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.That finished, she placed one hand on her moonblade and brought to mind a gangly, sun-browned human lad.The trio of gasps from the elves told her the blade had done its task.One of Arilyn's predecessors had endowed the sword with the ability to cast minor glamours over the wield-er.It was a slight effect, a small shifting of perception.Arilyn had learned to work with the moonblade's magic to create a number of personas.Part of the transformation was done with small changes of costume, and she had learned to mimic the stance and movements of each character type she portrayed: a human lad, a courtesan, a gold-elf priestess, and perhaps a half-dozen more.But to the wild elves, her transformation from moon elf warrior to adolescent Tethyrian poacher must have been as startling-and as foreign-as anything a human wizard might accomplish!But there was no time to soothe their surprise or explain the sword's power.She ordered them to take cover in the bushes and to follow along out of sight.As soon as her companions were away, Arilyn tossed the furs onto the raft and waded into the stream.She knelt on the raft and began to guide it downriver with a long pole.She was almost abreast of the hillock when the first arrow came at her.It went wide, but the visibility from the narrow strips of window carved into the barracks was such that she doubted the archer would know the difference.With a cry of feigned agony, she toppled off the raft and into the water.Sound traveled well under the water, and as Arilyn clung to the rocks at the bottom of the river, she heard the puzzled oaths of the mercenaries who'd come out to finish off the poacher, only to find no trace of him.Arilyn watched as they caught the raft and pulled it ashore, and she blessed Black Pearl, her half-sea-elf friend, for the gift of the amulet that enabled her to stay underwater.But it occurred to her, belatedly, that she should have explained this bit of stored magic to her companions.Apparently the admonition to stay hidden and quiet regardless of how things appeared to be going had not been sufficient for the loyal Hawkwing.Arilyn's blood chilled as a long, shrill cry filtered down to her through the water.She'd heard the elf maid's battle yell often enough to know what it was.Arilyn braced her bare feet against the stones and pushed up with all her might.She broke the surface of the water and swam for shore so that she could join her friends in battle.Where Hawkwing went, the others would surely follow.The half-elf splashed ashore, drawing her sword as she came.The scene before her was not encouraging.At least thirty men poured from the barracks-far too many for the four of them to handle.Arilyn kicked into a running charge.Even so, she could do nothing but watch as the fierce elf child went down, clutching at the bright ribbon that a mercenary's sword had opened along the length of her fighting arm.But Hawkwing was nothing if not resilient.She rolled aside, slapping her dagger into her other hand as she went.The elven girl came up with a fire in her eyes that no amount of blood could quench-not hers, and certainly not that of her enemies.Arilyn reached the nearest of the mercenaries and delivered a vicious backhanded slash.The man got his sword up in time to parry, but the speed and force of her blow knocked the weapon from his hand.The half-elf stepped back, then lunged in, her sword driving precisely between the man's third and forth ribs and into his heart.She pivoted slightly, putting the soldier's body between herself and the charging attack of a second man.She planted her foot in the dead mercenary's middle and kicked him off her blade-and into the second man's path.The charging mercenary couldn't pull up in time, and the sword he held before him in a lancelike attack thrust deep into his comrade's body.Arilyn circledaround behind the confused human with three quick steps.With a mighty, chopping blow she severed his spine before he could withdraw his blade.She whirled, moonblade held before her in guard position, to face the approach of a third man.This one moved with a light, measured tread and wore an expression of supreme self-confidence.He smirked as he raised his sword in a parody of the salute that would begin a gentleman's duel [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]