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."Harm nothing in Darken Wood! Neither plant nor tree, bird nor animal!""I agree with Raistlin," Tanis said."We have to spend the night here and I don't want to kill any animal in this forest if we don't have to.""Elves never want to kill period," Flint grumbled."The magician scares us to death and you starve us.Well, if anything does attack us tonight, I hope it's edible!""You and me both, dwarf." Caramon heaved a sigh, went over to the creek, and began trying to assuage his hunger by drowning it.Tasslehoff returned with firewood."I didn't cut it," he assured Raistlin."I just picked it up."But even Riverwind couldn't make the wood catch fire."The wood's wet," he stated finally and tossed his tinderbox back into his pack."We need light," Flint said uneasily as night's shadows closed in thickly.Sounds in the woods that had been innocent in the daytime now seemed sinister and threatening."Surely you do not fear children's stories," Raistlin hissed."No!" snapped the dwarf."I just want to make certain the kender doesn't rifle my pack in the dark.""Very well" said Raistlin with unusual mildness.He spoke his word of command; "Shirak" A pale, white light shone from the crystal on the tip of the mage's staff.It was a ghostly light and did little to brighten the darkness.In fact, it seemed to emphasize the menace in the night."There, you have light," the mage whispered softly.He thrust the bottom of the staff into the wet ground.It was then Tanis realized his elven vision was gone.He should have been able to see the warm, redoutlines of his companions, but they were nothing more than darker shadows against the starrydarkness of the glade.The half-elf didn't say anything to the others, but the peaceful feeling he had been enjoying was pierced by a sliver of fear."I'll take the first watch," Sturm offered heavily."I shouldn't sleep with this head wound, anyway.I once knew a man who did-he never woke up.""We'll watch in twos," Tanis said."I'll take first watch with you."The others opened packs and began making up beds on the grass, except for Raistlin.He remainedsitting on the trail, the light of his staff shining on his bowed, hooded head.Sturm settled downbeneath a tree.Tanis walked over to the brook and drank thirstily.Suddenly he heard a strangled cry behind him.He drew his sword and stood, all in one motion.The others had their weapons drawn.Only Raistlin sat, unmoving."Put your swords away," he said."They will do you no good.Only a weapon of powerful magic could harm these."An army of warriors surrounded them.That alone would have been enough to chill anyone's blood.But the companions could have dealt with that.What they couldn't handle was the horror thatoverwhelmed and numbed their senses.Each one recalled Caramon's flippant comment; "I'll fightthe living any day of the week, but not the dead."These warriors were dead.Nothing more than fleeting, fragile white light outlined their bodies.It was as if the human warmththat had been theirs while they lived lingered on horribly after death.The flesh had rotted away,leaving behind the body's image as remembered by the soul.The soul apparently remembered otherthings, too.Each warrior was dressed in ancient, remembered armor.Each warrior carried rememberedweapons that could inflict well- remembered death.But the undead needed no weapons.They couldkill from fear alone, or by the touch of their grave-cold hands.How can we fight these things? Tanis thought wildly, he who had never felt such fear in the face offlesh and blood enemies.Panic engulfed him and he considered yelling for the others to turn andrun for it.Angrily, the half-elf forced himself to calm down, to get a grip on reality.Reality! He almostlaughed at the irony.Running was useless; they would get lost, separated.They had to stay and dealwith this-somehow.He began to walk toward the ghostly warriors.The dead said nothing, made nothreatening moves.They simply stood, blocking the path.It was impossible to count them sincesome glimmered into being while others faded, only to return when their comrades dimmed.Notthat it makes any difference, Tanis admitted to himself, feeling sweat chill his body.One of theseundead warriors could kill all of us simply by lifting its hand.As the half-elf drew nearer to the warriors, he saw a gleam of light- Raistlin's staff.The mage,leaning on his staff, stood in front of the huddle of companions.Tanis came to stand beside him.The pale crystal light reflected on the mage's face, making it seem nearly as ghostly as the faces of the dead before him."Welcome to Darken Wood, Tanis," the mage said."Raistlin-" Tanis choked.He had to try more than once to get his dry throat to form a sound."What are these-""Spectral minions," the mage whispered without taking his eyes from them."We are fortunate.""Fortunate?" Tanis repeated increduously."Why?""These are the spirits of men who gave their pledge to perform some task.They failed in thatpledge, and it is their doom to keep performing the same task over and over until they win theirrelease and find true rest in death.""How in the name of the Abyss does that make us fortunate?" Tanis whispered harshly, releasing his fear in anger."Perhaps they pledged to rid the forest of all who entered!""That is possible"-Raistlin flickered a glance at the half-elf-"though I do not think it likely.We will find out."Before Tanis could react, the mage stepped away from the group and faced the spectres."Raist!" Caramon said in a strangled voice, starting to shove forward."Keep him back, Tanis," Raistlin commanded harshly."Our lives depend on this."Gripping the warrior's arm, Tanis asked Raistlin, "What are you going to do?""I am going to cast a spell that will enable us to communicate with them.I will perceive theirthoughts.They will speak through me."The mage threw his head back, his hood slipping off.He stretched out his arms and began to speak."Ast bilak par-bilakar.Suh tangus moipar!"he murmured, then repeated that phrase three times [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]