Days of Air and Darkness - Katharine Kerr [158]
At her height, the energy of the starry sky blazed in a silver web of light; her tiny form would be lost against its background, or so she could hope. For some moments she waited, calling on the Light that shines behind all the gods, the Light that she had served all her long life. In the silent way of the Light, she felt that she was less than alone though not accompanied. It was enough. She drew upon the strength of the Light and first imagined, then shaped out of the etheric substance, three spears of silver blue.
Down below her, a mist began to form. Only a white vortex at first, it grew into a woman’s shape, huge, floating in the air to one side of the dun towers, then suddenly solidified—so dense and detailed that Jill knew Alshandra must be visible to those on the material plane. Very distantly, she heard a sound like a wind in trees and could guess that it came from the armies, one cheering, the other screaming defiance. Slowly, the Guardian drifted earthward in a tight spiral with Carra at its center.
Jill held her position until Alshandra pounced, sweeping down toward the tiny dome below. Jill plunged after, keeping a good distance between them, but the tormented spirit never looked up. Straight as a stone she dropped, clubbing a fist into the seals at the zenith. The dome shook once, then vanished in a spray of gold light.
Jill dropped, stooping like the falcon straight down after. She could see Dallandra on her feet and using both arms to draw wards, which Alshandra flicked away as fast as the dweomermaster could make them.
“Alshandra!” Jill sent a wave of thought to the Guardian. “You fool! We’ve trapped you.”
She hurled the first spear straight and true. Alshandra shrieked aloud and flung herself skyward as the shaft ripped through her astral body. Yet even as the spear dissipated and vanished, the wound healed over. Here on the etheric plane, Alshandra’s dweomer would always be the stronger. Jill dodged back, heading east and away from the dun. The Horsekin had to see their goddess, had to see what was about to happen.
“Follow me if you dare!”
She hurled the second spear, which burned into the Guardian’s legs. Screaming in rage, Alshandra darted after Jill. Swinging, swooping, first high, then gliding low over the Horsekin camp, Jill led her on, threatened her with the spear, and worst weapon of all, mocked her. Alshandra followed, chasing her to the south.
“You have no soul, you clumsy spirit! You can’t catch me. You can’t guess what we’re going to do. You can’t do anything but rage and spit, can you?”
Snarling, Alshandra flung herself forward, huge hands grasping at the spear. Jill dodged up high, then risked a quick glance round. Not far behind her rose the silver water veil, a mist of elemental force, from the stream that ran south through the portcullis in Cengarn’s walls. It was a puny thing from a shallow trickle of water, but farther south it joined up with the stream that ran west of Cengarn. Together they formed a proper river.
When she feinted with the spear, Alshandra lunged toward her again. Jill threw herself up and back; still the Guardian rushed after. Jill swooped away barely in time and danced south again, always south and west. Below, the Horsekin were clamoring and shouting. Some had rushed to the earthworks to keep their goddess in sight; others were scurrying up the side of the east ridge and beyond. Splendid, Jill thought. You’ll see somewhat tonight that you’ll never forget. As she dodged to the south, heading for the joining of the two streams, Alshandra leapt at her and swung a huge hand, clipping Jill hard with her outstretched fingers, which were, of course, an enormous bludgeon of etheric force.
Jill flew into the air and tumbled this way and that, at last righting herself over the Deverry army. When she glanced down, she could see the silver cord that bound her to her body growing thin and pale. Alshandra swooped in from the side. Jill dropped, then flung herself back southward just as the Guardian charged. She could see the water veil from