df.therunelords-第79部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　He　could　see　quite　well　here。　As　if　the　eyebright　administered　the　night　before　had　not　yet　worn　off。　This　amazed　him；　for　he'd　expected　it　to　lose　its　effect　long　ago。
　He　felt　thoroughly　lost；　had　no　idea　where　he'd　managed　to　end　up；　yet　it　was　with　a　light　heart　that　he　raced　down　into　a　deep　ravine；　covered　in　pine。
　Here　he　found　something　he'd　never　expected　to　encounter　so　far　into　the　Dunnwoodan　ancient　stone　road。　Pine　needles　had　fallen　on　it　over　the　ages；　and　trees　grew　up　through　the　middle　of　it。　Yet　all　in　all；　as　he　headed　deeper　into　the　gorge；　the　path　could　be　tracked。
　It　seemed　a　decidedly　odd　road；　too　narrow　for　even　a　narrow　wagon；　as　if　it　were　made　to　be　trod　by　smaller　feet。
　Iome　must　not　have　expected　this　road；　either；　for　she　watched　it　with　wide　eyes；　looking　this　way　and　that。　In　the　darkness；　her　pupils　dilated。
　The　woods　grew　silent　as　they　rode　for　the　next　half…hour；　and　the　trees　grew　immense。　The　trio　descended　from　the　pines　into　a　grove　of　vast　oaks；　trees　larger　than　Gaborn　had　ever　seen　or　imagined；　spreading　wide　over　their　heads；　the　oak　boughs　creaking　softly　in　the　night。
　Even　the　lowest　branches　rose　eighty　feet　overhead。　Old　man's　beard　clung　to　those　boughs　in　vast　curtains；　thirty　and　forty　feet　long。
　On　the　hill　beside　him；　in　the　trees；　Gaborn　saw　lights　winking　among　the　boles　of　trees。　Tiny　holes　had　been　dug　beneath　a　rock　shelf。　A　ferrin　warrior　rushed　before　the　light；　his　tail　whipping。
　Wild　ferrin；　living　off　acorns　and　mushrooms。　Some　inhabited　caves　up　there；　others　lived　in　the　hollows　of　great　oaks。　Gaborn　saw　lights　from　their　lamps　among　the　immense　roots　and　boles。　City　ferrin　seldom　built　fires；　since　those　attracted　men　who　would　dig　the　ferrin　out　of　their　burrows。　Somehow；　the　presence　of　wild　ferrin　forted　Gaborn。
　He　strained　his　ears；　listening　for　sign　of　pursuit；　but　all　he　could　hear　was　a　river；　somewhere　off　to　his　right；　rushing　down　the　ravine。
　Still　the　trail　descended。
　The　trees　grew　old　and　more　vast。　Few　plants　thrived　beneath　these　treesno　gorse　or　winding　vine　maple。　Instead　the　soft　ground　was　covered　in　deep　moss；　unmarred　by　footprints。
　Yet　as　they　traveled；　Iome　cried　out；　pointed　deeper　into　the　woods。　Far　back　under　the　shadows；　a　gray　form　squatteda　heavyset；　beardless　man；　watching　them　from　enormous　eyes。
　Gaborn　called　out　to　the　old　fellow；　but　he　faded　like　a　mist　before　the　sun。
　〃A　wight！〃　Iome　cried。　〃The　ghost　of　a　duskin。〃
　Gaborn　had　never　seen　a　duskin。　No　human　living　ever　had。　But　this　looked　nothing　like　the　ghost　of　a　manit　was　too　squat；　too　rounded。
　〃If　it　is　the　spirit　of　a　duskin；　then　all　is　well；〃　Gaborn　said；　trying　to　put　a　good　face　on　it。　〃They　served　our　ancestors。〃
　Yet　Gaborn　did　not　believe　for　a　moment　that　all　was　well。　He　spurred　his　horse　onward　a　bit　faster。
　〃Wait！〃　Iome　called。　〃We　can't　go　forward。　I've　heard　of　this　place。　There　is　an　old　duskin　road　leading　down　to　the　Seven　Standing　Stones。〃
　Gaborn　flinched　at　this　news。
　The　Seven　Standing　Stones　lay　at　the　heart　of　the　Dunnwood；　formed　the　center　of　its　power。
　I　should　flee；　he　realized。　Yet　he　wanted　to　reach　those　stones。　The　trees　had　called　him。
　He　listened　for　a　long　moment　for　sounds　of　pursuit。　Distantly；　he　heard　trees　bending　in　the　wind；　speaking　something。。。he　could　not　quite　distinguish。
　〃It's　not　much　farther；〃　Gaborn　told　Iome；　licking　his　lips。　His　heart　hammered；　and　he　knew　it　was　true。　Whatever　lay　ahead；　it　was　not　far　distant。
　He　spurred　his　horse　into　a　canter；　wanting　to　take　advantage　of　the　failing　light　by　covering　as　much　distance　as　possible。
　Ahead　he　heard　a　far…off　rasping　soundlike　the　buzz　of　rattlesnakes。
　He　froze　in　his　saddle。　He'd　never　heard　the　sound　before；　but　he　recognized　it　from　others'　descriptions。　It　was　the　rasping　of　a　reaver　as　air　filtered　from　its　lungs。
　〃Halt！〃　he　shouted；　wanting　to　turn　his　horse　and　retreat。
　Yet　almost　immediately　he　heard　a　cry　ahead；　Binnesman　calling；　〃Hold！　Hold　I　say！〃　He　sounded　terrified。
　〃Hurry！〃　Gaborn　shouted　and　rode　like　a　gale　now；　the　horses'　hooves　drumming　over　the　mossy　road；　beneath　the　black　boughs。
　He　drew　his　warhammer；　and　pounded　the　ribs　of　his　failing　horse　with　his　heels。
　Sixteen　hundred　years　ago；　Heredon　Sylvarresta　had　slain　a　reaver　mage　in　the　Dunnwood。　The　deed　was　legend。　He'd　put　a　lance　through　the　roof　of　its　mouth。
　Gaborn　had　no　lance；　did　not　know　if　a　man　could　even　kill　a　reaver　with　a　warhammer。
　Iome　shouted；　〃Wait！　Stop！〃
　Deeper　the　road　dropped；　into　the　endless　ravine；　so　that　when　Gaborn　tried　to　look　up　above　the　dark　branches；　he　had　the　impression　of　endless　land　all　around　and　above　him。
　〃The　earth　hide　you。。。〃　the　words　rang　in　his　mind。　Iome　and　her　father　followed　Gaborn　down；　until　he　felt　as　if　at　any　moment　he　would　be　swallowed　up　into　the　belly　of　the　earth。
　He　raced　under　the　great　oaks；　which　spread　above　him　taller　than　any　he'd　ever　imagined；　so　he　wondered　if　these　had　grown　here　since　the　world　was　first　bornthen　suddenly　he　saw　an　end　to　the　trees；　an　end　to　the　trail　ahead。　The　rasping　of　the　reaver　came　from　there。
　A　ring　of　misshapen　stones　lay　a　couple　of　hundred　yards　off。　Dark；　mysterious；　shaped　somewhat　like　half…formed　men。　Gaborn　raced　to　them　in　the　starlight；　hurtling　under　dark　trees。
　Something　seemed　very　wrong。　Only　moments　before；　at　the　top　of　the　hill；　the　sun　had　been　setting。　It　was　dusk。　Yet　here；　with　the　steep　mountains　rising　all　aroundhere　in　the　deep　hollow；　full　night　had　fallen。
　Glorious　starlight　shone　all　around。
　Though　legend　had　named　this　place　the　Seven　Standing　Stones；　it　seemed　the　ring　had　not　been　named　aptly。　Only　one　stone　stood　nowthe　stone　nearest　to　Gaborn；　the　stone　facing　him。　Yet　it　was　more　than　a　stone。　Once　it　might　have　seemed　human。　Its　features　were　ragged　and　chipped　with　age；　and　the　statue　shone　dimly　with　a　greenish　hue；　as　if　foxfire　played　over　its　features。　The　other　six　stones；　all　of　similar　design；　seemed　to　have　fallen　in　dark　ages　past；　all　had　toppled　out　from　the　center　of　the　ring。
　And　though　they　were　of　similar　design；　yet　they　were　not。　For　this　one's　head　lay　askew；　and　another's　leg　was　raised　in　the　air；　while　a　third　looked　as　if　it　were　trying　to　crawl　away。
　A　tremendous　blast　of　light　erupted　from　what　Gaborn　had　taken　to　be　a　huge　bouldera　beam　of　fire　that　struck　the　remaining　statue　at　its　feet。　Gaborn　saw　movement　as　the　boulder　took　a　step；　then　another　blast　struck　the　statue；　a　blast　of　frost　that　froze　the　air；　cracked　the　statue's　edges；　flaking　them　away。
　Before　that　single　statue；　a　reaver　mage　spun　to　meet　Gaborn。
　Binnesman　shouted；　〃Gaborn！　Beware！〃　though　Gaborn　could　not　see　the　old　wizard。
　Gaborn　first　saw　the　reaver's　head；　row　upon　row　of　crystalline　teeth　flashing　like　ice　in　the　starlight　as　its　jaws　gaped。
　It　bore　no　mon　ancestor　to　man；　looked　like　no　other　creature　to　walk　the　face　of　the　earth；　for　its　kind　had　evolved　in　the　underworld；　descended　from　organisms　that　formed　countless　ages　ago　in　deep　volcanic　pools。
　Gaborn's　first　impression　was　of　vastness。　The　reaver　stood　sixteen　feet　at　the　shoulder；　so　that　its　enormous　leathery　head；　the　width　and　length　of　a　small　wagon；　towered　above　him　though　Gaborn　rode　on　horseback。　It　had　no　eyes　or　ears　or　nose；　only　a　row　of　hairlike　sensors　that　skirted　the　back　of　its　head；　and　followed　the　line　of　its　jaw　like　a　great　mane。
　The　reaver　scrambled　quick　as　a　roach　on　four　huge　legs；　each　seemingly　made　only　of　blackened　bone；　that　held　its　slimy　abdomen　well　off　the　ground。　As　Gaborn　drew　near；　it　raised　its　massive　arms　threateningly；　holding　out　a　stalagmite　as　a　weapon；　a　long　rod　of　clear　agate。　Runes　of　fire　burned　in　that　rod。　Dire　symbols　of　the　flameweavers。
　Gaborn　did　not　fear　the　icy　rows　of　teeth；　or　the　deadly　claws　on　each　long　arm。　Reavers　are　fell　warriors；　but　reaver　mages　are　even　more　fell　sorcerers。
　Indeed；　the　whole　art　of　the　Runelords　had　developed　in　mimicry　of　the　reavers'　magic。　For　when　a　reaver　died；　others　of　its　kind　would　consume　the　body　of　the　dead；　absorb　its　knowledge；　its　strength；　and　its　accumula