didn't really form any cogent sentences then, just rambled through a series of images and thoughts so that the weapon would get the general idea.
A moment later, Khazid'hea wrapped and tucked under her arm, Delly ran for the ferry. She didn't explain much to Cottie when she arrived and handed Colson to the troubled woman, but then she really didn't have to explain anything to Cottie, who was too wrapped up in the feel and smell of Colson to hear her anyway.
Delly waited right there, until the pilot finally shouted down at her, "Away we go, woman. Get yerself aboard!"
"What're ye about?" asked one of the other passengers, a man who often sat beside Cottie.
Delly looked at Colson, tears welling in her eyes.
She had a fleeting thought to tear out the toddler's throat.
She looked up at the pilot and shook her head, and as the dwarf tossed the ferry ropes aside, freeing the craft into the river, Delly stumbled off the other way, glancing back often.
But ten steps away, she didn't bother to even look back again, for her eyes were forward, to the north and the promises that Khazid'hea silently imparted, promises that had no shape and no definition, just a general feeling of elation.
So caught was Delly Curtie by the power of Khazid'hea that she gave Colson not another thought as she worked her way through the workers and the guards, stone by stone, until she was running free north along the riverbank.
* * * * *
"Halt!" cried an elf, and a dwarf sentry beside him echoed the shout. "Stop yer running and be counted!" the dwarf cried.
More than one elf lifted a bow toward the fleeing figure, and dwarven crossbows went up as well. More shouts ensued, but the figure was out of range by then, and gradually the bows began to lower.
"What do ye know?" Ivan Bouldershoulder asked the dwarf sentry who had shouted out. Behind him, Pikel lifted his hand to the sky and began to chatter excitedly. The dwarf sentry pointed far to the north along the riverbank, where the figure continued to run away.
"Someone run out, or might that it was an orc scout," the dwarf replied.
"That was no orc," said the elf bowman beside them. "A human, I believe, and female."
"Elfie eyes," the dwarf sentry whispered to Ivan, and he gave an exaggerated wink.
"Or might be half-orc," Ivan reasoned. "Half-orc scout might've wandered in with the others from the northern towns. Ye best be tightening the watch."
The elf nodded, as did the dwarf, but when Ivan started to continue his line of thought, he got grabbed by the shoulder and roughly tugged back.
"What're ye about?" he asked Pikel, and he stopped and stared at his brother.
Pikel held tight to Ivan's shoulder, but he was not looking at his brother. He stared off blankly, and had Ivan not seen that druidic trick before, he would have thought his brother had completely lost his mind.
"Ye're looking through a bird's eyes again, ain't ye?" Ivan asked and put his hands on his hips. "Ye durned doo-dad, ye know that's always making ye dizzier than usual."
As if on cue, Pikel swayed, and Ivan reached out and steadied him. Pikel's eyes popped open wide, and turned and stare at his brother.
"Ye back?" Ivan asked.
"Uh-oh," said Pikel.
"Uh-oh? Ye durned fool, what'd ye see?"
Pikel stepped up and pressed his face against the side of Ivan's head, then whispered excitedly in Ivan's ear.
And Ivan's eyes went wider than those of his brother. For Pikel had been watching through the eyes of a bird, and that bird, on his bidding, had taken a closer look at the fleeing figure.
"Ye're sure?" Ivan asked.
"Uh huh."
"Wulfgar's Delly?"
"Uh huh!"
Ivan grabbed Pikel and tugged him forward, shoving him out toward the north. "Get a bird watching for us, then. We gotta go!"
"What're ye about?" the dwarf sentry asked.
"Where are you going?" echoed the elf archer.
"Go send the word to Bruenor," Ivan shouted. "Catch that ferry and search the tunnels, and find Wulfgar!"
"What?" dwarf and elf asked together.
"Me and me brother'll be back soon enough. No time for arguing. Go tell Bruenor!"
The dwarf sentry sprinted off to the south, and the Bouldershoulder brothers ran to the north, heedless of the shouts that followed them from the many surprised sentries.
23. MUTUAL BENEFIT
The storm had greatly abated, but the day seemed all the darker to Innovindil as she sat on Sunset staring back at the cave entrance to Shining White. From what she could tell the giants had pursued