war of the spider queen 3 condemnation-第49章

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　　　The　scout　grimaced　in　frustration。
　　　〃I　can't　climb　and　carry　her！〃　he　snapped　as　a　second　blow　at　the　door　splintered　wood　and　bent　iron。
　　　The　ancient　door　would　not　withstand　another　blow。　Valas　glanced　up　the　shaft　and　down　at　Quenthel；　and　reached　down　and　unfastened　her　House　Baenre　brooch　from　her　shoulder。　Her　snake…headed　whip　stirred　in　agitation；　and　Yngoth　actually　struck　at　the　scout；　but　Valas　scrambled　back　and　fixed　the　brooch　to　his　tunic。
　　　〃I'm　trying　to　save　your　mistress；〃　he　barked　at　the　whip。
　　　The　scout　moved　close　and　grasped　Quenthel　under　the　arms；　using　the　power　of　her　own　brooch　to　levitate　away　from　the　floor。
　　　Meanwhile；　Ryld　measured　the　icy　barrier　in　front　of　him。
　　　〃All　right；　then；〃　he　muttered。
　　　He　backed　up；　set　his　feet　as　best　he　could　against　the　shaft's　wall；　and　drew　Splitter　back　for　the　mightiest　blow　he　could　muster。　With　a　cry　of　rage；　he　struck　the　wall　a　tremendous　blow；　Splitter's　blade　shearing　through　the　magical　ice　even　as　waves　of　excruciating　cold　washed　over　him。　He　ignored　the　pain　and　swung　again；　and　again…and　the　sheet　of　ice　cracked　into　a　dozen　pieces　and　fell　away　to　the　floor　below。　Without　waiting　for　the　others；　Ryld　hurled　himself　up　into　the　beholder's　lair。
　　　
　　　Within　a　day　of　Seyll's　murder；　Halisstra　began　to　wonder　if　she　might　have　been　better　off　going　with　the　Eilistraee　priestess　and　feigning　conversion。　It　might　have　been　a　strategy　unlikely　to　reunite　her　with　her　rades；　but　it　would　have　meant　that　she　would　have　enjoyed　shelter；　food；　and　the　opportunity　to　perhaps　regain　her　equipment；　instead　of　an　interminable　march　through　the　freezing　woods。　As　dawn　approached；　she　could　find　no　better　shelter　than　a　small；　damp　hollow　surrounded　by　drow…high　boulders　and　bare　trees。　Shivering；　she　shrugged　off　her　stolen　backpack　and　searched　it　thoroughly；　hoping　against　hope　that　she　had　somehow　overlooked　some　key　implement　or　a　scrap　of　food。
　　　Seyll　and　her　followers　had　not　anticipated　a　wilderness　sojourn　of　more　than　a　few　hours。　They　carried　no　more　gear　than　Halisstra　would　have；　had　she　decided　to　venture　out　to　a　well…known　cavern　a　mile　or　two　from　Ched　Nasad。　They　certainly　hadn't　equipped　themselves　for　the　convenience　of　their　captive's　escape。
　　　With　the　crossbow　she'd　taken　from　Xarra　and　the　bae'qeshel　songs　at　her　mand；　she　had　a　fair　chance　of　dropping　any　game　she　came　across；　but　in　her　hours　and　hours　of　wandering　she'd　not　seen　anything　larger　than　a　bird。　Even　if　she　did　succeed　in　killing　something　for　her　dinner；　she　had　no　means　to　cook　it；　and　Halisstra　was　beginning　to　suspect　that　the　forest　itself　conspired　against　her。
　　　She　was　reasonably　sure　that　she'd　managed　to　keep　heading　west　after　her　escape　from　the　heretic。　If　Seyll　hadn't　been　lying　when　she　said　they　were　near　the　spot　where　Halisstra　had　been　captured；　the　Melarn　priestess　was　no　more　than　one　or　two　nights'　march　from　the　small　river　Pharaun　had　described　in　his　vision。　Since　the　river　ran　south　to　north　somewhere　in　front　of　her；　it　seemed　a　difficult　target　to　miss　as　long　as　she　kept　moving　west。
　　　Halisstra　tried　to　keep　the　sunset　and　moonset　ahead　of　her；　and　a　little　to　her　left；　since　they'd　be　somewhat　south　of　her　at　this　time　of　year…or　so　she'd　gathered　from　watching　Valas　navigate　the　woods　over　the　past　few　days。　Of　course；　she　had　no　way　of　knowing　whether　to　turn　upstream　or　downstream　when　she　did　reach　Pharaun's　river；　since　she　couldn't　be　sure　that　she'd　struck　the　stream　at　the　spot　the　wizard　anticipated。　For　that　matter；　she　was　unlikely　to　know　for　certain　whether　she'd　found　the　right　stream　at　all。　She'd　already　crossed　a　dozen　small　brooks　in　a　day　and　a　half；　and　while　she　didn't　think　any　of　them　could　properly　be　called　a　river；　she　simply　didn't　have　enough　experience　of　the　surface　world　to　be　sure。
　　　〃Of　course；　that　all　presumes　that　I　haven't　been　wandering　in　circles　for　hours；〃　Halisstra　muttered。
　　　It　could　be　that　the　most　sensible　thing　to　do　would　be　to　abandon　the　notion　of　searching　for　the　Jaelre；　and　pick　the　straightest　course　out　of　the　forest　she　could　find。　Sooner　or　later；　she　might　find　civilization　again；　and　beg；　borrow；　or　steal　food　and　other　supplies…or　charm　a　guide　who　could　lead　her　to　the　Jaelre。
　　　She　closed　her　eyes；　trying　to　build　a　mental　picture　of　Cormanthor　and　the　lands　around　it。　She　was　in　the　eastern　part　of　the　forest；　she　knew…so　was　her　best　course　east；　toward　the　rising　sun？　There　was　little　on　that　side　of　the　forest　except　for　the　human　settlement　of　Harrowdale。　if　she　recalled　her　geography。　Or　was　she　better　off　turning　south？　Several　more　dales　lay　in　that　direction；　so　her　odds　of　reaching　civilization　seemed　better　that　way；　even　if　that　meant　she　would　have　a　longer　trek　to　reach　the　eaves　of　the　forest。　North　she　ruled　out　at　once；　since　she　was　fairly　certain　that　Elventree　lay　in　that　direction。　Any　way　she　went；　she　would　be　turning　her　back　on　the　Jaelre　and　her　sacred　mission；　at　least　for　a　time。
　　　〃This　would　be　easier　if　the　goddess　would　consent　to　answer　my　prayers；〃　she　grumbled。
　　　When　she　realized　what　she'd　said；　she　couldn't　help　but　glance　around　and　put　a　hand　to　her　mouth。　Lolth　did　not　look　kindly　on　plainers。
　　　She　passed　a　cold；　wet；　and　miserable　day　hunched　down　among　the　rocks　of　her　small　hiding　place；　drifting　in　and　out　of　Reverie。　More　than　once　she　wished　she'd　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　order　Feliane　to　guide　her　to　the　Jaelre；　or　at　least　give　up　her　cloak　and　pack　before　dashing　off　in　a　panic。　Lord　Dessaer's　rangers　were　most　likely　on　her　trail；　of　course；　and　they　would　not　show　her　much　mercy　if　she　fell　into　their　hands　again。　Even　so；　Halisstra　was　beginning　to　feel　that　a　quick　execution　by　the　surface　elves　might　be　preferable　to　a　long　and　lonely　death　by　starvation　in　the　endless　forest。
　　　At　nightfall　she　rose；　gathered　her　belongings；　and　scrambled　out　of　her　hiding　place。　She　stood　on　the　forest　floor；　looking　toward　the　direction　she　reckoned　west；　then　south；　and　west　again。　South　might　offer　a　better　chance　of　finding　a　human　or　surface　elf　settlement；　but　she　couldn't　bring　herself　to　abandon　the　hope　of　rejoining　her　rades。　Better　to　try　one　more　march　west；　and　if　she　still　hadn't　found　Pharaun's　river　by　dawn；　she'd　think　about　giving　up　the　effort。
　　　〃West；　then；〃　she　said　to　herself。
　　　She　walked　for　a　couple　of　hours；　trying　to　keep　the　moon　left　of　her；　even　though　she　felt　it　rather　than　saw　it。　The　night　was　cold；　and　high　thin　clouds　scudded　by　overhead；　driven　by　a　fierce　blast　of　wind　that　didn't　reach　down　to　the　shelter　of　the　trees。　The　woods　were　cold　and　still；　probably　pitch　black　by　a　surface　dweller's　standards；　but　Halisstra　found　that　the　diffuse　moonlight　flooded　the　forest　like　a　sea　of　gleaming　silver　shadow。　She　paused　to　study　the　sky；　trying　to　gauge　whether　she　was　allowing　the　moon's　passage　to　affect　her　course　too　much；　when　she　heard　the　faint　sound　of　rushing　water。
　　　Carefully　she　stole　forward；　trotting　softly　through　the　night；　and　she　emerged　at　the　bank　of　a　wide；　shallow　brook　that　splashed　over　a　pebbly　bed。　It　was　wider　than　any　she'd　seen　yet；　easily　thirty　to　forty　feet；　and　it　ran　from　her　left　to　her　right。
　　　〃Is　this　it？〃　she　breathed。
　　　It　seemed　large　enough；　and　it　was　about　where　she'd　expected　to　find　it…a　march　and　a　half　from　the　place　where　she'd　been　captured。　Halisstra　crouched　and　studied　the　swift　water；　thinking。　If　she　made　the　wrong　decision；　she　might　follow　the　stream　into　some　desolate　and　unpopulated　portion　of　the　woods　and　die　a　lonely　death　of　hunger　and　cold。　Then　again；　her　prospects　weren't　very　bright　no　matter　what　she　did。　Halisstra　snorted　to　herself；　and　followed　the　stream　to　her　left。　What　did　she　have　to　lose？
　　　She　managed　another　mile　or　so　before　the　night's　walk　and　the　cold　air　made　her　hunger　too　great　to　be　borne　any　longer；　and　she　resolved　to　stop　and　make　a　midnight　meal　of　whatever　supplies　she　had　left。　Halisstra　shook　her　pack　off　her　shoulder　and　started　to　look　around　when　an　odd　whirring　sound　fluttered　through　the　air。　Without　even　thinking　about　it；　Halisstra　threw　herself　flat　on　the　ground…she　knew　the　sound　too　well。
　　　Two　small　quarrels　flew　past　her；　one　sinking　into　a　nearby　tree　trunk；　the　other　glancing　from　her　armored　sleeve。　Halisstra　rolled　behind　the　tree　and　quickly　sang　a　spell　of　invisibility；　hoping　to　throw　off　her　assailants'　aim；　when　she　happened　to　glance　again　at　the　bolt。　It　was　small　and　black；　with　red　fletching；　the　bolt　of　a　drow　hand　crossbow。
　　　Several　stealthy　attackers　moved　closer　through　the　wood；　their　presence　indicated　only　by　the　occasional　rustle　of　leaves　on　the　ground　or　a　low　signaling　whistle。　Halisstra　carefully　stood；　still　hiding　behind　the　tree。
　　　In　a　low　voice　she　called；　〃Hold　your　fire。　I　killed　the　Eilistraeen　priestess　who　carried　these　arms。　I　serve　the　Spider　Queen。〃
　　　Her　voice　carried　the　hint　of　a　bae'qeshel　song　that　gave　her　words　an　undeniable　sincerity。
　　　Several　drow　stalked　closer；　their　feet　rustling　softly　in　the　underbrush。　Halisstra　caught　sight　of　them；　furtive　males　in　green　and　black　who　prowled　through　the　moonlit　forest　like　panthers。　They　peered　into　the　darkness；　searching　for　her；　but　her　spell　concealed　her　well　enough。
　　　She　set　her　hand　to　the　hilt　of　Seyll's　sword　and　shifted　slightly　to　ready　her　shield　in　case　they　found　a　way　to　defeat　her　invisibility。
　　　One　of　the　drow　in　front　of　her　paused　a　moment　and　replied；　〃We've　been　looking　for　you。〃
　　　〃Looking　for　me？〃　Halisstra　said。　〃I　seek　an　audience　with　Tzirik。　Can　you　take　me　to　him？〃
　　　The　Jaelre　warriors　halted。　Their　fingers　flashed　quickly；　signing　to　each　other。　After　a　moment；　the　warrior　who　had　spoken　straightened　and　lowered　his　crossbow。
　　　〃Your　pany　of　spider…kissers　came　to　Minauthkeep　three　days　ago；〃　he　said。　〃You　were　separated　from　them？〃
　　　Hoping　that　Quenthel　and　the　others　had　done　nothing　to　make　enemies　of　the　Jaelre；　Halisstra　decided　to　answer　honestly。
　　　〃Yes；〃　she　said。
　　　〃Very　well；　then；〃　the　stranger　replied。　〃High　Priest　Tzirik　ordered　us　to　find　you；　so　we'll　take　you　back。　Why；　and　what　bees　of　you　there；　is　up　to　him。〃
　　　Halisstra　allowed　her　invisibility　to　fade；　and　nodded。　The　Jaelre　drow　fell　in　around　her　and　set　off　at　a　quick　pace　toward　the　south；　following　the　stream。　She　might　have　had　no　idea　where　she　was；　but　the　Jaelre　seemed　to　know　the　woods　well　enough。　In　less　than　an　hour；　they　came　to　a　ruined　keep；　its　white　walls　gleaming　in　the　moonlight。　The　stream　passed　a　stone's　throw　from　the　fortress。
　　　I　had　the　right　stream；　Halisstra　noted　with　some　surprise。
　　　She'd　kept　her　course　for　two　nights　and　veered　only　a　couple　of　miles　too　far　to　her　right；　it　seemed。　She　thought　about　what　would　have　happened　if　she'd　crossed　the　stream　and　continued。　The　thought　made　her　shiver。
　　　The　Jaelre　scouts　led　Halisstra　into　the　ruined　keep；　past　watchful　guards　who　crouched　in　hidden　places　and　kept　an　eye　on　the　forest　all　around。　She　discovered　that　the　pla