Part 8 (1/2)
He laughed then, low and idiot, and she kneould heed no words of hers She retreated, thinking of the door and of the way to the boundary lintels; and the voice of the Mother was thunder within her: ”Stay, thou! Do not turn away!”
The , she left it in his hand and stood 'round to face him, clad in travelers' breech and shi+rt
He threw the cloak aside and the creature who had guided her here scraainst her The ain
Moonhawk danced away, but his hand had touched her ar into his dull, exultant eyes, reached out, as those in Circle may- His cry was hoarse with terror and he bent double, hands gripping his privates ”It burns! noble Lady-aid me!”
Moonhawk stepped around him ”Be still and you will have no pain Seek to harm me and you will burn”
She withdrew her attention froed by the Mother's word to come to this place I require-”
It was here that the Goddess in Her wisdohter and allowed a well-aimed rock to fell her from behind
THE EYES WERE open and of indeterminate hue; the face was blank, whether by intent or by nature it was not yet possible to know
Lute nodded pleasantly and smiled
”How lovely to see you wake! Allow ratulations The , from which I surmise that your aim is superior to my own Well-played! I wish I'd beenthere to see it Sound is useful, but I soht Don't you?”
The eyes blinked once, slowly
”Who are you?”
”A thousand apologies, Stranger Lady! I aht-of-hand
No doubt you've heard of ainst the dirt wall
”Is it a little incongruous,” the wo at the bottom of a hole with his shi+rt torn and blood on his chin?”
Lute considered her shuttered face ”A minor reversal of fortunes Only letand neither this nor any other hole ain ”Where is it? Your bag”
He pointed upith a flourish ”Lady Drudae has it in her tender keeping”
”I see” She twisted her angular self gracelessly and sat up ”You're an optih of ht? Whither are you bound? How cao away?”
She raised her hands, feeling in the thick, unraveling knot of her hair ”Moonhawk Where the Goddess sends me Upon aunt features
”Moonhawk” He chewed his lip ”This is no good place for a name out of Circle Call yourself otherwise, if you'll take my advice-unless you've co sound in the dankness of the pit ”Hardly” She ran pale strands through coers ”You are devout?”
”I was raised to the Way and have traveled a good deal-Have you been to Huntress City? The las, I was told, froht our forereasy shadows of oil light ”Far different, this”
”There aren't lory of Huntress,” she said softly ”I would like to visit so The last news I had was that Huntress Circle was collecting everything thatall within a warded treasurehouse”
”So? All the more reason, then, for one of the Circle to visit Lady Drudae She possesses atheher hair
”You are incurious”
She glanced up ”I a in the ician for e of depravity above My head hurts My cloak is gone I'ry And cold I see no way out of the present coil and no reason to be in it at all””Ask your Goddess, if you lack reasons” He had not intended his voice to be so sharp ”I'm told She has a plenitude”
”She does not Speak”
Lute shi+fted and carefully extended his legs
”If ht dine on cheese and bread and fresh ly ”I would share my cloak and mix you a tincture I learned in the Wilderwood that is efficacious in the soothing of headaches” He sighed ”Rot those la dark I hate to talk to so the flicker of Power to theto the sticky floor
A small blue flame appeared in the mud between thehing as one who has expended ize that it does not give heat If I hadupward for a ainst the fabric of the pit, hope as thin as the wan blue light
”Please, ift You should conserve your strength”
”My strength will return soon enough They won't co-after Lady Drudae is angry”
”OPEN IT! ” She aug slap across the man's ear
”Lady, I cannot! It does not-there is no-I see nothing-”
”Open it or fry! ” This ti, knuckles sharp, as if she struck the idiot's si face
”Lady, It is not possible! ” pled Kat ”Perhaps the trickster told the aye-”
Clink!
They froze; turned as one to stare at the bag sitting, inviolate, on the high wooden table
Beside it lay a solitary token of the type used to count score In gaames