And now with its victim clutched in its underwater grasp, the creature began to swim back toward the entrance, Egil's agonized lungs burning to breathe, his chest heaving spasmodically, his whole being screaming for air.

But there was none to be had, and in the last moments, his mind spinning down into darkness, unable to withstand the demands of his need, Egil drew in great lungfuls of water.

And in that moment in the grasp of a Kraken, Egil began to drown.

CHAPTER 77

“Egil.'" screamed Arin, her eyes wide with horror. "Egil!"

She tried to push out from Burel's embrace, but he held her tightly, saying, "Dara, Dara, there's nothing we can do."

Delon kicked off his boots and whipped a rope about his waist and made ready to dive, but Aiko stopped him, saying, "Burel is right, there is nothing we can do."

And they watched as the great creature, Egil in its grasp, swam underwater in silence toward the entrance to the cavern within, the other Kraken turning to join the first. And the only sound to be heard was the quiet weeping of Arin and the far-off rumble of the Great Maelstrom.

Yet suddenly the hush was shattered:

RRKAAAAWWW! From above there echoed a mighty roar, and plummeting down the face of the precipice thundered Raudhrskal, his wings folded back in a stoop. Down he plunged and down, down the sheer fall of stone, his mouth wide and spewing flame, a stream of fire pouring down into the water as he came.

And lo! the Krakens turned and raced toward the place of the fiery blast.

Whoom! Raudhrskal slammed into the water, an enormous wave billowing up and rolling outward, the surge to hammer into the precipice, brine whelming over those clinging to the ledge above.

And still the Krakens raced toward the Drake, as if rivals of one another, each one vying to get there first. And in their wake, in their wake-

"Egil!" shrieked Arin, pointing downward.

There in the water below, the current slowly drawing him into the grasp of the long turn of the sea spiraling toward the Great Maelstrom rumbling afar, just under the surface and abandoned by the Krakens drifted Egil, lifeless, without motion of his own.

"Anchor me," barked Delon, handing Aiko the other end of the line fixed 'round his waist. And then the bard dove from the high ledge and toward the water below, a flurry of rope uncoiling behind. Cleanly he dove down into the brine, a great stream of silvery bubbles showering upward in his wake. And he turned underwater to swim toward the drifting man.

"Stand ready, Burel," called Aiko, handing the end of the line to him. "As soon as he's lashed onto Egil, we'll haul him up."

Moments later Delon reached Egil and, grasping him, swam to the surface. Now the bard undid the line and fixed it about the limp man, and then shouted, "Draw him in!" and hung on as Burel and Aiko pulled both to the cliffside below.

Delon clambered up the stone, free-climbing, and he called, "Don't worry about me, I'm all right… But Egil is dead!"

Arin gasped, but Aiko said, "Draw him up, regardless, Burel. There may yet be a chance."

Now Burel alone hauled the limp body upward, the big man grunting with the strain, Aiko taking up the slack behind.

As Egil was lifted onto the ledge, Arin gritted her teeth. "Roll him onto his stomach," she said, then straddled Egil's waist and pressed down hard on his back.

Water gushed out from Egil's lungs, and again Arin pressed. More water flowed. And once more the Dylvana mashed down. This time only a bare trickle leaked outward, and Arin flopped him over onto his back and brushed his wet hair away from his face, so deathly pale and still. Then she pinched his nose shut and pressed her mouth to his and forced her breath into him, then turned her head and listened as the air escaped.

Once more she breathed into him; once more she turned aside.

And again…

And again…

And he did not respond…

And again…

And once more…

And still he lay cold…

And again she breathed into him…

And again…

And she hammered on his chest and cried, "Oh, Egil, my Egil, breathe, beloved, breathe…"

And again she sealed his lips with hers and breathed into him…

Altogether eight times…

And of a sudden Egil coughed once, twice, and began breathing on his own-hacking and gagging and spitting up water, but breathing on his own.

Arin covered her face with her hands and burst into wrenching tears.

And in the cold currents of the Boreal Sea, entwined in the tentacles of two fervent Krakens, all three ablaze with lust, Raudhrskal was drawn under and toward the churning whirl of the Great Maelstrom afar.

CHAPTER 78

It was late in the day when Delon reached the rim of the precipice and climbed up over the edge. As soon as he gained the verge, he turned and helped Arin coming after. Then Aiko scrambled onto the lip, following gasping Egil, the Fjordlander spent, weakened by his ordeal, exhausted by the long climb after. He stood bent over, his hands on his knees, and panted for air, now and again coughing, while Delon hauled up the retrieved lines. Last to arrive was Burel.

Their gazes swept across the great ledge. Of Raudhrskal there was no sign, nor was there any sign of Ferret. Near the back of the shelf and behind a boulder they found Alos lying unconscious among several leather bottles, the old man hugging his saddlebags and sleeping in his own vomit.

Delon looked about, worry in his eyes, then glanced at Egil. "Where is Ferai?"

Egil shook his head. "I am sorry, Delon, but she may not have survived. The chest was trapped by a charm. Touching it brought the Krakens."

The blood drained from Delon's face.

"There is another possibility," said Aiko.

With gathering hope in his eyes, Delon looked at her.

The Ryodoan shrugged. "She may be long gone from here, the Dragonstone in her possession."

Delon shook his head. "Oh, no. Not my Ferai. She wouldn't have done that. She wouldn't have stolen the stone and fled."

"I hate to admit it," said Egil, "but Aiko does have a point. Ferret always considered the Dragonstone a treasure, one to be sold to the highest bidder."

"How can you say that?" Delon's words gritted out through clenched teeth. "She has been loyal to the end."

"I'm sorry, Delon," replied Egil, "and if I'm wrong I apologize. But in Pendwyr, if you recall, they named her Queen of All Thieves."

"But she was innocent," protested Delon.

"Or so she said," declared Aiko.

"Mayhap she is injured below and cannot climb back up the way," suggested Arin, pointing toward the crevice at the back of the cavernous hollow in the mountainside.

Delon began gathering up his climbing gear. "I'm going down in."

"I'll go with you," said Burel.

Arin turned to Egil. "I know the way and will go as well, but thou, chier, thou shouldst remain and recover from thy trial."

"Hold," hissed Aiko, drawing her blades, "my tiger whispers of peril."

"Where?" asked Egil, grasping his dagger, his axe long lost 'neath the rushing waters of the abyss far below.

"Somewhere near and nearing," replied Aiko, stepping toward the rear of the ledge.

All now held weapons in hand and followed Aiko as she strode toward the entrance to the passage below, the silent hissing of her red tiger growing with each step.

And now from ahead they could hear a scraping, and the gasp of heavy breathing, and from the darkness of the cave there shone a glimmer of lanternlight and came a panting call: "Well, isn't anyone going to help me with this bedamned heavy thing?"