Read Online Shadows of Sanctuary978-0441806010 by Robert Asprin, Lynn Abbey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Robert Asprin, Lynn Abbey
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy Fiction; American, Fantasy - General, Fantastic fiction; American
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innkeeper banging at the door, and when he failed to break it down, he came to the window.
'Help!' he cried. 'Help, kidnappers! Brigands!' Quartz vaulted up behind Aristarchus and Chan clambered up behind Wess. 'Help!' the innkeeper cried.
'Help, fire! Floods!'
Aristarchus gave his horse its head and it sprang forward. Wess's stallion tossed his mane, blew his breath out hard and loud, and leaped from a standstill into a gallop. All Wess could do was hold on, clutching the mane and the harness, hunching over the horse's withers, as he careered down the street. They galloped through the outskirts of Sanctuary, splashed across the river at the ford, and headed north along the river trail. The horses sweated into a lather and Aristarchus insisted on slowing down and breathing them. Wess saw the sense of that, and, too, she could detect no pursuit from the city. She scanned the sky, but darkness hid any sign of the flyers. Abandoning the headlong pace, they walked the horses or let them jog. Each step jarred Wess's ribs. She tried to concentrate on pushing out the pain, but to do it well she needed to stop, dismount, and relax. That was impossible right now. The road and the night led on forever.
At dawn, they reached the faint abandoned trail Wess had brought them in on. It led away from the road, directly up into the mountains. The trees, black beneath the slate-blue sky, closed in overhead. Wess felt as if she had fought her way out of a nightmare world into a world she knew and loved. She did not yet feel free, but she could consider the possibility of feeling free again.
'Chan?'
'I'm here, love.'
She took his hand, where he held her gingerly around the waist, and kissed his palm. She leaned back against him, and he held her. A stream gushed between the gnarled roots of trees, beside the nearly invisible trail.
'We should stop and let the horses rest,' Aristarchus said. 'And rest, ourselves.'
'There's a clearing a little way ahead,' Wess said. 'It has grass. They eat grass, don't they?'
Aristarchus chuckled. 'They do, indeed.'
When they reached the clearing. Quartz jumped down, stumbled, groaned, and laughed. 'It's a long time since I rode horseback,' she said. She helped Aristarchus off. Chan dismounted and stood testing his legs after the long ride. Wess sat where she was. She felt as if she were looking at the world through Lythande's secret sphere.
The sound of great wings filled the cold dawn. Satan and Aerie landed in the centre of the clearing and hurried towards them. Wess twined her fingers in the skewbald's striped mane and slid off his back. She leaned against his shoulder, exhausted, taking short shallow breaths. She could hear Chan and Quartz greeting the flyers. But Wess could not move.
'Wess?'
She turned slowly, still holding the horse's mane. Satan smiled down at her. She was used to flyers being lean, but they were sleek: Satan was gaunt, his ribs and hips sharp beneath his skin. His short fur was dull and dry, and besides the scars on his back he had marks on his ankles, and around his throat, where he had been bound.
'Oh, Satan -' She embraced him, and he enfolded her in his wings.
'It's done,' he said. 'It's over.' He kissed her gently. Everyone gathered around him. He brushed the back of his hand softly down the side of Quartz's face, and bent down to kiss Chan.
'Frejojani ...' He looked at them all, then, as a tear spilled down his cheek, he wrapped himself in his wings and cried.
They held him and caressed him until the racking sobs ceased. Ashamed, he scrubbed away the tears with the palm of his hand. Aristarchus stood nearby, blinking his large green eyes.
'You must think me an awful fool, Aristarchus, a fool, and weak.'
The troll shook his head. 'I think, when I can finally believe I'm free ...' He looked at Wess. Thank you.'
They sat beside the stream to rest and talk.
'It's possible that we aren't even being followed,' Quartz said.
'We watched the city, till you entered the
'Help!' he cried. 'Help, kidnappers! Brigands!' Quartz vaulted up behind Aristarchus and Chan clambered up behind Wess. 'Help!' the innkeeper cried.
'Help, fire! Floods!'
Aristarchus gave his horse its head and it sprang forward. Wess's stallion tossed his mane, blew his breath out hard and loud, and leaped from a standstill into a gallop. All Wess could do was hold on, clutching the mane and the harness, hunching over the horse's withers, as he careered down the street. They galloped through the outskirts of Sanctuary, splashed across the river at the ford, and headed north along the river trail. The horses sweated into a lather and Aristarchus insisted on slowing down and breathing them. Wess saw the sense of that, and, too, she could detect no pursuit from the city. She scanned the sky, but darkness hid any sign of the flyers. Abandoning the headlong pace, they walked the horses or let them jog. Each step jarred Wess's ribs. She tried to concentrate on pushing out the pain, but to do it well she needed to stop, dismount, and relax. That was impossible right now. The road and the night led on forever.
At dawn, they reached the faint abandoned trail Wess had brought them in on. It led away from the road, directly up into the mountains. The trees, black beneath the slate-blue sky, closed in overhead. Wess felt as if she had fought her way out of a nightmare world into a world she knew and loved. She did not yet feel free, but she could consider the possibility of feeling free again.
'Chan?'
'I'm here, love.'
She took his hand, where he held her gingerly around the waist, and kissed his palm. She leaned back against him, and he held her. A stream gushed between the gnarled roots of trees, beside the nearly invisible trail.
'We should stop and let the horses rest,' Aristarchus said. 'And rest, ourselves.'
'There's a clearing a little way ahead,' Wess said. 'It has grass. They eat grass, don't they?'
Aristarchus chuckled. 'They do, indeed.'
When they reached the clearing. Quartz jumped down, stumbled, groaned, and laughed. 'It's a long time since I rode horseback,' she said. She helped Aristarchus off. Chan dismounted and stood testing his legs after the long ride. Wess sat where she was. She felt as if she were looking at the world through Lythande's secret sphere.
The sound of great wings filled the cold dawn. Satan and Aerie landed in the centre of the clearing and hurried towards them. Wess twined her fingers in the skewbald's striped mane and slid off his back. She leaned against his shoulder, exhausted, taking short shallow breaths. She could hear Chan and Quartz greeting the flyers. But Wess could not move.
'Wess?'
She turned slowly, still holding the horse's mane. Satan smiled down at her. She was used to flyers being lean, but they were sleek: Satan was gaunt, his ribs and hips sharp beneath his skin. His short fur was dull and dry, and besides the scars on his back he had marks on his ankles, and around his throat, where he had been bound.
'Oh, Satan -' She embraced him, and he enfolded her in his wings.
'It's done,' he said. 'It's over.' He kissed her gently. Everyone gathered around him. He brushed the back of his hand softly down the side of Quartz's face, and bent down to kiss Chan.
'Frejojani ...' He looked at them all, then, as a tear spilled down his cheek, he wrapped himself in his wings and cried.
They held him and caressed him until the racking sobs ceased. Ashamed, he scrubbed away the tears with the palm of his hand. Aristarchus stood nearby, blinking his large green eyes.
'You must think me an awful fool, Aristarchus, a fool, and weak.'
The troll shook his head. 'I think, when I can finally believe I'm free ...' He looked at Wess. Thank you.'
They sat beside the stream to rest and talk.
'It's possible that we aren't even being followed,' Quartz said.
'We watched the city, till you entered the
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