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.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlHe stopped where he was, pulling Ryer against him protectively, watching as the metal crawlers slippedfrom openings in the walls like ghosts, metal limbs clutching knives and pincers and strange-lookingcylinders.In a careful sweep, they came up the passageway, fanning out to both sides.Ahren s throattightened.There was no way past them.They were too many to avoid.When he glanced hurriedly in the opposite direction, he found the other end of the corridor blocked, aswell.For a moment, he panicked; there was nowhere to run, no way to get clear.The jaws of the trap wereclosing, and he and Ryer were caught right in the middle.He stood his ground because there was nothingelse to do, still holding to the seer with one hand while he drew free his long knife, his only weapon, withthe other.I won t run this time, he told himself.He would stand and fight, even if the struggle washopeless.Maybe Ryer could break past in the ensuing struggle.Maybe at least one of them could.He never finished the thought.As the closest of the creepers reached them, the enshrouding mist wentcompletely opaque, and its quiet swirling turned into a whirlwind.He ducked his head against the suddenmovement, feeling Ryer press close.He blinked in an effort to see what was happening, but everythingbeyond their concealment had disappeared.Beyond the rush of the enshrouding haze, there was onlyblackness.Then the mist cleared enough to see beyond its perimeter again.They were past the creepers and in theclear once more.Ahren didn t question the magic of the phoenix stone any further; he simply accepted it for the gift it was.He believed it would protect them from everything so long as it lasted.Moving quickly, almost at a trot,he pulled Ryer after him down the passageway, leaving the creepers behind.Antrax would have to findanother way to trap them.During the course of their flight, it tried to do exactly that.First it sent more creepers, squads of them, as if there were an inexhaustible supply to call upon.Theyflooded the corridors ahead and behind, some advancing in search, some standing watch at every turn.They began to use the odd-looking cylinders now, weapons that emitted bursts of the deadly fire threads,cast here and there at random, seeking them out.Time and again, the creepers closed on Ahren andRyer, and it seemed there could be no escape.But each time, the smoke darkened and swirled, andwhen it cleared enough to see again, they were safely past their hunters.When it became obvious that the creepers and their handheld weapons weren t getting the job done, firethreads appeared out of the walls, crisscrossing the corridors, oscillating like deadly spider-webbingcaught in a wind.But the magic of the phoenix stone was able to bypass the threads as easily as it had thecreepers, cloaking and protecting the Elven Prince and the girl.Then metal doors began to close, sealing off passageways a few at a time.It was a random effort atbest, because it hampered the hunters as well as the hunted.At first it didn t affect Ahren and Ryer at allbecause the sealed passageways were ones through which they had come or down which they were notimpelled to go.But eventually the closings caught up with them, and a door closed directly in their path.Immediately, Ahren knew to change direction, to go another way.He obeyed the impulse, withoutunderstanding why, backtracking up that corridor and turning down a new one.Once, they were forced to wait in front of sealed door until it opened.Ahren had no idea how long thatGenerated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmltook.All sense of time slipped away from him within the mist, as if it no longer had meaning or relevancein his life.The magic of the phoenix stone had recreated his world, and while he was in its thrall, nothingof the temporal world would much affect him.Eventually the creepers, fire threads, and closing doors ceased to be more than a sporadic occurrence.Finally, they disappeared completely.They were all alone in a passageway far from where they hadstarted, and Ahren paused to look out through the swirling mist of their enclosure.He felt drained, empty.He felt worn. It worked, he said softly.Her slender hands tightened on his in acknowledgment. You made it work, she whispered.He shook his head. I took a chance.The magic wasn t even mine to use.It belonged to Bek.It wasgiven to him. It was given to you by Bek! Her voice was angry. Stop belittling yourself, Ahren! Before, when Iasked you to come with me into Castledown to find Walker, you said you didn t think you could protectme.But you have, haven t you? It doesn t matter how you did it-only that you did.She paused to study him. It took courage to do what you did back there.To use the phoenix stonewithout knowing what it would do, then to lead us through the creepers and fire threads.It took courageto come with me at all.Why are you so quick to dismiss that?He shook his head. I m not brave.I m anything but.I just did the only thing I could think to do to helpus escape. She was staring at him as if he were transparent.He felt exposed and vulnerable.He didn tlike the idea of her thinking of him as something he knew he wasn t.She pulled him against one of the walls and leaned into him, still holding tightly to his hands. Tell mewhat s bothering you, she said quietly.She fixed him with her violet eyes. It s all right.Strangely enough, he felt it was.Not only right, but necessary.He wanted to tell her what he was hidingabout himself, to confide in her the truth of his cowardice, to open himself and let out the terrible hurt hewas carrying, to rid himself of its burden.There, deep underground, shut away with her by the magic ofthe phoenix stone, he felt he could.He forced himself to meet her intense gaze as he spoke. When we went into the ruins and wereattacked, I panicked, he said. While the others stood and fought, I ran.I threw down my sword, and Iran. He swallowed against the bitterness of his words. I didn t want to, but I couldn t help myself.All Icould think about was saving my life, finding a way to stay alive.Joad Rish was bending down to helpone of the Elven Hunters, one of Ard Patrinell s men, and I saw him cut apart by fire threads, his head-He choked on the words and had to stop.Ryer s free hand touched his cheek. Don t you think they allfelt as you did, Ahren? she asked him. Don t you think they all did whatever they could to stay alive?The Elven Hunters fought back because that s what they knew to do, not because of a code of conductor a special kind of courage.Joad Rish tried to heal an injured man because that was what he could do.You ran, Ahren, because staying with the others would have gotten you killed and you didn t want that.You did what you could. Except that your vision showed that Antrax let me live, that I was kept alive on purpose! he saidbitterly.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlHer smile was warm and gently remonstrative. You didn t know that then, did you? What we do in anysituation is based on what we know.I ran to Walker s aid in the maze [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]