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.sorry, my friend."Abdel blushed a little at Xan's grin."I managed to get inside and poke around a bit, though," the elf continued, "and I found these." He pulled two items from his rucksack: a neatly folded sheet of parchment and a rather impressive book.It was the book that caught Abdel's eye first.He held out one big hand to the elf, who gently placed the book in his grip.It felt odd—like leather but smoother, somehow more dry.It was a strange, gray-green color, and the touch of it set off some of the same responses in Abdel as Jaheira's touch often did.He remembered the feel of her leg on his and took a deep breath.On the cover was a symbol that Abdel recognized but couldn't exactly place.It was a carved relief that actually looked like a human skull, split in half and somehow bonded to the center of a circle in which tear drops—or drops of blood—were sprinkled.The binding was two long, surprisingly delicate steel hinges.He opened the book and found it a neatly ordered, skillfully illuminated text in a language he couldn't readily identify.He turned a page, and there was a line drawing of a woman tied to a wooden ring and—Abdel closed the book with a loud thud and straightened his elbow sharply like he was throwing it away, but his hand didn't open.He didn't want to let go of it, but he didn't want to see any more."Are you all right?" Jaheira asked him.When he didn't respond she said, "Abdel?""I'm fine," he said."Where did you find this book?"Xan looked confused, surprised by the question."It was on a stand in one of the tents.It seemed important, expensive, I don't know.No one was around, so I took it.What is it?""Evil," Abdel said simply.Jaheira and Xan exchanged a confused look."It's—it should go somewhere safe.I should bring it to Candlekeep.""Fine," Xan agreed quickly."Are you sure you're—""Yes," Abdel said, tucking the book safely into his backpack."Well," the elf said, "I do have some bad news.I'm afraid the bracelet you gave me slipped off, Jaheira.I lost it."Xan held up a thin wrist as if to point out that he hadn't gained back much weight yet.Jaheira smiled and said, "Just as well, I don't think it—"Abdel burst into movement, and at the same time the thick bushes a few yards from their camp site exploded into a loud rustle.Something big moved through the brush away from them, and Abdel was following fast, his broadsword in his hand.Abdel hit the wall of thorny growth fast and hard enough to break it down, and he found the other's path in less than a second.He took big, almost careless strides and was on the man in less than three heartbeats.Abdel didn't stop to look who it was, he thrust his sword hard through the man's retreating shoulders, and the blade came up and out of the man's mouth.The fleeing man didn't have time to scream.His last breath was a gout of bright red blood.Abdel walked over him as he fell and came to a stop half a step past the man's head.Jaheira and Xan burst through the brush behind him, and Jaheira took a quick step back at the sight of the grisly scene.Abdel waited for the rush to come over him as it always did when he killed so quickly, so without hesitation or remorse.He'd come to know the feeling as his reward for following his instinct to kill.It was a guilty pleasure, but his only pleasure for a long time.This time, though, it didn't come.He looked up and met Jaheira's gaze."He was headed for the camp," Abdel said, not sure why he thought he needed to explain.Xan crouched next to the body and grunted, pushing the corpse over onto its back."It's one of the bandits," he said."We should go," Jaheira said."There'll be more.""The map shows our next step, I think," Xan said."The map?" Abdel asked."While you were reading that book," Jaheira said, "Xan was showing me the map he found.the parchment?"Abdel nodded."It shows the location of a mining camp," Xan told him, "an Iron Throne mining camp deep in the Cloak Wood.""So they're mining their own iron," Abdel said, "to sell at a higher price when the Nashkel mines go bust.Sounds like the Zhentarim to me.""They're hoarding iron in the camp here," Xan said, "I saw cart after cart of ore there.""All this," Jaheira said, "for gold.""Men have done worse," Xan said, "for less."Abdel, knowing he was right, nodded."I'm not looking forward to going into the Cloak Wood," Jaheira said, "I've heard stories.""Me too," Abdel said, "but if we had a guide.""A guide?" Xan asked, confused."Help me lift this body," Abdel said."It's coming with us."Chapter Fifteen"There are so many things that are wrong with this," Jaheira said, "I have no idea how to begin to—"She stopped when Abdel put a finger to his lips and tipped his head to one side [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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