Tangled webs - Elaine Cunningham [61]
As he swam back toward the site of the recent battle, Xzorsh could not rid his mind of the drow's words. There was much truth in them, he admitted. He was ever one to see things as all good or all evil, qualities that he considered as distinct and separate as sea and sky. The drow had fought for Hrolf and fought well, and she had shown concern over the fate of the slain sea folk. This had banished Xzorsh's doubts and established her in his mind as a friend to be trusted. She was right in saying that he thought too little and trusted too much.
On the other hand, if Liriel truly was what she wanted him to believe ofher, why had she bothered to point any of this out to him?
Such thoughts continued to trouble Xzorsh throughout the day and well into the next night. Then he came upon the charred ruins of the ship that Liriel's magic had set aflame, and the remains of the vessel that he himself had scuttled, and he had no more time to devote to such musings.
The task the drow had given him was difficult. Many were the bodies trapped among the wreckage, and sifting through them for a single, severed hand was grim and dangerous work. Xzorsh had no way of knowing what other scavengers might have been drawn to the wreckage, or what creatures might even now be watching him.
So he went about his work quickly, ignoring the treasure in weapons and jewelry and concentrating on the macabre prize that the drow had commissioned. To his astonishment, he found what he sought. Entangled in a web of torn lines was a large, severed left hand. Dark hairs covered the back of it, and two fine rings decked the fmgers. Xzorsh pocketed these rings-he could use them for trade-and placed the hand in a small bag.
Although intent on his discovery, Xzorsh quickly sensed the dark figures that emerged stealthily from the wreckage. There were four of them: hideous, man-shaped creatures with thick scale-covered hide and webbed hands and feet. They were merrow-aquatic cousins of ogres, but faster and more fierce than their land-dwelling kin. These four were an elite force; all had small ivory horns protruding from their foreheads, the mark of the most powerful males. Keen black tusks curved up from their underslung jaws, and they were armed not only with their black talons-the traditional weapon of the merrow-but also with human-made spears and even the silvery trident of a triton.
Xzorsh reached over his shoulder for the short spear strapped to his back and awaited the attack. As he expected, all four came at him in a swimming charge, their weapons leveled at him.
The sea elf waited for the last possible moment. Then he twisted, agile as an eel, in a downward circle that took him below the reach of the weapons. As he went, he thrust out with his spear. He felt the impact, then the sudden softness as the point plunged through the merrow's scaly armor to the flesh below.
The three surviving creatures dropped their weapons and closed in, taloned hands reaching down for him and jaws flung open wide in preparation for rending bites. Xzorsh snatched at the trident as it floated down past him and braced the long handle against his hip. The lead merrow back paddled fast to keep from impaling itself on the weapon. This was the opportunity Xzorsh wanted; he leaped upward, thrusting out high and hard.
The trident's middle prong sank deep into the merrow's unprotected throat and up into its head. Xzorsh pushed until the prong met the back of the creature's skull; then he whipped his feet forward and planted them against the dying merrow's chest. He shoved with all his strength, pulling the trident free and sending himself hurtling back through the water, beyond reach of the grasping hands and snapping jaws.
Xzorsh whipped the trident around to face the two remaining sea ogres. The creatures were more cautious now; circling their prey like humanoid sharks, they waited for an opening.
The sea elf thought frantically; He had seldom encountered merrow-most of the creatures lived in fresh water, and the few that had adapted to the sea usually