heist

His head was hammering like a Perdruinese church bell. There were flames all around him, beating hot against his skin, sucking away the air. In a blind panic, he dragged himself across the crisping grass of the tent floor toward what looked like a patch of cool darkness, only to find his face pushed up against some black, slippery fabric.

He struggled with it for a moment, dimly noting its strange resistance; then it flopped aside, exposing a white face buried in the black hood. The eyes were turned up, and blood slicked the lips. Tiamak tried to scream, but his mouth was full of burning smoke and his own bile. He rolled away, choking. Suddenly, something grabbed at his arm and he was yanked forward violently, dragged across the pale-skinned corpse and through a wall of flame. For a moment he thought he was dead. Something was thrown over him, and he was rolled and pummeled with the same swift violence that had carried him away, then whatever covered him was lifted and he found himself lying on wet grass. Flames licked at the sky close beside him, but he was safe. Safe! "The Wrannaman is alive," someone said near him. He thought he recognized the Sitha-woman's lilting tones, although her voice was now almost sharp with fear and worry. "Camaris dragged him out. How the knight managed to stay awake after he had been poisoned I will never know, but he killed two of the Hikeda'ya." There was an unintelligible response. After he had lain in place for a few long moments, just breathing the clean air into his painful lungs, Tiamak rolled over. Aditu stood a few paces away, her white hair blackened and her golden face streaked with grime. Be neath her on the ground lay the forest woman Geloe, partially wrapped in a cloak, but obviously naked beneath it, her muscular legs shiny with dew or sweat. As Tiamak watched, she struggled to sit up. "No, you must not," Aditu said to her, then took a step backward. "By the Grove, Geloe, you are wounded." With a trembling effort, Geloe lifted her head. "No," she said. Tiamak could barely hear her voice, a throaty whisper. "I am dying." Aditu leaned forward, reaching out to her. "Let me help you...." "No!" Geloe's voice grew stronger.