Jim’s brow furrowed. “Explain.”

“We were not moving especially quickly, in fact we were very cautious. For those three ambushers to have secreted themselves in that location, in anticipation of our arrival, meant they had to be lying in those shallow depressions, covered with dirt, for quite some time, perhaps an hour or more.”

“How did they breathe?”

Laromendis nodded emphatically. “I’m thinking they didn’t breathe.”

Jim’s face became a mask of concern. “Necromancy?”

“Pug mentioned to my brother and me that one of his concerns was trying to understand how death magic and demon magic were linked, and we understood that concern, though we have had no experience with any such connection.” The elf paused, then looked at Jim. “There may be a more prosaic explanation, but if those were…reanimated dead?”

Jim was, for the first time in years, uncertain what to do next. “We need to send word to Pug, and we need to follow those captors.”

Laromendis said, “I’ll find Pug. I can stop and hide, better than you can, but I cannot track or skulk, and that cloak gives you more flexibility than my magic does.” He asked, “What should I tell Pug?”

“Tell him what you saw, nothing more. Don’t speculate unless he asks, and tell him that if I don’t find you within one hour he’s to assume I’ve been taken as well.” Jim glanced over the verge and said, “Good luck,” then he wrapped his cloak around him and almost vanished.

“Good luck,” returned Laromendis, fascinated at Jim’s subtle bit of magic. He could see Jim moving along the verge of the dried river, but only if he looked directly at him and concentrated. He knew that if he took his eyes off of the human, he’d vanish from sight. The cloak did not render him invisible, but rather let him blend in with the surrounding terrain.

Laromendis decided he’d ask more about that cloak if they ever got out of here. He glanced around to ensure he wasn’t being watched, then started back the way he had come, hoping to overtake Pug before they ran into trouble.

Pug motioned for the others to halt. They’d been making very slow progress, frustrated by the need to loop far to the northwest and then return toward the wall in tangential approaches. There was simply no good cover until they reached a point farther to the west, and from there they could hardly see anything. Kneeling behind an overhang that sheltered them from any but the keenest observation, he whispered, “This is getting us nowhere.”

Gulamendis whispered, “Amirantha and I sense demons, but there are not that many, and they were scattered.”

“Where?” asked Pug.

“All over,” answered Amirantha. “A heavy concentration of them near that big gate where we first crossed over the road, but after that…” He shrugged.

“How about here?” asked Brandos.

“Few,” answered the elf.