Blood of Elves (The Witcher) by Sapkowski Andrzej

Author:Sapkowski, Andrzej [Sapkowski, Andrzej]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780316073714
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2009-04-22T00:00:00+00:00

Reality returned just as suddenly as it had disappeared. Through the monotonous, dull hum which filled her ears, Ciri began to hear voices. Through the flickering, wet curtain of tears, she began to see the living and the dead.

“Ciri,” whispered Geralt who was kneeling next to her. “Wake up.”

“A battle…” she moaned, sitting up. “Geralt, what—”

“It’s all over. Thanks to the troops from Ban Gleán which came to our aid.”

“You weren’t…” she whispered, closing her eyes, “you weren’t neutral…”

“No, I wasn’t. But you’re alive. Triss is alive.”

“How is she?”

“She hit her head falling out of the wagon when Yarpen tried to rescue it. But she’s fine now. Treating the wounded.”

Ciri cast her eyes around. Amidst the smoke from the last wagons, burning out, silhouettes of armed men flickered. And all around lay chests and barrels. Some of were shattered and the contents scattered. They had contained ordinary, grey field stones. She stared at them, astounded.

“Aid for Demawend from Aedirn.” Yarpen Zigrin, standing nearby, ground his teeth. “Secret and exceptionally important aid. A convoy of special significance!”

“It was a trap?”

The dwarf turned, looked at her, at Geralt. Then he looked back at the stones pouring from the barrels and spat.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “A trap.”

“For the Squirrels?”

“No.”

The dead were arranged in a neat row. They lay next to each other, not divided – elves, humans and dwarves. Yannick Brass was amongst them. The dark-haired elf in the high boots was there. And the dwarf with his black, plaited beard, glistening with dried blood. And next to them…

“Paulie!” sobbed Regan Dahlberg, holding his brother’s head on his knees. “Paulie! Why?”

No one said anything. No one. Even those who knew why. Regan turned his contorted face, wet with tears, towards them.

“What will I tell our mother?” he wailed. “What am I going to say to her?”

No one said anything.

Not far away, surrounded by soldiers in the black and gold of Kaedwen, lay Wenck. He was breathing with difficulty and every breath forced bubbles of blood to his lips. Triss knelt next to him and a knight in shining armour stood over them both.

“Well?” asked the knight. “Lady enchantress? Will he live?”

“I’ve done everything I can.” Triss got to her feet, pinched her lips. “But…”

“What?”

“They used this.” She showed him an arrow with a strange head to it and struck it against a barrel standing by them. The tip of the arrow fell apart, split into four barbed, hook-like needles. The knight cursed.

“Fredegard…” Wenck uttered with difficulty. “Fredegard, listen—”

“You mustn’t speak!” said Triss severely. “Or move! The spell is barely holding!”

“Fredegard,” the commissar repeated. A bubble of blood burst on his lips and another immediately appeared in its place. “We were wrong… Everyone was wrong. It’s not Yarpen… We suspected him wrongly… I vouch for him. Yarpen did not betray… Did not betr—”

“Silence!” shouted the knight. “Silence, Vilfrid! Hey, quick now, bring the stretcher! Stretcher!”

“No need,” the magician said hollowly, gazing at Wenck’s lips where no more bubbles appeared. Ciri turned away and pressed her face to Geralt’s side.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.