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Critch.
The body of a huge spiderlike creature stepped into the light.
One more step, you beast.
Critch.
Bardon plunged his sword into a soft spot directly behind the creature s bulging, compound eye. A
second later, Pont s knife speared one of the other eyes. The creature thrashed once and collapsed.
Bardon let out the breath he d been holding and heard Pont do the same. He looked up at the
rider-warrior.
Now, what do you suppose a Creemoor spider is doing in Wittoom?
32
A LEGEND
Bardon sent a message by waistcoater at first light: Killed Creemoor spider in Caves of Endor. B.
Three of the riders hauled the carcass of the spider onto the flats amid the mud holes and set fire to it. It
took most of the morning to burn the body to ashes so that none of the creature s poisonous fluids
remained to kill some unsuspecting animal.
Even with the late start, the flight north that day covered more ground than the previous day.
Bromptotterpindosset estimated two more days before they would reach the northern foothills of the
Kattabooms. The mountain range petered out one hundred miles south of the Finnicum Gulf. From there,
they would veer to the east and follow the coast to the northern border. Unless they dallied along the
way, they should reach their destination before a week was out.
The mapmaker and Granny Kye sat together in the evenings. She poured out all the bits and pieces of
information she had gleaned over the years. He made notes and examined his maps and charts and the
diary of Cadden Glas. The doneel s crude maps compared favorably with the more-expertly drawn
cartographer renditions of the Northern Reach. However, the adventuring doneel had explored areas that
were blank on Bromptotterpindosset s scrolls.
I m trusting Glas s recordings to be accurate, he told Bardon as he pointed with a stubby finger to a
high mountain valley. This is recorded in the diary but not on the official charts. Cadden Glas proves
close to the mark on the places we can compare. Why should he be imprecise on the areas only he has
drawn?
Bardon examined the map in the diary. And Granny Kye thinks that this high valley is the location of the
fortress where the knights are under a spell?
The mapmaker nodded with conviction. It matches the snips of information a tiny, round lake at the
southern end. Two towering peaks to the west. A break in the eastern wall of mountains, as if some giant
had pulled out one of the mountains in the chain like a sore tooth.
Is there a name for this valley? asked Bardon.
Cadden Glas called it Broken Cup Valley.
The squire contemplated the peculiar markings on the small page of the diary. Why do you suppose he
chose to write his diary in an obscure language? No one that I know of converses in meech. Except
perhaps those dragons of the missing sect.
Why are they missing? asked Ahnek as he walked up with Sittiponder.
Bardon and Bromptotterpindosset jumped.
The tumanhofer scowled at the boys and fussed. I thought little boys were loud, noisy, rambunctious.
How is it you two are always lurking about without a squeak between you?
Both o rant and tumanhofer child grinned. Ahnek answered, We re practicing for when we re in enemy
territory.
I know, said Sittiponder.
Know what? asked Ahnek, his forehead wrinkled.
About the meech colony. A small group had lived in seclusion in the Kattaboom Mountains. They kept a
distant friendship with the doneels, but only because the doneels were useful to them. Risto sent a force
to ravage the little community and steal their eggs. The survivors fled to the north.
Why didn t they fight? asked Ahnek.
Because they believe in a better way.
What better way?
Sittiponder shrugged and then grinned. I don t know. It s just called the better way.
Who tells you these things, son? asked Bromptotterpindosset.
The voices.
The older tumanhofer adjusted his glasses higher on his round nose. Do you hear the voices all the
time?
Not so much since we ve been traveling. I think I am too tired at night to listen properly. And we are
too busy during the day for me to sit and listen. He sniffed the air. Supper is almost ready. Fried fish.
Holt caught them.
The boys hurried off to the cooking fire. The mapmaker put away his precious book and scrolls. He and
Bardon joined the others around the campfire. The squire frowned as he saw that N Rae sat on the same
log with Holt. On the ground at their feet, Jue Seeno sat at her table, which was set up on the flat lid of
her basket.
Bardon got his plate, filled with fish and cooked wild ostal greens, and perched on a square parcel on the
other side of the young emerlindian girl. He didn t speak but silently said a word of thanks to Wulder.
He looked down at N Rae s most diligent chaperone. Mistress Seeno sipped tea from a tiny cup. His
eyes roamed over the rest of their questing party. Not far away, Granny Kye sat with the boys and did
not once look to see if her charge was up to mischief. Bardon cast a sideways glare at Holt and began to
eat. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
Critch.
The body of a huge spiderlike creature stepped into the light.
One more step, you beast.
Critch.
Bardon plunged his sword into a soft spot directly behind the creature s bulging, compound eye. A
second later, Pont s knife speared one of the other eyes. The creature thrashed once and collapsed.
Bardon let out the breath he d been holding and heard Pont do the same. He looked up at the
rider-warrior.
Now, what do you suppose a Creemoor spider is doing in Wittoom?
32
A LEGEND
Bardon sent a message by waistcoater at first light: Killed Creemoor spider in Caves of Endor. B.
Three of the riders hauled the carcass of the spider onto the flats amid the mud holes and set fire to it. It
took most of the morning to burn the body to ashes so that none of the creature s poisonous fluids
remained to kill some unsuspecting animal.
Even with the late start, the flight north that day covered more ground than the previous day.
Bromptotterpindosset estimated two more days before they would reach the northern foothills of the
Kattabooms. The mountain range petered out one hundred miles south of the Finnicum Gulf. From there,
they would veer to the east and follow the coast to the northern border. Unless they dallied along the
way, they should reach their destination before a week was out.
The mapmaker and Granny Kye sat together in the evenings. She poured out all the bits and pieces of
information she had gleaned over the years. He made notes and examined his maps and charts and the
diary of Cadden Glas. The doneel s crude maps compared favorably with the more-expertly drawn
cartographer renditions of the Northern Reach. However, the adventuring doneel had explored areas that
were blank on Bromptotterpindosset s scrolls.
I m trusting Glas s recordings to be accurate, he told Bardon as he pointed with a stubby finger to a
high mountain valley. This is recorded in the diary but not on the official charts. Cadden Glas proves
close to the mark on the places we can compare. Why should he be imprecise on the areas only he has
drawn?
Bardon examined the map in the diary. And Granny Kye thinks that this high valley is the location of the
fortress where the knights are under a spell?
The mapmaker nodded with conviction. It matches the snips of information a tiny, round lake at the
southern end. Two towering peaks to the west. A break in the eastern wall of mountains, as if some giant
had pulled out one of the mountains in the chain like a sore tooth.
Is there a name for this valley? asked Bardon.
Cadden Glas called it Broken Cup Valley.
The squire contemplated the peculiar markings on the small page of the diary. Why do you suppose he
chose to write his diary in an obscure language? No one that I know of converses in meech. Except
perhaps those dragons of the missing sect.
Why are they missing? asked Ahnek as he walked up with Sittiponder.
Bardon and Bromptotterpindosset jumped.
The tumanhofer scowled at the boys and fussed. I thought little boys were loud, noisy, rambunctious.
How is it you two are always lurking about without a squeak between you?
Both o rant and tumanhofer child grinned. Ahnek answered, We re practicing for when we re in enemy
territory.
I know, said Sittiponder.
Know what? asked Ahnek, his forehead wrinkled.
About the meech colony. A small group had lived in seclusion in the Kattaboom Mountains. They kept a
distant friendship with the doneels, but only because the doneels were useful to them. Risto sent a force
to ravage the little community and steal their eggs. The survivors fled to the north.
Why didn t they fight? asked Ahnek.
Because they believe in a better way.
What better way?
Sittiponder shrugged and then grinned. I don t know. It s just called the better way.
Who tells you these things, son? asked Bromptotterpindosset.
The voices.
The older tumanhofer adjusted his glasses higher on his round nose. Do you hear the voices all the
time?
Not so much since we ve been traveling. I think I am too tired at night to listen properly. And we are
too busy during the day for me to sit and listen. He sniffed the air. Supper is almost ready. Fried fish.
Holt caught them.
The boys hurried off to the cooking fire. The mapmaker put away his precious book and scrolls. He and
Bardon joined the others around the campfire. The squire frowned as he saw that N Rae sat on the same
log with Holt. On the ground at their feet, Jue Seeno sat at her table, which was set up on the flat lid of
her basket.
Bardon got his plate, filled with fish and cooked wild ostal greens, and perched on a square parcel on the
other side of the young emerlindian girl. He didn t speak but silently said a word of thanks to Wulder.
He looked down at N Rae s most diligent chaperone. Mistress Seeno sipped tea from a tiny cup. His
eyes roamed over the rest of their questing party. Not far away, Granny Kye sat with the boys and did
not once look to see if her charge was up to mischief. Bardon cast a sideways glare at Holt and began to
eat. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]