The Yellow Silk - Don Bassingthwaite [103]
"We're here for the Yellow Silk, Brin, not to fight."
Lander found the breath to shout a pain-filled curse at the bald wizard and all of his family. He could feel the rumble of Black Scratch's new charge through the ground and he twisted his head around. The boar was bearing down on Li Chien again-and if the Shou leaped again, Black Scratch would be rumbling right at him! With another scream, Lander shoved against the mucky ground and sent himself rolling out of the way. He slammed back into Brin's table, sending the halfling and Veseene swaying and new pain flaring through his leg and side.
Black Scratch's hooves tore up the ground where he had just been lying. Lander pressed himself back against the table and transferred his curse from Mosi Anu to the mad boar.
Behind him, Hanibaz chuckled as if this were the funniest thing he'd ever seen or heard. "Ah, Mosi-how can we let a show like this just come to an end?" A firm hand grabbed onto Lander's flailing arm. Hanibaz spoke a word and new energy seemed to pour into Lander's body at his touch. The thug gasped at the shock as the magic sank into him. His wound didn't stop hurting, but suddenly he could bear the pain. He rolled to his feet.
"Liked that, did you?" Hanibaz asked. "Let's put you on a more even footing with the Shou, then." He spoke another word and touched Lander a second time.
This time the energy didn't fade away. When Lander turned and took a step toward Li Chien, it almost felt like he was floating.
"Yes," he breathed. "Oh, yes!"
Li Chien turned away from Black Scratch for a moment and froze.
***
Lander was up and walking on a leg so deeply wounded he shouldn't have even been able to stand. Muscle flexed beneath torn skin, bone flashed white against red blood, and yet Lander flowed forward like a flame. Magic, Li knew. It could only be magic. He fell back a step and his eyes darted to the wizards standing behind Brin. "Tycho!" he yelled.
"Li!" The bard's hand flashed a warning. Li whirled back around.
Black Scratch was charging again. The pig had an animal's dumb relentless determination. Li clenched his jaw. He could keep leaping out of the boar's way, but the beast would just come back at him again. And now he had Lander to worry about as well.
He tightened his grip on his dao and settled his stance. From the corner of his eye, he saw Brin's mouth drop open as he realized what was about to happen. "No!" the half-ling screamed. Too late. Black Scratch closed.
Li whirled aside, dao sweeping down as he came back around. The heavy steel slashed into the thick flesh of Black Scratch's hindquarters, bit deep into muscle and grated across bone. The enormous boar's legs collapsed instantly, changing his bellows and squeals to a horrible deep shriek. He tried to drag himself around with his front legs, but the weight of his once-powerful hindquarters was too much. Li stepped in, swung low, and sliced up under the beast's neck.
Hot blood gushed steaming into the air. Black Scratch collapsed.
Triumph was short lived. The pigs of the sty went mad, swarming in around the giant boar's corpse. Li cursed as he staggered clear, only to be met by a snarl as Lander swept his sword up from the ground and lunged at him like a striking panther. Li brought his dao up and blocked the strike, but Lander just whirled with effortless grace and struck again. This time stopping his sword cost Li ground. Lander began forcing him back toward the swarming pigs.
Brin's face was pale with rage, and he was very nearly foaming at the mouth. "Li Chien!" he screamed. "Li Chien!" He made a wild grab for Veseene, though the old woman writhed and shifted away from him. He growled and snagged her arm and slashed his dagger threateningly through the air. "The Silk! I want the Yellow Silk now!"
Caught in his deadly dance with Lander, Li made no reply. Tycho swallowed. They'd wanted the shark angry- but maybe not this angry. He swept his gaze around the sty and found Laera. His would-be apprentice had taken