Chapter
15: Guered-mal-Far
The battle with the river
and the spiders had left Shailaja close to exhaustion, but the strenuous
conditioning routine Olara had put her through now paid
off. She had already expended
enough effort to exhaust most warriors, but moved quickly along the path,
knowing that any delay might mean Vasanta’s
death. Ahead of her was the vast
cavern where Chivas and his spider hordes had ambushed her and Vasanta and
she could only hope that the Spider King had not decided to do away with
the Nahn princess out of spite.
Without weapons she knew
that rescuing Vasanta was a long shot, but it was not in her nature to leave
anyone to the fate Chivas had planned for her reluctant
companion. There was just a chance
that Chivas and the spiders would not be looking for
her. After all, being carried
over the waterfall would have killed most women and she expected that even
if Chivas thought she might have survived the last thing he would expect
her to do would be to return to the place of greatest
danger.
Her thoughts proved
correct. Reaching the cavern
after what seemed an interminable climb up the path, she found that there
seemed not to be a single spider guarding the
trail. Just as important, she
found her weapons and Vasanta’s lying where they had fallen when they
had been taken prisoner.
Her armour was there as
well; covered in sticky webbing, but Shailaja was able to work it free, and
quickly strapped it on. Now she
had to see about rescuing Vasanta.
Across the cavern she could
see the pillars where she and Vasanta had been
tied. She was too far away to
see if Vasanta was still there, but she could make out that a large number
of spiders were still congregated in the
area. Picking up her twin blades
she moved forward, hoping that somehow her luck would hold and she would
be able to get close enough to Chivas to kill him before he called down his
spider hordes upon her.
She kept low, moving in
a crouch and taking advantage of the uneven surface of the cave floor to
disguise her approach. In this
way she was able to get to within fifty yards of the stone
pillars. Crouching in the shadow
of a huge boulder she held her breath and
listened. From across the cave
came the sound of the Spider King’s
voice.
“Your time has come,”
Chivas intoned. “The actions
of your companion have shown me that you are far too dangerous to keep
alive. It is time to let my subjects
feed upon you. It will be an
interesting death as you will be fully conscious as they suck the juices
from your body and you will be able to feel everything they
do.”
It was all Shailaja needed
to hear. Taking a deep breath
she rose from her hiding place and charged toward the Spider
King.
Vasanta had watched in stunned
amazement as Shailaja broke free from the webbing that held
her. Struggling to survive the
brutal plundering of her body by the Spider King, she was both relieved and
astonished when he suddenly stopped ravishing
her. She was even more amazed
when she saw Shailaja, sword in hand, attempting to hack her way through
the spider horde to where the Spider King
stood. Unable to escape her own
bonds she wondered how the redheaded barbarian had managed to
escape.
The bitch must be
enchanted,
she
thought. Straining her muscles
she fought to pull her hands free of the strands that held her, but could
make not the least headway. The
fact that she could not filled her with
fury. That Shailaja could somehow
contrive to escape while she could not only added to her
shame. Heaving her body, she
jerked against the spider silk, but succeeded only in scraping her wrists
raw and pushing herself to the edge of collapse.
What Chivas had done to
her had taken a considerable toll on her
body. Her loins throbbed and
her breasts ached where he had pinched and bitten them; painful reminders
of how badly the spider king had savaged
her. Unable to escape and barely
able to stand she could do nothing but watch as Shailaja battled the
spiders.
She could see at once that
the Kaltaran warrior was doomed.
There were simply too many of the eight-legged foes for her to
overcome. Already webs clung
to the Kaltara warrior’s sword and parts of her body, and hundreds of
spiders swarmed toward her with the intention of overwhelming
her. Incredibly she would simply
not go down. She was tangled
in the silken webs and several large spiders had jumped onto
her. Attacked from all sides
it seemed impossible that she did not fall, but somehow whenever she seemed
on the verge of being conquered she somehow regained her
footing. However, it was obvious
to Vasanta that she could not last much longer, an opinion that seemed confirmed
when Shailaja dropped her sword.
More spiders leaped onto
the redhead, but still she did not fall.
Instead she staggered across the cavern, moving dangerously close
to the edge of the swift flowing water that tumbled over the
falls. Even as she watched Shailaja
lost her footing, slipped and disappeared into the river, taking a number
of her spider assailants with her.
She was gone in an instant,
swept beneath the surface and then over the huge
waterfall. Vasanta watched as
the woman she had sworn to kill and who she had hunted for hundreds of leagues
across half of Vedra, fell to her death.
Her reaction was not one she would have
expected. She experienced a strange
mix of emotions; disappointment and anger that she had failed in her mission
of vengeance; but also regret that her forced companion had met such an
end. It seemed a poor way for
a so brave a warrior to die.
She knew now that the
accusations she had made against Shailaja had probably been
mistaken. She had clearly
demonstrated her martial prowess during their training sessions and Vasanta
now knew that the Kaltaran warrior had probably killed her brother in fair
combat. That would not have changed
her decision to seek vengeance, but she would have regarded Shailaja as a
worthy opponent rather than a cowardly
murderer. None of that mattered
now, and her thoughts snapped back to her current predicament when Chivas
once again turned toward her.
The Spider King glowered
at her. “I don’t know
how your friend escaped, but as you see it did her little
good. For now you and I have
some unfinished business.”
Vasanta struggled helplessly
as Chivas approached. In spite
of her pain and exhaustion she fought to break free, memories of the horror
she had suffered at the hands of the five cousins flooding back into her
memory. Chivas had already hurt
her more than any of the cousins had done and she feared what else he might
do to her.
The Spider King sensed her
fear. He grinned maliciously
as he once again evaded her attempts to kick him and spread her
legs. “Afraid are you?”
he jeered. “You’ll
know far more than fear before I’m through with
you.”
He was true to his word,
using her more savagely than the first time he had taken
her. It was an ordeal Vasanta
would long remember and as he thrust into her she cried out, finally breaking
down under his brutal assault.
Chivas took his time, savouring
his helpless victim. For Vasanta
the torment seemed endless, but he finally finished with her, spurting his
seed within her before finally leaving her hanging from the spider strand
restraints.
Vasanta could barely stand,
and she had to hold on to the spider silk to help support her
weight. She had never felt so
defeated or degraded, but she heard his words as Chivas pronounced her death
sentence. “Time to die,
my beauty. Much as I would like
to keep you alive, your time has come.
The actions of your companion have shown me that you are far too dangerous
to keep alive. It is time to
let my subjects feed upon you. It
will be an interesting death as you will be fully conscious as they suck
the juices from your body and you will be able to feel everything they
do.”
He stepped back and Vasanta
watched in resignation and horror as the spider hordes began to move toward
her. It was a foul way for a
warrior to die. She realized
now that her pursuit of vengeance had led her to a cruel and humiliating
death. But there was nothing
that would change that now. All
she could do was face her death as bravely as the gods would
allow.
Her bleak thoughts were
interrupted by a shrill scream.
“Kaltara valte
sha!” From out of
the semi-darkness rushed a redheaded apparition, or so it seemed to
Vasanta’s exhausted mind.
Shailaja was dead; or so she had thought, but the warrior waving her
twin swords seemed very much alive.
She watched in silence as Shailaja rushed toward the startled Spider
King.
Chivas turned and waved
his spider minions to his defence, but this time he was a fraction too
slow. Shailaja’s twin blades
swept the spider bodyguard that leaped toward her from her path, cutting
her way through to the Spider King.
Realizing that there was no escape Chivas seized his staff, swinging
it before him in defence.
The confrontation looked
like a complete mismatch. Hundreds
of spiders were rushing to the aid of the Spider King and he towered over
Shailaja, holding his jewelled staff confidently in front of
him. But he faced an enemy unlike
any he had ever faced before.
Ignoring the threat of the spiders that swarmed toward her, she went
on the attack, her blades moving too fast for Vasanta’s eyes to
follow.
Chivas countered; feinting
high and then striking low in an attempt to sweep Shailaja’s feet from
under her. But Shailaja was
quicker. She leaped over the
descending staff and with a sweep of her right blade deflected it further
away from her. The move took
her inside the Spider King’s guard and she drove forward with her second
blade. It caught Chivas in the
centre of his body and penetrated to the hilt, half the blade emerging from
his back.
With a shriek of agony the
Spider King staggered back.
Incredibly he did not fall, but continued to fight, striking down
with his staff and catching Shailaja’s extended
arm. The blow forced her to
relinquish her hold on the sword that had pierced Chivas, but she still held
the one in her right hand. Chivas
stepped forward, seemingly unharmed by the blade that transfixed him, sweeping
his staff before him in an attempt to knock Shailaja from her
feet. At the last heartbeat she
ducked beneath the blow, and holding her sword two-handed swung at the opening
Chivas had given her.
The blow took off his head
and this was something that even the Spider King’s incredible powers
could not withstand. Like a great
tree he toppled backward, his body slamming into the stone floor of the cavern
and his head bouncing several yards before rolling to a
halt.
The effect on the spiders
was immediate. Most of them stopped
their concerted attack although several continued toward Shailaja on their
own. These, the redhead quickly
dispatched before turning her attention to
Vasanta.
As they had found before,
cutting through the sticky spider silk was not easy job, but Shailaja managed
it, freeing first Vasanta’s right arm and then her
left. To her chagrin Vasanta
could not stand, but collapsed to the floor of the cavern as soon as she
was freed. Only Shailaja’s
quick action in catching her prevented her from suffering a nasty
fall. She lay there; barely able
to move while Shailaja crouched over her, however, a movement among the spiders
showed that their ordeal was not quite
over.
Shailaja snapped her head
in the direction of the motion and caught her breath in horror as she suddenly
realized that killing Chivas had meant
nothing. Moving from the shadows
was a spider that made Malasha and Marga look
diminutive. Its legs radiated
four yards from its bulbous body which was suspended more than Shailaja’s
height above the floor. Its body
was black as pitch except for its six glowing blue eyes which were fixed
on the startled warrior. It stalked
toward her with a seemingly ponderous motion, but each movement of its eight
legs actually covered six yard or more.
May Marana bless me,
Shailaja
thought. Where have you
been hiding?
There was no answer to that
question, but Shailaja noticed that the other spiders in the cavern moved
back as the huge spider advanced and then fell in behind, almost like an
audience focusing on the main actor.
Shailaja shook her head in wonder
and then, readying her two swords she moved forward to face the
monster.
Surrender and I will
kill other quickly and take you as my
servant.
The thought entered her
mind with the force of a blow and Shailaja staggered; almost falling, before
she caught her balance. “What
are you?” she gasped. Beside
her, Vasanta moaned, signalling that she too had received the
thought.
You cannot defeat
me. I have ruled the underworld
for centuries. You have taken
my servant and proven your worth.
Now you will take his place.
The voice was female, and
overpowering in its strength, but Shailaja was not yet ready to
surrender. “I cannot do
that,” Shailaja replied, standing tall and defiant before the huge
creature. My companion and I
stand and fall together.”
There is no defence
you can mount that will save you.
Defy me and you die.
“Take me then,”
Shailaja demanded. “For
I will never serve a monster.”
So be it,
the voice
thundered.
Shailaja waited for the
attack, but when it came it was nothing she had expected or was prepared
for. Something slammed into her
mind with numbing force, leaving her transfixed and unable to
move. She was as paralyzed as
when Chivas had exposed her to the spider
bite.
Foolish
human. Now you
die.
The
spider lumbered forward, its chelicerae and fangs dripping purplish
poison.
I cannot die like
this, Shailaja
thought. Straining every muscle
she fought to escape, sweat pouring from every pore and soaking her clothing
and armour. With every step the
spider queen closed the distance.
In a heartbeat it would be upon
her.
No!
I will not die!
Shailaja’s
mind screamed defiance and suddenly she was free just as the immense spider
reached for her. Darting forward,
she ducked beneath the spider queen’s massive
thorax. Above her the huge lung
sucked in air like some gigantic bellows.
She struck upward, her swords piecing the
lung. Driving hard, she thrust
them in to the hilt.
Her head exploded in pain
as the spider’s thoughts crashed into her
mind.
NO! You should not
have been able to do that!
The mental blow almost caused
Shailaja to faint, but somehow she found the strength to wrench her swords
free. Above her the immense spider
queen twisted her body, offering another target, this time the part of her
body where the huge abdomen joined the
thorax. Shailaja knew nothing
of spider anatomy except what she had seen in the caverns, but it seemed
to her that the part of the body from which sprouted the eight long legs
was an obvious target. She struck
again and again in quick succession before the spider with a deafening shriek
hurled its body away form her.
Its retreat tore one of
the swords from Shailaja’s grip and one monstrous leg stuck her as the
spider moved, the impact driving her several yards across the stone
floor. Regaining her feet she
held her remaining sword as the spider turned toward
her. This time there was no mental
barrage; instead the spider advanced slowly, its dripping fangs clicking
like castanets.
Shailaja held her sword
two-handed. She knew she had
hurt her monstrous adversary, perhaps fatally, but she also knew that a spider
could take a long time to die.
Panting from her efforts she waited for the spider
attack.
It came as she expected,
the spider queen using the same tactics the other spiders had
used. It rushed forward seeking
to simply overwhelm her. This
time the danger of such an attack was even greater as a single touch of one
of the giant legs could inflict serious
injury. Even the accidental blow
had bruised her badly and had not her armour protected her the needle-like
hairs would have ripped her open.
The spider queen reared
up in front of her, raising its two front
legs. Each ended in a sickle-shaped
claw fully a yard long. They
came down like great picks, seeking to impale Shailaja where she
stood. Only she was no longer
standing there. Leaping back
she struck with her blade, putting all of the strength of her body behind
the blow. There was a loud clang,
but the result was not what she had hoped or expected.
For an instant Shailaja
stood stunned as two feet of steel pinwheeled across the
cavern. Her sword had broken
a foot from the hilt, leaving her with a stub of a
blade.
You fool; your weak
weapons cannot hurt me.
Shailaja knew that was not
true. The scream the spider queen
had uttered when she had sunk the other sword into its body was proof of
that. However, her present weapon
was now almost useless and she tossed it aside at the same time leaping forward
to avoid the spider queen’s next
strike.
She landed directly beneath
the huge spider and kept on moving.
Just a few yards away was the jewel-tipped staff Chiavas had fought
with. It was fully ten feet long
and tipped with a gleaming white gem.
She reached it just as the spider queen wheeled upon
her.
This time Shailaja was not
quite quick enough. The sickle-claw
caught her a glancing blow, leaving a tear in her armour that extended from
her shoulder to her midriff. It
tore open her armour and left a nasty slash that extended from her collar
bone to her sternum, slashing her left breast deeply as it did
so.
Shailaja hardly felt the
pain, but the blow knocked her flat and the spider moved in for the
kill. This time its huge head
and the dripping fangs descended for her.
Lying on her back, Shailaja did the only thing she
could. As the fangs opened she
thrust the diamond tip of the staff into the gaping jaws.
Whether there was magic
in the glittering gem or whether it was the frantic strength of Shailaja’s
arms; the end of the staff entered the spider queen’s jaws and penetrated
a full yard into her head.
NO!
NO! The last thoughts of the spider queen
screamed in her head and then the huge body collapsed, dropping straight
down on the fallen warrior.
The breath driven from her
by the spider’s collapse, Shailaja lay where she had fallen, pinned
by the spider’s weight and unable to
move. She was fully aware, however,
of what was happening around her and she could sense the movement of the
hundreds of smaller spiders as they moved toward their fallen
queen.
No doubt they were merely
moving in to feed on the huge carcass; but that did Shailaja little
good. Bruised and bleeding she
lay where she was, struggling to move the spider’s bulk, but unable
to move more than an inch or so.
Suddenly Vasanta was beside her, tugging hard on her
shoulders. Still exhausted from
her ordeal the Nahn princess was able to move her only a short distance before
the first of the spiders arrived.
Getting to her feet, Vasanta
abandoned her efforts to free Shailaja and picked up the
staff. The spider’s fall
had broken it in half leaving her a crude weapon some five feet in
length. She stood over the fallen
Kaltaran preparing to defend her.
At that moment there was
a shouted command and a torch flared to light near the entrance to the
cavern. Then another torch blazed,
and another, as each new torch was used to light the one next to
it. Within a few dozen heartbeats
a line of fire extended right across the cavern next to the far
wall. Then with a second shout
the line of torches began to move
forward.
The spider advance had halted
as the first torch flared into existence.
Now thousands of eyes watched as the torches moved
forward. For a few heartbeats
there was no reaction and then the spiders began to
retreat. However, there was no
easy escape. Behind them lay
the surging river and the line of torches was so long that it blocked the
avenues of escape at either end. As
the spiders scuttled away they were compressed into a smaller and smaller
area, and then suddenly they panicked.
Spiders scattered in all
directions attempting to break through the line, but they were met with
fire. In front of the men carrying
the torches a wall of flame some three yards high whooshed up as some flammable
liquid ignited in front of them.
Those spiders attempting to break the line shrivelled in its heat,
as for the others they turned and fled back the way they had come and in
so doing sealed their fate as they stampeded toward the
river. Terrified; and evidently
fearing water less than fire, they rushed to the river’s edge and then
over into the raging torrent. They
were instantly swept toward the falls and oblivion.
Vasanta stood still holding
the broken staff and watched as the wall of fire slowly burned
down. As it sputtered to an end
the men holding the torches stepped
forward. By this time she had
a good idea of their number which she estimated at some two hundred or so
men. As they moved closer she
saw that they wore the purple and gold of the Hector’s guard and then
a tall man stepped from their ranks and came to a halt just out of the reach
of Vasanta’s staff.
“You two are almost
more trouble than you are worth,” he
said. “But at least this
time some good has come of your latest
escapade.” He was dressed
in armour like the rest of the Tharian soldiers, distinguished only by the
fact that the pommel of the sword he wore contained a diamond the size of
a walnut. As he spoke he nodded
toward the carcass of the enormous spider which still pinned the helpless
Shailaja. “Now if you will
be so good as to put down that staff we will see about freeing your companion
and attending to her wounds.”
For a long moment Vasanta
maintained her defiant stance, and then realizing that there was little to
be gained by resisting she shrugged and tossed the staff
aside. She was too exhausted
to fight so many adversaries and there seemed little point in taking further
punishment after what she had just
suffered.
“Excellent,” the
man said. “Now let’s
see about rescuing your companion.”
He motioned with his arm and several soldiers moved forward and began
to lift the giant spider carcass while two others laid hold of Shailaja and
dragged her clear.
“Easy there,”
the man said. “She’s
been wounded.”
“Let me attend to that,” another voice said. A quite different figure stepped forward. This one was dressed in a physician’s robes and Vasanta recognized him as Tened-mal-Benar, physician to the Hector and suddenly she suddenly realized who the man giving the orders was.
She had never seen the man who had plucked her and Shailaja from the slave market and who had completely ordered their lives from that day on, but the slight upon her honour required that she be avenged upon him as well. The fact that he and his men had arrived just in time to save her life in no way absolved that debt. However, unarmed and surrounded by the Hector’s guards she was in a very poor position to carry out any vendetta and the possibility of vengeance was further diminished when several of the guards closed about her and shackled her wrists and ankles.
“Merely a precaution,” Guered explained. “I wouldn’t want you doing anything rash that might result in some injury to you.”
Or to you either, thought Vasanta. But she said nothing and watched as Shailaja was pulled clear of the spider queen. A true warrior, Shailaja made not the slightest sound as she was stretched out on the floor of the cavern and Tened bent over her. Vasanta could see that the wound she had suffered must be excruciating. A deep gash extended from her collarbone across her left breast, just missing the nipple, and continuing to her navel.
It bled profusely and as Tened peeled back the remainder of Shailaja’s clothing and armour it could be seen that she had lost a great deal of blood. Pinned beneath the spider she had been unable to move and the blood had soaked her clothing and then pooled on the ground beneath her.
Tened wasted no time. He quickly opened his medical kit and while an assistant did his best to stem the flow of blood using clean white cloths, he took out a number of small metal clamps and used them to quickly close the wound. Vasanta had never seen this medical technique before and watched with interest as the Tharian healer proceeded to the next step.
The bleeding attended to; Tened now went to the next and more traditional step. Taking out a needle and some very fine thread, he proceeded to sew the edges of the wound together, using the finest and most exact stitches Vasanta had ever seen.
Looking up briefly, Tened noticed her intent gaze. “I don’t suppose you aspire to the healing arts do you warrior?” Without waiting for an answer he continued speaking, explaining something of what he was doing.
“Spider silk,” he said, referring to the stitches he made. “It is rare and therefore costly, but is perfect for sutures, being both strong and very fine. In addition, it has the property of being an animal substance and will dissolve as the wound heals, making removal of the stitches unnecessary and reducing scarring.”
He motion with his head to the cavern around him. “I should say that spider silk was rare. This little expedition has brought me a supply in abundance. I will have enough to supply every healer in Thar for decades.”
“It has brought us more than that, Tened,” Guered
interjected. “We have destroyed
the spider menace that infested these caverns and prevented access to the
source of the
He moved to the carcass of the spider queen as he spoke and took out his sheath knife. Bending by the spider’s huge front leg he made a precise cut just above the claw and with a little bit of care and effort cut the sickle-shaped weapon free. He did the same with the other leg, handing each claw to one of his men. “These will be interesting trophies at the very least,” he commented. “And it might be possible to fashion them into some sort of weapon. And now, there is one more thing.”
While Vasanta continued to observe he took one of the pole-arms carried by one of his soldiers and worked it behind one of the spider’s eyes. In spite of the death of the spider queen the eyes still caught the light, glowing like luminescent blue gems. To Vasanta’s surprise the eye came loose and fell into Guered’s hands. He held it up and examined it. “This is something rare indeed,” he said.
Vasanta could see from the way Guered handled it that the eye seemed quite hard; more like a glowing piece of stone than anything that had once been living. “The eyes of the Spider Queen,” Tened observed, looking up from his work. “The most magical of gems if the legends are to be believed.”
“We shall see,” Guered replied. Much to Vasanta’s annoyance he seemed highly satisfied.
At least someone seems to have gotten something out of this misbegotten adventure. I was a fool to allow the Kaltaran slut to talk me into this. Vasanta knew that her last thought was unfair. Shailaja was almost certainly as virtuous as she was, and she had agreed to the escape attempt more than willingly. What really galled her, however, was the fact that Shailaja had almost certainly saved her life. It complicated her simple desire for vengeance. She doubted that Shailaja knew much about the Nahnian code of honour, and Vasanta was not going to explain it to her; but she now owed the Kaltaran warrior a life debt. It was something she would first have to repay before taking her revenge. It was a situation that Vasanta found quite infuriating, but there was nothing she could do about it; she would simply have to deal with it.
“We are six hours into the caves,” Guered commented. “I do not fancy returning until we are rested. Beside I wish to explore a little farther before we turn back. I have noted from the movement of the torch flames that there is a current of air moving through the cave. I would like to see if we are close to some other exit. We will spend the night here and then I will explore a little tomorrow.”
Guered’s statement was immediately acted upon. It was clear that his soldiers were quite used to carrying out his commands. Within a short time they had a camp set up and were preparing a meal from the rations they had carried with them.
By this time Tened had finished sewing up Shailaja. He completed her treatment by applying an ointment that smelled strongly of medicinal herbs to her wound. “That should do until we get back to the city,” he confirmed. “Her wound will require some treatment to prevent scaring.”
Guered nodded his approval and then turned to one of the men next to him. “Captain Elnar, make sure that both slaves are secured. In spite of what they have suffered I do not trust them to be docile.”
“Yes, My Lord. They will not escape me again.”
Vasanta recognized the Captain as the man who had commanded the guard tower she and Shailaja had forced their way past. She found it interesting that he had been invited to be part of the party that pursued her. Already shackled by lengths of chain attached to irons that had been clamped about her wrists and ankles she watched as Shailaja was similarly restrained. Thus restrained neither warrior could move faster than a shuffle, but Elnar added one more element that reinforced the fact that they were slaves once more.
One of the soldiers had found the jeweled collars Chivas had placed upon the necks of Malasha and Marga. They were removed and the connecting length of chain retrieved as well. As the collars were once more snapped into place the return to bondage was emphatically confirmed.
Captive once more, neither warrior was able to hide her anger; an emotion that Guered was easily able to read. As they crouched helplessly on the floor of the cavern he approached them. “I see that nothing that has happened to you has in any way weakened your strength of mind. That is just as well. I like women with spirit and I have never encountered any with more spirit that either of you possess.”
Looking toward Shailaja he continued. “You should both be punished for your escape attempt and the killing of two of my guards and the injuring of a trusted friend. However, your distraction and killing of the Spider Queen enabled me and my men to get into position to finally exterminate the spider hordes. As such you have done me a service. As a result I am willing to overlook this latest transgression, especially as Olara praised you as the most promising of those she has trained. However, be warned. Another such escapade will result in severe punishment.”
Neither woman spoke; but both wondered the same thing. “What did the ruler of Thar have planned for them that made them so valuable? Somehow there had to be more to it than just training them to fight in the arena.
In spite of the fact that one of the soldiers spread a cloak for her to lie
on, Shailaja had a hard time getting
comfortable. Her wound pained
her abominably, and she had other minor injuries suffered in her battle with
the spiders and her ordeal at the hands of
Chivas. Tened had given her nothing
for the pain; perhaps because of an oversight or perhaps
deliberately. However, she almost
relished the discomfort of her injuries.
It is no more than I deserve she
mused. I failed utterly
in my escape attempt and simply brought more pain and suffering on myself
and my companion. I deserve this
and more.
She also felt some remorse over the killing of the two soldiers in her escape; however, it did not trouble her too greatly. She regarded all Tharians as her enemies; after all it was they who promoted the slave trade. She was only doing what any warrior would do when taken prisoner by such a people. Unfortunately, she doubted that she would be allowed any opportunity to escape again. She had little doubt that once she and Vasanta were returned to Thar they would be kept under close guard and the freedom they had been allowed would be taken away.
Sleep came to her eventually, the exhaustion of the day’s events finally winning out. Beside her Vasanta also slept, the two women surrounded by the soldiers of the man they had sought to escape.
A short distance away that very man watched the two sleeping warriors, wondering if they could ever be tamed. Even dirty and disheveled from their ordeal he had to admit that they were an impressive pair, but if he could ever make use of them was another matter. Across from him Tened was also watching the sleeping women.
“Attractive aren’t they?” Guered mused.
“They are,” Tened agreed, “and they may be more than that. Have you considered the fact that they were able to stand up to the Spider Queen when none before them have been able to do that? There seems to be something very special about them.”
“You are right,” Guered agreed. “How was it that the Spider Queen was able to use the powers of her mind to defeat everyone sent against her, but that a couple of barbarians were able to stand up to her? It is a puzzle and worth talking to them about.”
“I suggest you do it back at the palace,” Tened said. “You are too valuable to risk here. Send Elnar to explore the caves tomorrow. He can report his findings to you in a place less dangerous than this.”
“With the spiders defeated I think little danger remains,” Guered countered. “Besides I have seen too little action of late. Being cooped up behind stone walls becomes somewhat tiring.”
“I would hardly call the palace of the Hector ‘stone walls,’” Tened replied. “You are too important to risk in these expeditions just to satisfy your sense of adventure.”
“Between you and Selmat I am well taken care of,” Guered answered. “But sometimes I just have to get away from the walls of Thar and out into the open.”
“You will have your way as you always do, My Lord,” Tened said, disapprovingly. “But remember the reforms you have instituted and planned for Thar require that you live to see them through.”
“Do not worry, old friend,” Guered smiled. “I will be careful. I’ve not lived this long without learning to survive.”
Tened shrugged. When Guered made up his mind to do something there was no way of stopping him. This is what comes of having a desert bandit for a leader, he mused.
Morning or something like it came soon enough for Shailaja. She was sore in so many places it hurt to even make the slightest motion, but she hid her pain and did what she was told. The first order of business was a cold breakfast of the rations Guered’s escort had brought with them, and then she and Vasanta were ordered to their feet.
“I want you with me,” Guered said. “It seems only fitting you see where the rest of the caves go.”
Shailaja suspected that there might be another motive as well. She and Vasanta were hardly in shape for a long walk, and going with Guered would serve as a form of punishment. However, she said nothing, reflecting on the fact that being returned to Thar would be a similar ordeal. At least by going with Guered there might be some faint chance of escape.
As the Hector had stated, he took only ten men, leaving Elnar and Tened behind to deal with the hauling back the booty they had collected from the spiders. There was far too much spider silk for the men to carry, but they could bring back the trophies Guered and his men had cut from the Spider Queen.
Once again tethered to one another there was little Shailaja and Vasanta could do except follow Guered as he led the way deeper into the cave. Guered and five of his men took the front of the column with Shailaja and Vasanta following. Behind them were five more soldiers.
In spite of their weariness, the two warriors had little trouble keeping pace. For the march Guered had decided that they need not be heavily chained, the single link connecting them to one another being enough and so they were able to walk easily. Guered also set a relaxed pace, taking his time in the exploration of the cavern as he moved toward its far end.
The section of the cave they passed through was quite remarkable in appearance with many more of the stone columns and fantastic concretions formed by centuries of dripping water. It was a stone wonderland and Guered paused frequently to take in the sights around him.
It would no doubt have been just as fascinating for Shailaja and Vasanta had they not been so focused on looking for a possible chance to escape. Unfortunately none presented itself and the expedition moved steadily onward, moving deeper and deeper into the vast cavern.
There was no way of keeping track of time except to count footsteps, and Shailaja gave that up after she passed one thousand. It really mattered little how long it took or even where they were going. Her mind was almost completely fixed on studying the men escorting her, looking for some weakness that might allow her to escape. More than anyone else, she studied the Hector of Thar, fighting down her anger at the man who had purchased her at the slave marker and forced a life of servitude on her. Guered strode at the head of the column talking quietly with the two soldiers next to him. However, after what Shailaja estimated to be one turn of the glass, he suddenly slowed his pace until she and Vasanta caught up to him.
Shailaja wondered at this. For some reason it appeared that the Hector wanted to speak to her or Vasanta, but she paid him no attention, fixing her gaze on the way ahead of them.
“How are your wounds?” Guered asked as he fell in beside Shailaja. “Do they pain you greatly?”
Shailaja considered not answering, but decided that she might be able to learn something about her captor by allowing him to make conversation; however, her reply was hardly encouraging. “A warrior of Kaltara cares nothing about the pain of her wounds.”
“Why dos that not surprise me?” Guered responded drily. “Whatever the case you and your companion have presented me with an interesting puzzle, barbarian.”
“And what is that?” Shailaja responded. She had nothing to lose by talking to her captor and might actually learn something useful.
“How is it that two women were able to overcome the horror of the Spider Queen and her minions when the last expedition sent into the caves was completely destroyed? How is it that you were able to overcome the mind control of the Spider Queen.?
“I do not know,” Shailaja shrugged. “Does it matter? I am still a prisoner.”
“I am curious as to how a pair of barbarians was able to defeat so formidable an enemy when others sent against the Spider Queen failed.”
“Perhaps Marana was with me,” Shailaja answered.
“Your Marana must be very powerful if she enabled you to defeat so formidable an enemy, but that does not entirely explain your success, given that your goddess allowed you to be sold into slavery,” Guered commented.
“Who can understand the way of the gods?” Shailaja asked. “Rarely do they confide in us.”
“Truly spoken,” Guered agreed. “However, I would know more about you. How is it that a woman from a land so far to the north should find her way here?”
Shailaja looked defiantly toward Guered. “What do you care about the origins of any of your slaves? You are the mighty Hector of Thar. All bow before him.”
“I care about many things,” Guered answered. “And I haven’t noticed that you or your companion bow to anyone.”
Shailaja snorted her derision. “A warrior of Kaltara…”
“I know,” Guered interrupted. “A warrior of Kaltara bows to no one; nor it seems do warriors of Nahn.”
His last comment was directed toward Vasanta who although she had not said a word had listened carefully to the conversation. At this remark she raised her head and glared her defiance.
“While we walk I wish to know more of both of you,” Guered continued. “You have nothing to lose by telling me how you both came to be here.”
Shailaja considered refusing, and then considered that she really had nothing better to do while they made their way through the monotony of the cave. However, she wanted something in return. “I will tell you my story, but in turn I should like to know yours.”
“Fair enough,” Guered agreed. We will stop awhile to rest and eat and you can start your tale then.”
In spite of her relative youth, Shailaja had lived so full a life in her twenty-four years that the short time allowed gave her time only to give the briefest outline of her adventures. However, it was enough to impress Guered much more than he expected.
It also impressed one other. Next to her Vasanta stared into the gloom of the cave as if lost in exhaustion and her thoughts. But she had heard every word of Shailaja’s abbreviated tale and it had set her thoughts in directions she did not like. Damn her, she thought. How can it be that I feel some sympathy toward her?
“Mistress of the Sword,” Guered commented, interrupting Vasanta’’s musings. “I shall write this Queen of Uvar you spoke of and see how much of what you have told me is true.”
“It is all true,” Shailaja bristled. “A warrior…”
“Right,” Guered interrupted again. “A warrior of Kaltara does not lie. I am rather inclined to believe your story. I have seen few better with a blade.”
“If there is such a one,” Shailaja glowered
“There is one that is close,” Guered replied. “She sits next to you. And there was one other.”
Shailaja looked at Guered as he got to his feet, wondering who the other was. He caught her look and grinned. “It was a warrior I knew some ten years ago. He lives no longer; I killed him.”
With that remark the Hector of Thar motioned to his men that the break was over. “I will have more of your tale, Barbarian, but for now I think it is time to see what else remains of these caves.”
Shailaja and Vasanta got to their feet. Both had been more than glad of the chance to rest, but they hid their fatigue and pain, their faces impassive as Guered’s expedition moved on.
A few hundred yards from where they had stopped to rest the cavern began to change profoundly. First, the vast ceiling began to decline in height and the glowing lichens clinging to the rock began to dim. The surface over which they walked also assumed a gradual upward angle so that after a short while they no longer walked beside the river, but considerably above it. Without the light from the lichens it darkened enough that Guered ordered torches lit. It slowed their advance somewhat, and limited their view of their surroundings, but Guered pressed on and a few hundred heartbeats later was reward by a faint glow in front of them.
“That looks to be natural light,” Guered said. “Perhaps we have finally come to the end.”
They quickened their pace toward the light, reaching a point where it was bright enough they could extinguish the torches, and marched toward the cave exit. Ahead of them they could hear a rumbling sound like that of a large waterfall. “Let’s have a look,” Guered called above the strange sound. As they neared the entrance they quickly found that they had to watch their footing as the rock was slippery with damp. The cave ceiling was also wet as were the walls and they proceeded under a rain of hundreds of droplets.
Walking carefully, Guered led them forward and they emerged blinking into the brightness of high noon. For a short time no one could see anything, but as their eyes adjusted they beheld an incredible sight.
Before them was a huge bowl-shaped depression at least a league across. It was surrounded on all sides by high walls at least a thousand yards high. But it was what was in the middle of the depression that had them gasping in amazement. Welling up from its centre was a huge fountain that pushed water hundreds of yards into the air. It fell back into the bowl where it overflowed to form the river they had followed through the cavern.
“The source of the
In spite of their fatigue both Shailaja and Vasanta stared in awe at the most incredible panorama either had ever witnessed. The immense fountain rose in an impossibly high arc before falling into the deep pool it had created. A multitude of rainbows danced around it, changing as the wind whirled the spray in various directions. Although they were standing at least a half league from the fountain its thundering roar was so great that Guered had to shout for them to hear him.
They were standing on a wide ledge that overhung the surging cauldron. Everywhere they looked vegetation grew in profusion, climbing the sides of the basin and continuing above them. A vast cloud of water vapour moved constantly out from the immense fountain, wetting everything and encouraging riotous growth. It seemed incredible to Shailaja that on the other side of the mountain was barren desert.
“Astonishing,” Guered shouted. “And look here, someone has carved a stairway into the mountainside.”
It was as he had said. Leading upward from the ledge on which they stood was a stone staircase. It was thickly overgrown with mosses and small plants, but its outline was clear. Guered gestured that they should follow and started up the stairs.
None of Guered’s escort questioned that they should do such a thing, but Shailaja wondered who had carved the stairway and where they might be now. Climbing the stairs was made difficult for the two chained women due to the fact that the steps were dripping with water and coated with a thin veneer of algae that made footing even more dangerous, however, the struggled on and eventually reached an area where steps were drier.
From all appearances it seemed that the makers of the stairway had long departed, but that changed as they climbed higher and reached an area where the fine spray of the huge fountain could not reach. What they found was something that set Shailaja’s senses tingling. Stretching before them was the ruins of what must have once been a magnificent building. Between them and the structure was an open expanse of fine stone paving some hundred yards or so deep. It was now weed covered and in many places trees and bushes had implanted their roots in it, even breaking through the heavy paving stones in places. Behind it on a raised stone platform reached by an impressively long stairway was the ruins of what appeared to be a temple. Even in its neglected state it was splendid with rows of columns running back into the side of the mountain. Shailaja counted twenty four columns in front, each at least twenty yards tall. How far back it went was hidden in shadows. Most of the stonework was badly overgrown with vines and myriad other plants giving the building the appearance of some fantastic garden.
Shailaja had seen ruined cities and ruined temples before. In point of fact during her days as a mercenary she had helped ruin some of them, but the sight of this building sent chills down her spine. She had no idea why this particular ruin had that affect on her, but it did. Instantly alert she studied the dark shadows of the inner temple.
The expedition had come to a halt at the top of the steps, but Guered moved slowly forward, clearly amazed at what he had discovered. “Impressive,” he muttered. “Who built this and when?”
As if he had been speaking to her, Shailaja answered. “I do not know, but I think it might be wise if you gave me and my companion our swords.”
Guered raised one eyebrow, an expression he was particularly good at. Shailaja had tried the trick herself, but had never managed to maneuver either of her elegant eyebrows independently of the other. “Do you know something, barbarian? Is something amiss?”
“Something here is not right,” she answered. “I am not sure what, but I would feel better armed and unchained.”
“Unchained?” Guered questioned. “I am afraid you have shown a rather unfortunate habit of disappearing of late.”
“I cannot fight chained,” Shailaja replied. “And I fear that there is something dangerous here.”
“Something we cannot see or hear,” Guered answered mockingly. “The chains stay until this mysterious threat manifests itself.”
Without waiting for a reply Guered headed toward the temple, everyone following including his two unwilling warrior prisoners. Reaching the staircase he started up and within a few hundred heartbeats reached the entrance to the temple.
There had once been massive wooden doors barring the way, but these had long ago rotted away, leaving nothing but a pile of moldering wood that served as compost for hundreds of small plants and shrubs. Scattered amongst the wreckage were heavy metal fittings that had served to hold the door together and reinforce it.
They stepped around the rotting and rusting remnants and moved a few steps farther into the temple. “We’re going to need torches to go any farther,” Guered said. “I don’t suppose anyone kept one.”
It turned out that all of the torches had been left where the cave had ended. And while they waited for the runner Guered sent back to get them they moved back out into the sunlight.
“We have enough food to last two more days,” Guered said. “I am going to do a bit more exploring before we return. It would be interesting if I could find out what this temple is all about and who built it. In the meantime we will stay here tonight.”
He set his men to setting up a camp at the top of the steps. It was a position that afforded them a tremendous view of the immense fountain and the spectacular lake and it was good defensively if anyone came at them from up the staircase. However, to Shailaja it had one severe drawback. It exposed them to attack from within the temple. Although she had observed no sign of danger she could not get over the feeling that something was watching them and had been watching them ever since they had arrived before the temple.
This time there was something hot at mealtime. There was more than enough dry wood lying at the entrance of the temple to build a comforting fire. Shailaja noted that Guered’s men built a fire larger than needed to heat the tea and cook the food that had been acquired and frequently looked into the dark shadows of the temple. Either Shailaja’s words had spooked them or they too felt the unseen danger she had sensed.
The meal was better than Shailaja had expected. One of the soldiers who was a bit of a marksman with a bow had managed to bring down several birds and this provided a welcome change from the rations the soldiers had packed with them.
Hunting birds was not particularly difficult. The thick vegetation near the temple was full of them as well as small scampering animals the men called monkeys. However, it was deemed that these were a bit too much like people in appearance to use as meat.
Shailaja agreed. She had seen the animals before in several of the cities she had visited being used as pets or by street entertainers. In spite of their obvious animal nature she had a hard time thinking of them as food.
Their bellies full and still suffering from the injuries and hardships they had endured at the hands of Chivas and his spider hordes, neither woman had any trouble sleeping. Although the sun was still setting as soon as they had finished eating they curled up in the blankets provided and went to sleep. They awoke a short time later to the sound of screaming.
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