The Kingless Land - Ed Greenwood [49]
The scream that burst out of Sarasper then set the two men on the other side of the tapestry to cursing in earnest. His frantic flight brought him through the bewildered guards before anyone recognized him, and down the stairs like a scared bolt of lightning, but he was still four sprinting strides from the doors when Lord Dorn's bellow rang out from the balcony.
"Let loose the dogs! Hunt him down, and bring what's left back here to feel Brightpennant vengeance! Hurry, you worthless whoresons!"
The doorguards spun to face the fleeing boy and block his way to freedom, swords flashing out. They grinned at his knife and moved in unison to swipe at his arms with their blades, and trip him. Sarasper threw Skaunt's old blade into the one guard's face and gave the eyes of the other the unstoppered contents of a bottle of acid.
It took only an instant for the screams to begin. Qelder had used it to melt away scar tissue and warts, but it seemed to work just as well on eyeballs.
The knife had only nicked the other guard's nose, but Sarasper bestowed another bottle on his snarling features and then was out into the darkness, running hard.
It was hours later, just after dawn, when he heard them howling behind him. He'd been squelching his way wearily along the edge of a swamp, seeking a way around into the barony of Glarond. Thus far, he'd found far too many thorns and nettles, but no dry way east; the swamp seemed to go on forever. The barking and howling grew swiftly nearer, threading through every twist and turn he'd taken-until he could search no longer. Weeping in fear, he plunged into the cold, evil-smelling water and thrashed and flailed his way wildly east, trying not to think of watersnakes and scalyjaws and other things lurking under the black, bubbling waters…
The war dogs were right behind him. Sarasper's prayers to the Three were lost in their triumphant howls and wet, hungry snarls; somehow he splashed onward into a place of tree-tall reeds and spiderwebs between them that glistened with dew like gems in the brightening morning.
A morning that held hunting arrows, humming through the reeds like hungry wasps to take the foremost dog through the head. Sarasper crouched chin deep in the chilly, stinking muck and tried to claw his way onward, as shaft after shaft tore through the reeds, and dog after dog died.
"Master of Arrows, fresh shafts!" came a cheerful command.
"At once. Lord. Ah, you realize these must be Brightpennant's dogs? They're hunting something, an outlaw perhaps…"
"What of it? Any foe of Brightpennant is a friend of mine! Loose at will, all of you-if we can do my gentle neighbor out of every last one of his war dogs, all the better! Serves him right for hunting them onto my land! Taerlith, where're those shafts?"
Crouching in the blood-fouled water, Sarasper Codelmer shivered, and he vowed silently to the Three that if no arrow found him this morn, he'd never serve any baron…
The cowled figure leaned forward. "Ssso-you agree?"
A trembling breath was drawn, became a sob, and said, "Yes."
"Kneel."
When the gowned woman was on her knees before him, the cowled man tore open her bodice, baring her to the waist. His other hand came from behind his back, fingers cold and wet with glistening slime, to trace a design down her front
As it touched her trembling flesh, the slime began to glow a dull green-white. By its light the kneeling woman saw something crawl out of the priest's sleeve.
A serpent, of course. It slithered along his arm toward her, tongue flickering.
"If you ssscream, you ssshall also perish," he promised calmly-and thrust his arm at her.
The serpent reared back and struck, biting her glowing breast.
The pain was