Forest Kingdom Trilogy 3 - Down Among the Dead Men

never wash clean. This fort is just such a place. I can feel it. It’s no coincidence that everyone here is having bad dreams.”
    “Evil,” said Wilde doggedly. “This whole place stinks of blood and death. We’ve got to get out of here, Hammer.
    “When we’re so close?” said Hammer. “Have you lost your wits?”
    “I will if I stay here much longer. So will you. This fort is a killer. It looks like just another fort, but it’s alive and it wants us dead. Everything’s crazy here. Bad dreams, creatures that shouldn’t exist anymore, bloodstains and nooses and everybody gone—”
    Wilde’s voice rose hysterically. Hammer slapped him contemptuously across the face. Wilde’s voice broke off, and his hand dropped to the sword at his side. Hammer stood very still, his eyes locked on Wilde’s. The bowman’s face had suddenly come alive again, the frightened vagueness gone like a bad memory. His mouth was flat and hard, and his eyes were very dark.
    “Well?” said Hammer softly. “What are you going to do, Edmond? Hit me? Kill me? Don’t be a fool. You might have been a hero once, but that was a long time ago. You raise a hand against me and I’ll take it off at the wrist.”
    “I’m as good with a bow now as I ever was,” said Wilde. His voice was flat and firm, his gaze unwavering. “And I’m still pretty good with a sword.”
    “Yes,” said Hammer. “You are. But I’ve got Wolfsbane.”
    They stood looking at each other for a long moment. Jack looked uncertainly from one to the other. This was a new Wilde, a man he hadn’t seen before. There was strength and anger in Wilde’s face, and something that might have been dignity.
    “You’re my man now, Edmond,” said Hammer finally, “because without me you’re nothing. I’m the only chance you have to be somebody again, and you know it.”
    Wilde took a deep breath and let it out slowly. His hand fell away from his sword hilt. “Yes,” he said softly, bitterly. “I’m your man, Hammer.”
    Hammer smiled and nodded slowly. “Good. I’m glad that’s settled. There’s a hundred thousand ducats worth of gold hidden somewhere in this fort, just waiting for us to find it, and it’s going to take more than a few bad dreams to scare me away. I’m staying, and so are you. Is that clear, Edmond?”
    “Yes.”
    “I didn’t hear you, Edmond. Is that clear?”
    “Yes! It’s clear!” Wilde turned his back on Hammer and walked quickly away to stand by the closed door. Anger still burned in his face, but the strength and the dignity were already fading away.
    “That’s better,” said Hammer. He turned to look at Jack, who shrugged.
    “I’m your man too, Hammer. For the time being.”
    “You’re my man until I say otherwise.” Hammer yawned and stretched slowly. “The Rangers should have had enough time to settle down by now. I think we’ll go down and take a look at the cellar, and see what there is to see.”
    He headed for the door, and Wilde opened it for him. They looked up and down the corridor, but it was empty for as far as they could see into the gloom. Everything was still and silent. Hammer looked back into the annex, and nodded for Jack to bring the torch and the lantern. Jack brought them over to the doorway. Hammer took the lantern and held it out into the corridor. Shadows swayed around the new light, but the corridor remained empty. Hammer led the way down the corridor, and the three outlaws headed for the cellar.
    MacNeil led his team down the narrow passageway that led to the cellar. Flint and the Dancer followed close behind him, their quiet footsteps barely loud enough to raise an echo. Constance brought up the rear, muttering constantly under her breath. MacNeil assumed she was rehearsing spells. It was either that, or she was still mad at him for not trusting her Sight. He decided not to ask. He didn’t think he really wanted to know.
    MacNeil started to shiver as he stood at the top of the long series of stone steps that led down to the cellar door. His breath had begun to steam on the air again, and the walls ahead of him were patterned with white flurries of hoarfrost. MacNeil frowned. The cold spots worried him. They were becoming more frequent, appearing in places they’d never been before. He looked back at the others, and saw that they’d noticed the changes too. There didn’t seem much point in saying anything, so MacNeil just held his lantern higher to give more light, and started down the