The Wyvern's Spur - Kate Novak [42]
They hadn't gone five paces when Giogi seemed to stumble. He toppled sideways, slumped against the wall, and slid to the floor. The map, paint brush, and jar tumbled out of his hands again, but his fingers remained clasped about the finder's stone.
Olive was at his side at once. Frantically she searched over his body, nuzzling and pawing at his cloak, looking for a stirge that might have attached itself to the nobleman without his knowing it. Her search yielded neither bloodsucking monster nor wound. Moreover, Giogi did not appear in any shock. He was breathing quite naturally and snoring softly. How can he fall asleep at a time like this! Olive thought.
A tongue clicked behind her to attract her attention. Olive whirled about. Her eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of the human woman who stepped from the shadows.
"Nice burro," the woman whispered, taking a cautious step toward Olive with her hand out for the burro to sniff.
The woman's bright hair hung freely about her shoulders like burnished copper wire. She was dressed in a shimmering, flowing robe smeared all about the hem with muck, and the cloth slippers on her feet were equally grimed. Ordinarily, Olive's first thought would have been that the slippers must have made the smaller footprints going up to the crypt, but it was the woman's face that held her attention and excited her.
She has Alias's face! Olive thought while her heart raced. She's another copy of Alias!
"Don't fret, little one," the woman said soothingly. "I put him to sleep with magic. We'll just get his key before he wakes up, and we'll be out of here in no time."
Ordinarily, Olive might have found the offer irresistible, but the woman set Olive's nerves on edge and brought to the halfling's mind Cassana, the sadistic, vain sorceress in whose image Alias had been created. Cassana had often addressed the halfling as "little one" in the same condescending tone and had put her into a magical sleep. There's nothing to guarantee, Olive realized, that just because she looks like Alias, she isn't as evil as that witch, Cassana, had been.
Then, of course, there was Giogi to consider. She couldn't leave the nobleman in the foul place, unprotected while he slept, prey to stirges and gods knew what else. Even if he lived to awaken, he wouldn't be able to escape unless he found his Cousin Steele. She had to stay with him, and she had to protect his key. Olive positioned herself fully between the woman and Giogi, bracing her legs against possible assault.
"My, but aren't you fierce," the woman said with a nervous laugh-not as cruel a laugh as Cassana's had been, but taunting enough to get Olive's blood boiling. "I will have that key," the sorceress growled, reaching down and picking up a fist-sized rock.
The halfling burro charged. The load on her back pitched and threw off her balance. The human woman sidestepped her with remarkable ease. Burdened by the weight of all Giogi's equipment. Olive hit a wall before she could skid to a halt.
As Olive turned around, she saw the woman kneeling over Giogi's prone body, reaching for the key chain about his neck.
As it had earlier when the stirge attacked, the finder's stone light flared again. It filled the corridor with a radiant brilliance centered on Giogi. The woman fell back with an anguished cry. Olive rushed to Giogi's side and nipped at his arms and legs.
"Not now, Thomas," the nobleman muttered, rolling over on his side. "I'm having the nicest dream."
No time for subtlety, the halfling realized. She turned and gave him a sharp kick in his rear end.
"I'm awake, Aunt Dorath! Really!" Giogi exclaimed, sitting up suddenly. He looked around in confusion at the burro hovering impatiently over him and the strange woman whimpering on her knees a few feet away. He rose shakily to his feet, still clutching the finder's stone.
Giogi bent over the woman and touched her shoulder gently. "Are you all right?" he asked.
"Of course I'm not all right," she snapped, squinting up at him with watery eyes. "Your damn light-rock nearly blinded me."