Watt-Evans, Lawrence - Annals of the Chosen 01 (61 page)

"Of
course."
She
muttered
something
incomprehensible, then
went
to
the
opening.
"I'll
be
right
back."

Breaker
watched
as
she
clambered
out
onto
the
bench
beside
the
Archer,
her
hood
pulled
forward
to
protect
her
from the
rain;
then
he
turned
his
attention
back
to
the
Leader.

"I
don't
understand
why
he's
giving
us
this
chance
to
rest and
recover,"
Breaker
said.
"Look
at
the
Archer—he
was down,
but
after
the
squirrels
the
Wizard
Lord
made
no
attempt
to
finish
him
off,
and
now
he's
back
in
the
driver's seat.
Why
hasn't
the
Wizard
Lord
sent
more
animals
after us,
or
used
his
lightning
to
knock
down
more
trees?"

"He's
only
human,"
the
Scholar
said,
shivering.
"Surely he
needs
to
rest,
too."

"But
he
has
his
magic,"
the
Seer
replied.
"He
has
superhuman
strength
and
endurance—Sword's
paired
talisman
provides
that.
And
using
magic
isn't
as
taxing
as
lifting
and hauling.
No,
I
think
he's
giving
us
time
to
think;
he
still wants
us
to
turn
back,
he
doesn't
want
to
kill
us."

"Perhaps
the
ler
are
displeased
with
him,
and
it's
they
who
are
demanding
a
rest,"
the
Leader
suggested.
"The Speaker
said
that
the
spirits
of
the
animals
resented
what
he did."

"But
that's
in
the
nature
of
his
wizardry,"
the
Scholar
said. "His
talismans
let
him
command ler,
not
merely
negotiate with
them,
or
make
requests,
as
priests
and
lesser
wizards might.
His
talismanic
ler
are
bound
to
him,
as
ours
are bound
to
us."

"Give
someone
too
many
commands
and
he
may
rebel," the
Leader
said,
"no
matter
what
oaths
he
might
have
given. And
isn't
it
so
that
the
ler
of
the
individual
animals
are
not bound
by
talismans,
but
by
their
true
names?
He
uses
the
talismans
to
learn
those
names,
but
it's
the
names
that
give
him power
over
the
beasts,
and
perhaps
they're
resisting
that power."

"Or
perhaps
he
can
only
learn
and
use
so
many
true names
at
a
time,"
Breaker
suggested.
"Magic
does
have
limits,
doesn't
it?
Mine
certainly
does."

"And
the
lightning?"
the
Seer
asked.
"That's
not
done with
names."

"Perhaps
those
ler
have
reached
their
limit,"
the
Leader said.
"After
all,
while
I
don't
know
what
lightning
really
is, it's
natural,
it
comes
from
the
sky—perhaps
whatever
reservoir
it
draws
upon
has
run
dry
for
the
present,
and
needs
to be
.
.
."

"He's
listening,"
the
Seer
interrupted.
She
turned.
"A
spider,
I
think,
somewhere
in
that
corner."

"If
it's
a
spider,
then
he's
just
spying
on
us,"
the
Leader said,
addressing
the
indicated
corner.
"I
had
wondered whether
he
might
want
to
talk—whether
perhaps
he's
come to
his
senses
and
is
ready
to
resign."