Temple Hill - Drew Karpyshyn [103]
He set off with long, loping strides, leaving his men to deal with the consequences of the cultists, the soon-to-be-released medusa, and the imminent arrival of Xiliath.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Lhasha took Corin's extended hand and struggled to her feet.
"Are you all right? You look like you can barely stand."
Leaning on her sturdy companion for support, Lhasha gave a slight nod, her head bowed to the floor. "Ill be fine. Just give me a few seconds. I feel a little woozy."
"Understandable, given what you've been through."
The half-elf glanced up, casting a mildly curious peek in Corin's direction. The only response she had expected was the one-armed man's typical stoic silence or a single gruff word acknowledging her condition. His sympathetic comment caught her off guard.
"I hate to rush you, but Fendel's waiting for us," Corin continued, his voice firm but lacking the sharp edge it usually carried. "I know you're a bit out of sorts, but we're in the middle of a war zone right now. We have to get moving. Ill carry you, if you don't feel up to walking."
The shock of hearing a whole paragraph emerging spontaneously from Corin's mouth nearly knocked Lhasha off her already unsteady feet. There was something different about her usually taciturn companion. Different, but good. Despite the battle raging behind him, despite the concern in his features and the urgency in his voice, he seemed relaxed. At peace with the world-and himself.
And then she noticed the prosthetic attached to Corin's right arm. The flawless silver surface seemed to sparkle and glow in the flickering light of the cavern. The gleaming meted was pure and pristine, as the lines and proportions flowed seamlessly along the contours, a work of true genius and artistic beauty. Fendel had really outdone himself.
"Your arm," she said reverently, overwhelmed by her emotions. She was so proud of Fendel she felt like crying and so happy for Corin she felt like laughing. With a trembhng finger she reached out to touch it.
Corin was oblivious to her state. He might not have even heard her soft whisper of amazement. He simply scooped her up like a sack of potatoes, threw her over his shoulder, and set off at a canter back toward where Fendel waited for them. No explanation, no apology. Her friend may have changed, Lhasha realized, but he still preferred actions over words.
Lhasha was too drained from her ordeal to even object. With each pounding step Corin took, her body was jarred and shaken. She welcomed the feeling, relishing the physical reality of it. It helped exorcise the terrifying images that threatened to push their way into her newly restored consciousness-surreal memories and dreamlike recollections of a hellish nether existence, neither alive nor dead, but trapped in some horrible stony limbo.
As Corin carried her across the unfamiliar cavern the memories faded, buried so deep they would never rise to the surface again, but Lhasha knew they'd always be there.
The world spun as Corin flipped her off his shoulder and cradled her in his arms before setting her down on the ground beside Fendel.
"Something's wrong," he said to the gnome.
"Nothing's wrong," Lhasha protested, scrambling to her feet. "I just needed a few seconds to gather myself, is all. I'm fine. Really."
"The same can be said of me now, as well," Fendel added, standing up beside her. "A little healing magic, and I'm as good as new," he explained in response as Corin gazed at the torn, bloodstained leg of his breeches. "Gonna have to get some new pantaloons, though."
Any more words from the gnome were cut off by a suffocating hug from Lhasha. Fendel returned the gesture with as much force as his old joints could muster. A sharp cough from Corin caused them to break their fond embrace.
"Can you save the reunion for later?" the warrior asked pointedly, nodding in the direction of the still raging