A rock clattered. Joash froze. The sound came from where he’d been. The tumbling rock smacked to a stop and made no more noise.
No animal had caused that. For the first time, Joash had proof that someone else was here.
Joash stared at the ledge he’d just climbed, waiting for Mimir or Tarag. Just as he was about to go look, he heard a leathery sliding sound. His heart pounded. He looked at his spear. One cast would be all he had. But his hands shook. What if he froze as he had against the young sabertooth? Joash grabbed his spear and scrambled up the outcropping to join the others. A cliff-face loomed before them.
“There you are,” Elidad said. “Help us tear out this damnable wall.”
Elidad’s spear, sword, and shield lay on the ground beside his cloak, and beside a growing pile of rubble and rocks.
Adah peered at her parchment, then at the cave-mouth. She shook her head, muttering. Gens and Elidad tore at the rocks in the archway entrance. Herrek stood to the side, frowning. Despite the heat he wore his helmet. Although his skin was yellow-tinged, his eyes blazed. He clutched his spear and the huge auroch-hide shield.
“Hurry,” Elidad said.
Joash saw that the entrance had been mortared. Most likely this was Arioch the Archangel’s work. But if Shining Ones had made the wall to hold bene elohim and trolocks, how could they tear out the bricks and stones?
“Work,” Elidad shouted, grunting as he heaved a rock.
“Someone follows us,” Joash said.
Herrek swiveled his head at him, interested.
“There isn’t anyone else in these hills,” Elidad said.
“Might Nephilim be trying to use us?” Joash asked, looking at Adah.
Her forehead crinkled thoughtfully.
“Groom,” Elidad said, grabbing him. “Clear the rubble.” He shoved Joash at smashed stones and bricks.
“Our enemies await us within,” Herrek said slowly. “I yearn to slay them.”
“Secrets lie in the cave,” Adah whispered.
“Then why aren’t you two digging?” Joash asked.
Herrek tightened his grip. “The enemy is near. I feel him. He waits for us to drop our guard. Instead, I’ll feed him a shaft-full of steel.” He grinned. “Herrek, Champion of Teman Clan, will not be taken unawares.”
“What about you, Adah?” Joash asked. “Why aren’t you digging?”
“Work,” Elidad told him.
Joash grabbed a rock. He shuffled to Elidad’s pile and dropped the rock so it hit with a clack. “Well?” he asked the Singer.
Adah tried to speak. Then she looked down and shuffled her feet.
“You know that we’re being tricked, don’t you?” Joash asked.
“Work,” Elidad said, cuffing him across the back of the head.
Joash staggered, but caught himself before hitting the ground. He went back to work. Now wasn’t the time to fight Elidad. After he had carried several loads, however, he dared ask, “What will we use inside the cave for light?”
With white mortar powder on his face smeared by sweat-runnels, Gens pointed at a pile of torches. Each was tarred with black resin.
“Were those already here?” Joash asked.
Gens nodded, and went back to prying out stones.
When Elidad no longer glared at him, Joash walked near Adah. “Isn’t it strange that torches have been left here for us to use?”
She stared at him.
“I think this all has something to do with Elidad’s emeralds.”
“Groom,” Elidad said, bounding beside Joash and grabbing him by the front of the shirt. “Do not talk about these.” He thrust the icy-green emeralds into Joash’s face. They radiated evil power and tried to work their magic upon him. Joash turned away. With his thick fingers Elidad forced Joash to stare at them.
“Hundreds more await us in the cave,” Elidad hissed. “Dig and you shall own some. Then, you will be rich. Then you can buy your own chariot and hire a weapons-master to teach you any skill you desire. But, if you speak more traitorous words, I’ll knock out your teeth and watch your lips swell to three times their size. Then you’ll be speechless. Do you understand?”
Joash glanced at Herrek.
Elidad slapped Joash, and a ring cut his cheek. “Do you understand?”
Frightened, Joash nodded.
“Dig,” Herrek told Joash. “I must defeat the foes awaiting us within.”
Elidad grinned at Joash.
“Wait,” Adah said.
The two warriors turned toward her.
“Something… Something is wrong,” she said. “Something…” She pulled out the parchment and poured over it, muttering to herself.
“Work,” Herrek told Joash. “We must enter the cave and slay the hated foes.”
Joash worked. Together with Gens and Elidad he dug into the pile of broken stones. Joash didn’t recognize the type of bricks. They seemed to be old and very hard. He knew they were heavier than anything else this size. Ah. The bricks had been Shining One-made. They had been made to hold a bene elohim. What could have destroyed these bricks and possibly leeched their angelic power?
They paused later for water. Elidad drained his water-skin and demanded Joash’s. Elidad drained that, too. Gens only had a little left in his skin. Herrek and Adah didn’t respond when asked about their water-skins, but veins rose on Adah’s forehead. She kept striking her thigh, muttering to herself.
“Something is wrong,” she said. “Something…”
With his hands hurting, Joash lifted yet another stone. Then he heard a bizarre sound.
Elidad pushed him from behind. “Work,” the warrior said. He sounded tired.
“Didn’t you hear it?” Joash whispered.
Elidad glared at him.
Joash dared Elidad’s wrath and put his ear against the wall. He heard the sound again. It was like a millstone grinding grain, or two large rocks rubbed together.
Terror wormed into Joash’s bowels. Trolocks. They—
“Work,” Elidad said, hitting Joash between the shoulder blades.
Joash fell. Elidad kicked him. Joash curled up, trying to protect himself.
“You lazy slave!” Elidad shouted. “You’ve dared disobey me.”
Adah laid a hand on Elidad’s forearm. “Do not cripple him.”
“He is lazy,” Elidad said.
“How will you carry all the emeralds home unless you have bodies to move them?”
“Ah, I had forgotten.” Elidad said, as he pried a rock out of the wall and carted it away.
Adah squatted beside Joash. “Are you hurt?”
He rose to a sitting position, his body a giant bruise. He looked into her glazed eyes, but it seemed they were less glazed than before. Maybe his words had an effect, or perhaps her will was finally breaking the bewitching spell. Or maybe she liked him, and despite her bewitchment, she couldn’t stand to see him hurt.
“Something moves behind the wall,” he said.
Adah nodded.
“Is that the secret you’ve come to learn?” Joash asked.
“Now is not the time for me to tell you about that.”
Joash rubbed his side where Elidad had kicked him.
“You are one of us,” she whispered. “That’s why I didn’t let Elidad beat you.”
Joash frowned. Did she mean he was a singer? He worked to his feet as Elidad scowled at him, carting another rock.
“I’d better work,” Joash said.
Adah nodded.
The way into the cave deepened, and despite his sore back, Joash found himself in the rubble as he pried out chunks. Then the rocks above him groaned and shifted. He crawled out and stood panting.