we’ve come to join you,” Much said abashedly.
Behind Much, Bradok recognized the delegation of hill dwarves who had petitioned the council on his first day. The tall, red-haired woman who he had noticed then, and still vividly remembered, stepped up beside Much and addressed Bradok.
“We are believers,” she said simply, lowering her eyes humbly. “We ask that you grant us sanctuary.”
“It isn’t much of a sanctuary,” Bradok replied honestly. “This barricade won’t hold long if the city guard attacks.”
“We know all about you and prefer to take our chances with you,” she said, raising her eyes to meet his. “If you’ll have us.”
A hand dropped on Bradok’s arm, and he turned to see Silas’s son, Chisul.
“We’re already low on food,” Chisul whispered to Bradok.
“I don’t think a few more will matter much after today,” Bradok whispered back gruffly. To Kellik he said, “Let them in.”
“Thank you,” the woman said. “My name is Rose, Rose Steelspar. We met before.”
“I remember,” Bradok said.
Rose put her arm around a solid-looking dwarf with a handsome face and Bradok’s heart sank. “This is Tal,” she said. “Our village is too poor to have a priest, so Tal trained as a doctor. He’s well-versed in the healing arts.”
“Welcome,” Bradok said as Rose, Tal, and a considerable number of other dwarves close behind them squeezed through the barricade.
As they passed, Bradok turned back questioningly to Much.
“I’m no believer,” Much declared, staring at his feet. “But I have thought about it long and hard. I can’t be a part of what the council is doing. Will you have me stand with you?”
Bradok smiled and slapped the dwarf on the shoulder. “Of course, you old badger,” Bradok said. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have at my side.”
“You’d better be quick about letting him in, then,” Chisul said, gesturing up the passage.
Bradok turned to see, in the distance, a large group of dwarves moving toward them. Even with that gap, Bradok could clearly make out the blue tabards of the city guard.
“Close up the barricade,” Bradok yelled, pulling Much through.
“Every dwarf to their station,” Kellik yelled, shouldering his massive warhammer.
“Where should we deploy?” Rose asked, swiftly pulling a short sword from beneath her cloak. The other hill dwarves were also producing a variety of weapons from belts and packs.
Kellik gestured toward the dwarves lining the barricade. “Just find a hole and fill in,” he said.
As the newcomers scrambled to do that, Bradok studied the oncoming force. At least half the city guard seemed to be among the contingent, as well as several members of the council. He spotted Mayor Arbuckle and Jon Bladehook in the lead.
“Bradok,” Mayor Arbuckle called when he’d drawn near enough to see beyond the barricade, but outside of any hand-thrown missile range.
“Right here, Mayor,” Bradok said, coming forward and gesturing so Arbuckle could see him clearly.
“What’s going on over there, Bradok? We’re trying to capture some escaped believers and priests. They came this way.”
“No believers over here,” Bradok said good-naturedly, provoking a ripple of laughter from the dwarves surrounding him.
“C’mon, you don’t belong over there, Bradok,” Arbuckle said, trying to sound conciliatory. “You have your father’s legacy to uphold. You’re no believer; you’re one of us. Lay down your weapons and come back,” the mayor coaxed. “Come back and all will be forgotten.”
“I can’t do that,” Bradok said evenly. “I know what you’re planning. I can’t let you murder or even arrest these people. We don’t want a fight, but we’re ready for one, if that’s your pleasure.”
“Who’s talking of murder?” Arbuckle said uncomfortably. He held his hands up, cautioning Bladehook and the city guard to hold their positions without advancing. “The day is gone, the
Behind Much, Bradok recognized the delegation of hill dwarves who had petitioned the council on his first day. The tall, red-haired woman who he had noticed then, and still vividly remembered, stepped up beside Much and addressed Bradok.
“We are believers,” she said simply, lowering her eyes humbly. “We ask that you grant us sanctuary.”
“It isn’t much of a sanctuary,” Bradok replied honestly. “This barricade won’t hold long if the city guard attacks.”
“We know all about you and prefer to take our chances with you,” she said, raising her eyes to meet his. “If you’ll have us.”
A hand dropped on Bradok’s arm, and he turned to see Silas’s son, Chisul.
“We’re already low on food,” Chisul whispered to Bradok.
“I don’t think a few more will matter much after today,” Bradok whispered back gruffly. To Kellik he said, “Let them in.”
“Thank you,” the woman said. “My name is Rose, Rose Steelspar. We met before.”
“I remember,” Bradok said.
Rose put her arm around a solid-looking dwarf with a handsome face and Bradok’s heart sank. “This is Tal,” she said. “Our village is too poor to have a priest, so Tal trained as a doctor. He’s well-versed in the healing arts.”
“Welcome,” Bradok said as Rose, Tal, and a considerable number of other dwarves close behind them squeezed through the barricade.
As they passed, Bradok turned back questioningly to Much.
“I’m no believer,” Much declared, staring at his feet. “But I have thought about it long and hard. I can’t be a part of what the council is doing. Will you have me stand with you?”
Bradok smiled and slapped the dwarf on the shoulder. “Of course, you old badger,” Bradok said. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have at my side.”
“You’d better be quick about letting him in, then,” Chisul said, gesturing up the passage.
Bradok turned to see, in the distance, a large group of dwarves moving toward them. Even with that gap, Bradok could clearly make out the blue tabards of the city guard.
“Close up the barricade,” Bradok yelled, pulling Much through.
“Every dwarf to their station,” Kellik yelled, shouldering his massive warhammer.
“Where should we deploy?” Rose asked, swiftly pulling a short sword from beneath her cloak. The other hill dwarves were also producing a variety of weapons from belts and packs.
Kellik gestured toward the dwarves lining the barricade. “Just find a hole and fill in,” he said.
As the newcomers scrambled to do that, Bradok studied the oncoming force. At least half the city guard seemed to be among the contingent, as well as several members of the council. He spotted Mayor Arbuckle and Jon Bladehook in the lead.
“Bradok,” Mayor Arbuckle called when he’d drawn near enough to see beyond the barricade, but outside of any hand-thrown missile range.
“Right here, Mayor,” Bradok said, coming forward and gesturing so Arbuckle could see him clearly.
“What’s going on over there, Bradok? We’re trying to capture some escaped believers and priests. They came this way.”
“No believers over here,” Bradok said good-naturedly, provoking a ripple of laughter from the dwarves surrounding him.
“C’mon, you don’t belong over there, Bradok,” Arbuckle said, trying to sound conciliatory. “You have your father’s legacy to uphold. You’re no believer; you’re one of us. Lay down your weapons and come back,” the mayor coaxed. “Come back and all will be forgotten.”
“I can’t do that,” Bradok said evenly. “I know what you’re planning. I can’t let you murder or even arrest these people. We don’t want a fight, but we’re ready for one, if that’s your pleasure.”
“Who’s talking of murder?” Arbuckle said uncomfortably. He held his hands up, cautioning Bladehook and the city guard to hold their positions without advancing. “The day is gone, the
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