Sentinelspire - Mark Sehestedt [100]
"To see the light," Berun said to himself. He needed that now more than he ever had. "So be it."
Berun took a deep breath, steeling himself, and prodded the link he shared with Perch. Ready, Perch?
The Tower of the Sun was not far from where he hid. One tree-lined garden, a low wall, and a building separated him from the great spire.
Ready eat-and-eat then sleep-sleep. Tired-tired-so-tired.
"Me, too," Berun whispered.
Eat and sleep soon-soon?
Lightning flashed in the distance. Berun saw the light flickering off the ruined walls and leaves in their midst.
Soon, I hope. We must hunt a while still. Then sleep.
It occurred to Berun that the sleep he might be walking into was the eternal sleep, but he tried not to let that thought seep through to Perch.
Thunder rolled over the Fortress. He felt Perch's claws flex, piercing his shirt and pricking his skin. Hunt-hunt.
Yes, hunt-hunt. Perch, I need you to look. Search the shadows. Search the leaves and trees. Find the tiger.
Malicious glee surged through Berun's mind from Perch. He couldn't help but smile. The treeclaw lizard had developed a most intense dislike for Taaki. Spiders knew their match and did their best to get away, fighting only when cornered. Perch had never fought a creature as large as Taaki that would hunt and fight back with such ferocity. The lizard might have been afraid of the tiger at first, but twice he had faced her and won. The victories had filled his little heart with an eager boldness.
The link Berun shared with the lizard flooded his mind with emotions and images-Fight-fight tiger. Claw and bite and leap-leap and claw-claw-fun-fun-fun!
Only if you have to, Berun told Perch. With his bow and poisoned arrows long gone, his only hope was to avoid the tiger. His hammer would only anger her. The bone knife might bite deep, but for him to get close enough to use it, the tiger would have to be on top of him, and it would hardly matter how deep his blade bit if that happened.
Perch crawled out from under Berun's cloak and scampered away, all the while giving off a constant chatter of tiger-tiger-tiger-hunt-tiger-fight-fight-tiger-tiger-tiger.
"Yes," Berun said to himself, "time to hunt."
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Nine years ago, the Fortress of the Old Man had been well lit, even at night. Torches burned in sconces along pathways. Slaves tended braziers where the larger paths crossed, and in the gardens and along the main thoroughfares, oil lamps burned behind colored glass. But tonight, under the storm, the pathways were dark. Wind and rain had doused the torches and braziers, the slaves hid indoors, and the oil burned low in the lamps, casting only weak puddles of light. Shadows welled thick in the fortress, and Berun stayed in them as best he could.
He skirted the tree-lined garden and went round several smaller outbuildings so he could approach the Tower of the Sun from the east. The entrance to the tower's courtyard and the main doors were to the west, but Berun knew they would be well guarded. Better to have a look around first.
His first sight of the tower up close stunned him.
Nine years ago, carefully tended fruit trees, a few fountains, and stone benches had filled the courtyard. All were gone. A small forest ringed the base of the Tower, the trees, vines, and creepers topping the courtyard wall and spilling onto the path outside. The trees swayed in the wind and millions of leaves trembled beneath the onslaught of the rain. But within the boughs and drifting overhead round the lower stories of the tower were dozens of bluish-green lights, wispy round the edges, their light undimmed by the rain. Far too large to be fireflies they floated without sound and seemed completely impervious to wind and rain, moving of their own accord. Berun sensed nothing natural in those lights.
Look-look-look The message from Perch hit Berun so strong and sudden that his vision blurred and he swayed on his feet. He leaned against the building and closed his eyes.
You've found the tiger? Berun asked.
Found tiger. And others-others-others. Found big-big