He reckoned it was close to early evening though it was hard to know for sure while they were within the mountain. Ahead, he could see a soft glow illuminating the pa.s.sage.

"Shantara stones," said Markus.

Birger put away his light. "They go on for many miles."

On drawing close, Ethan stopped in his tracks and gasped in awe. From floor to ceiling the clear stone glowed with a warm blue light. He gazed into the wall and ran his hand along its flawless surface. Countless individual embedded facets sparkled like captured stars, shooting rays of light from one to another, creating a vast web of perpetual radiance.

"This is incredible," he whispered.

From the look on their faces, Jonas and Markus appeared to be sharing his feelings.

"There's no time for gazing at rocks," Birger scolded.

"But it's just so...beautiful," Ethan remarked.

Birger grumbled with irritation. "Unless you think it a beautiful enough place to die in, I suggest you move your b.l.o.o.d.y feet."

He quickened the pace Ethan thought it was a punishment for making them stop. It worked. Soon, his multiple aches and pains were making the beauty of the Shantara seem far less important.

After another hour of rigorous progress, just after turning a bend, they spotted a large figure lying on the ground a short distance ahead. Birger immediately took out his axe. Ethan and the others also drew their weapons.

After gesturing for them to stay put, Birger crept forward until he was only a few feet away from the figure. On returning, he put away his axe and shook his head.

"It's just an injured troll," he said. "Nothing to worry about."

Ethan's nerves were instantly on edge. "I thought you said trolls are dangerous."

"The young ones are. This one's almost fully grown."

"I don't get it?" Ethan scratched his head in confusion.

"When trolls are old enough to leave their mother, they become wild and vicious," Birger explained. "The adults drive them away until they get older and are calm enough to return to the herd. However, from time to time, a young troll will stay away too long and become docile. When that happens, the younger trolls attack it."

He glanced back over his shoulder. "It seems that is what's happened to this poor creature. Don't worry. As adults they are harmless enough. It won't hurt us."

"Shouldn't we try to help it?" asked Ethan.

Markus let out a moan. "Here we go again."

"There's no time for that," Birger said.

Just as he finished speaking, a loud guttural cry echoed down the tunnel. The troll tried to stand, but was only able to get to its knees before collapsing again a few seconds later.

"You see," said Birger. "It's too badly wounded. The kindest thing we can do is put it out of its misery."

Ethan shot him a furious look and pushed his way past.

Another groan, this one much louder, escaped from Markus. "I do wish you hadn't said that. You should have just lied and said the b.l.o.o.d.y thing would heal on its own. You don't know him. He'd try to save Satan from the pits of h.e.l.l if he was given the chance."

Ethan grinned over his shoulder while still advancing. "d.a.m.n right I would."

Throwing up his hands, Birger followed him. "The rest of you wait here."

Ethan approached the wounded troll cautiously. He was immediately taken aback by the sheer size of the creature. He guessed it would stand at least eight feet tall, with shoulders twice as broad as a normal human. Its dark green flesh and bald head was so caked with mud and grime, he couldn't be certain if its flesh was really that color or just tinted that way by the layer of filth. Around its waist hung a skirt made from what looked like a combination of moss and bark. These materials had also been used to fashion the crude shoes on its enormous feet.

The troll turned to face Ethan. Its features were flat and unusually large, even on a head of such great size, giving it an almost comical appearance. The creature's narrow-set brown eyes were filled with terror and its face contorted in pain.

Ethan held out a hand. "Take it easy, big fella. I'm just here to help."

The troll cowered against the tunnel wall, letting out a frightened whimper. Ethan could see deep gashes on its arms and legs, and several more across its back.

"What are you waiting for?" said Birger, pushing his way past.

The troll began to tremble as he squatted down beside it.

He waved Ethan over. "This was your b.l.o.o.d.y idea. I'm not doing it by myself. Don't worry. It won't hurt you."

Ethan knelt beside the dwarf while he rummaged through his pack.

He removed a copper tube and a blue shirt. The latter was handed to Ethan. "Tear this into strips," Birger instructed, then scowled as Ethan complied. "That was my favorite b.l.o.o.d.y shirt," he grumbled.

Putting this major annoyance aside, he opened the tube and scooped out a thick yellow salve. The air filled with a sickly sweet odor as he began applying it to the various bites and gashes covering the troll's body. The torn remains of his shirt were then used to bandage the most severe of the injuries. As Birger was wrapping its legs, the creature let out an ear-splitting howl.

Ethan fell on his backside, stunned.

Birger spat a curse. "Its leg is broken."

"Can you set it?" Ethan asked, after recovering from the shock of the troll's cry.

"Yes," Birger replied. "But I'll need your help."

Taking hold of the troll's foot, he motioned for Ethan to do the same. "I don't have anything to use as a splint, but hopefully this will be enough for it to get back to its herd." He took a long deep breath. "Ready? One. Two. Three. Pull!"

Ethan yanked as hard as he could. The troll let out a howl so loud that he had to fight an urge to cover his ears. Then, after a few seconds of straining, he heard a loud crack as the bone shifted back into place.

Birger and Ethan scrambled up and backed away a few yards. The troll sat there for more than a minute, staring blankly at them. Eventually, it pushed itself to its feet and tested the broken limb. Its face grimaced with pain, but this time it was able to remain standing. After giving the pair one final lengthy look, it hobbled away. They watched until it was out of sight.

"I hope your kindness didn't just kill us all," remarked Birger. He then waved for the others to follow him down the tunnel.

"I'm impressed," said Markus after catching up. "That took guts."

Ethan smiled. "A gentle giant. That's all it was."

"Yeah. But a gentle giant that left you covered in muck."

Ethan looked down. There was green grime and dirt all over him. He groaned and tried to wipe his hands clean on his trousers, but only succeeded in making matters worse.

"Even being a boy scout comes at a price," Markus teased.

He raised a hand to slap Ethan on the back, then stopped himself. "On second thought, I think I'll stay clean."

Chapter Twenty-one.

With only brief stops in between long grueling marches, by now even Birger was beginning to show signs of fatigue. Jonas, fueled by the dwarf concoction, was the only one unaffected.

Even so, despite aching muscles and painful blisters, Ethan was becoming cautiously optimistic. Birger had been using the stone he kept in his pocket regularly, and was as certain as he could be that they were not being followed at least not too closely. They'd also had the good fortune to run across an underground spring where Ethan was able to wash off at least some of the grime left by the troll. However, a musty odor persisted.

When they were only a few miles away from the end of the pa.s.sage, Birger called for a halt. "I think we can risk an extra hour's rest," he announced. "Your descent down the mountain will be easy enough, but you'll need to get to the forest ten miles north of the base before you stop."

Ethan needed no further prompting. He immediately plopped down on the ground and pulled off his boots. Markus did the same. Even Jonas seemed grateful for the respite.

"I may need just a little more druidia," he said, rubbing his legs as he leaned against the wall.

"You should wait," Birger told him. "If your body reaches its limit then we'll have to carry you. I would say you'll be left behind, but I've come to realize that's never an option when you're in Ethan's company."

Ethan expected to see a sour expression on the dwarf's face, but instead he saw a grin.

"It wouldn't be the first time we've carried him," said Markus. He went on to tell Birger how they had first come across Jonas in Carentan, and of their escape from the Germans.

Birger threw his head back in laughter. "He really thought you were using dwarf weapons?"

"I didn't even know what a dwarf was," said Ethan. "At the time I thought he was completely insane."

"Think about how I felt," Jonas said. "I wake up from one war and find myself in the middle of another. The baby I had been holding only seconds before was now grown, and there were two men in strange clothing whispering to me in a language I didn't understand. It's a wonder I didn't go insane."

They talked for a time, laughing and joking about the follies and narrow escapes they had experienced together. Markus told Birger how he and Ethan had met and become friends. Ethan enjoyed seeing him in good spirits. For the very first time since arriving in Lumnia, he didn't feel quite so far away from home.

Following a brief nap, they gathered their packs and continued. However, when they were only a mile from the exit, Birger came to an abrupt halt. Quickly, he produced the red stone and closed his eyes. After only a few seconds, his eyes shot wide.

"They're here," he said. "Less than a mile back."

"How many?" asked Markus.

"It's hard to tell with this," he replied, shoving the stone back in his pocket. "At least twenty. Possibly more. And they're moving fast. Curse my carelessness. We should have never stopped."

"We're almost there," said Ethan. "If we run, we can probably make it."

Birger nodded unconvincingly. "Then let's get to it."

They all burst into a dead run. Ethan glanced at Jonas and prayed that the effects of the druidia would not expire before they reached the end. If they had to carry him, they'd be caught for sure.

This concern faded as he saw sunlight pouring in through the tunnel entrance. They had made it.

Birger slid to a stop and shielded his eyes. "I can go no further," he said.

"Thank you, my friend," said Ethan. "For everything."

Markus and Jonas bowed low.

"Go quickly," he pressed. "I'll do my best to keep them from following you."

"You think they will?" asked Markus.

"I...I don't know. They may leave you in peace once you're away from the mountain."

Ethan could hear in the dwarf's tone that he thought otherwise. They'll chase us even after we're outside, he thought. We didn't get away after all.

They could hear the clatter of weapons and the barking of orders echoing from the darkness.

Markus gave Ethan a wry smile. "Looks like our luck has finally run out."

"Not yet it hasn't," said Jonas. His eyes were aflame with determination. "Let's see how fast they really are."

"Faster than you, I'm afraid," said Birger.

Markus shrugged. "Let's give it a go anyway."

Without waiting for any more words, Jonas raced from the mouth of the tunnel. Ethan was right on his heels. The full glare of the sun nearly blinded him, even with it shining on their backs. Judging by its fairly high position, he guessed it was mid-morning.

The path was wide and smooth, flanked on either side by sheer rock walls. Ethan had no idea of how far it was to the bottom of the mountain; the twists and turns were making it impossible to see more than fifty yards ahead.

He glanced over his shoulder. Markus was grinning from ear-to-ear, clearly unafraid that they would shortly be overcome by their pursuers. I suppose there's worse ways to die, he thought.

Ahead of him, Jonas suddenly slid to a halt, arms waving in a signal to fall back. He quickly joined Ethan.

"Imperial soldiers," he said. "There's a whole line of them on their way up."

They listened for a moment. The sound of voices talking casually carried easily up the path.

"It doesn't sound like they saw me," said Jonas.

"Not that it matters," said Markus, who by now had caught up. His smile was gone. "They'll see us soon enough."

"Now I think it's safe to say that our luck has run out," remarked Ethan.

The other two looked at him, then burst into laughter, covering their mouths to m.u.f.fle the sound.

"Well, lads," said Markus. "Who should we fight? The dwarves or the Imperials? I leave it to you."

"I think I'd rather die killing Shinzan's men," said Jonas. He held out his hand. "I'll have that dwarf potion now, if you please."

Ethan handed it over and unsheathed his sword. Jonas took a sip from the bottle, then drew his weapon as well.