Part 36 (1/2)
Hands were letting go of her in careful haste, though someone was heard to mutter, ”She could have all manner of magic-”
”Yes,” Storm replied with a smile. ”She could, couldn't she? However, highknights and wizards of war of Cormyr, if the Forest Kingdom is anything to be proud of at all, you should dare to treat all women as ladies until you have cause to treat them in any lesser manner-not treat all strangers as dastardly foes until you know better. I I certainly trained highknights, not to mention more than a few young n.o.ble lords, who behave in the more n.o.ble fas.h.i.+on. When did all of certainly trained highknights, not to mention more than a few young n.o.ble lords, who behave in the more n.o.ble fas.h.i.+on. When did all of you you go astray, I wonder?” go astray, I wonder?”
”Lady,” Starbridge began slowly, ”it is not our intent to antagonize you or offer offense, and I apologize for how matters between us have begun. Is there anything we can do to make amends?”
”Several things,” Storm replied with a smile, getting to her feet. Aside from what was left of the robe and jerkin clinging to her shoulders, most of her torn clothing fell away from her, but she seemed not to notice. ”Let's begin by telling me plainly what you're doing here. The last time I glanced at a map, Shadowdale was not, in fact, within the borders of Cormyr.”
”Lady, we seek Elminster. We are to bring him to Suzail as swiftly as possible.”
”Then you're in luck. He's there already. In the royal palace, if nothing's gone awry. And I must return to him as quickly as I can. Which brings us to the second thing you can do to make amends to me.” She strode to Starbridge and held out her hand. ”Yield to me your teleport ring.”
Starbridge held out hands that bore no rings at all. ”Lady, I have no-”
”You can dispense with lying to me, too,” Storm told him crisply. ”I speak of the ring in the little bag inside your tunic, that's hanging from the inside of your collar. In return, I'll tell you the name of a man in Mistledale who owes me much coin, and the word that will therefore make him freely give all of you superb fast mounts for your ride back to Cormyr.”
Starbridge's face had gone flame red under the gaze of the war wizards, who were regarding him with frowns.
”How came you by a teleport ring?” Mereld asked Starbridge softly.
”It belonged to Queen Filfaeril,” Storm replied before Sir Eskrel could say a word. ”The highknights have had it in their keeping ever since her death, thanks to her foresight and wise wishes. And my carrying them out.”
”Lady,” the wizard Lemmeth said in a low voice from behind Mereld, ”you'll appreciate how difficult it is for us to believe all of this.”
Storm nodded. ”I do. Your disbelief is quite understandable-but a serious failing in a wizard of war, wouldn't you say?”
She turned back to Starbridge. ”The ring, sir.”
Eskrel Starbridge seemed to be struggling with himself. He glared at her, face s.h.i.+fting through a variety of not-quite-readable expressions, then tore open his collar, plucked forth the little bag she'd spoken of, and produced the ring.
Storm took it stepped forward and kissed him full on the mouth, put an arm around him and waltzed her way around behind him as he was still blinking in astonishment, stepped back-and was gone.
Leaving the Cormyreans blinking at each other across a hollow full of unconscious men.
Narulph broke the silence with a sudden, angry oath. ”You let her get away! Without even telling us how to get the horses!”
Starbridge shook his head slowly. ”When she kissed me, his name and a word just appeared appeared in my mind: 'Denneth Rhardantan,' and 'glimmerdeep.'” in my mind: 'Denneth Rhardantan,' and 'glimmerdeep.'”
He shook himself again, as if awakening, and snapped, ”Get these dolts awake-they work for the Crown, so be gentle-and let's be finding the trail to Mistledale. If this council goes as ill as I fear it will, I want to be back in Cormyr before it erupts into war!”
His command all stared at him; he gave them a glare, waved his arms, and roared, ”Did you hear me? Move!” Move!”
They moved. All except the war wizards Mereld and Lemmeth.
”Sir Highknight,” Mereld asked quietly, ”are you all right? What else did she do to you?”
Eskrel Starbridge stared back at them for a moment and then said, ”I'm under no glamour, if that's what you fear. Put down those sticks, Lemmeth; they're not wands. She just took them from the kindling to make fools think they were seeing a wizard with wands, so they'd leave him be. She told me that, too.”
He started across the hollow. ”And she gave me a look into her mind,” he added in a whisper. ”I don't think I'll be sleeping for some while. I know now what real real loneliness feels like.” loneliness feels like.”
The two war wizards stepped into his way, wearing frowns. ”We'd better get you to-”
Starbridge gave them a wry grin and shook his head. ”I'll be all right. You see, I know now what true love feels like, too.”
”What's wrong?” Marlin Stormserpent snapped.
Windstag was too out of breath and too terrified to be coherent. He put his head down almost against Marlin's belly, gasping and shuddering. ”Get us inside! Magic-don't know whose-yours?-s.n.a.t.c.hed us here!”
Marlin bundled the three n.o.bles through the door and slammed it in a whirlwind of haste, then rushed them along a dark pa.s.sage, up some stairs, and into a room in Stormserpent Towers that none of the three had ever seen before. The Lords Dawntard and Sornstern promptly fainted.
Marlin gave them a grim look then snapped at Windstag, ”Catch your breath, then tell me your tale.”
Nodding, head down, and panting too hard to speak, Windstag fumbled in the breast of his disarranged jerkin and brought out-a glowing hand axe!
”Ha ha!” Marlin burst out, s.n.a.t.c.hing it from him. ”Well done! Oh, well done!” done!”
And he rushed from the room, chortling in triumph.
Broryn Windstag fought to get in two gasping breaths more of air, then forced himself into a run, up and after Stormserpent.
Who was luckily still visible, racing up a narrow servants' stair in the dimly lit distance. Windstag struggled after him, lungs burning, lurching like a drunken man in his pain and weariness, but clawing his way up the stairs and keeping Marlin-or at least the glowing axe-in sight.
Stormserpent ended up in the room where he always met with them. Axe in hand, he spun around, pointed at Windstag, and commanded, ”Be still ”Be still. Don't move or speak until I'm done with the ritual.”
He turned away without waiting for a reply, so Windstag lurched to his usual chair and collapsed in it. Where he leaned on the table, still gasping loudly, able to do little more than stare at Marlin Stormserpent.
Who turned away for a moment, his elbow moving as if his fingers were busy getting something out of his own clothing, then turned back to face the table and Windstag.
Holding the axe up as if saluting with it, Marlin read from a sc.r.a.p of parchment that he hadn't been holding moments earlier. ”Arruthro.” ”Arruthro.”
That word seemed to roll away across a greater distance than the room could contain-and the air darkened. At first Windstag thought it was his own labored breathing that was making things seem that way, but then he felt a tension, almost a singing, in the air, too.
That definitely definitely hadn't been there, before. hadn't been there, before.
”Tar lammitruh arondur halamoata,” lammitruh arondur halamoata,” Stormserpent announced, speaking loudly and slowly. Stormserpent announced, speaking loudly and slowly.
The room seemed to grow colder. Windstag swallowed a curse.
”Tan thom tanlartar,” Marlin added-and the hand axe silently erupted in weird blue fire. Raging flames raced down his arm to the elbow and then wreathed it and the axe in an ongoing inferno that-Windstag stared-seemed to cause Stormserpent no pain at all, nor even scorch his clothing. No heat was coming from it, only a deepening chill. Marlin added-and the hand axe silently erupted in weird blue fire. Raging flames raced down his arm to the elbow and then wreathed it and the axe in an ongoing inferno that-Windstag stared-seemed to cause Stormserpent no pain at all, nor even scorch his clothing. No heat was coming from it, only a deepening chill.
”Lara.s.se lara.s.se thulea,” Marlin declaimed, and the room went icy. Marlin declaimed, and the room went icy.