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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] Joelle struggled to sit up, but the hands still keep her pinned, "You can stay flat on your back, Commander." Polc returned soothingly, pressing a wet cool cloth to her heated flesh. "We came upon a group of twenty women and children outside the boundaries. The 3rd company moved before the order was given and slaughtered most of the prisoners. There was only two left and I sent them back. There was a red haired woman there, Koen released her and then there was a golden haired child at the boundaries." Joelle could see the consider on the the Commanders face. "The Dark Lords?' 233 Derekica Snake "He had his colouring." "Then..." "Koen ran to get the boy and stepped past the warding. Then that worm thing came after us. Commander, how many made it back? Commander." "Just you, Captain. We recovered one of the prisoners but she took her own life before we had a chance to question her. It seems that we keep underestimating the Dark Lord." "The succession has been secured. It will make it even more difficult to bring him down." "But not impossible, eh, old friend." "Not with the right planning, Commander." "Now, I'm going to put you into a healing sleep, Captain Riverview. There doesn't seem to be any toxic poisons from that bite so your healing shouldn't be hampered. You young ones recover so quickly. It's us old warriors who will have to suffer and take longer convalescence. You should be up and around in a fortnight." "A fortnight!" "You are impatient, woman. The Light has spared your life because your work is far from over. Now, drink this. It will help you sleep and get your body to work on healing that wound." Polc pressed the herb brew to her lips and poured it steadily into her mouth. The group fell back as the Dark Lord walked toward the bodies...dark bloody tresses all spread in a row. The weeping The Black Tower 234 and wailing was forced back into their throats as the families looked up at the pure agony on the young man's face. "What were they doing outside of the boundaries?" The words were barely above a whisper but the tone was a command. "Gathering the last of the berries, My Lord." The Dark Lord stopped at the darkened hair of the mother of his child. "I didn't even know they had done this until that Rider broke the warding....Gather our sisters, my brothers. We will take them home." The Dark Lord bent and gathered the broken woman in his arms, holding her like a favorite object shattered behind repair. The crowd moved and gently gathered their sisters, daughter and wives from the cold ground. Edan rode up into the center. His face a mask of anguish as he saw the familiar red hair trailing limply to the ground. "Oh...gods no." Edan slid from his mount and halting walked toward Danvos. His rough hewn figures reached out to touch the cold cheek with a reverence held for expensive silk. "You can bring her back" His voice was little more than a whisper. "There is no trace left of her...no trace in any of them." "You have the power!" Anguish found it's voice. "Ona is gone." 'The babe..." The Dark Lord pressed the cooling body into Edan's massive arms. "There is no lingering life in any of them." "How....Ona knew better...Ona... where is Talos?" The Dark Lord turned around, "Talos is here?" 235 Derekica Snake 'He went with her today." Offers were made to begin a search. "NO!" No one goes past the wardings!" The Dark Lord turned around slowly in a circle calling on the natural power he had always known ...searching for the spark of... there. "Talos!" "Mommy?" "It's Danvos...come here. Your father is worried." "Are the white coats gone?' "Yes...come out now. We are going back to the Tower." A patch of earth moved and a dusty blonde head peered out from underneath the coverage. "Daddy." He bolted from his hiding place and streaked toward his father. "They will pay for this." Edan whispered lowly. Edan pressed the small face close to his thigh, stroking the blonde hair with his free hand. "They already have..." "Are you sure..." "I killed them all." "Did they suffer?" "They knew death was tracking them. Take everyone back to the Tower...we will hold last rites there." Slowly the crowd began to move...Edan cradled his wife close to his chest with one massive hand and kept Talos close to his side. Grief was etched into the faces of everyone there. Tears welled in the Dark Lord's eyes as he stared down into the blood stained earth. "Milord...what did they ever do to deserve this?." The Dark Lord stepped forward toward the black warding stone and laid his hands up it. The sky was still a brilliant The Black Tower 236 blue, cloudless and clear but the sound of thunder ripped through the air. Edan stared as blood began to seep from the Dark Lord's palms from their placement on the rock -- then the earth began to rumble. Talos began crying and pressed his face tighter into Edan's leg. Earth began to move...shifting beneath his feet - pushing upward. A black rock broke the surface of the blood stained killing ground. Rising up in a jagged wall, melding with the warding stone....stretching out into the forest to the next warding...stretching back towards the river. Fear struck deep into Edan's heart but he was rooted to the spot. A dark energy enveloped the blonde haired man. He slumped to his knees but his palms remained pressed to the warding stone, blood streaking the dark rock in rivulets of precious life. Then the rumbling ceased. The sound of complete unnatural silence filled the air. Edan stared around himself. A wall of black rock, uneven and sharp extended out from the warding. A wall the height of two men, the thickness varied with the natural stone, but it seemed as if none were less than an double arm span. The Dark Lord moaned as he pulled his hands away and turned to rest his back on the dark stone. Blue eyes met brown and the sorrow they wore was a matching mask. The Commander had wanted me to build walls, seasons ago. I said that it would hamper those who came to us for sanctuary. I should have listened to him, Edan. Ona, the rest of the women and children would still be alive if there had been walls." 237 Derekica Snake There was nothing to say. Edan turned and carried his broken treasure back toward the house they had built and shared dreams in. The ache deep in Danvos heart was to the point of ripping him apart. His throat was tight with grief and his eyes clouded with emotion but there was no sign of tears as the sweet gentle Song of Mourning rose up from the mouths of his citizens. In the middle of the green grass circle a pyre had been built, long enough to hold all the bodies of the slain. In the middle, hair of the color of the setting sun spread out on the log bed, she now laid on. As was their custom, the families [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |