[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
something; you and I.
85
Coi! she cried silently, / am here for you, Uren. This petty lord cannot harm
you.
Alix began to smile. "Cai."
Carillon stiffened. "Alix, what do you say?"
She ignored him. She looked steadily at die Mujhar and spoke softly, with
renewed confidence. A sense of power and resolve was growing within her.
"My lord, you rule here through the sufferance of the Cheysuli.
You owe them more than you will admit."
"I will drive them from this land!" he roared, face congesting.
"They arc demons! Sorcerers! Servitors of the dark gods ... no better than me
Dilini. I will see they are destroyed!"
"And you will destroy roe very heart of Homana!" she shouted.
"Foolish man you do not deserve to be king of an honorable land!"
He raised his hand to her, stepping forward. Alix, unflinching, stood before
him, but before me blow could fall she felt a flaring of power within her
mind. It reached out, seeking, and the magnificent hawk answered it.
The velvet arras hanging at a narrow casement rippled and billowed aside
asihelir winged into die hall. His passage set die candles guttering, throwing
eerie shadows against the stone walls.
Many of the tapers winked out, plunging the hall into flickering relief. Wall
sconces flared and smoked as his wingspan flurried them.
Shaine turned as he felt the beat in me wind. His raised band fell to his side
as he stared speechlessly at the hawk. A garbled sound broke from bis throat
as Cai whipped a slash of air across his face.
The bird of prey circled me lofty hammer-beamed hau gracefully;
eloquently powerful. Alix felt a welling of pride so sharp it hurt.
As she watched him she began to understand the magic of her blood, and to
understand what it was to be Cheysuli.
They have not lied ... she whispered silently. They have said the truth that
it is better to he part of an accursed race with a god-gift in the blood, than
to be a Uriess Homanan.
Cm circled and flew toward mem again, dark eyes brightened by me flames of the
sconces and candleracks. He slowed, stall-
ing with broad wings, and settled himself upon the back of the throne. He
mantled once, then perched in perfect silence on the dark lion throne of
Homana.
Page 56
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
There, Uren; have we made the man take notice?
Alix laughed joyously within her mind, welcoming her god-
gift, and felt me hawk's approval.
Shaine stumbled away from her, but neither did he go near me
86
throne with its hawk headpiece. The Mujhar's hand raised and pointed at the
bird.
"Is this your doing? Do you summon the familiars of demons?"
"He is a lir, my lord," she said evenly. "Surely you recall them. Hale had
one, did be not?"
"Go from here!" Shaine cried hoarsely. "Leave this place! I
will not suffer a Cheysuli within Homana-Mujhar!"
"Willingly, my lord grandsire," she said clearly. "Nor will I
suffer a foolishly vain man longer than I must."
His face contorted. "Leave mis place before I have my guard take you!"
Alix was so angry she ached with it. She turned her rigid back on me Mujhar
and walked to me open doors at the end of the ball. There she swung around
once more.
"I see now why Lindir took her leave of you, my lord. I only wonder she did
not do it sooner."
Alix went unaccosted into the darkness of the cobbled bailey courtyard. As she
picked up her skirts to hasten toward the tall gates she heard the clash of
gold and gems at her girdle and realized she fled with some of me Mujhar's
riches. Then she hardened her heart and determined to keep mem, if only to
have a legacy of her mother. She had no coin; the gems would serve, Alix
glanced over her shoulder apprehensively, expecting to be followed. From aU
accounts Shame was too vain to let such an affront to his pride go unremarked;
if she did not win free or
Homana-Mujhar quickly she might soon taste the hospitality of
his dungeons. When she turned back, hitching her skirts higher, she saw a
shadow detach itself from (he wall and come at her.
She stumbled back in alarm as the looming figure caught her.
Before she could cry out a hand fastened firmly over her mourn.
"Be silent!" hissed a whisper.
By the gods, Shaine will have me slain! She struggled against the hard body,
fighting the guardsman with all her strength. The hand clenched against her
jaw painfully, restraining her teeth as she sought to bite. Her free hand
clawed for bis face and missed, dragging across a bare arm and stopping
against the warmth of embossed metal.
Alix froze.
*W
"Duncan. Duncan!"
He shook her, hissing at her vehemently. "Be silent! Will you give us both
away?"
"This is Homana-Mu}har\ Shame will have you slain!"
87
"Only if he learns I am here," Duncan said grimly. "But that should not be
difficult if you persist in shouting."
"I am not shouting," she said sullenly, lowering her voice.
He dragged her toward the wall, ignoring her protests. When they reached the
shadows he set her against the cold stone and stood before her, blocking out
me torchlight from the palace.
"Have you learned what you wanted?" he demanded, not bothering to hide his
anger. "Have you seen what it is to be
CheysuU in Shame's presence?"
She could not make out his features in the darkness, but his odd violence told
her what he felt. "Duncan, it was a thing I had to do."
He sighed, still gripping her arms. "You are no better than
Page 57
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Lindir. The Mujhar's get are willful women."
"Why are you here?" she whispered, peering at his shadowed face. "Here?"
"I will give you answers later. First we must leave this place.
I have horses waiting outside the walls."
Alix planted her feet as he sought to lead her toward a small wooden gate
hidden in shrubbery. She felt his startled hesitation
and nearly laughed. But she did not let nun see her amusement.
"Duncan, I told you to let me be when Carillon came for me.
Why have you come?"
He shifted slightly. Faint torchlight illuminated his face and showed her an
odd glint in his yellow eyes. He smiled coldly.
"You said I must do as my brother to stop you. I let you go then. I will not
do it again." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szamanka888.keep.pl
something; you and I.
85
Coi! she cried silently, / am here for you, Uren. This petty lord cannot harm
you.
Alix began to smile. "Cai."
Carillon stiffened. "Alix, what do you say?"
She ignored him. She looked steadily at die Mujhar and spoke softly, with
renewed confidence. A sense of power and resolve was growing within her.
"My lord, you rule here through the sufferance of the Cheysuli.
You owe them more than you will admit."
"I will drive them from this land!" he roared, face congesting.
"They arc demons! Sorcerers! Servitors of the dark gods ... no better than me
Dilini. I will see they are destroyed!"
"And you will destroy roe very heart of Homana!" she shouted.
"Foolish man you do not deserve to be king of an honorable land!"
He raised his hand to her, stepping forward. Alix, unflinching, stood before
him, but before me blow could fall she felt a flaring of power within her
mind. It reached out, seeking, and the magnificent hawk answered it.
The velvet arras hanging at a narrow casement rippled and billowed aside
asihelir winged into die hall. His passage set die candles guttering, throwing
eerie shadows against the stone walls.
Many of the tapers winked out, plunging the hall into flickering relief. Wall
sconces flared and smoked as his wingspan flurried them.
Shaine turned as he felt the beat in me wind. His raised band fell to his side
as he stared speechlessly at the hawk. A garbled sound broke from bis throat
as Cai whipped a slash of air across his face.
The bird of prey circled me lofty hammer-beamed hau gracefully;
eloquently powerful. Alix felt a welling of pride so sharp it hurt.
As she watched him she began to understand the magic of her blood, and to
understand what it was to be Cheysuli.
They have not lied ... she whispered silently. They have said the truth that
it is better to he part of an accursed race with a god-gift in the blood, than
to be a Uriess Homanan.
Cm circled and flew toward mem again, dark eyes brightened by me flames of the
sconces and candleracks. He slowed, stall-
ing with broad wings, and settled himself upon the back of the throne. He
mantled once, then perched in perfect silence on the dark lion throne of
Homana.
Page 56
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
There, Uren; have we made the man take notice?
Alix laughed joyously within her mind, welcoming her god-
gift, and felt me hawk's approval.
Shaine stumbled away from her, but neither did he go near me
86
throne with its hawk headpiece. The Mujhar's hand raised and pointed at the
bird.
"Is this your doing? Do you summon the familiars of demons?"
"He is a lir, my lord," she said evenly. "Surely you recall them. Hale had
one, did be not?"
"Go from here!" Shaine cried hoarsely. "Leave this place! I
will not suffer a Cheysuli within Homana-Mujhar!"
"Willingly, my lord grandsire," she said clearly. "Nor will I
suffer a foolishly vain man longer than I must."
His face contorted. "Leave mis place before I have my guard take you!"
Alix was so angry she ached with it. She turned her rigid back on me Mujhar
and walked to me open doors at the end of the ball. There she swung around
once more.
"I see now why Lindir took her leave of you, my lord. I only wonder she did
not do it sooner."
Alix went unaccosted into the darkness of the cobbled bailey courtyard. As she
picked up her skirts to hasten toward the tall gates she heard the clash of
gold and gems at her girdle and realized she fled with some of me Mujhar's
riches. Then she hardened her heart and determined to keep mem, if only to
have a legacy of her mother. She had no coin; the gems would serve, Alix
glanced over her shoulder apprehensively, expecting to be followed. From aU
accounts Shame was too vain to let such an affront to his pride go unremarked;
if she did not win free or
Homana-Mujhar quickly she might soon taste the hospitality of
his dungeons. When she turned back, hitching her skirts higher, she saw a
shadow detach itself from (he wall and come at her.
She stumbled back in alarm as the looming figure caught her.
Before she could cry out a hand fastened firmly over her mourn.
"Be silent!" hissed a whisper.
By the gods, Shaine will have me slain! She struggled against the hard body,
fighting the guardsman with all her strength. The hand clenched against her
jaw painfully, restraining her teeth as she sought to bite. Her free hand
clawed for bis face and missed, dragging across a bare arm and stopping
against the warmth of embossed metal.
Alix froze.
*W
"Duncan. Duncan!"
He shook her, hissing at her vehemently. "Be silent! Will you give us both
away?"
"This is Homana-Mu}har\ Shame will have you slain!"
87
"Only if he learns I am here," Duncan said grimly. "But that should not be
difficult if you persist in shouting."
"I am not shouting," she said sullenly, lowering her voice.
He dragged her toward the wall, ignoring her protests. When they reached the
shadows he set her against the cold stone and stood before her, blocking out
me torchlight from the palace.
"Have you learned what you wanted?" he demanded, not bothering to hide his
anger. "Have you seen what it is to be
CheysuU in Shame's presence?"
She could not make out his features in the darkness, but his odd violence told
her what he felt. "Duncan, it was a thing I had to do."
He sighed, still gripping her arms. "You are no better than
Page 57
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Lindir. The Mujhar's get are willful women."
"Why are you here?" she whispered, peering at his shadowed face. "Here?"
"I will give you answers later. First we must leave this place.
I have horses waiting outside the walls."
Alix planted her feet as he sought to lead her toward a small wooden gate
hidden in shrubbery. She felt his startled hesitation
and nearly laughed. But she did not let nun see her amusement.
"Duncan, I told you to let me be when Carillon came for me.
Why have you come?"
He shifted slightly. Faint torchlight illuminated his face and showed her an
odd glint in his yellow eyes. He smiled coldly.
"You said I must do as my brother to stop you. I let you go then. I will not
do it again." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]