Hand of Fire - Ed Greenwood [95]
That thought was still bright and bitter in his brain as the keening of the whirlwind rose before him. the ring settled home onto his shaking middle finger. It crumbled away to nothing, its enchantment somehow fled.
For a moment Aumlar just stared at it, numbly unable to believe that his long-cherished magic was gone, now when he most needed it. The green glow fell upon him, dust stung his hands and cheeks, making his eyes water.
He was going to die! Here and now, not in his own richly appointed crypt in his own kingdom somewhere centuries hence when his last agedefying potion failed, but right now, unless – The dream whisper! Yes!
He could use it as an anchor! Stumbling backward to buy himself the handful of seconds he needed, Aumlar closed his eyes and firmly forced his will down, down to the right reverie. Seize on the thoughts of those two, and snatch himself to them.
'Twould cost him the link itself and the most powerful of his long-prized stored magics and would take him not all that far from these whirling bones, but to remain here was certain death, and if he could run nimbly enough once he was face to face with young Lady Spellfire, perhaps he could…
Ah! He found and seized on the increasingly familiar "voice" of Narm Tamaraith's mind and rode a rueful thought about being grateful for Arauntar's arrival and at the same time wishing the Harper – Harper?
Bane ride Mystra, but the watching gods above must be laughing themselves sick at all this entertainment! – had chosen some other time to wade in, just when Shan's lips were closing hungrily on his, and she was so soft and warm against him…
Well, it was nice to know someone besides the gods was enjoying themselves in this, Aumlar thought savagely as there was a flash of green radiance and the world around him changed.
He was standing in a ruined wagon that was nowhere more than waist-high – larger than the one he'd left, which should be right over there – yes, with an emerald whirlwind now tossing up ragged bodies of dead guards and merchants as it quested this way and that for him, in vain.
Here, smashed casks and coffers were everywhere, tumbled and fallen amid swirled cloaks and draperies. The magic of his own arrival and the dying dreamwhisper were snarling and crackling around him as short-lived, stabbing fingers of lightning.
The head of the guards, that great foul-mouthed swaggering brute called Rauntar or some such name, was standing amid the wreckage not three paces away – frozen in silence with eyes staring and mouth open wide, Aumlar's lightnings playing around his battered armor.
Aumlar snatched at his belt, trying to get out a wand.
He wasn't going to be in time.
The man took one stride toward him, reaching out for Aumlar with a large, hairy hand. His eyes flickered and went dark, he let out a long, whistling groan, and toppled over into the wreckage with a crash.
The Zhentarim gasped with relief. The guard was lying quite still, sprawled on tumbled rope and handkegs. So where were the two lovebirds and the Harper? Was Tymora going to be whimsical enough to let him get clear away?
No. Of course not. Something was stirring in the clutter beyond the fallen guard. Oh, gods – spellfire!
Aumlar spun around to flee and found his way blocked by a heap of casks that would undoubtedly crash down atop him and roll if he blundered into them. He turned back again in time to see a debris rise up like a wave, scattering pans and ladles in all directions. The whirlwind of fangs was moving nearer, and there was no escape from it except right through whoever was now clawing their way free of A man's hand! This must be Narm! Aumlar set his teeth and charged. If he could just bowl the lad over and keep going, to get clear before Shandril – wherever she was – scorched him, he could – A last fold of cloak was wrenched aside when Aumlar was a bare running stride away, and he stared right into the wild eyes of a tousle-haired, alarmed-looking Narm Tamaraith. With a snarl, he kept right on going.
Narm flung himself aside, knowing that a tangle of lanterns and