Uneasy Alliances by David Cook Read Free Book Online

to soft moans of pain and horror from Entreri. Then, just as hope was at its lowest ebb, Shar’s light reappeared. In a moment, the female pirate was at his side, accompanied by Kern and Trandon.
    “Where’s Ingrar?” asked Noph.
    Shar shook her head. “I don’t know. We couldn’t find him.”
    Trandon and Kern pulled at the stone block pinning Noph’s legs; with a grinding sound, it moved and rolled away. But though the obstacle was gone, Noph found he still could not stand or even shift positions. Kern knelt by him, examining his limbs.
    “Your legs are broken, Noph. I’m going to heal you.” He placed a hand on the injured legs, murmuring a prayer. Noph felt a power run through him and sensed strength returning. He flexed his legs and stood cautiously, with Trandon’s help.
    “What about him?” He turned to the assassin, still lying semiconscious on the ground.
    Trandon looked thoughtfully at the little man’s body. “Are you sure you want to heal him?” he asked Kern.
    The paladin sighed and nodded. “We must succor the fallen, even if they’re enemies.”
    Trandon shrugged and bent over the dark figure. His fingers spread out on Entreri’s forehead, stroking it while he muttered words of arcane power. The little man stirred and sat up suddenly. His dark eyes sparkled in the torchlight. He looked at his arm, and with a shudder that ran through his entire body, rewrapped it, holding it close to his body.
    “Can’t you fix … that?” Noph asked the fighter, gesturing to Entreri’s arm.
    Trandon shook his head. “There’s something about it that defeats me. My magic won’t take. It’s part of him—what the forge has made of him.” He looked at Entreri with something akin to pity and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m afraid that’s going to be permanent.”
    Artemis shrugged off the gesture with an air of irritation. “Where’s Ingrar?”
    “We don’t know,” said Shar quietly.
    While Trandon had attended to Entreri, Kern had healed the cut on her brow, and she now looked as normal as it was possible to look in such surroundings.
    Entreri picked up the torch in his good hand. “Let’s go look for him.” He started off down the mound of stones and dirt. Kern stared after him, then looked at the other three, shrugged, and followed after. Shar and Noph followed.
    They seemed to be in a cavern, the dimensions of which were not entirely clear. Stones from above had crashed through the roof and blocked access to some areas. The company searched where they could, but without success. Then, out of the dark, Shar gave a sudden exclamation. Before them, dim in the torchlight, was the figure of the blind mercenary.
    He was standing, facing away from them, apparently uninjured but not responding to their calls. Only when they came up to him did he reply.
    “Are you all right?” asked Trandon while Kern ran a hasty eye over the young man’s form, searching for injuries.
    “I’m fine.” Ingrar seemed no more disconcerted by their present surroundings than he’d been by anything since they first entered the labyrinth of the bloodforge. He gestured forward. “This way out, I think. I can smell fresh air through there.”
    The others saw he was pointing to a dark tunnel at one side of the cave.
    “How does he do that?” Noph muttered uneasily to Sharessa. “This is getting very strange.”
    The pirate nodded thoughtfully. “I know. I don’t understand. Ever since we started looking for the bloodforge, he’s acted like he’s possessed.” She shrugged her shapely shoulders. “Well, not much choice now but to follow him.”
    With Entreri and his torch leading the way, they entered the dark opening followed a tunnel that slanted steadily upward. After walking for several hundred yards, they came to a broad flight of steps leading farther up.
    “Wait a minute.” Noph sank down to rest at the foot of the stairs. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to rest a minute. I don’t think I’m over