Lilliad 31

They gave up on sleep after that. It was not going to happen, even in shifts.

“Whoever has been killing people definitely knows we are here,” Benk said.

Lilli tucked her chin further into her knees.

“I want to know how,” Benk continued. “There are pragmatic possibilities: they could simply have seen us from the high ground. But what are the chances? Could they be watching the mountain path, all the time?”

“That would require a lot of manpower,” Ser Alcuin agreed. “But who is to say any bodies around may not be used for that?”

She frowned. “If any random body was useful, whoever this is would have been keeping the bodies of travelers,” Lilli said to herself. The group was quiet enough that they all heard her anyway. “That skeleton: two useful things to note about it. It was someone who was trained in the use of the sword. That sword was old, it probably belonged to that person. And…” she trailed off.

“It was significantly damaged,” Arelt completed. “If any random body was useful for combat, surely more from the tombs would have been used. That person did intend to kill us. They probably sent the best they had, don’t you think?”

“They probably wouldn’t want us alerted to future attacks,” Benk agreed cooly. “Unless they enjoy the hunt.”

That unpleasant sentence hung in the air for a moment.

“Say that’s true,” Ser Alcuin conceded. “A body needs to be have been trained in combat to be useful in combat, alright. Does that mean that any random body can’t be used as a scout?”

She hunched her shoulders.

“That thing had no eyes,” Arelt pointed out. “How could it see?”

Ser Alcuin shrugged. “It has to somehow.” Their tone was only sensible. No one else seemed to be feeling as stressed and small as Lilli felt. “It certainly noticed us, and navigated to us, and responded in combat.”

“I hated that,” Benk mumbled. “Hated that a lot, thanks. Do we really need to be here?”

Lilli looked at Ser Alcuin. The guards were as well. Igni was laying down and staring up at the sky.

The knight let out a long, pained sigh. Their proud posture bent in. The voice that answered was quiet. “Well, if we don’t get the money for this, Elathor will hang. If Elathor hangs, our chances of ending the plague decrease significantly.”

“We could make money another way,” Aretlt said.

Lilli scrunched down further.

“Not this much money,” Ser Alcuin said bleakly. They poked at the dying fire with a stick. “I’m afraid success is mandatory.”

Benk let out a gusty sigh and stretched. “Dental,” he said, as if to himself. Then, louder, “We can’t let Elathor hang. They don’t deserve that.”

Arelt made a hissing inhalation through his teeth and wavered his hand, as if to say “That’s neither here nor there.”

“Elathor is very guilty,” Benk amended. “But generally helpful and a good person.”

Things did seem quieter and sadder without Elathor there.

It felt like a very long time until the sun came up. Lilli felt extraordinarily crappy. Her eyes hurt and she felt thin and frail. She let Benk and Ser Alcuin take the lead, falling behind to stay by Igni.

“A good choice,” Igni muttered quietly. “You are least suited to the type of enemy we saw in the night. I will smash it for you.”

Lilli managed a thin, genuine smile for her companion. “I appreciate that, Igni. You’re a good friend.”

Igni had no response for that.

They reached the end of the path at the harshest light of the day. It was still freezing cold, but the sun beating down was painful. It cast a painful white glare across the snow at the mountain peak, making Lilli dizzy.

Their destination loomed. It looked like it was an abandoned fortress, curling warily against the cold air.

“This is it, then.” Benk said, a bit too loudly. “Do you think that gate opens from the outside, or is there another way in?”

There was an angry metal screech. The whole party jolted.

Lilli was not even a little bit surprised when the gate slowly began to rise of its own accord.