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where his feet passed over the surface of the water. Then Farryn was there, solid as ever, handing the plants to Argent. It had taken the barest fraction of a breath. "I tried to keep the roots intact," he said. Argent took the plants quietly. He prepared the leaves as quickly as he could, tucking the roots into the mud-filled bag without a word. "Would you like to tell us," Donya said to Farryn in a quiet, calm voice, "just what you did?" Farryn looked at her, his eyes widening. "I thought you wanted the plants," he said. "No one spoke or moved to stop me." "You didn't do anything wrong," Shadow said with a grin. "We were just well, surprised, that's all. Is that how you got out of the hut in the forest?" "Hut?" Farryn frowned. "I remember something " "I think that means yes," Donya sighed. "But how do you do it? Is it a spell?" "Spell?" Farryn's brow furrowed. "You mean like this?" He touched the tore. "I am not an Enlightened One. All of my folk dance the wind." "Dance the& " Shadow suddenly burst out laughing. "You could've escaped anytime you wanted! You could've walked right out through the Fortune-be-damned palace walls!" "Not so," Farryn protested. "I must see or know where I go, and I cannot dance through stone or even thick wood. Long travel weakens me greatly. In any event, it would have been dishonorable to attempt to escape. I had been fairly taken prisoner." "You could go ahead," Mist suggested, "crossing the swamp instead of skirting it, and find this temple and begin searching for a cure to the plague." Farryn sighed patiently. "I fear you did not understand me," he said carefully. "I cannot dance my way past a stone door, and such it has been called. If it is submerged, when I reach the place I shall surely drown, for I do not swim and I cannot dance the wind from under the water. I do not know how to pass the temple door any more than you. And finally, as your prisoner it is my place to remain in your custody, and I will not abandon my sword, which has not been returned to me." "I think we'd be wise to remedy that last," Donya said after a moment. "As Shady said, if he was minded to escape, he'd have done it. Still, Mist, I'd rather Farryn remain with us. Even if he succeeded totally and found a cure for the plague, his people need that cure as much as ours do." She held up her hand as Farryn began to protest. "Honor or no honor, if it were my people dying I'd take the cure and go as fast as I knew how. I believe in his good intentions, but I don't want to put him in the position of making that choice. We'll need his knowledge if when we reach the temple, and we may need every sword we have to get us there." She glanced at Mist. "So, if you don't object " Mist shrugged. "You are more cautious than I," he said. "I would have given it to him long ago." Donya thoughtfully unfastened the bundle of Farryn's belongings from her supply horse. "As the Heir, I'm empowered to accept your parole," she said slowly. "Under the understanding of fair treatment and my protection, will you give your word that you won't attempt to escape or to hinder our cause, or to do us harm by word or deed, silence or inaction, until you are released?" Farryn touched the amulet at his throat. "Lady, by my heart's blood I swear it," he said. "Then by my authority as Heir to the High Seat of Allanmere, and with the permission of the envoy of Aspen" she glanced at Mist, who nodded "I accept your parole." She laid the bundle in Farryn's hands. Farryn opened the leather and matter-of-factly donned the light mail and belted on his sword and the two daggers. "Thank you, my lady," he said gratefully. "It is good to be a warrior again." "Yes, well, be a warrior on a horse, will you?" Shadow urged. "While you two are playing oath games, folk in Allanmere are dying of the plague, and what's left of the guard is getting ready for a war." "Don't I know it," Donya said irritably, stepping back to her horse. "How do you think I got away without half the Palace Guard with me?" "I had wondered," Argent said gently. "You can only support so many by a little trail food, hunting, fishing, and foraging," Donya said, watching as the others mounted, then motioning Shadow to start. "If I'd brought guardsmen, we'd have needed extra horses for food and supplies. The larger our group gets, the slower we move, and the longer it takes us to get back. All the City Guards are human; elves don't go in for that sort of career. That means any guardsman could already be infected, and might pass it on to me or the other guards. Mother's just as glad I'm getting out of the city. Besides, what guards aren't already sickening with the plague are needed in the city, to keep the plague from leaving the city and to start mobilizing an army in case it does come to war. If anybody can be spared, they'll be sent to the forest to start coordinating with the elvan forces." "Still," Argent said doubtfully, "surely Celene would have sent a small company with us. You are, after all, the Heir." "Of course she would have," Shadow said ruefully. "Especially if we'd left at two hours after sunrise, as we were supposed to, instead of an hour before dawn." "We were to have left two hours after dawn?" Mist asked puzzledly. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |