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Wy
She cut the canvas free, preserving as much rope as possible. Black fluids oozed from the stump of the woman's neck when she jostled the body. Wy
Wy
Finish up!
Bile and dried fish welled in Wy
"Be quiet!" she gasped and then gagged. "This is bad enough without you in my head, making it worse!"
Chap grumbled and traipsed to another body, clawing it over onto its chest. He tore at its rope harness, trying to pull more canvas free. Wy
When her eyes opened again, Chap stood before her with a mouthful of canvas. He turned away for the far passage in the chamber's corner. Wy
Chap dropped his canvas by the corridor's arch, as did Wy
She was surrounded by decaying texts pe
Chap lifted his muzzle, turning as he sca
Wy
Look first for languages you can read. Second for those you at least recognize. Focus mainly on the books. Bound texts will be older, made with materials that later grew scarce.
"Yes," she said, nodding. "But books will be the weakest, worn down with time. Pages might fall apart if touched-unlike the scrolls that have been protected by their cases."
This thought raised uncertainty. All this should have been done by her betters-the most skilled of cathologers among her guild. She was barely a journeyer, let alone a master or domin among that order of sages. But she was the only one here.
And if you spot any mention of "night voice" in any language, take that text over any others… and those of tongues that appear to predate our current era, even if you ca
"Could you make this any more daunting?" Wy
Chap glanced up at her. Sorry.
She followed him deeper into the row as they both peered among scroll cases, books, sheaves, and even small boxes by the light of her crystal.
And so, while Magiere, Leesil, Sgaile, and Osha rested unaware, Wy
Anything that might unlock the mystery of events that had shattered the world so long ago.
Magiere stood on the castle's front steps at dawn with large snowflakes drifting down from a white sky.
They had fashioned a makeshift hammock for the orb with cut-up canvas and rope, and scavenged leather as well from the baggage of a robed undead. With the latter, they rolled up two heated crystals from the floor brazier. Though the leather smoldered and smoked a bit, at least they needn't worry about dried dung for fires.
Wy
Magiere turned a suspicious glance toward Chap, and the dog quickly looked away. It wasn't hard to guess what the two had been up to while the rest of them slept. Still, what else could she expect?
The library contained so much more than Wy
Magiere looked out across the white courtyard to the iron gates. One still stood ajar where she'd left it. The prospect of another journey weighed her down, but it was better than staying here even one more day.
She and Leesil had whispered far into the night, turning from hopes for the future to pla
Leesil thought if they stayed along Droevinka's southern border, they could pass into southern Belaski without hindrance, but Magiere had her doubts. If Droevinka's noble houses were still warring over who would put their own on the throne of the Grand Prince, no corner of her homeland was safe. Outsiders might be cut down by any side as a potential threat-or just for convenience.
And though desperate for word of Aunt Bieja, Magiere knew her home village of Chemestuk was too far off any sure path.
Leesil had left Bieja money and a letter in the hope that she'd head for Miiska. Aunt Bieja was as stubborn as any woman in Magiere's line, but she was no fool.
Magiere sighed, tired of worrying. Once they reached Miiska, Wy
The wind picked up and snowflakes began to slant in their downward course.
"Another blizzard brewing," Leesil muttered.
"Yes," Sgaile agreed. "We must move quickly and reach camp."
The two crouched, and each pulled one of the orb's hammock loops over his shoulder. Leesil also grabbed the rope sling holding the leather-wrapped fire crystals.
"Wy
Wy
"What are you doing?" Magiere called.
Wy
"Enough!" she said. "You can't bring every parchment in the place."
"This must come!" Wy
Magiere didn't care for that idea and wondered what had happened to those others. Why had they left Li'kan behind? And how had they managed to leave at all, when the white undead had remained leashed by her hidden master through the centuries?
"Oh, give it to me," Magiere grumbled, taking the iron sheaf.
She almost dropped the sudden weight, and Wy
Osha heaved up Wy
"I know," Sgaile answered.
"They have rites to perform," Wy
Leesil frowned, glancing sidelong at her. "To camp first… then we'll see how bad the weather gets."
Sgaile looked beyond the gates to the open plateau. "Yes, our purpose comes first."