of the uprighted table, rolled in at the men headfirst, the flat side of his axe smacking one of the remaining archers on the side of the head. The other man scrambled to get a dagger out and readied before the dwarf could right himself and bring his axe to bear again. But Ivan had let go of his weapon, scrambled in and clamped his strong hands against the sides of the remaining enemy's head.
A dagger cut into the dwarfs shoulder, but with a growl, Ivan heaved straight upward, the man's head going flat against the bottom of the table. The dwarf continued to press, planted his feet under him and his shoulders against the table and heaved up with all his strength. Ivan ducked low as the table flew up a foot and then started to descend, but he kept his arms, and the enemy's head, up high.
"Bet that hurt," the dwarf muttered as the table slammed back down, and the man's face scrunched up.
The man was sitting awkwardly, his legs twisted beneath him, his eyes still closed tightly. Ivan punched him in the face anyway, to get him out of the way, then the dwarf scooped up his axe and the nearest quivers and charged out from under the table, back for the counter area. A crossbow quarrel drove through his calf, and he pitched headlong, but he was up in a moment, running again, gnawing his thick lips against waves of searing pain.
Shayleigh had to spin about and put her third, and last, shot into the face of an ore that had slipped over the far side of the counter, around Pikel's continuing frenzy. When the elf maiden turned back Ivan's way, she found herself faced off against another goblin. Desperate, with no time to go for her sword, Shayleigh whipped her bow across, trying to drive the creature back.
"Yous is dead," the goblin promised, but Shayleigh shook her head, even smiled, seeing a large, double-bladed axe come up high behind the creature's head.
Ivan stumbled across the goblin's back as it fell "Here're yer arrows!" he cried, tossing Shayleigh three nearly full quivers. He had no time to hear her reply, for he spun about, axe flying wildly before him, to knock aside a thrusting spear.
Shayleigh, too, spun about, fitting an arrow as she turned and firing above the counter opposite Ivan, firing once, and then again as the press became general on all three sides.
"Dead snake!" Ivan cried repeatedly, prodding his frenzied brother on. "Dead snake!"
"Ooooooo!" Pikel wailed, and another enemy was swatted away.
But Shayleigh knew that they would need more than Pikel's frenzy to hold out, and more than the two-score arrows Ivan had just given to her. Her arms pumped repeatedly, firing to the side and out in front beside Pikel, every shot scoring a direct hit, every shot blasting an opening for yet another enemy to step in.
*****
"Bonaduce!" Danica called, and she headed for the wall, leaping up into the swirling fog. She hit the stone hard, and fell back, dazed, into the room.
She rolled in a defensive somersault, feeling betrayed and vulnerable. Dorigen had gotten rid of Cadderly, and the dangerous woman still held that wand. Danica turned another somersault, coming back to her feet more than halfway across the room from the still-sitting wizard.
The password was Bonaduce," Danica accused.
"Only those so designated by Aballister may enter his private chambers, even with the word," Dorigen explained calmly. "He wanted to see Cadderly. Apparently, you were not included."
Danica's arm jerked suddenly, and one of her daggers flew at Dorigen. It sparked as it connected with a magical shield and bounced to the floor beside the woman, who promptly put her wand in line with Danica and held her free hand up, warning the monk to stay back.
"Treachery," Danica breathed, and Dorigen was shaking her head in denial through every syllable of the word.
"Do you believe that you will kill me with that wand?" Danica asked, beginning to circle, her balance perfect, her legs ready to launch her away, with every measured step.
"I do not wish to try," Dorigen replied sincerely.
"One spell, Dorigen," Danica growled. "Or a single try with your wand. That is all you will get"
"I do not wish to try," the older woman said again, more firmly, and to accentuate her point, Dorigen dropped the wand to the desktop.
Danica stood a bit straighter. her perplexed look genuine.
"I did not lie to you," Dorigen explained. "Nor did I trick Cadderly into going