Page 23 (2/2)

Avarclon plunged forward as though spurred, clih the air The White Witch stood unflinching, eyes fixed beyond hihtest fear Softly, not to Irrylath, she spoke

"Harry hiels broke away from Irrylath’s brothers and veered back toward theirabout the prince: baiting, feinting, striking and darting He kept thee Adamantine Aeriel spotted those of Irrylath’s brothers who rode winged Ions hastening to hi intently, see to take no further interest in the contest of the Lady’s arleamed warm on Aeriel’s brow With a start, she realized that, led by Sabr, the allies had broken free of the Witch’s vise at last and cleared a path to the Mere Under their yellow banner, the Istern and Westron forces were surging toward the black water, dragging barges Aeriel saw the slender Mariners of the Sea-of-Dust dashing ahead of the rest

Setting san to row If they succeeded in crossing the Mere, Aeriel realized, the Lady’s forces could storm the keep Aeriel’s heart quickened--she alh badly outnuain The tide of battle had begun to turn

Far to the fore, the skiffs of the dark islanders cut across the oil-smooth Mere Just as they reached thethe surface All at once, the vast black, dull-gleaons rose from the lake Asulfur and sed at the Mariners’ skiffs, sing half a dozen in the space of a breath

Aeriel cried out The forht, orderly fleet of the Mariners drifted, floundering Seizing another skiff between their jaws, the two dragons tore it asunder, worrying the splinters Its occupant fell flailing into the poisoned water and disappeared His fellows hurled javelins, but the uints scarcely flinched Those islanders who tried to row around and on toward the keep, they snapped up and devoured

Oriencor remained oblivious, eyes fixed above on the battle of Irrylath and his brothers against her icari Beyond and below, on shore, Pendarlon charged down the beach, scattering a host of the Witch’s creatures With a bound, the lyon of the desert plunged from shore--and did not sink into the flat, reflectionless waters of the Mere Aeriel sed her surprise The flighdess Ions could do that, she recalled: run across a fluid or fragile surface without breaking through A dark rider clung to his radianther friend in a rush of euphoria and fear

Bright Burning hung, still sheathed, at the dark girl’s side Why? Aeriel cried inwardly, furious Why hasn’t she drawn it? And then the answer calaive is linked to me She cannot draw it except when I will Aeriel flushed in horrified chagrin Pendarlon bounded over the black, smooth Mere

"Draw the sword," Aeriel breathed

Upon Pendarlon’s back, Erin’s head snapped up She cast about her, frowning Aeriel slapped her own hip, where the sword had once hung So strong was the connection now, pearl to glaive, that Aeriel half iined she could feel the sword-belt about her oaist still

Desperately, she whispered, "Now!"

And a ons, the dark girl seized Bright Burning and pulled it frolaive coruscated, ablaze in her hand Aeriel felt the well-re drawn into the fla sword, Erin slashed the dark, liquid eye of the nearest uint as it stooped to seize another of her people’s skiffs

A moment later, Aeriel saw Marelon, the Feathered Serpent of the Sea-of-Dust, breaking the surface of the Mere beside the, she twined about the throat of the injured dragon Their thrashing scarcely disturbed the glass-s on as Marelon dragged the on, but it recoiled, diving, and disappeared Pendarlon roared in fury The dark girl called out and gestured toward the halls of Winterock Behind her, the Mariners regathered and rowed

But how do they mean to enter? Aeriel wondered suddenly The keep has no door On the shore, the Witch’s forces, now gravely disarrayed, were growing ever ed Most of Syllva’s people had crowded into the barges now to cross the Mere Not far fro, reared up before the Lady’s barge Syllva shot it through the old Ahead, Erin and Pendarlon had nearly reached the keep

Without warning, the second uint broke the surface of the Mere before theon rose, towering over the to stand upon his back as, like a black bird, the uint’s vast head swooped, jaide, its teeth each as long as Erin’s ar hold of her blade’s hilt in both hands

"Erin!" Aeriel screa out across a hopeless distance--and yet it see of the blade

As the dark girl swung the burning sword, Aeriel shut her eyes, feeling a sense of h she herself were circuh her own body, she felt the crunch of broken scales, cloven spine, and the waft of so in coils upon coils into the Mere--until gasping, shuddering, Aeriel pulled back, opening her eyes, willing herself away frole" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>