Blood of the Fold

"That means she's dead," Richard said. "I'll explain when we have more time." He turned to the sliph. "Thank you for your help, sliph, but I need you to sleep, now."

"Of course, Master. I will sleep until I am needed again."

The shiny silver face softened and melted back into the pool of quicksilver. Richard, without conscious direction, crossed his wrists. The lustrous pool took on a glow. The sliph stilled, and began sinking into the well, slowly at first, and then with gathering speed, until she was gone.

Kahlan stared up at him when he straightened. "I think there are a lot of things you are going to need to explain to me."

"When we have time, I promise."

"Where are we, anyway?"

"In the lower parts of the Keep, ai the base of one of the towers."

"Lower parts of the Keep?"

Richard nodded. "Down under the library."

"Under the library! No one can go below the library level. There are shields that have kept every wizard from the lower Keep for as long as anyone knows."

"Well, that's where we are and that, too, we'll have to talk about later. We have to get down to the city."

They stepped out of Kolo's room, and immediately they both flattened themselves against the wall. The red mriswith queen was in the pool beyond the railing. She spread her wings protectively over a clutch of hundreds of eggs the size of large melons as she trumpeted a warning that echoed around the inside of the huge tower.

From what little light that came in from the openings overheard, Richard could see that it was late afternoon. It had taken less than a day, at least he hoped just one day, to reach Aydindril. In the light, he could also see the vast extent of the clutch of splotchy gray and green eggs alop the rock.

"It's the mriswith queen," Richard hastily explained as he climbed the railing. "I have to destroy those eggs."

Kahlan shouted his name, trying to call him back, as he vaulted the railing, into the dark, slimy water. Richard held out his sword as he waded through the waist-deep water toward the slick rocks in the center. The queen rose up on her claws, venting a clacking bellow.

Her head snaked close to him, her jaws snapping. In that moment, Richard swung the sword. The grotesque head recoiled. She huffed a cloud of acrid aroma at him that carried a clear message of warning. Relentlessly, Richard slogged ahead. Her jaws gaped, revealing long, sharp teeth.

Richard couldn't let the mriswith have Aydindril. And if he didn't destroy these eggs, then there would be even more mriswith to deal with.

"Richard! I tried to use the blue lightning, but it won't work down here! Come back!"

The hissing queen snapped at him. Richard stabbed at the head when it came close, but she kept just out of reach and roared in anger. Richard was able to keep the head at bay while he groped for a handhold.

He found a crag to grasp, and scrambled up onto the dark, slimy rocks. He swung the sword, and when the menacing jaws pulled back, he hacked at the eggs. Stinking yolk oozed across the dark stone as he broke the thick, leathery shells.

The queen went wild. Her wings flapped, lifting her clear of the rock and out of the reach of Richard's sword. Her tail lashed around, snapping like a huge whip. When the tail came close, Richard swung the sword to keep her at bay. He was more interested in destroying the eggs at the moment.

Her teeth snapped as she lunged at him. Richard thrust the sword, piercing her neck with a glancing strike, enough that the queen reeled back in pain and fury. Her frantically flapping wings knocked him sprawling across the rock. Richard rolled to the side to avoid the slashing claws. Her tail thrashed at him again, and her jaws snapped. Richard was forced to forget the eggs for the moment and defend himself. If he could kill her, it would simplify the task.

The queen squealed in anger. A moment later, Richard heard a crunching sound. He turned toward the noise and saw Kahlan smashing eggs with a board that had been part of the door to Kolo's room. He scrambled across the slippery rock to put himself between Kahlan and the enraged queen. He slashed at the head when it tried to bite them, at the tail when it tried to sweep him from the rock, and at the claws when they tried to rip him apart.

"You just keep it way," Kahlan said as she swung the board, smashing eggs and wading into the gooey, yellow muck, "and I'll take care of these."

Richard didn't want Kahlan in danger, but he knew she was defending her city, too, and he couldn't ask her to go hide. Besides, he needed her help. He had to get down to the city.

"Just hurry," he said between dodging and attacking.

The huge red bulk flung itself at him, trying to crush him against the rock. Richard dove to the side, but the queen still came down on his leg. He cried out in pain and slashed with the sword as the beast gnashed at him.