Chapter 4

As they enjoyed the last batch of scones, the captain calmed down some, even if still throwing a spiteful glance at that damned contraption now and then. Reluctantly, he agreed to let Katherine keep the oven, but not without putting in his word of wisdom.

"One day, my dear, you will sit at my feet, begging for me to teach you the mysteries of cooking and baking. Yes, my dear, you may laugh, you make shake your head, but I envision a day when we men, we men will be sole masters of the kitchen."

My God, thought Roland suddenly, remembering all those magazines lifting forward chiefs. He's right.

"Do you want to destroy the peace?" he asked, in vain trying to warn Lance from the horrors to come.

"What will Katherine do if you do?"

"Oh, don't you worry." she answered.

"I will just sit back and, ah, enjoy." Shaking her head again at the overblown egos of the male species.

After having had their second meal, they went back to discussing, but somehow the tea and warm scones had destroyed what planning they had. Roland had already agreed on staying the night with Pup, and Sztra wasn't expecting him back until the next day anyway. As Katherine made his bed, she kept throwing him inquiring and rather sly glances, making him feel quite uncomfortable.

In the end he just had to ask. "What?"

"What, what?"

"You know, giving me all those looks, Katherine. What?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Smiling as she finished.

It wasn't until he went in to sleep he got the meaning. As he was creeping under the covers he found someone already snoozing.

"Hell, Pup! What are you doing here?". She mumbled something drowsily. "What?" 'Shit I'm repeating myself.' She mumbled something again, sounding very tired. Roland considered getting up again and trying to find somewhere else to sleep, but in the end he just turned around and fell asleep, giving up on it as a bad decision. Pup smiled, satisfied in her corner of the bed, 'They do take some breaking in' she thought, as she too went to sleep.

Now, one could have all kind of moral considerations about that kind of behavior, but being well traveled, Roland had learnt that customs differed, also he seemed to remember some countries where the girls were betrothed at a very early age. And one thing his time in the service had taught him, was that you didn't unnecessarily stomp on other folks' customs, not without repercussions, at least. But the next morning, as he followed the captain up the wall, he asked him. "Lance? This thing with Pup. When, ah, you know." The captain smiled a little as he heard Roland's hesitation.

"Don't worry, by our customs girls are free to make their own choices from the age of fifteen, as our boys, too. Doesn't mean we enjoy seeing them getting taken advantage of, but as long as there is no force involved we usually turn a blind eye. Although..."

"Although what?"

"Well, if you got pledged it would sit a little better with some."

"Pledged?"

"Betrothed, man. Betrothed."

Roland looked at him, not believing his ears. He and Pup? "Come on, you can't be serious."

The captain smiled again. "Well, my friend, I would say that if Pup has set her mind at something, you won't have much to say about it either way. Better do the best you can about it."

Roland stared at him incredulously. "That was the craziest thing you've said yet, Lance." He muttered, deciding that he for one wouldn't be pussy-whipped by some slip of a girl.

"I'm gonna have a long good talk with her, just you wait."

The captain looked out at the valley stretching out under him in the early morning sun. 'Oh yes, just you wait' he thought, unable to stop the laughter bubbling up. Roland looked at him suspiciously, but decided to make no more comments. As they both surveyed the foes' encampment, Roland noticed how neat and well planned it seemed.

"You have a real problem here." He concluded, studying it. "They know what they're doing, and they seem to be here to stay."

The captain nodded. "Can't argue with that." He said.

"And where is that Skr'a?" Roland asked, looking for the cage.

The captain pointed to the left, behind what looked most like some wooden pyramid. "There."

As Roland tried to see, the captain remembered the binoculars he had left in his saddlebag. "Wait here, I'll go fetch your lenses, Roland."

Roland waited, and soon enough the captain was back with his field glasses. As he put them to his eyes, he realized that this realm didn't work solely by magic. After all, the batteries worked as good here as they had done at home. 'Wonder when they'll stop working' he thought, realizing that a pair of older ones probably would have been better, but there was another thing with them too. They were both field glasses and a digital camera. The last one he hadn't bothered to explain to the captain, as he knew that it would only be seen as some kind of magic.

But from the service, he knew the importance of having the right tools, and when he first had seen them selling at home, he remembered himself wishing that those would have been available during his time in the service. There was also a GPS in it, able to give the exact latitude and longitude, although he had to admit to that one being worthless here as it needed satellites overhead to compute the time difference and pinpoint the exact location. 'Just for fun' he thought, as he turned the camera on. He couldn't believe his eyes as it suddenly gave a position, not that the position meant something to him, but the fucker worked?

"This is weird" he muttered to himself. Was it some strange kind of magic perhaps?

The captain, who had seen him touching one of the black knobs on the underside, looked at him inquiringly.

"So it is broke then?" He queried.

"No, not at all, it works?" muttered Roland incredulously, staring at it.

"And?" said the captain, not understanding.

"Well, it shouldn't, not like this?" answered Roland.

The captain shook his head, listening to the weird mumbling. 'Roland was sure one weird guy' he thought, contemplating again all that had happened.

'Complaining that it worked? Well, never mind.'

"Have you found it, then?"

Roland, who suddenly remembered why he was standing there, started to look for the cage again.

"Yeah, now I see it." he answered. 'Boy'o oh boy.'

That cage was indeed a very strange sight. Black, having thick vertical iron bars on the side turned to them, and walled at the three other sides. The cover was off and he could see the Skr'a inside looking out with its large red faceted eyes almost smoldering in the weak winter light, and inside he saw something that most reminded him of some sort of a cocoon wrapped in silk at the side anchored to a bar. The beasts and men ambling around it were giving the cage a wide berth as they went about their work.

"That gotta be that beast you was talking about." he muttered, as he studied it more closely. The captain who guessed what he was seeing, agreed.

"Yes, Roland, that's the unfortunate." He assented.

"And that, thing, is still supposed to be sentient?" The captain muttered unbelievingly, as he tried to accept the sight of it,

'it's big!' Roland thought. He took some quick snaps of the encampment and the spider, then turning back to Lance.

"Here, have a look yourself." Lance took the lenses gingerly, not wanting to break them by any rough handling. After all, Roland had seemed surprised that it still worked? Looking down the path, he couldn't help feeling a little shiver creeping up his back. "Poor sod." he muttered as he saw the cocoon. Slowly turning the field glasses he could see that the camp had grown even bigger.

"Sure looks like they mean business." He muttered, as he gave the lenses back to Roland, who silently nodded his assessment of the situation.

"Yep, let's go back and discuss it." Said Roland.

"Would you mind if Magnus sat in with us?" Asked the captain.

"Why would I? It's your battle, and your men need to know who their allies will be, too."

The captain nodded, 'that was kind of a problem' he thought. The men wouldn't be too pleased realizing that there would be Keepers amongst their midst.

"Yep, Magnus, can you come join us." He called. Magnus, who was setting up an observation post outside the wall and preparing some trip lines, looked up.

"I'll be finished in a jiffy, Sir." He called back.

"Now, Ian, you know what to do." He muttered to the closest man.

"Make sure that the trip lines are well hidden."

Ian nodded. "No problem, Magnus." He answered, not stopping.

"Good man." Said the captain approvingly, as he saw Magnus coming.

"You will find Magnus an asset, Roland." He added.

Roland, who studied the short but compact man coming to them, nodded thoughtfully. He didn't look anything as he assumed Northerners to look, but this wasn't home and that wasn't a Viking. But as he saw the lithe grace with which the man climbed up the embankment he smiled.

"Oh, I'll think were going to get along splendidly." He answered. As they went back, Lance started to tell Magnus about the developments. Magnus listened flabbergasted.

"Keepers, you mean worms?"

"Yes, and they've agreed to help us." Answered the captain, as they once more were back in Katherine's kitchen.

The captain had made a move as if going to put on the kettle, but Pup had rushed over before him shooing him back. "No way, you daft man." She told him.

"Yesterday was quite enough." The captain seemed a little hurt, and Magnus wondered what had happened yesterday. 'I'm missing something here' he thought, seeing Katherine nod grimly.

He looked at Roland enquiringly, but Roland just smiled a bland smile muttering. "Just an ammunitions experiment corporal, a small detonation."

Now Magnus saw the captain looking even worse as he heard Roland. 'Yep, he was most certainly going to get to the bottom of this secret.' decided the corporal, as he saw the relief everyone seemed to feel as the captain sheepishly sat down at the table. 'there must be a good tale waiting here, lad' he promised himself, as he sat down beside the captain, watching the ladies gearing up to serve them.

"Katherine, Lilah, those scones are a treasure. I've talked to the men, and we are planning to exchange Lilah here for our cook."

Lilah smiled, seeming quite pleased at the praise, and Katherine nodded.

"Good." she said. "some peace at last, she's all too fretful."

"Mumm." Said Lilah complainingly. "I'm not!"

"Well, not when you're away." Said Katherine, laughing a little at her daughter's tone of voice. She gave her a hug. "Relax girl, I was only joking. But I've been thinking of adopting Pup, here." She added, looking serious.

Lilah stared at her, thinking of it. Then she started to jump up and down.

"Yahh, my own sister." She hollered, as she run over to Pup to jump in her lap.

"You will, won't you? Be my big sister, Pup?"

Pup looked down smiling. "Who wouldn't want to be your sister, Lilah?" She said, making Lilah even more pleased, if that now was possible.

Then the discussion turned to more serious things.

"Well, it's time for us to join the Keepers again." Said the captain.

"If we are going to free that, that Skr'a?." Roland turned questioningly to Pup, suddenly remembering his photos.

"Come here, Pup." He said. "I want to show you something." getting his binoculars.

She came over, looking curious, as he turned it over showing her how to use it she saw her first still pictures ever.

"You're a grand magician Roland." She said in quiet awe, wondering what imp it was he had locked into the lenses cage, painting so lifelike pictures.

"Yes, yes. But do you recognize the spider?" he asked impatiently.

"Oh yes, that's a Skr'a." She said, looking in the binoculars. 'Good.' thought Roland, one question less then.

"What good pictures." marveled Pup. "Katherine, Lilah, come and look."

"How do you feed it." she asked, as they also marveled at the instrument.

"What?"

"That." She said pointing to the binocular.

"Batteries." He answered shortly, hoping that she would be satisfied with that.

'So that is what imps eat, ' thought Pup, impressed.

"Are there a lot of batteries growing here." She asked, interested.

"No." Answered Roland, even more curtly, trying to signal that he didn't want to speak about it. It had to be a very secret thing then, guessed Pup even more impressed. She had to admit to Roland's magic being both strange and strong. She smiled at him and asked no more.

Magnus and the captain was as impressed as Pup, but as both knew of telescopes they guessed that this was just some more of Roland's strange 'technology', as he called those machines.

"Quite impressive, heh, Magnus?" said the captain quietly, as they watched the photos. Magnus nodded silently, trying to figure out how the paintings were made.

"Well." said Roland decisively when all had got a good look.

"Time to plan, it's noon, and we have to get back soon. I would really like to have some plan to present to the Keepers when I arrive."

The discussion went forth and back, even Pup and Lilah getting involved. Pup, insisting to come, as she expected herself to be the only one able to speak with the spider. At last they had some sort of rudimentary plan. Roland and Pup would get the Keepers, while Magnus would handpick some good men to follow them on their raid. The captain and Katherine would make sure that the way was empty of people.

After all, he didn't want any panic from people seeing the Keepers for the first time. And to be honest, he wasn't too sure on his own reaction, either. Too long had they seen the Keepers as horrifying beasts, slithering around in the caves waiting for prey. Lilah would go with them, too, and all agreed that they split up to arrange their tasks to order.

"Do you think it will work?" asked Pup doubtfully.

"Well, it was your idea." Answered the captain. "So it better, Pup."

Pup wasn't too happy at that answer.

"It's your idea, too." she said imperiously.

Roland looked thoughtfully down at her as she walked beside him.

"You know." He said, changing the subject. "I have this strange feeling you have grown, girl?"

'Ah, so he noticed' thought Pup, pleased.

"Well, you said I was too small, didn't you? And now you're complaining that I'm growing?"

'Impossible to live with, impossible to live without' he thought, feeling a quiet desperation. "You do know that Mari will hear about those, Ah, plans?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you? She does know."

It was in fact Mari that had told her that if she wanted Roland, to give notice to her, as anything more than his little friend she would have to become more adult looking. It gave her some pain growing that fast, but the rewards seemed more than compensating it, she thought as she smiled. Roland shook his head despondently, realizing that he was stuck with the situation for now.

"Whatever." he muttered, as they kept walking down the stairs. It was a lot easier downward, and soon enough they found themselves in the old deserted store room again. 'Strange that the tunnel starts directly' thought Roland. "It's almost like this was some old trading path with the Keepers." He remarked

"Yes, that's right." Said a voice. It was Sztra.

He was standing in the opening with Foil. "We got a little worried that you were gone so long." He said. "Foil wanted to go looking, and we almost, ah, caved in."

He wheezed that strange laugh of his. "So? How did it go?"

"well, it's like this." Started Roland, as they arranged themselves around the small fire Pup had made, taking some tea. As they explained, the Keeper looked more and more incredulous, his body language becoming quite excited.

"A Skr'a? Here." He asked. Roland nodded, and Pup started once more to tell what she knew about them.

"Shhh, child. We know. Once we shared the same realm." Answered Sztra.

"So that was the Foul one's final bribe," he said to himself.

"Bribe?" asked Roland.

"Yes, bribe. He knows the way home, that why the Skr'a is with him. Living proof of how we could come home once again." The story he started to tell was long and convoluted, involving a long time, more than Roland expected. It was about how the Keepers once fought a terrible war, being forced to retreat, and finally finding themselves down in a tunnel system through some strange cataclysm in the earth's surface, had been thrown through the portal to this realm. Listening to his story Roland couldn't help but start worrying. This bribe seemed larger than anything he or his friends ever could offer. He looked at the Keeper.

"So? What do you want to do now?" he asked cautiously. The Keeper studied him closely and seemed to learn some of the worry Roland felt.

"We are no oath breakers, Roland, and you are by oaths cave our chosen one. We will follow you and stand, or die, by your side. It is said that the chosen one will free us from bondage, making our numbers as large as the green grass above. You have our word."

Roland smiled thinly, feeling the tension in the room lessen considerable.

"Thanks, Sztra, I needed to hear that." He admitted quietly. "There are hard times before us, and I need all the friends I can get. But you may loose the way back. It's my guess that this, ah, Skr'a, is as lost as you, not knowing the gateway either. We thought he would be some sort of guide to the tunnels first, but this makes more sense to me."

Sztra agreed. "You may well be right there, but I speak for us all here, Roland. We will not go back on our pact, come hell or high waters. Hopefully he will know enough, but we won't know until we rescue him. And that we will, this is a thing of rejoice to us, Roland. To find one of our lost realm, a sister or brother in need."

As they were talking, the storeroom slowly had filled with Keepers. All of them listening in silence, for once not moving around, and as their chief finished they all started to thump their legs in a slow steady rhythm.

"They are telling the others." Informed Sztra, himself thumping too.

"This is the most exciting and promising news we've had in a long time."

As the thumping stopped, they all started to climb the winding stairs. 'I'll never complain about taking it easy again' decided Roland, as he felt his energy deplete.

The Keepers kept mostly to the walls, but Sztra slithered with Roland and the others keeping company. "They will wait for us up there." He told them. "They are just impatient."

Looking at his pocket watch, Roland realized that the daylight must be fading above. "Yeah, the light is waning up there. Sztra, one question just. It will be quite cold in the night. Are you keepers up to it?"

Sztra wheezed again. "Don't you worry, those are the hardiest Keepers we have. We use them as herders and scouts. They know the cold, and they will fight."

Roland liked what he heard, those and the men Magnus was picking should be able to perform. On that he was sure, the only question was how the spider would take it. Not for the first time, he wished he had one of those night scopes too, but what he had might work anyway. It all depended on what kind of sight the others had.

"Sztra, Pup. Can any of you see in the dark?" Sztra seemed to find the question amusing.

"Where do we live, Roland?" he asked rhetorically. "Of course we can find our way in the dark, although we use a lot of other senses, too."

Pup shook her head. "Not like this. Then I need to change and that will take time, and I like myself like this. Don't you, too, Roland?" She smiled sunnily at him, and to his surprise he found himself agreeing with her. He did like her as she was.

"Well, yes, Pup. I do like you as you are. But don't you get any strange notions now, girl." He warned her. "It's strictly platonic, you hear."

"Platonic, sounds exiting." Said Pup enthusiastically. "Will we try it tonight?"

He stared. "Look Pup, get this straight. I like you as a little sister, okay?" Now Pup looked confused for a moment, and then she asked carefully. "Isn't that a little kinky Roland? Making love with your own sister, and platonically, too?"

Roland felt like wanting to bang his head into something hard. "Pup." he asked sternly. "Tonight we will save that, that spider right?"

"Yes." She answered meekly.

"And then we will have no time for anything else, won't we?"

"Yes."

"Soo... ?"

"We'll wait until after?"

'shit, talk about a one way track' "Look, girl, concentrate on what we are going to do instead, please." He saw her slowly acceding to his demand, but then she started to look woebegone and her lip started to tremble.

"You don't like me." She said.

"What?"

"You hate me."

"I don't hate you, Pup. I'm just trying to plan a raid where we all can be hurt. Don't you see? That this discussion should wait." Now tears were becoming visible, and without thinking he swooped her up in his arms.

"I like you a lot, Pup, but one thing at a time, please."

She looked at him from under her long eyelashes, her eyes changing to violet. 'Strange' he mused, 'that I never noticed them before. She really has most extraordinary eyes.' Now they seemed to start to twinkle at him as she sighed, a highly pleased sound.

"So you will carry me the whole way, won't you, Roland?"

"What?"

"You have to, or I will cry."

"Are you threatening me?

"Yes."

Finally giving up on it he said. "Okay, but only up the stairs, Pup, I can't fight with you in my arms." She sighed again, and settled in into his arms. Strangely enough he found her blackmail methods less than abusive. He smiled down, admitting defeat.

Sztra and Foil seemed to snicker somewhere in the background, but for the moment he couldn't be bothered. This was a hell of a way to prepare for battle, he had to admit to himself. But still, he had known worse ways, too. 'Well, at least the nagging's gone." He muttered, satisfied as they climbed the last stairs.

Coming up, he found the chamber crawling with Keepers, none of them able to be still. He turned to Sztra. "If you wait here I will take Foil with me to introduce to the men, then I'll bring them here to meet you"

"You're afraid it's too much, meeting us all then?" the Keeper queried. Roland shamefacedly had to admit to him, thinking that it might be a little to overwhelming introducing both Keepers and dragon at the same time to Lance's men, but the Keeper seemed to understand.

"We will wait, Roland, go in peace." As he and Foil left, he heard Sztra start to wheeze again.

"What?" he asked turning back to him, at the same time starting to worry that he was asking that question all too often lately.

"You can let Pup down now, Roland. The stairs has ended." Shit, he had became so accustomed to carrying her around that he almost had forgotten. Sheepishly he let her down, accompanied by Foil's guffawing.

"Wondered how long it would take you noticing, Sir." The dragon remarked.

"The men would probably have forgotten all about me, seeing you silly looking like that."

Muttering under his breath, Roland walked out of the chamber. Looking down he found Pups smiling face looking back, her little hand in his.

'This is going to look downright silly' he realized. Him going to battle holding a little girl's hand, and with a silly looking dragon guffawing beside him, letting off small clouds of smoke as the miserable creature desperately tried to hold it in.

But he found that he didn't want to let her hand go, and, in fact, was becoming increasingly reluctant to allow her with the raiding party at all.

"This won't work, Pup." He said abruptly. "I won't let you go."

She studied him, surprised, what was it this time? She thought they had been coming along so well, with him learning how to behave and all. "You want me to let go of your hand?" she asked confused.

"What?" 'There was that damned word again.'

"Sorry, Pup, but you're to damned young for this stuff."

"Holding hands?"

"No, getting involved with us fighting, girl. I can't condone it."

"Pathetic." She muttered, suddenly all fired up. "I told Mari that I would take care of you, and so I will. I'm coming."

"No, you're just too young." Saying it, he suddenly realized how stupid it sounded. She was probably as old as Foil, or older. Looking at her determined expression he muttered. "Oh, what the hell."

"But you will do as I tell you, Pup, no stupid excursions you hear."

She cooled off immediately, becoming sweet as syrup.

"Me? Why, I wouldn't dare, Roland." He shook his head, promising himself to keep a eye on her, questioning the wisdom of letting her come.

Talking, they had without noticing came out in the mess hall, where the others already stood waiting for them. It was the captain, Magnus, and what looked about twenty hardened hale men talking silently amongst themselves. The captain had used the photos and the scouts to make a rough map of the outlay, using sand that he had spread on a table to draw in.

The men all knew what they were in for, but seeing Roland coming strolling, arguing with what looked as his daughter, having a big green dragon lumbering behind them guffawing and letting out smoke signals, made them all stop to just stare at the strange procession.

The captain couldn't help wishing that Roland could look a little more warlike, some scars, even pock marks would have helped. But instead he looked like some absentminded professor searching for the right words as he argued in vain with the girl. Lance had reluctantly to admit that she was the one looking most war like of those two. It didn't help when the dragon saw them and opened his snout.

"Oh, a mess hall, are those our waiters, I'm hungry?" Roland looked up from Pup to find forty four eyes staring at him, all except two disbelieving their eyesight. In haste he tried to collect himself.

"Captain, a pleasure seeing you all. This is Pup, my vixen from hell. Sorry, a small joke, and Foil." Here he found he couldn't stop himself, again, probably it was her name. "Foil, the magic dragon."

The men stared. The captain harrumphed a little and then answered. "Pleased to see you, Roland. Well, Magnus you know already, right, the rest of my men here is our little party tonight. We were just discussing how to best proceed, where are your wo ... Sorry, Keepers?" Roland realized that this probably was the better place to hold the gathering.

"Pup, go get the Sztra will you? We will hold our council here." Pup went away without a word, and Roland took a breath of silent relief. It seemed as if she was going to behave after all. He nodded to the others, and joined them at the table, Foil seeming to sharpen up now that the fun and games at last was going to start.

As they stood there discussing, the men relaxed a little. If it hadn't been for that dragon they would have thought him some sort of fop, not that his clothes was that good, but still. But as they exchanged views and slowly seemed to agree on how to create their little surprise, they couldn't help but notice his businesslike approach to it.

"And they have posted sentries here and here." The captain pointed. "I will leave that one to you, Torval and Magnus, and Lars and Ian, you'll take the other one. And do it silently, please."

The idea was to try to do it as close up as possible, with one of the two as a sort of backup ready with a crossbow, and as the captain knew the guys from before, he felt reasonably confident in their ability.

This was just the kind of situation where Roland wished he could have trained a little with them before, to evaluate their capabilities, but as it was, he knew he had to trust to the captain's judgement. He studied them surreptitiously, and decided that none seemed that nervous over what was waiting for them, though.

The captain continued. "the whole plan is to let the girl, Pup, here, who will interpret, and Roland, here, up to that spider, remember. And don't you freak out if it follows them back. It is a sentient being, no matter how you see it, and a prisoner of Lord Foul's. Do you understand?" the men mumbled their consent, as a sudden weak whispery sound made them look up to find the Keepers finally arriving.

Sztra had given strict orders that none of his kin would come from the walls, fully realizing the importance of making their impact as unthreatening and calm as possible, but there were still several hands searching for sword and bows, as the men suddenly found themselves engulfed in a sea of silent Keepers, their appendages twisting.

The captain harrumphed loudly again, and then bowed politely at Sztra who had joined Roland at the table. "And after they finished their little excursion, the, ah, Skr'a joining them, we will have our friends here waiting for us. A little ruckus first, of course, you men all know your positions, right?"

The men, once more concentrated on him, listened and some nodded wordlessly. "And then for that little brisk morning run, my friends. We will be the hares running, inviting them to the hunt and guarding Roland's back, making sure that they know that their prisoner escaped. And if he's not interested in following, we will still open his cage and create as much havoc as we can."

Some of them listening smiled a little at that, unconsciously caressing their longbows, they all had arrows dipped in flammables with them, planning to set fire to as much, and many, as they could before making that run for it.

"And then comes our other little surprise. As soon as we reach the wall we will turn and open the gates. And remember, our friends here have plans of their own with those following us, so just let them do their part, and keep out of their way you hear."

The men studied the grubs suspiciously, with not a few of them making the old signs protecting them from evil, but as all were handpicked for their steady nerves, and also as they all were personally known to both Magnus and the captain, he had no doubt in their ability to obey orders.

"And then we will see, friends, my guess is that they will be rather frustrated by our little raid. And our, ah, Keepers sallying forth." He stared at them, a cold cruel look. "And if so, friends, we still have a surprise waiting, right." He smiled as the men gave their silent approval.

But the men had started to shuffle their feet impatiently. Both they and the grubs had been introduced to the rough outlines of the plan before, and now, with the last details taken care off, they all wanted to get it over with. Roland, who noticed their impatience, looked at Foil, maybe it was a good idea after all he thought, a beer and a light meal?

"Captain? I have a suggestion. As we will have some waiting to spend here, why not have a bite?" The men seemed to like that idea, he noticed.

"And a beer to that perhaps." Roland delicately suggested next, at last winning the men's full approval.

Roland counted on the beer to have gone out of their system well before it was time to go. There was still six hours left until four in the morning, and he coldly calculated that it might give the men some four hours sleep before the raid. The captain thought it over and nodded his approval.

"So, gentlemen? Some R&R?" Now all stared again, none knowing what the heck he meant.

"Sorry, friends, rest and refreshments, gentlemen." He smiled brightly at them and a few smiled back, getting his point finally.

As the assemblage broke up into small groups collecting their food and beer, and with the keepers gathered in one tight formation, Roland once more found himself at a table surrounded by his new acquaintances.

"Good idea." Said Magnus approvingly to him. "It will help us relax a little, there's no need to be ready that long." The captain silently agreed, as he took a slow draught of the tankard.

Sztra, who by now had been introduced, soon got a conversation going with them all, telling stories about that time when they still were uneasy allies with the golden one and the dwarves. Surprising them with his knowledge of the secrets the stronghold still seemed to hold for the men now living there. The time passed fast for Roland, as he lay back against the wall after his meal, trying for a nap, with Pup resting her head in his lap. All too soon it seemed their time was up and it was time to get ready.

The silent scouts had already taken out their targets as Roland and Pup caught up with them. Roland had to admire their technique, 'it wasn't the first time they had have done it' he thought. The encampment to the right side was quiet now, with everyone asleep, and their fires had died out to only become a red glow in the night. Roland was very careful with not looking in that direction, and had instructed Pup to do likewise.

The human eye needed around fifteen minutes to get its fullest night adaptation, and he didn't want to ruin all by not seeing that sleeping guard on the ground. They slowly made it to the cage, with the scouts forming a protective half circle around and behind them. If the alarm went off now, they would have the same chance as a snowball would have in hell. They were just some sixty meters from the nearest tent.

Stopping some meters before the cage, now covered in cloth again, Roland turned to Pup, gesturing for her to speak. Pup made some low clicking sounds, not unlike the Kalahari aborigines way of talking. There was only silence meeting her, but she kept on until there came a low clicking back. As their conversation continued, Roland was becoming more and more worried. They had left guys of their own pretending to be the sentries, but soon he expected them to change guards. They needed to be finished before that.

"Pup, ask him if he will come." He whispered in her ear. She nodded and spoke some more. "Yes, he will, but he says we have to hurry, he is having a feeling of great unease." Getting up under the cloth and up to the bars felt like one of the bravest things Roland ever had done, and he stopped in front of them feeling for the lock to its door. He could see nothing inside it, the darkness was complete.

They had searched the sentries and had found keys on both, Roland hoped that one of them would fit the lock, if not he would have to pick it. There had been courses offered in the service, but medics weren't really expected to need it. It was mostly curiosity that had made Roland fix himself in on one. And as he had found a certain fascination with it, he had made sure to get the other courses too.

He even remembered himself ordering tools from all over the world. Everything was for sale on the Internet he had found at that time, well mostly. And he had always lockpicks with him, it was as with his gun, a habit. But he still hoped that the keys would work, as those locks were different, both bigger and convoluted, with tumblers that seemed quite tricky. Luckily one of them did fit, and as he slowly opened it and stepped back, a shadow seemed to come floating out of it, standing on eight legs with unblinking facets reflecting the weak red glow.

Pup talked with it some more explaining their plan, and their retreat could begin, the other men hadn't been resting either. They had quietly moved around, planting incendiary devices at their munitions and at their food storage, and quietly prepared as well as they could, for creating that havoc the captain had planned for. But their luck couldn't hold for ever. One of the scouts did just what Roland had been terrified of, stumbling over some sleeping guard. The alarm went directly, and with that their need for silence.

The other men lit their arrows and started to shoot. Their longbows, if handled by an expert, could send an arrow every other second to their target, and with lighting them it took some seconds more, but with sixteen men shooting for a minute it made for a lot of arrows. The tents were on fire when the incendiaries took their toil. The explosions made from the munitions created just that havoc the captain had desired, and also gave them some more precious minutes to make their retreat.

As their foe discovered the cell being open, they very quickly organized their chase for it. Soon there was an organized horde coming after them, at times nipping at their heels. The men stopped now and then, turning as one unit, sending arrows into the horde, but it seemed to have no effect on the enraged mass now hunting them. There were also some of their own men falling, as they weren't the only ones using a bow, and they couldn't afford that.

Rushing the last bit as fast as they could, they got to the gates, their enemies all to close behind, just to find it still closed. Preparing to die the unit turned and drew their swords forming a double line, with enough space in between to allow those behind them to step forward or they to step back.

The mass stopped as they saw the soldiers prepare for their death, and seeing the spider, who somewhere had picked up two swords and a pike, made them hesitate for a moment. Then they came upon them like a flood-wave released.

It was all Roland could do only defending himself, Pup standing behind him using a pike someone had dropped down from the wall. There came a large broadsword swung by what looked like one of those lizards, and as he saw it everything seemed to slow down, just as the last time. He crouched and came up under it, his sword piercing the Lizard's armpit coming out in its neck, the blood coming in dark cascades as its heart pumped it out.

They weren't used to stabbing motions, he noticed, as he pierced another with an almost surgical strike, they seemed more to use their swords as the samurai, slashing. He turned, moved three gliding steps to the left, and slashed the man just trying to kill Pup with his uplifted sword.

As the man's sword arm fell off, he used the swords motion to turn his body, and coming from up under, sliced up the guy next to him straight from the groin through his sternum, splitting it, seeing the mans intestines falling out in a syrupy motion and his ribcage open up into a dark gory hole.

Although his speed and cunning had saved both him and Pup more than once, the onslaught just kept pressing them back, forcing them at last to stand with their backs to the wall. It was at that time the ports finally opened up, and a flood of Keepers came out. They too glowed in the night, not the fiery red glow of those fires, but more like a ghostly white. The terrified lizard beast in front of him turned and tried to run, but the massed throng behind him stopped him effectively.

Roland even noticed fighting breaking out between those wanting to, but unable to, back off, and those behind them that still didn't know. The soldiers on the walls kept on killing as many as they could with their bows, while the Keepers continued their harvesting, slithering forth and back through the horde, each time with seemingly dead beasts and men in their mouths.

Sztra ordered the ones with men to leave them at the stronghold, as he realized the horrific implications they otherwise would create on his allies, but the beasts were simply prey and incubators to be harvested. The cuts and arrows had little effect on the Keepers that Roland could see, once more making him wonder about his sword. Then again, his was a Soul biter, not an ordinary sword at all. "Dragon bite have been well fed today." stated Pup a little later.

She stood by his side shooting her arrows, she used a ordinary looking, although smaller, bow fitting her size, but compensated for it by placing her shots with remarkable accuracy, using the foes eyes as her primary point of penetration. She smiled fondly, looking at the bloodied sword. "I can even hear him humming." She said. And she was right, it was as if the sword sung as he swung it, and for every death it took it seemed to become even lighter and more deadly.

Slowly coming up from the bleak battle rage that lately had seemed to inflict itself on him, Roland shook his head, as if trying to wake up from some evil dream. "Did I really do that?" he asked in an estranged voice staring in awe at the carnage laying in front of him. "Yes." Pup simply answered.

He stared at the pieces and bits of bloodied meat and shook his head, for once happy not to remember. Looking around, he could see their foes running in panicked retreat, still followed by the Keepers harvesting, and with their encampments burning lightening up the low cloud cover as if it was that being on fire instead.

"Let's go in." He said, as he dried off the sword on a piece of cloth from one of the slain. Pup followed him, but not before sending of a last arrow extinguishing one last eye's unholy light.

As they came in, they found a heap of bodies, with people resembling themselves but darker of skin and of a slightly shorter build. They looked at the heap consternated, and Sztra hastened over to explain. There was a dungeon in the stronghold, and the Keepers helped the soldiers to transfer the men down, and search them for weapons. Amongst other things, they found blowtubes with darts dipped in what looked like some dark tar.

"Don't touch them." Warned Roland. "They're poisoned." Looking around, he found one richly decorated, also able to fold in on itself, made with small hinges. He found it quite ingenious, and decided to keep it with as many darts as he could find, it might come of use. As the last keepers came back carrying their harvest, Sztra went over to Roland again.

"We have had a good hunt together, Roland. There are incubators enough to double our population. I'm sending them back, but I and a few more will stay with you for now. You will need help with understanding the Skr'a, and it is of the outmost importance for us to know if there is any chance of going home again."

Roland asked him to tell the other Keepers how thankful they were for their stout help, and also asked him to congratulate them on their bountiful harvest. As he finished, the captain came up to them. He seemed a little troubled and dark of mood as he stood beside them waiting to speak with Roland.

"We lost too many today." He said, sounding glum. Roland, who had been in his own fog of war asked. "How many?"

"All In all we lost thirty-five men. If they had stayed behind the wall we would have lost fewer, but when the men saw us threatened they came out to help. I wish they hadn't. It's my fault, I should have insisted on them staying behind cover."

Roland studied Lance compassionately. 'The mark of a good commander' he thought, to take on himself others' mistakes. "I don't think that would have mattered, Lance. They would have done it anyway, it was their closest friends and comrades dying there."

Lance stubbornly shook his head. "I should have made it an order." He muttered, thinking of the men slain by what he saw as his mistake. Magnus, who silently had come up, started to laugh hearing him.

"Lance, it was a battle, they saw their friends die in front of them. Roland is right, and you need to go down to Katherine. Lilah is crying, thinking you won't be back, man. Get your ass away now, and leave the rest to us." The captain seemed to wake up from his black stupor as he heard about Katherine and Lilah.

"Crying? You're right, Magnus. Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure, but I will take my leave now, if you pardon." He left quickly, worrying about Lilah, desperately wanting to see his Katherine and talk about something else than war. But Roland knew that the captain was right, not about him being the cause of their losses. But of the fact that too many victories like this would cost them the stronghold. A 'Pyrrhic victory' was it?

"You have a good man, there." remarked Roland. "Aye, so we have." answered Magnus. "A man of many redeeming qualities, not the least being his new family," as Magnus thought of Katherine's scones. Roland, who guessed where the corporal's food happy instincts took him, found himself agreeing, although? "Not only for the scones, though, heh, Magnus?"

Magnus, abruptly dragged away from his fond remembrances, found himself smiling back agreeing. "No, Roland, he is a lucky one, is our captain. We would follow him come hell or hail, and he knows it. That's some of why it hits him so hard when we lose men. So, we're all happy that he has a home outside soldiering, scones or no scones."

Roland and Magnus went back up on the wall, as the morning's weak light came with a cold wind from under a cloudy cover. Watching the encampment, they could see a furious activity going on, fires being extinguished and carts being built, but it still looked like as in disarray, with their foes very reluctant to come anywhere near the stronghold. Roland nodded, satisfied. "So far, so good." he muttered as he used his binoculars, taking some photos to bring down to the captain for later discussion.

Magnus felt quite satisfied, too, as he gazed out at their work last night. Looking down, he could see a burying detail go about their work, throwing corpses on the fires. It was a necessary, even if not much appreciated job, but there was always the chance of finding something of value, so some men actually volunteered for it. Looking, he saw something different going on at the other side though, there they seemed to butcher up the corpses, making him wonder if the stories were true, that they ate both others and themselves.

He pointed it out to Roland, who agreed in his conclusion. "A sad thing to see, Magnus, but I seem to remember cultures on my earth doing the same, mostly for ritual purposes, though. But those use each other as livestock, it seems. Ah, well, to each their own, hungry, Magnus?" Magnus was starting to warm up to this guy, they shared much of the same sense of humor. "Well, Sir, feed up would be more like it. Should we adjoin to the mess, then?" "Don't you Sir me, Magnus, you know my name." 'Yes, ' thought Magnus, they were going to get along just fine.

Katherine was very happy to see the captain, and Lilah stopped her crying as soon as he had lifted her up in his lap. Katherine looked at her, and told him that Lilah had been sleeping as she had started to cry. When she woke her and asked what she was crying about, Lilah had told her that it was terrible.

"So do you remember." Asked the captain. Lilah shook her head.

"But it's okay now, then, Lilah?" he asked, giving her a little hug before letting her down again.

She nodded shyly and went back to the bed to play with her toys. The captain had found a knitted doll, lying about forgotten in one of the stronghold's many rooms. It had reminded him of some sort of library that one, having lots of books and maps to it.

He had planned to go back to see what more there could be, but somehow he had lost the directions to it. The doll and Lilah seemed to enjoy each others' company well enough, though. He went over to Katherine. She made a grimace. "Take a bath, Alwy. You stink." She led him to their shower, a small perforated pipe in the corner of a little cubicle, and started to undress him. When she had finished with that, she languidly started to undress herself.

"Ah, what are you doing Katherine?"

"Undressing."

"Yes, I can, ah, see that. But why?"

"Well, someone has to do it?"

"Do what?"

"undress."

He gave up, deciding to take it as it came. Smiling seductively at him, she turned on the water, and as they both had became disgustedly wet she lifted the soap, "It's bathing time, Alwy.".

After that threat, their game hastily developed becoming both wilder and more slippery. They kept on until Katherine heard Lilah complain. "Mum, I'm hungryy." Hearing her calling, they reluctantly separated, to let Katherine dry herself and start making breakfast, or perhaps supper considering the time.

Roland looked down at his Browning nine mm. It was somewhat of a relic, a memory of places and wars he had trouble remembering. He had a limited amount of bullets for it, too, so it was primarily a last defense. He had it always on him in an ankle holster. Not an ordinary holster, more like two elastic straps with a pocket in the cross-section, holding it safely.

'The trouble with weapons was that you had to take care of them, even when you're not using them at all' he thought, as he continued to dismantle and clean it. But it was the same for all, he could see some men oiling in the bows at the other side of the room, while others were honing their swords, trying to get the nicks out of them.

As he finished, he went down to Katherine and the captain to see how they fared. As the captain opened the door, Roland could see that he looked much more relaxed. "Thought I would see if there was a chance for some scones?" he joked.

Katherine smiled at him, and waved him in. To his surprise he found that Pup already was there, playing with Lilah, having a tea-party of their own, dolls included. "Hi, Roland. Take a seat." said Katherine, and went to the oven to lift a plate of new baked scones.

The captain studied him suspiciously. "Do you have a spy here? How come you always seem to pop up when she's making scones?" he asked. Roland tried to look mysterious. "I have my means."

Pup found Lilah's doll quite interesting. To her it shimmered with possibilities, and somehow there was a bond between it and Lilah. As she looked at it, Lilah lifted her head. "She likes you." she said.

Pup nodded, she also had felt some kind of affinity pass between her and the doll as they played. "Was it her that showed you the dream your mamma spoke about?" she asked quietly.

Lilah nodded shyly. "She warned me not to tell. The grownups might get all nervous and stuff then, and take her away." The doll was right, there, thought Pup, most parents would.

"Ask her if I can speak with her." she said. Looking at Lilah, she noticed nothing unusual, but after some seconds Lilah nodded.

"She will let you in, but only because you are a sister." Lilah said, thinking that the doll meant that Pup was her big Sister, but Pup and the doll knew otherwise.

As Pup kept her concentration on the doll, the room darkened and disappeared, leaving her in a room not unlike a young girl's. On the bed sat what could have been Pup's twin sister, wearing nothing but a smug smile.

"Do you like it." she asked, making a gesture including it all. "Very nice." answered Pup. "Do you like it?" the girl smiled a self satisfied smile.'

"It's my place." She said.

Pup watched her, trying to figure out what she was and why she was bound to the doll. "Do you like your new playmate." She asked.

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "She's okay, a little boring, and we're not really into the same things but, yeah, she's nice enough. For her age."

Pup felt uncertain about this one. Maybe they were sisters of a kind, but this girl seemed unaware that she was as bound to Lilah as Lilah would be to her.

"You do know that she is your new mistress?" she asked.

The girl shook her head. "No, she's not. The captain is, he was the one to find me." She answered.

"You're wrong." Said Pup flatly. "As soon as he gave Lilah that doll freely and of his own violation, you became hers."

The girl seemed to think about it for a little while before she shook her head.

"But I don't want her to own me." She pouted. "I want the captain. How's your own master by the way? Good in bed? Do you think he would like two to play with?"

Pup smiled, suddenly she knew what was wrong. "You're a nymph right? But how can you be bound to a rag doll?" Nymphs had only one thing on their minds, sex.

"It's no rag doll." The nymph answered, opening the window in her little room. "It's my sea." Walking over to look, Pup could see a sea of water stretching as far as she could see.

"They were going to drain it, but then this wizard came and saved me. And the only thing I had to do was to be nice to him. But one day while being nice he just stopped? He didn't answer, and after a while I got bored. The next time I tried to go out he was gone, and there was only this strange smelly room filled with books. Can you imagine, books? Who needs book?"

Pup felt like she had just started to realize how little this nymph really knew about herself and others. "Would you like me to be your big sister, too, like Lilah?" She asked, carefully thinking it over.

The nymph's face lost its complacent look, and for just a moment Pup could see through that cheerful carefully built up facade to the scared young Nymph crying behind it. 'Damn that wizard' she thought. 'using her as cattle.' She smiled encouragingly at the nymph as she leaned closer, whispering.

"Wouldn't you want to be with me and Lilah? Then you could have a Mum and a Dad, too. Just like Lilah has."

The nymph tried to act as if she didn't care. She threw back her hair and said. "Maybe, but they better be nice to me."

"No, that's not how it works." Said Pup. "You all got to be nice to each other, what's your name little one?"

"The wizard used to call me Vanja." "That's a very nice name, but do you want it, or do you have another you like better?"

The nymph seemed to think about for a little while, but then decided. "I like Vanja, it was I who chose it. I didn't like the other names he called me." 'I can understand that' thought Pup, disgusted. Most wizards had a respect for nature, but there were always exceptions. But too many let their egos convince them that nature's wonders were theirs to spend, and that one seemed to have been one of the worst. "Vanja, I'm going to take you with me outside the room, and I and Lilah will protect you. Do you trust me?"

Vanja nodded hesitantly, things were happening a little bit to fast for her now. To be true, she had felt more and more lonesome in here, locked to the doll. And now, when she at last had a new master or mistress, she was scared. Even the wizard's debased affections had still been better than being abandoned, and she wasn't sure she wanted to do that pleasing anymore. When she had, he just had stopped caring for her, although she had done all she could to please him. She had a feeling that sex should have been cleaner and more fun, but she didn't really have anything to compare it with.

"Wait here a minute." Said Pup, before she went back to Lilah.

"Lilah." She said. "Come. We need to talk." Ignoring the looks they got from the others, they went into the other room, Pup carefully closing the door.

"Lilah, that little girl that lives in there? Have you met her?"

Lilah nodded. "Vanja? Did you like her Pup?"

Pup thought some and then said. "I think she is lonely, just like you was. Would you like to have another sister?"

Now Lilah became all smiles. "Yes, but she said she didn't know how to come out?"

Pup nodded. "She is right, to be able to come out for any longer time, those who care for her must wish her to do so. It seems that you are the one that takes care of her now. Do you wish her to come out? To live with you and your new Dad and Mum?"

Lilah nodded eagerly.

"Then close your eyes and wish, Lilah. I will tell you when it's time to open them."

She went back to Vanja, who was sitting at the bed forlornly looking out her window. Taking her hand, she said. "It's time, Vanja."

And holding her little hand in hers, feeling the tension running through the little nymph, they went.

"You can open your eyes." heard Lilah. She opened them quickly. Beside Pup she saw a smaller copy of her, about Lilah's age, shyly looking at her, being stark naked. Lilah shook her head.

"My mum would scream if she sees you like that." she decided, sounding very grown up suddenly. "Wait, Vanja, I'll get some nice clothes for you, Pup, can you stay with her."

She ran in to the other room, getting the nicest underwear she could find, and her best dress, too. Katherine looked at her askance. "What are you doing, child?" Lilah was too occupied to answer. 'Shoes, does she need shoes? No, mum will like her any way'. She smiled a brilliant smile at her mum.

"It's a surprise, Mum." She said, before rushing out again to Pup and Vanja. Vanja found that the clothes fitted her perfectly, and she really fancied the dress. It was a very deep green with some small bows in a light violet color. She felt suddenly very pretty. She smiled at Lilah and hugged her impulsively, Lilah smiled back, taking her hand in hers, and together they went back in.

"Mum, Dad. This is Vanja, she's my newest sister, and she wants to live with us." She said almost defiantly.

Roland and the captain stared at the new child. She was a dead ringer to Pup, smaller but otherwise the same, well, except her hair, then. It was falling in deep red curls around her, whereas Pup's hair was more straight. She looked just like some doll came alive. Katherine, who directly noticed whose clothes it was that she wore, asked about that first. "Where are your own clothes, child?"

"Mum, she's no child, she's Vanja. And she has no clothes."

Now Pup found it best to jump into the conversation, explaining as well as she could the circumstances leading to Vanja's appearance. As she finished, Katherine looked very angry indeed.

"Come here child, Vanja, I mean." She ordered, and as Vanja meekly went over, she took up a brush and lifted her up in her lap.

"We need to comb out that beautiful hair of yours, Vanja." she said calmly, holding her as she methodically brushed out her hair in slow soothing movements.

She looked at the captain. "Would you mind?" she asked quietly, as they saw Vanja relax under Katherine's care.

"No, not really." Said the captain.

"It's not every man that can brag about getting a new daughter so quick. And the way she's been treated?"

Then he looked directly into Vanja's warm hazel brown eyes, acting all serious. "But it hinges on you too, Vanja, will you accept to listen to us, the same as Lilah?"

Vanja looked at him and then at Lilah. She didn't look too unhappy, she thought, and her mum was so nice, helping her with her hair and all. She nodded, suddenly unable to face their eyes.

"If Lilah can, so can I." She said in a low shy voice. She looked at the captain. "Do you want me to please you, too?" she asked, scared that he suddenly looked so angry, she hadn't mean to make him mad.

Katherine muttered something to the words of "Low lowlife scum, I would like too..." As the captain found himself again trying to smile, seeing how his reaction made her shy away from him.

"No, Vanja, you will never have to please anyone here, but you might have to play with Lilah, though, would you mind that?" They smiled as they saw Vanja and Lilah shake their heads together.

Then the captain remembered something he once had heard about. "Look girls, I have a great idea, if Lilah gives you your doll back, I will get one just like it for her. Then you would have two sister dolls to play with. Would you like that?"

Vanja considered it, suddenly realizing that he was offering her freedom. Pup nodded encouragingly at her as she said in a small voice. "Thank you, Sir. Yes, I would like that very much, if Lilah wants?" Lilah had already picked up the little doll, and coming back with it she gave it to Vanja saying. "I don't need it, Vanja. I have you to play with instead. It's yours, here take it."

Pup cleared her voice. "Lilah, you have to say clear and loud 'Vanja, I give you this doll' three times, first, Lilah, then can it be hers for real." Lilah looked wide eyed at Pup but did as she asked. After the third time it seemed that Vanja's brown eyes cleared up in wonder, as if she suddenly remembered things forgotten.

She turned to Katherine crying, burrowing her head into her bosom. They all looked on helplessly as Katherine calmly continued to brush her hair with slow outdrawn strokes. After what seemed an eternity she stopped crying, and turned to Lilah, stretching out her arms to embrace her.

"Lilah, I thank you from my heart, we will be the best of sisters." she said as they held each other, Lilah now looking much more happy now she knew she had done nothing wrong. Ending with Katherine finding herself now holding two little girls, happily chirping away in her lap.

It made Roland wonder. He hadn't known that this was the way to set anyone free. He didn't hold to slavery either. Feeling slightly ashamed, he searchingly looked at Pup, silently wondering why she hadn't told him, and what wrongs he had inflicted on them by not knowing. As she noticed his concerned look, she just smiled and shook her head. Neither her nor Dragonbite needed that confirmation.

They both knew they just had to tell him to get that wish fulfilled, and there were certain strengths holding to the bonding they had, not easily won if they would be freed. "We are already with you, Roland, and of our own free will." She calmed him. "When it comes to that, if it ever does, we know you will do the right thing. Until then, Roland, relax."

As Avery woke up, he had some difficulty understanding just where he was. 'What's wrong with the bed' and when realizing he was on the floor, he tried to remember just how much he had drunk last night. "Damned cold, too." He muttered, wondering why the servants never managed such simple things as closing the balcony before the night.

Opening his eyes, he found himself in some vault of some kind. He had just started to wonder why they thought him dead when he heard a feminine voice at his side. "You okay, Avery?" 'Shit, ghosts, too?'. Throwing himself around, one hand on the knife he always brought to his bed, suddenly staring into a pair of sweet green eyes looking at him merrily.

It all came back to him. They were safely inside that cave the Keepers had told them about, on their way to Lokgard. He tried to check on the time, judging by the few light beams finding its way in it had to be early morning, daybreak he thought. "A dream, Mari, a weird dream about home." He went up to get the fire going again, stirring it up. Looking around, he found the kettle in a corner, and packing it with snow from the outside he soon had enough water going to make a full kettle. After unpacking some bread and cheese, he took his knife to the kettle and banged.

It was somewhat fun to see the dwarves flying up from their sacks, throwing of their covers, standing with their axes ready, naked but for some strange sort of cloth that acted as their underwear, and some without, too. "Hrmm, gentlemen, please, we have a lady present, and the tea is all ready. But I do want to compliment you on your readiness."

As some of them were in that embarrassing situation where most men are in the morning, before that toilet visit, his choice of words became more than ambiguous. The lady in question couldn't help but be impressed by the size of their 'weapons' though. 'what length they have nature compensates for' she thought, smiling as she for the first time watched dwarves blushing. "Oh, lads, I've seen it before." She gently admonished them as she too got up, still in Roland's nightshirt.

He had insisted on her taking it, telling her how it would keep her warm, and also make it easier to change cloths under it before the others. But those things she already had planned for, the real reason she took it was that the scent of it made her sleep easier. As they finished their breakfast and got dressed packing up their things, she smiled at D'am. "Your ladies must miss you." she said.

He harrumphed some before admitting that he, too, missed them. "Sweet and hardy are our girls, and if we only had known? They would have followed us, but then again, I think it's better this way." Mari smiled at him, silently agreeing. She had no real hope for them coming through, in fact she doubted that she would last, too. Her lady had promised her and Roland a last meet, but she hadn't told how and where. She tried to sound comforting, but her eyes betrayed her.

"Now, no such dire thoughts, D'am. After all, it's a beautiful morning, and we will soon be down the valley, safe and sound." He smiled back, thinking 'you poor lass, missing him, are you' as he turned to knit the haversack to the back of the pony.

The morning was indeed beautiful, no clouds at all, and the green valley beyond gleaming like a jewel, dotted by what looked as small lakes and wooded areas. It all looked so peaceful, thought Mari, as she walked down the path. The snow had blown away mostly under the night's storm, and the ice was at least visible as they basked under the warmth of the sun, as soon as they got into the shadows they were reminded of the cold hiding behind it, though. Be'am and Avery were having an animated discussion about different modes of playing the lute.

"No, I'm telling you, Avery. To sing it like you is a sacrilege. You have to respect it, first, then will you bring out the best in it. As he started to sing in a low voice, trying to get Avery to see his mistake. The other listened, grinning at each other.

Mari turned to L'am. "This valley, is there any path through it?"

L'am nodded. "Various paths, my lady. The problem will be to choose the one dodging others. The keepers talked about both two and four legged invaders waiting for us down there. The only thing in our favor is the fact that they can't be sure where we are. We can be sure on one thing, though, they will be expecting parties trying to get in contact with the Lord of Lokgard."

Mari nodded somewhat somberly as she heard his assertion of their situation. "Yes, we will have to be very surreptitious about it, L'am. How's your wood lore?" The dwarf guffawed, hearing her question. "We don't live down under as some others, there are different streaks of lore to us dwarves, Mari, same as with you humans, methinks. We have learnt wood lore since long, and as we have the northern rangers as our closest neighbors and friends, they have taught us a lot."

"Northern rangers?"

"Yes, Mari, we seldom see them around us. They are deep into wood lore and knowing the wild life. Mostly nomadic, and very good rangers. When we first arrived they agreed to us staying, as long as we would respect their rights of free ranging. And that was a good decision from us both, we found. We taught them mining and metal working, in return they taught us wood lore and respect for nature, and together we learnt farming. I sorely miss them, they would have known how to make our way as invisible as if we were just a dream."

"What do they look like? Are they elves?"

"No, Mari, as I understand it they come from the same strain as you, but they're taller and somewhat stringier in appearance. They are a quiet people and slow to take offence, but beware if they do."

Mari shook her head. The world was certainly bigger than she ever had thought. In a way that was a comfort, even if Lord Foul took Agor, there were still free lands beckoning those unwilling to live under his yoke. "I'm pleased to hear that, L'am, they sound as good men. So what do you call your kingdom?"

"We had our own idea when we first arrived, Mari, but under the years wandering over our green hills our old name changed to become more in accordance with what the rangers thought. We call our nation 'The Green Haven' those days, as our own name didn't fit living above. The rangers themselves have another name, 'Lomonel' but that means much the same 'An abundance of green'. I used to have friendly quarrels over a beer or two with Laur about which name was more fitting." He seemed to lose himself in memories for a while.

"Laur was my friend, still is, by the way. A ranger, yes, but one I grew up with. That's another thing we do, Mari. Exchange our young ones so that both species can live with each other for a summer or more, teaching and learning. Some of my best friends are still rangers. We thought of asking them with us, but they don't easily leave their land."

Mari liked the sound of his home, a friendly one with people learning from each other instead of fighting. "I would like to visit you some day." She said wistfully. "But I guess it will have to wait."

The Dwarf nodded. "Yes, Mari. Both you and Roland would be more than welcome." he answered. Then they stopped talking as their party found another cave to have a tea break in. It was high noon now, and the sun was standing right over their heads blazing. The temperature had steadily grown as they came lower, and the breeze brought with it smells of living green things growing. Trying to guess, Mari expected them to be down in just some hours. The valley seemed to work as a natural heat-trap, keeping the warmth, and the vegetation was lush and green as they finally came down.

"Hard to believe that it's autumn." Muttered Avery as they relaxed beside the trail, seeing it leading further into the valley in a sinuous path.

F'am, who was sitting beside him watching their pony's graze, smiled. "Just you wait, Avery, when the snow arrives this valley will turn all white in just a couple of days. Then the going will be hard. We better move as far as we can before that."

Avery tried to believe F'am, but found it hard to imagine. It was still that sweet scent of summer clinging to this place, it seemed a place of calm and peace. "Maybe you're right, F'am." standing up again.

"Enough rest friends. L'am, if you would be so kind?"

L'am cleared his throat loudly. "Well, I've been studying the trails marked on the map. There is one main one leading directly to the pass opening to Lokgard, but as we all agreed on taking it easy and be careful I've a suggestion. I think that if we." And here he spread out the map on the ground so all could see. "all took a slight swing to the east and tried those smaller trails, we might avoid the worst of interest in our doings." He showed them where they were and also the main path, and then how he thought them to avoid it by using those smaller trails.

After some discussion they all agreed on it being the best option for now. "But we keep our eyes open, and from now on, no talking." Said D'am, sounding very serious. All nodded approvingly, and as they left they made their way quiet and watchful. L'am was on point and Avery and Le'am were working the end with Mari, D'am, Le'am and Be'am in the middle, they had bound up all gear in cloth as to dampen the sounds, but they couldn't do much about their silhouettes. Either they kept their horses, riding, or they left to continue on foot, and there Avery preferred mobility before stealth.

He wasn't sure how much time they had, or if there still would be a stronghold waiting for them as they returned, but every fiber of him screamed for haste. He had a hard time controlling his want to hasten up their procession, but he had to accept that the dwarves knew what they were doing better than him. But the silence was tearing on him. He looked at D'am and made a signal as if to want to talk. D'am shook his head and the silence continued.

They were under the lush canopy of the trees now, and the trail they were following looked more like something made by wildlife than by men. The trees were old and gnarly with moss clinging to them, and some kind of dark fungus, reminiscent of mushrooms, being seen at times, too. The roots and the moss on the ground would have made the trail hard to follow on foot, but their horses seemed to have no problems with it. The rich undergrowth made it hard to see any further than some thirty feet, and the few sunbeams finding their way down played tricks with their imagination, creating faces and movement.

After a few hours, L'am found a little opening with an old lean-to, and as the dusk now was upon them, they decided to make it their camp for the night. They made another of those 'Dakota fire-pits' to fix some hot food, and then slowly relaxed, eating and talking in low voices. The first thing they had done on arrival was to string up a few trip wires around their camp, and they had also decided to set guards, with Le'am and D'am taking the first watch. But as long as there still was some light, they thought that they could share their meal together.

They were lucky to have set up the tripwires. They woke in the middle of the night to first one and then the other sounding. As they scrambled for their swords and bows, the glade filled up with what looked like some fourlegged animals, most reminiscent of dogs, but wild. They attacked without mercy, using their fangs as their primary weapon.

D'am, who had prepared pieces of wood dipped in some of the flammables the captain had been testing as they left, lit them up, and the firebrands seemed to make it harder for the wild beasts to see. They fought them off one by one, with the fire guiding the dwarves' battleaxes, making it easier to cleave their foe, and with Mari using her bow to good result, helping them to kill of the last one.

There had only been six of them, but if the trip wires hadn't warned them, they most probably would have succumbed under the onslaught. "Strange." Muttered D'am, as he bent down to inspect one of the slain dogs more closely.

"Strange, what?" asked Avery.

"Did you notice who they were targeting?"

"No, can't say I did. I was occupied with trying to survive."

"Well, son, I was not, and neither were the others. They came for you. You and Mari, it seems. Methinks our little secret is out, we better move, now." The night was still upon them as they broke up their camp, throwing the mongrels into the undergrowth to hide, hiding their tracks as well as they could, to then leave.

Be'am, who had taken a bite to his left arm, and D'am, who limped a little due to one of the beasts, had both gotten a quick healing by Mari, with the promise of a better one at their next camp. L'am took it slow first, but as the morning light came their pace quickened, as to, in the end, almost reminding Avery of a rout.

Avery rode up to L'am and asked him if it wouldn't be faster to use the main path, but he just shook his head. "Nay, if they were six waiting here, Avery. How many would you expect there?"

Avery thought about it, and had to admit that L'am had a point there.

"You might be right, there, so how long do you think we will have before they realize what happened?"

Now it was L'am's turn to think, his brow furrowed, he at last answered.

"Depends if those beast were sentient or not, they were no breed I could recognize, though. If worst comes to worst I would say, a day or two? If we're lucky! I don't know, maybe never. But they sure knew whom to target?"

As Roland went to bed, he found Pup already waiting for him, smiling seductively. He sighed, and undressed to get in on the other side, well away from her.

"I'm freezing." Came a complaining little voice.

"Tough cookie." Came another, decisively uncaring.

Then there was some silence, but just as Roland at last was falling asleep he felt a slow movement coming at him.

"What?"

The movement stopped, leaving Roland to go back to his sleep. As he woke up the next morning he found someone spooning him. First he thought it was Mari, but then he remembered. Releasing himself from her clinging wasn't as painless as he had hoped though. She woke up in the middle of it, looking at him with her calm eyes, her cerise hair falling around her like a soft carpet framing her face, grey eyes and pert little nose.

"Coming or going, Roland."

He looked at her as a woman for the first time, and he had to admit that she was beautiful, And God knew that she was willing. But he still found himself unable to perform for her as she wanted. "You are going to drive me mad, girl." He muttered, as he put on his shoes.

She smiled as she heard him. 'Yes, the breaking in is proceeding according to plan' she thought. He had to admit to having slept better those last days since they started to share their bed, but, that might have as much to do with having a real bed, he suspected. He couldn't help looking a last time at her, as she laid there totally bare for his eyes, her nubile young body spread out as a feast.

"You are truly beautiful, Pup, but we are friends, not lovers. Will you accept that?" She smiled and nodded. "Yes." She said, stretching languidly like a cat.

He didn't hear what she whispered as he left. "For now, that is." smiling mischievously.

As he came out in the combined kitchen/playground, and now Lilah's and Vanja's sleeping quarters, he found Katherine at the stove already making her scones and tea.

"Hi, Katherine, where's our captain?"

"Sleeping, he was tired, so I thought I would let him sleep. You want some?" filling a mug with freshly brewed tea and giving him a scone.

"the butter and jam is on the table."

He went over to sit, relaxing with his tea. Katherine reminded him a lot of Mari. Both were good at creating that welcoming warm atmosphere that made him feel so comforted.

"Does he know how lucky he is?" he asked her rhetorically as he munched. "Yes, he does." Came a voice from Lance's room.

"So whatever plans you had for her, just drop them." He came in, still looking sleepy, rubbing his eyes in a fruitless try to wake up.

"I couldn't sleep any more, not with that heavenly smell." pointing to Roland's scone. "And that one is worse than the corporal, woman. Don't let him near my scones." He cautioned her. "He probably laid awake the whole night just waiting for you to start."

Roland smiled as he listened to them joshing each other. As he finished, Pup came in dressed in one of his old shirts and nothing more. He stared at her, but decided to keep quiet, instead enjoying his tea.

"So, had a good night?" asked the captain, smiling at them both. Pup shook her head mockingly, complaining. "Boring, we just slept."

"And that's all we ever gonna do, girl." growled Roland.

"And see what it does to your mood." she riposted

"Have some tea." Said Katherine, as she put a cup in front of Pup.

"Thanks."

A welcome silence laid itself over the room as they enjoyed their breakfast, but after a time Pup decided to find that boring, too. "So, what are our plans today?" she asked perkily.

"Interviewing the Skr'a, and Pup, we need you with us." The captain informed her. Pup seemed pleased hearing it. "Yes, he was quite charming."

The captain stared. "Charming?"

"Yes, he told me that normally he would just have placed me in his larder. But seeing my inherent beauty, he lost all intent and forgot himself totally, talking instead."

"And you're sure you're sane?" asked Roland disbelievingly. "And that he was, too?"

"What are you implying?" asked Pup "That my beauty drives men insane? Wild, yes but insane?"

"Ah, forget it girl, it was me joking. But you liked him?" said Roland, who had clear trouble imagining any human wanting to get aquatinted with, even less liking, an eight foot tarantula.

The Tarantella Dance music is probably the most recognized song of all the Italian folklore music. It literally means "tarantula" because the dance is done buy everyone in a great big circle going clockwise, until the music in the set changes, becomes faster, then they quickly change the direction to counterclockwise, this continues several times and is fun to see who keeps up. You can see this dance at authentic Italian weddings, is often the theme song of many restaurants and pizzerias, can even be heard in The Godfather movie and the CBS sitcom "That's Life".

I thought I'd throw that in just for the fun of it!

"Well, yes, he was very courteous." Answered Pup, surprised.

Roland looked at the captain, and then both shook their head simultaneously. Katherine, who had seen it, laughed. "You know, maybe she's right." She said. "Stranger things have happened."

"Name one." Said the captain.

Katherine looked at him. "Meeting you."

They were as two remotes steering unfailingly towards each other. It was pure magnetism, one moment separated and the next? Glued? He looked at Pup and saw her watching, as fascinated as him. He leaned over.

"Pup, how about giving those two lovebirds some peace, would you like to say hi to the nice spider?" She smiled at him and nodded, and as they left neither Lance nor Katherine seemed to notice.

The Skr'a had been housed in the basement. The Keepers had an extensive talk with him directly he arrived, and had arranged it much to the spider's satisfaction. Even going so far as including a larder in an adjoining room.