Sentinelspire - Mark Sehestedt [116]
The creatures struck, avoiding Lewan and Ulaan altogether, and swarmed the guards. One of the men lashed out with his sword. Lewan thought the blade struck home, but the creature didn't even slow. Both guards went down shrieking, and Lewan could hear the sharp snap of tendons tearing and flesh being ripped from bones.
Lewan's face ached where Dayul had hit him, and he felt his cheek swelling. The pain snapped Lewan's fear. Part of him knew that he and Ulaan were about to die, but the pain triggered a primal need to survive.
"Back to the room," he said. "Run. Run and don't look back. Go!"
He grabbed Ulaan's arm and ran. After seven or eight strides, they came up against a wall of the creatures. Heart pounding in his chest and breath coming in ragged gasps, Lewan pulled Ulaan the other way-right into more of the creatures. They skidded to a halt on the wet gravel.
The dark shapes crouched before them, their posture and slight movements more like animals than people. They made a slight chittering sound, not unlike Perch sometimes did. A few of them came closer, nor charging like they had against the guards, but hesitant and slow. Curious, almost. The faint light from the brazier still reflected from them more green than orange, and Lewan thought their skin-or was it their clothes?-had the texture of leaves. Two stopped, still crouched low, and sniffed the air. One kept coming until it was only an arm's length away. Its scent washed over Lewan. Even in the damp air, it was strong-the scent of gentle rain over new spring blossoms. But wafting through it was a darker aroma, as if the blossoms grew over a predator's den.
The creature stood up straight in a posture that was almost humanlike. Still, something about the twist of the joints or the cant of the thing's head told Lewan that the position was completely unnatural. Close as it was now, Lewan could see that it had the lithe build of the elves, even the pointed ears and tilt of the eyes, but its way of moving made it seem a wild reflection of any elf he had ever seen. The icy light from its gaze was not the shimmer of the brazier, but came from inside the creature's eyes.
Lewan raised a trembling hand-a last effort to keep the thing at bay, though he knew it was probably futile.
But the thing flinched back just slightly, then leaned in, almost hesitantly, and sniffed. Then the thing's mouth opened, and a dark tongue flicked out, like a lizard tasting the air.
"Lewan…" Ulaan rasped. He felt her hands clinging to him, trembling. "It's… them. The dark things from the Tower. The Old Man's hunters."
The creature tilted its head, almost birdlike, and looked at Ulaan. The cold light in its eyes flared briefly, almost like a breath washing over an ember, then the creature returned its gaze to Lewan and gave a deep nod, almost a… a sort of bow.
"Lur'ashai," it said. It stepped aside as one of the other creatures came forward. It also gave a semblance of a bow and then extended both hands. Resting in the creature's palms, glowing faintly, was the hammer Berun had given Lewan.
The creature proffered the hammer. Part of Lewan wondered if this was some sort of bestial warrior's code, if they would not kill him until he had a weapon in hand. But no. If this were Sauk, then maybe. But these creatures were unlike anything Lewan had ever seen or heard of. This had not been battle for them. They had ripped those men apart, like wolves taking down an elk.
Lewan reached out and took the hammer.
"Lur'ashai," said the first creature. "Jankhota saalthua."
"I… don't understand," said Lewan.
The creature who had carried the hammer suddenly stood to its full height-as tall as Lewan-but was unnaturally stiff, as if bound to some unseen board. Its arms stood out from its sides, and its fingers splayed. The creature's eyes blazed, and it threw its head back.
"Little master," it said, but Lewan knew at once that the voice from the creature's throat was not its own. No. Lewan recognized this voice.