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"He senses we are hunting him!" Erejzan yelped. "Now he is going to hunt us!"
The sharp warning woke Tyrus from his enchantment. Reflexively, he abandoned
the link, throwing up a powerful shield and many confusing hints that would
shunt Vraduir far off the path. The scene in the vision-glass melted away and
left the black surface flat and blank.
Erejzan doubled over, flinging his hands about his head, braced for a mortal
blow of wizardry, expecting death. Tyrus remained where he was, rigid, acting
with frantic speed. He continued to throw out false trails and ruses and
interlaced an impenetrable he hoped! barrier all around the crude shelter,
strengthening the one he had established earlier. It took nearly all of his
reserves; when it was done he waited and held his breath, ready for Vraduir's
attack.
Moments crawled. Tyrus tested the inner power of the glamour he had cast, wary
for any countering thrust against his sorkra arts. There was none.
Distrustful, he kept up the illusion at its strongest until at least a quarter
period had crept by. Finally, weak and dripping with sweat, he let the heavier
part of the glamour fade, leaving only the core to shield them.
Outside, the rain had almost stopped. Birds and insects were resuming their
calls. Tyrus heard nothing else. More importantly, he felt nothing, no touch
of sorcery at all.
"We& are safe," he said, sagging.
Erejzan was apologetic. "I should have done something to help."
'There was nothing you could do. This was all sorkra dealing. Your part was
played well earlier and will be again." Tyrus exhaled and admitted, "Rasven!
But that was very sharp."
Now that the danger was over, Erejzan tried to be cheerful. "As you say, the
gods have a purpose for us, and will not let us die till it is done."
"Do not become overbold, my friend. If that presence is Vraduir's ally& "
"Nidil, the Death God," Erejzan murmured. Tyrus' own fear was
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matched in Erejzan's expression. The acrobat's dread turned to sickness.
"Does he intend to blaspheme with his sorcery? Again?"
"I fear so." Unwillingly, Tyrus confronted squarely that lurking suspicion he
had nursed throughout their quest, a suspicion that intensified each time they
discovered some precious person or object stolen by Vraduir's minions. "Like
the beasts and people he enchanted on
Qamat, to earn Bogotana's favor, now he plans to bargain with an even more
terrible force. We must stop him now, before he can put his unspeakable scheme
into play, before it is too late."
"LaSirin Ilissa and LaRenya," Erejzan said, putting their mutual apprehension
into words. "Have you no skill that can protect them?"
"Not from here. I have no god to lend me power across such a distance." Tyrus
was frustrated by the limitations. Indeed, he had pride in his sorkra arts, a
wizardry as strong as Vraduir's if Vraduir could not tap reserves forbidden to
all other mortals. "I could only feel the urgency of his plan, aimed against
Jathelle and her sister. He means to strike, but I do not know how or
precisely when. Nor dare I use the vision-glass again to seek that from him.
This time, he would be on guard and he would turn on us, perhaps slaying us."
"Soon? You could touch that in his evil mind?"
"Very soon, as early as sunrise," Tyrus said, not wanting to say this but
knowing it for the truth.
Almost soundlessly, Erejzan said, "The& the hawking party."
"Erejzan, I fear you have hit upon it. His spying on the sisters, the feeling
of impatience everything points that way. I have to prevent it! But how? It is
hopeless," Tyrus cried, his exhaustion battering at him.
The shape-changer caught his arm and made him look up. Tyrus was held by his
friend's unwavering gaze as Erejzan said, "We will never give up. Not even if
Vraduir traffics with the Death God! We must try and we will succeed.
Gros-Donaq will give us the strength of his storms, and we will win!"
Encouragement and fresh spirit flowed between them. Gradually, Tyrus was
heartened and forced a weak smile. "Ai! You are right. We will win."
"So! You told me I was wearied from shape-changing, but you are worn from
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