[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
But when we return to the settled country, what shall you do, Miranda? How
will you get by? Do you know where you want to go?
Miranda frowned suspiciously at his prying questions. Truly she did not know
where to go, and as for how she would get by, she had no desire to inform him.
Dreibrand defended his inquiries. I only ask because I care about what
happens to you. I owe you my life and I take that very seriously. I will not
just dump you off at the first town.
I can take care of myself. There is no need to worry yourself about me,
Miranda said proudly.
But you need to worry. I do not really know your circumstances, but without
friends or family or a home, you could easily be claimed as a slave.
Your children too. You will need someone to attest to your freedom and to
defend you from opportunistic slavers, Dreibrand warned.
And what do you have to offer? You seemed more of a fugitive than me, she
scoffed.
Dreibrand grinned awkwardly. I can sort things out with my people when the
time comes, he said confidently although he doubted it would be easy.
Convincing Lord Kwan to accept a retroactive resignation had its risks. The
Hordemaster could choose to punish him as a deserter despite his nobility. But
because Dreibrand s censure forced him to live already in a permanent state of
punishment, he decided there was no point in worrying about the risks.
He continued, I could take you to Phemnalang and set you up with a place to
live.
With apprehension Miranda thought about Phemnalang. Of course she had heard
about the large city in the south, famed for its wealth and wickedness, but
she could not quite imagine what such a place could be like.
Although seriously reluctant to commit to going to Phemnalang with him, she
could never dismiss the practical side of her nature. It made sense to accept
his offer, at least for now.
Miranda rubbed her forehead, but her mind was not clear enough to make a
decision. I will think about it, she said.
Dreibrand persisted, I think you would agree that we are friends now, and
that we will both need someone we can trust more than ever when we get back to
civilization.
I said I would think about it, Miranda snapped. Despite her muddled mind,
she knew agreeing to let Dreibrand provide her with a home would most likely
entail more than a polite thank you.
Dreibrand backed off and stretched out to sleep. He knew he would convince her
to stay with him eventually.
11~ The Raven s Dream ~
The fairness of the lake convinced them to stay on another night and nurse
their wounds. Not one wolf howl called to the moon that night, and the next
morning they rode west without discussing their course.
The mature forest began to thin and a grassy open country spread between
mountains ranges. Lofty snow-capped peaks dominated the western skyline and
another line of mountains filled the northeast, but these were lower and
darker. The landscape was wide and beautiful, and
Dreibrand liked to imagine that it all belonged to him.
While they rode, he carried Esseldan in order to spare Miranda some stress to
her injured arm. Her wound distressed him, and Dreibrand wished that he had
Page 65
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
been able to defend her better. Dreibrand secured the boy in the saddle in
front of him, upright like a little rider. Esseldan, who had received no
attention from his real father, thrived in Dreibrand s
strong grasp.
For more than a week, they continued their exploration and Dreibrand had no
trouble finding game. With good food and fine weather, life became a pure
ideal of existence. There was no civilization to clutter the mind and the land
provided generously. All would have been well except that Elendra started
sleepwalking. Every night Dreibrand or Miranda caught her rising and trying to
wander away. After twelve nights of this in a row, Miranda finally decided to
confide in Dreibrand about the white wolf and the glowing eyes.
Being reasonable, Dreibrand said, The eyes of animals glow in the night.
Perhaps that is all it was.
Miranda wanted to agree with his simple explanation, but her mind was not as
foggy as it had been right after the wolf attack, and she regarded her belief
with more conviction.
But it was not the normal glow in an animal s eyes. The blue light was so
strong; I can almost see it now as I saw it then. Someone was looking at me,
Miranda said.
Dreibrand asked her to explain better.
I cannot explain, Miranda moaned with frustration. But I felt it inside.
Like when someone is staring at you for a long time before you notice.
Clearly, Miranda was disturbed, and Dreibrand reasoned stress had made her
imagine things. He wanted to discount her story, but he took the time to
re-evaluate the night of the wolf attack. At first he had relished their
victory and kept the black wolf skin as a practical trophy, but in retrospect,
he accepted that the wolves had given up quite easily, and it had been a large
pack.
Why did you not tell me this sooner? he wondered.
Miranda shrugged uncomfortably. I did not know how to explain, and I
know it sounds silly. But now that Elendra is sleepwalking, I feel more
certain of myself. We are not alone. The fenthakrabi was real, what if the
other stories about ghosts are true
Dreibrand interrupted her because she was upsetting herself. Did [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]