[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] Half the spectators did not see what happened, but Kalek s awful scream told all that it was bad. From some angles it did not look like anything had happened until they looked closer and saw the stream of blood shooting onto the ground where a hand lay on the flagstones. The hand of the Temu King had been caught against his shield like meat on a butcher block. Dreibrand struck again to finish his victim, but desperation to survive gave Kalek the ability to block. Kalek struggled to master his legs despite the aggressive shock gripping his body, but he could only scramble away a short distance before collapsing. His shield slipped away from his wet stump. Dreibrand loomed over him, breathing hard from his efforts. With fading strength, Kalek held up his sword.  Enough! Xander roared and jumped into the circle of combat. The Temu General placed himself before his King as a shield.  Your revenge is done. I will not let you kill him, Xander declared while making a belated grab for his weapon. Pumped up by the primal emotions of battle, Dreibrand almost cut Xander down, but the pleading dark eyes of the old Temu warrior cooled his temper. Xander had tried to stop the abduction of Miranda, and Xander had let her go free. As much as Dreibrand resented the man s desire for his woman, he had to admit that Xander had always been Page 235 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html honorable, even when given the opportunity not to be. And Dreibrand remembered when Xander had tended his wound, and he could not strike the General. Shan twitched on the verge of intervening. If Xander entered the battle, all of the warriors might jump in. Shan would have to use his magic if the others started to fight. Xander watched the murderous contortion fade from Dreibrand s face.  Remember the friendship Taischek gladly gave and spare his son. You have cut off the hand that struck you. The Temu Tribe will always respect Dreibrand Veta as we have in the past.  Shut up, Xander, Kalek growled, but his voice was agonized and soft. His sword fell to the ground and he clutched his spurting stump. Kalek shook with pain and weakness and the color drained from his face. Dreibrand looked at Kalek, who was defeated. The Temu King might bleed to death yet. Already his lips had gone blue beneath his thin mustache. Dreibrand recalled how good Taischek had been to him and Miranda, and he lowered his sword. Dreibrand did not know where his mercy came from, but seeing Kalek on his knees and wet with his own blood burned away his rage.  I wish things had been different between us, Kalek, he said. Xander spun around and dropped to his King s side. Grabbing the handless arm, he clamped his hand over the stump and tried to hold the blood back. Catching his breath, Dreibrand looked for Miranda in the crowd. Her beautiful green eyes greeted him and he saw in them her relief that he had not been hurt. She did not seem upset that Kalek still lived. Shan said,  Are you satisfied, Dreibrand? Again Dreibrand looked at Kalek in his suffering. Now that Dreibrand had redeemed his pride, he did not feel proud of what he had done. He scanned the faces of the Temu warriors. He remembered living among the tribe and liking it.  I regret that my relationship with the Temu Tribe must end like this. But I am satisfied. Kalek has answered for what he did, Dreibrand announced.  This matter is settled, Shan declared.  And I ask all humans not to bring their quarrels into my realm again. A warm tingle of energy followed Shan s words and touched every person present. Sparkling with power, the rys King wheeled imperiously and headed into the Keep. Deciding it was best not to stay in the sight of the Temu, Dreibrand took Miranda s hand and signaled for the Yentay to accompany him inside. Quylan did not follow and instead rushed to assist Xander with the bleeding Temu King. Although she deplored the attack on Dreibrand, she now only saw a man she could help. 30 ~ Rys Diplomacy ~ Through the night Shan secluded himself and meditated deeply. He released his mind from the mundane worries that swirled around him, and he simply enjoyed the powerful essence of his homeland flowing through the mountains. Shan felt the first kiss of dawn upon the supreme slopes of the Rysamand, and he felt his kingship confirmed within himself. He was the King of Jingten and the ruler of all rys. The liberating exhilaration of becoming King now truly soaked into Shan s soul. Before, Onja s presence had always tainted his connection with the natural forces of his homeland. Now Onja was gone, and Shan could revel in his magical perception without the cancer of her evil. The world now seemed pure, and he could put his mind to higher purposes, instead of war and death. Shan. He recognized the call of Quylan s mind. Easing out of the ecstasy of his meditation, Shan returned to his physical surroundings. He felt totally Page 236 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html relaxed, and his body was entirely renewed. The strain of the war had disappeared from his flesh, and it would only remain in the vaults of his mind. He greeted Quylan with a smile when she entered the meditation chamber and settled onto the floor next to him. Ruinous splashes of blood stained her clothes. The troubles among his human friends returned to Shan, and he regretted the distasteful conflict that had occurred. Shan dared to hope that the soul of Taischek would forgive him for permitting the duel.  Kalek will live, Quylan announced because she felt the question building in Shan s mind. Since their sharing of body and spirit, they could often sense each other s moods and thoughts, but Quylan noted a dark impenetrable place in Shan s mind. It had appeared after he defeated Onja. These sheltered memories no doubt contained the events of Onja s death, but Quylan respected her lover enough not to pry too much. She hoped that as his love grew, he would share this with her. When Shan did not say anything, Quylan asked,  Does it upset you that I helped him?  Of course not, Shan responded.  I did not want anyone to die.  But you would have let one of them die. I could tell that you were serious about not helping either one of them. Kalek was about to bleed to death, and you just left, Quylan said.  I gave my word not to interfere in their duel, Shan said.  It was the only way to keep it between just Kalek and Dreibrand, who was being very foolish. I had to control the situation.  You hated to see them fight, Quylan noted.  I wish none of them would fight, Shan complained.  These tensions will go away soon. General Xander told me he will order most of the Temu warriors home today. Only a small portion will stay until Kalek is fit to travel. And I expect the Tacus to leave soon. Then we shall have our peace, Quylan said.  Where is Kalek? Shan inquired.  I took him to my father s house, she answered. Shan gently took up the hand of his juvenile lover.  You are so kind. I felt the brilliance of your compassion when you went to help Kalek.  I knew I could stop his bleeding. He will recover quickly, Quylan said proudly.  It pleased you to heal him, Shan observed. Quylan averted her eyes. Healing redeemed her as much as it pleased her. Shan had seen the shame and regret in her heart, and he sought to soothe her.  I know the terrible test that Onja put to you, he whispered. Quylan shuddered. She had hoped Shan did not know what she had done. Softly, Shan recalled,  When my ryslinghood neared its end, Onja gave me the same test. She said it was time for me to learn to kill, but I could not do it. I ran away into the mountains and hid. 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