Giants (16 page)

“The hills were thereafter called Kel-Hemen, meaning, the Hills of Death. The Nephilim, I’m told, have named these the Gjoll Hills, which means, the ‘Blood of the High.’”

“In these hills death broods with secret malice. The cave we search for will be filled with ancient artifacts. Of that, I have no doubt. I fear that First Born and Nephilim will attempt to awaken the old powers. I fear that the worst terrors of the Accursed War will shortly be upon us.”

Adah swayed. “What champions will save us now? Who will stand against the First Born? Who will replace the Shining Ones of yore?”

“Is there more?” Elidad asked.

“There is no time for more,” Herrek said. “We must hurry.”

The others, whatever their thoughts, did as he bid. Elidad and slump-shouldered Adah stepped into their chariot, and Gens and Herrek into theirs. The stallions plodded onward, their heads drooping. Koton panted and walked beside Joash.

What more did Adah know? Joash wondered. What was the curse she’d hinted at?

In the sweltering heat they approached the pass of Kel-Hemen. Had that once been the main gateway to the enemy fortress?

The animal noises grew less. So too did any insect buzzing or bird singing. Then only a low moan of wind filled Joash’s ears, that and the creak of chariot wheels and the thud of hooves on grass. The grasses thinned out and disappeared, and the wheels clattered over shale. Sweat dripped from Joash’s chin as he stumbled and slipped on the treacherous footing. The shale was black and glossy, and no piece looked bigger than Joash’s hand.

Suddenly the stallions halted, and so did Koton. No matter how much Gens coaxed or Elidad cracked the whip, the horses refused to move.

“Stop!” Joash shouted.

With sweat dripping off his face, and the whip-handle quivering, Elidad glared at Joash.

“Don’t beat the horses anymore.”

Elidad jumped off the chariot and advanced upon Joash. “Do you dare order me?”

Joash licked his lips, unsure what to say.

A loud
crack
flicked leather particles onto Joash’s cheeks.

“I asked you a question,” Elidad said softly.

“No, Warrior,” Joash said.

“Do not play word-games,” Elidad said. “You shouted at me to stop.”

“We all heard it,” Herrek said sternly.

Couldn’t the warriors see the stallions were near panic?

The whip cracked again and lifted Joash’s hair. Joash ducked his head.

Elidad laughed. “Do you dare order me now?”

Joash shook his head.

“Are you afraid?” Elidad sneered.

Joash stared into those bloodshot eyes. He’d seen a boar’s eyes like that once, just before the boar had ripped a hound into bloody shreds. He knew Elidad’s reputation. Few cared to face him on the field of battle. Yet something else than fear filled Joash, anger that someone would beat a helpless horse. He was wise enough, however, and scared enough, that he kept the anger off his face.

“And you hope to become a warrior,” Elidad sneered.

“While you hope to gain treasure,” Joash said, as evenly as he could.

Elidad cracked the whip a third time.

Joash cried out, dropping his spear as he clutched his bloody cheek.

“Do not spar words with
me
, Groom. If you do, I’ll give you a thousand cuts, but still leave you your life.

Joash saw blood on his hand.

“Do you still dare to order me?” Elidad asked.

Joash shook his head.

“Good. Now strip off your shirt and lay over that rock. I will only give you twenty lashes.”

Joash stared at Elidad in horrified wonder.

“Obey me, Groom.”

Joash noted the harsh cast to Elidad’s face. The warrior wanted to see blood. Joash leveled his spear at Elidad. “You will not beat me like a slave. I am a free man.”

Elidad laughed, and raised the whip.

Joash hunched his shoulders and watched the whip.

It flashed. Joash ducked and thrust the spear toward the snaking leather. Incredibly, leather parted as it sliced across razor-sharp steel. The small part of the whip flew past Joash’s head and landed like a dead worm. The main part of the whip Elidad flicked behind him, as he made ready to lash again.

“Hold!” Herrek said.

Joash and Elidad glanced at Herrek.

“His spirit is bold,” Herrek said. “He will not be whipped like a slave. He
is
a free man and a warrior-to-be.”

Elidad considered Herrek’s words and nodded, curling the whip, thrusting it into his belt. He drew his longsword.

“We have no time for this,” Herrek said.

“I’ll not be ordered about by a groom,” Elidad said.

“I was not ordering you, Warrior,” Joash said, his spear still aimed at Elidad. “Rather, I was trying to tell you that evil fills the Hills of Kel-Hemen. Why, otherwise, do the stallions fear to go on? Why are there no animals here, not even insects or birds?”

Elidad frowned.

Adah made a sound of surprise.

“Yes,” Gens said slowly. “That’s true. I see no animals.”

“Evil?” Elidad asked.

“The Hills of Kel-Hemen are cursed,” Joash said, as he lifted the spear-point. He leaned upon the shaft as he’d seen warriors do. “Adah told us about the curse, about the abomination committed here. Draugr Trolock-Maker raised these hills. Perhaps
no
animal is able to enter here.”

Adah made a soft hiss. The others glanced at her. She took out the parchment and studied it intently.

“Are you saying we must walk?” Herrek asked.

Joash nodded.

“No,” Gens said. “We must use the chariots to defeat the Nephilim.”

Elidad laughed harshly. “Then you must hitch the Groom,” he said, sheathing his sword.

“Go afoot?” Herrek asked. He studied the horses. “So be it.” He stepped down, motioned Joash, and slung the chariot water-skin around Joash’s shoulder. Joash’s knees almost buckled at the weight.

Elidad grunted and lifted his shield. He tucked a wallet of dried herring to his belt and two empty sacks.

Gens stood in indecision.

“Will you stay with the chariots?” Herrek asked his driver.

Tears welled in Gens’s eyes.

“Here,” Joash said, feeling pity for Gens. “Let’s find a safe place for the horses, and put their reins under heavy rocks.”

“Yes,” Herrek said, “wise counsel.”

“No predators will harm them here,” Adah said.

Joash wandered if that was true. He unhitched the stallions, parked the chariots, and made sure the rocks pinning the reins were unsteady. They weren’t coming back. This way the stallions had a chance of getting loose and returning to camp.

“Hurry,” Herrek cried from around the bend.

“Guard the horses,” Joash told Koton.

The black dog whined. Still, he rested in the closest chariot and put his head on his paws. Joash wondered how many days would have to pass before Koton left.

“Groom,” Herrek shouted.

With an oath, Joash lifted the sloshing water-skin and staggered toward the others. When they saw him, they began to trek into the Pass of Kel-Hemen.

***

The heat baked until sweat soaked their clothes and their plastered hair stuck to their scalps. Joash was the worst off. The water-skin-strap dug into his shoulder, and his spear had become an unbearable burden. Twice, he almost heaved it aside. Later, he almost sat and cried out for them to halt. A fierce glance from Herrek stilled the idea. Joash plodded on, the oily grass brushing the tops of his feet, making them feel grimy.

Finally, they paused. Adah glanced at her map. “Not yet,” she said. They plodded onward.

Joash’s lips were cracked, and sweat stung his eyes. His leg muscles quivered and all thoughts of food made him queasy.

The wind moaned and strange odors swirled. It was the stink of corruption, of rusted metals and burnt rocks, of fungus fumed to ward off flies. The shale was sharp, and white spots dotted the brown grass. Even worse than the terrain were the emeralds’ growing effects upon the others. Joash saw their staring, eager eyes, the way their mouths were agape, and how they walked with a light tread. Their skin glistened and turned an odd shade of yellow. No one spoke, although Gens crooned to himself and once he even looked back. His love for the horses was strong, but it wasn’t strong enough to break the evil magic.

Adah stopped and peered at the pass’s rock walls. The pass had narrowed and they stood in shadow. Elidad wiped his face, and he drank from the small water-skin slung at his side. No one had yet refilled the skins from Joash’s crippling burden.

Joash sat down and eased the strap from his shoulder. He began to shake. Suddenly, he bent over and threw up a bitter-tasting gruel. His skin blazed with fever. When it passed he momentarily felt better. It came to him that the others were beyond helping him. If he were to survive in order to help
them
, he’d have to take matters into his own hands. He took out a piece of leather and soaked it. Then he took out his knife and cut the leather into a long sling.

“Onward!” Herrek shouted.

Joash didn’t rise. He worked on his leather.

“Groom,” Herrek said.

Joash looked up wearily.

“March.”

“Yes, Warrior. Now could someone please help lift me up?”

Herrek stared at him. Adah, Gens, and Elidad had already begun to climb the treacherous boulder to their right. They planned to assail the steep side. It seemed like a ludicrous idea.

“I need help.”

“March,” Herrek said.

“Yes, Warrior. Now, could you order the others here so I can top off their water-skins? Otherwise I’m afraid I’ll collapse and be of no use to you.”

Herrek glared at him.

Elidad turned, frowned and walked back. “We must not weary him. Otherwise, who will carry the treasure?”

Gens joined Joash, then Adah, and finally Herrek. Each topped off their water-skins, which gave Joash time to complete his sling. He knotted the wet leather to the spear-shaft. Then he took out catgut thread from his kit and sewed the knots tight.

When Joash rose the water-skin was lighter by a third. Once the sling dried he’d slip the spear over his back. He used the hope of that time to spur himself. The others bounded up one rock to the next, like mountain goats.

They re-entered the sunlight, the rocks burning Joash’s hands. He slowly dropped behind. Despite Herrek and Elidad’s heavy mail, huge shields, spears, and longswords, they climbed from one ledge to the next with the ease. Even small Adah climbed faster than Joash did. She ran on the slenderest of rocky spires and made an incredible leap, then scrabbled up by her fingers and rushed after the others.

As he followed her trail Joash saw blood-smears on one sharp rock. Later, a patch of skin was stuck to an extremely hot black rock. He wheezed. The stale, burning air hurt his lungs. Slowly, he pulled himself to a lichen-strewn ledge, then reached down and pulled up his spear. When he looked, he saw Adah disappear around the narrow rock-trail that turned over fifty yards away.

Joash knew then that as long as he carried the chariot water-skin he’d never be able to keep up. He hung his head in exhaustion. The decision was a difficult one, although the logic was flawless. Yes, he knew good water in this blazing heat was life. And what if they perished because he’d been unable to do his job? But the truth was he needed to be with them at the critical moment, because only
he
wasn’t bewitched.

He cached the water-skin behind a rock and then studied his hill. A clump of boulders near the top looked like three old men hunched together in prayer. Green lichen, like a cloak, covered the middle rock. He memorized what they looked like.

Decision made, Joash slung the spear across his back and hurried after the others. He was careful to stay close to the cliff-edge. Unlike them, he still feared falling to the ground below. They leaped and bounded up, as if falling was a thing for mortals, not for them. Even so, without the chariot water-skin and with the spear now slung on his back, Joash was able to catch up to Adah. Maybe his days with Balak had been good for something after all. She scaled what looked like a sheer rock-face. He saw that it was angled slightly backward, and to his amazement, he saw handholds chiseled into the rock.

Awe filled him. Had Shining Ones chiseled the handholds long ago? Or maybe some warriors, who had been led by Shining Ones, had chiseled them. Yes, they’d chiseled the handholds as they hunted the defeated followers of Draugr Trolock-Maker. Maybe Niflmen, who had followed the Nameless One, had been chased up this very hill. Adah had said only a thousand Niflmen escaped to their northern strongholds.

Joash watched Adah scurry up the cliff as if she was a squirrel. She didn’t pause to wonder upon the strangeness of an ancient battleground. Divine beings had warred here, the same divine beings that warred in the Celestial Realm when Morningstar and Azel had led their rebellion against Elohim.