The Shadows of the Avatar 01 - Shadows of Doom by Forgotten Realms

Author:Forgotten Realms [Forgotten Realms]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-01-08T17:48:02+00:00

18

Cheerless Obedience to Mages

As Sharantyr's sobs died away, Lord Angruin Stormcloak, striding importantly from his chambers to the great hall, heard their last echoes and frowned. What was a woman doing in this part of the castle? Had one of the men—? He sighed and had drawn breath to curse their waywardness when his eyes fell on men running toward him, terrified, blades drawn.

"Hold!" he roared, reaching for a wand. Was this some sort of treachery? "Stand, all of you! Answer me. Why are you running?"

They came to a clattering halt before his fury. Men shifted and would not look at him.

"L-Lord," one armsman said, fear full in his voice, "there's a woman—a dragon she is, with a sword! I saw her kill ten of us or more, and—"

"And so you fled, all of you," Stormcloak said with contempt. He looked coldly around at them all, eyeing men now clearing throats and exchanging glances and looking very uneasy indeed. "Are you warriors?"

Silence answered him. "Are you men?"

Nods, and more silence.

Stormcloak took a step forward. "Are you Zhentilar?"

"Aye, Lord."

"Yes, Lord."

Stormcloak nodded wolfishly. "Good," he said with deep sarcasm. "I had begun to wonder about that." Then his voice changed again. "And what do Zhentilar warriors do?"

"Obey, Lord."

" 'Obey when told to slay,' isn't that how the song goes?" Stormcloak corrected.

Nods answered him again. Stormcloak looked around at them all.

"Obey whom?"

A man swallowed. "Z-Zhentarim mages, Lord."

Stormcloak gave him a brittle smile. "And why do you obey mages, all of you?" He looked around at them all again. In the end, to break the heavy silence, he answered his own question. "You obey mages—myself, for instance—because if you don't, we'll unleash magic on you more terrible than any blade, more painful than any wound!"

He looked at them as the passage rang with those last shouted words, and let the echoes die away before continuing.

"Warriors who run one way can face one woman—with a sword," he added with a sneer. "Warriors who run the other way will face me," he said, raising his wand with slow menace and a silky smile.

In silence, the men called Wolves by the folk of the High Dale turned sullenly, raised their swords, and went back down the passage. Slowly.

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