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Dave was just finishing his bone-weary stint controlling the rock-borer. He had directed the animal to finish the dwellings for the green dragons, and had just completed a special project, a spiral tunnel up to the fourth terrace. He finally released the exhausted rock-borer and walked down to the green dragon lairs on the fifth terrace.
He and Hiszt had been working so hard to complete the rock-borer diggings that the passage of time had become a blur. When Dave returned to Hiszt’s spacious cavern, he found Arlana and Hanomer with their hands on Hiszt’s flanks, in contact-telepathic conversation with the dragon.
Dave placed his hand on the green dragon and joined the conversation.
Your mate, friend Dave, just sent to me that she believed it was time to rejoin your friends on the higher terraces.
I agree with her Hiszt. Our friend Al left some time ago to look for his mate and his youngling. It is time to find him and help him, now that we are done here.
I will be sorry to see you three friends go.
Friend Hiszt, sent Hanomer. I believe we will meet again before long. Our meeting has not been a mere accident but has a purpose.
It is hard for us to leave, sent Arlana. Her sending was filled with warmth and tenderness. You have become a life-friend. Life-friends are worth more than gold or jewels.
We have become life-friends, sent Hiszt, haven’t we? We have begun to redeem the long enmity between dragons and the Ancient Ones. We have accumulated the life-debt—saving each other’s lives. It means we are bound to each other.
They communicated many more things. Dave had a lump in his throat as he thought about this new bond that had been forged, and how much he regretted leaving Hiszt, who didn’t seem as ugly or terrifying as when they had first met.
The next morning, after a long sleep, Dave, Arlana, and Hanomer made the twenty-minute walk up the spiral ramp to the fourth terrace. They emerged into dense undergrowth in a bluff only ten meters from the cliff-edge, overlooking the drop to the fifth terrace; Dave and the rock-borer had dug the ramp in a well-shielded tunnel.
From here, Dave reflected, the dragons can keep a close eye on their camp below, and glide down to fight in a matter of seconds if danger threatens.
There were several tunnel mouths in this bluff and nesting female dragons had begun to create a lair. Soon all of the females would reside on the fourth terrace while the males guarded the lower entrance.
Hiszt had been amazed at the idea of having a second camp—beyond the reach of all but the smallest brown dragons—and a ready escape from any impending attack on the fifth terrace.
Arlana, Dave, and Hanomer began the climb to the third terrace. After two hours of climbing, they rested briefly. Then, following Al’s map, they made the long journey southeast to the most recent Hawk camp. But upon arriving there, they found the site deserted.
They had just put their heads together to decide what to do next, when they were surrounded by a dozen Hawk warriors. Without a word, the Hawks removed the friends’ weapons, but the warriors showed surprise and fear when they saw Dave’s sword and knife from the blade tree.
Now weaponless, Arlana, Dave and Hanomer were tied together and covered in partial blindfolds, such that they could only see their feet. Two warriors marched on either side of them.
Time passed slowly. They had walked for a considerable time when, to Dave’s surprise, they began to descend again.
The Hawks must be in real danger, he thought. They only risk the small brown dragons on the fourth terrace as a last resort.
After some hours, Dave could sense from the coolness of the atmosphere and the echo of their footfalls that they had entered a tunnel, which continued the descent. Soon, Dave heard the sounds of a camp: pots banging, swords being sharpened, and muted conversation. He heard a tent flap being opened, and felt the cool air of a shaded tent.
“Sit down!” commanded one of the guards. When the three had done so, their blindfolds were removed.
Two grim-faced men stood before Dave, Arlana, and Hanomer.
“Is this one of the men who visited you just before the betrayal?” asked one of them in the Common Tongue.
“No,” said the other, “but he was very much like them. They have the same blanched skin, and eyes that are too straight. We have to be wary of all strangers now. You must keep them locked up or they may tell Bigelow where to find us.”
“What do we do with the strange creature that is with them?”
“I have never seen its like before. It clearly belongs to them. It is a stranger too. I think you should also lock it up.”
Dave tried to speak, but the guards dismissed him. He, Arlana, and Hanomer were led out of the tent. Dave looked around. The camp was on a mesa surrounded by a palisade. The cliff above them had a pronounced overhang so that they could not be spotted from the third terrace.
The three were marched to a large box constructed of stout logs that had been nailed together and situated close to the overhang. Forced up a ladder to a trapdoor at the top of the box, they were lowered inside while still bound. The box was about five meters on each side with fifteen-centimeter spaces between the wooden beams. They would be observed by guards at all times.
Huddling together, they used contact telepathy to communicate. What would they do next? Escape seemed impossible, yet the sense of doom was palpable. Dave felt the electrical agitation of an impending thunderstorm in the air. When would the clouds burst?
Evening fell. A loud crack of thunder, and the rain began. Wind was blowing in from Sheol, so even the overhang did not keep the captives dry.
Having watched the prisoners for a while, the guards departed when the rain and lightning began. Stealthily, Hanomer used his tail hand to untie first his cords, then Arlana’s, and Dave’s. Finally, he untied his empty tool vest and belt. He and Dave quietly moved to a part of the cage where two adjacent vertical logs were bent away from each other. By expelling his breathe, with Dave using his strength to spread the ten-centimeter logs, Hanomer was able to squeeze through the narrow opening.
Dave and Arlana waited anxiously as the rain continued. They were cold. The lightning had moved out of sight onto the Abaddon plain from over the Sheol abyss, but flashes still reflected off the clouds every few minutes. About half an hour passed. Dave grew anxious, and began to fidget.
I wish I could get up and pace, but then everyone would know I’m untied.
Dave tried to calm himself. He sat with his arms behind him, holding onto the ropes as if still tied. He looked over at the bundle of clothes that was supposed to mimic Hanomer sleeping.
As long as it doesn’t grow light, that pile should do the trick of fooling the guards.
But no guards returned to check on them. Finally, Dave and Arlana heard a faint rustle, and Hanomer returned carrying Gram and Dave’s blade-tree dagger.
After Dave had helped Hanomer climb back through the log barrier, Hanomer touched Arlana and Dave on the wrist.
Friend Dave and friend Arlana, your weapons were in the warlord’s weapons storehouse with guards. I think the warlord was frightened by the weapons. I overheard the guards saying that they had strict orders none were to approach the entrance to the hut or touch the weapons. Apparently, the warlord tried to use Gram, and when he sliced through his tent pole with a gentle swing, he proclaimed it ‘a wizard-weapon’ and had it put away, along with the dagger in a guarded chest. The chest was not locked and I was able to take the weapons easily. The wizard-weapon warning may give us time before they discover the absence of Gram.
Even if they do discover they are missing, sent Dave, they may think these weapons have the ability to return to their wizard-owner. We had better bury them in case they look for them here.
Using the dagger as a shovel, they quickly dug a trench in the hard ground in the corner where they sat. Then Hanomer tied up all three of them again, using a knot that he could undo quickly. Finally, they laid down and tried to get some sleep.
Dave woke as the trapdoor to their box was opened and a rope ladder lowered. A young warrior came down and tested their bonds briefly. He cursed when he realized how loose they were and retied their hands in front, then handed each of them a quarter loaf of bread and one water skin. They had just enough mobility to eat the bread and pass the water skin around.
The warrior kicked at the dirt and straw as if looking for something. He looked like he was about to speak and then changed his mind. Leaving the water skin, he climbed back up the rope ladder, refastened the trapdoor, and left.
The young warrior appeared to leave them alone, but Dave caught a glimpse of him creeping back to spy on them. Dave edged toward the others and then touched hands.
Did you see the young warrior come back?
Yes! Sent two different voices.
I think they discovered the missing sword and dagger. Now they have something to think about.
The three friends remained huddled together, discussing possible plans by contact telepathy. Occasionally, by agreement and to allay suspicion, they spoke loudly about commonplace things. They also deliberately spoke about things they had done that would help to underline their innocence, in the hope that the Hawks’ warlord might relent and let them help defend the camp.
Dave woke to the sounds of a commotion in the camp. Everyone seemed to be running somewhere. He looked to see if the secret watcher who had crept close to hear them speak was still in his place, but he, too, had left. Everyone was in a panic.
Soldiers approached, along with the young man who had spied on them the previous day. He let down the ladder and brought them better food than the day before and another water skin.
“Yer boss is here,” he said.
“Our boss?” asked Dave, puzzled.
“The Lord Bigelow, from Seth,” continued the young man. “The chief is negotiating with him now—your safe return for a long truce and our departure from Bigelow’s realm.”
“He’s not our boss and he won’t go for it.”
“From what I hear, he’s extremely interested in trading for ye. The negotiations apparently are going much better than expected. Bigelow must want ye back rather badly, since he’s being accommodating.”
Dread tightened into a knot in Dave’s gut. Of course, Bigelow wants to trade for us. He cares more about locking us up or killing us, than he cares about subduing the rebels. Staying here was a big mistake. We should have escaped as soon as we weren’t welcome. Now it may be too late.
Outwardly Dave tried to hide his feelings, but he saw Arlana grow pale as the same realization hit her.
“Thank you for the food,” was all that Dave said.
The young man shrugged. “We can’t send ye back to your master looking half-starved, even if we have been feeding ye as well as we feed ourselves. Don’t worry. Ye won’t be here much longer.” With that he climbed back up the ladder and relocked the cage door.
The soldiers left and the three friends realized they were unguarded. The warriors’ false assumption that they would be happy to be traded to Bigelow was the one bright spot in this dreadful development.
“We have to get out of here now,” whispered Dave.
As soon as Hanomer loosened their bonds, Arlana and Hanomer began digging for Gram and the dagger while Dave positioned himself so as to block their activity from view. Now it was Dave’s turn to work. He decided on the dagger and went to the back corner of the cage and pushed it into a ten-centimeter-thick log near the ground. The dagger sank into the hardwood as if it were soft butter. Dave repeated this action five times, cutting through the log. In this way, he cut away three logs.
Quickly, Dave helped Arlana through the opening he had made, followed by Hanomer. Finally, he crawled through, taking one last look to make sure no one was watching, then lifted the sagging roof of the cage while Arlana placed the three cut logs back into the gaps.
The camp seemed deserted. Dave led the way back along the cliff wall rising to the third terrace, looking for a way up. Only once did they have to scamper for cover as a group of warriors came by at a trot.
Finally, they reached a rock wall where Dave saw a path among the boulders. Hanomer began climbing the path first. Around a large boulder they came upon a tunnel entrance. Trying something she had just mastered, Arlana caused her hands to glow with bioluminescence and followed Hanomer up the tunnel.
I have to learn how to do that glowing hands thing, thought Dave.
When they reached the top of the tunnel, Hanomer studied the rest of the climb for a moment and then selected a route that gave them maximum cover. Arlana followed Hanomer.
Reaching a shallow ledge, Hanomer called a halt. Dave crawled to the edge and looked over the camp. He could just see the outer wall over the overhang. Around three sides of the camp, everyone was congregated behind a shallow, hastily constructed wall. Dave could see Bigelow’s army. It was huge. He must have emptied Seth. The Hawks have no chance.
Yet there was no battle. In the distance Dave saw a huge pavilion with guards in Seth livery and others who were clearly from the rebel camp. They were having their parley, and apparently negotiating Dave, Arlana, and Hanomer’s trade for safe conduct.