Part 59 (1/2)

44.

The Monster's Lair THE SKIR MASTER had been very hard to break, but Hunger had killed him, just as the Mother had commanded. Killed him and reached through the doors of his binding to ravage the enemy whom the Skir Master served until she broke the binding that connected her to her servant.

Now he needed to eat. The battle with the enemy's Skir Master had required a tremendous amount of Fire. And while he felt no physical pain, his body had sustained a large amount of damage. It would require Fire and Soul to repair itself completely. He watched the Fir-Noy soldiers flee. His desire to chase and consume them was immense, but he dared not. If he distracted himself, he might lose his opportunity while it was in his grasp.

The Mother had commanded him to gather in all of this Grove of sleth, all those who stank. She'd commanded him to find the young male. Hunger had carried Ke and Matiga back to the mother. All that was left was Argoth. Well, there were two others Larther had known about, but one had been lost for a very long time. The other, the rumored half-beast named Harnock was elusive. Unstable. In all the years Larther had been part of the Grove, he'd never once seen him, which meant that all those that lived on this side of the mountains had been accounted for. Argoth was the last.

As for the young male-he was here as well. Hunger could smell the Mother's magic on him.

He could feel the Mother's antic.i.p.ation. And his own antic.i.p.ation joined with hers. When he delivered these two, his task would be fulfilled. And she would be bound to let his family go. In the back of his mind he feared she would not keep that promise, but he pushed those fears aside. She kept her word; hadn't she already proven that?

Sugar ran with Legs toward an outcropping of rock on the hill, hoping she and Legs could find a place to hide before the monster noticed them. When she reached the rocks, she turned and saw the monster swat Talen aside as if he were nothing more than a gra.s.s doll and towered over Argoth.

Zu Argoth knelt in the gra.s.s, rocking back and forth, oblivious.

The monster bent over and picked up Zu Argoth, cradling him in one of its ma.s.sive arms, and then it turned and looked directly at her.

”Down,” she said to Legs, pus.h.i.+ng him behind the rock. ”Down!”

She prayed that it hadn't seen her, or that if it had, it would be more attracted to the small cl.u.s.ter of Fir-Noy soldiers making their way up along the road into the vale.

She waited, listened. Legs clutched at her hand. And then she heard the pounding, thump, thump, thump coming up the slope. She shrunk down deeper into the rocks. The thumping came closer, and then she heard the creature spring onto the rocks behind her.

She glanced back. The horrible thing was already reaching out. With one arm it cradled Zu Argoth. With the other, it tore Legs from her grasp.

”Sugar,” he cried, panic on his face.

She clutched at him.

But the monster pushed her away, and then it was loping up the hill.

She bolted after him.

”Sugar!” he yelled.

But the creature's strides were immense, and it pulled away, racing up the steep slope. Sugar chased after them, but the creature was too far away, increased the distance between her and it with every stride. And then it crested the crown of the hill and disappeared over the side.

”Brother!” she yelled.

Her lungs were burning.

”Brother!”

She doubled over, resting her hands on her knees. He was gone. Gone!

”Lords,” she cried. ”No. Please, no.” She labored another rod up the hill then slumped to her knees, panting, her mind racing. There was no way she could catch it. No way she herself could defeat it. But she did know where its lair lay. She could lead an army there.

No. That would do nothing.

It had already fought a small army. It couldn't be killed. Not by dreadmen, or Skir Masters, or whirlwinds.

She turned and looked back downhill. The bodies of men lay scattered in the gra.s.s and scrub. The Crab smoldered in the coals of the fire, sending up a smoke that thinned in the breeze. Talen was on his hands and knees. He grabbed something and stood, clutching his ribs on one side as if injured.

”Hoy!” She called out. ”Talen!”

Talen turned, spotted her, and held up something that flashed silver in the morning light. It was the case that held the hag's teeth.

Across the meadow the morning winds stirred the tree tops. She spotted the Skir Master lying at the edge by a cl.u.s.ter of ma.s.sive elms.

She knew where the cave was. Below was the weapon capable of killing this beast. All that was needed was for someone to finish what the Skir Master had started.

”I'm coming, brother,” she said, ”I'm coming,” and ran back down the slope.

Talen met her at the base of the hill. He said, ”I saw it take Legs.”

”We can get him back. We can get your brother and sister back. We can get them all back.”

He held the case up, showing its contents. The s.h.i.+ning silver spikes were the length of two spans, etched all over in arcane designs with tips sharp as needles.

”We're going after the others,” Sugar said.

”Of course, we are,” said Talen.

”We're going to the cave,” she said.

”Right,” Talen nodded, ”although it does seem preposterous.”

At that moment, a Fir-Noy slowly rose from his hiding place. He spotted Sugar, looked at Talen, and then ran for the horses as the far end of the meadow.

Talen said, ”He's got great form. I believe he'd win a prize at the races.”

She said, ”You suppose he thinks we want him for breakfast?”

”Breakfast?” Talen asked. ”I've sworn off Fir-Noy. Much too bitter for my taste.”

They watched him go. Watched him catch a horse and ride off.

”He's going to alert the countryside,” Talen said.

”Which means we don't have much time.”

Talen said, ”I can't find the third tooth. It crawled out of the Crab and headed for the bushes.”

Sugar was horrified and quickly scanned the ground around her, fearful of where it might be.