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Thank you, SilverSide replied a quick bark and a nod of the head.
SilverSide made her response as cold and formal as KeenEye s. The
Hunt leader sniffed at that, nodded, and padded softly into
PackHome.
SilverSide could smell LifeCrier s strange delight at the exchange.
She insults you by using the HuntTongue. You know that?
She is the leader, SilverSide answered. That means I must obey
her.
She s still waiting for you to challenge her. I could almost taste the
fear.
Why would I challenge her?
You came from the Void, LifeCrier said. There was an eager lilt in
his ancient voice, and he howled softly in BeastTalk for a moment. I
saw the trail of fire as you fell from the SpiritWorld in the stone egg.
You re the OldMother s offspring. You were sent to us, and so
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KeenEye waits for the spirit of OldMother to move you.
I do not feel a spirit inside, SilverSide told the old kin.
You came from the SpiritWorld, LifeCrier said again, as if that fact
answered all objections.
I do not know that, LifeCrier. There is no memory of it in me. I knew
nothing before I crawled from the egg. I acted as it felt right to act. I
saw KeenEye and the Hunt; it seemed important that I take on your
shape.
That was the spirit of OldMother speaking to you. LifeCrier tilted
his graying head and gave a short, excited yip. You ve come as
OldMother promised. You re the sign of forgiveness. You re her
answer to the WalkingStones, and that s why KeenEye is afraid.
The WalkingStones? I do not know the word. What are
WalkingStones?
LifeCrier had no chance to answer the robot s query. KeenEye came
back out into the night air and trotted directly toward them. Rather
than halting as she approached, she continued so that SilverSide and
LifeCrier had to give way or be struck. KeenEye sat exactly where
SilverSide had been sitting.
The Hunt must go back out, she said in KinSpeech. The meat we
killed fills barely half the food cave. We wasted time finding the stone
egg and SilverSide.
SilverSide said nothing, but LifeCrier gave a short bark of derision. A
waste of time that saved your life, he told KeenEye. You should
thank the OldMother for sending you such a waste.
KeenEye gave a low BeastTongue growl as SmallFace slid back into
cloud cover. Her eyes were bright in the gloom, touched with flecks of
green from the phosphorus around the cave mouth. The wind ruffled
the long fur around her neck and brought the scent of forest. Had we
not gone looking for the egg, perhaps we would never have met the
SharpFang and I would not have a life debt to SilverSide. And only an
old litter-kin too ancient to sire pups says that OldMother sent the
egg. But that doesn t matter. The Hunt has to feed the kin.
You know that finding SilverSide wasn t the reason the meat was
scarce. It s the Hill of Stars and the WalkingStones that s what has
made the prey scarce, and that s why OldMother sent SilverSide to
us. LifeCrier was slipping into HuntTongue, his words and posture
becoming more stylized. I, LifeCrier, say this because the AllSpirit
lives in me. I will not let KeenEye deceive the litter-kin.
KeenEye snarled, showing her teeth. Do you want to challenge me,
old one? Do you want to lead the Hunt yourself? Fine, I m ready.
Others of the litter-kin were filling the cleared area around the cave
mouth, watching silently. SilverSide could scent the tension. Her
senses were almost hyper-aware, driven by First Law programming
that translated as a feeling of uneasiness. She readied herself to move,
to come between LifeCrier and KeenEye if they began to fight.
But LifeCrier shook his grizzled head. The AllSpirit told me that I
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was to speak the history of all kin, not lead the pack, KeenEye. That s
why I am LifeCrier. I ve no interest in challenging you. If you wish, I ll
submit now. With that, LifeCrier lifted his head so that the throat
was exposed to KeenEye. For a moment, the tableau held, KeenEye
quivering on the edge of attack and SilverSide ready to intercept the
leader s rush.
But KeenEye did nothing. Slowly, LifeCrier let his muzzle drop. His
demeanor was haughty, knowing that he d won this confrontation.
SilverSide is the gift of the OldMother, he declared loudly so that all
the others could hear.
The truth of that remains to be seen, KeenEye grumbled.
Haven t the WalkingStones taken the lives of kin? Haven t they
driven the prey from the forest around them? Haven t we seen pups
starve and mothers milk become thin? Haven t OneEye s and
ScarredPaw s packs warned us not to enter their territory, knowing
how desperate we are?
Yes, KeenEye admitted, but that says nothing about SilverSide.
I know the old tales I had them from the old LifeCrier, as he had
them from the one before him on down through time. The spirits of
kin past live in me. I know what I know. Again, LifeCrier began using
the HuntTongue as if reciting a litany. I saw the fiery egg leave a trail
across the Void to lead the Hunt. When SilverSide revealed herself, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
Thank you, SilverSide replied a quick bark and a nod of the head.
SilverSide made her response as cold and formal as KeenEye s. The
Hunt leader sniffed at that, nodded, and padded softly into
PackHome.
SilverSide could smell LifeCrier s strange delight at the exchange.
She insults you by using the HuntTongue. You know that?
She is the leader, SilverSide answered. That means I must obey
her.
She s still waiting for you to challenge her. I could almost taste the
fear.
Why would I challenge her?
You came from the Void, LifeCrier said. There was an eager lilt in
his ancient voice, and he howled softly in BeastTalk for a moment. I
saw the trail of fire as you fell from the SpiritWorld in the stone egg.
You re the OldMother s offspring. You were sent to us, and so
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
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.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
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KeenEye waits for the spirit of OldMother to move you.
I do not feel a spirit inside, SilverSide told the old kin.
You came from the SpiritWorld, LifeCrier said again, as if that fact
answered all objections.
I do not know that, LifeCrier. There is no memory of it in me. I knew
nothing before I crawled from the egg. I acted as it felt right to act. I
saw KeenEye and the Hunt; it seemed important that I take on your
shape.
That was the spirit of OldMother speaking to you. LifeCrier tilted
his graying head and gave a short, excited yip. You ve come as
OldMother promised. You re the sign of forgiveness. You re her
answer to the WalkingStones, and that s why KeenEye is afraid.
The WalkingStones? I do not know the word. What are
WalkingStones?
LifeCrier had no chance to answer the robot s query. KeenEye came
back out into the night air and trotted directly toward them. Rather
than halting as she approached, she continued so that SilverSide and
LifeCrier had to give way or be struck. KeenEye sat exactly where
SilverSide had been sitting.
The Hunt must go back out, she said in KinSpeech. The meat we
killed fills barely half the food cave. We wasted time finding the stone
egg and SilverSide.
SilverSide said nothing, but LifeCrier gave a short bark of derision. A
waste of time that saved your life, he told KeenEye. You should
thank the OldMother for sending you such a waste.
KeenEye gave a low BeastTongue growl as SmallFace slid back into
cloud cover. Her eyes were bright in the gloom, touched with flecks of
green from the phosphorus around the cave mouth. The wind ruffled
the long fur around her neck and brought the scent of forest. Had we
not gone looking for the egg, perhaps we would never have met the
SharpFang and I would not have a life debt to SilverSide. And only an
old litter-kin too ancient to sire pups says that OldMother sent the
egg. But that doesn t matter. The Hunt has to feed the kin.
You know that finding SilverSide wasn t the reason the meat was
scarce. It s the Hill of Stars and the WalkingStones that s what has
made the prey scarce, and that s why OldMother sent SilverSide to
us. LifeCrier was slipping into HuntTongue, his words and posture
becoming more stylized. I, LifeCrier, say this because the AllSpirit
lives in me. I will not let KeenEye deceive the litter-kin.
KeenEye snarled, showing her teeth. Do you want to challenge me,
old one? Do you want to lead the Hunt yourself? Fine, I m ready.
Others of the litter-kin were filling the cleared area around the cave
mouth, watching silently. SilverSide could scent the tension. Her
senses were almost hyper-aware, driven by First Law programming
that translated as a feeling of uneasiness. She readied herself to move,
to come between LifeCrier and KeenEye if they began to fight.
But LifeCrier shook his grizzled head. The AllSpirit told me that I
a
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f
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Y
Y
r
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A
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Click here to buy
Click here to buy
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was to speak the history of all kin, not lead the pack, KeenEye. That s
why I am LifeCrier. I ve no interest in challenging you. If you wish, I ll
submit now. With that, LifeCrier lifted his head so that the throat
was exposed to KeenEye. For a moment, the tableau held, KeenEye
quivering on the edge of attack and SilverSide ready to intercept the
leader s rush.
But KeenEye did nothing. Slowly, LifeCrier let his muzzle drop. His
demeanor was haughty, knowing that he d won this confrontation.
SilverSide is the gift of the OldMother, he declared loudly so that all
the others could hear.
The truth of that remains to be seen, KeenEye grumbled.
Haven t the WalkingStones taken the lives of kin? Haven t they
driven the prey from the forest around them? Haven t we seen pups
starve and mothers milk become thin? Haven t OneEye s and
ScarredPaw s packs warned us not to enter their territory, knowing
how desperate we are?
Yes, KeenEye admitted, but that says nothing about SilverSide.
I know the old tales I had them from the old LifeCrier, as he had
them from the one before him on down through time. The spirits of
kin past live in me. I know what I know. Again, LifeCrier began using
the HuntTongue as if reciting a litany. I saw the fiery egg leave a trail
across the Void to lead the Hunt. When SilverSide revealed herself, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]