Read Online Shadows of Sanctuary978-0441806010 by Robert Asprin, Lynn Abbey - Free Book Online Page B
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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forest,' Aerie said. 'We saw no one else on the river road.'
'Then they might not have realized anyone but another flyer helped Satan escape. If no one saw us fell the tent -'
Wess reached into the stream and splashed her face, cupped her hand in the water, and lifted it to her lips. The first rays of direct sunlight pierced the branches and entered the clearing.
Her hand was still bloody. The blood was mixing with the water. She choked and spat, lurched to her feet, and bolted. A few paces away she fell to her knees and retched violently.
There was nothing in her stomach but bile. She crawled to the stream and scrubbed her hands, then her face, with sand and water. She stood up again. Her friends were staring at her, shocked.
'There was someone,' she said. 'Bauchle Meyne. But I killed him.'
'Ah,' Quartz said.
'You've given me another gift,' Satan said. 'Now I don't have to go back and kill him myself.'
'Shut up, Satan, she's never killed anyone before.'
'Nor have I. But I would have ripped out his throat if just once he'd left the chains slack enough for me to reach him!'
Wess wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ease the ache in her ribs. Suddenly Quartz was beside her.
'You're hurt - why didn't you tell me?'
Wess shook her head, unable to answer. And then she fainted. She woke up at midaftemoon, lying in the shade of a tall tree in a circle of her friends. The horses grazed nearby, and Aristarchus sat on a stone beside the stream, combing the tangles from his fur. Wess got up and went to sit beside him.
'Did you call my name?'
'No,' he said.
'I thought I heard -' She shrugged. 'Never mind.'
'How are you feeling?'
'Better.' Her ribs were bandaged tight. 'Quartz is a good healer.'
'No one is following. Aerie looked, a little while ago.'
'That's good. May I comb your back for you?'
'That would be a great kindness.'
In silence, she combed him, but she was paying very little attention. The third time the comb caught on a knot, Aristarchu" protested quietly.
'Sister, please, that fur you're plucking is attached to my skin.'
'Oh, Aristarchus, I'm sorry...'
'What's wrong?'
'I don't know,' she said. 'I feel -1 want -1...' She handed him the comb and stood. 'I'm going to walk up the trail a little way. I won't be gone long.'
In the silence of the forest she felt easier, but there was something pulling her, something calling to her that she could not hear. And then she did hear something, a rustling of leaves. She faded back off the trail, hiding herself, and waited.
Lythande walked slowly, tiredly, along the trail. Wess was so surprised that she did not speak as the wizard passed her, but a few paces on, Lythande stopped and looked around, frowning.
'Westerly?'
Wess stepped into sight. 'How did you know I was there?*
'I felt you near ... How did you find me?'
'I thought I heard someone call me. Was that a spell?'
'No. Just a hope.'
'You look so tired, Lythande.'
Lythande nodded. 'I received a challenge. I answered it.'
'And you won -'
'Yes.' Lythande smiled bitterly. 'I still walk the earth and wait for the days of Chaos. If that is winning, then I won.'
'Come back to camp and rest and eat with us,'
'Thank you, little sister. I will rest with you. But your friend -you found him?'
'Yes. He's free.'
'You all escaped unhurt?'
Wess shrugged, and was immediately sorry for it. 'I did crack my ribs this time.' She did not want to talk about the deeper hurts.
'And now - are you going home?'
'Yes.'
Lythande smiled. 'I might have known you would find the Forgotten Pass.'
They walked together back towards camp. A little scared by her own presumption, Wess reached out and took the wizard's hand in hers. Lythande did not draw away, but squeezed her fingers gently.
'Westerly -' Lythande looked at her straight on, and Wess stopped. 'Westerly, would you go back to Sanctuary?'
Stunned and horrified, Wess said, 'Why?'
'It isn't as bad as it seems at first. You could learn many things...'
'About
'Then they might not have realized anyone but another flyer helped Satan escape. If no one saw us fell the tent -'
Wess reached into the stream and splashed her face, cupped her hand in the water, and lifted it to her lips. The first rays of direct sunlight pierced the branches and entered the clearing.
Her hand was still bloody. The blood was mixing with the water. She choked and spat, lurched to her feet, and bolted. A few paces away she fell to her knees and retched violently.
There was nothing in her stomach but bile. She crawled to the stream and scrubbed her hands, then her face, with sand and water. She stood up again. Her friends were staring at her, shocked.
'There was someone,' she said. 'Bauchle Meyne. But I killed him.'
'Ah,' Quartz said.
'You've given me another gift,' Satan said. 'Now I don't have to go back and kill him myself.'
'Shut up, Satan, she's never killed anyone before.'
'Nor have I. But I would have ripped out his throat if just once he'd left the chains slack enough for me to reach him!'
Wess wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ease the ache in her ribs. Suddenly Quartz was beside her.
'You're hurt - why didn't you tell me?'
Wess shook her head, unable to answer. And then she fainted. She woke up at midaftemoon, lying in the shade of a tall tree in a circle of her friends. The horses grazed nearby, and Aristarchus sat on a stone beside the stream, combing the tangles from his fur. Wess got up and went to sit beside him.
'Did you call my name?'
'No,' he said.
'I thought I heard -' She shrugged. 'Never mind.'
'How are you feeling?'
'Better.' Her ribs were bandaged tight. 'Quartz is a good healer.'
'No one is following. Aerie looked, a little while ago.'
'That's good. May I comb your back for you?'
'That would be a great kindness.'
In silence, she combed him, but she was paying very little attention. The third time the comb caught on a knot, Aristarchu" protested quietly.
'Sister, please, that fur you're plucking is attached to my skin.'
'Oh, Aristarchus, I'm sorry...'
'What's wrong?'
'I don't know,' she said. 'I feel -1 want -1...' She handed him the comb and stood. 'I'm going to walk up the trail a little way. I won't be gone long.'
In the silence of the forest she felt easier, but there was something pulling her, something calling to her that she could not hear. And then she did hear something, a rustling of leaves. She faded back off the trail, hiding herself, and waited.
Lythande walked slowly, tiredly, along the trail. Wess was so surprised that she did not speak as the wizard passed her, but a few paces on, Lythande stopped and looked around, frowning.
'Westerly?'
Wess stepped into sight. 'How did you know I was there?*
'I felt you near ... How did you find me?'
'I thought I heard someone call me. Was that a spell?'
'No. Just a hope.'
'You look so tired, Lythande.'
Lythande nodded. 'I received a challenge. I answered it.'
'And you won -'
'Yes.' Lythande smiled bitterly. 'I still walk the earth and wait for the days of Chaos. If that is winning, then I won.'
'Come back to camp and rest and eat with us,'
'Thank you, little sister. I will rest with you. But your friend -you found him?'
'Yes. He's free.'
'You all escaped unhurt?'
Wess shrugged, and was immediately sorry for it. 'I did crack my ribs this time.' She did not want to talk about the deeper hurts.
'And now - are you going home?'
'Yes.'
Lythande smiled. 'I might have known you would find the Forgotten Pass.'
They walked together back towards camp. A little scared by her own presumption, Wess reached out and took the wizard's hand in hers. Lythande did not draw away, but squeezed her fingers gently.
'Westerly -' Lythande looked at her straight on, and Wess stopped. 'Westerly, would you go back to Sanctuary?'
Stunned and horrified, Wess said, 'Why?'
'It isn't as bad as it seems at first. You could learn many things...'
'About
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