[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Catti-brie and dropped an arm comfortably across her shoulders. "The night has
come, and a bright moon peeks over the eastern rim. Time for the hunt!"
Catti-brie put her hand on Wulfgar's and flashed him an adoring smile.
Drizzt was glad they had found each other. They would grow together in a blessed
and joyful life, rearing children that would no doubt be the envy of all the
northland.
Catti-brie looked back to Drizzt. "Just for yer thoughts, me friend," she
said quietly, calmly. "Are ye more trapped by the way the world sees ye or by
the way ye see the world seein' ye?"
The tension eased out of Drizzt's muscles. if Catti-brie was right in her
observations, he would have a lot of thinking to do.
"Time to hunt!" Catti-brie cried, satisfied that she had gotten her point
across. She rose beside Wulfgar and headed for the door, but she turned her head
over her shoulder to face Drizzt one final time, giving him a look that told him
that perhaps he should have asked for more from Catti-brie back in Icewind Dale,
before Wulfgar had entered her life.
Drizzt sighed as they left the room and instinctively reached for the
magical mask.
Instinctively? he wondered.
Drizzt dropped the thing suddenly and fell back in the chair in thought,
clasping his hands behind his head. He glanced around, hoping, but the room had
no mirror.
17
Impossible Loyalties
LaValle held his hand within the pouch for a long moment, teasing Pook. They
were alone with the eunuchs, who didn't count, in the central chamber of the top
level. LaValle had promised his master a gift beyond even the news of the ruby
pendant's return, and Pook knew that the wizard would offer such a promise with
great care. It was not wise to disappoint the guildmaster.
LaValle had great confidence in his gift and had no trepidations about his
grand claims. He slid it out and presented it to Pook, smiling broadly as he did
so.
Pook lost his breath, and sweat thickened on his palms at the onyx
statuette's touch. "Magnificent," he muttered, overwhelmed. "Never have I seen
such craftsmanship, such detail. One could almost pet the thing!"
"One can," LaValle whispered under his breath. The wizard did not want to
let on to all of the gift's properties at once, however, so he replied, "I am
pleased that you are pleased."
"Where did you get it?"
LaValle shifted uneasily. "That is not important," he answered. "It is for
you, Master, given with all of my loyalty." He quickly moved the conversation
along to prevent Pook from pressing the point. "The workmanship of the statuette
is but a fraction of its value," he teased, drawing a curious look from Pook.
"You have heard of such figurines," LaValle went on, satisfied that the time
to overwhelm the guildmaster had come once again. "They can be magical
companions to their owners."
Pook's hands verily trembled at the thought. "This," he stammered excitedly,
"this might bring the panther to life?"
LaValle's sly smile answered the question.
"How? When might I-"
"Whenever you desire," LaValle answered.
"Should we prepare a cage?" Pook asked.
"No need."
"But at least until the panther understands who its master-"
"You possess the figurine," LaValle interrupted. "The creature you summon is
wholly yours. It will follow your every command exactly as you desire."
Pook clutched the statuette close to his chest. He could hardly believe his
fortune. The great cats were his first and foremost love, and to have in his
possession one with such obedience, an extension of his own will, thrilled him
as he had never been thrilled before.
"Now," he said. "I want to call the cat now. Tell me the words."
LaValle took the statue and placed it on the floor, then whispered into
Pook's ear, taking care that his own uttering of the cat's name didn't summon
Guenhwyvar and ruin the moment for Pook.
"Guenhwyvar," Pook called softly. Nothing happened at first, but both Pook
and LaValle could sense the link being completed to the distant entity.
"Come to me, Guenhwyvar!" Pook commanded.
His voice rolled through the tunnel gate in the Planes of existence, down
the dark corridor to the Astral Plane, the home of the entity of the panther.
Guenhwyvar awakened to the summons. Cautiously the cat found the path.
"Guenhwyvar," the call came again, but the cat did not recognize the voice.
It had been many weeks since its master had brought it to the Prime Material
Plane, and the panther had had a well-deserved and much-needed rest, but one
that had brought with it a cautious trepidation. Now, with an unknown voice
summoning it, Guenhwyvar understood that something had definitely changed.
Tentatively, but unable to resist the summons, the great cat padded off down
the corridor.
Pook and LaValle watched, mesmerized, as a gray smoke appeared, shrouding
the floor around the figurine. It swirled lazily for a few moments then took
definite shape, solidifying into Guenhwyvar. The cat stood perfectly still,
seeking some recognition of its surroundings.
"What do I do?" Pook asked LaValle. The cat tensed at the sound of the voice
- its master's voice.
"Whatever pleases you," LaValle answered. "The cat will sit by you, hunt for
you, walk at your heel - kill for you."
Some ideas popped into the guildmaster's head at the last comment. "What are
its limits?
LaValle shrugged. "Most magic of this kind will fade after a length of time,
though you can summon the cat again once it has rested," he quickly added, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]