Watt-Evans, Lawrence - Annals of the Chosen 01 (66 page)

"What?"
Merrilin
demanded.
"What
is
it?
What
do
you want?"

"I
am
the
Leader
of
the
Chosen,"
the
Leader
said,
bowing, "and
you,
I
presume,
are
Merrilin
tarak
Dolin,
the
world's greatest
thief?"

"I'm
not
a
thief!"

"We
have
come
to
attempt
once
again
to
persuade
you
to join
us
in
our
assigned
task,
and
aid
us
in
ridding
the
world of
this
madman,
this
Dark
Lord,
who
slaughters
innocents and
drowns
our
lands
in
this
unnatural
rain."

"The
Wizard
Lord
is
doing
this?
He
is?'

"Yes,
of
course.
To
try
to
stop
us
from
doing
what
we must.
Will
you
help?
Will
you
help
us
stop
him
from
drowning
the
fields
and
washing
away
the
crops?"

"If
you
want
to
stop
the
rain,"
a
high-pitched,
nasal
voice interjected,
"just
go
home
and
leave
me
alone."

"What?"
Merrilin
twisted
her
neck,
trying
to
see
where the
voice
was
coming
from,
and
barely
caught
her
cap
before
it
slid
from
her
head.

"Don't
listen
to
him,"
the
Leader
said.
"He's
possessed
an innocent
raccoon
so
that
he
can
spy
on
us
..."

"If
I
just
wanted
to
spy,
I'd
have
used
a
mouse
or
a
roach," the
raccoon
protested.
"I'm
trying
to
talk
some
sense
into you!"

"What?"
The
expression
of
utter
confusion
and
despair
on Merrilin's
face
almost
broke
Breaker's
heart,
and
he
wished he
could
comfort
her,
but
the
Leader
was
speaking—and
besides,
Breaker
was
keeping
an
eye
on
the
raccoon
and
his hand
on
his
sword.

"These
people
are
on
their
way
to
kill
me,"
the
raccoon said,
"and
I
am
using
the
rain
and
lightning
and
beasts
to
try to
stop
them,
to
convince
them
to
just
give
it
up
and
go home.
I
don't
want
any
trouble,
but
I'm
not
going
to
just
sit here
and
wait
for
them
to
walk
in
my
front
door
and
cut
me down."

"Then
resign!"
the
Leader
barked.
"That's
all
it
would take
to
send
us
home."

"I
am
not
going
to
resign!"
the
raccoon
barked
back.
"I am
the
Wizard
Lord,
I
was
chosen
to
be
the
Wizard
Lord, and
I
will
be
the
Wizard
Lord
until
I
die!
It's
my
role
in
this world,
and
I
am
not
going
to
forsake
it
to
appease
a
bunch
of bloodthirsty,
overeager
idiots!"

"You
slaughtered
an
entire
town,
you
killed
our
guide,
you set
beasts
upon
us,
and
you
call
us
bloodthirsty?
We
are
doing
our
duty,
fulfilling
our
roles
by
removing
a
power
that menaces
all
of
Barokan!"

"I
don't
understand,"
Merrilin
said,
leaning
out
to
look
up at
the
raccoon's
face
and
shifting
her
feet
as
she
tried
to
find a
dry
spot.
"A
talking
raccoon
that
says
it's
the
Wizard
Lord? Is
he
a
shapeshifter?"