CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - THE CHAiNs THAT BiNd

Tordek Darkbeard knelt over the sleeping human girlas he cast his diagnostic spells. He certainly knew what hehad to do – now it was simply a matter of knowing the best way to do it.He began chanting words in

dwalish

– the old tongueof the dwarves, given to the dwarves by Voluge the SoulForger when he carved his people from solid rock all thosemillennia ago. It was a tongue that was one with the magicof the gods, and all its words held power.He could feel the sickness within the girl, the taint uponher soul, and it made him sick to the core of his being. Itfought even with his simple diagnostic spell, warring, itseemed, with anything pure and right. He suppressed ashudder and drew in a deep breath as he found the spot.

Right… There

. That was it, he knew. He pulled his hands back andbegan the preparations for what he knew would not be aneasy task. He was glad that the girl was asleep, for she would suffer greatly were she awake.He looked up at the human man at the other side of thebed. The girl’s uncle, he remembered. He hadn’t left herside since the half-elf mage had sent him up here last night.He wondered if the man had gotten any sleep, and thendecided it didn’t matter.

Plenty ‘o time for sleep later.

The human looked at him with a pained expression.“You can help her, Master Dwarf? I know I haven’t alwaysdone right for her, but...” The human trailed off, and Tordek

could tell he was ghting back tears. “She’s all I have!

Ever since my wife passed on, I’ve treated her like my own

vdaughter. And now I feel so… so helpless! You can helpher, right? Tell me you can help her!”

Tordek sighed. “I dun’ know, lad. But by Voluge’s beard,I’m gonna try. Yah’ have me word on that.” The dwarf stood. “All right now, lad. If this is goona work, I’ll need yer’ help. Hold ‘er down, gentle like. As muchpain as she’s in, she’ll be hurtin’ more when I starts mespell.” The man nodded and held the girl’s shoulders in hisbig hands.Even so, he was unprepared for her reaction when

Tordek started his work. At the rst contact of the healing

magic with the demon’s taint, the sleeping girl stiffened,arching her back and groaning loudly in pain. She startedto thrash about, and it was all Ben could do to hold her

down. “Stop it, dwarf!” he screamed. “You’re gonna kill her!”

Tordek couldn’t possibly stop now. The binding spell he

was casting was a difcult one, and he had to ignore the

man’s anguished cries. He extended his hands out straight,his voice rising as he chanted,. “Kompaniam tormintiumDufaalh….” He could feel the beast within her, feel itstruggle to exert its control over her, and over him, and herthrashing became increasingly violent. He was shoutingnow, and the power of the demon – even such a small part

of its essence – both awed and terried him.

And then it was over. His spell completed, the girl fellback down, sleeping calmly. The only signs of anythingamiss were the scattered bed sheets and the sheen of sweaton her face. He watched as her breathing slowed, and thenhe too fell back, sitting on his haunches. “It’s done, lad.”Ben wiped his brow. “Did it work?”

“Aye, I hope so. She shouldna’ get any worse for a while. I’ve banished the beastie to a small part of herconsciousness. Iffn’ she’s as strong as she seems, sheshould be able to function normally – fer a while, at least.I can do nothin’ with her injuries, though – not until thebeastie is outta the wee lass.”

Ben nodded, the tears he had held in check now owing

openly. “Thank you, Shield Brother. I’m glad you could helpas much as you did.”“Aye, lad. No problem. I just pray to the gods o’ light we

nd the beast now – an’ quickly.”

* * *Nyla rolled over as she woke up, suppressing a groan atthe ache in her side. She tried to speak, to ask the simple

question, “Where am I?” but it came out as a croak.

Bear bent down and dabbed at her forehead with adamp cloth, wiping away the sweat from her brow. “Shhh,don’t try to say anything.”She realized she was thirsty, and tried to ask for adrink, but that also came out as a barely audible croak.

“Waah... Waaah..”

Years of caring for both her, and tending to injuredtravelers – not to mention his years in the army – hadgranted Bear a deft hand around sick people.He reached over to the nightstand for a water pitcher,thinking back to all the time he’d spent caring for Nyla as achild. Seven or eight years ago, she had caught a mild formof the plague that killed his wife. It had been touch and gofor a while, but she pulled through.

I almost lost you then,girl. I can’t lose you now.

He poured water into a glass andbrought up to her parched lips.