"Lannon, get yourself free and go get help!" Jace grunted.
Lannon struggled fiercely, but couldn't summon the strength to escape. "I'm too exhausted. It's not going to happen."
"These are very ancient trees," said Jace, wearily. "Difficult to kill.
Thrake bellowed and shook with rage, but to no avail. The roots were too strong even for the massive Red Knight to escape.
They heard Shennen groan somewhere beyond the torchlight. "I'm alive," he called out a moment later. "The trees cannot crush us easily, but will instead seek to wear us down and weaken us. Do not give up the fight!"
"I think my ribs are broken!" Jerret called out. "The only thing saving me is my armor!"
"Focus your mind, Jerret," Shennen said. "Use it to shield your body."
"I'm not trained at that very well," said Jerret. "But I'll try."
Once again, Jace tore himself loose and dove for the passageway, but the roots were too fast, winding around him and lifting him off the floor. "Well isn't this wonderful," the giant muttered, panting from the strain. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think they have no intention of letting us go."
"We're hopelessly snared!" Thrake said bitterly. "We can't use our weapons. We've blundered into the worst trap possible."
The trees began to shift around, dragging the captives with them in an effort to separate them. Jace, Shennen, and Thrake were pulled far off into the darkness, their voices growing a bit fainter. The others were pulled deeper into the cavern in another direction-into a thick maze of warty, writhing trees. At last, the movement ceased, but the attempt to crush them continued.
"I'm getting tired," said Trenton, in a muffled voice, his face half covered by a root. "But I might be able to free myself…if left with no choice." He still held a torch in one hand, and in its light, his face looked ghastly pale.
"We don't have many options," Lannon said, wondering how Trenton could possibly break free. "So if there's something you can do…"
"My sorcery is weakening," said Aldreya, her face tense from the strain.
"Do something, Trenton!" Jerret moaned. "My ribs are caving in!"
Trenton sighed. "It seems I must. The trees will never let us go. They will crush us and devour us so that we become milk for young Goblins."
Lannon's power slipped, and the root squeezed him more tightly. "Trenton! I'm losing ground here!"
"Very well," Trenton muttered. "But you Squires must swear an oath never to reveal what you're about to see. I'm very serious about this. If you break that oath, you will pay a grim price."
The Squires swore not to reveal it.
"It is done, then," said Trenton. "You just swore an oath to a Green Knight. If you break that oath, you could be expelled from the Order and imprisoned."
"Just get on with it!" Jerret whimpered. "I'm dying!"
Trenton fell silent, and a chill seemed to sweep through the chamber. A feeling of rage permeated the air. As Lannon watched in horror, Trenton's face began to change in the torchlight-becoming covered in shifting shadows. His flesh bubbled and cracked open, and then coarse black hair sprouted all over it. His nose and mouth stretched into a long, wolf-like muzzle. His fingers warped into wicked claws. His eyes gleamed with pure malice.
Trenton Shadowbane was gone-replaced by some sort of wolf-like monster. The beast ripped the vines apart that held it, attacking with mindless fury. Even as the roots tried to retreat, the creature pounced on them and tore them into pieces. Soon lots of severed and twitching roots lay in piles, leaking black blood.
The beast then seemed to focus its evil, rage-filled eyes on Lannon. The Squire trembled as the creature approached him, but the wolf monster merely tore the roots away from him. As the roots tried to retreat, the beast dispatched them into bloody pieces. Soon all of the roots drew back, and the Dark Mothers moved away, leaving a path through the cavern.
"We must save the others!" said Lannon, but the wolf beast ignored him and started off through the cavern.
Having no choice, the Squires followed. The Dark Mothers continued to avoid them, allowing them to escape. At last they entered another narrow tunnel and the cavern with its bloated trees was left behind.
Shifting shadows crawled over Trenton's flesh in the torchlight, revealing the human form of the Investigator-fully clothed and without a mark or stain. Trenton still looked weary, however-mentally if not physically. "Well, now you know, Squires, that I am more than just a man."
The Squires stared at him in shock. If the Squires had feared Trenton before, they now found the Investigator to be utterly terrifying. Trenton barely seemed human, and he certainly didn't seem like a Divine Knight-but more like some creature of the Deep Shadow. Lannon could understand why the High Council didn't trust him. What manner of bizarre sorcery could turn a man into a raging beast? Lannon had never heard of such a thing and would not have believed it could exist. Furthermore, he found it hard to believe such sorcery was permitted at Dremlock.
"We have to save them!" said Aldreya, referring to Jace and the missing Knights. "They might still be getting crushed in that cavern!"
"I agree," said Lannon, though he shuddered at the thought of venturing back into the lair of the Dark Mothers.
Jerret held his ribs and groaned. "I need a healer."
"We dare not go back," said Trenton. "The Knights are capable of defending themselves, and it would be far too dangerous."
"What about…" Lannon dared not finish his statement. He wondered why Trenton couldn't simply transform again into that beast.
Trenton's lips tightened. "I know what you are hinting at, Squire, but it isn't possible right now. A period of rest is required before I can make the transformation again. And bear in mind that you swore an oath not to speak of it. We shall try to find a way back to the surface, so we can return with a large company of Knights and make a full assault on the Dark Mothers."
"But they might be dead by then!" said Aldreya.
"Do not question me!" snarled Trenton. "I am weary of Squires with bold tongues. Just do as I command."
Aldreya bowed. "Yes, Master Trenton." She exchanged an unhappy glance with Lannon.
Lannon scanned the tunnel with the Eye of Divinity. Although weakened, the Eye revealed traces up ahead of Goblins and humans that had been through there recently. As they went a bit farther, the tunnel split in two around a large pile of iron ore. At the foot of the ore heap Dwarven bones and skulls were strewn around. Lannon could sense danger in both tunnels, but he couldn't tell which tunnel was safer. Yet the others stood watching him, waiting for him to lead the way.
"We should go right," he said, as if he knew what he was doing. Without hesitation, Trenton led the way into the right tunnel.
They heard a thump behind them and whirled around to find an enormous Ogre staring at them. The creature filled the tunnel with its bulk. It stood motionless, its black eyes shining in the torch fire.
"Flee, Squires!" Trenton cried.
The company ran down the tunnel, with the Ogre lumbering after them. They could hear it scraping against the stone walls and smell its foul stench. It was so close they could feel its hot breath as it panted.
Then it stopped-as if the Ogre had suddenly given up. But the company continued to flee along the tunnel. Jerret stumbled over a loose stone and fell hard to the floor, crying out in pain. Trenton hauled him to his feet.
"I can't go on," Jerret groaned. "Too much pain."