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.Where is he? Wasn't it he who summoned me?""No, that was me.HroIrs still off fishing in the mountains, or so his kinsman believes." Liriel took a deep breath and plunged in."I needed to warn you about Sittl.With my magic, I can glimpse into a person's mind, determine his motives.I did that just before I set the two of you free.You passed, more or less; he didn't." Quickly she described the creature she had seen and the sense of evil that surrounded it.Xzorsh listened in tight-Iipped silence."I have heard of this drow goddess of yours.You will forgive me if I don't trust the visions she sends."The drow had no argument to counter this."But what was that creature? And how do you explain what I saw?""I cannot," he said shortly."Nor do I wish to discuss this further.Sittl and I have been friends and partners for years.He has given me no reason to distrust him, and I will hear nothing more said against him." He paused and eyed Liriel with sudden curiogity."You said I passed your test, more or less.What evil thing did you see in me?""No vision of strange creatures, if that's what you mean.But it seemed to me you wanted something more from the situation than you were admitting," she said with uncharacteristic candor.The sea ranger's eyes lit up."That is so! All my life I have wished to learn more of magic, and I dared to hope you might teach me.I have heard magic is expensive to learn and to cast, but I can pay.Perhaps these might be a start?" So saying, he took two large rings from his bag and dropped them into the drow's hand.Liriel glanced at the jewelry, then did an astonished double take.One of the rings, a thick band of gold set with a large flat-cut onyx, exuded an aura of powerful magic.The other was a signet ring of silver, with a raised symbol that was reminiscent of the house insignia worn by most of Menzoberranzan's nobility.Something about the ring was familiar, and she studied the design: a stylized, simple picture of five ships with single, triangular sails.She knew that design; she had just seen it reproduced in the lore book that spoke of the Northmen's ceaseless warfare.It was the official seal of the High Captains who ruled Luskan, a port city north ofWaterdeep and the blood-rival of Ruathym.This was important information.She only hoped it had not come too late.She raised blazing eyes to the sea-elf's face."Where did you get these?""From the severed hand you asked me to retrieve," he responded, puzzled by her vehement reaction."And you didn't see fit to mention them?""You asked only for the hand.I did not think gold and gems would serve your purpose, else I would have given them to you," Xzorsh said.Liriel threw up her hands in exasperation.Yet she had no time to vent her ire, for it was possible she held in her hands the clue to Ruathym's troubles.Luskan was a rich and powerful port-perhaps powerful enough to command the forces that were arrayed against the island.The problem would be to convince anyone that this might be so."I've got to get back," she said abruptly.The elf caught her arm when she turned."Three men are stranded on a small island not too far away-some of the seal hunters Hrolf set adrift.I promised them I would send a boat for them."Liriel sniffed and pulled free."And who will ask for this boat-you or I? You just broke out of their prison, remember? They think you and your friend conjured the magic that ruined a good door and a whole lot of ale, and they're not too happy about any of it.Show up in Ruathym, and one of those axe-happy villagers will chop you into fish bait before you can say two words.Me they avoid, or treat like an unweaned child.They might have listened to Fyodor, but he's away." But even as she spoke, her gaze skimmed the pebble-strewn shore."Can you sail one of those small boats?" she asked, pointing.When he nodded, the drow immediately began wading toward the shore.She made her way to a trim little craft and held both hands out, palms down.Xzorsh saw her lips move, and then the boat rose into the air-just a bit-and floated silently off the beach and out over the water.The boat settled down beside him, so gently that it barely made a ripple.From the shore, Liriel cast a look over each shoulder and then indicated with emphatic gestures that he should leave at once.Xzorsh hesitated for only a moment.Theft was not part of his creed, yet he saw no other way to rescue the men than to borrow this boat for a time.As he raised the sail, he vowed he would see the boat returned to its owner as soon as possible.He pulled taut the lines and set the little boat on an eastward course.It occurred to him, some time later, that Liriel had not answered his request for teaching.The sea-elf's shoulders rose and fell in a deep sigh.At least she had not said no.For now, at least, he still had his dreams.As Liriel hurried back to the village, she debated who best to approach with her information.The men of the Eltmaid might support her; after all, they had been attacked by three warships led by a High Captain of Luskan.Yet she doubted anyone had recognized the man, or they surely would have spoken of it.Hrolfwould certainly listen to her and, with the help of the ring she held in her hands, he could almost certainly convince the other villagers.But Hrolf was not here.Who, then? Ibn was entirely out of the question.The scheming first mate would probably try to turn her efforts against her.Bjorn? Of all the men aboard, the young artist had been most accepting of her--even admiring, in a shy sort of way.Yet he was a mere lad, and a rather frail and scrawny one at that.Liriel had noticed that in Ruathym only warriors were truly taken seriously.Finally she settled on Olvir, the would-be skald.The storytelling sailor was the most likely member of Hrolf's crew to possess knowledge of other lands and the leaders who ruled them.Olvir had a fondness for tales and would listen to her and perhaps help, for Fyodor's sake if for no other reason.It had not escaped Liriel's attention that the two men had become friends during the long voyage.The drow repeated her request for directions a dozen times before she found someone who would tell her where Olvir's cottage lay.Some of the villagers snubbed her outright, others were too awed by the very sight of the drow to pay heed to her words, and still others showed keen suspicion about her purpose in seeking out the man.Liriel had no doubt Olvir would be amply forewarned of her coming.Indeed, the seagoing skald met her outside the cottage, while his wife and children looked on curiously from behind the half-shuttered windows.He listened politely enough, but he merely shook his head when she asked him to accompany her to speak with the First Axe."This is one keg you don't want to tap," he said bluntly."Ruathym and Luskan have a treaty-the Captains' Alliance, some call it.The last war with Luskan near to grounded us, so many ships were lost, and we're in no shape to take on another battle.Aumark Lithyl is a warrior, but he knows this to be true.""He may have no choice but to fight," Liriel pointed out."So you say.But even if this ring is what you believe it to be, did you see it on the hand of the warship's commander? When the hand was attached? Well then, seems like all you got is a sea-elf's word [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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