A/N: The wonderful world of Exile (Avernum) and the characters of Micah, Thairl, and Janice remain the property of Jeff Vogel and Spiderweb Software, not me. Some information has been drawn from the Encyclopedia Ermariana.
"Fall back! Fall back!" cried John, as he dropped the lizard carcass. "We've got to get to the walls."
The hunting party broke up as the lizardmen came swarming over the cave floor toward them, the organization falling apart as several hunters just turned tail and ran for the relative safety of the walls.
Micah, however, remained somewhat resolute, gripping the spear that he had been given for hunting, and then raising the shield that had been fashioned from bone and tanned lizard hides.
"Stay together, we'll turn them back!" called Micah.
Ctibor looked at Micah with some surprise, but the resolution on the young man's face was sufficient to galvanize him, and he raised his shield and readied his spear. "You sure about this?" he said.
"We'll still retreat for the walls," said Micah. "Just not give 'em our backs as targets on the way."
"Hold the line!"called Ctibor.
Three of the other members of the hunting party turned back, and seeing Ctibor and Micah, pushed back their fear and joined in forming a small half-circle, as they carefully retreated toward their fort, jabbing spear points, clashing spear with spear, but the two-tined spears of their foes scratched shields, not human flesh.
"Here they are!" shouted the watcher from the tower at the corner of the fort. "Open the gate!"
"All of them?" said Firmin.
"All!" replied the watchman.
The gate opened, and those on the walls began throwing the smaller stones and the throwing spears they had made, forcing the lizardmen back as the five humans entered the fort.
"Take up your posts on the ramparts," said Firmin, "we'll talk later."
Micah ran up the stone steps, barely pausing to see Odele's white face, and he took up his position, throwing small spears at the usually deadly lizardmen.
"They're retreating!" came up the cry, half-cheer.
Micah remained in his position until it was clear that the withdrawal was not a mere feint to lull them into complacency while a larger force moved to attack, and then descended.
Odele said, "Micah!"
"Odele!" said Micah, running toward her. "Are you sure you should be about like this?"
"I was so worried!" said Odele. "I heard the men saying that they'd come under attack, and then I saw you weren't with them!"
"I'm sorry, Odele," said Micah. "I thought you'd be staying in the room. You sure you should be out?"
"I'm feeling much better," said Odele.
"It's just ... I worry about you," said Micah.
"And you don't think I worry about you?" said Odele.
"I'm sorry," said Micah. "I guess I ..."
Firmin walked over and said, "Micah, I'd like to speak with you. I understand that you're largely to thank for getting everyone back alive."
"It wasn't anything that remarkable," said Micah. "Just I figured we should try to hold them off and get back here without showing them our backs for easy targets."
"You could have been killed!" said Odele.
"Yeah, but more likely woulda if we'd turned tail and run," said Micah.
"Well, it's thanks to you, we've done the best yet, sending those damned lizards back to whatever hole they slither out of," said Firmin.
"It wasn't that ... I mean, anyone could've done the same," said Micah.
"Anyone could've," said Firmin, "but Ctibor told me ... you kept your head about you, and that's what held the group together. I'd really like to have you work to organize the others."
"I'd be glad to help," said Micah.
"Great," said Firmin.
"Now, if only they left the lizard we got while we were hunting," said Micah.
"You can't go back out so soon!" said Odele.
"No, they're probably lying in wait," said Firmin. "Best to go another direction altogether. Forget that lizard. There's plenty more where it came from."
"And that's the truth," said Ctibor. "I'd be glad to go on any hunting expedition with you, Micah."
"But he just got back!" said Odele.
"And I didn't bring back any of the food we're needing," said Micah.
"You're wife's right," said Firmin. "There's still fish laid by. Let those two-legged lizards settle back, then it'll be time to go back out on the hunt."
"All right," said Micah, "I understand."
"You rest up," said Firmin, "and then you can start working with the others in the morning."
Micah nodded, even as he was privately wondering just what Firmin meant by morning, as the fungal light never varied.
The small room was furnished with stone, leather, and a few things made of bone. Odele pushed the fungus together, bringing the flame to life again.
Micah sat down, staring into the flame for a moment, before he said, "I sure wish I wasn't down here."
"You'd rather be dead up there?" said Odele.
"No," said Micah, "just ... up there, I felt like I might've made a difference. If only they hadn't caught Jeremiah. That they were starting to have to listen, and that people's lives would get better. Down here, doing nothing but trying to stay a meal ahead of death. I hate these caves."
"They're not that bad," said Odele.
"It's just a barren wasteland," said Micah, "and even if I can fight against the lizards, there's no fighting against the demons."
"I think it's beautiful," said Odele. "It's ... it's different, but still."
"I admit," said Micah, "I don't see it."
"You were willing to risk everything up there to try to make things better for people," said Odele, "why should it be different here?"
"And why would you worry so much about me leaving the fort to get food?" said Micah.
"I can't help it," said Odele. "I saw the others come running into the fort, and you weren't with them. I feared for the worst. I ... I should have known better."
"I understand, Del," said Micah. "If the others hadn't joined up with me, I suppose it would've gone different. At least, the lizards didn't expect it."
"You ever wonder how they do so well?" said Odele, turning over the thin fish strips. "I mean, they have all that energy to attack us, and we're ... just barely getting by."
"I don't know," replied Micah. "Maybe instead of fighting the demons, they've made some sort of deal with them."
"That's too awful to think about!" said Odele. "If that's so, we don't stand a chance."
"I need your optimism," said Micah, smiling at her. "Don't be giving up just yet."
"It's just ... I know that we haven't managed to stop the demons," said Odele. "And if they're helping those lizardmen! Why, no wonder they have been such a problem."
"And if we can just beat back one problem," said Micah, "maybe then we can face off the other problem. Force those lizards back, and then we'll be able to take on the demons."
"Where do you suppose they came from? The lizards, I mean?" said Odele.
"No idea," replied Micah. "Nobody seems to know, except that there's more of them the more west we go. Or at least, we run into them quicker thataway."
As Odele moved the food onto the stone dishes, they heard a knock at the door to their room, and Micah went over to answer it.
"Good to see you, Ezra," he said, letting his friend into the room.
"Well, I think it's more me should be saying it to you," replied Ezra. "I heard about what happened on the hunt today."
"Seems like that's getting around quick," said Micah, flushing.
"Well, it's the first bit of good news, really good news, that is," said Ezra, "that I think I've heard since we all landed down here."
"It just seemed ... the right thing to do," said Micah.
"Yeah, well you got a way about you," said Ezra. "Making the right thing to do seem like the right thing for not just you."
"If that were so," said Micah, "we wouldn't be down here in the first place."
"Some people's just more stubborn than others," said Ezra. "But you mark my words, there'll come a day when the old man will wish he'd listened to you and not got you thrown down here, not you and his daughter and all."
"And had his own grandson killed," said Odele. "I don't know what my father was thinking."
"Doesn't matter much," said Micah. "Guess he just didn't like me as a son-by-law."
"And that don't matter at all," said Ezra. "Folks down here talking, and they like you. Firmin's a good man, but he's more organizer than leader, and we're needing a leader."
"What makes you think that they'd listen to me?" said Micah. "I'm younger than near all of them."
"What's that matter?" said Ezra. "Fact is, you're the one who got us our first solid victory against the lizards."
"How can you call it a solid victory?" said Micah. "Lizard meat left on the cave floor."
"And not one of the people you set out with was lost," said Ezra. "That ain't never happened in any group when the lizards, the two-legged ones, I mean—not when they attack."
"There's gotta be another word for them," said Micah. "Something so's folk know whether we're talking about them, or talking about the four-legged ones we hunt."
"You're changing the subject," said Ezra. "Micah, there's never been afore today, that the two-legged lizards turned back without harming a single one of us. That's something you should be proud of."
"I'd be more proud if we'd gotten the food home," said Micah, digging into his fish.
"You're always reaching for the stars," said Ezra. "Let people enjoy the first victory, before complaining that it wasn't good enough."
"All right, I'll do that," replied Micah.
As the days passed, Micah began working with the others who had gathered in the fort, though they did not have a repeat victory when the demon came to claim another soul, and yet another man was lost to the foul creature. Determined not to be discouraged, Micah continued drilling with the others, and finally they began emerging again on the hunts for giant lizards—and forcing back the two-legged lizardmen while successfully bringing home lizard carcasses and not losing another man in the expedition.
Still, Micah found himself not quite satisfied. Despite the demon's appearances to steal away people, there was a slow, but steady stream of newcomers, and they were beginning to get quite crowded within the fort—yet just maintaining this one small toehold for humanity in the caverns was the pinnacle of their efforts.
