The War Of The Lance by Michael Williams, Richard A. Knaak, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman Read Free Book Online

a young woman
     materialized out of the night and came to stand before the mage. She was fair-
    haired and pretty, with an oval face, rich brown hair, and blue eyes that were bright and
     spirited. So lovely was she, and so warm and seemingly alive, that it took some moments
     before Caramon realized she was long-since dead.
    “YOU are the one who called down the curse, are you not?” asked Raistlin.
    “Yes,” the maiden answered in a voice cold as the end of the world. “Which side do you
     choose, mage? Here stands pride” - she gestured toward the knight - “and here stands
     pride” - she gestured toward the mage. “Which will you choose? Not that it much matters.”
    “I fight for neither,” said Raistlin. “I do not choose pride. I choose,” he paused, then
     said gently, “I choose love.”
    Darkness crashed down upon them with the weight and force of an avalanche, quenching even
     the magical light of the staff.
    “Wow!” came the awed voice of the kender.
    Caramon blinked and peered around, trying to see through the blackness, which was thick
     and impenetrable as solid stone. The ghostly armies were gone.
    “Raistlin?” he called, panicked. “I am here, my brother. Hush. Keep silent.” Feeling a
     hand grasp his shoulder, Caramon reached
    out and touched a warm human arm. “Gawain?” he whispered. “Yes,” said the knight in
     strained tones. "What is
    happening? I don't trust that mage! He'll get us killed.“ ”So far it seems to me he's done
     a good job of
    keeping us alive,“ said Caramon grimly. ”Look!“ ”SHIRAK," said Raistlin and the crystal's
     light
    beamed brightly. Standing in front of Raistlin, illuminated by his staff, was the young
     woman.
    “You have broken the curse, young mage,” said the spirit. “Is there anything you would ask
     of me before I go to my long-awaited rest?”
    “Tell us your story,” said Raistlin. “According to the legend, the mage carried you off by
     force.”
    "Of course, that is what they have said, who never
    bothered to seek the truth!“ said the spirit scornfully. ”And their words were fuel to the
     fire of my curse. The truth is that the mage and I loved each other. My father, a Knight
     of Solamnia, forbade me to marry a wizard. He betrothed me to another knight, one whom I
     did not love. The mage and I ran off together. I left of my own free will to be with the
     man I loved. The knight followed us and we fled to this place, knowing that it had long
     been abandoned. The mage and I could have escaped, but he said that, for his honor, he
     must turn and fight. For his honor,“ she repeated bitterly. Her blue eyes stared into the
     shadows of the hall as though she could still see what had transpired there so long
     before. ”Within these walls, he challenged the knight to battle and they fought - one with
     his sword, the other with his magic. They fought, for their honor!
    "And I came to realize as I watched, helpless to prevent their quarrel, that neither loved
     me nearly so much as each loved his own misbegotten pride.
    “When they were dead, I stood over their bodies and prayed to the gods that all men bound
     up in their own pride should come here and be held enthralled. Then I left this place and
     went forth into the world. I found a man who loved me truly enough to live for me, not die
     for me. I was blessed with a rich, full life, surrounded by love. After my death, my
     spirit returned to this place and has been here since, waiting for one who loved enough to
     ignore the voices” - her gaze went to Caramon - "and for one wise enough to break the
     spell.
    “And now, young mage, you have freed them and you have freed me. I will go to my rest at
     the side of my husband who has waited patiently for me throughout the years. But first I
     would ask one thing of you. How was it that you saw and understood the truth?”
    “I could say that I had a shining example of false pride before