Waiting For Sunrise - The Books Of Beginning AU

40. A Long Dead City

There were seven of them in the group. Hamish lead the way, followed by Fergus and the unfortunate Dwarf assigned to carry him. Then Kate and Michael, hands clasped together. Bringing up the rear (and making sure the children couldn't flee) were two armed guards. They'd all left the court with no fanfare (Hamish claimed if he told his people he was to leave, they'd have him kissing babies and shaking hands for a week - Fergus and the other Dwarves didn't seem to believe that one bit, and neither did the children) and walked through a maze of tunnels, once well lit, but dimming as they continued on. Hamish chattered the whole way, about the Dead City and it's legends, partially, but mostly about himself. His favorite foods, his physical strength, and so forth.

Kate just ignored the Dwarf king and squeezed her brother's hand tight. He looked up at her with those dark, intelligent eyes of his. There was exhaustion and fear, there, but determination as well. Once again, she felt her heart swell with pride in him.

"You were so brave when you stood up to Hamish, earlier," she told him. "I'm so proud of you."

Michael's cheeks flushed red. "It was no big deal."

"Yes, it was. Emma would've thought so too."

Michael smiled a bit, but then his expression turned hard. "Do you think she's alright?"

"I do," Kate replied, with more confidence than she felt. "Dr. Pym told us that Gabriel's with her, after all. He won't let anything happen."

"I wonder if we'll ever see her again..."

"We will. Don't even think like that," Kate said firmly. She squeezed his hand once more, as if that pressure could strangle his doubt, could choke it out for good.

Michael nodded, and then he changed the subject, wandering aloud why Hamish didn't bring more Dwarves. The Countess didn't have that many Screechers there - twenty at most - so it would be rather simple for the Dwarf army to drive them away. Why didn't they?

"It's the Salmac-Tar."

The children turned. One of the Dwarf guards behind them had spoken. He was the younger of the two and had a square face, black hair, and a thick black beard. His voice was low and quiet when he addressed the children. "Around a year ago, the king found out that ever since the witch got 'ere, she's been talkin' to those slimy, Dwarf-murdering fiends. You know about them, right?"

"Yes," Kate said. She thought about the dream she'd had in the dungeon, the blind, grotesque creature advancing on Gabriel, it's claws click-clacking against the stone floor...

"Well, she's been promising 'em things," the Dwarf said. "She's protectin' herself. Building alliances. So now if Hamish - I mean the king - tried to attack 'er Screechers, she'd have hordes and hordes of Salmac-Tar to 'elp 'er out. It'd be open war. King don't want that."

She nodded. Then asked, "what's your name?"

"Wallace," he said, then added for no obvious reason, "the Dwarf."

They'd been walking for at least an hour by now, and they had finally come out of the tunnel and to the edge of a large cavern. Kate and Michael could hear, but not see, water rushing through the darkness below.

"The Cambridge River!" Hamish exclaimed, kicking a rock over the edge of the cliff. "Runs down through the mountains, past the town, and right up to the dam. Used to be how we traded with them idjit townspeople. Till the witch came. But anyhow, the bridge is close. We can cross over into the old kingdom."

"Hamish would make a good tour guide. Geography seems to be the one thing he's well informed about," Michael murmured to his sister and the guard who had joined them.