The Chalice and the Blade (The Chalice Trilogy) by Tara Janzen

Author:Tara Janzen [Janzen, Tara]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Historical Fantasy, Wales, 12th Century
Publisher: Tara Janzen
Published: 2013-01-11T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Rhuddlan and Trig knelt by the steaming, bubbling pool deep in the heart of the caves beneath Balor. The Liosalfar touched his fingers to the stone rim, the Quicken-tree leader reached for the water itself, and what Trig smelled on his fingers when he lifted them to his nose, Rhuddlan felt in the pool.

“Desecration,” the Liosalfar said, looking up.

Green eyes met green, and Rhuddlan nodded. “Whoever rouses the pryf dabbles in mysteries beyond his ken. Find the paths he uses and close them off.” The foul being whose presence they sensed could not be left to run free.

Men from above had ventured into the caves many times since the fall of Carn Merioneth, some by accident, some apurpose to explore, and some to meet unexpected death. The caverns of the Quicken-tree did not readily reveal their secrets, and for that reason Rhuddlan had never bothered to challenge the presence of those whose thoughts did not go beyond tangible riches. ’Twas better for them to find nothing and return to tell the tale.

This one, though—the Quicken-tree leader skimmed his fingers across the scrying pool once more—this one did not think of gold and gemstones, but of a treasure beyond price, and he must be checked. The searcher would know someone had locked him out the next time he tried to descend into the caves, and mayhaps he had enough wits about him to devise a new way in, but that would take time and Beltaine was nearly upon them. After that good night, Rhuddlan would return with those he needed to break the seal on the weir gate, and once again he would be the ruler of the kingdom beneath the mountains, a dragon keeper.

Then let this foul being come below, and Rhuddlan would feed him to the mother ocean.

~ ~ ~

Travelers from the far north, from beyond even Denmark, arrived near Wydehaw midweek. The messenger who had sighted the peddler band in the forest and brought the news to the Hart had been scarce more than a boy. He had disappeared back into the night with his four pence clutched in his fist, leaving less trace of his passing than a shadow. For such an outrageous sum, Ceridwen had told Dain, she would be happy to run free in the woods all day and report back to him everything she saw. His reply had been that she had not done so well by herself running free in the woods, and that mayhaps she should just stay put. She did, while he left at the next dawn to go in search of the barbarian traders.

Glad she was to be alone. The tower was too small to hold a caged animal of Dain’s size, and he acted the part no less than any wild thing she’d seen caught in a trap. He no longer spoke, he growled and snapped. He no longer slept, but prowled the whole night long. Every sound brought his head up, alert and wary. Every shift in the wind had become cause for another hour spent staring out the window upon the forested hills.

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.