Part 25 (1/2)
Bubbling tar filled her gashedeyelids, she had no protection against the hellish stuff, and felt it burn deep, as Sunbright's ruined eye must pain hi saber-tooth
Then Sysquemalyn felt his foot shi+ft, and both sticky feet crush her back Tar engulfed her, but she'd already given up the fight If she couldn't get revenge, she got nothing Was nothing
Grunting, shaking all over, weakening frohty barbarian twisted Harvester's enchanted blade into the gaping wound he'd inflicted on his ene open a mountain with a chisel, but the enchanted blade cut, and his native strength of arm and spirit bore down
With a final heave, he slah Sysquemalyn's spine The tarry flint-hided ht let go the blade The monster didn't move Sysquemalyn, a self-risly task, bleeding in a hundred places, scorched, seared, and exhausted, Sunbright had a sudden, dio, the Sha with bloody shile shtered, the tribe was shattered and defeated
Was this that vision?
Then he toppled like a felled tree, and crashed on his back in roiling tar
Chapter 21
Sunbright awoke in a strange place
Bea a point at the top A faht slanted through a doorway His vision was oddly flat and tilted to the right
”Where arunted, startled She had sat by his side, head on her knees, napping ”You're awake!”
”Yes,” he croaked ”Water, please”
Gently, the sourd The tiny trickle extinguished a fire in his throat A drink of water when you're dry, he concluded, was the richest gift of the Gods
Sipping, he studied his lover's face She was pale and ith bright scabs on both cheeks Her hair was disordered and lank, and burned short in patches Her nores
Questions bubbled in his?”
”Three days The elves helped with healing spells, and the dwarves brought a dark bread that gives strength, though we had to ruel to feed you”
”Your hands?”
”Burned theht-you were dead”
Sunbright laid his head back ”I almost was,” he told her softly, ”but I had a lot to tell you, so I needed to survive I had ”
”She?”
”Sysquee on the world She wasted the powers of a Goddess Revenge is not cool and sweet It's a fire that burns you inside, and leaves a hollow shell”
Knucklebones wondered if he ree the subject, she spooned venison broth to his lips from a wooden bowl
”What did you want to tell me?”
”Eh? Oh,” he stammered ”That I love you”
Tired, she yet smiled, and leaned close to kiss his forehead He smelled her perfume: sweat and spice and wood smoke, and a breath of wildflowers ”I knew that,” she said
”No Not just that” He reared to his elbows and spoke intensely, ”That I love you, Knucklebones, not anyone else, not the memory of poor, dead Green I love what you are, a sood heart When I look at you, I don't think of another wo else Just wonderful you” He flopped back, exhausted, and said, ”Which is funny, in a way”
His kind words made tears stain her scabby cheek, but herelse I needed to tell you The elven priestess, Brookdweller, touched your hand and read your soul She learned that your father was Eaerlanni, but you were also a Moon Elf, of the Illefarni I , but that's the idea The clues confused her for a while, and you ran off How the Gods h at us!”
His voice trailed off as he nodded Knucklebones touched his shoulder ”What?” she asked
”Please, tell me What of my ancestry?”
”Hunh!” He blinked awake, and said, ”After all host, it turns out you are Green”
”What?” she breathed The thief's le eye stared
”Reincarnated” Sunbright fought sleep to relate the vital news, ”You were born in the future, three hundred years fros return to their roots Brookdweller read your past lives A recent one was Green That's why you called me country mouse It's why I confused you and Green in dreams It's ere attracted in the first place, because I was hunting Green Fate brought us together, but I ignored you to find Greenhen you were both by my side all the time”
He blacked out Knucklebones laid her tousled head on his chest, listened to his heart thuht awoke, the sun was gone, and cool night air bathed his face while a nearby fire war head, tried to focus, but still found the world curiously flat An audience knelt around his pallet Many elves in green and black, bristling with arrows and bows and knives, all strangers, yet oddly fareen eye patch With a jolt, the shaht, I'd like you to meet soh Forest My-family” To his dazed look, the thief explained, ”They're kin to Green They heard of my ancestry from Brookdweller and came to meet me Fashi+oned new clothes for ht had ever seen Cleaned and rested, in shi+ning elven clothes of soft green and deep black leather, Knucklebones looked like a princess The shahed, ”You're beautiful”
Aardly, the part-elf ic My sisters Gracewealth, butterfly, Earthstork, and my brother, Fullshrub”