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Authors: Rosemary Jones
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again?”
“Don’t argue,” said Ivy, “or argue later. We need to move.” Even with her human eyes, she could see the water was higher now, almost to the lip of the ledge where they rested. “No more Dry Boots, remember?”
Gunderal made a face and stood up, following the others away from the river water. Although she was descended from the water genasi on her mother’s side and could, with a simple spell, breathe perfectly well underwater, she was not dressed for swimming and was rather relieved that nobody had asked her to try to find a way out through the river. Normally, when Gunderal went swimming, she had a special, magical scaled outfit to wearone that looked stunning both wet and dry.
The Siegebreakers felt along the ledge, walking cautiously in the direction that the dwarf had indicated.
Unlike the ledge, which appeared to have been made by men or dwarves, and was part of some ancient canal running into one of the earlier incarnations of Tsurlagol, the new tunnel appeared to have been dug out by some huge animal. Letting Kid lead, Ivy gestured for the others to follow. They fell into their usual pattern for a cramped space, a single file line. Kid clicked away first, Mumchance following with the lantern, and then Gunderal behind him. Ivy swung into her usual place behind Gunderal and felt uneasy. She glanced back to encounter Sanval’s cool gaze rather than Zuzzara’s “hurry up” stare. Zuzzara’s bulk loomed behind Sanval. It was the usual order, but with one added. At her back was someone unknown. Would he know the right way to duck if she needed to swing in a cramped space? She would never hit Zuzzara by accident in a fight; the half-ore was used to Ivy, and Ivy was used to her. They knew which way the other would move. Ivy hoped that Sanval could stay out of the way in a fight. She suspected that cutting off one or two of Sanval’s limbs might not help her win payment from the Thultyrl.
More importantly, now that she was not in immediate danger of drowning or freezing to death, Ivy considered the Thultyrl’s request. They had to be reasonably close to the city walls, and that meant they still could undercut the foundation. They had water, lots of water, running swiftly behind them. They had magic. Well, they would have magic if Gunderal could ignore the pain of a possibly broken arm and call up a spell or two. In all probability, they could still collapse the southwest corner of Tsurlagol’s walls in time. And that meant they could collect their payment. Maybe even pad the bill a little for additional hardshipafter all, they would
need to pay some wizard to create a new Dry Boots ring, and then there were all those potions that Gunderal had lost. Most likely, the potions could be added under miscellaneous expenses. That sounded fair to Ivy.
Things were not so bad, Ivy thought, but she was too wary to say it out loud. Luck had a way of turning on you, she had found, especially when you believed the worst was over.
Chapter Four
The tunnel branch smelled badlike something had dragged carrion through it. It was a tight squeeze for Zuzzara. The half-ore bent low, pulled in her shoulders, and used her shovel to dig herself a wider opening at one point. Mumchance kept muttering at them to hurry, that he could smell the water rising behind them.
“Move then.” Ivy pitched her voice loud enough for the dwarf to hear her. “Get those short legs stepping.” A sharp bark sounded from Mumchance’s pocket. “And stifle that dog. You can hear her for miles.”
Mumchance scratched Wiggles’s head. “Don’t mind her, sweetie. Don’t mind the bad-tempered lady who didn’t listen to us when she should have …”
“Just march,” snapped Ivy. She might not have a dwarf’s keen sense of smell, but the rank odor of damp earth surrounded them, evident to even her very human nose. Years of tunneling behind Mumchance had taught her to be wary of such places. Wet earth tended to be unstable,
“Don’t argue,” said Ivy, “or argue later. We need to move.” Even with her human eyes, she could see the water was higher now, almost to the lip of the ledge where they rested. “No more Dry Boots, remember?”
Gunderal made a face and stood up, following the others away from the river water. Although she was descended from the water genasi on her mother’s side and could, with a simple spell, breathe perfectly well underwater, she was not dressed for swimming and was rather relieved that nobody had asked her to try to find a way out through the river. Normally, when Gunderal went swimming, she had a special, magical scaled outfit to wearone that looked stunning both wet and dry.
The Siegebreakers felt along the ledge, walking cautiously in the direction that the dwarf had indicated.
Unlike the ledge, which appeared to have been made by men or dwarves, and was part of some ancient canal running into one of the earlier incarnations of Tsurlagol, the new tunnel appeared to have been dug out by some huge animal. Letting Kid lead, Ivy gestured for the others to follow. They fell into their usual pattern for a cramped space, a single file line. Kid clicked away first, Mumchance following with the lantern, and then Gunderal behind him. Ivy swung into her usual place behind Gunderal and felt uneasy. She glanced back to encounter Sanval’s cool gaze rather than Zuzzara’s “hurry up” stare. Zuzzara’s bulk loomed behind Sanval. It was the usual order, but with one added. At her back was someone unknown. Would he know the right way to duck if she needed to swing in a cramped space? She would never hit Zuzzara by accident in a fight; the half-ore was used to Ivy, and Ivy was used to her. They knew which way the other would move. Ivy hoped that Sanval could stay out of the way in a fight. She suspected that cutting off one or two of Sanval’s limbs might not help her win payment from the Thultyrl.
More importantly, now that she was not in immediate danger of drowning or freezing to death, Ivy considered the Thultyrl’s request. They had to be reasonably close to the city walls, and that meant they still could undercut the foundation. They had water, lots of water, running swiftly behind them. They had magic. Well, they would have magic if Gunderal could ignore the pain of a possibly broken arm and call up a spell or two. In all probability, they could still collapse the southwest corner of Tsurlagol’s walls in time. And that meant they could collect their payment. Maybe even pad the bill a little for additional hardshipafter all, they would
need to pay some wizard to create a new Dry Boots ring, and then there were all those potions that Gunderal had lost. Most likely, the potions could be added under miscellaneous expenses. That sounded fair to Ivy.
Things were not so bad, Ivy thought, but she was too wary to say it out loud. Luck had a way of turning on you, she had found, especially when you believed the worst was over.
Chapter Four
The tunnel branch smelled badlike something had dragged carrion through it. It was a tight squeeze for Zuzzara. The half-ore bent low, pulled in her shoulders, and used her shovel to dig herself a wider opening at one point. Mumchance kept muttering at them to hurry, that he could smell the water rising behind them.
“Move then.” Ivy pitched her voice loud enough for the dwarf to hear her. “Get those short legs stepping.” A sharp bark sounded from Mumchance’s pocket. “And stifle that dog. You can hear her for miles.”
Mumchance scratched Wiggles’s head. “Don’t mind her, sweetie. Don’t mind the bad-tempered lady who didn’t listen to us when she should have …”
“Just march,” snapped Ivy. She might not have a dwarf’s keen sense of smell, but the rank odor of damp earth surrounded them, evident to even her very human nose. Years of tunneling behind Mumchance had taught her to be wary of such places. Wet earth tended to be unstable,
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