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.She did not fear punishment for her failure at Shadowdale.There was no point in dreading it.She had failed, and she would be disciplined.That was the way of the Black Lord.If she wanted to earn Bane's favor again, she must endure her punishment stoically, with no attempt at evasion or excuses.Fzoul muttered the words of a spell and sealed the cottage from scrying or outside observation.Then, when he was satisfied, he turned to Scyllua and delivered a great backhanded slap to her face that spun her half around and left her reeling drunkenly, her ears ringing."How did you allow this to happen?" he demanded.Scyllua spat blood from her split lip, and slowly straightened.She kept her hands at her sides, expecting that her lord and master would strike her again."I failed to take sufficient precautions against an attack on my camp, my lord," she said."I expected to attack, not to be attacked.""Did you not entrench your camp every night, and post a strong watch?""I did, my lord.But events proved those measures insufficient.""Clearly," Fzoul muttered."Recount all that happened as you marched south from Voonlar.Do not seek to conceal anything from me."Scyllua did as she was told.When she had finished, she awaited Fzoul's punishment with open eyes.But the Chosen of Bane did not immediately lash out.Instead, he turned away, frowning, his thick arms crossed before his chest.After a long time, he spoke."Circumstances beyond your control contributed to your failure," he grudgingly admitted."We had an excellent chance to crush the elven army, but the Red Plumes and Sembians did not take the steps that needed to be taken."Scyllua looked up at Fzoul."The Red Plumes did not move on Mistledale?" she asked in surprise.She'd simply assumed that Hillsfar would have moved against the elven army's rear."Maalthiir is not stupid," she muttered, talking more to herself than to Fzoul."He would not have missed that chance unless he chose to miss it.He has betrayed us, Lord Fzoul!""My spies in Hillsfar report that Maalthiir had some sort of falling out with his mysterious new allies.There were reports of a fearsome magical duel fought in the First Lord's Tower several days ago.""Does Maalthiir still live?""Regrettably, yes.But this story of a falling out with Sarya intrigues me." Fzoul looked back to Scyllua."The daemonfey agents who accompanied you and summoned the demons against Evermeet's army—what became of them?""They abandoned us after we were driven from the camp," Scyllua said bitterly."As soon as they saw that we were beaten, Lord Reithel and his guards declined to offer any more assistance and left.""It seems that we are no longer useful to them," said Fzoul.He scowled."Now what? Do I hold back strength to counter Hillsfar.or Myth Drannor, for that matter? Do I strike a deal with the daemonfey and turn against Maalthiir? Or do Maalthiir and I hold to our agreement, and simply remove the daemonfey from consideration?"Scyllua stood motionless, blood trickling from her damaged face.She would not be so forward as to offer an opinion.Fzoul was lost in his own dark thoughts, anyway.He stroked his mustache, and nodded."We deal with Maalthiir," he decided."That's the thing to do.As long as we have an understanding with Hillsfar and Sembia, we must profit by it.Let the elves worry about the daemonfey, and vice versa.In the meantime, Scyllua, you will repair this broken army as quickly as you can.I will have need of it soon."CHAPTER SIXTEEN26 Kythorn, the Year of Lightning StormsAraevin and his comrades set out from the citadel of House Deirr on the day following Araevin's conversation with Lord Tessaernil.The elflord provided them with mounts for their journey; the horses of Sildeyuir were lightly built and graceful, with spirited manners.Donnor Kerth looked on their destriers with some suspicion, not entirely sure that the horses could keep up a good speed on a long ride, but the star elf mounts proved quick and enduring.They soon showed that they could outpace the heavily armored Dawnmaster, even if they were several hands shorter than the big roan Kerth had brought with himNesterin rode at their head, leading the way along dim, shadowy roads of moss-grown gray stone that wound through countless miles of dusky forest.Araevin and Ilsevele rode behind the starelf, followed by Maresa and Kerth.Jorin Kell Harthan brought up the rear of the party, keeping a careful eye on the shadows behind them as they rode on.Tessaernil had warned them that no part of Sildeyuir outside the walls of an elven citadel was truly safe, and the Yuir ranger had taken the warning to heart.They went on for several days, as near as Araevin could tell, halting to rest in the hours when the gloaming was at its deepest and the stars shone brightly in the velvet sky, then rising as the pearly gray of the lighter hours began to seep back up into the sky.From time to time they crossed over rushing streams on bridges of pale stone or came to silent crossroads in the forests, places where dim roads led off into the shadows beneath the silver trees.They even passed by several lonely citadels or towers, isolated keeps whose gleaming battlements looked out over the forest from rugged hilltops or slumbered in broad, grassy vales.Some of the towers glimmered with lanternlight and song, but others were dark and still, long abandoned.As they rode past another of the empty towers, Maresa gazed up at the shadowed tower and shuddered."Is this whole realm desolate?" she asked aloud."We've gone sixty miles or more from Tower Deirr, and we haven't met a single person on the road.We've passed more empty keeps than occupied ones!"Nesterin glanced back at Maresa and shrugged."Most of the realm is like this," he said."My people built true cities long ago, but our numbers have been dwindling for centuries.With the whole plane to ourselves, we never saw a need to crowd together into narrow lands and teeming towns.But I fear that the distances between our keeps and towers and towns are growing longer with each year.""Do any towns or keeps lie ahead of us?" Ilsevele asked.The star elf shook his head."Our road doesn't take us near any towns," he said."We are heading out toward the edge of the realm.In fact, I know of only one more keep on this road before we reach the place where Mooncrescent Tower once stood."As it turned out, the keep that Nesterin remembered was also abandoned, with no sign of its People.Its walls were pitted and charred, as if by acid."The nilshai," the star elf said bitterly as they studied the ruins "They must have come here, too.""You are under attack, Nesterin," said Donnor."Your foes are destroying you one by one.You must gather your strength, and soon, or you will be lost.""We are not as warlike as you humans," Nesterin protested."Sildeyuir has never had need of an army.We are the only realm on this plane!""War has come to Sildeyuir, whether you are ready for it or not," Ilsevele said.Nesterin bowed his head, and did not answer.They managed another day and a half of riding before they came to the first of the gray mist rivers.The road dropped into a dark, shallow dell, and in the bottom of the small hollow a silvery mist or dust flowed sluggishly across the road like a low fog.At first glance the stuff seemed innocuous, but as they drew closer, the horses stamped nervously and refused to set foot in it."Is this the mist you encountered when you rode to Aerilpe?" Ilsevele asked Nesterin.The star elf frowned."Yes, it is.But I did not expect to meet it so soon.We're many miles from Mooncrescent yet." He glanced around the shining forest, his eyes dark and troubled."Aillesel Seldarie! What is becoming of my homeland?""It's just a little mist," Maresa snorted [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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