"Dragos, what are you doing?"
The knight scowled at the Vali. "Saving Krina's life. We've only got a few minutes. Make sure Aneta doesn't wake up. Here, take this. If she moves, hit her again."
He handed Dazer to Vali, and walked over to the keythong. The bird flapped its wings and shrieked in warning, backing away from the knight.
Dragos spoke soothing words to the beast as he approached, and soon it settled down enough for him to reach up onto its saddle and take a length of rope from the saddlebag. He swiftly cut some lengths and bound Aneta with it.
"Krina is but dazed. She should wake up in a few minutes. Bring her back to Benno's house."
The knight lifted Aneta's inert body, and walked away with his burden. Vali glanced warily at the keythong. The beast regarded him with an unfriendly eye, and the boy kept his distance.
A few minutes later, Krina regained consciousness. Vali helped her to her feet, and glanced up at the walls of Felsengarten, set on the flat top of a gigantic mass of rock that rose sixty feet in the air.
"Can you walk?" he asked. "I need to get you back to Benno's house."
Krina nodded, and in a few minutes, she felt well enough to walk. They made their way back to the trow's dwelling, and Vali opened the door.
Aneta lay on her back in the middle of the floor of the small house, still bound, and now gagged with a piece of cloth. Dragos stood above her, and turned to Vali as he entered.
"I am going to find the trow. He should be able to advise us in this matter. Stay here and watch over the ladies."
Vali nodded wordlessly, and the knight left the house.
Krina sat down wearily at the table, her head bowed. The boy approached her in concern. "Are you injured?"
"No, I'm all right. Just a little dizzy."
Vali glanced over at Aneta, wondering if he should tend to her as well. She lay on the floor, staring straight up at the ceiling, her eyes blazing in shame and indignation. Vali felt sorry for her. She was only doing her job, even though it was a job that Krina's friends couldn't allow her to finish.
Dragos and Benno soon returned, and the trow took stock of the situation. "I believe I can talk some sense into Lady Novak here. Dragos, Vali, why don't you take Krina out for some air, eh?"
The three went outside, and stood in the grass of Benno's front yard. Krina turned to Dragos and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, my friend," she whispered.
Dragos returned the embrace. "For what, pray tell?"
"For making your choice, at last."
The knight smiled bitterly. "I believe the choice was made for me. I…I couldn't let her take you back to your death."
Krina released him, and stepped back, staring into his eyes.
"I know that, Dragos. And whatever happens now, know that I am with you."
The knight frowned. "I know not what will happen now. We are homeless, the both of us."
"For a little while. We could always offer our services to the Queen of Tizsalok, or else set sail for one of the outer isles."
"There is always that." Dragos sighed. "But I have dishonored both the knighthood and myself. I struck Aneta from behind, cowardly, with no warning. It was an unhappy blow, and I fear that the Mother will punish me for it threefold. I must atone for my sin."
Krina turned away from him, her voice bitter. "And if you hadn't stricken her down, perhaps even now I would be on way back to Radovan, to my execution."
"I could have challenged her to a fair duel…"
Krina whirled on him. "Is there really any point in wondering what you should have or could have done? I can tell you firsthand, it doesn't do any good. In fact, it does a lot of harm. I…"
Benno's door suddenly opened, and the trow walked outside with Aneta. Dragos scowled, his hand moving to his sword. But the woman merely headed off down the road, staring straight ahead as if her mind was in a fog.
Krina turned to Benno. "What did you do to her?"
"Oh, I just used a Word of Spirit to convince her that it would be in everyone's best interest if she returned home, and forgot that she had seen any of us here. Har har! Of course, the magic don't last forever. Once the enchantment wears off, Lady Aneta might just turn around and come back after us. We should be out of Felsengarten before this time tomorrow."
"Where shall we go?" said Dragos.
"Vechi Vraja, of course. But before that, I want to take a trip to the Mother's Well. I need to stock up on healing water. And while we're out there, we're going to try to capture ourselves a vark. Make him tell us where Ewa is hiding."
Krina nodded in approval. "We should arm ourselves with trow war maces, then. In case we run into any more of those skeletons."
"That's right," the trow laughed. "I was supposed to scrounge up a few of those! You all eat your lunch, and I'll be back as soon as I can."
The trow left them again, and the others ate a silent and hasty meal. Krina finished before the others, and wordlessly stalked out of the house. Vali watched her go, and flicked a quick glance at Dragos. The knight kept his eyes on his food, but his face had darkened.
Benno returned soon enough with the war maces. They were heavy and unwieldy weapons, not much more than a studded steel ball attached to a wooden haft. Vali stowed his in his haversack, doubting he had the skill to wield it effectively. He watched as Benno rummaged in a wooden chest next to his bed. The trow pulled out a worn cuirass of leather, and slipped it over his head.
"There! Now Benno's got a thicker skin, eh?"
They set off for vark country. Leaving Felsengarten behind, they headed southeast, skirting the edge of the vast lake Gottenwass as they wended their way through farmland and orchard. Many boats floated out on the lake, manned by trow fishermen.
Soon they came to the edge of the forest. As they moved in among the trees, Vali wondered just how many varks lived in these lands. He hoped they weren't getting themselves in over their heads. The boy recalled when they had rescued Dragos from the dogheads. Krina and Benno had killed six of them with relatively little effort, so the Vali had some confidence that they would be able to hold their own against a small party of varks. Any more than that might prove a challenge.
After covering nine miles, the terrain became increasingly more rocky. Great, irregular chunks of stone jutted up from the forest floor, competing for space with the trees, vines, and undergrowth. Benno advised caution and quiet, for any one of these outcroppings could harbor hidden crevasses or caves in which the varks liked to hide. Vali began to get nervous, and kept his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Soon they came upon a massive rock formation that stretched out to the east and west for as far as they could see. Directly ahead of them, a great fissure split the rock, as if some titanic axe had cloven it in two.
Benno called a halt.
"The Well is up ahead, through this tunnel. I never like going this way. It's too narrow and makes a perfect place for an ambush. Sir Dragos, would you scout ahead for us?"
"Gladly," said the knight. He unsheathed his sword, and entered the narrow gorge. Its sides were nearly sheer, and rose up to a height of over fifteen feet.
"Do the varks know of this place?" Krina asked.
"I'm not sure," said Benno. "I've never run into any of them in the caverns, but that's not to say they don't come here. They most likely do, if they discovered the secret of the healing springs."
The three waited quietly until the knight returned and signaled that it was safe to continue. They made their way in single-file through the crevasse. The going was fairly straight and level. Vali kept his eyes on the cliffs above, dreading the sight of vark muzzles suddenly snarling down upon him. But nothing happened, and after about a mile of travel, they emerged through the end of the tunnel, into an open area surrounded by rocky walls on three sides. Before them, a dark, jagged opening gaped in the base of the stone.
The trow unsheathed his sword, and spoke a Word of Fire. The blade burst into flame, and Benno held it aloft, leading the way into the foreboding tunnel.
The cave was cool, and smelled slightly of mold and fungus. They walked in silence for a short while before Benno announced that they had reached their destination.
They emerged into a small round cavern, about ten yards in diameter. In the center of the cave lay a pool of water. At the back of the cave, on the far side of the pool, stood a statue carved from gray rock, in the likeness of a tall, female trow. Wisdom and mercy emanated from her majestic features.
"Who is that trow supposed to be?" Vali asked.
Benno laughed heartily, and the boy glared at him.
"What's so funny about that?"
"This is a temple," said Dragos in wonder. He sank to his knees, offering up a fervent prayer to Matka. Benno followed suit, but Krina stood stiff and still, her eyes locked onto the stone visage of the Mother.
"Oh," Vali said lamely, falling to his knees and offering up his prayers. "I didn't recognize her. But Matka is a human, not a trow."
"Don't be moronic, boy," Benno laughed. "Of course she's a trow! And a human, and a sprat, and a murr…did you think that the gods are human just because that's the way your race depicts them?"
"Well…I guess I just assumed…"
"Then you've learned something today. Matka appears as a trow, because trow sculptors carved this statue. This is the Mother's Well, the source of the healing water. Let's get our skins filled, eh?"
They removed their haversacks, and took their extra water skins to the pool's edge. In the light of Benno's flaming sword, Vali saw that the water was pure and clear. The bottom of the pool was awash in gold and silver coins.
"Whose money is this?"
"Matka's, of course!" said Benno. "The coins are gifts from the pilgrims who journey here. It shows respect to drop a few coins into the well after coming here to pray, receive healing, or take away some water."
Vali nodded, satisfied with the explanation, and bent to his task. Benno fished some coins out of his pocket, and tossed them into the pool.
"Dragos, what are you doing?" said Krina suddenly.
Vali looked up to see the knight kneeling by the edge of the pool, his eyes fixed on the statue of the Mother. His face rapt with wonder, he dropped his water skin into the water with a soft splash.
Either the knight didn't hear, or he chose to ignore the question. Slowly rising to his feet, and not taking his eyes from the face of the Mother, he walked straight into the pool and towards the statue.
"Humph," said Benno, tugging his beard-braids as he watched the knight stop in the middle of the pool and fall to his knees. He stretched out his arms towards the statue, and spoke in a husky voice filled with reverence.
"My lady, I am yours to command!"
"He's gone daft," the trow snorted.
"Hush," said Krina gently.
The statue of Matka suddenly erupted in a dazzling light, which the pool of water immediately echoed. Vali cried out and fell back, blinded by the intense radiance. He heard Benno cursing, then a splash as of something heavy falling into the water.
The light immediately dissipated. It took the boy a few moments to regain his sight, and when he did, he turned to see Benno hauling Dragos out of the pool. The knight looked unconscious, or even dead. Vali glanced at the statue of the Mother in trepidation. It no longer glowed.
"What happened?"
The trow shrugged, and lay the knight down at the water's edge.
"Oh, no," Krina whispered. "Dragos…"
She knelt by the knight's side, taking his hand in hers. Her face a mask of agonized concern, she turned to the trow.
"Please save him, Benno. Please!"
"I'll do my best, girl. But first I have to find out what's wrong with him. I need my space. Go outside. I'll call you both if I need you."
Nodding dumbly, Krina turned to leave the cave, but she faltered and turned back.
"Light, Benno. We will need light." The trow scowled up at her. "Well, so do I, damn it! I can't heal him in the dark! Just feel your way through the tunnel."
Krina and Vali left the cavern, making their slow way by touch through the dark tunnel. Once outside in the narrow gorge, Krina sat down and leaned back against the rock. She dropped her weary head in her hands.
"Did you see what happened?" Vali asked. "Did you see the light? It came out of the statue."
She looked at him gravely. "I saw. I fear that Dragos has been smitten by the Mother."
"Smitten? Why?"
"Perhaps for the dishonorable blow he struck that felled Aneta Novak. I don't know. Only the Mother knows for certain."
"Will he recover?"
"Again, I don't know. I hope so. I hope Benno can heal him."
After a few minutes, the trow emerged from the tunnel.
"Well, I can't heal him. I don't know what's wrong. He's not hurt, not at all. It seems that he's sleeping, but I can't wake him up."
Krina's eyes burned with concern. "Is there anything else you can do for him?"
"I've laid him back in the waters of the Well. They should do their job, but I don't know how long it's going to take. Why don't you go guard the other end of this gorge, Krina? There's nothing more you can do here."
She stared at him for a moment, before nodding curtly. "I must get my gear."
They all returned to the Well. Before Krina left the cave, she knelt in the water by Dragos' side. The knight lay in the pool, with only his head and upper body exposed to the air. Krina smoothed back his dark hair, and leaned in close to whisper something in his ear. She kissed him on the forehead. Slinging her shield across her arm, she stood up and headed for the tunnel.
"Be careful!" Vali called to her, and she nodded absently as she disappeared into the tunnel.
"You can fill up the water skins," Benno said. "But keep quiet, and keep out of my way, understand?"
Vali finished the task in relatively little time, and had nothing else to do, so he practiced with his sword. He went through the drills and exercises that Krina had taught him. He pretended that a horde of varks was attacking him, and he slew them all with his superior blade-work.
He tried practicing with the trow war mace, but had a tough time of it. The weapon was as heavy as four swords, and he had never used one before. After a few minutes of this, he gave up, and walked up to Benno, who sat next to the still form of Dragos. The trow sat staring at the statue of Matka. His flaming sword lay by his side. As Vali approached, the trow put his flask to his lips and took a long draught.
"What are you doing?"
"Thinking."
"Thinking, or drinking?"
The trow glanced at him, his eyebrows arching.
"A little of both, I guess. I'm trying to figure out what is wrong with Sir Dragoslav here. And so far, I'm coming up with nothing."
The trow went back to his silent reverie. Vali leaned up against the cavern wall and shut his eyes, trying to catch some rest.
An hour after he had fallen, the knight suddenly groaned weakly. The sound echoed weirdly around the cavern.
Benno went to his side, shining his flaming sword down near the knight's face. "Sir Dragos! Are you well?"
The knight' eyes opened, his eyelids flickering in the light of the fire.
"I…I believe so."
The trow put down his sword, and helped the man to his feet. "Are you injured?"
"I…" The knight looked at Benno in confusion, and ran a hand through his hair. He blinked several times, and stared around the cavern, his eyes wide in wonder.
"Dragos. Are you with us?"
The knight's blank stare disappeared in a flash, and he focused on the trow before him.
"I am, Benno. But something strange has happened. Wonderful and strange." His eyes went to the statue of the Mother. "A goddess has spoken to me."
"Humph." The trow tugged his beard-braids and eyed the knight warily. "Spoken to you? Who was it? What did she say?"
"It was Lada, the Goddess of Love. She came in the name of the Mother. And she had much to say."
Dragos shook his head, as if to clear something away. "She spoke about the Twelve Hedonic Adepts of Gruza, and the Twelve Blessed Acolytes of Matka. She spoke about war, and strife, and the coming conflict…"
Benno's face went grave. "The Twelve Adepts and Acolytes? Now this is interesting."
"Who are they?" Vali asked.
The trow sighed. "It's a long story. And I'm sure Dragos knows as much about it as I do. It has to do with Gruza, and the rise of his cult. The adepts are his priests, and the acolytes are the disciples of Matka who rise up to fight them. As in the past, when Gruza gains enough power in this world, the power of his cult also swells. In order to prevent this, Matka chooses her champions to combat his, and war swarms over the land."
There was silence for a long moment.
"Then it begins again," said Dragos in awe. "Gruza rises."