Part 1 (1/2)
Robert Jordan
Conan
The Indoh cairn marks the desolate juncture where the lands of Brythunia, Corinthia and Zaether Centuries of wind and rain and snow and sun have worked their hot and cold hands and weathered claws over the pillar, s it into littlefroround The mountain upon which the cairn squats is most always covered with snow, continually subjected to harsh storraphical e
Upon the narrow sobund path that passes the cairn walked a
”There were horses,” the woman said, ”but naturally, it never occurred to you to fetch a pair”
The speaker of these words was na woman born of the Khauranian desert
While lush of breast, she had the supple e developed by one fas were fir She wore a heavy cloak over a woolen shi+rt and long woolen skirt against the cold, and her feet were encased in high boots A short, curved sword dangled from a strap at her left hip
”Most of the horses were either dead or about to be,” her co a dead horse , but certainly fully grown He stood tall and wide-shouldered, with thickly muscled arms and a deep, heavy chest Clean-shaven, he wore his black hair in a square-cut mane, and his blue eyes seeotten of the fierce barbarian mountain people from the cold lands of Cimmeria far to the north He too wore a woolen shi+rt and woolen pants under a winter's cloak and was shod in heavy boots, and the sheathed sword he carried was long and straight, of ancient blued iron, its edges sharped like razors
”A lot you know,” Elashi+ continued ”I soreat barbarian lout!”
Conan shook his head SinceElashi+ at the temple of the Suddah Oblates, his life had certainly been less than dull They had taken up with a beautiful zoht a necromancer's blind priests and undeadthe way He and Elashi+ had shared sleeping robes for ue him at every opportunity It seeined
Conan said, ”I heard no corinned widely at her
After a few seconds, and seerin ”Well, I suppose you do ometimes rise to certain occasions” She was silent for half a dozen steps and then said, ”But ould have y for such alliances had we horses to ride”
”I noticed no lack of energy on for that which we do not have, why not wish for a kingdoold?”
”Oh, you, you-barbarian lout!”
He grinned again as she fell silent After the death of Neg the Malefic, the necro Ciether until their paths parted Conan intended to visit the wicked city of Shadizar, in Zamora, to ply the trade of thief, while Elashi+'s plans would take her farther south, to her native Khauran Fro the way thus far, Conan had learned that the route would not be direct; the best road detoured into Corinthia for perhaps several days' journey before looping southeast into Zaain Even as he recalled this, the path upon which they trod turned to the west and began to angle down the e or town ahead in which he could practice his thievery and obtain enough silver for two horses, thereby putting an end to Elashi+'s constant carping He certainly hoped it would be so
Snow lay thick upon the land save for the path, where it had been trodden down It inter but clear, the blue skies sharp, the air cold and clean Conan much enjoyed such places; towns offered much, but the air inside a city stank of odors unknown in the s, of course Meat and wine and lusty co a snow-covered trail in the middle of nowhere While Conan's God Crom lived inside a mountain, he had never ordained that men were supposed to do the same
From ahead on the trail there ca, the sound, and ears less sharp than Conan's would have dis or a s Cimmerian stopped, and listened intently
”What are you-?”
Conan waved Elashi+ to silence When he spoke, his voice was a deep whisper ”Soe boulder”
Elashi+ glanced at the house-sized rock Conan had just indicated ”I see no sign of anyone,” she said,his whisper
”There was a noise,” Conan insisted
”I heard nothing And I aet”
How could he forget? She reminded him of it at least once daily ”Perhaps you need desert sand for your ears to work properly I heard a cough”
That earned hilare that, had it been a blade, would have left hiround ”Listen, you barbarian oaf-”
”No ames,” he cut her off He drew his sword ”I sense that we are in danger”
Elashi+ nodded Despite her verbal abuse of her coh to understand that his senses were indeed sharper than those of ordinary men She drew her oord
”What should we do?”
”You circle behind the rock while I proceed along the trail to draw their attention That way, you can take them unahile they watchin volume ”Just because I aet that I am firstborn”
Conan stared at her, a to leap up and fly into the heavens He was young, and he supposed that he would learn e, but for the moment he did not think it possible that he would ever understand the motivations of women Perhaps no man could ”Very well,” he said ”Youproceed down the trail whileI circle behind the rock and whoever it is that awaits there”
”Better,” she said But after a rin faded and she looked nervously at Conan
”You would actually sendthe trail into the jaws of possible death?” Her stare was incredulous and her voice quavered She acted as if he had spat on her
Conan shook his head and glanced around at theout there, sent to bedevil hiree with her and she argued Agree with her and she argued even er rise within hiht What isyour suggestion?”
”Keep your voice down,” she ordered
Conan's anger increased as he stared helplessly at her She was beautiful, to be sure, but !
”You proceed down the path and draw the attention of whoever or whatever is there,” she said ”I shall circle around the rock and get behind them That way, I may take them unaware”
Conan stared, unable to speak in his frustrated rage
”Isn't that a better plan than the one you had?” she asked sweetly Waroat butter would not have dissolved in her ht Surely, surely I have offended some God and this is my punishment