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.Exhausted as the bard was from days of fleeing in the rough countryside, the woman's touch was quite relaxing."See," the priestess whispered, "you do want to be a slave."Joel sighed softly.Then her words connected in his brain.He pulled away from her hand and stepped bad from the railing.He could sense the danger in the woman's touch.Walinda laughed at his reaction.She leaned forward and whispered, "Your reserve is very becoming, Poppin.I could break through all those barriers.Stay with me on the ship.Why walk miles through rough terrain when you can enjoy a smooth ride in the company of someone who knows what you really want? You can tell the old man you are protecting his stone.""Does the finder's stone need to be protected?" he asked."You tell me.Lord Bane is fascinated by it, yet I do not think he understands it.If he thought it would bring him power, he would crack it like a nut.Would it bring him power?" Walinda asked.Joel frowned at the question.Walinda must presume the stone held some power.Would the banelich really risk breaking the stone to try to steal Jedidiah's power? Could the creature succeed? Should I stay, Joel wondered, to be sure the stone is kept intact until Jedidiah returns?"Think how you will feel, Poppin," Walinda said, "if you reach the Lost Vale and visit the temple to Finder, yet nothing changes.Finder does not need you." She pointed to Jedidiah."Finder already has a priest with no doubts.A priest who doesn't question the meaning of his service.But you will never truly know the joy of serving.Your journey is in vain.When it is finished you will not even have your hope left." She drained her goblet and tossed it overboard.Joel looked at Jedidiah with envy.The old priest was so favored that he carried half of the finder's stone.Or at least he did.Jedidiah had told him the pilgrimage to the Lost Vale was important, but did the elderly priest really understand him, know how he felt? Probably not.Walinda was right; Jedidiah had no doubts about being a priest."Stay with me and I will give you new hopes," the priestess offered, sliding her hands about his neck.She squeezed at his throat ever so gently.Alarmed by the choking sensation, Joel dropped his goblet and snatched Walinda's wrists.She did not resist as he pulled her hands from his neck.Joel released her and backed away another step."Hopelessness.that's the specialty of the house in a temple of Bane, isn't it?" he asked."And you are a master in its uses."Walinda bowed her head in acknowledgment of the compliment."I took a vow to make a pilgrimage to the Lost Vale," the bard declared."I will not be foresworn, whether my journey brings me closer to my god or not.""Pride, not faith," Walinda commented."Very well, Poppin.But I know you will be back.Only one god can enslave as Bane can.And when you return, I shall make you suffer for making me wait.But, then, making you suffer will not displease me either," she added.Then she strode from the deck into the cabin.Joel shivered in the warm night air.The ease with which a murderess could manipulate his feelings filled him with despair.He wrapped his cloak about him and lay down on the deck, hoping sleep would release him from his fears and doubts.For a long time, he lay awake thinking of Walinda's threat that he would be back Finally he heard Jedidiah singing softly in the darkness, another lullaby, only this one from Berdusk, a cradlesong Joel's own mother had once sung to Joel.Then the Rebel Bard slept.TenJourney To The Lost ValeJoel awoke to Jedidiah's gentle shaking of his shoulder."We've made port," the old priest said."Time to kiss the earth, as the sailors say."The sun was just rising over the Dagger Hills.Jedidiah was smiling, but he looked tired.Joel sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes."Did you get any sleep?" he asked."Someone should have awakened me to take a watch."Jedidiah shook his head."I couldn't have slept here anyway, and it was my turn to take the watch.Besides, there wasn't anything really to watch for [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]