Read Online Honor Bound by Elaine Cunningham - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elaine Cunningham
Ads: Link
nightfall.
They stumbled into the mirror room.
A woodland scene played across the silvered glass, a small vale
surrounding a mist-shrouded pool. Vishni gave the scene a wave and
collapsed onto a settee with a happy groan. Avidan walked over to
the mirror and stood in silence as he gazed at the scene. He
reached out a tentative hand and jolted back when his fingers
touched the glass.
Fox nudged Delgar and tipped his
head toward the alchemist. "What do you suppose that's
about?"
"No clue." He tightened the strap
holding his pack. "I'm off, then."
"I'll walk with you a
ways."
Delgar shrugged and set off toward
his forge room. "That's fine, but then you're heading back to the
others."
"Did I say I wasn't?"
"You didn't have to say anything.
You look as worried as a newborn babe, and with good reason.
There's a sorcerer in this city, and I figure you want to warn your
kin just as much as I do mine."
Fox blew out a sigh of relief. "I
thought you'd understand."
The dwarf rounded on him, "I
understand that you're an idiot. After what happened on Kronhus,
it's not safe for you to show your face."
"Everyone thinks I'm dead. No one's
looking for me."
Delgar snorted. "They'll be rounding
up everyone who looks anything like the City Fox. Granted, you
don't come very close to the hero of legend, but why take the
risk?"
"My mother—"
"Your mother has refused to leave
that cottage for ten years. What's different today that will make
any difference to her?"
Avidan cleared his throat. The two
friends spun toward him, startled by his sudden
appearance.
"I might be able to help. There are
certain potions that bring swift and harmless slumber. Let Delgar
take Mistress Winterborn such a potion and then carry her back to
the den."
"I don't like it," Fox
said.
"It's not an ideal solution," Delgar
said, "but it's better than what you have in mind. Give me the
amulet as a token, so that she'll know you sent me."
Fox wasn't sure she'd remember it,
or him, but the suggestion struck him as sensible. He reached into
his pocket for the broken locket and held it out. As Delgar reached
for it, Fox's fingers snapped shut and he jerked his hand
back.
The dwarf blinked. "What was that
about?"
"I'm not sure," Fox said. He tried
unclenching his fist, but his fingers wouldn't obey. "I don't think
I can give it to you."
"Sure you can."
"No, I literally can't give you the
amulet. There must be some sort of compulsion built into it. You'll
have to take it from me."
Delgar sighed and shrugged off his
pack. He lowered it to the ground. Without warning he swung the
pack at Fox's ankles in a hard, rising arc.
The thief's feet swept out from
under him. For a moment his boots and his belt occupied the same
level plane, as if he was sitting on the ground with his legs
outstretched. And then, suddenly, he was. Pain jolted up his spine
as he hit the stone floor. Then Delgar dived at him, and the floor
seemed soft and yielding in comparison.
They rolled and grappled in
mismatched combat. Fox writhed and twisted and did his best to make
the dwarf work at not hurting him. Vishni, who as usual was drawn
by the sounds of an entertaining fight, cheered Fox on and offered
improbable suggestions.
But the battle was as brief as the
outcome was certain. In moments Delgar had him face down with both
arms pinned behind him. He pried over Fox's clenched fist to find .
. . nothing.
"Where'd it go?" the dwarf
demanded.
Fox rolled over as soon as Delgar
released him and stared at his open, empty hands. "I haven't the
first clue."
"That's bad," Vishni said flatly.
"That means the amulet is attuned to you. It can sense your intent.
And it will disappear rather than be taken. This is powerful
magic."
A grim possibility occurred to Fox.
"Could the amulet be traced?"
"Of course ! Why else would anyone
go to the trouble of making sure you had to keep it?"
"That would explain how the adepts
rounded up Eldreath's offspring," he muttered. "Assuming each of us
got an
They stumbled into the mirror room.
A woodland scene played across the silvered glass, a small vale
surrounding a mist-shrouded pool. Vishni gave the scene a wave and
collapsed onto a settee with a happy groan. Avidan walked over to
the mirror and stood in silence as he gazed at the scene. He
reached out a tentative hand and jolted back when his fingers
touched the glass.
Fox nudged Delgar and tipped his
head toward the alchemist. "What do you suppose that's
about?"
"No clue." He tightened the strap
holding his pack. "I'm off, then."
"I'll walk with you a
ways."
Delgar shrugged and set off toward
his forge room. "That's fine, but then you're heading back to the
others."
"Did I say I wasn't?"
"You didn't have to say anything.
You look as worried as a newborn babe, and with good reason.
There's a sorcerer in this city, and I figure you want to warn your
kin just as much as I do mine."
Fox blew out a sigh of relief. "I
thought you'd understand."
The dwarf rounded on him, "I
understand that you're an idiot. After what happened on Kronhus,
it's not safe for you to show your face."
"Everyone thinks I'm dead. No one's
looking for me."
Delgar snorted. "They'll be rounding
up everyone who looks anything like the City Fox. Granted, you
don't come very close to the hero of legend, but why take the
risk?"
"My mother—"
"Your mother has refused to leave
that cottage for ten years. What's different today that will make
any difference to her?"
Avidan cleared his throat. The two
friends spun toward him, startled by his sudden
appearance.
"I might be able to help. There are
certain potions that bring swift and harmless slumber. Let Delgar
take Mistress Winterborn such a potion and then carry her back to
the den."
"I don't like it," Fox
said.
"It's not an ideal solution," Delgar
said, "but it's better than what you have in mind. Give me the
amulet as a token, so that she'll know you sent me."
Fox wasn't sure she'd remember it,
or him, but the suggestion struck him as sensible. He reached into
his pocket for the broken locket and held it out. As Delgar reached
for it, Fox's fingers snapped shut and he jerked his hand
back.
The dwarf blinked. "What was that
about?"
"I'm not sure," Fox said. He tried
unclenching his fist, but his fingers wouldn't obey. "I don't think
I can give it to you."
"Sure you can."
"No, I literally can't give you the
amulet. There must be some sort of compulsion built into it. You'll
have to take it from me."
Delgar sighed and shrugged off his
pack. He lowered it to the ground. Without warning he swung the
pack at Fox's ankles in a hard, rising arc.
The thief's feet swept out from
under him. For a moment his boots and his belt occupied the same
level plane, as if he was sitting on the ground with his legs
outstretched. And then, suddenly, he was. Pain jolted up his spine
as he hit the stone floor. Then Delgar dived at him, and the floor
seemed soft and yielding in comparison.
They rolled and grappled in
mismatched combat. Fox writhed and twisted and did his best to make
the dwarf work at not hurting him. Vishni, who as usual was drawn
by the sounds of an entertaining fight, cheered Fox on and offered
improbable suggestions.
But the battle was as brief as the
outcome was certain. In moments Delgar had him face down with both
arms pinned behind him. He pried over Fox's clenched fist to find .
. . nothing.
"Where'd it go?" the dwarf
demanded.
Fox rolled over as soon as Delgar
released him and stared at his open, empty hands. "I haven't the
first clue."
"That's bad," Vishni said flatly.
"That means the amulet is attuned to you. It can sense your intent.
And it will disappear rather than be taken. This is powerful
magic."
A grim possibility occurred to Fox.
"Could the amulet be traced?"
"Of course ! Why else would anyone
go to the trouble of making sure you had to keep it?"
"That would explain how the adepts
rounded up Eldreath's offspring," he muttered. "Assuming each of us
got an
Similar Books
