Brooks, Terry Jerle Shannara 02 Antrax

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.Orhimself, at least.He was just an unnecessary distraction.The boy was who she was really after, and shewould keep him alive for a time.Truls Rohk watched the beast venture onto the flat, circle about for a bit, then disappear back into thetrees.She would be there, watching and waiting, just as he was doing.He could not see her, but he couldsense her presence.She was deciding what to do.He could go back to the boy now; he could slip awaywhile she debated.But he was tired of running, and he could sense that the boy was tired, too.It mightGenerated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlbe better to see if he could slow her down a bit-or perhaps stop her altogether.If the caull came acrossthe flats alone, he might have a chance to kill it.It would take her a while to make a new one, even if shedecided to continue, which she might not.Maybe he would even have a chance at her, as well, although he knew the boy did not want her harmedand would not be happy if she was.Still, he might not be given any choice.He stayed where he was, debating the matter.The minutes ticked by.Neither the caull nor the witchappeared.He wondered if she could sense him as he could sense her.He did not think so.He had takenprecautions to disguise himself, to appear as one with the trees, all bark and wood and sap, all leaves andbuds.No part of his human self remained in his current guise.She could not detect his presence in thatway.Then abruptly she appeared, walking to the edge of the tree-line across the flats and stopping.The caullmaterialized beside her.She stared out into the night for a long time, just a vague shape in thestar-brightened darkness, just a shadow in the woods.After a moment, she disappeared again, and thecaull with her, then reappeared a bit later somewhat farther along the edge of the trees, still staring outinto the flats.What was she doing? He watched her carefully, measuring her progress as she appeared,then disappeared, then reappeared once more, several times.She seemed to be looking for something,for a way across perhaps.But why was she going to such trouble? Once she had shown herself, why notsimply cross and be done with it?Time slipped away.Tails Rohk grew steadily more uneasy with what he was seeing.She was there, butshe wasn't doing anything.She hadn't even bothered sending the caull ahead to investigate whateverdisturbed her.She was losing time she did not have to give.Appearing and disappearing, coming andgoing, she was like a wraith that had wandered out of-He caught himself, lifting off the branch on which he lay with a start, a chilling realization flooding throughhim.She was a wraith.A wraith made out of magic.He wasn't seeing her at all.Even if she couldn'tsense his presence, she had guessed at it.She had smelled out the possibility of a trap and decided toturn it around on him.She had used images to deceive him into believing she was still there and hadgotten around behind him.She was already past him on her way to the boy.He knew it as surely as he knew he was already too late to stop her.Fool! You fool!Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlHe was down out of the tree in a heartbeat and racing back through the night the way he had come.When his sister walked out of the trees, Bek was still sitting on the ground where the shape-shifters hadleft him.He was not panicked by her appearance and did not try to escape.He had known she wouldcome.The shape-shifters had told him so, and he had believed them.He had thought about running fromher, fleeing deeper into the mountains, but had decided against it.Do not run away from her again, theyhad said.He did not know why, but he believed them to be right.Running would solve nothing.He muststand and face her.He rose as she approached, staying calm, oddly at peace with himself.He wore the Sword of Shannarastrapped across his back, but he did not reach for it.Weapons would not serve his cause; fighting wouldnot aid him.His sister, the Ilse Witch, would react badly to either, and he needed her to want to keephim safe.Perhaps it was his encounter with the shape-shifters that left him feeling as if no harm couldcome to him in the mountains.Whatever harm she might do to him, she would wait to do elsewhere.Thatwould give him time to find a way to make her see the truth."You don't seem surprised to see me," she offered mildly, moving fluidly within her tied-up robes, herface lost in shadow beneath her hood.Her eyes were on him, searching."You knew I would come,didn't you?""I knew.Where is Truls Rohk?""The shape-shifter?" She shrugged."Still looking for me where I can't be found.He'll come too late tohelp you this time.""I don't want his help.This is between you and me."She stopped a dozen paces away, and he could feel her tension."Are you ready to admit to me that you lied about who you are? Are you willing to tell me why you didso?"Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlHe shook his head."I haven't lied about anything.I am Bek.I am your brother.What I told you beforewas true.Why can't you believe me?"She was silent a moment."I think you believe it," she said finally, "but that doesn't make it true.I knowmore of this than you do.I know how the Druid works.I know he seeks to use you against me, even ifyou don't see it.""Let's say that's true.Why would he do so? What could he hope to gain?"She folded her arms into her robes."You will come with me back to the airship and wait for me therewhile I find him and ask him.You will come willingly.You will not try to escape.You will not try to harmme in any way.You will not use your magic.You will agree to all this now.You will give me your word.If you do so, you have a chance to save your life.Tell me now if you will do as I ask.But be warned-ifyou lie or dissemble, I will know."He thought about it, standing silent in the night, facing her through a wash of moonlight, and then nodded."I'll do what you ask."He felt her humming softly, her magic reaching out to him, surrounding and then infusing him, a smalltingle of warmth, probing.He did not interfere, simply waited for her to finish.She came forward and stood right in front of him.She reached up and lowered the hood so he could seeher strong, pale, beautiful face.Grianne.His sister.There was no anger in her eyes, no harshness of anysort.There was only curiosity.She reached out and touched the side of his face, closing her eyesmomentarily as she did so.Again, he felt the intrusion of the wishsong's magic.Again, he did not interfere.When she opened her eyes again, she nodded."Very well.We can leave now.""Do you want my weapons?" he asked her quickly."Your weapons?" She seemed startled by the question.She glanced at the sword and long knifeperfunctorily."Weapons are of no use to me.Leave them behind."Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlHe tossed the long knife aside, but left the Sword of Shannara in place."I can't give up the sword.It isn'tmine.It was given to me in trust, and I promised I would look after it.It belongs to Walker."She gave him a sharp look."To the Druid?"He was taking a chance telling her this, but he had thought it through carefully and the risk wasnecessary."It is a talisman.Perhaps you know of it.It is called the Sword of Shannara [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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