CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE LAIR MOUND
It was another two hours until Bristol stopped at a hill rising out of the water and stretching farther than Fawkes could see from the boat. It had trees; a stand of young cypresses all fighting to be the one to reach the sunlight first and leave the others in its shade. Beyond the crest of the hill, he could see the tops of elm trees peeking over it.
JuJu sounded a low bark. Nissling scent.
"Do believe this is where yer map says, boyyo. Certainly is big enough."
He pointed to a leaning tree whose branches dipped into the water. "I'll be over there."
Fawkes nodded. It was a good place to stay out of sight of watching eyes. He turned back to the hill. Boatessa did not actually reach the ground of the hill as a thick army of grass clumps grew up out of the water. He frowned at the clumps a moment then nodded. They could serve as soft leafy stepping stones.
"Let's go," Fawkes told JuJu and jumped off the boat. He landed on a swamp grass clump. It promptly sank down into water that came just above his knees, filling his boots.
"Damn it!" So much for nice grassy stepping stones! He slogged through the grass and up the hill until he was out of the water. Sitting down, Fawkes pulled off a boot, dumped out the water, wrung out his sock, and put both back on. He did the same for his other boot and scowled as a tadpole flopped out with the water.
JuJu jumped in and splashed his way to Fawkes then gave himself a shake.
"Ugh, JuJu!" Fawkes grimaced and tossed the tadpole back into the water.
Bristol laughed and poled into his hiding place. Still chuckling, he settled in to wait. Fawkes put his other sock and boot back on then stood up.
Sniffing, JuJu led Fawkes past dogwoods and bird-berry bushes. He stopped before a cave tall enough for a man to enter. No one else was around.
Nisslings had eyes meant for the night. Maybe that's why none of them are out here on guard? Fawkes peered at all the nearby trees and bushes. Either there were guards about who were too blinded by sunlight to see him, or ... Fawkes huffed. The amount of noise he made getting here meant any guards had to be sleeping real hard or not close by.
He wrinkled his nose at the sharp acidic stench wafting out of the cave and took off his pack. Diggin around, he pulled out a mask that covered his face from his eyes to his chin. The lower part of the mask provided him with clean air. Green glass windows covered his eyes on the top part of the mask. They would let him see in the dark but in shades of green.
Squinting at the bright green from the daylight, Fawkes stepped inside.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: INTO THE LAIR
A few steps in and Fawkes was out of the daylight shining into the cave. His eyes no longer had to squint at the green brightness. The cave floor sloped down into a tunnel. This, too, was big enough for a man to walk upright and far higher than a short nissling needed, proof bigger folk were allowed to walk in.
JuJu went ahead, sniffing and prowling. Fawkes followed, trying to creep behind the dog while each boot made a soft squishing sound as water oozed out over the tops of his boots.
The sloping floor leveled out into a dark tunnel with a faint flickering of dim light up ahead. Voices hissed and snarled in loud whispers, speaking in Auldewyrm, the language of dragons, which Grandfather taught him. Fawkes frowned. Their sentence structure was different and there were words he had never heard before but he was still able to understand.
As he neared the flickering light of a single candle, Fawkes saw two creatures who would have stood no taller than three feet if they were not kneeling down in the dirt. They read the runes painted on knucklebones. Crossbows leaned up against the nearby wall.
These were the guards? Fawkes slowed. What do I say? Do I speak in Auldewyrm? Will they get mad and shoot me if I speak it differently? What if I speak in Bexi? Bexi was Fawkes' own native language and used as a trade language over most of the world. His eyes looked over the creatures that had to be nisslings.
He swallowed at the small quivers full of short quarrels hooked to their belts. Pouches hung from harnesses each nissling wore. There were no clothes. Each was covered with heavy scales that reminded him of crocodiles. Swallowing again, he grimaced.
Why won't they look at me?
He studied the nisslings some more. Also like crocodiles, it was impossible for him to tell if they were male or female. He felt some relief when he realized each had its own unique pattern of spots and splotches.
Well, at least I can tell who is who by those, then. He thought as he stopped at the edge of the candlelight. The nissling kept on arguing in Auldewyrm over knucklers, the gambling game of dice carved from knucklebones the two were playing. Whose hands the bones were from, Fawkes tried not to guess.
Should I say something? They seem very intent on their game. I don't want to interrupt and make them angry. His readings had mentioned that nisslings hunted and ate most anything with meat. Seeing their long jaws lined with curved and pointy teeth, he could not see them eating anything that was not meat. He shuddered.
Best to wait for them to finish their game. I like my liver. And not being poisoned.
Coins were tossed onto a pile. Some of the bones were scooped back into a cup for another round of shaking by the same nissling. Again, it tipped the cup and the knucklebones rolled back out. More arguing and a few snarls passed between the two nisslings before one pulled the pile of coins to itself.
The knucklebones were gathered into the cup of the other nissling, who gave it a vigorous shake. This nissling upended the cup in the dirt, then moved it away with a quick flourish. Both nisslings peered intently, reading the runes.
Don't they know I'm here? How do I even start haggling for the book? Fawkes took a deep, shaky breath. I had best ask them.
Fawkes cleared his throat.
Without looking away from their game, one of the nisslings waved Fawkes to go farther down the tunnel.
"No wakiess ssleep cave." The nissling said in Bexi, surprising Fawkes. "Goess rightss."
"Tha -- " Fawkes tried to reply in Bexi but the second nissling growled at him in Bexi.
"SHHH! Quietss!"
The two nisslings then returned arguing over the knucklebones in hushed Auldewyrm.
Do all nissling speak Bexi? Fawkes went on down the cave tunnel. Well, that had been easy enough. Just how used to humans coming by were they?
