[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.The thing howled as its claws tore at its own chest while dark ichor flowed from its gaping mouth.It fell forward, dead.Carina cried a warning from behind."Carina and Berry, stay between us," Vahanian shouted as the group retreated.Their horses whinnied, terrified by the smell of the beasts.Carroway picked off one more of the beasts.Carina and Vahanian lit their weapons, and Tris lobbed a fireball toward the lead creature.Two more staggered from the wreckage toward them."We can't hold them at bay for long," Carroway shouted, loosing another arrow.Although he dropped three of the beasts, two more appeared from the shadows to take their places."Ride for it!" Tris commanded."I'll hold them as long as I can, just get out of here!" Carina wheeled her horse and the others followed, their panicked mounts pounding down the village street as Tris lobbed fireballs.Behind him, he heard a horse's terrified cry and Berry's scream."Berry!" Carina shouted.Berry's horse reared and bolted, leaving the girl on the road."They're gaining!" Carroway shouted, firing off two more arrows.Vahanian leaned into his horse and kicked its sides, riding down on Berry, his lance leveled.He snatched the girl up by her cloak with his left hand and she clambered onto his horse behind him, hanging on for her life.A guttural howl split the twilight as two more of the beasts appeared, blocking Carina's path.As Tris flung fireballs and Carroway fired arrows, the beasts began to circle.Carina screamed as one of the beasts lunged for her horse.She poled it in the chest with her flaming stave, but her mount reared and nearly threw her.With a battle cry, Vahanian leveled his lance and rode for the thing at full gallop.Berry ducked her head and clung, white-knuckled, to his back.Vahanian's lance scored a direct hit on the beast closest to Carina.His lance impaled the writhing creature, enveloping it in flames as it shrieked, charring with an acrid stench.He shook the dead thing free of his weeapon and wheeled his horse, wrestling it against its fear, rearing on two legs to bash his lance down on another beast."Those were my last arrows," Carroway breathed."I'll make an opening," Tris shouted above the din."Ride for the road and don't look back."At that, he dug his heels into his mount, crouching low, and bolted toward the center of the cursed village.Heart thudding, Tris realized that the beasts followed his sudden motion, whether from predator's instinct or Arontala's curse."Now!" he shouted, as the beasts—nearly a dozen of them—started after him.From the scrabble of their clawed feet behind him, he badly misjudged their speed.His ruse might have only a few seconds to play out.He heard the thunder of hoof beats and knew the others were making for the road.Barely ahead of the monsters, Tris suddenly wheeled his mount.Tris opened himself to his power, and his mind formed the image faster than the words could reach his lips.Summoning a shielding over himself and his panicked mount, Tris called a curtain of fire that sprang up from the village earth, enveloping them.Even within the warding, he could hear the death cries of the beasts as the flames incinerated them.It was over just as quickly as it had started, leaving Tris and his horse standing amid a blackened circle and the remains of the cursed beasts.A cry cut through the silence.At first, Tris thought it was Carina—then he realized that the sound came from a grove of trees near the other side of the village, opposite from the direction in which his friends had fled.He turned his horse toward the sound, and although the mount was trembling, it obeyed, carrying him toward the crossroads.A lone traveler, stalked by one of the beasts, was running out of time.The traveler was capable with a sword, but the beast was implacable, and Tris knew he had only moments to intervene."Stand clear!" he shouted, spurring his horse toward the traveler at a full gallop.Calling down a curtain of fire here was impossible—in the wooded area, they would be killed along with the beast.Tris stretched out his hand, and the image of Vahanian's lance came to mind.As his horse closed the distance, Tris willed both force and flame and a streak of fire shot from his outstretched palm.It struck the beast in the chest and engulfed it.Fire crackled in the dried brush."Get out of there!" Tris shouted to the traveler.The traveler dismounted and ran into the thicket, emerging a moment later with a small bundle before swinging back up onto the big stallion."This way!" Tris gestured, and the traveler rode toward him, glancing backward several times at the fallen beast.Together, Tris and the traveler thundered down the roadway until the smoke of the village was far behind them.When they finally slowed, he realized that the rest of his party—if they had survived—were on the far side of the village.A bad headache had begun to build in reaction to his working, and he struggled to clear his thoughts.He resolved to ask for some of Carina's headache tea, assuming his friends had also made it to safety."Are you all right?" he asked breathlessly as he reined in his horse.The traveler did the same, and sheathed the sword still clutched in hand."Thank you," the traveler said, and the heavy cowl fell back to reveal a woman, close to Tris's own age, her auburn hair caught back in a braid and the glint of a studded mail breastplate unmistakable beneath the neckline of her cloak."We never had a chance," she said ruefully."That.thing.came out of nowhere.I couldn't hold it off.""We?" Tris asked, hearing the note of sadness in her voice."I had a tame fox, and a hunting gyregon," she said quietly."The fox tried to attack when we were surprised.I saw him die," she said with a catch in her voice."The gyregon is badly wounded," she continued, and only then did Tris see the bundle that she held on the saddle in front of her.Tris saw the head of her gyregon loll to one side.He brought his horse alongside hers and dug into his pack.Tris shook free a piece of cloth and offered it to her."It smells of cheese," he said with a smile."But you might make a sling to carry him.""Thank you," she said with a note of surprise.Only when she winced as she reached for the cloth did Tris see the deep gash in her shoulder."Night's a dangerous time to ride alone," he said."My companions should be on the other side of that small village.We were also ambushed, but we drove the beasts back," he said, omitting just how that was accomplished."We have a healer with us.Perhaps she could look at your shoulder."He saw the wariness in the traveler's eyes."You're welcome to camp with us for the night," he offered."Be on your way in the morning.We'll all be safer with another sword," he said with a nod toward the weapon she sheathed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl matkasanepid.xlx.pl
.The thing howled as its claws tore at its own chest while dark ichor flowed from its gaping mouth.It fell forward, dead.Carina cried a warning from behind."Carina and Berry, stay between us," Vahanian shouted as the group retreated.Their horses whinnied, terrified by the smell of the beasts.Carroway picked off one more of the beasts.Carina and Vahanian lit their weapons, and Tris lobbed a fireball toward the lead creature.Two more staggered from the wreckage toward them."We can't hold them at bay for long," Carroway shouted, loosing another arrow.Although he dropped three of the beasts, two more appeared from the shadows to take their places."Ride for it!" Tris commanded."I'll hold them as long as I can, just get out of here!" Carina wheeled her horse and the others followed, their panicked mounts pounding down the village street as Tris lobbed fireballs.Behind him, he heard a horse's terrified cry and Berry's scream."Berry!" Carina shouted.Berry's horse reared and bolted, leaving the girl on the road."They're gaining!" Carroway shouted, firing off two more arrows.Vahanian leaned into his horse and kicked its sides, riding down on Berry, his lance leveled.He snatched the girl up by her cloak with his left hand and she clambered onto his horse behind him, hanging on for her life.A guttural howl split the twilight as two more of the beasts appeared, blocking Carina's path.As Tris flung fireballs and Carroway fired arrows, the beasts began to circle.Carina screamed as one of the beasts lunged for her horse.She poled it in the chest with her flaming stave, but her mount reared and nearly threw her.With a battle cry, Vahanian leveled his lance and rode for the thing at full gallop.Berry ducked her head and clung, white-knuckled, to his back.Vahanian's lance scored a direct hit on the beast closest to Carina.His lance impaled the writhing creature, enveloping it in flames as it shrieked, charring with an acrid stench.He shook the dead thing free of his weeapon and wheeled his horse, wrestling it against its fear, rearing on two legs to bash his lance down on another beast."Those were my last arrows," Carroway breathed."I'll make an opening," Tris shouted above the din."Ride for the road and don't look back."At that, he dug his heels into his mount, crouching low, and bolted toward the center of the cursed village.Heart thudding, Tris realized that the beasts followed his sudden motion, whether from predator's instinct or Arontala's curse."Now!" he shouted, as the beasts—nearly a dozen of them—started after him.From the scrabble of their clawed feet behind him, he badly misjudged their speed.His ruse might have only a few seconds to play out.He heard the thunder of hoof beats and knew the others were making for the road.Barely ahead of the monsters, Tris suddenly wheeled his mount.Tris opened himself to his power, and his mind formed the image faster than the words could reach his lips.Summoning a shielding over himself and his panicked mount, Tris called a curtain of fire that sprang up from the village earth, enveloping them.Even within the warding, he could hear the death cries of the beasts as the flames incinerated them.It was over just as quickly as it had started, leaving Tris and his horse standing amid a blackened circle and the remains of the cursed beasts.A cry cut through the silence.At first, Tris thought it was Carina—then he realized that the sound came from a grove of trees near the other side of the village, opposite from the direction in which his friends had fled.He turned his horse toward the sound, and although the mount was trembling, it obeyed, carrying him toward the crossroads.A lone traveler, stalked by one of the beasts, was running out of time.The traveler was capable with a sword, but the beast was implacable, and Tris knew he had only moments to intervene."Stand clear!" he shouted, spurring his horse toward the traveler at a full gallop.Calling down a curtain of fire here was impossible—in the wooded area, they would be killed along with the beast.Tris stretched out his hand, and the image of Vahanian's lance came to mind.As his horse closed the distance, Tris willed both force and flame and a streak of fire shot from his outstretched palm.It struck the beast in the chest and engulfed it.Fire crackled in the dried brush."Get out of there!" Tris shouted to the traveler.The traveler dismounted and ran into the thicket, emerging a moment later with a small bundle before swinging back up onto the big stallion."This way!" Tris gestured, and the traveler rode toward him, glancing backward several times at the fallen beast.Together, Tris and the traveler thundered down the roadway until the smoke of the village was far behind them.When they finally slowed, he realized that the rest of his party—if they had survived—were on the far side of the village.A bad headache had begun to build in reaction to his working, and he struggled to clear his thoughts.He resolved to ask for some of Carina's headache tea, assuming his friends had also made it to safety."Are you all right?" he asked breathlessly as he reined in his horse.The traveler did the same, and sheathed the sword still clutched in hand."Thank you," the traveler said, and the heavy cowl fell back to reveal a woman, close to Tris's own age, her auburn hair caught back in a braid and the glint of a studded mail breastplate unmistakable beneath the neckline of her cloak."We never had a chance," she said ruefully."That.thing.came out of nowhere.I couldn't hold it off.""We?" Tris asked, hearing the note of sadness in her voice."I had a tame fox, and a hunting gyregon," she said quietly."The fox tried to attack when we were surprised.I saw him die," she said with a catch in her voice."The gyregon is badly wounded," she continued, and only then did Tris see the bundle that she held on the saddle in front of her.Tris saw the head of her gyregon loll to one side.He brought his horse alongside hers and dug into his pack.Tris shook free a piece of cloth and offered it to her."It smells of cheese," he said with a smile."But you might make a sling to carry him.""Thank you," she said with a note of surprise.Only when she winced as she reached for the cloth did Tris see the deep gash in her shoulder."Night's a dangerous time to ride alone," he said."My companions should be on the other side of that small village.We were also ambushed, but we drove the beasts back," he said, omitting just how that was accomplished."We have a healer with us.Perhaps she could look at your shoulder."He saw the wariness in the traveler's eyes."You're welcome to camp with us for the night," he offered."Be on your way in the morning.We'll all be safer with another sword," he said with a nod toward the weapon she sheathed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]