Kender, Gully Dwarves, Gnomes (12 page)

“Forget your woman!” Zorna shrieked. “She doesn't love you. I love you. And I'll cook, and
clean, and care for you for the rest of your life . . . IF you will let me ... darling.”

“Enough, you batty crone,” snapped Gorath, remembering how he had tried without success to
force Meadow to say such words to him. “Only one thing matters: Revenge! I want revenge!”

Before Zorna could protest, Gorath wheeled around and walked down the path that brought
him into her lonely life. He felt her sad eyes upon him and heard her pitiful, blood-
curdling wail of anguish. He laughed.

Gorath returned to where the trail into the forest divided. This time there were no
mysterious gusts of wind to prevent him from going in the direction he intended. So he
followed the left path, the one Meadow and Starglow had taken.

He walked quickly, anticipating the kill. Soon he came to a large clearing. There he
spotted Meadow and Starglow standing by a fallen vallenwood, about twenty feet from a deep
ravine. The lovely young woman and handsome tribesman were locked in an embrace.

Drawing his sword, Gorath charged from the bushes toward the lovers. “Gorath!” Meadow
screamed in terror. “He's found us!”

Starglow eyed his sword, which was resting on the ground near the far end of the fallen
tree. He made a dash for it, but wasn't quick enough. As the fingers of his right hand
touched the handle, Gorath's sword slashed his wrist, causing blood to spurt and the young
warrior to grimace in pain. Meadow screamed and ran toward her stricken lover. “Meadow!”
Starglow shouted. “Stay back!”

Starglow's agony was great, but his desire to protect Meadow was much greater. So he again
reached for the sword. Just as he lifted it, Gorath's heavy boot smashed into his hand.
The sword flew out of Starglow's weak grip and landed by Meadow's feet. Without
hesitating, she picked up the weapon and ran to Starglow's side. Surprised, Gorath backed
up a few feet to contemplate the situation. He certainly hadn't expected Meadow to put up
any physical resistance.

Starglow reached for the sword Meadow held. “No!” she said firmly. “You're hurt.” When he
started to protest, she calmly said: "I am a woman and your lover, Starglow. But

don't forget that I am also a warrior like you." Starglow nodded and smiled slightly. He
kissed her

trembling lips and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Together they bravely waited for
Gorath to approach them. They were going to resist to the death even though they had
little chance to defeat the mighty Gorath.

“We're ready,” said Meadow boldly. As she looked at Gorath, revulsion showed clearly in
her beautiful green eyes. She had withstood his drunkenness and savage nature long enough.
She preferred to die here with her beloved Starglow by her side rather than return to
Gorath's cabin. Never again would she be a slave to him, endure his beatings, or have him
clutch her in his filthy arms.

Gorath's eyes were sour and mean. He laughed cruelly. “So you want to die together. How
touching! I'll grant your wish as long as you die first, Starglow, so Meadow can watch the
blood pour from your body. Revenge! I want revenge!”

Gorath began to drool as he walked toward the lovers, who pulled closer together. He
lifted his sword higher and higher. Meadow dug her feet into the soil and held the sword
in front of her, gripping it with both hands.

All at once Gorath noticed that an intruder sat between him and his intended victims.

He stopped and tried to figure out where this large, mangy dog had come from. There had
been no dog in this clearing just a moment before. And what a strange dog it was. Gorath
suspected it was a red-rover, but it was the only red-rover he'd ever seen sporting a
shaggy tail with a snow-white tip.

The dog sat perfectly still, its tongue hanging out the right side of its mouth.

“Call off your dog, Starglow,” Gorath threatened, “or I'll chop it into a million pieces!”

“But I have no dog,” replied Starglow, puzzled. “Wh . . . what dog?” asked Meadow, also
bewildered. “Very well, you had your chance!” Gorath shouted as

he attacked the animal. He swung his sword with all his might at the dog's head, expecting
to see it rolling in the sand. But the dog easily dodged the blow. Now Gorath aimed for
the shaggy tail with the snow-white tip. Gorath's sword whistled through the air
repeatedly. The dog moved from side to side, causing the brute to miss by a hair, a

shaggy hair, each time. Gorath's frustration increased because he could sense

that the dog was actually enjoying itself, as if it were unaware its life was in danger.
It barked happily and playfully nipped at Gorath's feet. When Gorath raised his sword
above his head, the dog jumped up, put its front paws on his chest, and licked his face
several times.

Gorath lost all patience. He shoved the dog away and simultaneously swung the sword with
all his might. He missed badly. He also lost his balance. So when the big dog jumped back
up on his chest to continue their game, it knocked Gorath back a few steps toward the
ravine. Again the dog jumped up. Again Gorath was knocked backward, his curses shattering
the quiet of the forest. This happened several more times. Each time, the force of the
dog's paws increased, and Gorath was knocked farther back. Then came the mightiest blow of
all.

Suddenly, Gorath found himself somersaulting backward through the air, falling helplessly
into the deep, deep ravine. Gorath expected to see his life flash before his eyes, but for
some reason he had a vision of Zoma's old, ugly face instead. He screamed. Then everything
went black.

When Gorath opened his eyes, he was looking directly into Zoma's face. Only this time it
was no vision. It really was Zorna. He screamed again.

She attempted to comfort him, wiping the sweat off his feverish brow with her icy hand.
“There, there, darling,” she whispered into his ear. “I'll make you feel better.”

Gorath realized he was strapped to a chair. But where was he? He looked around. He was in
Zoma's cold, musty house. It was as inviting as a tomb. It was too dark to see clearly,
but he could make out some crooked furniture in the shadows, some heavy pots hanging from
cobweb- infested walls, and a large bubbling kettle by the fireplace. There was a horrible
stench in the air, and Gorath suspected Zorna was still preparing slug stew. “How did I
get here, old woman?” he snapped.

“I brought you from the ravine.”

Gorath looked at the frail woman. “How could YOU carry me all the way from the ravine?”

“I love you,” she said simply.

“Then untie this strap before I lose my temper!”

“I've strapped you to the chair so you won't fall,” she said tenderly. “I'm sorry, my poor
darling, but when you landed in the ravine, you struck a boulder and snapped your spine.
You're paralyzed from the neck down.” A look of shock and anguish came over Gorath,
terribly saddening Zoma. “But please don't worry, darling. I'll cook, and clean, and care
for you for the rest of your life.”

Upon hearing those words, Gorath could think of only one thing: “Revenge! I want revenge!”

That's when Zorna began to feed Gorath slug stew.

By the time Zoma shoved the final spoonful into Gorath's miserable mouth, he had figured
out his only chance for exacting the revenge he desperately desired.

He batted his eyes at Zorna and sighed happily. “That was delicious!” he said.

Zorna nearly blushed. “I'm so happy you liked it, darling.”

“Could you make it for me again some time, dear?” he asked hopefully.

Zorna nearly cried from happiness. “I make it EVERY day, darling.”

Gorath looked around the shack. “You know, dear, you have a lovely home. I think I'll
enjoy spending the rest of my life here with you.”

Zorna gushed. “We'll be so happy together!”

Gorath frowned. “But you wouldn't want to take care of ME.”

“Oh, darling, it would give me such pleasure!” Zorna objected.

Gorath shook his head. “That's so sweet, dear. But I could never be happy unless I could
hold you in my arms . . . and I can't do that because I'm paralyzed.” He closed his eyes
as if he were trying to hold back a flood of tears.

Zorna was overwhelmed with pity. She kissed Gorath on his fleshy cheek. She felt him
tremble. “My darling,” she said softly, her voice quivering. “I understand your misery. I
have lived alone, always. Eternity passed, and I almost gave up hope of finding a man I
could open my heart to. Now that I have found you, it would be torture not to be able to
express my love.”

Gorath opened one eye. “If only you could help me. . . .”

“Darling, maybe I can.”

Gorath opened his other eye, his hopes rising. “Only someone with magic powers could mend
my severed spine. But you have said you are not a black-robed sorceress.”

“This is true, but many years ago a black-robed sorceress traveled through the Forest of
Wayreth and rewarded my hospitality by granting me the power to perform ONE feat of magic,
only once.”

Gorath immediately became worried. “Just ONE feat? Only ONCE?” he asked nervously. “Have
... have you performed it . . . y . . .yet?”

“I am a simple woman. I never had reason before.”

Relieved, Gorath batted his eyes again. “Will you perform it now . . . dear?” he asked,
trying not to sound too anxious.

“First you must promise me something.” “Anything, dear, I promise.” "If I heal you, I want
you to promise that you will stay

with me forever and that you will forget that other woman and your quest for revenge."

“Of course, dear,” Gorath said sincerely. “I long only to hold you in my strong arms.”

Zorna nearly swooned. She was so happy. “Very well, darling. I'll do as you ask.”

The old woman stood in front of Gorath. He expected her to call on the Queen of Darkness,
recite a lengthy chant, and go into contortions. But she merely pointed a lone finger at
him and wiggled her sharp nose a couple of times.

Gorath immediately felt a wave of heat deep in his back. He felt bones shift and fuse
together. Then his chair started spinning, faster and faster. The strap broke, and Gorath
was propelled to his feet. He stretched his arms and legs. He smiled broadly. He was no
longer paralyzed.

Zorna moved toward him with arms spread, expecting Gorath to draw her to his powerful
chest. Instead Gorath shoved her aside, knocking the feeble woman to the ground. “Out of
my way, foolish woman,” he said, taking broad steps toward the door. “Too bad you wasted
your only feat of magic on ME,” he said mockingly.

“So you lied to me,” said Zoma, showing no emotion. “You BETRAYED me.”

Gorath laughed. “Be thankful that I don't throw you in the kettle with your wretched stew.
But I have no time.”

“Your sword is next to the door,” said Zoma quietly, her eyes closed.

Gorath retrieved his weapon and needlessly kicked open the door on his way out. As he
raced into the forest, he shouted: “Revenge! I want revenge!”

It didn't take long for Gorath to find his way back to the large clearing. Once again, he
found Meadow and Starglow by the fallen vallenwood, about twenty feet from the deep
ravine. Again they were locked in an embrace.

He was surprised that they hadn't traveled further. But then he figured they thought they
were out of danger after he'd fallen into the ravine and become paralyzed.

However, he couldn't figure out why Starglow showed no sign of injury. He remembered
distinctly striking Starglow's wrist with his sword and seeing blood spurt. What was going
on?

Drawing his sword, Gorath charged from the bushes toward the lovers. “Gorath!” Meadow
screamed in terror. “He's found us!”

Starglow eyed his sword, which was resting on the ground near the far end of the fallen
tree. He made a dash for it but wasn't quick enough. As the fingers of his right hand
touched the handle, Gorath's sword slashed his wrist, causing blood to spurt and the young
warrior to grimace in pain. Meadow screamed and ran toward her stricken lover. “Meadow!”
Starglow shouted. “Stay back!”

Although in obvious agony, Starglow again reached for the sword. Just as he lifted it,
Gorath's heavy boot smashed into his hand. The sword flew out of Starglow's weak grip and
landed by Meadow's feet. Without hesitating, she picked up the weapon and ran to
Starglow's side. Surprised, Gorath backed up a few feet to contemplate the situation.

He was bewildered. Why was this experience so similar to the earlier one, when he first
found Meadow and Starglow at this clearing?

Starglow reached for the sword Meadow held, just like before. “No!” she said firmly.
“You're hurt.” When he started to protest, she calmly said: “I am a woman and your lover.
But don't forget that I am also a warrior like you.” Just like before.

As before, Starglow nodded and smiled slightly. And again, he kissed her trembling lips
and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Together they bravely waited for Gorath to

approach them. Just like before. “We're ready,” said Meadow boldly. As she looked at

Gorath, revulsion showed clearly in her beautiful green eyes.

Just like before.

“Revenge! I want revenge!” Gorath demanded, but he seemed only mildly interested in either
Starglow or Meadow. He didn't approach them but instead looked around the clearing. “I'll
deal with you two later,” he said at last, searching for the one creature he hated more
than Starglow and Meadow, the creature that had been the last to hurt him and had hurt him
worst of all. “FIRST, Starglow,” he announced, “I must kill your DOG! Revenge! I want
revenge!”

“But I have no dog,” said Starglow, puzzled. “Wh . . . what dog?” asked Meadow, also
bewildered. “You know very well what dog!” Gorath bellowed. "The

dreadful beast that tried to kill me! The one that caused me to be prisoner of an ugly
crone and eat her awful slug stew. The one that pushed me into that ravine. . . ."