“What could there possibly be around here that would frighten off a warband like that?” Sasha said.
“Let’s hope we don’t find out,” said Kormak. He sniffed the air. There was a foetid scent to it.
“The way our luck has been going I am not too hopeful of that.”
A goblin larger than the others strode along the front of their line, berating them, but it was clear that the other goblins were refusing to follow.
Somewhere in the depths, an unholy bellow sounded, as if some great beast had sensed the presence of intruders and was warning them from its territory.
“I hate it when I am right,” said Boreas.
They trudged deeper into the district, determined to put the goblins behind them. The others all seemed to feel that they would be safer with the wolves and their riders out of sight.
Their feet scuffed along the ground as if they were too heavy to lift. The unnatural energy of the quickleaf drained from Kormak’s body. His limbs felt stiff and achy, as if he were coming down with a disease. Dire fears of the creature that had made that awful sound scuttled through his mind but they had heard nothing more since the initial bellow.
“We need to find a place to rest,” he said. Boreas nodded agreement. Sasha grunted. Karnea reeled along as if lost in a world of fatigue. He raised his hand as a sign that they should stop. If they blundered into whatever had frightened off the goblins, they were most likely dead.
They were trudging along a street of open-fronted shops. There were no goods, only trash strewn about. They were of a shophouse design with living quarters at the back. Kormak shepherded the party into the storefront and through into the sleeping area. He chose at random but that was as good as anything else at the moment.
The others threw their packs on the ground and collapsed on top of them, using them as pillows. The drums still sounded. The vibration could be felt through the floor.
Karnea lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. “This is not quite turning out the way I thought it would,” she said. She sounded as if she wanted to cry.
“We’re not dead yet,” said Boreas. He clearly meant it to sound encouraging but it just reminded everyone of how close they had come to meeting their fates.
“We’re all suffering from the after-effects of quickleaf,” Kormak said. “Get some rest. Things will look better after some sleep.”
“We need to set watches,” said Boreas.
“I will take the first,” said Kormak. The warrior nodded agreement and slumped down gratefully. All of the others closed their eyes. Soon Boreas was snoring. Kormak sat facing the door, with his back to the wall, scabbarded blade across his knees. He found his thoughts drifting.
It had been a very long day. The events on the surface seemed a long time ago, as if they had happened weeks ago and not... He had no idea how many hours it had been since they started. If forced to guess, he would say that the sun had set above.
“What are you thinking?” Sasha asked softly.
“I thought you were going to get some sleep.”
“I can’t get my mind to stop.” She looked enviously at the snoring Boreas and Karnea who lay with her head atop her arm, propped up against her pack, the very picture of exhaustion.
“It happens,” said Kormak.
“Are you always like this? I’ve seen stones show more emotion.”
“Well, we are in a dwarven city.”
“Was that supposed to be a joke?”
“They are good sculptors,” he said. “They can make stonework show emotion.”
“I knew what you were trying to say. There’s no need to bludgeon me over the head with it.”
He shrugged.
“I am sorry,” she said. “I am just nervous. Hell, more than that... I am terrified.”
“That’s understandable.”
“You don’t think we’re going to get out of here alive, do you?”
“I’ve survived worse places than this.”
She studied him for a moment, head tilted to one side. “You have, haven’t you? You’re not just saying that.”
“I thought I was going to die today,” he said. “Several times. I am still here. The same may be true tomorrow.”
“Or it may not.”
He smiled. “Or it may not. I have lived with the prospect of death since I was eight years old. I don’t find it as frightening as I once did.”
“Since... since the Old One came to your village?”
“Yes.”
She moved a little closer, placed her head against his shoulder. She was seeking comfort. He measured the distance to the door, decided he could push her off and get to his feet before anyone could reach him. The pressure of her head comforted him too.