bare hands,’ he declared.
‘“I will not lie,’ Lirian began. ‘I have sent others already, and they have all perished. However, we have enough information to know that there are two garunda in a cave to the east of here. It is my belief that they guard a single shade.’
‘“No,’ Ravenel said. ‘I would need an army, and even then it wouldn’t be enough.’
“Lirian shook her head. ‘I have sent groups to fight already. They have failed. I believe we stand a better chance if we send one man alone. That way there is less risk of being caught. You are a master with your bow, and you are skilled in stalking and hunting prey of all kinds.’
‘“I hunt game. This is not the same,’ Ravenel protested.
“Lirian nodded and a frown dragged her ruby lips down. ‘Yet, if someone does not defeat the garunda and the shade, then we shall become little more than game for a far more sinister force that walks upon our plane.’”
Kyra nudged Leatherback with her foot again. “See, my friend, I told you this would be a good story.” She continued, “Ravenel stood silently. He cast a glance to the door behind him, and then looked back to Lirian’s desperate eyes. ‘A shade cannot be beaten by an arrow,’ he said. ‘A shade is a Verr’Tai, or blood elf, twisted by Attek’s curse into something akin to a vampire, only instead of drinking blood it drains your very soul and life force. Even if I could slay the two garunda, I wouldn’t be able to scratch the shade.’
‘“I know full well what a shade is,’ Lirian chided. ‘Only days ago, I watched helplessly as the two garunda stalked into the city and ripped apart men as though they were made of straw. The shade came soon afterward, devouring all who challenged her.’
‘“Then you know their kind cannot be beaten,’ Ravenel said decisively. ‘Our best hope for survival is to move. None can stay here.’
‘“They have one weakness that I know of,’ Lirian said. ‘The rays of the sun burn them, and force them into their holes and burrows.’
‘“I am sorry for the misunderstanding,’ Ravenel offered as he began moving toward the door. ‘It just isn’t possible.’
‘“We have no one else,’ Lirian called out after him. ‘As I said before, the warriors we could spare have already gone to the cave, and none have returned. We have only a few men left capable of wielding a sword, and we need them here to defend our citizens from the continued attacks.’ Ravenel continued walking to the door. ‘We won’t leave,’ Lirian said. ‘This is our home.’
‘“Home is where you decide it to be,’ Ravenel countered.
‘“We are not nomads,’ Lirian argued. ‘To move north would be to offer ourselves as slaves to the mighty kings and tribes of the north. To go east would be to die by the claw and fang of the Khattuun. We have no ships capable of assisting with a mass exodus, and it would take months to reach the sea. Besides, the garunda and shade would hunt us down as we fled. Tell me, where are we to go?’
“Ravenel stopped in mid-step and looked down to the floor with a great sigh. He could sense the feeling of desperation within Lirian’s voice, and he well understood the plight of the city and vassal towns that belonged to the tribe. Within his mind two voices were heard, one urging him to defend those weaker than he, and the other seemed to be shouting for him to run far away from this dark place. He closed his eyes as he sorted out the possible consequences of his actions. In the back of his mind came the nagging notion that none of the nearby tribal lords would be likely to send aid, despite the alliance, and he knew the townsfolk had no place to flee to. Lirian was correct. If he refused to help, then no one else would.
‘“There is no one else,’ Lirian repeated, as if she was confirming Ravenel’s thoughts. ‘We are prepared to pay you three fold the usual price for a dragon’s bounty.’”
Leatherback snarled.
‘“I will not lie,’ Lirian began. ‘I have sent others already, and they have all perished. However, we have enough information to know that there are two garunda in a cave to the east of here. It is my belief that they guard a single shade.’
‘“No,’ Ravenel said. ‘I would need an army, and even then it wouldn’t be enough.’
“Lirian shook her head. ‘I have sent groups to fight already. They have failed. I believe we stand a better chance if we send one man alone. That way there is less risk of being caught. You are a master with your bow, and you are skilled in stalking and hunting prey of all kinds.’
‘“I hunt game. This is not the same,’ Ravenel protested.
“Lirian nodded and a frown dragged her ruby lips down. ‘Yet, if someone does not defeat the garunda and the shade, then we shall become little more than game for a far more sinister force that walks upon our plane.’”
Kyra nudged Leatherback with her foot again. “See, my friend, I told you this would be a good story.” She continued, “Ravenel stood silently. He cast a glance to the door behind him, and then looked back to Lirian’s desperate eyes. ‘A shade cannot be beaten by an arrow,’ he said. ‘A shade is a Verr’Tai, or blood elf, twisted by Attek’s curse into something akin to a vampire, only instead of drinking blood it drains your very soul and life force. Even if I could slay the two garunda, I wouldn’t be able to scratch the shade.’
‘“I know full well what a shade is,’ Lirian chided. ‘Only days ago, I watched helplessly as the two garunda stalked into the city and ripped apart men as though they were made of straw. The shade came soon afterward, devouring all who challenged her.’
‘“Then you know their kind cannot be beaten,’ Ravenel said decisively. ‘Our best hope for survival is to move. None can stay here.’
‘“They have one weakness that I know of,’ Lirian said. ‘The rays of the sun burn them, and force them into their holes and burrows.’
‘“I am sorry for the misunderstanding,’ Ravenel offered as he began moving toward the door. ‘It just isn’t possible.’
‘“We have no one else,’ Lirian called out after him. ‘As I said before, the warriors we could spare have already gone to the cave, and none have returned. We have only a few men left capable of wielding a sword, and we need them here to defend our citizens from the continued attacks.’ Ravenel continued walking to the door. ‘We won’t leave,’ Lirian said. ‘This is our home.’
‘“Home is where you decide it to be,’ Ravenel countered.
‘“We are not nomads,’ Lirian argued. ‘To move north would be to offer ourselves as slaves to the mighty kings and tribes of the north. To go east would be to die by the claw and fang of the Khattuun. We have no ships capable of assisting with a mass exodus, and it would take months to reach the sea. Besides, the garunda and shade would hunt us down as we fled. Tell me, where are we to go?’
“Ravenel stopped in mid-step and looked down to the floor with a great sigh. He could sense the feeling of desperation within Lirian’s voice, and he well understood the plight of the city and vassal towns that belonged to the tribe. Within his mind two voices were heard, one urging him to defend those weaker than he, and the other seemed to be shouting for him to run far away from this dark place. He closed his eyes as he sorted out the possible consequences of his actions. In the back of his mind came the nagging notion that none of the nearby tribal lords would be likely to send aid, despite the alliance, and he knew the townsfolk had no place to flee to. Lirian was correct. If he refused to help, then no one else would.
‘“There is no one else,’ Lirian repeated, as if she was confirming Ravenel’s thoughts. ‘We are prepared to pay you three fold the usual price for a dragon’s bounty.’”
Leatherback snarled.
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