[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
aftertaste of smoke from the fire, the spice of pines and the plentiful dried
leaves on the forest floor. Delrael might be dying ... the Outsiders had
effectively stopped their quest in its tracks. The khelebar had lived with the
threat of the Cyclops for years, and had done nothing about it.
Vailret rehearsed his line of attack as the panther people arrived.
The gathered khelebar looked at Vailret and Bryl, curious. Vailret
wasn't sure what he wanted from them. He knew he was playing into the hands of
the Outsiders by fighting back against the Cyclops. This was just an
incidental adventure -- they should ignore the monster and push on as soon as
Delrael had healed.
One of the khelebar, an older male with close-cropped hair streaked
with gray, stepped into the pool of firelight and paced back and forth.
Ydaim Trailwalker sat beside the two humans, like a sponsor. He tossed
his black braid behind his back and leaned over to whisper in Vailret's ear,
"That is Fiolin Tribeleader. He will hear your arguments."
The other panther-people tightened their circle like a slipknot around
the bonfire. Over the roar of the flames Vailret heard insect sounds in the
forest. The bonfire spilled orange light over the cliff.
Fiolin Tribeleader turned to face the rest of the circle, silhouetting
himself against the blaze. "Ydaim Trailwalker, you have called us together in
council. For what purpose?"
With an excited gleam in his eye, Ydaim raised himself to his feet,
broadening his shoulders. He brushed the pine cone pendant before he spoke.
"The man Vailret Traveler has not asked for just a council, Tribeleader, but a
war council."
Ydaim held his ground when the other khelebar muttered in astonishment.
Fiolin maintained his cool expression, keeping his thoughts hidden. "Against
whom will the khelebar go to war, after so many years of peace? And for what
cause?"
Ydaim Trailwalker gestured to the two men. Vailret made ready to speak,
but Ydaim continued. "The travelers speak against the Cyclops -- Pain-Giver,
Life-Taker. The black smoke of burning, _living_ trees coats the walls of his
cave like dark bloodstains. I have seen it in my wanderings. And he preys upon
helpless questers such as the man Delrael, now called _Kennok_limb, and these
two here."
Vailret stood up. His elegant speeches melted away, leaving him
weaponless to convey his anger to the mellow expressions of the khelebar. They
stared back at him from the firelit shadows. Their unblinking emerald eyes
made him feel as if he had stumbled into a jungle and was now surrounded by
patient wild animals.
He swallowed and spoke. "Obviously, you must do something about the
Cyclops." Bryl watched him. "He is destructive and dangerous. Why have you let
him go unpunished for so long? He will keep hurting other characters if you
don't do something."
"He maims trees," Ydaim added.
The khelebar remained silent, waiting for their Tribeleader to speak.
Fiolin mused for a moment. "The Cyclops has long been our enemy. Do others
agree that we should try to drive him away now that he has harmed the man
Delrael _Kennok_limb?"
Vailret fidgeted. He had hoped they would consider destroying the
monster, not just chase him away.
One of the khelebar stood up. She had dark brown hair and a mottled
panther pelt. Fiolin nodded to her. "Speak, Stynod Treescavenger."
She faced the Tribeleader, not looking at Vailret. "The Cyclops is a
challenge for the khelebar to face. The Outsiders placed him here. His only
purpose is to attack and destroy and eat -- we must endure him as best we
can." Her voice grew hoarse and angry. "If we remove him, the Outsiders will
only send something worse."
"And what if the Outsiders lose interest in that?" Bryl asked. Vailret
gave the half-Sorcerer an appreciative nod.
"We happen to know the Outsiders _are_ bored with Gamearth. They have
already begun the destruction of the world. The Rulewoman Melanie has given us
a quest to prevent it if we can."
One of the other khelebar, Noldir Woodcarver, nodded. "Ah, then that is
why the _dayid_ demanded that Thilane Healer save your companion."
Fiolin brooded a long moment, distracted and troubled. The firelight
and the night sounds of the forest insects seemed to speak to him.
"The _dayid_ is uneasy tonight -- I can feel it. Perhaps it sees the
evil things that may come of this council."
A gibbous moon hovered over the eastern outline of the Spectre
Mountains; Lady Maire's Veil draped glowing over the north. But Fiolin stared
at a hazy orange glow nearby, rising from the treetops at the far fringe of
Ledaygen. As he gazed without speaking, the other khelebar also turned to
look.
The Tribeleader motioned to a blond-haired khelebar standing near him.
The young panther-man was deeply tanned with tigerlike whorls on his fur. Each
of his arms bore an armband on the bicep, and a necklace of stones hung at his
throat.
"Tayron, my son, go find the cause of that orange glow. It may be a
sign from the _dayid_. Maybe it will help us make our decision."
"Yes, Father." The young panther-man turned to bound into the dark mass
of surrounding trees, vanishing from sight.
Fiolin Tribeleader stilled the soft mutters around the bonfire. He
turned to stare at Vailret. "The khelebar have not harmed a living being since
the Scouring of Gamearth."
"The Cyclops is a killer," Vailret said, surprised at how calm his
voice sounded. "By your inaction you caused Delrael to come to harm. You won't
accomplish anything by slapping the monster's hands and telling him to stay in
his cave."
Vailret stopped, letting the silence hang like a poised sword over the
council. The other khelebar waited, watching their Tribeleader. Fiolin avoided
looking at Vailret and sat back down in the firelight. "Perhaps we should wait
for Tayron Next-Leader to return."
Vailret pursed his lips in impatience.
A long time later, they heard a khelebar plunging through the forest,
reckless and crashing branches and undergrowth. Tayron Next-Leader burst into
the cliff clearing, scratched and wild-eyed, gasping for breath.
Vailret had never seen a khelebar out of breath before, nor had he seen
such an expression of horror and despair. Tayron gasped, scattering tears
instead of words.
Fiolin pounced to his feet. "What is it? What have you seen?"
Tayron sobbed but managed to speak. "The forest! It is on fire!
Ledaygen is burning!"
--------
* * * *
A Fire In Ledaygen
"RULE #8: Magic users -- i.e., those with Sorcerer blood -- may attempt
to use only a specific number of spells per day. Table A-3 lists spell
allowances, calculated according to the character's percentage of Sorcerer
blood, also taking experience into account."
-- _The Book of Rules_
The khelebar sat stunned. The heartbeat of the night fell silent,
interrupted only by the insects. Vailret could hear the soft crackle of the
bonfire and the whisper of a breeze through the interlocked trees.
"Can you not hear me?" Tayron Next-Leader choked on his words, aghast
at his own people. "Ledaygen is _burning_!"
Fiolin broke from his shock and drew himself taller as he pointed to
four of the khelebar. "Ydaim Trailwalker, you and three others go scout and
tell me the extent of the fire. Quickly! We must know how fast it is
spreading."
Ydaim glanced back at Vailret, then bounded with the others into the
mass of trees. The four khelebar became dark ripples in the forest, loping
toward the orange glow.
Fiolin Tribeleader continued to motion at the. other panther-people.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]