The Thrall and the Dragon's Heart by Elizabeth Boyer

Author:Elizabeth Boyer
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Fantasy, General, Science Fiction, Fiction
ISBN: 9780345337498
Publisher: Random House
Published: 1986-03-11T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Brak clenched the heart in his hand, flinching at the deadly hiss of an arrow narrowly missing his head. He ventured to peer around a rock at their assailants, but all he could see was dark shapes keeping well back in the shadow of the jutting cliff.

While he hesitated, the arrows stopped abruptly, probably on command, and a lone dark figure appeared more distinctly against the rocks. Kolssynir made a move to raise his staff, but thought better of it and bided his time. The Dokkalfar was swathed in dark garments from head to toe to protect him from the effects of the weak and autumnal sun. Somewhere in the black folds were two eyes, warily scanning the target.

Kolssynir made a motion for silence, scowling down Pehr's impatient scowl and shaking his head threateningly. Presently two more Dokkalfar joined the first, similarly swathed and cloaked. They kept themselves close to the shadows, moving with a bent-over, furtive gait that bespoke a preference for the dark safety of an underground passageway. Before long nearly a score of Dokkalfar scuttled from their hiding places, like a pack of ferrets, and stood arguing and peering across the intervening space in wary speculation. Brak supposed they could see Skalgr lying stretched out on his face with the arrow in his back, and that they hoped, perhaps, that the rest had met a similar fate.

Kolssynir waited until the dark elves were gathered in a bold knot, arguing and strutting back and forth, staring toward their enemies' hiding place. Finally several seemed to find the courage to investigate their kill when a particularly black cloud obscured the pale sun. Kolssynir raised himself on one elbow and, with a whisper, sent a great bolt from the ends of his fingers hissing into the midst of the advancing Dokkalfar, where it burst with a roaring explosion. A few saw it coming and sprang away; the bursting of the blast added impetus to their flight.

Kolssynir leaped atop the rocks to watch, letting his cloak swirl and flap in the stray gusts of power. "Cowards! Ambushers! Secret murderers! I dare you to combat the powers of Kolssynir of Langborg! See what your puny arrows can do against me!"

The dark elves dived for cover, leaving the singed and gravely wounded to fend for themselves. Then, obligingly, a single arrow came arcing wickedly toward Kolssynir, its owner keeping well out of sight.

Kolssynir snorted with contempt and waved his hand. The arrow vanished in a small pftt! of flame without his so much as glancing at it. He stalked forward, ignoring the wounded Dokkalfar, several of whom made some desperate efforts to slash at his legs with their knives as he stepped over them. One blackened fellow made a surprise rush at him, but Kolssynir melted him to ice water almost instantly.

"And so shall the rest of you perish if you don't take flight at once!" Kolssynir looked around him like an ill-tempered bear, and the Dokkalfar shrank back into their hiding places.

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