war of the spider queen 4 extinction-第57部分

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　it　been　one　of　Lolth's　high　priestesses　to　whom　she　had　spoken　so　boldly。　〃I　was　of　a　noble　House　and　am　not　used　to　having　my　courage　questioned。　I　was　taught；　long　ago；　to　cocoon　my　fear　up　tight　and　never　let　it　unravel。　I　assure　you　that　I'm　not　afraid…and　I'm　not　making　this　up。　I　don't　even　know　what　the　Crescent　Blade　is。　Please；　enlighten　me。〃
　　　Uluyara　sighed　and　said；　〃Rise；　priestess。〃　When　Halisstra　had；　she　continued；　〃This　past　day　has　been　a　difficult　one　for　both　of　us。　I　was　the　one　who　first　brought　Breena　up　into　the　light。　She　was　like　a　daughter　to　me。　Her　death　。　。　。〃
　　　She　paused　to　stare　out　into　the　darkened　woods。　From　the　direction　her　eyes　yearned　toward　came　the　sound　of　women　singing；　the　voices　of　the　three　priestesses　who　were　laying　out　Breena's　corpse　on　a　bier　high　above　the　forest　floor　where　it　would　be　washed　by　the　tears　of　the　moon。　The　death　song　seemed　to　float　on　the　breeze；　acpanied　by　the　clean　scent　of　freshly　fallen　snow。
　　　At　last　Uluyara　tore　her　eyes　away　and　began　her　story。
　　　〃The　Crescent　Blade　was　forged　centuries　ago；　after　Eilistraee　plucked　a　pebble　from　the　heavens　and　tossed　it　down　to　the　earth　below。　By　the　time　it　struck　the　ground；　it　had　grown　to　the　size　of　a　boulder　and　was　glowing　as　brightly　as　a　forge。　It　was　so　hot　that　no　one　could　approach　it　without　a　protective　spell。　The　boulder　was　weeping　metal…moon　metal；　for　that　was　where　it　came　from。　If　you　look　up　at　the　moon；　you　can　see　a　hole。　That　is　the　spot　from　which　Eilistraee　plucked　the　stone。〃
　　　Halisstra　peered　at　the　moon；　which　had　just　risen　above　the　trees。　Its　face　was　pocked　with　dozens　of　dark；　circular　holes。　She　glanced　from　one　to　the　next；　wondering　which　was　the　one。
　　　〃There；〃　Uluyara　said；　pointing。　〃The　smaller　hole　within　that　larger；　darker　one。　See　how　what　remains　of　the　larger　hole　forms　the　shape　of　a　crescent？〃
　　　Halisstra　closed　one　eye　and　sighted　along　Uluyara's　arm；　then　nodded　as　she　spotted　it。
　　　〃The　moon　metal　shed　by　the　boulder　was　collected　and　forged　into　a　sword　with　a　crescent…shaped　blade；〃　Uluyara　continued。　〃With　each　heating；　with　each　hammer　stroke　against　the　anvil；　with　each　quenching；　enchantments　were　laid　upon　the　blade。　It　was　made　holy；　giving　it　a　keener　edge　against　evil。　It　was　made　quick　as　thought；　allowing　it　to　strike　twice　for　each　stroke　of　an　enemy　blade。　It　was　enchanted　with　moonlight；　just　as　my　own　sword　is；　allowing　it　to　pass　through　armor…or　even　stone…as　easily　as　through　flesh。　By　the　blessing　of　Eilistraee　it　can　also　fend　off　evil　magic；　casting　a　protective　circle　around　the　one　who　holds　it。
　　　〃The　final　enchantment　laid　upon　the　Crescent　Blade；〃　Uluyara　continued；　〃is　perhaps　the　most　powerful　of　all。　If　the　arm　of　the　priestess　wielding　it　is　strong　and　her　aim　is　true；　the　blade　will　sever　the　neck　of　any　creature。〃
　　　Uluyara　paused；　and　her　eyes　bored　deep　into　Halisstra's。
　　　〃Any　creature；〃　she　repeated。　〃Be　it　a　drow；　a　demon　。。。　or　even　a　goddess。〃
　　　All　at　once；　Halisstra　understood。
　　　〃So　that's　what　Seyll　was　trying　to　tell　me；〃　she　whispered。　〃I'm　to　use　the　Crescent　Blade　not　to　kill　Quenthel　Baenre　but　to　kill　Lolth　herself。〃
　　　Uluyara　stared　at　her　for　a　long　moment　before　she　said；　〃Impossible　as　it　sounds；　it　is　so。〃
　　　〃But　I。。。　But　she。。。〃
　　　Overe　by　the　enormity　of　the　idea；　Halisstra　found　herself　unable　even　to　protest。　She；　Halisstra…a　former　priestess　of　Lolth　only　recently　brought　into　Eilistraee's　light…was　to　slay　the　most　powerful　deity　known　to　the　drow？　With　a　sword？　The　notion　was　insane。　Laughable；　even。　She'd　witnessed　first　hand　a　battle　between　gods；　when　Vhaeraun　and　Selvetarm　confronted　each　other　outside　Lolth's　temple　in　the　Demonweb　Pits。　None　of　the　mortals　present…even　Pharaun…could　have　affected　the　oute　of　that　battle　if　they　tried。　But　Halisstra　supposed　Eilistraee　must　know　what　she　was　doing…that　she　must　have　chosen　Halisstra　for　some　reason。
　　　Though　really；　Halisstra　couldn't　see　why。　She　knew　only　a　handful　of　bae'qeshel　spells…mostly　simple　healing　magic…and　was　still　struggling　to　relearn　the　clerical　spells　that　Lolth　had　once　granted；　and　that　Eilistraee　was　slowly　revealing　to　her　in　new　forms。　Halisstra　was　like　someone　who　had　been　laid　low　by　an　illness　and　who　was　only　slowly　learning　to　walk　again。　And　Eilistraee　expected　her　not　just　to　walk　but　to　run。　To　fly；　even。
　　　As　Uluyara　had　said；　impossible。
　　　Or　was　it？　Lolth　might　not　be　dead；　but　she　was　inactive…and　inattentive。　When　Halisstra　had　blasphemed　against　her；　nothing　had　happened。　Even　killing　the　phase　spider　by　invoking　Eilistraee's　moonfire　had　failed　to　arouse　her　wrath。　Lolth's　yochlol　handmaidens　might　have　killed　one　of　Eilistraee's　priestesses；　but　from　the　goddess　herself　there　had　been　no　direct　sign。　According　to　Uluyara's　scrying；　Lolth's　temple　was　still　sealed　by　an　enormous　black　stone。　A　stone　that　resembled　a　face…and　had　a　neck。
　　　A　neck　made　of　stone…a　material　the　Crescent　Blade　could　cut　through　easily；　as　easily　as　a　normal　blade　through　bare　flesh。　With　a　single；　well…aimed　stroke　of　the　Crescent　Blade；　that　neck　could　be　severed。　As　long　as　the　blow　was　struck　by　one　of　Eilistraee's　faithful。
　　　Would　that　really　kill　Lolth？
　　　Halisstra　shook　her　head。
　　　〃Why　me？〃　she　asked　Uluyara。　〃Surely　Eilistraee　could　have　found　a　more　worthy　priestess。　You；　for　example。〃
　　　〃It　is　not　I　who　was　chosen；〃　Uluyara　said。　Then；　after　a　moment's　thought；　she　added；　〃You；　out　of　all　of　those　who　worship　Eilistraee；　are　unique　for　the　simple　reason　that　you　are　the　only　one　Quenthel　Baenre　and　the　others　will　trust。　If　they　do　succeed　in　reaching　Lolth's　domain　and　you　are　among　them；　you'll　be　in　the　perfect　position　to　end　the　Spider　Queen's　dark　reign　and　release　her　children　from　the　clinging　webs　that　hold　them　back　from　their　birthright。
　　　〃If　it　truly　is　Eilistraee's　will；　I　will　try；〃　Halisstra　said　slowly。　Then　she　realized　that　the　first　step　in　her　monumental　quest　had　yet　to　be　taken。　〃Seyll　said　the　Crescent　Blade　was　lost　on　the　Cold　Field。　Where　is　that？〃
　　　〃It　lies　about　three　days'　march　to　the　southeast　of　here；　at　the　edge　of　the　great　wood；〃　Uluyara　said。　〃It　is　a　dangerous　place。　Centuries　ago　it　was　a　battlefield；　and　the　foul　magic　once　unleashed　there　permeates　it。　The　ghosts　of　the　dead　soldiers　who　once　fought　there　roam　it　still…and　are　at　their　most　dangerous　in　winter。　When　the　chill　of　the　air　matches　the　chill　of　the　grave　they　rise　to　fight　again…and　sweep　away　everything　in　their　path。〃
　　　Halisstra；　going　over　Seyll's　message　again　in　her　mind；　was　only　half　listening。
　　　〃Is　the　Cold　Field　home　to　a　dragon？〃　she　asked；　remembering　the　warning　about　a　wyrm。
　　　Uluyara　shrugged　and　said；　〃None　has　been　sighted　there；　but　it　is　possible。　The　battle　was　said　to　involve　dragons。　The　Cold　Field　was　scoured　by　their　magical　breath；　and　its　soil　remains　infertile　to　this　day。　One　of　these　dragons　might　have　laired　there　in　the　centuries　since。〃
　　　〃How　did　the　Crescent　Blade　e　to　be　lost？〃　Halisstra　asked。　〃Seyll　said　'she'　was　carrying　it。　Who？　A　priestess？〃
　　　The　look　Uluyara　gave　Halisstra　was　a　peculiar　one。　She　stared　as　if　she'd　suddenly　realized　something　about　Halisstra…something　of　import。
　　　〃She　who　carried　the　Crescent　Blade　was　a　priestess　of　the　first　rank；〃　she　said。　〃One　of　our　Sword　Dancers。　She　came；　originally；　from　the　same　city　as　yourself。　She　came　from　Ched　Nasad。〃
　　　Halisstra　nodded。　She　was　surprised　to　hear　that　someone　from　her　own　city　had　also　wound　up　at　that　temple；　so　far　from　home。
　　　〃What　House　was　she？〃　Halisstra　asked。
　　　〃House　Melarn。〃
　　　Halisstra　blinked；　and　asked；　〃What。　。　。　what　was　her　name？〃
　　　〃Mathira。〃
　　　Halisstra　frowned。　She　didn't　recognize　the　name；　at　first…but　then　a　memory　bubbled　up　from　her　childhood。　A　memory　of　the　day　she'd　noticed　that　one　of　the　portrait　busts　in　House　Melarn's　great　hall　was　〃broken。〃　The　chisel　work　that　obliterated　the　features　of　the　stone　head　and　the　name　carved　into　its　base　had　been　roughly　done；　so　it　was　still　possible　to　m