Dragons of the Autumn Twilight - Margaret Weis [35]
Tanis, lost in thought, felt Goldmoon touch his arm. He looked up to see Sturm and Caramon signaling. The half-elf suddenly realized he and the Plainsmen had fallen far behind the others. He broke into a run.
“What is it?”
Sturm pointed. “The scout returns,” he said dryly.
Tasslehoff was running down the road toward them. He waved his arm three times.
“Into the brush!” Tanis ordered. The group hurriedly left the road and plunged into the bushes and scrub trees growing along the south edge, all except Sturm.
“Come on!” Tanis put his hand on the knight’s arm. Sturm pulled away from the half-elf.
“I will not hide in a ditch!” the knight stated coldly.
“Sturm—” Tanis began, fighting to control his rising anger. He choked back bitter words that would do no good and might cause irreparable harm. Instead, he turned from the knight, his lips compressed, and waited in grim silence for the kender.
Tas came dashing up, pouches and packs bouncing wildly as he ran. “Clerics!” he gasped. “A party of clerics. Eight.”
Sturm sniffed. “I thought it was a battalion of goblin guards at the least. I believe we can handle a party of clerics.”
“I don’t know,” Tasslehoff said, dubiously. “I’ve seen clerics from every part of Krynn and I’ve never seen any like these.” He glanced down the road apprehensively, then gazed up at Tanis, unusual seriousness in his brown eyes. “Do you remember what Tika said about the strange men in Solace—hanging around with Hederick? How they were hooded and dressed in heavy robes? Well, that describes these clerics exactly! And, Tanis, they gave me an eerie feeling.” The kender shuddered. “They’ll be in sight in a few moments.”
Tanis glanced at Sturm. The knight raised his eyebrows. Both of them knew that kenders did not feel the emotion of fear, yet were extremely sensitive to other creatures’ natures. Tanis couldn’t remember when the sight of any being on Krynn had ever given Tas an “eerie feeling”—and he had been with the kender in some tight spots.
“Here they come,” Tanis said suddenly. He and Sturm and Tas moved back into the shadows of the trees to the left, watching as the clerics slowly rounded a bend in the road. They were too far away for the half-elf to be able to tell much about them, except that they were moving very slowly, dragging a large handcart behind them.
“Maybe you should talk to them, Sturm,” Tanis said softly. “We need information about the road ahead. But be careful, my friend.”
“I’ll be careful.” Sturm said, smiling. “I have no intention of throwing my life away needlessly.”
The knight gripped Tanis’s arm a moment in silent apology, then dropped his hand to loosen his sword in its antique scabbard. He walked across to the other side of the road and leaned up against a broken-down wooden fence, head bowed, as though resting. Tanis stood a moment, irresolute, then turned and made his way through the brush, Tasslehoff at his heels.
“What is it?” Caramon grunted as Tanis and Tas appeared. The big warrior shifted his girth, causing his arsenal of weapons to clank loudly. The rest of the companions were huddled together, concealed behind thick clumps of brush, yet able to get a clear view of the road.
“Hush.” Tanis knelt down between Caramon and Riverwind, who crouched in the brush a few feet to Tanis’s left. “Clerics,” he whispered. “A group of them coming down the road. Sturm’s going to question them.”
“Clerics!” Caramon snorted derisively and settled back comfortably on his heels. But Raistlin stirred restlessly.
“Clerics,” he whispered thoughtfully. “I do not like this.”
“What do you mean?” asked Tanis.
Raistlin peered at the half-elf from the dark shadows of his hood. All Tanis could see were the mage’s golden hourglass eyes, narrow slits of cunning and intelligence.
“Strange clerics,” Raistlin spoke with elaborate patience, as one speaks to a child. “The staff has healing, clerical powers—such