Disclaimers: see part 1, chapter 1

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Lorimal's Chalice

Part Four - The Chalice

By Jane Fletcher

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Chapter 6: The High Barrodens

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"Wake up, Tevi. Wake up."

Tevi opened her eyes. She was lying on her back where she had fallen. Her body ached and her pulse throbbed at her temples like stabs from a needle. Light filtering through the trees was a painful glare. A purposeful rustle came from beside her left ear. Slowly, she let her head roll sideways and found herself staring into two beady eyes, no more than three inches from her nose. The effort of focusing at such short range made Tevi's head reel. She groaned and closed her eyes again. Klara gave a short disappointed croak. Then, the memory of the previous night's events rushed back and the pain in her head was forgotten. Tevi shoved herself into a sitting position and looked around.

The sun had climbed above the horizon and driven away the night's chill. Clean, bright beams fell dappled between the trees and liquid streams of bird-song echoed through the heavy silence. Two horses were standing side by side, grazing at the roadside. By the sun's position, Tevi estimated that nearly two hours had passed since she and Jemeryl had been blasted senseless. There was no sign of any threat - or of Levannue.

The sudden realisation that she could not see Jemeryl sent Tevi into a short-lived panic. It lasted until she twisted around enough to spot the sorcerer sprawled a few feet away. Tevi scrambled to her side. Jemeryl's hands felt clammy and her face held a bloodless pallor, but a strong pulse beat at her wrist. A raw graze on her cheek was the only apparent injury.

"Jem, are you all right?" Tevi shook her shoulder.

Jemeryl's face tightened into a frown and her hands moved slightly.

"Jem?"

"I'm cold." Jemeryl mouthed rather than spoke the words.

Only blackened ashes marked the spot where the campfire had been but two warm blankets were among the scattered baggage. Tevi helped Jemeryl into a patch of sunshine, wrapped her in the blankets, and then turned her attention to re-kindling the fire. By the time flames were leaping over the logs, Jemeryl was looking more alert. A steaming bowl of porridge further improved her condition to the point where she was able to review her surroundings.

"I take it Levannue has fled?" she asked.

"Either that or she's popped off to pick blackberries for our supper." Tevi said ironically.

"And she knocked us out cold first so as not to spoil the surprise on her return?" Jemeryl had recovered enough to indulge in humour.

Tevi smiled. Her face became more thoughtful. "She might be up to something just as strange - else why didn't she kill us while we were unconscious?"

"Perhaps she lacked the strength after she'd removed the mind-lock from the horse and saddled it. Holding the net all night was hard work. If she feels half as bad as me, she wouldn't be in a fit state to get serious with a knife."

"She could have stabbed us first, then saddled the horse at her leisure."

"Perhaps she was too tired to think straight. I know I am." Jemeryl rubbed her face. Her hands shook noticeably. "Most likely she couldn't face killing in cold blood. I really don't think she's that callous."

"I guess there's not much point debating Levannue's motives. We can ask her when we catch her." Tevi looked at Jemeryl with concern. "How do you feel? Do you think you can travel? We dare not stay here another night."

"I'll be fine. The blast was a bit much after holding the net all night. What I need is a good sleep. Levannue must be in a similar state. Once she stops and lies down the end of the world won't wake her. If you can keep going, we'll overtake her eventually and I can guarantee that she'll be too tired to fight off a geriatric dormouse."

Tevi nodded and looked at the sun, high above the mountain peaks. By the time they had collected their things and saddled the horses, Levannue would have a three-hour lead on them. The hunt would begin again, Tevi thought bitterly, and this time Levannue would be expecting them. Jemeryl seemed confident they would have no problems recapturing Levannue, but Tevi felt doubts twist in her gut. She knew there was trouble ahead.

* * * * * *

The ground was dry and hard. Even so, Tevi was able to pick out Levannue's trail through the carpet of fallen leaves, heading west.

"She went this way."

"Are you sure?"

Jemeryl stood, holding tightly to the reins of the horses. Her eyes were dark hollows in the pallor of her face. Tevi judged she clung to the reins more to support herself than to keep the animals from straying. Tevi vaulted onto her own mount, then leant down, caught hold of Jemeryl, and helped her into the saddle of the other horse.

"I'm not up to the level of a guild scout," Tevi said while she did this. "but I grew up hunting wild boar through forests like these." She smiled. "I'm sure."

"Good. Normally I'd have a go at listening for her aural resonance but I don't think I'm up to it at the moment."

"Do you think Levannue will keep to the road for long?" Tevi asked.

Jemeryl gestured to the enmeshed darkness under the trees. "I should think so. She's no woodsman and, as I've said before, sorcerers don't find flying a practical mode of transport at the best of times. Right now, Levannue will be doing well just to keep sitting on her horse."

Tevi twisted in the saddle to take one last look at the site under the trees. She was relieved beyond measure that Levannue had chosen to head away from Graka. The surroundings looked so peaceful, hardly recognisable as the scene of the previous night's attack. A shudder ran through Tevi. She knew she would never forget the night she had spent there but she wished so desperately that she could.

The two of them rode in silence, Jemeryl with shoulders hunched and head sagging and Tevi scouring the ground for signs of Levannue's passage. The forest stretched away over the hills around them. The only things disturbing the peace was the rustling of small animals, scrabbling through the leaf-litter, and occasionally the distant bellow of a deer. The sounds were carried on air rich with the musty smell of autumn.

The sun had just passed midday, when a small path left the Old West Road, heading south. A few yards on, a trickle of water oozed across the new trail. A solitary line of hoof-prints were freshly imprinted in the wet mud. Tevi examined the marks.

"This is Levannue's horse. She's left the main road."

"I wonder if she knows where she's going." Jemeryl said, yawning and studying the rising terrain. "Because I certainly don't."

"You don't have any idea where this new track leads?"

"None at all." Jemeryl scrunched her face as she fought through the fog of tiredness. "An eccentric group of minor sorcerers established a centre for the study of something obscure, up in the mountains around here, about 40 years ago. I can't remember what or why, but the group fell to infighting after a few years. And it was more a hermit's retreat than a city. They certainly didn't go in for building roads."

"This path is much less than 40 years old." Tevi examined the sawn stump of a sapling. "I'd guess this was cut back during the spring. Someone has been maintaining the road on a regular basis."

"And if Levannue doesn't know who that someone is, it may turn out to be a big surprise for all of us." Jemeryl said, with a trace of a smile.

The new path was scarcely wide enough to ride side by side and the uneven surface would not have permitted the passage of carts. The route wound up into the foothills, rolling from ridge to ridge and climbing ever higher. As the afternoon progressed, the trees became shorter and thinned out. The oaks gave way to birch, interspersed, to Jemeryl's disgust, with patches of rowan. In late afternoon, the trail crossed a shallow ford. The water rippled over a bed of smooth round pebbles. To the west, the sinking sun hovered low in the sky. Its last misty rays played warmly over a hillside of brown and orange.

Tevi knelt to examine the hoof marks in a patch of wet sand. "A guild scout could be more accurate but we're definitely gaining on her. She can't be more than an hour ahead of us." Her statement got no answer. Tevi looked up. Jemeryl was swaying in the saddle, her face colourless and drawn. "Jem, are you all right?"

"Do I look it?" Jemeryl smiled wryly. "Don't panic. I'm just very tired. But we've got to catch Levannue before she has time to recuperate. I can cope."

Despite her words, it was clear that Jemeryl was in no fit state to ride. Tevi walked to her side and slipped her foot free from its stirrup. Before Jemeryl could object, Tevi swung up behind her, and reached around to take control of the reins.

"Lean against me. Sleep if you can. I won't let you fall. We can swap horses when this one gets tired."

"I'm fine." Jemeryl protested.

"No you're not."

The most worrying thing for Tevi was that Jemeryl was too tired to argue. She closed her eyes and sunk back into Tevi's arms.

"If we're lucky, Levannue will be flaked out around the next corner, but it's my guess we won't catch up with her until after nightfall. Can you hold out that long?" Tevi asked.

"Only if the ghouls don't get us first."

"You don't think..." Fear sharpened Tevi's voice.

"No." Jemeryl interrupted quickly. "It was just a very bad joke on my part. We must be outside their range by now."

"You said that last night."

"True. It must have been a fluke - the phase of the moon or something. We can ask Levannue when we catch her... that sort of thing is her speciality." Jemeryl's voice was no more than a soft mumble.

"Perhaps that's why she didn't kill us. She knew the ghouls would come tonight and do her job for her." Tevi could not dismiss the nagging worry.

"Believe me, there's nothing to worry about. Ghouls are quite predictable."

"They weren't last night. Perhaps these are a different sort of ghoul."

"There's only one sort and they don't travel. To get them out this far, Levannue would have to..." Jemeryl's voice died. Suddenly her eyes snapped open in horror, all tiredness swept away. She twisted round and shouted, "Quick, check the bags."

"What for?"

"A charm - the thing Levannue excels in. She could call a ghoul half way across the Protectorate if she wanted to."

"You said the collar would stop her working magic." Tevi protested.

"No, it would only handicap her, like working with a blindfold. She wouldn't be able perceive the aura of the charm, but she wouldn't need to. After all the years she's spent studying them, the exact combination is probably etched into her memory." As she spoke Jemeryl pulled a bag onto her lap and tugged open the drawstring.

Tevi jumped to the ground and flung back the cover over the pack on the other horse. She started to pull out items. "What would the charm look like? How do I..." Tevi's words stopped abruptly and she pulled her hand out of the bag. Lying in her palm was a small bundle of leaves, bones and feathers. "Like this?" she asked softly.

From the expression on Jemeryl's face, no other answer was needed. Tevi twisted her head to look west. Framed at the end of a long valley, the sun was just kissing the skyline. Even allowing for the height of the hill, there was barely half an hour before dusk.

"What do we do? Search the other bags?"

"There isn't time. And the other stuff may be contaminated anyway. We must leave the charm here as a decoy and get as far away as possible. And wash your hands, check your clothes, your pockets and..." Jemeryl pinched the bridge of her nose. She took a deep breath. "We passed a large stand of rowan a couple of miles back. We need to sort ourselves out as quickly as possible and go there - if we can make it before sunset."

"You hate rowan."

"So do ghouls and it should disguise any residual traces of the charm."

In the end, they left everything except the cloths they wore, the saddles and one blanket piled in a heap by the ford and then spurred the horses into a race against the failing light. Dusk had set in by the time they reached the point on the road nearest the rowan grove. Tevi tore her eyes from the darkness flooding into the valley, dreading the sight of dancing florescent lights. She looked instead towards their goal. Between them and the rowan was fifty yards of matted scrub and thorns.

The last of Jemeryl's endurance had gone and her knees buckled as she dismounted. Tevi drew her sword and hacked her way through to the slender trees, carrying Jemeryl. Desperation added strength, speeding her progress to the centre of the grove. Klara perched in the branches above. The horses followed obligingly. There was no sound apart from their husky breathing.

She deposited Jemeryl in a sheltered spot beneath the trees and unsaddled the horses, then settled down to keep guard. Wrapped in the blanket, Jemeryl was already deeply asleep. She did no more than mumble "Gods, I hate rowan." before giving in to exhaustion. Tevi was determined to face whatever the darkness might bring, but she also had not slept the night before. Her face contorted in the effort to keep her eyelids open. Eventually, she gave up the struggle and lay down beside Jemeryl.

After all, she thought, surrendering herself to fate, There is nothing I can do anyway - if they come.

* * * * * *

Tevi awoke at dawn the next day. She lay on her back, looking up at wisps of blue sky through a swaying lace-work of rowan branches, heavy with clumps of bright red berries, and soaked in the surprise and relief of greeting a new morning. It was a morning that Levannue had planned she should not see. There could be no doubt of the traitor's intentions. Tevi's jaw clenched as she considered what would have happened if the charm had not been found. The image of the ghouls arriving again was all too easy to conjure up. She breathed out hard and watched the cloud of her breath trail away, white, on the crisp air.

Jemeryl's arm lay flopped across her. Tevi turned her head and studied her sleeping lover. The night's rest had softened the dark bruises under Jemeryl's eyes and her face was peaceful and unguarded. The sunlight heightened the warm flush that had returned to her skin. Gently, Tevi disentangled herself from the encircling arm and stood up, brushing twigs and flakes of dead leaves from her clothes. The movement woke Jemeryl, though she did no more than pull the blanket up close about her neck.

"We're still here then?" Jemeryl asked, without opening her eyes.

"So it would seem." Tevi replied, dryly.

"Then is breakfast a possibility?"

"I don't know. We left everything at the ford. It depends on how much the ghouls will have left." Tevi hoisted one of the saddles onto the nearest horse.

"They won't have eaten much. As ethereal spirits, they have remarkably light appetites - although it still doesn't pay to invite them to dinner."

"Their table manners are pretty poor." Klara elaborated.

Jemeryl open her eyes, looked at the waving rowan branches and winced. "I realise I should regard these particular trees with gratitude, but I'd rather do it from a distance."

"Get up then." Tevi reached down and yanked the blanket away, unmoved by Jemeryl's yelp of complaint.

It did not take long to ready the horses and start back towards the ford. Strands of mist drifted over the morning hillside and swirled around the horse's legs. In low-lying spots, the tops of trees floated above a sea of cloud, though the rising sun was starting to burn through.

"How long do you think Levannue was planning this?" Tevi asked as they rode.

"It must have been some time, probably ever since we left Uzhenek. She couldn't have collected all the bits she needed for the charm on the spur of the moment. Some items are quite rare."

"Would she have known the road lead us by Graka?"

Jemeryl nodded. "Yes. The village is notorious. And, once she'd called the ghouls, we had no option but to remove her collar. I couldn't have held them all off on my own. But it was quite a feat of brinkmanship on her part - she was in as much danger as us at the time."

"I wonder what she'd have done if I hadn't spotted the ghouls when I did?"

"No doubt she had something planned that wouldn't arouse our suspicions. She'd been very careful up to then." Jemeryl shook her head at her own folly. "I should have been more distrusting of her."

"There wasn't anything you could have done after the ghouls arrived."

"Oh there was. Towards morning, I felt her end of the net start to weaken. I thought, 'She's old', so I let her push more of the burden onto me. Of course, she was just gathering her strength, ready to cast the stun-bolt. I should have made her carry her share of the net. It might have stopped her escape."

"And her plans didn't end there."

"I know." Jemeryl sighed. "I wish I could believe she left the charm by oversight."

"Why?"

"I don't like to think I'm so gullible. The version of events that she gave by the campfire - I believed her. I felt sorry for her. I thought she was just an old woman who was frightened of dying and hadn't meant any harm. I was taken in by a lying, murderous traitor."

"If it makes you feel any happier, I'd guess the truth lies somewhere in the middle, with a strong pinch of self-delusion, on her part, thrown in." Tevi said grimly.

"She meant to kill us."

"True. It wasn't as sure as stabbing us while we were unconscious, but it's definitely Levannue's style - like leaving poison to be taken when she's absent, or causing a suicide half a world away. Perhaps, if she's not there to witness her victim's fate, she can pretend to herself that it wasn't her fault."

Jemeryl nodded but said nothing.

The ford appeared around the next bend in the road. The bags were still piled where they had been left. Everything looked unchanged. Jemeryl reined in her horse and stared at the scene with her lips compressed in a thin line.

"They were here last night?" Tevi asked.

"Oh yes." Jemeryl answered softly.

While Tevi prepared a substantial breakfast, Jemeryl went through their belongings, cleaning them of all traces of the charm. It was a slow, painstaking job. Tevi fed the small fire and watched Jemeryl work, wishing there was something she could do to assist..

"You know, it must have added a fair impetus to Levannue's flight, the fear that we'd overtake her before nightfall." Tevi said after a while.

"Undoubtedly."

"Maybe now she'll slow down now, if she feels safe."

Jemeryl paused in her work. "Maybe. But I don't think Levannue will rely on the ghouls. She's too naturally cautious. We must be on the lookout for further traps."

"We can't go too slowly. I reckon, by the time we finish here, Levannue will have nearly half a day's lead on us."

"Well, at least now I've slept, I can help track her." Jemeryl said, sighing. "It shouldn't be too hard. There hasn't been anyone else along this path for months, so there are no distracting auras."

"Apart from this bit reeking of ghouls." Klara added.

"You still can't tell who made this path?" Tevi asked.

"No."

Tevi grimaced. "Call me a cynic but I can't see it being the work of a sweet little old man who's going to welcome us into his home like long-lost relatives."

"You're a cynic." Jemeryl said. "And almost certainly right."

* * * * * *

It soon became obvious that Levannue wasn't relying on the ghouls to have removed any pursuit. She pressed ahead at a rate that was savage on the horses. In the mid-afternoon, Tevi and Jemeryl stopped for a pitifully inadequate break. Lush grass lined the banks of a cascading stream, yet the horses were too tired to eat. Tevi used fistfuls of leaves to rub their sweat drenched coats, more to ease her own conscience than for any aid it might give. She could feel the animals trembling with exhaustion.

"We can't push the horses this hard - it's cruel."

Jemeryl lay on her back a few feet away with her arms crossed over her eyes. "I know, but we must catch Levannue."

"Is there nothing you can do?"

"I can try." Jemeryl sighed. She sat and hugged her knees while flexing the muscles of her neck, and then pushed up onto her feet. Tevi was concerned to see signs of exhaustion returning to her lover's face.

Jemeryl took a deep breath before moving to stand in front of one of the horses. Deftly, she reached out and placed her palms over its eyes. Her fingers splayed out, fan-like, towards its ears. The startled horse tried to back away but, almost immediately, it calmed. Only its ears flicked, as if trying to dislodge a fly. Gradually, a change came over the animal. The trembling went. Vigour returned to the set of its legs and arch of its neck. When finally Jemeryl stepped away, the horse tossed back its head, fidgeting like a skittish colt. The animal radiated strength and good health.

Tevi was impressed. "Could you do the same for me?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't want to. It's not totally safe." Jemeryl moved to the other horse.

"It seems happy."

"It is. And the horses shouldn't come to harm if this only lasts a day or two, but much longer and it will kill them. It's like burning a candle at both ends."

After the short rest, they continued until nightfall. They resumed the chase at first light the next day. The trail no longer climbed so relentlessly, although the landscape had become more rugged. Sheer cliffs of limestone broke from the bleak sides of mountains. Snow covered the tops and glinted from the depths of crevasses. The streams flowing down from the heights were icy. The onset of winter was close and both women were glad of their hooded, fur-lined cloaks - a parting present from Bykoda. At the end of the morning, a squall of sleet pounded them for an hour and turned the ground to slush.

The day was drawing to a close when they descended into a deep, wooded valley. A piercing wind hissed through the trees, carrying bursts of freezing rain that stung the face like needles. At the bottom of the slope, their trail met with another, wider path. It was well-worn and clearly well-used. Jemeryl reined in her horse and looked both ways along the path. Her head leaned slightly to one side as if listening.

"Of course. The dwarves. Several clans live in these mountains." she exclaimed.

"Dwarves? I saw some in Lyremouth. They seemed alright."

"Those you meet in the Protectorate are a bit unusual. Most won't have anything to do with humans, but they travel a lot among themselves. They're very keen on keeping in touch with all their relatives."

"What you mean is, this lot won't be friendly to us." Tevi said bluntly.

Jemeryl's nose wrinkled in a grimace. "It might depend what side of bed they got out of this morning but, as long as we play it right, they shouldn't give us trouble. They've learned to treat human sorcerers with respect. They don't have any of their own, although they all possess extra senses to humans. They can see in the dark for example and they're immune to illusion."

"I thought they were just like us... except a bit shorter."

"That's deceptive. They're really quite strange. They have their own laws and codes of behaviour, totally centred around family, wealth and revenge."

Tevi shrugged. "Doesn't sound so different to some people I've met."

"The dwarves are an awful lot more excessive about it." Jemeryl smiled and then pursed her lips. "Do you have any idea which direction Levannue went in? Up until now there's been nothing to distract from her aura but the dwarves confuse things around here."

Tevi dropped to the ground and paced a few yards in either direction. Where the road led east, she crouched down and brushed aside a wind-blown covering of leaves. "This way." she announced with confidence.

The new trail kept to the valley floor, driving deep into a high mountain range. The peaks rose on either side, while the walls of the valley became closer and steeper, until they were passing along a wide, flat-bottomed gorge. Bare faces of limestone gleamed ghostly white as the light faded. At dusk, they camped in the shelter of a knot of stunted trees, enveloped in thick, matted undergrowth.

The cold wind blustered and sighed throughout the night, rustling the leaf-litter. Towards dawn, it strengthened with a damp heaviness that carried the promise of rain. In the gloomy, overcast light, Tevi and Jemeryl continued their pursuit. They had been travelling for less than an hour when they came across the doused remains of a campfire at one end of a narrow clearing. Tevi poked at the embers. Smoke wafted from the charred logs.

"How long?" Jemeryl whispered at her shoulder.

"Half an hour - maybe a little more."

Jemeryl was about to return to the path, but Tevi's eyes picked out an opening in the bushes on the far side of the clearing. A faint track wove through the tress. It was probably the work of deer, but something much larger - the size of a horse, had recently passed along it.

"I think she went this way."

For the sake of quietness, they left their own horses in the clearing and crept along the rough track. Klara flapped from tree to tree ahead of them. Suddenly, the hefty snort of a horse broke the silence. The sound came from less than fifty yards away. Tevi froze. Nothing could be seen through in the dense undergrowth ahead. She glanced back over her shoulder, hoping for guidance, but Jemeryl had her eyes closed. As the minutes passed, her face became more confused.

"Klara can't find her." Jemeryl whispered, almost soundlessly.

Slowly, inching from bush to bush, the two women advanced until they reached the end of the trees. Before them, a piled slope of broken rock lined the foot of a towering cliff-face. Levannue's horse wandered, alone and packless, a little way off. There was no sign of Levannue herself. Jemeryl edged into the open and looked at the weathered wall of limestone. Deep cracks gashed the surface and, here and there, caves punched black chasms into the rock.

"She's entered the dwarf mines." Jemeryl said.

"Do we wait for her to come out again?"

Jemeryl shook her head. "I don't think she's coming out. Otherwise, she'd have taken better care of her horse and not let it wander."

"I'm not sure if I fancy following her in there." Tevi said, uneasily.

"Nor do I. It would be impossible to track her down. We'd be more likely to run foul of the dwarves first."

"Won't they object to Levannue?"

"They will if they find her. It might depend on what her plan is."

"Might she be in league with them?" Tevi asked.

"Unlikely, or she'd do the same thing we're going to."

"Which is?"

"Go in by the front door."

* * * * * *

They collected Levannue's horse and returned to the main path. The threatened rain held off while they rode a mile or so deeper into the mountains. On either side, the walls of the gorge pulled ever closer until the tops of cliffs hung over them. The already dull light was reduced still further. The trees ended and were replaced, first by straggling shrubs and ivy, and then by cushions of moss. In the barren landscape of broken rock, sounds echoed from the walls before being snatched away by the cold wind.

The floor of the gorge climbed in high steps. Paths had been hacked into the rock, which allowed the horses to pass with little trouble. A small river cascaded down the valley in a series of gushing waterfalls. Spray was whipped up by the wind. The gorge had narrowed to barely fifty feet, when they rose over one final step to see a fortified wall before them, spanning the valley floor. The battlements stood nearly three times the height of Tevi. In the middle were heavy wooden doors, firmly shut. The river poured out through a barred culvert to the side.

Shouts and the sounds of frantic activity erupted behind the wall as they approached. Heads moved behind the parapet and then were still. When they were within twenty yards of the gates, Jemeryl dismounted and gestured for Tevi to do the same. They walked a short way clear of the horses and stopped. Nothing could be heard except for the rush of water and hollow shuffling of hooves on bare rock. Only the glint of helmets and arrowheads revealed the presence of the dwarves.

"I don't suppose you speak common dwarvish?" Jemeryl whispered to Tevi.

"No. Don't you?" Tevi replied, startled.

"Only a few standard phases. I'm not up to holding conversations. If I'd known we were coming here, I'd have brought a translating device."

"If I'd known we were coming here, I'd have slit Levannue's throat back in Uzhenek." Tevi muttered.

Jemeryl raised her voice. "Llig duhli kurtorct. Tivil duhli Torgan ut." She smiled wryly at Tevi. "I'm hoping that was We come in peace. Take us to your leader."

"Zkath drogn ritu." The cry came back from the wall.

"What did that mean?" Tevi asked.

"I haven't got a clue, except I think it was a question."

"How about Why don't you go away?" Klara suggested a translation.

The shout was not repeated. For a long time, nothing happened, then came the sound of a bar being lifted and the gate opened a crack. A small, bow-legged figure emerged, hefting a large axe and glaring at them belligerently. The dwarf was of stocky build. Although the top of his head came no higher than a human's waist, Tevi estimated that the fists clenched around the axe shaft were as broad as her own. What little could be seen of his clothing was brilliant blue but it was almost completely covered in chain mail and bands of armour. A long red beard spilled over his chest.

The dwarf advanced slowly and walked around them. Once the circuit was complete, he stood in front of the two women, staring intensely. Seen close to, his eyes were dark, devoid of whites or pupils. Tevi smiled in what she hoped would be considered a friendly fashion.

"Trogn duh." The dwarf spat out the words but, as he turned to go, he gestured for Jemeryl and Tevi to follow. Three other dwarves slipped out to claim the horses.

Inside the wall, was an enclosed courtyard, lined on all sides by low stone buildings that could have been either stables or barracks. Ahead, was a sheer cliff face, breached by the mouth of a large cave from which the river gushed, bubbling over rocks that littered its bed. Tattered strands of vegetation adorned its edges.

The road continued unchecked, plunging into the cave to one side of the leaping water. It disappeared into the darkness. A score of dwarves were assembled in the open. More lined the top of the wall, while others peered from the buildings. The harsh shouts of the captain spurred eight heavily armed warriors to form up as a guard around Tevi and Jemeryl. Further gestures indicated that the two women, with their escort, should proceed into the cave.

By the time they had gone sixty yards, the light from the entrance had faded to merely a sheen on the wet rock floor. A turn in the road left them in darkness so thick it seemed to fold about them. It made no difference whether Tevi opened or closed her eyes. Only the ground beneath her feet and the touch of a breeze on her cheek relived her of the sensation she was adrift in a black void. The dwarves marched on. One pressed a hand into Tevi's back but, despite the urging, her footsteps faltered.

"Jem, can you see anything?"

"It's all right, I'm creating a light-globe." Jemeryl's voice rang out.

"Won't the dwarves mind?"

"Maybe, but it might be as well for them to know that I can."

A glow blossomed in the darkness, growing into a steady ball of light. It illuminated the tunnel in a stark contrast of pale limestone and black shadows, and glinted off the grotesque stalactite formations that rolled in molten globules down the rough rock walls. The chain links of the guards' armour threw back the light.

Although they may have had no use for it, the dwarves were certainly aware of the light source. Its creation was greeted by a sharp burst of guttural muttering. There was no direct appeal to Jemeryl but backs stiffened. Thereafter, the dwarves marched with crisper discipline. They clearly were treating their guests with more respect.

The road continued through high echoing vaults and narrow galleries. For a long time, it climbed on a gentle winding ramp, before descending by spiral stairway cut into the rock. The river disappeared and returned repeatedly, thundering violently along the eroded basins of a deep channel. It was finally lost and its roar faded into the distance. Frequent passages lead off from main route. The dark shafts and fissures swallowed the beams from Jemeryl's light-globe as they passed.

They had gone about two miles into the mountain, when Tevi noticed that the nature of cave had changed. The floor had always been as level as the streets of Lyremouth but now the walls were also smooth and regular and, increasingly, they met with other parties of dwarves. These viewed the humans with hard suspicious scowls. Wooden doorways started to appear on the walls. From beyond the circle of light, came the sound of voices, growing ever more numerous. Soon, they walked in busy streets where shouts from the guards were needed to clear the way. The crowds, surging around at waist height, made Tevi feel out of scale.

They turned a corner and entered a wide thoroughfare. Columns were carved from the rock on either side. Dwarven faces of stone glared sternly from friezes. This was clearly the heart of the city. The doorways opening onto the road were grander than any yet seen. The largest of all were huge double doors at the far end. A dozen dwarf warriors stood guard outside. They stepped back to allow the women and their escort to enter.

A short corridor ended in a large hall with a raised dais at one end. The floor had been polished to a mirror shine. On all sides, the walls were covered with warlike banners and racks displaying weaponry - axes, bows and spears. Embossed patterns ran across the ceiling. The guards melted into shadows at the corners of the hall and two officials took their place. These dwarves were also dressed in a military fashion, although their armour was clearly more ceremonial than warlike.

"The royal audience hall, no doubt." Jemeryl said, as she and Tevi were directed to a spot several yards from the dais.

News of their arrival had obviously preceded them. The hall was a confused bustle of activity as dwarves ran in and out, shouting what were presumably instructions, although no one appeared to be paying attention. Sounds faded to an excited muttering and then silence fell as an elderly dwarf was escorted into the hall. He stood proudly in the centre of the dais and glared down at the visitors. The armour he wore gleamed golden. Precious stones glinted in the dragon motif that coiled around his breastplate. His stubby hands were heavy with rings.

"The King?" Tevi whispered.

Jemeryl nodded as she examined the people standing in the group behind him. "Hopefully, one of his retinue is an interpreter... one way to find out." She raised her voice. "Our greetings to your Majesty. May your wealth be as great as your wisdom."

Tevi heard Jemeryl's sigh of relief as one dwarf stepped forward and loudly translated her words. The King nodded sternly in acknowledgement but made no reply.

Jemeryl continued. "We have come to offer our help. A source of danger has just entered your kingdom."

This time, the King spoke loudly in a harsh guttural voice. "Zkorn kaligwi ritu ut drogn duhli. Zkorn throgal ritu lan duhli."

"Why think you we need warnings? Why offer you to help us?" the interpreter provided.

"We come from the Protectorate of Lyremouth in search of a traitor who has hidden in your kingdom. It is true we want her for crimes against the Protectorate but, while she is here, she is a danger to you and your subjects."

"You have lose her. Us you want find her. You can go. If we find her, in our land, we deal with her. We need not your help." came the translated answer.

"I think you might." Jemeryl said mildly. "The traitor is a Protectorate sorcerer, like myself."

When these words were translated, the King frowned and examined the two women, as if taking them seriously for the first time. He stroked his beard while whispers ran up and down the hall.

"What help offer you?" The tone of the interpreter also seemed to reflect a different mood.

"We can tell you the place where she entered your kingdom. If you find her and lead us to her, I will attempt to capture or kill her. She is a great sorcerer. It may be beyond my power to defeat her but you lose nothing by my trying."

"Perhaps she is the good sorcerer. Perhaps you is the danger. What proof have you?"

"None, except the evidence of my good faith in that I came to you. It is my enemy that has stolen into your kingdom like a thief." Jemeryl paused while that was translated and then added, "And at the worst case, if you take my offer, you will have only one, rather than two sorcerers to deal with."

"We think about it."

The King gave one last, hard glare and then turned and left the hall. All about them, the assembly broke into a collection of confused melees.

"I may not know the language, but from the King's posture I think the answer is yes." Tevi whispered at Jemeryl's shoulder, as they were led from the hall.

"Of course. Stupid kings don't last long among the dwarves. He can't afford to have Levannue on his land any more than Bykoda could."

They were taken through a maze of narrow corridors. Tevi and Jemeryl were repeatedly obliged to duck to go through low openings. At last, they reached a full height door and were ushered through. The room beyond was obviously intended to be their quarters while they were in the dwarf city. Saddlebags from the horses were already piled in the centre.

The room was a lavish display of wealth, although the decoration was grossly overdone to human eyes. Everything was covered in intricate designs with shimmering bright colours. Gold and silver inlays were abundant. The furniture was a haphazard collection of sizes but at least some of it had been made with humans in mind. There were even gilt candleholders fastened on the walls.

Once their hosts had gone, Tevi walked to a chair and sat down. It was somewhat lower than she would have liked, forcing her to sit with her legs out straight, but was not too uncomfortable.

"Do you think we'll be here long?" she asked.

"Hopefully not. I'd guess that search parties are being dispatched at this very moment."

"Good. I hope they find her quickly. I'm not keen on living underground."

"And I don't think the dwarves are keen on having us here. They won't waste time. Like you, I'm not sure how long I can put up with the decoration." Jemeryl said with a wry grin.

"Oh well, look on the bright side, it's nice to be with men who look the part."

Jemeryl frowned, confused. "What?"

"The bright colours and beards. I've never got used to men on the mainland shaving. It doesn't seem quite right." Tevi said, smiling.

"They're not men." Jemeryl reminded her.

"All right, they're dwarves - but at least you can be sure they're male."

Jemeryl shook her head. "Actually you can't. Dwarves are hermaphrodites."

"But..." Tevi was lost for words.

"I'll admit most people get confused by the beards. But technically, all dwarves should be referred to as it, rather than he."

Tevi stared at Jemeryl and then slid down in the chair. With a sound, halfway between a laugh and a groan of despair, she buried her face in her hands.

Continued in chapter 7.

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