[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
massive and so old that they tore apart his fragile net and forced him to rebuild it. He drew Jerle close to
him and gave warning. There was tremendous magic at work here, magic as old as time and as settled. It
warded the crater and everything that lay within. He could find no specific danger from it, but could not
trace its source or discover its use. He did not think them threatened by it, but they would be smart to
proceed with caution.
They went on until they were nearly halfway around the lake.
Still there was no sign of life, no indication of anything beyond what they could see before them.
Neither Tay with his Druid magic nor Vree Erreden with his locat talent could discover what they
searched for. The sun had moved out of the shadow of the cliff rim so that it blazed directly down on
them, a burning orb against the blue. They could not look up at it without being blinded, and so kept their
gaze lowered as they walked.
It was then, with the advent of high noon, that Tay Trefenwyd saw the shadow.
He had moved off the waterline momentarily to higher ground, trying to see the far shore through the
dazzling reflection of the sun on the lake s still surface. As he searched for a position that would lessen
the brightness, he saw how the sun had thrown the shadow of a rock projection far overhead across the
length of the lake onto the cliff face several hundred yards ahead. The point of the shadow climbed the
rock wall to a narrow fissure and stopped.
Something about the fissure caught his eye. He sent his magic to probe the opening.
What he found, carved into the rock above, was writing.
He went forward quickly to catch Preia, and together they turned the company inland. Moments later
they stood before the fissure, staring upward in silent contemplation of the writing. It was ancient and
indecipherable. It was Elven, but the dialect was unfamiliar. The carving itself was so weathered it was
almost worn away.
Then an inspired Vree Erreden stepped forward, had Tay and Jerle boost him, and reached up to run
his fingers over the writing.
He remained suspended for a moment, eyes closed, hands moving, stopping, moving on. Then he slid
down again. As if in a trance, he bent to the rock on which they stood, and without seeming to look at
what he was doing, his eyes focused somewhere beyond what they could see, he scratched words onto a
smooth surface with a piece of jagged rock.
Tay bent close to read.
THIS IS THE CHEW MAGNA. WE LIVE HERE STILL.
TOUCH NOTHING. TAKE NOTHING.
OUR ROOTS ARE DEEP AND STRONG.
BEWARE.
What does it mean? Jerle whispered.
Tay shook his head. That magic wards what lies beyond this opening. That any disturbance will bring
unpleasant consequences.
It says they are still alive, Vree Erreden observed, his voice a hiss of disbelief. That can t be! Look
at the carving! The writing is out of the time of faerie!
They stood staring at the writing, the fissure, and each other.
Behind them, the Elven Hunters and Preia Starle waited. No one spoke. There was a sense of time
dropping away, of past and present joining and transcending the passing of lives and history, There was a
sense of standing at the edge of a cliff, knowing that one false step would send you hurtling to your death.
Tay s awareness of the magic s presence was so strong that it seemed he could feel its touch against his
skin. Old, powerful, iron-willed, and conjured out of purpose and need, ir filled up his senses and
threatened to overwhelm him.
We did not come this far to turn back, Jerle Shannara observed quietly, looking over at him. Not
for any reason.
Tay nodded. He was determined as well. He glanced at Vree Erreden, at Preia Starle, at the Elven
Hunters who stood behind her, and finally once again at Jerle. He gave his friend a crooked smile.
Then he took a deep breath and stepped forward into the dark mouth of the fissure.
Chapter Sixteen
he fissure widened immediately into a corridor broad enough for the Elves to stand two abreast.
T
Steps wound downward into darkness so complete that not even Tay Trefenwyd s keen vision could
penetrate to what lay beyond. He moved forward several yards, feeling his way along the wall, and
encountered a metal plate. When he touched it, light appeared across its flat surface, pale yellow and
cool. He stared at the plate in surprise; here was a magic he had never encountered. The light revealed
another plate, just at the edge of the darkness farther on.
He walked over to it, placed his hand on it, and it, too, brightened.
Amazing, he thought. He could hear the footsteps of the others coming up behind him. He wondered
what they must be thinking.
But no one spoke, and he did not look back at them. Instead, he continued on, touching the metal
plates, lighting their way through the darkened corridor.
Their descent took a long time. Tay could not measure it, the whole of his concentration given over to
the casting of his Druid magic before him to ferret out hidden traps. The metal plates that gave off light
revealed a sophistication he had not expected. Faerie magic was not well known, for most of the lore had [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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massive and so old that they tore apart his fragile net and forced him to rebuild it. He drew Jerle close to
him and gave warning. There was tremendous magic at work here, magic as old as time and as settled. It
warded the crater and everything that lay within. He could find no specific danger from it, but could not
trace its source or discover its use. He did not think them threatened by it, but they would be smart to
proceed with caution.
They went on until they were nearly halfway around the lake.
Still there was no sign of life, no indication of anything beyond what they could see before them.
Neither Tay with his Druid magic nor Vree Erreden with his locat talent could discover what they
searched for. The sun had moved out of the shadow of the cliff rim so that it blazed directly down on
them, a burning orb against the blue. They could not look up at it without being blinded, and so kept their
gaze lowered as they walked.
It was then, with the advent of high noon, that Tay Trefenwyd saw the shadow.
He had moved off the waterline momentarily to higher ground, trying to see the far shore through the
dazzling reflection of the sun on the lake s still surface. As he searched for a position that would lessen
the brightness, he saw how the sun had thrown the shadow of a rock projection far overhead across the
length of the lake onto the cliff face several hundred yards ahead. The point of the shadow climbed the
rock wall to a narrow fissure and stopped.
Something about the fissure caught his eye. He sent his magic to probe the opening.
What he found, carved into the rock above, was writing.
He went forward quickly to catch Preia, and together they turned the company inland. Moments later
they stood before the fissure, staring upward in silent contemplation of the writing. It was ancient and
indecipherable. It was Elven, but the dialect was unfamiliar. The carving itself was so weathered it was
almost worn away.
Then an inspired Vree Erreden stepped forward, had Tay and Jerle boost him, and reached up to run
his fingers over the writing.
He remained suspended for a moment, eyes closed, hands moving, stopping, moving on. Then he slid
down again. As if in a trance, he bent to the rock on which they stood, and without seeming to look at
what he was doing, his eyes focused somewhere beyond what they could see, he scratched words onto a
smooth surface with a piece of jagged rock.
Tay bent close to read.
THIS IS THE CHEW MAGNA. WE LIVE HERE STILL.
TOUCH NOTHING. TAKE NOTHING.
OUR ROOTS ARE DEEP AND STRONG.
BEWARE.
What does it mean? Jerle whispered.
Tay shook his head. That magic wards what lies beyond this opening. That any disturbance will bring
unpleasant consequences.
It says they are still alive, Vree Erreden observed, his voice a hiss of disbelief. That can t be! Look
at the carving! The writing is out of the time of faerie!
They stood staring at the writing, the fissure, and each other.
Behind them, the Elven Hunters and Preia Starle waited. No one spoke. There was a sense of time
dropping away, of past and present joining and transcending the passing of lives and history, There was a
sense of standing at the edge of a cliff, knowing that one false step would send you hurtling to your death.
Tay s awareness of the magic s presence was so strong that it seemed he could feel its touch against his
skin. Old, powerful, iron-willed, and conjured out of purpose and need, ir filled up his senses and
threatened to overwhelm him.
We did not come this far to turn back, Jerle Shannara observed quietly, looking over at him. Not
for any reason.
Tay nodded. He was determined as well. He glanced at Vree Erreden, at Preia Starle, at the Elven
Hunters who stood behind her, and finally once again at Jerle. He gave his friend a crooked smile.
Then he took a deep breath and stepped forward into the dark mouth of the fissure.
Chapter Sixteen
he fissure widened immediately into a corridor broad enough for the Elves to stand two abreast.
T
Steps wound downward into darkness so complete that not even Tay Trefenwyd s keen vision could
penetrate to what lay beyond. He moved forward several yards, feeling his way along the wall, and
encountered a metal plate. When he touched it, light appeared across its flat surface, pale yellow and
cool. He stared at the plate in surprise; here was a magic he had never encountered. The light revealed
another plate, just at the edge of the darkness farther on.
He walked over to it, placed his hand on it, and it, too, brightened.
Amazing, he thought. He could hear the footsteps of the others coming up behind him. He wondered
what they must be thinking.
But no one spoke, and he did not look back at them. Instead, he continued on, touching the metal
plates, lighting their way through the darkened corridor.
Their descent took a long time. Tay could not measure it, the whole of his concentration given over to
the casting of his Druid magic before him to ferret out hidden traps. The metal plates that gave off light
revealed a sophistication he had not expected. Faerie magic was not well known, for most of the lore had [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]