as quietly next to the river as she could. Her new armor was much quieter than the plate she'd had before, but there was only a fraction of it compared to the last suit. As far as she was concerned, the troll had given her something to wear in the bedroom on her wedding night, not into battle. Even if the magic had proved true and stopped his thrown knife.

Patrina kept glancing at the river, making sure she didn't lose track of the edge of the path she walked upon. The water was cold, a mountain spring, but she was warm. Patrina stopped and looked down at herself. Water was still beaded to her skin but even in the tunnel she felt comfortable. She glanced around and wondered what she'd feel like if she took the armor off.

"Probably not any more exposed," she muttered in answer to her own question. There was magic to the armor, she'd felt and seen as much. Keeping her warm in the cold water was perhaps another facet of it. Just as the metal chain and scales hadn't weighed her down when she swam. Perhaps the troll's gift wasn't as bad as she feared. She snorted in the dark and continued on.

The river narrowed and grew restless. She heard the rushing water but had a hard time seeing it in the gloom. The ground slanted upwards as she walked, forcing her to climb. The burbling beside her changed into the rushing sound of water crashing against itself and over rocks. She frowned and reached out, touching the wet wall of the passage beside her and using it to guide her as she climbed.

Patrina stopped again and stared into the gloom. Everything was an endless shade of deep, dark gray. She couldn't make out any details but, after she stared for a long moment, she noticed a subtle difference in shades of gray before her. Patrina reached out with her axe and gasped just as she felt it strike the rock wall where the darker gray met the lighter shade. It wasn't the impact that stunned her; it was seeing her arm and hand in the darkness.

Compared to the thick gray darkness surrounding her, her arm was glowing. It had no color to it, only a whiteness that nearly dazzled her. She held her other arm out and saw it looked the same. When she looked down at her body, she let her jaw hang open in shock at the uniform whiteness of her body. Details were hard to make out, aside from the dark belt across her chest and belly and her boots. Everything else was a uniform white hue.

Patrina wrenched her eyes away from herself. She shook her head and glanced once again to make sure she hadn't imagined it before she stepped ahead carefully and walked into the darker oval ahead of her.

The cave continued to rise. Above, below, and beside her, she could see nothing but darkness, but ahead of her the air seemed to be growing brighter. She blinked her eyes time and again, doubting her senses and her sanity until she looked down at herself to remind her that she really was seeing something that made no sense. Was she able to see things that were alive, somehow? Was this some magical gift the troll hadn't bothered to mention? Was it another benefit of the armor?

She was so caught up in trying to figure out what was happening to her that she slammed her toe into a rock and crashed forward. She raised her arms in time to stop her head from cracking against stairs that had been cut into the rocks, but the impact still dazzled her and left her cursing. Patrina righted herself so she was sitting on the rocks and took her boot off. Her feet were glowing white like the rest of her. She couldn't make out any details of her bruised big toe, other than to say it was still the right shape. The kelgryn princess put her boot back on and rose up so she could scale the stairs, although in a slow and careful manner to avoid any repeat incidents. It almost saved her from running into a wooden door that was pulled shut across the top of the staircase.

"Damn this dark!" Patrina cursed in a nasally voice. She rubbed her nose and then felt around the door for a latch or a bar. She found nothing on her side of the door. It made sense; if this was truly a secret escape route, why would they put a means for someone to sneak into the castle? She tried feeling at the edges for a lip to grab onto or a hinge. She found nothing.

"This is where you come in," Patrina said to her new axe. She took a two-handed grip on it and, taking care to keep her wrists firm but not too tight, she swung it experimentally at the wooden barricade in front of her.

The axe struck with a crack that echoed in the tunnel. Patrina winced and glanced behind her, nervous even though she knew she was alone. She saw nothing but that did little to calm her fears. She stared into the darkness and took a deep breath. Thork had accused her of being afraid. Damn right she was afraid! She was terrified of being alone. Scared of losing Alto and Namitus. Scared of never making it back home or of ending up one of Bucky's playthings. And what if there was something on the other side of the door? What if it heard her hit it with the axe? What if it was waiting for her?

Patrina closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She slowed it down and waited until her heart stopped racing before she opened her eyes again and looked into the gray emptiness around her.

"What would Alto do?" she whispered. She felt herself smile and it brought a measure of confidence with it. Alto would have charged ahead. If she were in trouble, nothing would stand in his way. Nothing ever did. He was a man of action. A man who needed to be doing something, not someone who would sit and wait for things to pass.

That meant that Bucky would have his hands full. Would Alto push him to the point where the ape wouldn't put up with him anymore? Carson mentioned something like that happening to other people in the past, probably the people who had survived the shipwreck with him. That meant Patrina had to behave like Alto. She had to push ahead and the hell with the consequences! She would find him.

Her axe crashed into the door a second time. Wood sundered and fell, opening up a lighter gray spot when she pulled the magical weapon away. Her success empowered her; she struck it three more times until the door fell apart under her attack and let her step through.

Patrina kept her axe ready in both hands as she studied the varying shades of gray in the room. It smelled musty and damp. She reached out to the first object before her and touched a cool and hard surface. She moved her hand on it and could feel that it was moist. She pushed harder and felt her fingers dent into the material.

She kept exploring it with her hand and decided a moment later it was a chest of some sort. She found the lock on it and after a few clumsy swings with her axe, she broke it open. The hinges were rusted and refused to budge, a situation she remedied with a few more swings of her axe.

The inside of the chest was the same gray as the chest itself. She glanced around again, nervous about reaching in. What if it held rats or spiders? Sure, it had been locked and rusted shut, but for all she knew the bottom had been chewed out of it. She saw another shape near the door she'd come in. It looked rectangular but she noticed there were uneven outlines sticking out of the top of it.

Patrina's eye narrowed. "Torches?" she whispered before she stepped closer and reached out for them. An unseen grin split her face as she felt the torches in the barrel. Now if only she had some flint and steel to light them. "Where there's torches," she muttered before she started feeling around in hopes of finding a tinderbox or a means of lighting a torch.

Several minutes later, she gave up. Even the mysterious chest had been pawed through, much to her disgust. Her hands came out dripping with what she hoped were waterlogged and rotten garments. Patrina turned to the other door she'd found while searching and tried the latch. It released with a faint squeak of lack of use. The hinges protested with a squeal as she forced it open enough to let her out.

Patrina stopped, her heart in her throat again. She heard it again only a moment later. A dull thud. She kept listening and heard it a few more times, growing louder. It stopped as soon as it started, but Patrina wondered if the hammering of her heartbeat in her ears was drowning it out.

She focused on her breathing and reached out, feeling her way along the wall as she started forward again. She felt the wall open up on her left. Was it a passage or another room? She was about to turn down it when she heard something hiss ahead of her and to the left. She jumped back, her back and her head slamming into the opposite wall. Patrina ignored the dull ache in her head and scrambled back down the hallway until she was at the door to the room she'd first found.

She stood there trembling and gasping. "I can't do this," she whimpered. "I can't see a damn thing!"

Patrina closed her eyes and sunk down until she was sitting on the floor and leaning against the cool stone wall. She wrapped her hands around her legs and pressed her forehead against her knees. Her axe brushed the wall, forcing her to shift enough to accommodate it.

Patrina remembered the last time she'd been helpless. She'd been bound to a post for sacrifice then. She needed Alto to save her, just as Sarya, the ancient dragon, needed her and Alto both so she could begin her ritual that would immortalize her in a magical silver statue.

Patrina had given up at times. She prayed for Alto to save her, and then when she regained her strength and her wits, she prayed he wouldn't come. Sarya would be too powerful if she survived the ritual. Her nation and the kingdom would fall. Garrick's people in the north and even the elves rumored to live in the forests to the west would suffer.

She would have killed herself to ruin the dragon's plans if she could have. Instead, Alto came for her. He'd saved her when she couldn't save herself. She'd begged him to kill her. Sarya was old and nearly used up; she couldn't survive long enough to find another sacrifice like theirs. There was no hope; they were going to die—at least they could do it on their terms.

But Alto refused to listen. He cut her free, hewing through chains of silver with the magical sword Thork had made for him. Sarya was coming for them but Alto wouldn't accept it. He just wouldn't listen. He wouldn't let Patrina down. He wouldn't let her die.

Instead, he turned away from her and jumped off the rim of the dormant volcano. He landed on Sarya and wedged his sword into her back, paralyzing her and forcing them to twist and fall. Human and dragon, they crashed together into the crater of the volcano. Patrina remembered staring through blurry eyes as the spoiled magic went awry. There was a flash of light that burst from the dragon and struck the statue. Alto fell away from her and she feared that he was dead. He'd done it; he'd saved her, but at a price that was too high. Damn the people of the north, she wanted him back! They could all go to hell if it meant one more day with him.

When she could, she made her way down. She was numb, in complete shock from what had happened. If she'd had her wits about her, she'd have taken the quicker route down herself and jumped to end the pain that was sure to come.

She found Alto alive and well. Healed by the same errant magic that had trapped Sarya's spirit inside the statue forever. Against impossible odds he'd rescued her, killed the greatest threat the north had seen in hundreds of years, and lived to tell the tale.

Patrina sniffed back her tears and picked her head up. She couldn't see anything but the act alone was symbolic. She'd known darker times than this. This was an absence of light, not darkness. Not the emptiness she feared in her heart. That would only come if she stayed and let the apes destroy what mattered most in her life to her.

"I'm coming for you, Alto," Patrina whispered. "Not even Lady Death herself can stop me."

She gasped as the circlet on her head flushed her with a tingling warm sensation that spread from her head to her toes. When it passed, she realized that everything was still gray but the shades were distinct enough she could make out details. She saw the tunnel that branched off in a T after twenty feet. She saw that it also continued to another doorway straight ahead of her.

Patrina wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up. She could see now. Not well, but enough. Whatever it was that awaited her, she would face it and kill it. Nothing would get in her way.

Patrina moved forward, approaching the junction carefully. She edged along the wall until she could see around the corner. What she found made her jaw drop. An enormous snake was coiled up in the hallway. Behind it, the tunnel had collapsed. Patrina had thought it was inches away from her because her hand had slipped around the corner but her face hadn't. She never saw it the first time. Now she saw the snake was at least six feet back. It didn't matter; six feet, to a reptile as massive as this one, might as well have been six inches.

It hissed at her again and shifted, rising on its coils. She had no idea what kind of snake it was; she couldn't make out any marking on it. All she knew was that it was white and large enough to swallow her whole if she was careless. She continued to edge along the wall, hoping to get past it without inciting it to strike at her.

She failed.

The giant reptile launched itself at her, striking so fast she didn't even have time to cry out. Her axe shifted as she tried to block it but all she did was drive the handle down against the side of its body just behind its head. It recoiled from where it had tried to bite through the metal skirt protecting her upper thigh and hip. The bite had been crushing but so brief Patrina thought nothing of it.

She kept pushing the snake down and away as it tried to pull itself back. She threw her other leg over the snake's body and tried to force it down to the ground. Instead, it shifted and rolled, smashing her against the wall. Its body began to coil around her leg, squeezing with an impossible force that she knew would grind her bones to powder if she let it.

She tried using the shaft of her axe to strike the snake's head but it only coiled itself around her further. It drew both her legs together by tightening its body and constricting them together. She felt her knee being tugged painfully as it bent in an unnatural direction. She cried out and bit her tongue to stay silent.

The snake rolled her over so that her handle was now keeping the head from biting her or, worse, trying to swallow her headfirst. She grunted and heaved, trying to push it away. It stretched its head forward past the shaft of her axe and opened its jaws. They dislocated, opening wide enough to make room for her head once it pushed past her tiring arms.

Patrina pulled her axe back and slipped her hands up to grip it near the head. The snake reacted instantly, lunging forward. She thrust her axe and caught it just behind the head with the spike on the end of the axe, impaling it at an angle and driving the six-inch spike into the base of the snake's brain.

It squeezed her extra tightly for a few seconds and then relaxed and went still. Patrina felt that same refreshing surge of energy from when she'd first picked up the axe course through her. When the odd magical effect faded, she moved the snake's head away and off to the side, and then had to use a hand to push it off the spike on her axe. She struggled to kick its body free but it took her rolling both of them around on the floor until she could finally pull herself away from it.

Patrina climbed to her feet, trembling and angry at the same time. She stared at where the snake had been and saw dozens of white eggs practically glowing in the darkness. She scowled and took a step towards them, and then cried out as her knee gave out and she fell. She landed on the snake, prompting her to push away from the scaly smooth body. She reached up to wipe her fresh tears from her face but stopped just before she touched herself. Her hands had the snake's blood on them, and she was sure she didn't want that in her eyes.

She forced herself to her feet again and, moving carefully, crushed every last egg she could find with her axe. The baby snakes weren't ready to survive on their own yet, sparing her the misery of hunting down a hundred baby snakes on a bad leg. She turned away and limped back to the junction of hallways and made her way to the door at the end. It was already opened nearly a full foot, enough room for the snake with a full meal in its belly to slip through. Patrina shuddered and stepped through, only to find herself looking at a staircase that led up.

She paused a moment and then nodded. "Almost there, Trina," she whispered to herself. "Just a little farther and then you can rescue Alto."

She put her foot on the first step and wondered if Alto had been as terrified or as clueless when he'd come to rescue her from the dragon.

### Chapter 16

Patrina moved through the manor house as quietly as she could. Light filtered in through broken windows and small holes in the walls, allowing her to see properly again. It was dim and sporadic, keeping it dark and confusing. She'd barely managed to muffle her shriek when she'd almost stepped on the desiccated rat corpses when she rounded a corner.

She made it past the rats but stood still when she almost walked into a massive webbing that stretched across the hallway. She drew her sword in her off hand and tried to sweep it aside, only to be surprised at how strong the cobwebs were. She used her sword like a machete and chopped through it, and then cried out when the spider that had made the webs emerged from beneath the shadows of a cabinet.

Two more spiders crawled out of hiding, each large enough to give her father's hunting hounds pause. Her sword was coated in the sticky webbing, making it of little use, save as a club. She tossed it at the closest spider and used the distraction to back up and grab her axe in both hands. The awkward back step sent a bolt of pain from her knee up to her hip and drew a ragged gasp from her lips.

The brown and yellow spotted spiders scurried towards her. She swept her axe across and scooped the first spider so that it went {R1flying into a wall. It bounced off and twitched, and then regained its feet and started towards her again.

She brought the axe back and smashed the second spider into the wooden floor, cutting it almost in half with her blade. Juice splattered across the floor and made her lip curl up in disgust. The next spider ran across it on eight legs, uncaring of its brother's fate. The spider latched onto her boot and tried to drive its fangs into her, only to be foiled by the metal plates sewn into her boots.

Patrina kicked with her foot but the spider hung on. She tried to balance on her injured knee but it screamed its disapproval and started to buckle again. She jammed her other foot into the ground to steady herself, squashing the spider on her boot in the process.

The first spider was dragging one of its legs. It slowed it down enough for Patrina to jab the spike tipping her axe into it and pin it against the floor. The spider's legs twitched while it tried to pull itself free. She leaned on the axe handle and waited until it stop moving before she picked it up and swung her axe to send the dead spider {R1flying into a wall.

She balanced on her good leg and swung her foot from her knee a few times, grimacing at the pain each movement caused. She sighed and started forward, only to stop when she saw there were several more webs beyond the first one she'd started to cut down. And spiders. She saw dozens of spiders crawling from holes in the walls and ceiling and from under and behind furniture.

Patrina forced herself to breathe and glanced behind her. Maybe if she could clear out the rubble that had caved in the hallway the snake had been in, she might find another way out. She turned back and saw the spiders were moving faster and getting closer. She raised her axe and glanced at the glistening fluid on her boot. That meant the spiders were probably poisonous.

The wall and ceiling exploded next to her. Patrina cried out and fell away, twisting her knee in the process. Broken timber showered the room, striking her without doing any damage but obscuring her vision. The spiders retreated from the new threat.

Patrina blinked through the dust and glaring sunlight. Something blocked the light, letting her see better. She cried out as the wall broke inwards again, and then she felt herself grabbed by the foot and ripped out of the estate, smashing her against the floor and wall along the way. Her armor managed to take the brunt of the impacts but she was still winded and wondered if her leg was going to be torn off at the hip.

When the world stopped spinning, Patrina heard her name being shouted. It sounded familiar, but more important was the very large black face, with even larger teeth bared, less than a foot from her. The ape's nostrils flared as it sniffed her, and then a moment later the airflow reversed with an enormous sneeze.

Patrina's brain caught up a moment later. She was covered in ape snot and every joint in her body felt like it had been pulled out of socket. She looked up—no, she was looking down at the ground—and saw that her axe was still in her hand. How had she managed that? She hadn't even tried to keep her grip on it.

"Trina!" Alto's words drifted through her mucus-covered haze. She twisted in the ape's hand as best she could and saw him waving from the top of a tower. Not the top floor, the very top. The roof. He was twenty feet off the ground. How was she supposed to get to him?

Patrina lost sight of him as she was jerked through the air again. She felt her back popping from the shaking and knew it was a matter of time, probably seconds, before one of the pops was permanent. She was swung forward and bent at her waist, using her momentum and swinging the axe up to hack into the forearm of the ape holding her.

Patrina flew through the air and landed on the ground, rolling as she went. Air blasted from her mouth and she could taste a mix of blood and dirt. She rolled just enough to twist her head and look up. The ape was grunting and screeching while it held its injured arm. Another one slammed its hands on the ground and rushed towards her. Patrina stared up as it raised both fists and was about to crush her. Her body wasn't ready to move again yet.

Bucky crashed into the ape above her and sent the female crashing into a wing of the estate. He roared at the female ape he'd displaced and then turned back to the one that was still shouting and carrying on. The male ape turned back to Patrina and snarled at her. He grunted and punched the ground near her several times, making it clear that he could kill her if he wanted to.

Patrina gathered her axe up and jammed the shaft into the ground. She used her weapon to climb to one knee and started to rise when Bucky grabbed her and squeezed tightly, crushing her axe against her. Patrina grunted and fought the darkness that pressed at the edges of her vision.

When her sight returned, Patrina saw Alto waving and shouting. He was halfway over the parapet of the tower and about to risk breaking his legs if he fell. That was Alto, ready to risk everything to help her. She shook her head. "This is my rescue," she mumbled. "I'm here to save you." It didn't matter to her that her voice was so quiet no one could hear her.

Bucky lifted her up in the air, leaving her stomach behind until it caught up with her. She saw Namitus in the tower and the jungle over the walls beyond the castle. She blinked and then realized that Bucky was threatening to throw her into the ground hard enough to make sure she'd never be a pest again. It worked. Alto backed away from the edge of the tower.

Patrina looked over at Bucky and frowned. He looked savage and vicious, but he wasn't acting like a stupid animal. Winter, her unicorn that Alto had found for her, was her first experience with an animal as intelligent as a person. She wondered if Bucky was like that, too. Winter could understand her—could Bucky?

"Bucky, put me down," Patrina said as loudly as his squeezing fist would allow. "Nobody needs to get hurt."

The ape roared at her, making her gag and swoon with his fetid breath. Negotiations, it seemed, were not an option.

"Let her go and I won't fight you," Alto shouted from across the courtyard.

Patrina shook her head. He couldn't do that! He couldn't give up; that would mean they'd lost. "No, Al—"

Bucky's roar overpowered her and left her with a ringing in her ears and pain throbbing in her head. Bucky lowered her and spun away, confusing her. A moment later, she saw the gate of the castle and groaned when Bucky ducked to fit through the inner and outer gatehouses of the bailey. Once through the gates, she was lifted back up and vertical again, though it did little to help her sense of balance.

She fought her nausea and looked around, taking in as many sights as she could, especially those of the castle that Bucky left behind. He took her down the overgrown road that curved down the mountainside, his stride eating up the distance as fast as a horse could run. In minutes, he pushed into the jungle, swatting aside trees with his free hand and stopping occasionally to sniff the air.

Patrina considered trying to talk to the ape again. She wasn't sure if he understood her or not, but she suspected he might have. He seemed to have made sense of what Alto'd said to him. The giant monkey had roared her into silence every time she'd spoken, too. She didn't know how he could understand them, but she was sure he must.

"Please don't hurt him," Patrina risked saying. "I—"

Bucky shook her, though not as severely as the female ape that had first captured her. It made her bite her tongue hard enough to draw blood. She kept her mouth shut after that.

The ape moved through the forest, stopping on hills and in clearings to sniff and search about. She was sweating and miserable in his grip but he made no move to let her go or even loosen his hold on her. The minutes turned into an hour and more while he wandered around the island. The sun was dipping low in the west when he finally stepped out of the jungle and started up a rise towards the ruined city on the southwestern coast. Patrina stared beyond it, hopeful that her people would see her. More likely they'd see Bucky and it would terrify them, but it might get their attention, at least.

With the small village still a mile or more in the distance, Bucky stopped and sniffed the air again. He turned slowly, grunting softly and staring at the trees. Patrina gasped when Carson stepped out from a small copse of orange trees with an arrow fitted to his bow.

"Put her down, Bucky," Carson called out.

Bucky snarled and hooted at him. He raised Patrina again as though her survival was a bargaining piece.

Carson held his ground and raised his bow to point at Bucky's face. "You know this probably won't kill you, but it'll hurt for days, maybe weeks. Put her down, now!"

Bucky kicked dirt at Carson, forcing the hunter to turn away and shield his eyes from the grass and dirt that the giant ape's toes had torn up. Patrina cried out as Bucky all but tossed her onto the ground. She rolled against {missing word?}, her arms swinging out and stopping her. She looked up and saw the ape running back through the tall grass and heading for the jungle.

A moment later, Carson was kneeling at her side. "Are you hurt?"

Patrina turned and stared up at him. She blinked and opened her mouth. Instead of speaking, the darkness she'd been fighting for hours slipped through her lowered defenses and claimed her.

### Chapter 17

"I always feel so inspired when I come in here," Aleena said in a tone hushed with reverence.

Celos glanced at her. "That's good. The church was built to be uplifting."

Aleena smiled and moved with her mentor to stand before the altar to Saint Leander. They dropped to their knees and bowed their heads in prayer. After several minutes of silence, Aleena rose up and looked to her right. Celos was gone. She turned and saw him standing back near the entrance. Aleena hurried to join him, and then followed him through the halls to Sir Amos's chambers.

"Is everything all right?" Celos asked her before he knocked on the door of the head of their order.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"You spent a long time in prayer. Before we present your deeds, I have to be certain there is no doubt in you."

Aleena smiled. "No, there's no doubt. The more I learn and see the more I want to know. I was—"

Celos held up his hand to stop her. "What you share with Saint Leander is between the two of you. I have seen all I need to see to know it is time for you to be tested."

"Thank you. For everything you've done for me, even when you tried to force me out."

Celos grimaced. "I suppose I should thank you for reminding me of my mistakes. I don't need the sprite's prophecy coming true!"

"It wasn't a mistake," Aleena insisted. "If you hadn't been so rough on me, I wouldn't have worked as hard as I have. I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today."

"Perhaps," Celos allowed. "Whatever the case, know that you've won me over to believing in you."

Aleena felt her cheeks heat up. "Why, Sir Celos, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"I can go back to drilling you through all hours of the day if you'd prefer?"

Aleena chuckled and remembered the time spent answering questions of faith between grueling workouts. "I'd welcome it. What better way to keep us strong of mind and body?"

Celos shook his head and chuckled. He rapped on the door and waited until they heard the muffled voice bidding them to enter. Celos opened the door and allowed Aleena to enter Sir Amos's office first. He shut it behind them and together they saluted the elder knight.

"Ah! My young friends, Leander's chosen. How good it is to see you again." Sir Amos rose from his desk with the aid of his hands on his desk. He rounded the desk and walked over to them, moving slower than Aleena remembered. "You look well. Tell me, how fared you in your travels?"

Aleena fought the urge to frown. Sir Amos had seen potential in her, potential she hadn't even known she had. He gave her a chance when others had laughed in her face. Now he seemed so frail. A little more than a year had passed since she'd fought beside him at the battle of Dragonsgate, but it was a year in which the elder knight had aged considerably.

Before Celos could respond to the question, Sir Amos looked at Aleena and smiled. He winked at her and said, "Worry not, squire. I've served Leander a great many years and seen many things come to pass. It does my soul well to know that there is a rising passion among the people for Saint Leander. A new church is being built in Highpeak, and much of the fault of this rests on your shoulders, young lady."

"Me?" Aleena gasped.

"A serving maid riding into battle as one of Leander's chosen? You've caught the hearts of the people. Men and women alike—they want to know more." Sir Amos sighed and reached up to place his hand on his chest. "My heart is old and has seen many battles; it's tired. It will march on until Leander calls me to his side. I pray he waits long enough for me to see you become a knight."

Celos and Aleena looked at each other. Celos returned his attention to Sir Amos and spoke. "Sir Amos, the evil that plagued the forest has been banished. It was a nature spirit, a nymph, that fell from grace many years past. Her malevolence lived on and was used by an evil wizard who conducted unwholesome experiments."

Sir Amos nodded. "I've heard of the tale of the nymph and the warrior. So it was true then?"

Aleena cleared her throat and received a nod from Celos. "Sir Amos, it was. Her misguided love confused and twisted her. Her body failed her when she misused the magic of nature too often and too much, so she put her essence into her tree. It was that tree that poisoned the land around it and allowed a wizard named Therion to work his evil on the creatures of the forest."

"Not all the creatures," Celos added.

"What?" Sir Amos asked. He smiled. "You're not telling me something, are you?"

Sir Celos chuckled. "It was Aleena who destroyed the nymph's spirit."

Sir Amos's grin broadened. "Well done!"

"Wait," Sir Celos said. "There's more. I defended her from the denizens of the swamp and was trapped under the water. She called upon Leander's Light and was blessed with his healing hand to restore me."

Sir Amos's grin faded as his lips parted. He clamped his mouth shut and smiled again, and then nodded his head while looking at Aleena. "Leander's blessing," he whispered.

"Sir Amos," Celos said, "I think it's time."

Aleena glanced back and forth between the two men. "Sir Celos saved me in the swamp, too," she blurted out. "He laid his hand on me after I'd been clubbed on the head and nearly drowned."

Sir Amos chuckled and shook his head. "This is a blessing upon blessings. Why didn't you mention that, Celos?"

Celos shrugged. "I was just doing Leander's will."

Sir Amos chuckled. "Indeed you were. This is cause for a celebration! It has been far too long since the rank of paladins has gained strength instead of lost it."

Aleena's jaw dropped that time. Paladins were the highest order of the Knights of Leander. They were the truly chosen of Leander. Warriors with a touch of the powers of priests, putting them on an even level with the priests. It made sense, now that she thought about it, but to rise to such a station seemed impossible to her.

"Paladins?" she breathed.

"Any opposition will be swept away in the testing, I think," Sir Amos said.

"What testing is there?" Aleena asked.

Sir Amos chuckled. "It's not much of a test if you know what it is, now is it, child?"

* * * *

Aleena waited on her knees outside the testing room. The door remained shut while she prayed to Leander for guidance and strength in the coming trial. Sir Celos had gone before her, his right by seniority. When the thick door had shut, she had heard nothing more of him.

The door opened, pushed by an acolyte and held for her. Aleena swallowed and offered a final silent thank-you to Leander before she opened her eyes and rose. A sense of calm drifted over her, quelling her nerves and setting her at peace. She offered the acolyte a smile and then stepped forward into the room. He shut the door behind her and stayed on the outside of it.

She saw Sir Amos sitting next to Sir Reynard, the eldest Knight of Leander in Portland. He'd transferred only a few months ago from the temple at Everlin, the kingdom's capital. Rumor held that he was to take over the Portland chapter of knights from Sir Amos but she'd seen no sign of it. The third man at the table was Father Ledell, the high priest of Leander in Portland.

Aleena bowed her head respectfully to the three men. Celos was nowhere to be seen, nor was there anyone else present. The only explanation was that Celos and the others had gone out one of the other doors that led into the temple.

"Squire Aleena," Sir Amos said in a clear voice. "Sir Reynard, Father Ledell, and I have gathered to test your merit for advancement within the Church of Leander."

"It is the dream of many a young squire to become a knight and then one day join the rank of paladins," Father Ledell said. "It is a rarity at the best of times and in the past fifteen years, an impossibility. To seek both in the same day seems excessive."

"Ours is not to question the will of Leander," Sir Amos added with a glance at the priest. "But there are many who question by what right you come to this trial."

Aleena kept her chin high as she responded to them. "I am here at Leander's will. I serve him and ask only that he show me how best I can share his blessing."

"And what do you get out of it?" Sir Reynard asked.

Aleena looked at the knight and decided she didn't particularly care for his mustache or his surly tone. What she liked didn't matter, though; he was where he was because of his service, and that deserved her respect, if nothing else. "I get joy, Sir Reynard."

"Joy?"

"Yes. Joy in knowing I have done His will. Joy in knowing that I have helped others in some way. It fills my heart and justifies the hardships that we endure so long as we can bring Leander's Light into the eyes and heart of others."

"You are a child. What do you know of hardships?" Reynard asked with a hard edge to his voice.

"I stood beside knights and squires alike at the battle of Dragonsgate against insurmountable odds. Our faith held the line when our brothers fell. We kept the people of Highpeak and of the kingdom safe until my friend, Alto, could slay the dragon that Sir Gareth sacrificed himself to drive into hiding. I have seen the horrors of war and had my hands stained with the blood of my brothers as they breathed their last."

"Sir Reynard," Amos spoke as soon as Aleena stopped. "What she speaks is true. Without Aleena's unconventional wisdom and tactics, our lines, however pious, would have been swept away long before. I dare say we owe the day and much of the northern reaches to this young lady, whether the dragon was felled or not."

"And what of the new troubles that brew in the mountains?" Sir Reynard asked.

Aleena stiffened. She knew nothing of new troubles.

"That is a separate matter," Sir Amos said.

Father Ledell cleared his throat to gain their attention. "Gentlemen, this questioning gets us nowhere. Squire, you know that while your presence has brought renewed faith and interest among the masses, there are those who are resistant to seeing you succeed."

Aleena stared at him without blinking. "I do now, Father."

He smiled. "There have been female knights in the past, of course, but it was long ago. Many believe it is best to leave it behind us."

Aleena's heart was hammering in her chest but she remained frozen and silent. Was she to be tested or ridiculed for being a woman instead of a man?

"I have heard that you pretended to be boy to even gain the right to test to be a squire. Is this true?" Father Ledell asked.

"It is no matter," Sir Amos snapped, sparing her everything but the flash of heat on her face. "Saint Leander has blessed this girl time and again. She has been picked by Him. We cannot stand in His way."

Father Ledell bowed his head respectfully. "Of course there are none who would challenge Leander's wisdom. I merely wish to point out there are reasons to question her."

"Then let the true testing begin," Sir Amos said. "Let her prove she has Leander's blessing."

"Come, Sir Amos, strength of arm and speed of steel are no proof of Leander's will. We preach of it, but you and I are fighting men. We know that trial by combat is not proof against duplicity," Sir Reynard said.

"I don't speak of combat," Sir Amos said. He turned to Aleena and said, "Squire, approach our table."

Aleena walked forward until she stood directly in front of it.

Sir Amos nodded and looked her directly in the eye. "Bring forth Leander's Light and let it fill the hearts of these men so that they know the truth of you, that you are an angel sent from Saint Leander to bring His word to the people again."

Aleena's eyes widened and it was mirrored by the gasps from the other elders at the table.

"You speak of heresy," Father Ledell threatened.

Sir Reynard began to speak but Aleena's eyes were locked with Sir Amos's. He nodded at her and she could feel the strength of his spirit in his gaze. She nodded back to him and ignored the bickering at the table. Aleena lowered her head and prayed, calling upon Leander to help her show the men before her the clear path to truth that he had blessed her with. Her heart slowed as the feeling of calm came over her again. She felt the heat in her hand, knew He had answered.

"Leander's grace!" Father Ledell whispered.

Sir Reynard turned and blinked, his lips still parted from the last argument he'd spoken. Now he stared speechless at the glow that Aleena's hand emitted. She stepped forward and leaned over the table to brush her hand against Father Ledell's forehead. He gasped and stared at her as tears ran down his cheeks. Sir Reynard was next. He sat there stunned when she touched him, though his lips did curl up into a faint smile.

Aleena touched Sir Amos last and this time it was her turn to gasp. She felt his body, beaten down by years of stress and work. Most of all, she felt his heart, how it struggled with every beat. But there was nothing the soothing light could do for him, save to ease his worries and take some of the toil from the weary muscle.

The light faded from her hand, prompting her to step back.

Sir Amos turned to the other two men, who continued to stare at her. He smiled. "My brothers, have you any doubts remaining? This girl—no, this woman is no mere serving maid."

"She's meant to be a paladin," Sir Reynard said. He rose from the table and drew his sword so he could reverse it and place it on the table before him. "My sword will fight at your side, young lady."

"She is Leander's chosen," Father Ledell whispered. He shook his head. "I don't believe it, but it's true. Such belief and strength is rare, even among the priests. Rarer still is the clarity of Leander's blessing. These are amazing times. First Sir Celos, now this."

"What of the young priest you speak so highly of, Karthor?"

Father Ledell jerked his head as Sir Amos pulled him from his thoughts. "What? Oh, yes, Karthor. The same strength, I think. Amazing times indeed. We are fortunate to live in them, I think."

"So is it agreed upon then?" Sir Amos asked.

Sir Reynard nodded and took his sword back. He sat down without a word.

"I accept the nomination, but she must still complete a quest," Father Ledell said.

"She and Celos will be sent to the Northern Divide to learn the source of these troubling rumors we've heard and put a stop to them," Sir Amos said before he turned his attention back to Aleena. "Squire Aleena, you are a squire no longer. Kneel."

Aleena knelt before the table. Sir Reynard and Father Ledell rose and walked around the table, forcing her to turn on her knees to face them. Reynard drew his sword and pressed it against each of her shoulders and then her forehead, reciting the words that elevated her to the title of knight. He handed the blade to Father Ledell and let the priest recite his own variant on the tradition.

Sir Amos came next and stood before her. He drew his own blade and held it up with an arm that trembled. Golden radiance erupted from the tip and traveled down its length. Aleena knew she should have been blinded by it but she found she could stare at it without harm. Sir Amos pressed the flat of the blade upon her three times.

"By Leander's Light, accept His blessing into your heart and seek always to do His will," the elder paladin said. He lowered the blade as the glow faded and then sheathed it at his side. "That is the final proof. Leander gave you his blessing through another. You are a squire no longer. Rise, Dame Aleena, and prove Leander put his faith in you wisely."

Aleena stood, blinking back tears. She bit her lip and nodded, and then turned to leave.

"Aleena," Father Ledell said, stopping her short. She turned back to him. "Take care, young lady. Having Leander's blessing and ours is one thing, but it may not save you from the jealousy of your former peers."

Sir Reynard chuckled. "Former or present."

"Go, Aleena," Sir Amos urged. "Find Celos and journey with him to the north. He knows as much as we do; he can fill you in."

Aleena nodded but still couldn't trust herself to speak. She managed to mumble, "Thank you!" before she strode back through the door she'd come through and hurried through the halls of the church. She'd accomplished the impossible and she needed to tell people!

She nearly halted when she realized it might have to wait. She had a quest to go on. No matter what she'd accomplished, she still had much yet to do! She nodded and smiled. She had Leander's blessing; His light would shine on her and show her the way.

### Chapter 18

Patrina tried to roll over but couldn't. She groaned and tried to open her eyes, only to have something press against her face. That brought her fully awake and made her struggle, raising one hand to reach for the hand pressed against her lips.

"Be silent!" Carson hissed at her as she pulled his hand away. He turned his head and nodded. Patrina lifted herself up enough to feel her body aching from the abuse she'd taken. She collapsed back down but not before she'd seen one of the chitin-covered crawlers looking around with its head popped above the grasses in a clearing.

Patrina waited but glanced around at her surroundings. She and Carson were resting side by side in some sort of cloth sheet. It was curved in the middle, forcing them to be in contact with each other. Leaves and vines were wedged in the cloth, confusing her further. Did the trees grow clothing here?

She shifted a little and winced. She hurt all over. From her feet to her hair, she felt like she'd been pounded on by Bucky and his companions. It wasn't far from the truth, if her memory was right. She tried to lift both her hands slowly and then released a silent gasp when she realized she still held her axe in her hand.

"It's moved on," Carson whispered, startling her out of her shock.

"Where are we?" Patrina asked.

"Not far from the village. One of my hideaways," he said.

"What is this?" Patrina plucked at the fabric beside her.

Carson grinned. "Impressive, isn't it? The grasses here can be picked apart so they're almost like threads. I wove them together into this hammock. It's my favorite place to sleep—very comfortable."

Patrina grimaced and struggled to sit up. "I'll take a bed or a pallet, thank you."

"Well, it's better with one person and not two," he admitted.

"How did I get up here?"

"I carried you," Carson said. "Couldn't get you to let go of that axe, for that matter, so it wasn't an easy thing."

Patrina lifted her axe and stared at it. "How long have we been here?"

"You slept the afternoon and the night away," he told her. "I was going to fetch some fruit but I didn't want to wake you."

"I'm awake now," she said.

Carson grinned. "Then I'll be back soon!"

Patrina opened her mouth but Carson sprung up and grabbed a branch overhead. He pulled himself away from the hammock and swung away before he let go and dropped below her sight. She shifted in the hammock and had to grab on when it felt like it was going to roll over and dump her out. She tried again, moving slowly, and saw Carson padding away on the ground some twelve feet below.

Patrina collapsed back into the strange bed and let out a soft groan. She felt like she'd been kicked by an entire team of horses, or maybe ridden down and trampled by her father's guards. She shook her head slowly and picked her axe up again to stare at it. "How did I keep you?" she whispered.

The axe shared none of its secrets with her.

Patrina sighed and lowered it. She twisted her head and then moved her arms as much as her situation allowed. She stretched, feeling her abused muscles waking up and protesting. Her back ached and her knee seemed to have been dipped in liquid fire when she tried to bend it. She stared at it and saw how swollen it was. Patrina sighed and wondered how she was going to get to the ground. She could roll out of the hammock, but she'd take enough falls the day before.

"Alto!" Patrina hissed. She sat up and winced at the pain in her stomach. It was going to be a very long way down to the ground. And from there she had to make her way across the island and back up to the castle. Then she'd have to fight and kill the apes. "Nothing to it," she mumbled.

"What's that?"

Patrina gasped and almost fell out of the hammock. Carson had returned with several fruits cradled between his arm and his chest. His other hand held on to the tree for support.

"Why didn't Bucky kill me?"

Carson's smile faded. "Here, take these and eat something."

Patrina looked at the bananas, oranges, and small brown fruit Carson carried. She set her axe down and let go of it and then had to fight a momentary panic that she would lose it. She pushed her fear aside and turned back to Carson's bounty. She took a banana first and peeled it back before taking a bite. After she swallowed, she stared at him and said, "Speak."

Carson's growing smile faded again. "I'm not really sure," he said while his eyes danced around and looked everywhere but at her. "He usually kills them by accident. He's got a bad temper."

"Bad temper?"

Carson nodded. "When our ship was swamped by a storm, a bunch of us washed up ashore. We stuck together and made for the village. Haunted or not, we knew our best chances lay there."

"Is it?"

"Is it what?" Carson asked.

"Haunted."

"Oh! No, the noise you hear is the wind blowing through some rocks on the southwestern side of the island. There's a bay that, when the tide is low and the wind is high, air will whistle through."

Patrina snorted and finished off the banana. She took one of the brown fruits and looked at it before she jammed her thumb through the velvety skin and dripped juice from it. She slurped it up, her eyes growing as she tasted the succulent juice. She tore it apart and devoured the green and yellow fruit inside.

Patrina took the last of the fruit he'd brought and stared at him while she peeled the orange. "Keep going," she prompted him.

Carson sighed. "The apes were here when we got here. First time we ran into them, it wasn't pretty. We lost five men. After that, we took to avoiding them, but the apes always found us. They'd take one or two at a time and leave us alone for a while."

"How many men did you have?" Patrina asked.

"Close to thirty, I think," Carson said with a shrug. "Every time somebody was taken the captain would tell us, 'Buck up, lads, we'll get through this.'"

"Bucky?" Patrina asked.

Carson nodded. "Just before night, he was snatched up. We sat around lost for a while until somebody repeated that saying. It started us laughing, but it wasn't a good laugh if you know what I mean."

Patrina nodded. "How old were you?"

"Fourteen," Carson said. "I'd hired on in Gafford."

"That's one of the free cities, right?"

Carson nodded. "Downriver from Everlin on the coast. Don't let the name fool you, though; there wasn't nothing free about living there."

"So you were laughing," Patrina steered the conversation back.

"Yeah, we were. Out of that we took to calling him Bucky. Except the captain was wrong. It never did get better."

"How long have you been alone?"

"On and off close to the entire eight years. I've seen a few others and even talked to a couple of people, but they never stay alive."

Patrina winced. "Why doesn't Bucky come for you?"

Carson shook his head. "I don't know," he said with a sigh. "Seems like we got an agreement. I stay out of his way and he stays out of mine. Except when there's other people. Then he takes them."

"What's he do with them? Before, you said he plays with them? Like toys?"

"I don't know why or how; he just seems fascinated with people. Likes to watch them. He feeds them and keeps them alive, but sooner or later they always end up dead. Usually one of the female apes ends up stepping on them or crushing them or something."

"So that's what you meant when you said, 'not again'?"

Carson nodded.

"He let me go," Patrina said. "Stopped one of his girlfriends from killing me."

"I think they get jealous of the attention he gives his pets."

Patrina scowled. "He didn't just let me go; he brought me to you."

Carson looked away from her. "Yes, he did."

"Why?"

"I don't know! He's a saint's-damned overgrown monkey! How should I know what he thinks and feels?"

"You've shared this island with him for eight years," Patrina said. "I saw him up close. He touched me. He's smart. I don't know how smart, but he reminded me of Winter."

"It doesn't snow here," Carson said.

"Not the season—my unicorn."

"Unicorn?" Carson repeated.

"Alto found it in a bewitched wood and they escaped together. They came north to find me and Winter chose me as his companion."

Carson shook his head. "Unicorn? Like, with a horn and white hair and everything?"

"Yes. He's amazing and smarter than a lot of people I've met. I'm not sure but Bucky might be as smart as Winter from what I saw of him. I think he understands us."

Carson nodded and stared into the distance. "I think you're right."

Patrina frowned as a chill crept down her spine. "Why? Have you talked to him before? Did you do something?"

Carson sighed and turned away from her. "Your ship is gone. They didn't wait for you," he said.

"Carson, answer me!"

"It was years ago," Carson said. "When we figured out he was taking people. I barely had any hair on my chest; I was young and stupid."

"What did you do?" Patrina snapped.

"He got me!" Carson blurted out.

Patrina stared at him, speechless with his admission. A silent moment passed between them, and she saw the fear and shame in his eyes. "What happened?" she asked again, this time using a tender tone.

"I begged and pleaded. Cried, sobbed, the usual childhood antics," Carson said.

"So he let you go?"

Carson chewed his lip and nodded.

"There's more, isn't there?"

"Does it matter?" he asked. "We're all stuck here now. Shouldn't we just make the best of the situation?"

"I'm Lady Patrina, daughter of the Jarl of Holgasford," Patrina said. "That ship and others will be back. They will tear this island apart looking for me. And for Alto. My father gave my hand to Alto and even named him thane of Rockwood, as soon as it's rebuilt, that is. You've been trapped away here but everyone in the northern regions knows of Alto. He slew Sarya and rescued me from her clutches."

"Who's Sarya?" Carson asked.

"A dragon!"

Carson's eyes widened. "Oh!"

" _Oh!_ is right," Patrina said. "So don't think this island is going to be a hiding place much longer. A couple of days at most, and then it will be overrun with kelgryn soldiers. My father won't leave a rock unturned, searching for me."

"Sounds like you don't need me to help you then," Carson said. "You can just wait here and they'll come and get you."

Patrina nodded. "I'm sure they will, but I need to make sure Alto and Namitus are still alive when they get here. And this island—it's beautiful. I don't want it being torn apart."

"What's Namitus's role in all of this?" Carson asked.

"He's my brother," Patrina lied.

Carson frowned. "Different mother?"

"Something like that," she said. "But it doesn't matter. Tell me the rest of the story."

Carson stared at the ground far below them. At last he sighed and glanced at her. "I struck a deal with Bucky. I told him I'd help him if he let me go. I'd keep people from hunting him or looking for him and that I'd give him anybody I could."

"You—" Patrina trailed off, unable to finish her thought. "You gave him people?"

"I was a stupid kid!" Carson cried out. "I wanted to live! He understood me and he let me go. Then I ran out of people but he left me alone. I stayed out of his way and then more people arrived. He always knew when that happened. He'd show up and I'd have to find a way to deliver."

"That cave was a trap, wasn't it?" Patrina asked, controlling her voice carefully to keep the fury out of it.

Carson shook his head. "No! It's been years since anyone has showed up. I had no intention of giving you to him. I wanted to get away. I wanted to go with you! Do you know what it's like having nothing but giant apes, hungry cats, and enormous lizards as company? I love the jungle but I miss people."

"Bucky gave me to you!" Patrina hissed.

"What?"

"Bucky knew. He knew you wanted to leave. He knew you needed a companion so he gave you me."

"I never made a deal like that!" Carson insisted.

Patrina stared at him and nodded. "I believe you. But I think you underestimated Bucky. I think we all did."

"So now what?" Carson asked. "You go back to your palace and leave us on this island?"

"No, we get Alto and Namitus. If an army of men approaches, Bucky's not going to be happy."

Carson grimaced. "How do we do that?"

"There's a tunnel under the castle; if we can get them free, we can slip into it. Bucky can't follow us down there—it's too small."

"Where does it lead?"

"To a river and that lagoon you told me to swim for."

Carson gasped. "I never knew that river went anywhere! How'd you find it?"

"Same place I got this suit of armor and my axe," Patrina said as she laid her hand on the handle of her axe. She felt better almost instantly for having it in her hand.

"An armory under the castle? Doesn't look like much for armor. I mean, it looks good on you. Really good! It's just—"

Patrina held up her hand. "I know how it looks. If you know what's good for you, you'll keep your eyes on mine and off my armor."

Carson's white teeth contrasted with the bright red color of his cheeks. "Yes, um, lady."

Patrina scowled. "Just Patrina, please. My friends call me Trina."

"Am I a friend?" Carson asked her.

"Help me save my companions and you'll be one of my best friends."

Carson stared at her and then nodded. "All right, first thing is we've got to get you down and then get you cleaned up."

"Cleaned up? Why now?"

Carson wrinkled his nose and said, "I don't know what you did in that cave or with those apes but, well, Patrina...you stink."

Patrina opened her mouth to snap at him. She stopped and remembered being sneezed on by the ape. She sighed and nodded. "Yes, a bath would do me well."

### Chapter 19

"I need a proper tower," Kar muttered when he heard the solid knock on the door. He pushed his chair back and stood up from the table. He opened the door to the former Blades of Leander's headquarters and saw the serving wench turned warrior wench standing there. Next to her was the uppity new knight, Celos. He looked disapproving and full of himself, as usual.

"With enchanted gargoyles," Kar finished his earlier thought in a mutter to put the unwelcomed guests off guard. "Oh, hello. I gave at the church."

"We're not here pandering for money," Celos growled.

"Looking for my boy? Karthor's at the church, I expect. Hopefully not servicing some priest. Then again, he's risen up the ranks himself. Gah, I hope he's not passing on the tradition to an acolyte!"

"Kar!" Aleena chastened him. "Such things do not take place in Leander's walls! You should know better."

Kar shrugged. "I don't ask and they don't tell."

"You do ask," Aleena insisted.

Kar shrugged again. He wasn't used to being challenged by such a young woman. Never mind that he knew his claims were bold and false. "What do you need? I'm a busy man."

"Researching some great new magic?" Aleena asked as she leaned to the side to peer past him.

Kar turned and gestured at the table with the book and the many ingredients spread out on it. "Yes, it's called cinnamon-roasted chicken."

Aleena opened and closed her mouth. Celos snorted.

"There's magic to be had in a well-cooked meal," the wizard added.

Aleena let herself laugh. "We're here on business of sorts," she said. "The church has heard more complaints about the enchanted forest the Blades of Leander ventured into last year."

"Terrible place," Kar agreed. "Twisted animals and giant wasps, among other things."

"Indeed," Celos agreed. "We've just returned from there."

"Glad to see you survived. I could have told you that before you left, though. Waste of a trip, I'm afraid. Good seeing you, though!"

Kar started to turn away when Aleena stepped forward to block the door. "We cleansed the forest."

Kar raised his bushy eyebrows. "Well done! Looks like you really didn't need anything from me, then."

"Wizard, stop being so difficult," Celos snapped at him.

Kar turned and stared at Celos. "This isn't difficult. This is me having better things to do. If you'd like difficult, I can arrange it."

"Kar, please, hear me out," Aleena said. "There was a nymph that had gone bad and corrupted her magic. She—"

Kar rolled his hand impatiently. "Yes, I know. Nallipura. Tragic love story that ended in death and despair."

"You know?" Aleena gasped. "But how?"

"I'm a wizard; it's my job to know these things."

"Did you know them last year?"

"So you've destroyed the nymph's spirit then?" Kar ignored her question and asked one of his own.

"Yes, we did. We found a wizard's house, too."

"Oh? Alto mentioned seeing a house in the swamp. How'd that go for you?"

"The wizard—Therion was his name—was dead."

Kar shrugged. "Toying with nature is never a safe thing."

"He was stabbed by a dagger," Aleena offered.

"Well, that's natural enough," Kar quipped.

"Kar! Stop, please," Aleena begged him. "He was in his bed without any clothing on. Magical symbols were carved into his body around the dagger. We found evidence of another person staying there, too—a woman, but she was gone."

Kar waited a moment until Aleena sighed in frustration. "Eaten by his creations, perhaps?" Kar offered.

"I don't think so. There were books missing. Magical books."

"I see. Are the Knights of Leander little better than sheriffs patrolling the countryside looking to do justice to those who break the king's law?" he asked. "Oh but wait, that forest is outside the border of the kingdom."

"He is impertinent," Celos snapped. "Come, squire, we're wasting our time."

Aleena grabbed a sack that hung from her belt and untied it. She handed it to Kar. "These are the books I found there. I thought you and Alto might like them."

"Alto? The boy's a warrior, not a wizard," Kar said as he took the offered bag.

"There's a tome with the title _Order of the Dragon_ in there, too," Aleena said.

Kar's eyes widened. He nodded. "Well, um, yes, he probably will be interested in that. I'll thank you on his behalf. Might be a while before I see the lad again; he's busy trying to woo the kelgryn princess and all."

Aleena shifted and glanced down at the ground. Behind her, Celos stiffened even as his eyes went to the squire in front of him.

"Yes, well, the church has no need of such things and I thought it best if they weren't left to fall into random hands."

"You thought right," Kar said. "Uh, thank you, I suppose. Now if you don't mind, this is a delicate recipe."

"Of course," Aleena said. She smiled and spun away, her armor clinking as she walked away from the building and turned to head towards the church nearby. Celos cast a lingering gaze on Kar before he, too, turned and headed towards the church.

Kar shut the door and opened the bag. He peered into it and cackled. "Fool girl didn't realize how much a bag like this is worth," he muttered. He began taking out the books and stacking them on the table, and then grinned as he weighed the worth of the books in knowledge alone, let alone gold.

When he came to the _Order of the Dragon_ book, he paused and reached down to open it. It had magic about it—all the books did—but this one felt different to him. He flipped it open and found the text clearly legible without needing any sort of a comprehension spell. He was about to flip to the second page when the door shuddered under the assault of someone else's knuckles.

Kar flung the door open and glared out. Instead of the knights, he found himself staring at an exhausted man wearing the livery of Holgasford. "This can't be good," Kar muttered.

The man drew in a ragged breath and asked in a rushed voice, "Is this the Band of the Dying Dragon?"

Kar grimaced. "Terrible name," he muttered. "But yes, it is. Our captain's in your realm, though."

He shook his head and pulled out a scroll marked with the jarl's seal. "Urgent message for you."

Kar took it and nodded. The man stood there while Kar cracked it open and unrolled it. He read through it quickly and scowled. "Well, seems it is bad news." He turned and snapped his fingers, dispelling the glamour that had made his spell books look like an elaborate dinner preparation. "Let the jarl know we'll meet the ship in Amderfell," Kar told him.

"My lord." The messenger bowed his head and turned away. Kar watched him go for a moment, thinking he should have offered the man something. He pushed the thought aside. Alto, Patrina, and Namitus seemed to have gotten themselves in trouble. Again. And he knew little about Britanly. He scowled and started shoving the books back in the bag. He could go over them on the boat.

Finished with that, Kar put his other items away and locked belongings up with key and spell. Satisfied that anyone seeking burglary would end up far worse off for it, he changed into traveling clothes and locked up the building. From there it was just a quick walk to the church, although a walk he seldom took.

Kar walked in to the main temple and grimaced when he saw a service was being held. He was about to walk down the aisle and interrupt the priest conducting the ceremony when he saw one of the other priests standing along one wall step forward and walk past the others. Kar squinted and then smirked. It was his son. He turned and stepped back out into the lobby of the building and waited.

"Father!" Karthor greeted him with a welcoming smile. "Your timing is without fault, as always."

Kar snorted. "Purely by chance this time, I'm afraid."

Karthor's smile faded. "Trouble?"

"Of course. Seems Alto, his lady, and their jester have gotten themselves in trouble again."

"Oh?" Karthor asked as he took the scroll from the wizard. He read it quickly and handed it back. "I'll fetch my things."

"We'll need to make haste to reach Amderfell," Kar said. "The boat's waiting for us, but it's been a couple of days by now already."

"I can bolster our horses so they run strong," Karthor said.

"And I can speed their movements," the wizard said. "Go, now, or I'll use my magic to speed yours as well!"

Karthor smirked and strode to a door at the side of the lobby that led to his private room. Kar smirked as he left and turned when he heard a commotion from the other end of the lobby. Celos and Aleena walked through.

"Kar!" Aleena stuttered and came to a stop.

"You're getting good at that," the wizard snapped.

"Good at what?"

"Recognizing me."

Aleena sighed. "I'm not your enemy, Kar. Neither is the church."

"So where are you two off in such a rush?" Kar changed the topic.

"We've heard rumors of strange happenings in the Northern Divide," Celos said.

"Another dragon?"

"What? Do you know of this, too?" the knight demanded.

Kar shook his head. "Sarya's done; Alto dealt with her. I know nothing of it. I'd hoped to steer clear of them the rest of my life, in fact."

"We're off to speak with Tristam and learn what we can. We've heard the mines are under attack again," Aleena said.

"Lovely. When we get back, I'll mention it to Alto. For a price, perhaps we'll come and save the kingdom again."

Aleena opened her mouth but Celos beat her to it. "Come, Aleena, the day grows long and we have many miles to ride."

Aleena frowned and then nodded. She turned away but Kar stopped her. "Congratulations, Sir Aleena."

Aleena spun back around. "What?"

"Your shield and tabard are different. The same as Celos's. You've been promoted, the first woman to be granted in hundreds of years."

"Dame Aleena," Celos growled.

Kar smirked. "Ah yes, my apologies. Congratulations, Dame Aleena."

Aleena's cheeks flushed red. She bowed her head. "Thank you, Kar. But the honor isn't mine; it's Saint Leander's."

Kar rolled his eyes. "Of course it is. I'll pass along the word."

"Come," Celos urged.

Aleena flashed Kar another smile and then hurried after her peer out the front of the church and towards the stables. Kar had barely turned back around when Karthor arrived dressed in the plate armor the church had judged him worthy enough to wear.

"About time," Kar muttered. He turned as his son fell in beside him. "Did you know that serving maid who had a thing for Alto was granted knighthood?"

Karthor jerked his head back as though he'd been struck. He smiled. "I hadn't heard. Good for her! How did you hear?"

"They just walked through and I saw her. They're headed to Highpeak."

Karthor sighed. "I've heard rumors of organized attacks by the ogres in the mountains again. They seem to be trying to drive the humans out."

"I've been remiss on checking up on contracts; might be a good opportunity to get everyone back together," Kar mused.

Karthor chuckled. "Isn't that what we're doing now?"

"I prefer marching into known danger at full strength," the wizard said. "But I suppose you're right. Just as well. I was getting bored, what with researching new magic and answering questions that have plagued me for years."

Karthor chuckled. "I'm sure you were."

"It's miserable, I tell you," Kar went on. "Sleeping in a warm and comfortable bed every night? Perish the thought!"

Karthor laughed at his father's antics and walked with him through the crowded streets of Portland towards the stables and the gate beyond.

### Chapter 20

"We'll wait—" Taldar said to the gathered companions until Mordrim cut him off.

The dwarf slammed the shaft of his hammer into the deck and said, "You'll be waiting until we get back, be it a day or a month!"

Taldar stared down at the warrior and nodded his head.

"I mean it." Mordrim glowered at him. "You left once ere you should have. You do that again and I'll swim back and drown you with my bare hands!"

Taldar glanced at his crew. "The first man who whines about wanting to leave swims home."

Grunts and nods were his response.

Mordrim nodded and turned towards the longboat that had already been lowered beside the _Kraken_. Garrick let his gaze rake across the crew. He considered adding a few words but in the end let his silence be the message he needed. He stepped into the boat and moved to balance it in the water opposite of where the dwarf, priest, and wizard already sat.

Mordrim reached for a set of oars but Garrick's chuckle stopped him. "Best let Karthor on those."

Mordrim's eyes narrowed. "My arms will work long after yours fall off."

The barbarian shrugged and pushed away from the _Kraken_. As soon as the boat had cleared enough distance, he dipped his oars in and rowed with long and powerful strokes. Mordrim lowered his and tried to keep up, though his shorter arms made for shorter strokes. He made up for it with speed, which only drove Garrick to dig deeper into the water and lengthen his own stroke.

After only a few minutes, the boat beached on the sand with enough force to send Kar stumbling out of his seat and into the one ahead of him. Karthor chuckled and shook his head while the wizard spat out, "Save anything for whatever horrors befall our friends?"

Garrick rolled his shoulders and grinned. Mordrim cracked his neck and then his knuckles. Both had sweat glistening on their brows and were breathing heavy. "Just getting started," Mordrim said before he hopped out of the boat and splashed the final few feet to shore.

Garrick followed and the two of them pulled the boat up the beach over a dozen feet as the captain suggested. They were midway between high and low tide and didn't need a storm or rogue wave washing it away.

"Well, we're here. Now what?" Kar asked. "Should we just start shouting and making a nuisance of ourselves and see if they come running?"

"Is the island really haunted?" Garrick asked.

"I hardly think so," the wizard responded. "A spirit without flesh is exceedingly rare."

"So what makes the noise they was talking about?" the barbarian challenged.

"By 'they' you mean the sailors? A superstitious lot, sailors. There are many inexplicable things in the world, be they wondrous and fantastical or dreadful and terrifying, but they pale in comparison to the fanciful imaginations of the seafaring man."

Garrick blinked and then scowled at the wizard. His hands balled into fists and he opened his mouth to speak, but Karthor intervened. "My father has spent several months immersed in his studies and research. He loses touch with the rest of the world rather easily and forgets that we need answers and help, not more questions to ponder."

Kar frowned. "Perhaps, but this island does seem to provide some remarkable opportunities for study. Especially if it's been free of contact by humans for some time."

Karthor shook his head and sighed. "I understand why Tristam was always yelling at you now."

"He nagged like an old woman," Kar muttered. "But you were asking about the moaning or wailing, as they put it. It could be a magical device or perhaps a horn or other instrument mimicking a musical device. Perhaps it's the wind blowing through some natural formation? Or, I suppose, it is possible—if unlikely—that there is some ghostly or otherwise supernatural creature responsible for it. I do seem to recall reading something about a banshee one time."

"The wind seems most likely," Karthor cut his father off. "Let's head inland and see if we can find high ground. Who knows what we might see."

"It gets higher up there." Mordrim pointed up away from the beach where tall grass and palm trees grew.

"Everything's higher to you," Garrick joked and took the lead.

"Are short jokes really all you've got?" Mordrim complained as he followed the tall northerner.

Garrick grinned back at him and said, "Going after the low-hanging fruit first."

Kar snickered and Karthor groaned at the barbarian's wit.

They'd barely entered the grass when Garrick's eyes narrowed. He slowed down and drew his great sword. The others readied their weapons and spells and fell quiet as he moved quietly through the grass. In a few minutes, the others wrinkled their noses at the smell of death that reached them.

Garrick walked through the weeds and used his sword to push aside the grass that hid the remains of an animal. Flies buzzed around it and rose in a cloud when he disturbed them.

"Pig," Kar said when he saw the corpse. "Dead a few days, I think."

Garrick looked around the beast and then knelt to look closer. "Hunters did this," he said.

"How can you tell?"

"Its belly was cut open to dress it out."

"Wild animals go for the innards and soft flesh first," Kar said. "Just because it's got no guts doesn't mean a hunter killed it."

"No," Garrick agreed, "but a smooth cut from ribs to crotch does."

Kar leaned over to see where Garrick pointed. The flesh had been nibbled and torn but even with the damage it was obvious that the boar's skin had been slit. Kar nodded and stepped back.

"If it was a hunter, why not take the entire beast?" Mordrim asked.

"Boar this size weighs more than you," Garrick said. The barbarian held up his hand to forestall the dwarf's irate response. "More than me, too. It'd take a couple of men to carry it; otherwise, I'd dress it and quarter it to take it back."

"Whoever did this didn't bother," Karthor said. "But a hunter would know all of this."

Garrick pointed at the broken spine of the boar. "This was killed by a sword, not an arrow or spear. No hunter stalks his prey with a sword."

"So which is it?" Mordrim demanded. "Hunter or not?"

"I've never hunted boar before," Garrick said. "Are they aggressive?"

"You're asking a healer, a wizard, and a miner," Karthor pointed out.

"I've read that they'll attack if surprised or threatened," Kar spoke out and surprised his son.

"I expected as much," Garrick said. "My guess is someone surprised the boar and it attacked. They fought—see how there's some broken grass around here? Then they separated enough for the man to draw his sword and kill it."

"And the dressing?" Kar pressed.

"The best meat in any beast is the back straps," Garrick said with a shrug. "If I only need a meal for a few people, that's what I'd go for. They're missing, but I can't tell if animals have eaten them or if they were cut out."

Kar nodded. "Well done."

Garrick glared at the wizard. "You already knew all this?"

"No," Kar chuckled and shook his head. "I'm commending your analytical thinking in deducing the likely skirmish and results."

"Bah! Was it Alto or not?" Mordrim asked.

Garrick shrugged. "He's got a sword and he'd know to go for the best meat. I'd say it was; the sailors even said they came this way."

"Good enough for me," Mordrim said. "Now let's leave this rotting beast to the buzzards and be off."

Garrick looked around and saw birds resting in the palm trees nearby. He hadn't noticed them until now; he'd been distracted by the smell. The hunter turned away, ashamed of his oversight, and proceeded along the path through the weeds that led away from the beach.

They found the remains of the campfire in the abandoned village a short while later. The sun was past its zenith and beginning its plunge into the west, casting their shadows ahead of them as they finished searching the village and turned to the abandoned road that led into the jungle.

"We need a tracker," Kar muttered.

"Garrick's found the path thus far," Mordrim snapped at the wizard.

Garrick glanced at the ground and then nodded. "Aye, but I'm no tracker. I can trail a bleeding animal but little more."

"Does it really matter?" Karthor asked. He pointed at the distant castle sitting on top of the cliff. "I wager they went there."

"The road heads that way," Mordrim seconded.

Rather than waste energy on words, Garrick started down the road. They passed by the tropical fruit-bearing trees as they walked, drawing strange looks from Garrick at the brightly colored food.

"Bananas, pineapple, and oranges," Kar rattled off as they walked. "If they died, it's not for lack of food."

Mordrim scowled at the wizard. "Nobody's talking about dying."

Kar held up his hands. "Calm down, good dwarf. I meant there's food in abundance here, be it unroasted pig or a fruit salad."

"Be silent," Karthor warned. "We don't know what threats there are and you're loud enough to wake the dead."

"I hardly think our talking is louder than Mordrim's armor."

"Bring 'em on," the dwarf sneered. "I'm not afraid of a few wild pigs!"

"I've never seen one, but I've heard they look like dwarven women," Garrick offered.

"You've seen one," Mordrim growled. "At the camp where Rockwood will be built. The dwarf at the end of the table."

"That was a woman?" Garrick gasped.

"Fine beard she had, too." Mordrim sighed.

Garrick stared at the dwarf and then glanced at the other two. "You guys go on. I'll catch up. I'm going to be sick behind those trees."

"Hey!" Mordrim snapped.

Garrick chuckled and looked for support from the others. Karthor was frowning and Kar was looking with exaggerated interest at the trees ahead of them, although the wizard did have a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Fine," Garrick admitted. "I didn't know she was a she, but I'll confess she didn't look like a pig."

Mordrim grunted at the minor victory.

"Of course, if the pig had longer whiskers..."

Mordrim shifted his hammer into a two-handed grip and harrumphed. Garrick smirked at the dwarf but let the conversation die. The priest was right; they needed to be quiet. He led the group into the jungle as quietly as the dwarf and the priest's heavy armor would allow.

Once inside the tropical forest, the sounds seemed louder. The air no longer stirred, causing the northern man to sweat. He loosened his hide tunic, wishing he could strip it off and let what air there was touch his skin.

The cry of a bird jerked Garrick's attention to a tree. The colorful bird leapt from the fork in the tree and spread its wings to fly off through the forest. He was dazzled by the play of colorful feathers on the bird as it flew through the beams of sunlight that broke through the jungle canopy.

Garrick wrenched his eyes from the bird and turned back to look to his left. He started to reach for a looped vine hanging from a tree when he realized it wasn't right. It was too smooth. Garrick followed the vine until he saw the head of the mottled brown and green snake. He scowled and shuddered, and then stepped to the side and continued forward.

All around them as they walked, the birds and insects of the forest chirped, squeaked, and buzzed. Garrick found himself slapping at the stinging and biting insects as they landed on his arms or face. It reminded him of his homeland in the midsummer when the black flies would swarm.

The road curved through the jungle and rose up and over small hills and bowls. After they'd walked for more than an hour and lost several pounds in sweat and blood, they followed the road around a curve to the right and saw light shining at the end of it. Excited at the prospect of escaping the jungle, Garrick lengthened his stride.

He paused at the jungle exit and stared at the grass-filled clearing ahead of him. Mordrim stepped beside him and swore under his breath, echoing Garrick's awe. Shadows from the forest stretched halfway across the clearing. The road continued through it, though it ran along the southern edge to their right.

Amid the field of grass, they could see where it had been torn up in places to reveal random brown splotches amid the green. Garrick saw two shapes mixed in the grass, preventing him from identifying them beyond something that looked like a snake. A giant snake, not like the medium-sized one he'd nearly grabbed in the forest. For all he knew, the field was littered with the creatures.

He wasn't the only one looking for the crawlers. Karthor and Kar joined him. Both father and son stared with their mouths hanging open. A massive ape was running around the field and tearing it apart with one hand while the other arm was held to its side.

"What is that?" Garrick blurted out louder than he meant to.

"Ape," Mordrim answered.

Kar nodded and added, "Aye, it's an ape. Looks like a gorilla, but not like any I've ever seen before!"

"You've seen a lot of apes before?" Karthor asked.

Kar shrugged. "A few, not many."

"Mordrim?" Karthor asked.

"They inhabit the jungles south of the Khalalid River, in jungles near where my people mine the hills," he said. "But none like this. He's bigger and hairier than even Garrick!"

Garrick grunted, still too stunned to take offense at the jibe.

"She," Kar said. "Notice the lack of anatomy."

The ape had stopped pounding the clearing and was now standing still while her shoulders rose and fell. True to the wizard's word, she was lacking in the necessary equipment to be called a male. Well over a hundred yards away, she spread her lips and roared. Her arm pounded the ground and then she started to move, loping along on her hind feet and her good arm. A single awkward stride moved her faster than even Garrick could run, which was a problem since she was coming straight at them.

"Bananas!" Mordrim cried as she bore down on them. "They love bananas!"

"They don't make a banana big enough for her," Kar mused. "I suggest you try your hammer instead."

Garrick grabbed his sword in both hands and stood ready. He'd killed a giant once—how different could an ape be?

### Chapter 21

"She's out there," Alto mumbled while he stared to the north. "Not far now. Closer than yesterday."

Namitus grimaced and tried to pick himself up to look over the parapet. He groaned as he bumped his broken shin and collapsed back onto the stone roof of the tower. The rogue grabbed his water skin and sipped the last few drops of water in it before he capped it and returned it to his side. "Won't be long now," he said.

"What?"

"Being done with this."

Alto turned to his crippled friend. "Trina's safe," he said. "Or at least as safe as anyone can be on this island. It can't be much longer before help comes."

"Too long," Namitus sighed. "My water's gone."

"Drink mine." Alto reached for the skin at his side but the rogue held up his hand.

"Later, maybe. No point to it now," Namitus said.

Alto turned to stare at the courtyard and castle. Beyond them somewhere, he knew she was waiting. "Why do you think it is that I can feel her?"

"What?" the rogue grunted.

"Patrina. Why do you think I can feel her? When I felt something pulling me, it was her. I felt it to the north and then when it passed under us. She came out of the manor house; she must have found another way in through the mountain."

"Oh, yeah. Must have."

"What's wrong with you?" Alto snapped. "You're always filled with life and energy. This isn't like you."

"Alto, we're done," Namitus moaned. "I can't hardly move and all we've been eating is this fruit the apes bring us. I need your help to hang my arse over the edge of the tower when the fruit rushes through me. We're out of water and Patrina can't handle those apes by herself. You couldn't handle them—what hope does she have?"

"She can do things with her sword that surprise me every time we spar," Alto was quick to respond.

"I know, but these things are the size of giants, only stronger! And where was her sword? When we saw her, she had an axe. Not much good that did, either."

Alto glanced around for the female that Patrina had wounded. She had stormed off shortly after Bucky returned and they had a grunting and shrieking fight. She hadn't come back yet. "That ape is still nursing her wounds, I bet."

"And what about you? You're more lively than you've been since they stuck us up here, but you still don't have the strength to throw a rock at them, let alone fight them proper."

"You're right," Alto said after a moment of thought.

Namitus sighed. "Wonder what it's like, dying of thirst. Might be easier to just throw myself off the cliff. Quicker, at least."

Alto shook his head. "No, that's not what you're right about. I mean about Patrina not being able to do it all herself. We've got to help her."

Namitus managed to cough up a laugh. "I'll just dance circles around them on my broken leg, shall I? And you, what will you do—teach them how to plant crops until they surrender?"

Alto stared at his friend and felt his face heat beyond the sunburn already on it. "I'll help you," Alto said. "We can't fight, but maybe we can find that tunnel."

Namitus snorted. "I'm sorry, my friend. This damn leg hurts more and more. You've set it twice but without a proper brace, it will never heal. If I had the time left to me for it to heal, that is."

"What about a song or a tune from your pipes?" Alto asked. "Something lively to boost your spirits?"

Namitus glanced down at his chest where he kept his pipes tucked beneath his shirt. He sighed and shook his head. "Music requires passion and inspiration. I find both hard to reach right now."

Alto stood up and straightened to his full height. His armor was heavy and hot but he'd taken to wearing it in spite of the heat after they'd seen Patrina so close. He walked over to Namitus and stared down at the sitting man.

"What are you doing?" Namitus asked in a tired voice.

"I'm tired of your whining," Alto said. "Figured I'd save myself the water and toss you off the edge to get it over quicker. Gives me another day or two since I want to live."

"I never said I didn't want to live," Namitus argued. "It just doesn't seem likely."

Alto stared down at the man and scowled. "Does it seem likely that a man who looks like a boy could trick kelgryn raiders into taking him in and making him a part of the royal family? What about surviving in a castle filled full of goblins, trolls, and ogres? Surviving a mountain crashing? What about Sarya?"

Namitus raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he stared at the warrior. "Maybe our luck has finally run out."

Alto shook his head. "We've had bad luck along the way. Losing William, Gerald, and Drefan? Tristam's lame leg?"

"And your family, I know," Namitus said. "But we've had more good luck than bad."

Alto shook his head. "No, we've worked hard for everything we've done. And now's not the time to stop working for it. We came to this island looking for adventure and we found it—"

"We found more than we bargained for," Namitus interrupted.

"If we thought it was safe, we wouldn't have bothered. Now stop whining or I'll see how long it takes for you to fall from here to the jungle."

Namitus scowled. "You won't do that."

"The heat makes me feel funny," Alto said. "Makes me irritable. I've done some things I never thought I'd do before."

Namitus glared at him a moment longer and then looked away. "What's your plan?"

Alto frowned. He turned away to look out over the courtyard again. His new position allowed him to smile so Namitus couldn't see his face. "The tunnel, I think," Alto said. "Need a distraction, though."

"Throwing me off the cliff would make for a distraction," the rogue agreed.

Alto chuckled. "It would, but not the one I'd prefer."

"Music then," Namitus said as he reached for the pipes.

Alto frowned. "That won't let us both get away; they'll hear you."

"No, you go. I'll try to distract them with something lively. Ever seen monkeys dance before?"

"No!" Alto snapped. "I'm not leaving you here."

"Come on, Alto, I can't even walk. Yes, you could carry me but with Bucky chasing you? And you don't have a sword to fight with."

"Fighting isn't the answer," Alto said. "Hiding and escaping is."

"The island is only so big," Namitus pointed out. "He found us once. How hard will it be for him to do it again?"

"We can make it on our terms," Alto said. "Make it so that we have the advantage."

Namitus raised his eyebrow.

"Carson's survived for years here," Alto pointed out.

Namitus sighed. "You're going to get me killed yet."

"Someday, maybe, but not today."

"All right, so how are we going to do this?" Namitus asked.

Alto frowned. "I'm not quite sure yet."

"I thought you had this figured out?" Namitus snapped.

Alto's armor clinked as he shrugged his shoulders. "I usually decide that I need to do something and figure it out as I go."

"Well, if we're going to go, now's the time to—"

Both men turned and looked to the west. The sun was beginning to turn into an angry red ball as it neared the horizon, but it wasn't the sun that distracted them. It was the echoing roar of an ape.

Bucky and the two females still with him climbed to their feet and stared to the west. One of the females grunted a few times but Bucky shut her down with a snarl of his own. He pushed her back and then grunted some more before he turned and made his way to the castle gate. The other female followed him while the one that had been chastised remained behind and watched them go.

She turned after they'd loped off down the mountain road and her glittering brown eyes fell on Alto. She shrieked at him and sat down, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"This may be our chance," Alto hissed.

"Bucky would capture us and stick us back up here. None of his women seem nearly as friendly," Namitus whispered.

Alto nodded and said, "I hope she isn't one of the apes I hurt in the forest."

Namitus winced. "You don't think she'd kill us out of spite and tell Bucky we tried to escape, do you?"

Alto shook his head. "I have no idea. Do monkeys have a code of honor?"

Namitus chuckled. "All this monkey business is driving me bananas!"

Alto's brow furrowed. "That was a bad joke, wasn't it?"

Namitus sulked. "Two of them, you uncultured lout! If you spent more time in the south, you'd have gotten them."

Alto raised one eyebrow and then he grinned. Wounded or not, his friend was back in spirit as well as body. Now if only he could keep his own fire up long enough to figure out what they were going to do before Bucky returned.

### Chapter 22

"What's happening?" Patrina hissed after she'd turned away from the castle wall and stared over the jungle to the west. They'd heard the ape's roar and heard as much as felt Bucky's response to it. The great ape had run down the road towards the jungle with one of his females close behind him.

"The clearings are where a lot of animals hunt," Carson whispered. "That's why I avoided them when I brought you back here. That must be one of the apes and she sounded angry."

"They always sound angry!"

Carson shook his head. "They talk, just as you and I are, but they have their own way of doing it."

"You speak ape?" Patrina's eyes rounded in amazement.

Carson smiled. "I don't speak it, but I can understand it a little. That was the sound of a very angry ape. She challenged something."

"What? We're all up here."

"What indeed," Carson asked. "The apes are the rulers of this island; nothing dares contest them."

"Thork?" Patrina wondered aloud.

"Thork?"

She shook her head. "It's a long story," she said. "And we've been handed an opportunity. If Bucky's gone, why don't we go through the gate?"

"One ape hunting on the island, two running through the jungle—that leaves two more apes. One or both are probably guarding Bucky's captives."

Patrina nodded. "Makes sense. Let's keep going then."

Carson crept along the narrow mesa between the decaying castle wall and the edge of the cliff. He had to step over a few areas where the rock had broken away, and then he paused to wait until Patrina navigated the obstruction. They made it to the northwest corner of the castle without problem. Once there, they found the square tower base was within inches of the edge of the cliff.

"Now what?" Carson asked her.

Patrina grabbed Carson's arm at the wrist and leaned out over the cliff. She stared down and frowned. It was uneven but without ledges or reliable hand or footholds to scale it horizontally. She turned, still leaning out over a long fall, and stared up at the tower.

"Are you a good climber?" Patrina asked after she used Carson's arm to pull herself back in next to the tower. "I've seen you in trees, but what about stone?"

Carson turned and looked up. He frowned and then nodded. "I can make it."

"Will your rope hold?"

He scowled at her. "Will my rope hold? You insult me!"

"You'll know when I insult you," she told him. "Now get up there and lower your rope down."

Carson pushed her back until they were next to the wall. He moved to the corner where the castle wall joined the tower and began to pick his way up using the small cracks and holes carved out by wind and rain.

"Hurry!" Patrina hissed up at him when he paused too long looking for a hold.

Carson didn't respond aside from moving his foot much higher on the wall and then stretching to reach a handhold. He gasped as some stone crumbled and slipped, but his foot held. Patrina let out her pent-up breath and turned to look at the jungle behind her. She squinted but the setting sun was in her line of sight and ruining her vision.

Patrina jumped when something hit her on the chain link strap looped over her left shoulder. She spun and looked up. Carson was leaning out from the top of the tower and motioning her up. The rope swung in front of her.

Patrina kicked off her boots and grabbed the rope. She dug her toes into the cracks in the wall and pulled herself up by the rope. She looped it around her forearm with each upward step until she let Carson help her pull herself over and onto the top of the tower.

"Now what?" Carson whispered once he'd pulled the rope up and looped it around his chest.

Patrina crawled across the tower on her hands and knees and peered between crenellations. She couldn't see beyond the next tower, but she could see a little bit of the courtyard. What she saw was empty. She turned her head to look back and saw Carson's lips hung open and his eyes were boring into her. Not her face, rather, but at her legs and bottom.

Patrina's eyes narrowed. The skirt that protected her hips and thighs was doing little to protect her from his lecherous gaze. "Memorize it," Patrina growled at him.

Carson jerked and shifted his gaze to her eyes. His tanned face was already turning a darker shade. "I did—"

Patrina cut him off and spat in a low but venomous voice, "If I ever catch you showing such disrespect, I'll burn out your eyes myself!"

Carson's gaze fell to the tower and he nodded. "I'm sorry."

She backed up and moved to another gap between crenellations, this one near the southeast corner of the tower. She stuck her head out far enough to leave it exposed for a second, and then retreated. Carson was still staring at the roof of the tower, she was happy to see.

"One ape, sitting near the manor," she whispered to him.

"Only one?"

Patrina nodded. "That's all I could see. Not many buildings up here. I think it's safe."

"Now what?"

"He was on the northeast tower, but the wall was broken next to it," Patrina remembered.

Carson nodded. "That's where he keeps them."

"You've seen this before?"

"Long ago," Carson said. "I had to know, so I sneaked up near the gate and saw from the outside."

Patrina frowned and looked away. She slipped Alto's sword off and unwrapped her axe.

"What are you doing?" Carson asked as Patrina slipped the belt back across her chest.

"We're going to kill an ape," Patrina said.

"You can't!" Carson rocked back on his knees and shook his head. "They're too strong!"

"You told Bucky your arrow probably wouldn't kill him. That meant they can be killed. And you're going to help me," Patrina said.

"You're daft!"

Patrina shook her head. "No, I'm taking control of my fear."

"Fear? No, this is madness. That ape is over twenty feet tall and could crush either one of us! I've seen them do it; it's not pretty. Would you like your arms or legs pulled off? Your head squashed under their foot? They're stronger than you can imagine."

"I can imagine," Patrina stated. "I was swung through the air by one of them and thrown when I cut her arm. Then Bucky grabbed me. I know what they can do."

Carson shook his head. "This is impossible! I won't help."

"You will help," Patrina told him. "There's a lot of blood on your soul, Carson Twoblade. You can't bring your shipmates back, but you can put an end to this suffering and do what you should have done all those years ago."

Carson opened and closed his mouth a few times. He jerked his gaze away from Patrina's and stared out over the jungle towards the setting sun. He rose up slowly and stood before he took his bow off his shoulder and fitted an arrow to the string. "All right, I've lived eight years on borrowed time; it's time I paid it back."

Patrina stared up at him and then stood. She turned and saw the female ape's head over the remains of the two-story manor. The ape was looking to the northeast so it didn't see them. "Trust in us, Carson," Patrina said to him. "You'll have many more years to live."

"Get down there. I'll draw her attention so you can sneak up on her. Cut at her ankles if you can, then when she's down we can finish her," he advised.

Patrina nodded and crawled back to the southeastern edge of the tower. "Loose your arrow when I drop," she said.

Patrina twisted around so her feet went between the stone blocks first. She backed up farther and then lowered her hips over the edge. She hung suspended for a moment and then slid farther so that only her left fingers kept her dangling. She looked down and sucked in a last breath before she relaxed her fingers and let gravity claim her.

Patrina stumbled to her feet after rolling, favoring her good leg. She yanked her braid away from her face and shook her head. The roaring in her ears wasn't coming from her, she realized. It was the ape. Broken rocks pinged off her armor. The ground trembled a second later, announcing the landing of a chunk of stone the ape had thrown at the tower. Patrina clenched her teeth and took off at a run to slip between the manor and the wall.

She barely made it before the ape rounded the corner, grunting and howling in rage. It pounded the tower, sending rocks and dust flying. One hand grabbed a crenellation and tore it off. Patrina jumped back as it landed less than five feet from her. She took a deep breath and heard another roar as another arrow impaled the ape's face.

Patrina bolted from cover and swung her axe in the mightiest two-handed grip she could manage. The blade sliced through the ape's hair, skin, sinew, and bone on its left leg. Patrina kept running and circled away from it, limping with each step. By the time she turned her head back around, she caught the ape crashing to its knee and both hands. It shouted and tried to lunge at her, but its ruined foot foiled the attempt. A fresh arrow slammed into the back of the ape's head.

Patrina ran towards the ape now and ducked to the side as her meaty hand grabbed for her. She spun and hacked into the back of the ape's elbow with her axe, and then tried to jump back when the ape yanked its arm back towards her. Trina was brushed by it and sent rolling until she came to rest against the base of the manor.

She lurched back to her feet and had to dive to the side to avoid the ape's other hand that tried to slam her into the ground. The damned creature was as fast on its hands as it was on its feet! She rolled up to her feet and ran away, putting enough distance to pick her angle. Several more arrows cushioned the ape's head and back. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone on the northeast tower waving and shouting, but she blocked him out.

What mattered was the ape and how she was going to kill it. She was gasping for breath and her leg trembled beneath her. The ape picked herself up and used her hands and remaining good foot to rush towards her. Patrina took a step back out of fear of the rushing monster, and then realized that there was no retreat. She had to face the ape and every second she delayed gave Bucky time to come back with reinforcements.

Patrina let loose one of her father's primal war cries and charged the advancing ape. Her knee buckled after half a dozen sprinting steps, sending her crashing to the ground. Her axe stayed with her through the collapse, proof that more than training was at work. She grabbed it and braced the shaft against the ground as the ape's fist came down on top of it.

The ape roared and ripped its hand away. Patrina felt her shoulders nearly jerked out of their socket as she held her grip on the axe. As it was, she was lifted off the ground before the spike on the axe fell free of the ape's hand. She stumbled and barely managed to keep her feet when she landed.

She looked up at the ape and saw her looking down at her. The massive black lips parted to show her its teeth. It roared and raised its good hand to swing at her. Patrina dove forward, somersaulting on the ground and slipping inside the ape's reach. She emerged from the roll and leapt into the air, thrusting with her good leg to give her the drive she needed. She swung the axe overhead and buried the blade in the ape's lower abdomen.

Patrina's grip never failed her, which meant for a timeless moment she hung in midair between the ape's legs. The female ape's hands went to her wound, knocking the axe free and dumping Patrina to the ground. The ape fell back and tripped on its bad foot, crashing into the eastern wing of the manor house.

Patrina rose up and limped over to the ape. The wounded ape grunted and screeched while rocking from side to side on the ground. The kelgryn warrior princess walked around the ape, taking care to go extra wide in case it tried to swat at her again, and then approached her from her head. The ape twisted her head and looked at her. Her lips twitched and quivered and, for a moment, Patrina saw pain and fear in the ape's eyes.

"No!" Patrina forced the sudden empathy away. It didn't matter how intelligent the apes were. This ape had tried to kill her and Carson. It would have killed Alto and Namitus if it had the chance, too. She heaved her axe overhead and let it fall with every last muscle her body held behind it. The blade cleaved the ape's skull and kept going until it slammed into the ground beneath her.

### Chapter 23

Alto's plan was to drop from the edge of the tower and hit the ground running. His armor weighed him down and made that impossible. He pushed himself to his feet and tried to block the searing pain in his hand from his mind. He staggered a few steps until he got his balance under him and then ran through the courtyard towards Patrina and the ape.

He cried out when she fell and the ape tried to crush her. Instead of smashing her into jelly on the ground, the ape's hand stopped a couple of feet above her. She yanked her hand up, picking Patrina up for a moment until she fell. Patrina was still alive and somehow, on her feet. Alto pumped his legs harder and reached for the dagger at his side. It wasn't much against the ape but it was better than nothing.

The ape collapsed before he could reach them. Alto slowed, surprised, and then saw the ape was still moving even if she didn't seem to be a threat. Patrina moved around the hairy beast, still on her own feet, although she was limping. Patrina delivered the killing blow to the ape and then stood staring at the fallen animal.

Alto slowed and sheathed his dagger as he approached her from behind. Patrina's shoulders rose and fell as she breathed, and then she staggered and would have fallen if Alto hadn't caught her. He spun her in his arms and kissed the surprised woman. She stiffened in his arms and then pushed herself into him. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed, trying to pull him into her. His armor pushed against hers, preventing them from being as close as they wanted.

They broke apart and locked gazes. A hundred things rushed through Alto's mind but he couldn't grab on to any of them to say to her. Patrina was equally speechless, staring at him and blinking away the moisture that kept filling her eyes.

"Good job," Alto finally said with a nod towards the fallen ape.

Patrina looked at the dead female ape and then back to Alto. "I couldn't let anything happen to you," she whispered.

"We were trying to figure out how to escape," Alto said. "I was worried Bucky had done something to you."

Patrina smiled and kissed him again. "Not really, but that reminds me, we need to get out of here. Where's Namitus?"

Alto looked at the tower in the northeastern corner. "Trapped up there. He's got a badly broken leg; he can't walk on it."

"We'll carry him," she said.

Alto nodded. "Where's Carson?"

"Over here," Carson said as he walked up to the dead ape. He stared at her for a long moment before he started to extract the unbroken arrows he could reach. "Can't believe you did it."

"We did it," Patrina reminded him.

Carson scoffed. "My arrows were bee stings, nothing more."

"It doesn't matter," Alto said. "She's dead but there are four other apes out there. I need help getting Namitus down, then we need to get away from here. I need my sword if I'm going to be worth anything."

Patrina slipped the belt off her chest, drawing Alto's attention to her armor. He frowned and opened his mouth but Patrina held out the belt to him and beat him to it. "I already found it."

Alto took the bundle and felt better immediately. The weight on his shoulders fell away and his breath came easier. He removed the leather wrapping around the scabbard and put his hand on the hilt. He felt the warmth flood through him and push his fatigue away. Alto drew the blade with his renewed strength and grinned.

"Namitus?" Patrina reminded him.

"Oh, yes, Namitus. Let's go!" Alto slid the sword back home in his scabbard and turned around. He led the way to the tower, light on his feet and feeling better with each passing step. "New armor?" he asked Patrina on their way over.

"You're not going to believe who I ran into."

Alto glanced at the axe she carried and the sparkling armor that looked both beautiful and indecent. "Thork's here, isn't he?"

Patrina gasped and stopped. "How did you know?"

The warrior grinned. "Where else would you find armor that looked like that but fit perfectly and actually offered protection?"

She nodded. "Good point. I wish I knew how he does it."

"Does what?"

"All of it!" Patrina said. "His supplies, his magic, his travel, everything."

"What better place to feel fear than an island that sailors are terrified of coming near?"

Patrina frowned and then glanced up at the top of the tower where she could see Namitus peering between crenellations. The rogue stuck his arm up to catch the last of the sunlight that wasn't blocked by the castle walls and waved at her.

"Nimble fellow like him shouldn't have any problems getting down," Carson said.

"His leg is broken; he can't walk or climb," Alto explained.

"Oh! All right, half a minute, I'll go to him," Carson said. He moved to where the broken wall was and scaled up the side of the tower with ease. Once inside, he tossed one of the ropes over and then helped move Namitus into position.

"Catch me if I fall," Namitus said before he lowered him on the rope, one hand at time. Alto sturdied him once he was low enough and then slipped his shoulder under the man's arm once he was down.

Carson retrieved his rope and then dropped from the wall with little more than a grunt. He looked at Namitus and frowned. "We need to set that bone and get a brace on it or it won't heal right."

"I know," Namitus snapped. "We've done it a few times around but without some sticks and rope it just doesn't stay.

"I have both."

"Later," Patrina snapped.

"Yes," Alto agreed. "Those apes will be back soon. There's nothing on this island that can kill them so we need to get away from here."

"I killed one," Patrina reminded him.

Alto grinned. "You did. Ready to take on the other four?"

"I need a few days to rest first, I think. Or maybe a lifetime."

Alto chuckled and pulled her in with his free arm to hug her again. Patrina smiled and returned the gesture.

"Come, I have a few places nearby we can hide out in," Carson promised. He led them towards the main gate but between half-carrying Namitus and Patrina's limp, they made poor time. Carson turned and scowled, and then he hurried over to them. "I'll help Namitus; you help Patrina," he said.

"I'd take the girl if I were you," Namitus said.

Carson shook his head. "She scares me."

Namitus burst out in a laugh that ended when he jostled his leg. They traded partners and started toward the gate again when they heard the heavy footsteps of their captors coming up the mountain road.

"Too late!" Carson cried in dismay.

"The tunnel," Patrina snapped. "Quick, to the manor—there's a tunnel that will take us through the island to Thork's lagoon."

"Who's Thork?" Carson asked.

"You'll see," Namitus told him.

Patrina and Alto led the way. She steered them towards the broken wall where the ape had pulled her out of the estate. They stood at the wall when Carson spoke up behind them. "Might want to hurry!"

Alto spun, twisting Patrina with him, in time to see Bucky crawl through the gate and rise to his massive height. He stared at the dead ape and then turned his eyes to them. He roared and hammered his hands against his chest, and then pounded the ground before rushing towards them.

Alto helped Patrina scramble into the building by pushing up on her with his good hand. She tumbled over the broken wall with a yelp and a crash, followed by cursing that was drowned out by the furious ape's grunting. Behind Bucky, two other apes were crawling through the barbican.

Alto and Carson hoisted Namitus over the wall next, throwing him as much as lifting him. He fell on the other side with a howl of pain. Alto turned to Carson, ready to offer to help the man in.

Carson locked his fingers together in front of him, offering Alto a foothold. "Bucky and I have chased each other for years. I expect it's time we caught each other."

Alto reached for his sword at his side. "I'll stand with you."

"Just go, damn it!" Carson swore at him. "You're here because of me—have the decency to leave because of me, too!"

Alto frowned and opened his mouth when Patrina called for him from the other side of the wall. Bucky roared and hurled a broken piece of stone from one of the buildings at them. It shattered against the wall of the manor a few feet from the men, showering them with broken stone.

"Go!" Carson urged again.

Alto nodded and put his foot in the man's hand. He thrust up, earning a grunt as Carson tried to compensate for the armored warrior's weight. Carson staggered but Alto had gotten both arms over the wall and held on. Carson pushed while Alto heaved himself up. Sweat broke out on his brow from the gut-wrenching agony his broken hand endured while he used it to hold himself up. His fingers wouldn't grip the stone but he used his palm to pivot on and tilt forward.

Alto's center of balance shifted and he tumbled forward. He flipped just enough to land on his back and not his head. His armor cushioned the blow of falling on broken stone but the crash left him dazed and staring at the midnight blue sky that was twinkling with stars.

"Alto, come on!" Patrina shouted through the fog. She pulled at his hand, helping him remember he was supposed to be on his feet and not his back. He rose up, his left hand throbbing and feeling like it was on fire. But he was still alive, which was something considering he had no right to be.

"Carson," Alto muttered.

"He can take care of himself," Patrina snapped. "Help me with Namitus."

Alto glanced at the rogue and saw that the man had passed out. Alto scooped him up and slung him over his left shoulder, wrapping his forearm over the man's legs to keep him stable. Alto's hand had a tingling warmth in it that made it feel distant.

Something crashed into the house, making it shudder and knocking stone and wood down around them. Dust rose and fell and it brought with it a host of massive spiders fleeing for their lives. They darted into the shadows and along halls, seeking refuge from the forces around them.

Patrina sucked in her breath and then forced herself forward. She was limping badly now, barely able to put any pressure on her leg. "This way," she said as she used her axe as a cane to help her move forward.

Alto drew his sword and followed her through the doorway and down a hallway. The building shuddered again and they heard more of the apes roaring outside. Carson was lasting longer than he had any right to. Long enough to let them escape.

"Saint's blood, stairs!" Patrina swore.

Alto looked around her and saw the stairs. "Those weren't there before?"

"They were—I forgot."

Alto nodded and sheathed his sword. "I'll carry you."

"You can't carry both of us!" she hissed.

"I think I can—"

"The hall isn't tall or wide enough," Patrina said. "Take my hand and go first to steady me."

"Steady you?" Alto asked after she walked down a couple of steps and reached up to her.

Patrina hopped down the first step, keeping her bad leg raised out of the way. She hopped again a moment later, biting her lip all the while. "I can do this. Let's go."

Alto helped her hop down the remaining stairs and then through a passage. He frowned as he stared down the dark hallway. "Do you know where to go? I can't see anything."

They heard another roar drift down to them but this one sounded more distant. Whether it was because they were farther away or not, Alto didn't know. Patrina moved in front of him in the hallway. "Yes, I can see."

"How?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I think maybe the armor Thork gave me? Or this circlet. It lets me see shades of gray in the darkness. The darker shades are the walls, ceiling, and floor. Anything, I guess, at least anything that's not alive."

"Isn't the hallway ahead of us dark then? There's nothing in it that I can see," Alto reasoned.

Patrina was silent a moment before she responded. "That hallway in front of me is lighter. Not much, but a little."

"This is foolish," Alto muttered. "I need to put Namitus down for a moment. Can you hold him?"

"Why?"

"I need my shield," he answered.

"Turn around," she asked him. When he did, she worked his shield free of the straps and presented it to him.

"Help me put it on my arm."

Patrina slipped the upside-down shield onto his right arm, an awkward feeling for the man who was used to wielding his sword in that hand. He managed to maneuver his arms and the shield so he could brush his hand against the symbol on the front of it, drawing a burst of light that erupted out of the shield and caused Patrina to cry out as it blinded her.

"Sorry," Alto murmured. "Should have warned you."

"It's all right. You lead," Patrina said while rubbing her eyes to help them adjust.

"How do I get out of here?"

"I'll tell you," she said. "It's an easy route, but a long one."

"What about Carson?" Alto asked.

"He knows where this comes out," she said before adding, "I told him. If he managed to get away, he knows where we'll be."

Alto grunted. "Then let's go."

"Alto?"

He stopped after his first step and turned his head to look at her. "Yeah?"

He saw her blush in the light reflecting from the walls. "I was scared."

Alto nodded. "I don't blame you. We weren't doing too good, either."

"No, let me finish," she said. "I thought I was scared for you but Thork helped me realize that I was more scared for me."

The warrior tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"I was scared about what I would do if you were gone. How would I go on without you?"

Alto nodded. "You'd find a way—you're strong. You just killed an ape the size of a giant!"

"This isn't a problem for you to solve," Patrina said. "This is me telling you how much you mean. And no, I don't know if I could go on. Strength comes in many forms. My mother once told me the strength of the arm was nothing next to the strength of the heart. I never understood her until now."

"Your mother's a wise woman," Alto offered. "And if it helps, I could do little more than think about you while I was imprisoned."

Patrina smiled. "Good. Now let's go. We've a long walk ahead of us."

### Chapter 24

"Deal's over, Bucky," Carson called out to the great ape. He considered unslinging his bow and then changed his mind. Bucky would be on him too soon. For that matter, drawing his swords would be just as foolish.

Carson ran.

He made it around the corner of the manor and ducked between it and the wall. Bucky bounced off the corner of the house and would have fallen if it hadn't been for the castle wall. Mortar and chips of stone broke free from the stress of supporting the ape's massive weight but it held. Bucky launched himself off it and slammed into the other corner of the manor house that Carson had run around.

With less than twenty feet between the estate and the western castle wall, Bucky had a harder time pursuing the ranger. The ape would drag against the wall or the estate, twisting and tripping himself. It helped Carson keep ahead of him until he saw one of the females come around the other end of the estate, blocking his escape. Carson slowed and saw the servant's entrance in the ruined manor house.

A smile spread across his face. He could follow Patrina and the others into the tunnel she'd talked about! He just had to find it in the building. He had a rough idea of where it was based on where they'd climbed in from the other side.

He was about to turn for the door when the other female climbed on top of the long building. The roof bowed and broke as she moved on it, getting herself into position to attack him. His smile faded. His only escape had just been snatched from him.

Carson slowed and then stopped. He turned to face Bucky and saw the great ape was slowing down to a walk. The ape lifted his left arm and punched the roof of the manor, caving in a section and sharing without words just how unhappy he was. Carson reached up and drew his twin swords, both blades long enough a sane warrior would never even consider dual wielding. With nothing but animals to fight, Carson found having two blades a benefit, not a curse.

Against Bucky and his two lady-apes, Carson's swords felt like toothpicks.

As he turned, he saw the tower set in the middle of the castle's western wall. It was square, like the others, and had a door at the base. Bucky could break the tower apart, given time, but it might be time that gave Carson another option. Or better yet, another way out. Without warning, the castaway leapt to the side and ran the five steps he needed to reach the tower door.

He burst through the aging wood shoulder first and then had to pick himself up from the floor. The inside of the tower was simple: a wooden bench and stone steps that went up around the wall. There was a landing halfway up next to a narrow window with bars in it. The last rays of the setting sun shone through it, adding a reddish tint to the tower.

Bucky's roar preceded the ape's fists into the ground just outside the tower. Large black fingers curled around the door frame and yanked on it, tearing the wood and causing the aged mortar holding the stones together to crack and give way. The entrance was being enlarged faster than Carson had imagined.

He looked at his swords and considered hacking at Bucky's fingers. That would buy him a little time and drive the ape into an even greater rage. He sheathed his blades and ran up the staircase instead. By the time he was at the top, Bucky had made a hole big enough to reach in and feel around. The bench was crushed right away but Bucky didn't know to reach up, nor were his arms long enough.

Carson sat on the metal ladder bolted to the stone that led to the trapdoor in the ceiling. He took his rope off and tied it around the bottom rung, and then twisted it around his hand several times before he climbed the ladder until he was crouched beneath the trap door. This close to it, he could see how the wood had been rotted and worn down by weather and age. All he had to do was throw it open and jump over the edge. The rope would keep him from falling over the cliff and he could make his way along the ledge to safety.

What could go wrong?

Bucky grunted, drawing Carson's attention. The ape had removed his arm and had squatted down so he could press his face against the opening. He stared into the tower, his eye glancing back and forth in search of Carson. Bucky's dark pupil dilated as it focused on Carson. He snarled and Bucky felt the tower tremble as the ape punched it.

He had to act now!

Carson rounded his back and thrust his shoulders up into the trap door. It broke and blew apart, nearly causing him to lose his balance and his grip. He recovered and climbed onto the roof just as Bucky straightened and rose up to look at him. Bucky reach for him with a dark hand but Carson had already fallen back.

The hunter's legs pumped in the air as he fell. He grabbed the rope with both hands and kept falling. He saw the cliff pass before him, alerting him that he'd jumped too far back, and then the rope snapped taut and burned through the skin on his hand. It yanked at his arm and stopped his fall, but it felt like he'd crushed his hand and dislocated his shoulder. Then the cliff rushed at him and smacked him in the face, stunning him.

A tug on the rope roused Carson from his stupor. A second tug moved him to the side. He shook his head and blinked the blood out of his eyes, and then tried to look up. Bucky was on top of the tower. He'd tried to get down to reach him but he couldn't. Now the ape was playing with the rope and seeing how it was attached to Carson.

Carson reached for the cliff and found cracks and uneven rocks he could wedge his feet into. His hand was bleeding from the burnt and torn flesh on his palm but that didn't matter. He reached over his shoulder and drew one of his swords and then hacked at the rope. It took three tries but he finally cut through the rope so his arm could fall at his side.

Carson almost fell from the sudden loss of support and the explosion of pain from his shoulder that radiated through his body. He grabbed on to the cliff with his fingers around his sword hilt and focused on breathing until the pain faded to a constant agony. Then he risked sheathing his blade and wondered how he was going to get down.

Bucky roared again and pounded the wall and the tower. Flakes of mortar and broken stone fell around him and on him, but aside from a wince of pain when a rock hit him, he ignored it. Carson focused instead on trying to find a way to climb down the cliff wall with only one hand and two feet. He managed a few feet of movement and decided that yes, he could do it, but it was going to take a really long time.

Carson looked up and saw one of the females had taken Bucky's position. She glared at him, her black fur ablaze with the setting sun. He frowned and turned his head in search of Bucky. He found the ape with the other female, running down the road to the castle.

"Damn the saints," Carson cursed. The ape was rushing to get to the bottom of the cliff so he couldn't get away. He looked down at the jungle roughly sixty feet below him. Another forty or fifty feet once he reached the boughs of the trees. Carson frowned. There was no way he could beat Bucky to the bottom. His cage had gotten bigger but he was still trapped.

Carson lifted his head to look to the west just as a green light swept across the ocean. He grunted, surprised at catching the sun at the perfect time as it sank beneath the horizon to see the green flash. Darkness would come quickly now and only the stars and moon overhead would guide his way.

He looked down at the jungle canopy. The apes seldom hunted at night, especially deep in the jungle. Perhaps he could slip past them in the dark. That, or he could use the trees to his advantage. If he could go from the branches of one tree to another, he might yet get away. Carson nodded and tried to move his arm. It burned when he moved his shoulder very much, but his elbow seemed all right. His hand and wrist felt numb and refused to fully cooperate.

"I can do this," Carson whispered to himself. He glanced up and saw the outline of the ape still sitting watch on the tower. "I will do this!" he shouted up to her.

She grunted in return and shifted her position. Pebbles and dust rained down around him. He scowled at her and turned his attention to the wall of the cliff. It was going to be a long night ahead of him but he was determined to see it through.

### Chapter 25

"Next time leave me behind," Namitus complained after Alto set him down on the wet rock shelf beside the underground river. "It's not that I'm not appreciative; it's just there's only so much of staring at your armored arse that I can appreciate!"

Alto chuckled and glanced at Patrina. She shrugged. "I wouldn't mind staring at it a while."

Alto's jaw dropped at her indecent remark. She smiled and turned away but not before the light from his shield showed the pink blossoming on her cheeks.

Namitus coughed after the silence grew awkward. "So, swimming now?"

"Just a little," Patrina said. "There's another ledge ahead."

"The last time I tried swimming with armor it didn't go so well," Alto reminded them.

"Take it off," Patrina said.

"What about Bucky?"

Patrina frowned. "Do you think your armor will help you against him?"

"Saved me last time from being squashed into a tree."

"Shine your light downstream. More to the left. There—that's the next ledge I was talking about. It's not very far," Patrina coached the warrior.

"Still too far to swim."

"But is it too far to throw?"

Alto frowned. "Throw? Nobody's going to throw me!"

"You're such a farm boy sometimes," Patrina chided him. "Take the armor off and throw it over there, then swim and put it back on!"

Alto clamped his mouth shut and then nodded. "I guess I can try that." He began to unbuckle his armor and after seeing him fumbling with only one hand, Patrina moved to help him. Together they removed the steel and chain in a matter of moments.

Patrina wrinkled her nose at him once his armor was off. "Finally, somebody smells worse than me!"

"What? You don't smell bad!"

"That's what I keep telling people," she said. She shrugged. "Start tossing it. Wait! Let me swim over first so I can keep it from bouncing off."

"You're going to swim in that?" Alto asked with a gesture at her skimpy armor.

"I did before. It's light." Patrina laughed and winked at him. "Or were you hoping to get me to take it off first?"

Namitus laughed, breaking the spell that left Alto openmouthed and stupefied. He turned away, his cheeks burning, and mumbled, "Just get going then."

Patrina grinned and planted a kiss on his cheek before she slid her axe between her belt and her hip. She made sure the blade was hooked over the belt so it wouldn't slip through and then she jumped in the cold river and swam to the next ledge. She pulled herself up and retrieved her axe. She waved and yelled up to them, "Go ahead, I'm ready!"

Alto started with the smaller pieces of armor and flung them across to her. He threw them one at a time, even tossing his armored boots to her, until he tried to pick up his breastplate. He could lift it with one hand but there was no way he could throw it.

"Float it to her," Namitus suggested.

Alto looked at him, his brows furrowed. "It's metal! It won't float."

"Flip it so that the hollowed side faces up," Namitus said.

Alto frowned but turned it upside down. On all but the bottom of it, a lip of metal curved in. He knelt down next to the end of the ledge and set it carefully in the water and watched it. Water slipped over the bottom and flooded, pulling it below the surface. Alto pulled it out of the water and shook his head.

"Then swim with that piece and keep it above water," Namitus suggested.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine," Namitus said. He pantomimed swimming with his arms. "I don't need my leg to swim."

"It helps."

The rogue shrugged. "Sure, but for that short distance I don't need it."

"Go ahead. I'll come last."

Namitus frowned and then stuck out his hand. Alto grabbed it and helped the wounded man to his feet. The rogue hopped over to the edge and then sat down. He dangled his feet in the water, hissing at the cold, and then slid in and began to stroke for the other ledge. Patrina met him there and helped him crawl out of the water.

Alto looked at his shield and his breastplate, all that remained of his armor. He didn't expect either one would make it across without his assistance. He frowned and then grabbed his shield. With the magic in it that lit his way, he deemed it was more important. Alto slipped into the water, the icy temperature stealing his breath for a moment. He struck out for the ledge, kicking and trying to use his left hand to aid his progress. He made it and clung to the edge with his elbows, gasping for breath from the short swim.

"Out of shape?" Patrina asked.

"You try swimming with a shield!" he sputtered.

"Come on, Namitus says the water's cold."

"It is," Alto agreed. He stared up at Patrina and frowned. "You're halfway to being bare as a babe—why aren't you chilled?"

Patrina shrugged. "The armor, I think. Magic."

Alto grunted. He pushed the shield farther onto the ledge and said, "I'll be right back." Before Patrina could respond, he swam upstream to retrieve his breastplate. The current was steady and the effort left him winded. He waited a few moments to catch his breath but the chattering in his teeth told him he dared not tarry. Alto slid his breastplate into the water and tried to hold it so that it would float along the water.

By the time he reached the far ledge, he barely managed to get the piece of armor on to the ledge. Patrina grabbed his shirt and heaved, keeping him above water until he could get his hands on the ledge and pull himself up. Once there, he lay gasping and shivering.

"Get up, you lug," Patrina said. "You need to move to warm up. It'll be warmer once we leave the cave, too."

"It's night out," Alto stuttered.

"But it's still warmer out there than it is in a cave, or have you forgotten your time in the mountains?"

Alto frowned and then nodded. He rose slowly and looked down at his sodden clothing.

"I can't help you there," Patrina said with a shrug. "You could take it off and wring it out. I won't tell anyone."

"Now you're trying to see me," Alto accused.

"Alto, my father gave you my hand. We're betrothed. Does it really matter? I can turn around if I must."

Alto shivered in spite of the heat in his face. "We're not wed yet; it doesn't seem right."

Patrina sighed and turned around. "Hurry up, farm boy."

Namitus snickered while Alto watched her for a moment and then hurried to pull his doublet off and squeeze out as much water as he could. He put it back on and repeated the action with his pants, and then cleared his throat. "Okay, I'm decent."

"Far too decent, I might add," Patrina said as she turned. "Now get your armor on, dragonslayer. We've got an ape to kill."

"You want to kill Bucky?" Alto asked.

Patrina nodded. "He'll be after us and the island is only so big. Carson survived because he and Bucky had an understanding. That understanding is over now, or at the least it doesn't apply to us."

"But he's thirty feet tall!"

"More than twenty, but not thirty," she argued. "And since when have you turned down a challenge? You've killed giants, ogres, and a dragon."

"Bucky's different," Alto said. "Unpredictable. Fast. Dangerous."

"Good thing giants and dragons aren't dangerous. Like stabbing a teddy bear."

Alto sighed. "Fine, we'll hunt the ape."

"No, the ape's hunting us," she corrected.

Alto started to put his armor back on, with Patrina helping him. While he dressed, he asked, "So we just wait for him then?"

"No, we need to find a place to set up some defenses. Keep him from coming all at once. Him and his lady-friends."

"Where?"

Patrina shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think somewhere along the cliff. That will keep them from surrounding us."

"And it keeps us from being able to escape," Namitus pointed out.

"Like you're in any condition to fight," Patrina said. "We'll keep you somewhere safe, don't worry."

"You said Thork was here. How close is he?" Alto asked.

"He's at the mouth of this cave. He's got a hut set up on the beach."

Alto grinned. "Thork will help us, I know it!"

"Kill Bucky?"

"Maybe not directly, but he'll give us something to help do it."

Patrina glanced at the axe in her hand and nodded. "He does seem helpful, now that you mention it. I wouldn't want to be his assistant, though."

"Bonky?"

She nodded again.

"He's not very nice," Alto agreed.

"No, he's not, but that's not what I meant. The abuse he goes through—Thork experiments on him with his potions!"

"So? He's a goblin."

Patrina ran her thumb along the blade of her axe to test its sharpness. "He is a goblin, but that doesn't mean he deserves this treatment."

Alto shrugged and finished tying his boots. "It works for them."

She sighed. "I guess it does. Are you ready then?"

"Ready to go for another ride, Namitus?"

"If you break wind again, I'm going to stab you in the arse!"

Alto sputtered and stammered until the rogue's laugh gave him away for lying. Patrina leaned over and gave Alto another kiss on the cheek. "Told you, you stink."

Alto stared at her as she walked down the ledge away from them, a little extra sway in her metal-clad hips. He sputtered for a moment and then hurried over to Namitus. "Hold me!" Namitus cried out with both hands raised.

Alto scowled and then threw the rogue over his shoulder like a sack of wheat. He hurried to catch up to Patrina, jostling the rogue with each step and earning a stream of curses from the colorful man.

The beach was beautiful and isolated, as Patrina had told them. With the stars and moon to guide them, they walked along the river until they could see where it left the grasses behind and split the sand on its path to the ocean. What they didn't see was a hut, a table, a troll, or a goblin.

"Where's Thork?" Alto cried.

"Gone," Patrina said in a flat voice. "I'd really gotten my hopes up, too."

"You got your hopes up to see a troll?" Namitus asked.

Alto shrugged his shoulders, jostling the man and making him groan.

"Thank you," Patrina said.

"Well, now what?" Alto asked.

"What's that?" Patrina pointed to the rock wall that isolated the beach from the rest of the island to the north and west.

Alto squinted but couldn't make out anything in the darkness. "I don't see anything."

Patrina was already moving towards it. Alto followed her and picked up his speed to match hers when she gasped. When he got closer, the light from his shield played across the flat rock and showed a crudely drawn picture. A large green face with large white teeth was next to a smaller black face. Beside it was a message painted just as crudely with a white paint.

"Gon sowth for skaree fings. Deez iz for yoo stoopids if yooz iz hurtin."

Underneath the broken message three stopped bottles lay sitting in the sand.

"Amazing," Patrina said while she shook her head.

"I can think of a better word for him," Namitus suggested.

Alto lowered Namitus to the ground and handed him one of the bottles. "Drink up. Maybe you can be useful after all."

The rogue raised an eyebrow and then sniffed the bottle. He grimaced and waited for Alto and Patrina to take one. "Does it bother anyone that we're taking some alchemical concoction created by a troll who's not even here anymore?"

"If he wished us ill, he wouldn't have helped us," Patrina said.

Alto nodded. "Why'd he go south?" the warrior wondered aloud.

"Scary things, he said," Patrina said.

Alto frowned. They'd just come from the south and left his sister there. Or maybe the troll meant somewhere else. Thork had once told him, a long time ago, that he came from some swamp in the south. And how did he leave if they didn't have a ship? Alto scowled and raised the potion to his lips. He tilted it back and drained it in three quick swallows, and then grimaced at the taste of fish.

The others drank but Alto paid no attention to them. He steeled himself and waited. Every time Thork's magic was used on him, there was a price to pay. A waking nightmare or, in the most recent example, a visit from Saint Jarook. After a few moments, he felt nothing save for a burning sensation that started in his hand and spread through his body. It passed in a minute, leaving him sweating and cold again. He held up his hand and flexed it, and then grinned. Even his back where the boar had stabbed him felt fine.

Patrina slammed into him, making him stagger and nearly falling over. "What—" he started to ask before her arms had wrapped around him and pulled her tightly against her.

"Just promise me you'll never leave me," she whispered. The urgency in her tone wasn't lost on the warrior.

"Um, I won't. I promise. Do you mean like a journey to the kingdom or something else?" Alto asked her, confused.

"I mean you leaving me. For someone else. Another woman. Another warrior."

Alto forced a laugh to show how crazy the idea sounded. "Never," he reassured her. "Was that what Thork's potion did, made you afraid that I'd leave you?"

She nodded and buried her face into his neck.

"Another warrior? That's—"

"Her," Patrina whispered. "The girl playing knight."

"Aleena?"

She nodded.

Alto pushed Patrina's face back far enough that he could look into her eyes. "You have nothing to fear."

"Good," she said. "Because if I did, I'd—"

Alto kissed her, silencing her threats. "Thork's magic does this. You face your fears."

"What did you see?" Patrina asked him.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Aren't you afraid? What if we never get off this island?"

"I still have fear. I learned how to master it," he said.

"Oh!"

"If you two are done, I guess I don't have any excuses to avoid helping you anymore," Namitus said from where he stood nearby.

Alto nodded and smiled, and then turned back to Patrina as she backed away from him. "How's your leg?"

"Knee," she corrected him. She lifted her leg and swung it at the knee a few times before she grinned. "It's perfect!"

"Time to go monkey hunting then," Alto said.

Patrina stared at Namitus but the rogue turned away before she could open her mouth. She frowned and followed after the two men, and then she remembered they'd never been to this part of the island before. She jogged to get ahead of them so she could lead the way. Alto watched her move past him and found his eyes drawn to the way she moved in her new armor. He didn't mind following her, for a little while, at least.

### Chapter 26

They walked three abreast through the edge of the jungle. The cliff was on their left, with Namitus closest to it and Alto in the middle. A few feet separated them and they took care to move as quietly as possible. The soggy jungle ground aided them but Alto's metal armor clinked with almost every step.

Their discretion seemed unnecessary. The apes were ahead of them in the jungle and grunting and roaring. They heard the sound of leaves and branches shaking against each other and wood cracking. Alto wondered if the apes knew where they were already.

Patrina hissed and held her hand out to them. She crouched down, causing her skirt to rise up on her leg. Alto jerked his eyes away from her thigh, reasoning that he shouldn't be looking in the first place, and even if he did, the darkness in the jungle stopped him from seeing more than a shadowy outline of her legs.

"I see them!" Patrina whispered. "Ahead, they're climbing trees and bending or breaking them."

"Why?"

"So much for the Britanly spears," Namitus whispered. Both of his companions gave him a sharp look. "What? The wood of the trees can't be that strong if it bends under their weight."

Patrina scowled and looked away from him. "Are you sure about this?"

Alto nodded. He had a plan. It wasn't a great plan, but it was a plan. "Namitus, along the cliff. Patrina, you flank them through the jungle. I'll draw them to me."

Patrina raised her axe and nodded. Namitus drew his scimitar and a dagger. "Let's get this monkey business under way."

Alto closed his eyes and shook his head. He heard Patrina hiss at the rogue, "Just go!" He felt Patrina's lips on his, prompting him to open his eyes and try to return the kiss but she'd already pulled back and turned away. Alto nodded and watched her disappear into the darkness.

He waited a few minutes and then walked forward towards the sound of the apes. He drew his sword and clanged his hand against the mountain under the crown emblem on his shield. Light flared into the jungle before him.

The apes roared in a matter of seconds. Alto wasn't sure how many there were, but it only took a minute for him to find Bucky smashing trees aside as he rushed through the jungle towards him. He stood his ground and waited as the monstrous ape charged towards him on all fours. Too late, he wondered if he should have leaned his shield against a tree and attacked from the side.

Alto raised his shield to keep the light in the ape's eyes and then dove to the side as Bucky tried to pound him into the ground. The impact of the ape's fist sent tremors through the earth and left a small crater in the ground. Alto slashed at Bucky's wrist with his sword but barely grazed the ape's hand.

Bucky roared at him again and tried to swipe at him with his other hand. Alto took the strike on his shield but it was ripped out of his hand and he was knocked to the ground. He fell back, scrambling to gain some distance.

The other ape that had come with Bucky shrieked as Namitus cut into her calf with his scimitar. She spun and swung at him with a hand but he ducked away. The chase was on as she went after the now fleeing rogue.

Patrina ran at Bucky as he towered over Alto and bared his teeth. She swung her axe in both hands like a woodsman and sank the blade into his hip. He roared and rose up, spinning and sending her stumbling as he did so. She jumped back but still felt the wind from his hand that passed in front of her face.

Alto used his distraction to roll forward onto his feet. He drew his sword back and was about to thrust it into Bucky's side when the ape continued to turn and knocked him back into a tree with his hind leg. Alto fell to his knee but stopped himself with a hand to the ground. He rose up and watched Bucky turn and slam his hand into the ground on the far side of the tree that Patrina had run around.

Patrina cried out but Alto couldn't see what happened with the massive ape between them. He ran forward and jammed his sword into Bucky's leg just above his knee. Bucky jerked his leg up, pulling it away before Alto's sword could dig too deep, and then the ape kicked back and sent Alto rolling through the dense vegetation. It wound around him and softened the blow of the tree that stopped him, but left him tangled and confined.

Namitus cursed under his breath when he plunged through the ferns and weeds and saw the cliff loom up out of the darkness. He spun around and saw the female bearing down on him. A quick glance to either side yielded only vegetation so thick he couldn't hope to slip through it in time. Namitus crouched low and drew his scimitar back while he held his dagger out in front of him.

The ape slowed for a moment and then flared her lips to show Namitus her teeth. She rose up on both legs and raised her arms high, brandishing them and letting him know she intended to crush him into the ground.

* * * *

"That's going to hurt," Mordrim winced after they hacked through enough of the underbrush to see the female ape rise up above someone.

"You would know," Garrick muttered.

"Get in there and help!" Kar snapped at the two warriors. "I'll keep her busy."

The wizard released a spell he'd been holding ready and sent three glowing white globes floating through the air. They circled the female just above her head, distracting her. She swiped at one and made contact with it, only to shriek in pain and pull her hand back a moment later. She held her hand and stared at it, and then looked up at the other two white lights and swatted at the next one. The result, predictably, was the same.

Namitus launched himself forward, diving through her legs and hacking at the leg he'd already wounded with his scimitar. He kept running, heading down the trail she'd already trampled through the vegetation. The forest burst out at him on his left, startling him and forcing his swords up to intercept the attack that never came.

Mordrim picked himself up off the ground and adjusted his dirty helm, and then turned and let loose a dwarvish roar to rival those of the apes. Garrick followed behind him, shirtless and brandishing his great sword.

The ape had turned and sat on her haunches to look at her hands. She sniffed them and then looked up to see the dwarf and barbarian running through the weeds. She snarled and fell forward on all fours, and then used her left hand to swing at Mordrim.

Mordrim met her swinging fist with his hammer, cracking dwarven steel against flesh and bone. She roared in rage even though the dwarf was sent flying into the vegetation. She retreated to her hind legs, standing and pulling her freshly broken fingers up to stare at them.

Garrick gave her no quarter. He thrust up and into her belly with his great sword and then ripped it out, creating a gap that blood burst from. She shrieked again in pain and fear and kicked at him as he side-stepped. Her foot glanced off the barbarian, forcing him into a wall of vines and flowers. He was tripped up by the brambles and fell just in time to avoid her hand that swept away the greenery he'd bounced off of.

Another spell struck the ape, this one channeling magic into small balls of fire that burst when they hit her, confusing and scorching her. Mordrim crawled out of the bushes, weeds sticking out of the plates in his armor, and swung his hammer into her ankle. The resounding crack echoed through the woods.

The female fell and slammed her back and head into the cliff wall. Mordrim ran after her and grabbed a handful of fur on her leg so he could climb onto her thigh. She shook her head and grunted, and then stared down at the dwarf as he stood on her lap and drove his hammer into her jaw.

The ape's head snapped back into the cliff, stunning her again. She dropped her head forward, right back into another swing from the dwarf, this one smashing into her face between her eyes. The female jerked, knocking Mordrim off balance and into the weeds beside her, and then lay slumped and lifeless against the cliff.

Bucky charged in and towered over her. He stood up and looked around, sniffing and turning until he saw Garrick picking himself up. The ape howled and grabbed the man up as he tried to rise. He clenched Garrick tightly and raised him towards his open mouth. Garrick's arms and sword were above the ape's grip but the pressure made him grimace in pain and struggle to loosen Bucky's fingers.

A ray of light speared through the darkness from the holy symbol Karthor held in his hand. It struck Bucky in the face and made the ape rise up and shield his eyes with his other hand. Garrick used the distraction to reverse his sword and plunge it into the meat of Bucky's hand next to the ape's thumb. Bucky shook his hand and sent the barbarian tumbling off a tree and into a mess of vines that stretched from the tree to the ground.

Bucky turned away from Karthor's blinding light long enough to grab up a rock nearly as tall as Mordrim. He hurled it at the priest and sent the man leaping away, ruining his concentration and his spell. Kar struck the ape with more of his magic, weaving a spell that spun the same sticky strands he'd once used to save a falling child from a window as a trap to stop the ape from moving.

Bucky snorted and burst the magical net apart. He started towards Karthor, who was centering himself and making ready to call upon Leander's aid again. Alto burst out of the greenery, blood staining the side of his face and his left arm clutched against his side. He snarled at the ape and approached it, stepping in front of the priest without even a glance at him.

Patrina ran down the path Bucky had made through the forest, her axe held in both hands, and slipped past Karthor to slow and walk at Alto's side. The two warriors parted, Alto going left as much as the jungle vegetation would allow and Patrina to the right. Bucky flared his lips and snorted, and then pounded the ground hard enough to make it tremble. He rose up and slammed his hands into his chest and roared out a challenge to them. Patrina and Alto rushed in and hewed at his legs while he taunted them.

Bucky fell forward but his hands caught him. He started to spin to deal with Alto but then Patrina's axe cleaved into his shin. He tumbled to his knee and blindly swiped at her. Patrina went to a knee to duck his hand but he still clipped her shoulder and sent her rolling into a wall of bushes that concealed a large rock they'd overgrown. She lay stunned and unable to catch her breath from the impact.

Alto swung his sword up and dug the tip of his magical weapon into Bucky's side. The ape twisted back around and threw his body at Alto, trying to crush him by rolling over him. The warrior was thrown back by the impact and pulled his arms in to protect himself as the ape succeeded in laying on his legs and hips. Only Alto's armor and the soft jungle floor saved him from being crushed.

A bloodcurdling scream preceded a dark shape swinging through the air on a vine. Bucky stared up as Carson landed on his chest hard enough to make the ape grunt. The woodsman rolled and jumped to his feet, and then drew one of his blades and held the tip of it at Bucky's throat. He started to drive it home and then stopped when his eyes locked with the ape's.

### Chapter 27

"Kill the beast!" Kar urged.

Carson ignored the wizard and continued to stare at the ape's face. "You've been beaten, old friend," he said. "You spared my life many years ago and I'll do the same for you, but you must leave people alone."

Alto pulled himself out from beneath Bucky and rose to his feet slowly. He stared up at the confrontation and started when Mordrim burst through the weeds next to him. The dwarf's armor was covered in mud and weeds, as was his beard. Mordrim stopped and stared up at the ape, surprised to see a man standing atop him.

"Friend of yours?" Mordrim asked.

"Seems that way," Alto said.

The dwarf grunted and stood ready, hammer in hand.

"I don't know what you understand," Carson said slowly. "But I'll make this plain for you. You're never to attack another human, nor make a pet of them, unless they attack you. Agree to that by stomping a foot or a hand."

A long and very tense moment passed until Bucky raised his good foot and slammed it back into the ground.

Carson grinned and straightened. "You have my word that I'll fight at your side if someone should come for you, old friend."

"Friend?" Mordrim repeated.

Alto nodded. "He doesn't get out much."

"One of your females is still in the castle," Carson told the ape. "I don't know about the others."

"We killed one here," Alto said.

"We killed one earlier in a clearing," Mordrim said.

"That what you called it?" Garrick said as he walked towards them.

"Aye, what would you call it?"

"I had to dig you out of the ground, seemed you were wallowing like a pig," the barbarian said.

Mordrim scowled at him and turned to Alto. "The ape had pounded me into soft ground. My armor took the blow but I was stuck fast."

Alto smiled but looked around. He raised his voice and called out, "Namitus? Patrina? Are you here?"

Patrina walked around Bucky's feet, limping a little but offering him a smile. She hurried to him and threw her arms around him, delivering a wince to his face that she eased away with a kiss.

"My lady." Mordrim knelt before her and then looked up and saw how much of her leg was exposed to his eyes. "My lady! Where's the rest of your armor?"

Patrina glanced down and shrugged. "I lost it in the jungle earlier," she said. "Otherwise I'd have drowned in the ocean. This fits me better; it's a gift."

"Some gift," Mordrim muttered. "It can't protect you near as well as dwarven plate."

Patrina looked at Alto and winked. "It serves two purposes—it blocks a hand and it distracts the eye."

Garrick whistled and said, "That it does!"

"Hey!" Alto growled.

Garrick chuckled and held up his hands. "Don't blame a man for looking at what he's been given to see."

Alto frowned but Patrina kissed him again. "There's still enough that no man but you will ever see," she said to him.

Garrick burst out laughing at the redness in Alto's cheeks. Kar and Karthor walked up to them while Carson slid off Bucky's chest to stand at their side. Bucky picked himself up slowly and stared down at them, and then with flared nostrils and a scowl, he turned to the dead female.

The great ape went to her and sniffed her before reaching out to run a hand across her face. He turned away and limped through the jungle. Bucky disappeared into the jungle, leaving them behind.

Namitus walked out of the woods and waved. "About time somebody showed up to help me talk sense into these two. They had to go explore this haunted island they'd heard about. Dragged me along, I tell you!"

Alto and Patrina looked at him and then each other. They burst out laughing but the laugh was short-lived. Patrina and Alto both grimaced from the pain. Karthor shook his head and walked up. "Seems I've arrived at the right time."

"I'll take your healing over Thork's any time!" Patrina said.

"Thork was here?" Karthor asked.

"Yes, he was. Patrina saw him. The rest of us were indisposed."

"That explains the axe and the armor," Karthor said.

Kar chuckled as he took in the dirty but still beautiful kelgryn princess. Of course the troll was here. Alto had a way about him that attracted all manner of trouble.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you had a visitor while you were playing the savage hero," Kar said. "A certain former barmaid who once was rather fond of you."

Alto's eyes widened and he heard Patrina's sharp intake of breath. "What did Aleena want? She's with the church now."

"She's much more than that," Karthor said.

"What? How can she be more?"

"She's earned her spurs. She's a Knight of Leander. And what's more, Leander's given her his blessing."

"What's that mean?" Alto asked.

"She and Celos both can wield his power."

Patrina's eyes rounded. "They're priests?"

"Not priests, paladins. They are knights with a touch of the powers his priests are allowed."

"That's—" Alto hesitated. He nodded at length and said, "I'm happy for her. Proud of her, even."

Patrina stared at him, moisture reflecting in her eyes from Kar's solitary light that circled overhead.

Alto glanced at her and offered her a smile before saying, "She deserves it. She always wanted nothing more than to bring happiness to others."

"I have a hunch she'd like to bring that knight friend of hers some happiness," Kar gossiped.

"Father!" the priest snapped. Kar cackled and waved his son off.

Alto chuckled. "Well, they deserve each other then, too."

"And you?" Patrina whispered.

"I deserve nothing," Alto said. He squeezed her, drawing a gasp as her bruises and aches were stressed. "But I'll take you until you realize the mistake you've made."

"Hardly," Patrina snapped at him. "When the kelgryn choose a mate, they do it for life."

"But we haven't—"

Patrina pushed her lips against his and silenced him amid a round of laughter.

###

A teaser from Sands of Betrayal

By Jason Halstead

A distant roar echoed across the jungle from the east. The companions gathered around the campfire looked between the ruined buildings to the castle on the mountain top that the setting sun turned golden. Atop a tower they could see the enormous ape, Bucky, standing.

Patrina, the kelgryn princess who never let her axe far from her side, turned to look at a man wearing hides pieced together from animals. She snuggled into the embrace of the armored man beside her and asked, "You're sure you want to leave all this behind?"

Carson smiled. "I've been trapped here for eight years with only that ape and the animals that hunted as much as I hunted them. I think I'd like a chance to sleep easy for once."

The dwarf, Mordrim, snorted and said, "The animals in the rest of the world that will hunt you are two legged. Now hurry up and turn that boar."

Carson chuckled and gave the spit over the fire a twist. "I once wanted to see the world. I had no great love for sailing but that seemed the best way. I still have that urge."

"Well you're welcome to come with us," Alto, the warrior that held the blond haired princess said. "But we're bound for the north, not the free cities you came from."

Carson waved his hand in dismissal. "It's a new part of the world, isn't it?"

"The mountains?" Garrick, the heavily muscled man from the lands north of the mountains asked.

Alto nodded. "The time I spent alone in the mountains I never saw a company as large as the one you saw. Even with them serving the dragon they travelled in bands of less than twenty."

"I fear it bodes ill for our friends in Highpeak," the young priest, Karthor, said. "I've heard Tristam has his hands full with miners being chased out of the mountains. Aleena and Celos were sent to investigate it."

Alto's brow raised.

Karthor smirked and answered his unasked question, "The quest they've both been given to prove themselves worthy of being called paladins is to discover the source of the troubles."

Garrick snorted. "Two of them? I fought a host of ogres that killed a family of my brethren."

"We will go," Alto assured his barbaric friend. "Although I'm not sure we need to if you can face down such a force by yourself."

Garrick scowled at him. "You killed that many or more."

Alto shrugged, jostling the sleepy woman at his side. "Not at one time."

Patrina slapped him, "Be still," she hissed.

Alto chuckled and gave her a one armed hug. She smiled and closed her eyes.

"Aleena doesn't concern your now?" he asked her.

She sighed and drew herself up. "It was some lingering fears from the troll's potion," she explained. She reached down the axe resting at her side and said, "You're mine now and no woman, paladin or otherwise, stands a chance at you."

The others laughed, even Alto. Aleena had set her sights on him when she first met him and it had taken him over a year to convince her that he wasn't right for her. She'd joined the church of Leander to prove him wrong only to find herself in the process. Alto grinned at his betrothed. "Good, I hate all the attention, you can scare the women away."

Patrina gasped while the others howled with laughter. "All the attention? Think your that special now, do you?"

Alto leaned close to her and said with a smile, "No, I just hate it when I can't see you through a crowd."

Patrina's eyes narrowed and then relaxed. She smiled and kissed him, prompting more catcalls from the rest of them.

"Namitus, I've heard you've the gift of music?" Carson asked the unusually quiet rogue.

Namitus lifted his head up and nodded. He tilted his head for a moment. A smile slipped across his face and he reached under his tunic to pull out his pipes. He frowned and picked some dirt and leaves off of them and then shrugged. "I wonder if the kelgryn will think unwashed savages from the north are attacking when we arrive."

"Hey!" Garrick challenged the wiry man. His stature was due to the elven blood mixed in his veins. "We wash. It's just that the mountain streams are cold much of the year."

The companionable laughter continued until Namitus put his pipes to his lips and began to play a song on them that quickly captured their focus. Patrina snuggled back up against Alto and let her eyes drift shut. Alto glanced at her and smiled, feeling that everything was right in the world and as it should be.

"Bah! How's a man to get anything done with all this racket," Kar, the groups aging wizard, slammed his book shut. "Senseless frivolities," he turned to his son, Karthor, and pointed his finger at him. "As rough on young boys as that church of yours is, at least they have the good sense to put work ahead of foolishness."

"I don't know about that," Karthor said with a smirk. "The church knows when a task deserves to be celebrated. Finding and helping our friends before the island claimed them is cause enough."

Kar snorted and turned to Alto. "What did you say the name of your sister's husband to be is?"

"Husband," Alto corrected. "We were headed north from their wedding when we stopped by this island."

Kar waved the insignificant details aside. "Name?" He repeated.

"Oh, Sulim Badawi, he's a distant relative to the king, but most of the nobles down there are."

Kar's sour expression turned grave. He stood up and carried his book around the fire so he could hand it to Alto. "Open to page I marked."

Alto frowned and took the book, then carefully turned the pages until he reached the one that Kar indicated. It listed a roster of names. The ninth name on the page was Sulim Badawi. Alto looked up at Kar. "What is this, a listing of royalty for the kingdom of Shazamir?"

"In some cases, yes, but not by design," the wizard said. "This is a tome brought to be by our young paladin friends after they destroyed the wizard and nymph that nearly did away with us in the enchanted forest."

"Why would they have it?"

"Chance, as far as we care," Kar said with a shrug. "What is important is what the book is."

Alto waited but the wizard had stopped speaking. "Okay, so what is it?"

"Look to the title," Kar said.

Alto flipped the book closed and read the cover of the book aloud. "The Order of the Dragon."

The discussion around the campfire fell silent. Alto looked up at Kar. "What is this?" he demanded.

"Rituals, practices, laws, and a roster of high ranking members of the Order of the Dragon. The same group that—"

"Enough," Alto snapped.

Patrina had risen beside him, alert and tense. "I spoke with Sulim and Caitlyn many times when he courted her in Holgasford," she offered. "He seemed quite taken with her. Perhaps his love changed him?"

"The Order of the Dragon butchered my family and—" Alto clamped his mouth shut and turned his head away. "The things they did to Caitlyn while they waited for me..."

Patrina reached out to her man and gently squeezed his thigh. Alto turned to look at her and then the others. All their eyes were on him. "Garrick, I'm sorry. I'm sailing south, not north."

Garrick nodded. "I'll sail with you. I'll not stand by while evil is done to your sister."

Alto's eyes narrowed but he nodded. Garrick and Caitlyn had been friendly enough before Sulim arrived that he'd feared something was developing between them. With the southerners appearance and interest Garrick turned away and left to return to his own people in the north. "I appreciate it. I'll not ask anyone else to help, this is my affair."

"Your family is my family," Patrina said to him. "We took her in and looked after her. She became my sister even if you and I are not yet wed."

"South, north, it's all new to me!" Carson said. "And I think the bore is finally done."

Everyone ignored the rangers words and continued to look to Alto. "And the rest of you?"

He was met with scowls and harsh oaths letting him know he was a fool to question them.

"Then let this be the first action of the Company of the Dying Dragon," Alto said. "We'll strike for the dragon's heart this time, just as they've pierced mine."

Kar scowled and shook his head, drawing Alto's fiery gaze. "It's a stupid name," Kar said. "Fitting in this one instance, perhaps, but it still sounds silly."

"Kar, go and eat some boar. You're a difficult man when you're hungry."

"He's always hungry," Karthor lamented and drew a few chuckles from the group.

"What about my father? He's expecting word from us," Patrina said.

"Wizard?"

Kar looked up from the chunk of meat Carson had carved off the pig and handed to him. He scowled and then closed his eyes. When he opened them he said, "We can pen a message to him, I'll tie it to Blackwing and send it."

"Blackwing's in Portland!" Alto said.

Kar shook his head and swallowed before saying, "I summoned him just now. He'll be here before dawn."

"Oh," Alto relented. He turned to Patrina and felt her squeeze his leg again, silently sharing her appreciation and support. "Eat up, everyone, then get some rest. Thanks to Karthor we've been healed of the worst of our hurts from the ape but we've some long days ahead of us."

"Long and hot," Namitus pointed out. "It's a dry heat that makes this place seem like paradise."

Patrina glanced down at the only clothing she had, her suit of magical chain and scale armor given to her by the troll shaman, Thork. It resembled a corset and a short skirt more than proper armor, yet the magic had served well to protect her thus far. "I think I'm dressed for it."

Alto tried to scowl but found his eyes lingered when invited longer than they should have. Patrina teased him by lifting his face with a finger under his chin until their eyes met. "Remember, one day soon you get to see what's underneath the armor."

Chuckles from around the fire we her answer. Alto nodded and offered a distracted smile. It wasn't her display of skin that distracted him— he'd seen her and other woman in the kingdom of Shazamir wearing clothes as revealing or worse— it was the fear of what might be happening to his sister.

"Until then, you might want to borrow one of Garrick's cold mountain streams," Patrina finished. She added a kiss from her soft lips against his scruffy cheek and then went to fetch her own dinner from the roast boar.

Alto watched her go and found that, for once, she was wrong. What he needed was to wrap his hands around the throat of her sister's treacherous new husband.

### Afterword by the Author

Isle of the Ape begins a new series called Order of the Dragon. It follows the continuing adventures of Alto, Patrina, Garrick, Mordrim, Namitus, Kar, and Karthor as well as introduces a new character, Carson Twoblade. But you know that already, you just read the darn book!

If you read the first chapter in Sands of Betrayal you know that there's more to come, and lots of it. In fact, I had originally intended Order of the Dragon to be a trilogy but midway through writing book two I was surprised by just how resourceful and downright nasty the bad guys are turning out to be. So much so that it's turning Order of the Dragon into a four book series! I'm excited about that and I hope you are too. Seven books about these characters will make this my longest series to date – and the really exciting part is that I plan to keep going.

As always, I enjoy feedback and encourage it in whatever form you might desire. Reviews are always welcome and encouraged, but by no means the only method of reaching out to me. Feel free to visit my blog (http://booksbyjason.wordpress.com), my website (http://www.booksbyjason.com), my twitter account (http://www.twitter.com/booksbyjason or @booksbyjason), or look me up on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/booksbyjason). If that's too much, just send me an email at jason@booksbyjason.com.

Thank you for reading and enjoying the book. The only promise in good conscience that I can make is that if you keep reading, I'll keep writing!

### Other books by Jason Halstead

Child of Fate (Blades of Leander, book 1)

Victim of Fate (Blades of Leander, book 2)

Silver Dragon (Blades of Leander, book 3)

Blades of Leander (all 3 in 1)

Isle of the Ape (Order of the Dragon, book 1)

Voidhawk (Voidhawk, book 1)

Voidhawk – The Elder Race (Voidhawk, book 2)

Voidhawk – Redemption (Voidhawk, book 3)

Voidhawk – The White Lady (Voidhawk, book 4)

Voidhawk – Lost Soul (Voidhawk, book 5)

Wanted (Wanted, book 1)

Ice Princess (Wanted, book 2)

Bounty (Wanted, book 3)

Dark Earth (Dark Earth, book 1)

Devil's Icebox (Dark Earth, book 2)

Soul Mates (Dark Earth, book 3)

Voices (a Dark Earth Book)

Bound (a Dark Earth Book)

The Lost Girls (The Lost Girls, book 1, a Dark Earth novel)

Traitor (The Lost Girls, book 2, a Dark Earth novel)

Wolfgirl (The Lost Girls, book 3, a Dark Earth novel)

Black Widow (The Lost Girls, book 4, a Dark Earth novel)

New Beginnings (Vitalis, part 1)

Vitalis Omnibus (Vitalis, book 1, parts 1 – 7)

Vitalis: Resurrection (Vitalis, book 2)

Vitalis: Provenance (Vitalis, book 3)

Forbidden Love (Homeland, book 1)

Human Nature

Sex Sells

