The Dwarves

The brothers looked at him incredulously. "Their mothers really do that to them?" Boпndil was shocked. "It's pretty gruesome, don't you think?"

"That's what it says in the books."

Boлndal looked the warrior up and down. "I'd like to know what he weighs and how much he can lift."

The three dwarves stared at the giant, trying to work out whether or not he was asleep. His demonic visor shone in the flames, grinning at them mockingly.

Boлndal shrugged. "Sooner or later he'll show his face. He'll have to lift his visor when he eats."

IX

Kingdom of Gauragar, Girdlegard, Late Summer, 6234th Solar Cycle It had been a long time, perhaps thousands of cycles, since Girdlegard had last seen a band of travelers as strange as the company that had been toiling through Ionandar and Gauragar for several orbits.

First to appear over the hilltop was Djerun, his formidable armored body provoking horrified panic among any peasants who happened to be tending the land.

The dwarves led the way, but their stocky figures took longer to loom into view. Boлndal and Boпndil walked ahead, with Tungdil in the middle and Andфkai and the giant a few paces behind. Djerun was forced to take miniature strides in order not to outpace his mistress and the dwarves. The maga had offered a farmer a ridiculous number of gold coins to part with his horse, which now bore the weight of her bags and the giant's spare weaponry.

Tungdil was still trying to work out whether to tell Andфkai about the books. He had no idea what was written in the scholarly tomes, but it was encouraging to know that Nфd'onn feared their contents as much as the artifacts. Who knows if I can stop him, hut Andфkai surely can. She's the last of Girdlegard's magi. He was determined to do whatever it took to make her stay. Slowing his pace a little, he fell in beside her. "I've been thinking about your magic and I can't figure out why it still works. Didn't Nфd'onn corrupt the force fields?"

"Why do you ask?"

"It's important?"

"For you or for me?"

"For Girdlegard."

"For Girdlegard! Very well, Tungdil, how could I refuse?" She smiled balefully. "I was never as kind-spirited as my fellow magi. My god is Samusin, god of equilibrium, who cherishes darkness as well as light. Thanks to him I have the ability to use both. It's harder for me to store and use dark magic, but the corruption of the force fields hasn't really affected my powers. Nфd'onn knows that, but he wasn't expecting me to survive. Not that he's got anything to worry about-my art is nothing compared to his." Shielding her eyes with her hand, she squinted into the distance. "There should be a forest ahead. I can't stand this sun much longer."

You've got to ask her now, Tungdil told himself. He summoned all his courage. "Maga, suppose there was a way of stopping the traitor. Would you try it?" he asked.

There was silence. Just as the tension was becoming unbearable, Andфkai spoke. "Would this have something to do with the contents of your bags, little man?"

"We found something in Greenglade," he told her, giving a brief account of what had happened in the woods. "Nфd'onn sent in the дlfar, but we got there first."

"Are you going to show me?"

Tungdil thought for a moment and decided that there was no point leaving the matter half-solved. He slid the package out of his knapsack, removed the wrapping, and handed over the books.

Andфkai opened each of the tomes in turn and leafed through the pages, her face remaining an inscrutable mask.

Tungdil couldn't help feeling disappointed: He had reckoned with her amazement. Seeing her dispassionate expression made him fear the worst.

At length she returned the volumes. "Was there anything with them?"

"What are they about?" he asked, deciding not to give away anything until he'd found out more.

"They're anthologies: descriptions of legendary beings and mythical weapons, and an obscure tale about an expedition across the Stone Gateway into the Outer Lands. It says in the preface that a single survivor returned, mortally wounded but bearing manuscripts that are reproduced in the book. Why Nфd'onn should take an interest in the volumes is a mystery. I suppose he's just as knowledge-lusty as before."

"What else do they say?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Nфd'onn wouldn't have sacked Greenglade for nothing! He had us chased by a war band of orcs just to get his hands on the books!" He glared at the maga defiantly. "With respect, maga, I think you're wrong. There's something important in those volumes, even if you can't see it."

"Are you daring to…?" The mistress of Brandфkai stopped and erupted into laughter. "Did you hear that, Djerun? Here I am, traipsing along a dusty road, being corrected by a dwarf who thinks he knows best!"

The giant kept walking, impassive as ever.

"I didn't mean to cause offense," said Tungdil, "but at least I'm not as arrogant and sure of myself as you are. I shouldn't wonder if there's elfish blood in your veins!"

"Fighting talk, little dwarf!" she said in amusement. She nodded in the direction of the twins. "The other two would have drawn their weapons and settled the matter another way, but you learned from Lot-Ionan, I can tell." Suddenly she was serious again. "I'll take a proper look at the volumes tonight. Maybe you're right and there's more to them than I thought."

"Thank you, Estimable Maga." The dwarf inclined his head respectfully and quickened his pace to catch up with the twins. "We'll soon find out what the magus wanted with our books," he announced proudly.

"What? You didn't tell the wizard-woman about them, did you?" gasped a horrified Boпndil. "Not only that; I showed them to her."

The secondling shook his head reprovingly. "You're too trusting, scholar. It's time you became a proper dwarf and stopped acting like a human."

"I see. So you'd like me to splice her skull if she disagrees with me, would you?" said Tungdil, his temper beginning to fray.

"I'd like to see you dare," Boпndil retorted with venom.

Boлndal quickly squeezed between them. "Stop it!" he said firmly. "Spare your fury for the orcs; I doubt we've seen the last of them. For what it's worth, I think Tungdil was right to tell the maga. I don't like being hounded because of a couple of books I know nothing about."

His brother just grunted and surged on.

"I never said traveling with us would be easy," Boлndal said with a grin.

Tungdil sighed, then burst out laughing.

Dusk was falling when they set up camp. The air had cooled and there was a smell of earth and grass. A band of crickets was chirping its evening concert.

The dwarves divided up their dwindling provisions-the sight of the Blue Range's summits in the distance reassured them that they would soon be feasting on fresh dwarven treats. Meanwhile, Andфkai kept her word and studied the books.

Not wanting to distract her, Tungdil allowed the maga to read in peace, approaching only to bring Djerun his supper. Like every other evening, he placed a loaf of bread, a chunk of cheese, and a large slab of meat beside the warrior.

This time he was determined to keep an eye on the giant while he ate; so far neither Tungdil nor the twins had seen behind the metal visor.

"Djerun will sit the first watch," said Andфkai without looking up from her reading. "The rest of you can get some sleep."

"Suits me fine," said Boпndil, then burped. He shook the worst of the crumbs from his beard, coiled his plait into a pillow, and settled down next to the fire. "Listen, long-un," he told the giant, who was sitting motionless as usual, "don't forget to wake me if you see any orcs. It's about time they had a taste of my axes."

The twins seized the chance to get some sleep, and in no time loud snores were reverberating through the woods, setting the leaves aquiver.