To Green Angel Tower, Volume 2 by Tad Williams Read Free Book Online

“Who have we lost? I am told there are bodies inside the tent still.”
    Aditu looked up. “Geloë, I fear. She was badly wounded. Dying.”
    “God curse it!” Josua’s voice cracked. “Cursed day!” He pulled a handful of grass and flung it down angrily. With an effort, he calmed himself. “Is she still in there? And who are the others?”
    “They are none of them Geloë,” she said. “The three inside the tent are those you call Norns. Geloë has gone to the forest.”
    “What!” Josua sat back, stunned. “What do you mean, gone to the forest? You said she was dead.”
    “Dying.” Aditu spread her fingers. “She did not want us to see her last moments, I think. She was strange, Josua—stranger than you know. She went away.”
    “Gone?”
    The Sitha nodded slowly. “Gone.”
    The prince made the sign of the Tree and bowed his head. When he looked up, there were tears running on his cheek; Isgrimnur did not think they were caused by the smoke. He, too, felt a shadow move over him as he thought of the loss of Geloë. With so many pressing tasks he could not dwell on it now, but the duke knew from long experience in battle that it would strike him hard later.
    “We have been attacked in our very heart,” the prince said bitterly. “How did they get past the sentries?”
    “The one I fought was dripping wet,” said Aditu. “They may have come down the river.”
    Josua swore. “We have been dangerously lax, and I am the worst miscreant. I had thought it strange we had escaped the Norns’ attentions so long, but my precautions were inadequate. Were there more than those three?”
    “I think there were no more,” Aditu replied. “And they would have been more than enough, but that we were lucky. If Geloë and I had not guessed something was amiss, and if Tiamak had not somehow known and arrived when he did, this tale would have had a different ending. I think they meant to kill Camaris, or at least to take him.”
    “But why?” Josua looked at the old knight, then back to Aditu.
    “I do not know. But let us carry him, and Tiamak, too, to some warm place, Prince Josua. Camaris has at least one wound, perhaps more, and Tiamak is burned, I think.”
    “Aedon’s mercy, you are right,” said Josua. “‘Thoughtless, thoughtless. One moment.” He turned and called some of his soldiers together, then sent them off with orders for the sentries to search the camp. “We cannot be sure there were not more Norns or other attackers,” Josua said. “At the very least, we may find something to tell us how these came into our camp without being seen.”
    “None of the Gardenborn are easily seen by mortals—if they do not wish to be seen,” said Aditu. “May we take Camaris and Tiamak away now?”
    “Of course.” Josua called two of the bucket carriers. “You men! Come and help us!” He turned to Isgrimnur. “Four should be enough to carry them, even though Camaris is large.” He shook his head. “Aditu is right—we have made these brave ones wait too long.”
    The duke had been in such situations before, and knew that too much haste was as bad as too little. “I think we would be better to find something to carry them on,” he said. “If one of those outer tents has been saved from the fire, we might use it to make a litter or two.”
    “Good.” Josua stood. “Aditu, I did not ask if you had wounds that needed tending.”
    “Nothing I cannot care for myself, Prince Josua. When these two have been seen to, we should gather those that you trust and talk.”
    “I agree. There is much to talk about. We will meet at Isgrimnur’s tent within the hour. Does that suit you, Isgrimnur?” The prince turned aside for a moment, then turned back. His face was haggard with grief. “I was thinking that we should find Geloë to come nurse them ... then I remembered.”
    Aditu made a gesture, fingers touching fingers before her. “This is not the last time we shall miss her, I think.”

    “It is