Part 16 (1/2)
Sunbright butted his head into Magichunger's belly to wedge the war chief atop his shoulders
Harvester's tall po on leaves, the shaerously
”Knuckle'!” he whispered ”Knuck-oh!”
The thief appeared under his chin, startling hihtchild's dead,” she whispered
”Dead! No!” It was Archloft, Nightchild's blanket partner ”We need his body”
A bad oht the shaman, for one so named to die out in the dark ”Leave him,” he said, ”or we're all bodies Knuckle', lead us out!”
”Here!” she directed, but he couldn't see which way She grabbed his ared, skipped to the others, and pointed the Hurry!”
A one-eyed thief leading the blind, Sunbright thought inanely His first step throbbed where his toes had been sliced He spit out the pain and traured he'd probably stop a dozen arrows before he took five paces, but no barbs sla side to side as he jogged, for Magichunger was thick through the body Knucklebones was a sparrow by comparison
Tree trunks flicked by like pillars of sht's face, and he knew they'd reached the grassy slope Darkness before his eyes was less intense Prairie night They were almost safe, for he doubted elves would leave the woods for open spaces for long Perhaps, emboldened by darkness, they'd circle far ahead and lay a trap
He jolted as Magichunger stirred, growled, and groaned, ”What's-Who's-”
”Hush!+ I've got you!”
”Who? Sunbright? You're not-ugh!-strong enough to carry e if the victiasped, ”Still with us?”
”Uh! Yes! But you make adamned poorsled!”
The shaman hissed, ”We'll drive buffalo ahead next time! You're beefy as one!”
”You just want to cover your own backwith rowled For some reason the quip irritated the shaman ”The tribe needs you” ”Don't seewhy I'soer stifled a groan of pain ”What did we learn? First it's damned orcs, then it's elves My son'll be war chief, and his son, and so forever at this rate-aggh!”
”Rest,” Sunbright ordered ”We'll talk later”
Magichunger grew liht knew the war chief ed downhill, finally struck level earth, sainst his boots The cleft between his toes throbbed, and blood squished in his boot,it slippery
”Need help?”
The whisper startled hiside without his knowing
Dropping to one knee, Sunbright wrestled Magichunger off his shoulder Lon, the sht!” he said
”They'll see froht, da here! Giveher ser's hot, wet leg The rogue striped cold light froertips At the salow to shi+eld it from eyes in the forest
After hours in the dark, the firefly light er, stuck it in an oozing hole, wiggled, felt it protrude past flesh out the other side Quickly he bandaged the wound and tied it off ”Lucky?” he er would not faint fro, his hands found a second arrow jutting fro froht exclaih as a shark's tooth More light, please-Who comes?”
Knucklebones had already seen the shape, but the dark figure didn't move like an attacker
”Blackblosso for once ”Need help?”
”No,” Sunbright answered ”Stay out of the light! Get back to the tribe We'll follow” The woman didn't waste words, but faded away
Knucklebones plied e the wound The shaman decided to cut out the kidney arrow lest the barbs work deeper into vitals with every jostle The thief eased her dark blade alongside the arrowhead, sliced da muscle, and withdrew the barb Blood welled black until Sunbright plugged and wrapped it The shoulder arrow he left eh to break
”What is this wood?”
”Let me,” Knucklebones whispered By feel, the part-elf shaved hard splinters
”If he lives, Magichunger will give orders froallows humor, he added, ”If he dies, we'll need a near chief You, perhaps”
”Not I Did you-” The elf stopped short as she wiggled the arrow, then shaved
”Did I what?” Sunbright asked
”Did you-kill anyone?”
A strange question in an odd tone, the shaht ”No,” he told her ”Did you?”
”No I don't-I don't want to kill anyone The he couldn't see the motion in the dark, then said, ”Yes”
”Because they're elves?” Sunbright asked He watched for anyone lurking or advancing But wavy grassbroke the line
”More than that,” she said, leaning on the arrow, then cursing under her breath ”They look like me”
”They do?” he asked, then the snap of the shaft ended the questions ”Douse thisoddly hurt ”Don't you know I can't dispel it? It fades on its own”
”Oh,” he said aardly ”No, I never knew that” There was much he didn't know about this part-elven thief from the future Why didn't he? He'd known Green to her core, or thought he had Then he was busy wrestling Magichunger onto his shoulders like a dead ox Glancing around, he set off at a quick march
”No! This way!” caered after her voice Normally he knew the compass with his eyes closed