Page 23 (1/2)

"That’s a useful thing to know," Longbow said, his voice co to life now "Does this venom cause pain?"

One-Who-Heals nodded "Unbearable pain, I think"

"And is it even able to kill creatures of its own kind?" Longbow pressed

"I’m certain that it can"

"Then if I were to smear the venom of one of them on the point of my arrow, it would carry pain and death to any other one I happened to meet, wouldn’t it?"

One-Who-Heals blinked "Why would you need to do that? You never et when you shoot one of your arrows"

"The creatures of the Wasteland have caused reat deal of pain in return An honest bow," the sha themselves, and they strike only when their intended prey is very close"

"I’bow re in the forest can hide itself froh have been sent into our lands because the Vlagh hungers for infor task to er remains unsatisfied, for I will kill all servants it sends here and deliver their heads to Misty-Water’s grave as gifts to her spirit, as a sign that I love her still"

"And will you now go to the hunt, my son?" Chief Old-Bear asked

"If it pleases you, bow"

And so it was that Longbow of the tribe of Old-Bear vanished into the forest to seek out the venoh It was ruh sent many of its servants into the lands of the tribe, but few if any of its servants returned, for Longbow had become one with the forest, and the creatures of the Wasteland could neither see nor hear hi upon theendary Zelana of the West stirred great excitement in all the tribes of her Doreatly honored ord reached theboever, had felt no great need to meet with her, and so it was that ord of her approach reached the village of Old-Bear, Longbow simply faded back into the forest to continue his hunt

She had sought hi He had been certain that no one could find him in the forest if he did not wish to be found, but Zelana had unerringly come to the place where he was to ask him for his aid

"I’m not really interested, Zelana," he had told her bluntly "I have a responsibility of ht now I think you’d better choose someone else"