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.El shifted the elven mage on his shoulder, found the right moment, and jumped again—back to the other side of the rushing ruukha.There were fresh screams as the daggers swerved to follow him, slicing through the hobgoblins once more.El watched one lumbering warrior lose his throat and spin to the ground not knowing what had slain him, hacking vainly and feebly at an unseen enemy as blood spurted.Many were staggering or limping, now, as they turned to follow their elusive foe.One last jump remained, and Elminster saved it, turning instead to trudge up out of the dell with his dangling burden.Only a few grim ruukha followed.El went on walking, seeking some vantage point where he could see a distant feature.The ruukha still on his trail were growling back and forth now, reassuring each other that humans tire quickly, and they'd slay this one after dark if he didn't fall earlier.Elminster ignored them, seeking a long view.It seemed an endless, staggering time before he found one—a thick stand of shadowtop trees across another dell.He made the last jump and left the hobgoblins behind, hoping they'd not care to follow.His daggers would soon melt away, and when they were gone, he'd little left to fight with.It was then that a high, faint voice by his ear said in broken Common, "Down.Put— down.Please."Elminster made sure of his footing in the gloom under the shadowtops, and swung the elf gently down onto a bed of moss."I speak your tongue," he said in elvish."I am Elminster of Athalantar, on my way to Cormanthor."Astonishment touched those green eyes again."My people will kill you," the elf mage replied, his voice fainter."There's only one way for you to."His voice trailed away, and Elminster thrust his hand to the laboring throat and hastily murmured the words of his only healing spell.The response was a smile."The pain is less; have my thanks," the mage said with more vigor, "but I am dying.Iymbryl Alastrarra am I, of." His eyes darkened, and he caught at Elminster's arm.El bent over the elf, helpless to do more healing, and watched long, slim fingers crawl like a shaking spider up his arm, to his shoulder, and thence to touch his cheek.A sudden vision burst into Elminster's mind.He saw himself on his knees, here under the shadowtops where he knelt now.There was no Iymbryl dying under him, but only dust, and a black gem glistening among it.In the vision, El took it up and touched it to his forehead.Then the vision was gone, and El was blinking down at the pain-wracked face of Iymbryl Alastrarra, purple at his lips and temples.His hand fell back to twitch like a restless thing on the dead leaves."You—saw?" the elf gasped.Trying to catch his breath, Elminster nodded.The elven mage nodded back, and whispered, "On your honor, Elminster of Athalantar, do not fail me." A sudden spasm took him, and he quivered like a dry, curled leaf rocks in winds that will whip it away in a moment."Oh, Ayaeqlarune!" Iymbryl cried then, no longer seeing the human above him."Beloved! I come to you at last! Ayaeqlarrr."The voice trailed away into a long, deep rattle, like the echo of a distant flute.The thin body shook once, and then was still.Elminster bent nearer—and then recoiled in horror as the flesh under his hands gave forth a queer sigh, j and slumped into dust.It curled and drifted, there in the shade, and at its heart lay a black gem.Just as in the vision.Elminster looked down at it for a long moment, wondering what he was getting himself into, then glanced up and looked at the trees all around.No hobgoblins, no watching eyes.He was alone.He sighed, shrugged, and picked up the gem.It was warm, and smooth, altogether pleasant to the touch, and gave off a faint sound, like an echo of harp strings, as he raised it.El looked into its depths, saw nothing— and pressed it to his forehead.The world exploded into a whirling chaos of sounds and smells and scenes.El was laughing with an elven maiden in a mossy bower; then he was the elven maiden, or another one, dancing around a fire whose flames sparkled with swirling gems.Then somehow he was wearing fluted armor and riding a pegasus, swooping down through the trees to drive a lance through a snarling orc [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]