[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
my own. I am certain Norina would forbid me to talk with you. She rose to
her feet to leave, though she was not certain she could walk away.
The raven said, This evening, as the sun set, I saw a thing that might
surprise you.
Zanja often had wished she could see from above, like a bird. She said
politely, What did you see, good raven?
I saw Samnite soldiers creeping through the woods.
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FIRE LOGIC - ELEMENTAL LOGIC BOOK 1 - LAURIE MARKS
Zanja s vague dread sharpened. Are they creeping towards this
encampment?
Oh, yes. They approach you from the west, spread out, to catch you in a net
of soldiers as you try to flee.
Then should we flee due east?
Northeast, the raven said. The forest is not so thick there, and the land
grows steep and rocky. It seems a good place to defend yourselves.
Do you know if they outnumber us? Zanja wondered, then, if the raven
could even count. She could scarcely believe she was discussing battle
tactics with a bird, and had to keep reminding herself that the raven shared
Karis s intelligence.
They are greater than your company, but not by much. She heard the dry
sound of the raven running a wing feather through his beak. Zanja
na Tarwein, he added, and she could have sworn it was the god that spoke
to her, you can be drearily punctilious.
He spread his wings, and, only mildly offended, she said hastily, Well,
tonight I appreciate your lack of punctiliousness. I ll try to leave some food
for you in the camp.
She found Emil with no little difficulty, finally locating him by his gear: the
box that contained his tea set, and the camp stool that was never out of
reach. He awakened at her touch. Zanja?
I think we are in danger.
He sat up, and seemed to consider, or perhaps to consult his own talent for
prescience. Yes, we are indeed in danger. He reached for his boots. It is
the Sainnites, of course. I wonder how they found us.
That I don t know. But I think they are to the west, spread out in the
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FIRE LOGIC - ELEMENTAL LOGIC BOOK 1 - LAURIE MARKS
woods.
Yes, he confirmed, in some surprise. There s a place to the north and east
where we might stage an ambush. What do you think?
Why not?
She gave him a hand up, and he grunted as he put his weight on his bad leg.
He held her hand for a moment longer than necessary. Two fire bloods, he
said thoughtfully. This is an advantage I had not considered.
I ll pack your gear for you, she said. I know how you like it arranged.
What followed was the most swift, silent, and orderly retreat Zanja had ever
seen. She had scarcely managed to buckle her belt and sling her knapsack
on her shoulders when the company began moving into the woods. She
delayed a moment to put a chicken carcass and a handful of cracked corn
atop a flat rock for the raven. By then, Daye had sent someone back for her,
a laconic veteran who moved through the woods as a snake glides through
grass. The abandoned clearing lay empty behind them, with only the warm
ashes of the campfires to tell the story of how recently it had been occupied.
An occasional mimicked bird call, far ahead, gave the scattered company
members a direction to follow. Zanja and her companion sometimes
encountered others, traveling through the dark woods, but they separated
again. The trees began to thin, and boulders loomed. Zanja realized from
the ache in her calves that the ground had begun to rise. The trees dropped
away. The bird call sounded: closer, but above her. She looked up and saw a
rocky hillside pressed against fading stars. A dozen dark shapes climbed the
rocks; soon she was one of them, hauling herself and her gear from stone to
stone, sometimes being given a hand from above, and sometimes offering
one to the climber below. At the top, the entire company had gathered,
some gasping for breath, some loading their pistols and winding their
crossbows. Daye had used pebbles to lay out a map on the ground. She
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FIRE LOGIC - ELEMENTAL LOGIC BOOK 1 - LAURIE MARKS
looked up as Zanja squatted nearby. Annis says you re not much of a shot
yet.
This is an opportunity to practice.
Daye grinned. Well, first rule of ambush: Don t be the first one to shoot,
not even if you feel like the Sainnites are right on top of you. And until you
hear that first shot, don t even look to see where the Sainnites are. If you can
see them, they can see you.
A half dozen late-comers stood or squatted around the impromptu map as
Daye reviewed the plans for what must have been the third or fourth time.
Others gathered around Willis and Perry, being instructed in much the
same way, while Emil climbed to a high point and took out his spyglass.
The dawning day revealed a lone black bird soaring overhead. The last of
the company members scattered to find positions in the bulwark of stone,
and Zanja settled behind a boulder to wait, with her loaded pistols at hand.
The dull brown clothing of her fellow Paladins melted into stone; their
shapeless hats disguised their heads and faces. She watched the raven,
wondering if with the flaps of his wings he sent signals that she could not
read.
The rising sun had begun to cast shadows when Zanja heard the distinct,
harsh tones of a tin signal whistle, and some time later faintly heard a few
words spoken in Sainnese. No doubt the Sainnites were arguing whether to
continue on, for to anyone with any sense the hillside was an intimidating
prospect. She heard a few more words, angry now: a hot-headed
commander, frustrated at having nothing to show for the long night in the
woods. They were going to give up the chase, she thought, with a deep sense
of relief.
A long silence followed, then she heard quite distinctly a woman just below
her, saying in Sainnese, They came this way, that s for certain. But I say
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FIRE LOGIC - ELEMENTAL LOGIC BOOK 1 - LAURIE MARKS
they re long gone scattered through the forest, impossible to find by now.
They used the rough ground to obscure their traces.
A man said angrily, That seguli swore we would have a proud victory this
night.
Well, the night has ended, the woman said.
He has never been wrong before!
The woman offered no argument, but it seemed it was her ill luck to be the
target for her commander s wrath. Climb up and tell me what you see, he
said.
It was Zanja s ill luck that the woman began to climb where she stood,
perhaps two body lengths below Zanja s hiding place. She waited, hearing
the casual conversations of the Sainnites below, the chirps of a few early
season birds, the faint, hoarse cry of the raven. The woman climbed swiftly,
impatiently, and yet when she reached the other side of the boulder behind
which Zanja sheltered, she paused, and Zanja heard the hiss of a blade [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
my own. I am certain Norina would forbid me to talk with you. She rose to
her feet to leave, though she was not certain she could walk away.
The raven said, This evening, as the sun set, I saw a thing that might
surprise you.
Zanja often had wished she could see from above, like a bird. She said
politely, What did you see, good raven?
I saw Samnite soldiers creeping through the woods.
file:///C|/Users/User/Downloads/Laurie%20Marks%20-...lemental_Logic_01]_-_Fire_Logic_(V1.0)_[html].html (136 of 404) [04/08/2010 12:57:08 a.m.]
FIRE LOGIC - ELEMENTAL LOGIC BOOK 1 - LAURIE MARKS
Zanja s vague dread sharpened. Are they creeping towards this
encampment?
Oh, yes. They approach you from the west, spread out, to catch you in a net
of soldiers as you try to flee.
Then should we flee due east?
Northeast, the raven said. The forest is not so thick there, and the land
grows steep and rocky. It seems a good place to defend yourselves.
Do you know if they outnumber us? Zanja wondered, then, if the raven
could even count. She could scarcely believe she was discussing battle
tactics with a bird, and had to keep reminding herself that the raven shared
Karis s intelligence.
They are greater than your company, but not by much. She heard the dry
sound of the raven running a wing feather through his beak. Zanja
na Tarwein, he added, and she could have sworn it was the god that spoke
to her, you can be drearily punctilious.
He spread his wings, and, only mildly offended, she said hastily, Well,
tonight I appreciate your lack of punctiliousness. I ll try to leave some food
for you in the camp.
She found Emil with no little difficulty, finally locating him by his gear: the
box that contained his tea set, and the camp stool that was never out of
reach. He awakened at her touch. Zanja?
I think we are in danger.
He sat up, and seemed to consider, or perhaps to consult his own talent for
prescience. Yes, we are indeed in danger. He reached for his boots. It is
the Sainnites, of course. I wonder how they found us.
That I don t know. But I think they are to the west, spread out in the
file:///C|/Users/User/Downloads/Laurie%20Marks%20-...lemental_Logic_01]_-_Fire_Logic_(V1.0)_[html].html (137 of 404) [04/08/2010 12:57:08 a.m.]
FIRE LOGIC - ELEMENTAL LOGIC BOOK 1 - LAURIE MARKS
woods.
Yes, he confirmed, in some surprise. There s a place to the north and east
where we might stage an ambush. What do you think?
Why not?
She gave him a hand up, and he grunted as he put his weight on his bad leg.
He held her hand for a moment longer than necessary. Two fire bloods, he
said thoughtfully. This is an advantage I had not considered.
I ll pack your gear for you, she said. I know how you like it arranged.
What followed was the most swift, silent, and orderly retreat Zanja had ever
seen. She had scarcely managed to buckle her belt and sling her knapsack
on her shoulders when the company began moving into the woods. She
delayed a moment to put a chicken carcass and a handful of cracked corn
atop a flat rock for the raven. By then, Daye had sent someone back for her,
a laconic veteran who moved through the woods as a snake glides through
grass. The abandoned clearing lay empty behind them, with only the warm
ashes of the campfires to tell the story of how recently it had been occupied.
An occasional mimicked bird call, far ahead, gave the scattered company
members a direction to follow. Zanja and her companion sometimes
encountered others, traveling through the dark woods, but they separated
again. The trees began to thin, and boulders loomed. Zanja realized from
the ache in her calves that the ground had begun to rise. The trees dropped
away. The bird call sounded: closer, but above her. She looked up and saw a
rocky hillside pressed against fading stars. A dozen dark shapes climbed the
rocks; soon she was one of them, hauling herself and her gear from stone to
stone, sometimes being given a hand from above, and sometimes offering
one to the climber below. At the top, the entire company had gathered,
some gasping for breath, some loading their pistols and winding their
crossbows. Daye had used pebbles to lay out a map on the ground. She
file:///C|/Users/User/Downloads/Laurie%20Marks%20-...lemental_Logic_01]_-_Fire_Logic_(V1.0)_[html].html (138 of 404) [04/08/2010 12:57:08 a.m.]
FIRE LOGIC - ELEMENTAL LOGIC BOOK 1 - LAURIE MARKS
looked up as Zanja squatted nearby. Annis says you re not much of a shot
yet.
This is an opportunity to practice.
Daye grinned. Well, first rule of ambush: Don t be the first one to shoot,
not even if you feel like the Sainnites are right on top of you. And until you
hear that first shot, don t even look to see where the Sainnites are. If you can
see them, they can see you.
A half dozen late-comers stood or squatted around the impromptu map as
Daye reviewed the plans for what must have been the third or fourth time.
Others gathered around Willis and Perry, being instructed in much the
same way, while Emil climbed to a high point and took out his spyglass.
The dawning day revealed a lone black bird soaring overhead. The last of
the company members scattered to find positions in the bulwark of stone,
and Zanja settled behind a boulder to wait, with her loaded pistols at hand.
The dull brown clothing of her fellow Paladins melted into stone; their
shapeless hats disguised their heads and faces. She watched the raven,
wondering if with the flaps of his wings he sent signals that she could not
read.
The rising sun had begun to cast shadows when Zanja heard the distinct,
harsh tones of a tin signal whistle, and some time later faintly heard a few
words spoken in Sainnese. No doubt the Sainnites were arguing whether to
continue on, for to anyone with any sense the hillside was an intimidating
prospect. She heard a few more words, angry now: a hot-headed
commander, frustrated at having nothing to show for the long night in the
woods. They were going to give up the chase, she thought, with a deep sense
of relief.
A long silence followed, then she heard quite distinctly a woman just below
her, saying in Sainnese, They came this way, that s for certain. But I say
file:///C|/Users/User/Downloads/Laurie%20Marks%20-...lemental_Logic_01]_-_Fire_Logic_(V1.0)_[html].html (139 of 404) [04/08/2010 12:57:08 a.m.]
FIRE LOGIC - ELEMENTAL LOGIC BOOK 1 - LAURIE MARKS
they re long gone scattered through the forest, impossible to find by now.
They used the rough ground to obscure their traces.
A man said angrily, That seguli swore we would have a proud victory this
night.
Well, the night has ended, the woman said.
He has never been wrong before!
The woman offered no argument, but it seemed it was her ill luck to be the
target for her commander s wrath. Climb up and tell me what you see, he
said.
It was Zanja s ill luck that the woman began to climb where she stood,
perhaps two body lengths below Zanja s hiding place. She waited, hearing
the casual conversations of the Sainnites below, the chirps of a few early
season birds, the faint, hoarse cry of the raven. The woman climbed swiftly,
impatiently, and yet when she reached the other side of the boulder behind
which Zanja sheltered, she paused, and Zanja heard the hiss of a blade [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]