| Vidomni was over west behind the tops of the treesOnly Ilarion was overhead among the stars, making the night strange with her shiningGhostlight, the country folk called it when the blue moon rode alone
Alessan had the light behind him so his eyes were hiddenFor a moment the only sounds were the night noises of the forest: rustle of leaf in breeze, of grass, the dry crackle of the woodland floor, quick flap of wings to a branch near bySomewhere north of them a small animal cried out and another answered it
Alessan said: "Because I knew the tune his father taught him as a child and I know who his father is and he isn't from AsoliCatriana, my dear, it isn't just the music, whatever you may think of my own weaknessesHe is one of us, my darlingBaerd, will you test him?"
On the most conscious, rational level, Devin understood almost none of louis vuitton replicas handbags thisNonetheless he felt himself beginning to grow cold even as Alessan spokeHe had a swooping sense, like the descent of a hunting bird, that he had come to where Morian's portal had led him, here in the shadows of this wood under the waxing blue moon
Nor was he made easier when he turned to Baerd and saw the stricken look on the face of the other manEven by the distorting moonlight he could see how pale Baerd had become Baerd began, his voice roughened
"You are dearer to me than anyone alive," Alessan said, calm and grave"You have been more than a brother to meI would not hurt you for the world, and especially not in thisI would not ask unless I was sure
Still Baerd hesitated, which made Devin's own anxiety grow; he understood less and less of what was happeningOnly that it seemed to matter to the others, a great deal
For a long moment no one movedFinally Baerd, prada fairy bag replica walking carefully, as if holding tightly to control of himself, took Devin by the arm and led him a dozen steps further into the wood to a small clearing among a circle of trees
Neatly he lowered himself to sit cross-legged on the groundAfter a moment's hesitation Devin did the sameThere was nothing he could do but follow the leads he was being given; he had no idea where they were goingNot on the road I'm on, he remembered Catriana saying in the palace that morningHe linked his hands together to keep them steady; he felt cold, and it had little to do with the chill of night
He heard Alessan and Catriana following them but he didn't look backFor the moment what was important was the enormous thing, whatever it was, that he could see building in Baerd's eyesThe blond-haired man had appeared so effortlessly competent until this moment and now, fashion d |