Taker Of Skulls (Book 5) (3 page)

Those who looked like they might have the knowledge and skills required did not want to go. They had found something profitable and sold it or they would have been in the Underhalls still seeking, not down here in Varigston guzzling ale. They did not want to leave till their money was gone. The prospectors were part of a class of scavengers who wandered from dwarvish ruin to dwarvish ruin picking the places clean after they were discovered. Khazduroth was the biggest motherlode of their lifetimes.

There were others—shifty, desperate-looking men who could not answer the most basic questions Karnea put to them in a convincing manner. They wanted her money but they could not do what she wanted.

Now they were in the last and roughest looking tavern of them all. The prospectors stared at Karnea sullenly. They were a hard looking bunch, and they had been drinking, and they seemed intent on treating what Karnea was saying as a joke. There were a dozen of them, and they did not look too impressed by Boreas and Kormak. They were big men themselves, roughly dressed, wearing their hair in what they all thought was a dwarvish fashion, beards braided down to their waists and in some cases forked.

“You ever seen a rune torque like this?” Karnea was saying to their spokesman. He was half a head shorter than the largest of the prospectors but he was far broader both about the shoulder and the belly. An old rune-headed dwarf hammer lay on the table in front of him. Brown stuff and a tuft of something was stuck to one side of it. Kormak guessed the prospector was not too fussy about cleaning it.

“Nice work,” he said. “And worth a pretty penny, no doubt. I’ve seen weapons and armour and shields. I’ve seen runestones and everglow lanterns and statues of the Gods. That’s what the merchants pay for. I’ll keep my eyes open for ones of these.”

“Have you ever seen anything that looked like a forge in Khazduroth?”

The prospector laughed. “There are streets of forges. It was a dwarf city after all.”

“Did they have anything in them?”

The man spread his massive hands. “If there were tools they were took long ago. Many a blacksmith would give his children’s heads for dwarf-made tools.”

“Could you take us there?” Karnea could not keep the excitement from her voice.

The prospector looked at her sharply. “You willing to pay?”

Karnea nodded. She was going too quickly, trusting the wrong men but it was too late to stop her now.

“How much?”

“A solar each,” Karnea said. It was a lot of money. Probably far too much. The man showed a grin like a skull. His crew exchanged smiles and nudges.

“For that much, we’ll carry you there on our backs.”

“We might take you up on that” Kormak said. The men looked at him menacingly and did not laugh. A pretty dark-haired woman was looking in their direction. She was garbed like a prospector too. She had been paying attention ever since Karnea had revealed the rune. A flicker of what looked like recognition passed over her face when she saw it.

“When can you start?” Karnea asked.

“Soon as you’re ready to go. Of course, we’ll need an advance for supplies and such.” Karnea nodded.

“A silver each should be sufficient for that,” said Kormak, before she could dig them into further trouble. The prospector nodded all too quickly. Kormak did not trust him in the slightest. Karnea nodded to Boreas. He produced a pouch and counted out silver to each of the men.

They went out into the darkness. Kormak saw the door open behind them and the dark-haired young woman emerged. She ran down the track towards them. Kormak kept his hand on the hilt of his sword. Boreas had his dagger out. Beneath them, the lights of the town glittered.

“Wait,” the young woman said. Karnea turned, her kindly smile visible in the moonlight.

“Yes, lass,” she said.

“My name is Sasha, not lass,” the girl said. Karnea’s smile widened. She took no offence at the girl’s tone although Boreas was bristling.

“What do you want, Sasha?” Karnea asked.

“Did I just hear you offer Otto and his merry band a solar each to guide you to Khazduroth Forge District?”

“You have sharp ears, girl,” said Boreas. He did not make it sound like a compliment.

“You’re paying him a solar to slit your throats and take the rest of your money,” Sasha said. “He’ll take you up the Dwarf Road half a mile, out of sight of any witnesses and then he and his boys will show you their steel.”

Kormak concurred with that assessment. He had not liked the look of the prospectors at all.

“Oh dear,” said Karnea. “They are the only ones who have even come close to finding what we are looking for.”

“I doubt it. Otto hasn’t been underground in years. He and his boys wait on the Dwarf Road and waylay real prospectors when they come out. And that street of forges he was talking about has been in goblin territory for at least a year.”

“How do you know this?” Kormak asked.

“Because I have been into Underlands and I do know my way about.”

“And yet Otto has not cut your throat,” Boreas said.

“That’s because I know the trails to take to avoid him.”

“And naturally you are going to offer to show us them too.”

“It’ll cost you a lot less to pay me that solar than to pay all of them. And I am not going to stab you in the back either. There’s three of you and one of me.”

“You could always hire some friends,” said Kormak.

“My, you’ve got a nasty suspicious mind, haven’t you? Pity it was not you doing the negotiating with Otto back there.”

Karnea’s hand toyed with her shawl. Any minute now she was going to take off her glasses and polish them, Kormak thought. She looked lost in thought. Perhaps she was starting to think that she might have made a mistake.

“If she did lead us into a trap, she would be the first to die,” Karnea said. It did not sound like a threat, but it was all the more menacing for being spoken in her unworldly tones.

The girl swallowed audibly but her voice was firm when she said, “Yes, that’s right. And if I steer you wrong I will deserve it.” She paused and took a deep breath. “And I can show you where that rune comes from?”

“Can you now?” Karnea asked. Her voice was almost shrill with excitement.

“How can you do that?” Kormak asked, keeping his voice flat and bored.

“Because I am the one who found it.”

“Now there’s a coincidence,” Kormak said.

“Believe me or not, as you will, it makes no difference to the truth. I sold it to Joaquim of Northrock and I thought at the time the bastard cheated me. Now I am certain of it.”

“The merchant who sold me this was called Joaquim and he came from Northrock,” said Karnea. She glanced sidelong at Kormak.

“Why did you sell him it if you thought he was cheating you?” Kormak asked.

“I needed the money,” Sasha said. Her fists were clenched and there was a note of defiance in her voice. She clearly did not like exposing any weakness in her negotiating position. She took a deep breath, stared hard at Kormak. “Whatever we find down there I want part of it, prospector’s rules, equal shares.”

“I don’t think we can do that,” said Karnea. Her voice was hesitant and almost apologetic. Sasha looked as if she was about to storm away. “But I will pay you a quarter of the appraised value of whatever we find in gold. If you steer us true and we find anything.”

Sasha considered this for a while and then nodded slowly.

“Perhaps we should go back and explain to Otto that his services will no longer be required,” Karnea said.

“No need,” said Kormak. “We just don’t meet them in the morning. They are already a lunar each better off.”

“Meet us at the Axe and Hammer in the morning girl, and we’ll talk more,” said Karnea. Sasha nodded and disappeared into the night. Kormak kept careful watch as they walked back downhill. He felt many eyes in the night.

Sasha showed up at the Axe and Hammer at first light. Kormak and the others were already in the common room eating breakfast. Karnea studied her over the top of her glasses.

In the light, he could see that Sasha was a tall, slender, good-looking woman, with pale skin and raven black hair. Her eyes were large and her nose was hooked, her lips were full and sensual. She had an intense, haunted gaze that she focused on them one at a time. She was clad all in leather, with a pick slung from a hook on her belt and a knife strapped to her thigh. A missile weapon of strange design hung over her back. Looking at it closely, he realised it was an alchemical stonethrower of dwarven make. It was a potent weapon if she knew how to use it and had the right ammunition.

“You’re keen,” Kormak said.

“I want the money,” she said.

“You won’t get it until we get back from the mountains, safely,” said Kormak.

“You were willing to pay an advance to Otto and his lads.”

“On consideration we might reluctantly have decided not to do so,” said Karnea.

“That is disappointing news,” said a booming voice from the door. Otto stood there flanked by two members of his gang. “Me and the boys expect to be paid what we were promised.”

“I don’t think we’ll be requiring your services,” said Karnea. She smiled beatifically at him, seemingly unaware of the menace in his voice. Otto slapped the palm of his meaty hand with the head of his hammer.

“A little bird been whispering lies to you, has she?” Otto asked. He strode closer, loomed over the table. More of his men entered the Axe and Hammer. The other customers, sensing trouble, buried themselves in eating their food, or scurried towards the doors of their rooms.

Kormak rose from his seat and Boreas did the same. Sasha had her pick in her hands now. Karnea removed her glasses and placed them on the table in front of her. “I can understand your disappointment but there is no need to be rude. You will not need money for supplies since you will not be going with us, but I am willing to pay you something for your trouble.”

Thinking he sensed weakness, Otto said, “I think you should pay us what you owe us. A deal is a deal.”

Kormak stepped between the prospector and Karnea. He smiled and said, “The lady has been kind enough to offer to pay you for your trouble. I think you should take her offer while you are still capable of doing so.”

Otto was still looking at Karnea. “Or what, you will kill us all?”

“Just you and anybody who tries to help you,” Kormak said. Something in his tone got Otto’s full attention. The prospector looked at him as if for the first time. He slapped the hammer against his palm again. He looked Kormak up and down and said, “You really think you can do it? Get your blade out before I can smash your fool head off and kick it all the way back to Aquilea?”

Kormak said, “Why don’t you try and we’ll find out.” Otto looked as if he was contemplating exactly that.

The barman brought a crossbow to bear from under the bar. “If you want to keep this up, do it somewhere else. Any blood gets spilled in my place, I’ll be the one doing it.”

“Only got one shot in that thing, Lucian,” said Otto.

“One shot is all it will take to send you to hell,” said Lucian. “Now get out of here and don’t come back.”

The stable boy and some other big lads were entering now. Otto sensed the odds were shifting out of his favour. He let his hammer drop to swing from its leather strap on his wrist. “We’re not done yet,” he said to Kormak and turned on his heel and left.

Kormak looked at the Innkeeper, “Thanks,” he said.

“No bother,” said Lucian. “Can’t have his type threatening the customers. Bad for business.”

Karnea coughed. “You could just have let me pay him off,” she said. “It would have been much less trouble.”

“No trouble,” Kormak said.

“Yet,” she replied. “We won’t get to the city if you get us all killed.”

“We won’t get to it either if you give away all our money.” He knew she was right but he felt he had to say something.

“I don’t think a few silver will put us in the alms’ house.” Kormak saw Sasha’s eyes narrow slightly. She was paying careful attention. She was starting to realise that Karnea was a very wealthy woman.

“Men like Otto always want more,” Sasha said. “You’d only be buying off trouble till another day.”

“In another day we will be out of here, if you are ready to show us to Khazduroth, young lady,” said Karnea. It was odd to hear such words coming from Karnea’s lips. She did not look any older than Sasha. Still, something about her mannerisms suggested a great difference in their ages.

“I’m ready to go when you are.”

“What will we need for supplies?”

“It’s two days to the mountain and we may be underground for a few days. Best take two weeks supply of food just to be on the safe side. Jerky, oatcakes, waybread, dried fruit. You can get them all from the merchants here. Won’t cost you more than an arm and a leg.”

“Boreas, will you see to it that we are supplied,” Karnea said. The big man nodded. “Anything else?”

“You’ll need lantern oil and lanterns. Many parts of Khazduroth are in darkness now.”

Karnea nodded. Kormak was surprised to discover that not all of the city was dark. “Anything else.”

“Weapons you’ve got and you’ll need. It can be pretty hairy down there.”

“I think we knew that already,” Kormak said.

Sasha said, “Get your gear and meet me at the last league post at noon then and we’ll be on our way.”

“The last league post?”

“It’s where the royal road ends and the track up into the mountain begins,” Sasha said. “You’re at the edge of civilisation now.” She looked around and grinned. “If you can call this civilisation.”

KORMAK ARRIVED AT the meeting point early, leading his pony. It was on the edge of the village. The last league post was half as tall as a man and showed the horned crown within a solar disk symbol of Taurea. It was well-weathered.

He was surprised when Sasha showed up early as well. With her were two other people. One was a pretty sad-faced girl a few years younger than the prospector. The other was a sickly-looking little boy not more than five. He watched pale faced and a little tearful. He kept glancing at the weapon on Sasha’s back then at the long winding track up into the mountains. Clearly both had significance for him. He knew it meant she was going into danger.