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.He would have to kill, and perhaps he would have to accept the death of one or more of thesepeople he loved.He remembered how he had felt yesterday, when he thought he might loseRiverwind.The half-elf frowned and sat up suddenly, feeling as if he had awakened from a baddream."Is everyone up?" he asked, scratching his beard.Flint stumped over and handed him a hunk of bread and some dried strips of venison."Up andbreakfasted," the dwarf grumbled."You could have slept through the Cataclysm, Half-Elf"Tanis took a bite of venison without appetite.Then, wrinkling his nose, he sniffed."What's that funny smell?""Some concoction of the mage's." The dwarf grimaced, plopping down next to Tanis.Flint pulled out a block of wood and began carving, hacking away furiously, making chips fly."He pounded upsome sort of powder in a cup and added water.Stirred it up and drank it, but not before it made that gullymudge smell.I'm happier not knowing what it was."Tanis agreed.He chewed on the venison.Raistlin was now reading his spellbook, murmuring thewords over and over until he had committed them to memory.Tanis wondered what kind of spellRaistlin had that might be useful against a dragon.From what little he remembered aboutdragonlore-learned ages ago from the elven bard, Quivalen Soth -only the spells of the very greatestmages had a chance of affecting dragons, who could work their own magic-as they had witnessed.Tanis looked at the frail young man absorbed in his spellbook and shook his head.Raistlin might bepowerful for his age, and he was certainly devious and clever.But dragons were ancient.They hadbeen in Krynn before the first elves-the oldest of the races-walked the land.Of course, if the planthe companions discussed last night worked out, they wouldn't even encounter the dragon.Theyhoped simply to find the lair and escape with the Disks.It was a good plan, Tanis thought, andprobably worth about as much as smoke on the wind.Despair began to creep over him like a dankfog."Well, I'm all set," Caramon announced cheerfully.The big warrior felt immeasurably better in his armor.The dragon seemed a very small annoyance this morning.He tunelessly whistled an oldmarching song as he stuffed his mud-stained clothing into his pack.Sturm, his armor carefullyadjusted, sat apart from the companions, his eyes closed, performing whatever secret ritual knightsperformed, preparing himself mentally for combat.Tanis stood up, stiff and cold, moving around toget the circulation going and ease the soreness from his muscles.Elves did nothing before battle,except ask forgiveness for taking life."We, too, are ready," Goldmoon said.She was dressed in a heavy gray tunic made of soft leather trimmed with fur.She had braided her long silver-gold hair in a twist around her head-a precautionagainst an enemy using her hair to gain a handhold."Let's get this over with." Tanis sighed as he picked up the longbow and quiver of arrows Riverwind had taken from the draconian camp and slung them over his shoulder.In addition, Tanis was armedwith a dagger and his longsword.Sturm had his two-handed sword.Caramon carried his shield, alongsword, and two daggers Riverwind had scrounged.Flint had replaced his lost battle-axe withone from the draconian camp.Tasslehoff had his hoopak and a small dagger he had discovered.Hewas very proud of it and was deeply wounded when Caramon told him it would be of use if they raninto any ferocious rabbits.Riverwind bore his longsword strapped to his back and still carriedTanis's dagger.Goldmoon bore no weapon other than the staff.We're well armed, Tanis thoughtgloomily.For all the good it will do us.The companions left the chamber of Mishakal, Goldmoon coming last.She gently touched thestatue of the goddess with her hand as she passed, whispering a silent prayer.Tas led the way, skipping merrily, his topknot bouncing behind him.He was going to see a real livedragon! The kender couldn't imagine anything more exciting.Following Caramon's directions, they headed east, passing through two more sets of golden doubledoors, and came to a large circular room.A tall, slime-coated pedestal stood in the center-so tall not even Riverwind could see what, if anything, was on it.Tas stood beneath it, staring up at itwistfully."I tried to climb it last night," he said, "but it was too slippery.I wonder what's up there?""Well, whatever it is will have to stay forever beyond the reach of kenders," Tanis snapped irritably.He walked over to investigate the staircase that spiraled down into the darkness.The stairs werebroken and covered with rotting plants and fungus."The Paths of the Dead," Raistlin said suddenly."What?" Tanis started."The Paths of the Dead," the mage repeated."That's what this staircase is called.""How in the name of Reorx do you know that?" Flint growled."I have read something of this city," Raistlin replied in his whispering voice."This is the first we've heard of it," Sturm said coldly."What else do you know that you haven't told us?""A great many things, knight," Raistlin returned, scowling."While you and my brother played with wooden swords, I spent my time in study.""Yes, study of that which is dark and mysterious," the knight sneered."What really happened in the Towers of High Sorcery, Raistlin? You didn't gain these wonderful powers of yours without givingsomething in return.What did you sacrifice in that Tower? Your health-or your soul!""I was with my brother in the Tower," Caramon said, the warrior's normally cheerful face now haggard."I saw him battle powerful mages and wizards with only a few simple spells.He defeated them, though they shattered his body.I carried him, dying, from the terrible place.And I-" The big man hesitated.Raistlin stepped forward quickly and placed his cold, thin hand on his twin's arm."Be careful what you say," he hissed.Caramon drew a ragged breath and swallowed."I know what he sacrificed," the warrior said in a husky voice.Then he lifted his head proudly."We are forbidden to speak of it [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]