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her magical mace。 The forest echoed with the sounds of steel on steel。
〃Take her alive if you can；〃 called the wizard。 〃Lord Dessaer wants to find out who these newers are and where they came from。〃
〃Easier said than done；〃 grunted the first swordsman； still holding his ground despite the loss of his off…hand blade。 〃She does not seem interested in surrendering。〃
Halisstra growled in frustration and abruptly turned on the elf to her left； slipping inside the point of his spear and rushing him。 The fellow backstepped and brought in his weapon as quickly as he could； but she had him。
With a snarl of cold glee she smashed her mace hard at the bridge of his nose。 The weapon struck with a deadly crack of thunder and blew apart the skull of her victim； who fell in a nerveless heap。
She paid the price for her aggressive move a moment later when the elf swordsman behind her jammed the point of his weapon into her left shoulder blade despite her cat…quick effort to twist away from the attack。 Steel grated on bone； and Halisstra cried out in pain as the strength fled from her shield arm。 A moment later an arrow fired from an archer standing off a bit struck quivering in the back of her right calf； buckling her leg。
〃Now we've got her； lads！〃 called the elf swordsman。
He raised his blade for another stroke； but Halisstra allowed herself to crumple pletely to the ground and rolled up under his guard； destroying his left hip with another thundering blow of her mace。 The elf screamed and reeled away to collapse thrashing in the snow。
Halisstra tried to regain her feet； but the wizard hammered her with a blinding bolt of lightning。 The force of the spell literally picked her up and flung her through the air； depositing her in a small； icy creek nearby。 Halisstra's whole body jerked and ached from the wizard's energy； and she became aware of the distinct； charred scent of her own burned flesh。
She pushed herself up on one arm and responded by hurling a bae'qeshel song at him； a deadly； sharp chord that flayed the bark from the trees and kicked up the dusting of snow into a stinging storm of white。 The elf wizard swore and covered himself with his cloak； shielding his eyes and enduring the deadly song。
Halisstra began another song； but the warriors splashed up to her； and the burly human with the beard silenced her with a hard kick to the jaw that knocked her sprawling again。 All went dark for an instant； and when she could see again； no less than four deadly blades were poised over her。 The heavy swordsman glared down at her over the point of his sword。
〃By all means； continue；〃 he spat。 〃Our clerics can question your corpse as easily as they can question you。〃
Halisstra tried to clear her head of the roaring pain and the ringing in her ears。 She looked around and saw nothing but death in the eyes of the surface dwellers。
I can feign surrender； she told herself。 Quenthel and the others must know I'm missing； and they will make efforts to find me。
〃I yield；〃 she said in the human's brutish tongue。
Halisstra allowed her head to fall back against the stream bank and her eyes to close。 She felt herself jerked upright； her mail stripped from her； and her hands bound roughly behind her back。 The whole time she studiously ignored her captors； keeping her mind sequestered from her situation by focusing on the exhaustive catechisms to Lolth she had been obliged to learn as a novice。
〃She must be someone important。 Look at this armor。 I don't think I've ever seen its equal。〃
〃We've a lyre here； and a couple of wands；〃 muttered the ranger with the broken hand as he pawed through her belongings。 〃Be careful； lads； she may be a bard。 We ought to gag her to be safe。〃
〃Bring me that healing potion； quickly。 Fandar is dying。〃
Halisstra glanced over at the elf swordsman whose hip she had shattered。 Several of his panions knelt by him in the snow and mud； trying to fort him as he writhed weakly in agony。 Bright blood flecked the snow nearby。 She watched the scene absently； her mind a thousand miles distant。
〃Cursed drow witch。 Thank the gods they don't all fight like that。〃
The elf wizard appeared in front of her； his handsome face taut and angry。
〃Hood her； fellows；〃 he ordered the others。 〃No sense letting her know where she is。〃
〃Where are you taking me？〃 Halisstra demanded。
〃Our lord has some things he would like to know；〃 the wizard replied。 His smile had a distinctly cold and wintry cast to it； and his eyes were as sharp as knives。 〃In my experience； most drow are so venomous they'd rather choke on their own blood than do anything sensible and useful； and I expect you'll prove no different。 Lord Dessaer will ask you a few questions； you'll call him something impolite； and we'll take you out back and gut you like a fish。 That's a damned sight better than our captives fare in your hands； after all。〃
The hood came down over Halisstra's face and was jerked tight around her neck。
Ryld crouched in the shadows of a great tree with a trunk so thick and tall it might have been the forest's Narbondel。 Splitter rode between his shoulders； virtually unused in the pany's most recent battle。 He leaned out a little and carefully peered into the dappled moonlight and shadow of the forest floor； searching for a target。 With Pharaun he'd waited quietly to guard the party's backtrail； hoping to turn the tables on the elves and humans who'd harried them so long。 After several valiant attempts to bring the drow to close bat； the surface elves and their human allies had learned to respect the dark elf party's skill and ferocity。 They soon fought a slow and stealthy battle of arrows in the dark； punctuated with quick ambuscades and quicker retreats。
An arrow hissed in the dark。 Ryld jerked back just in time to glimpse a white…feathered shaft fly past； so close to the tree trunk that its fletching kissed the bark。 Had he relied on the tree for cover； the expertly aimed arrow would have skewered him through the eye。
〃No point waiting any longer； now；〃 Pharaun whispered。
The wizard had greeted Quenthel's order to lay an ambush with a distinct lack of enthusiasm； and he wasn't at all unhappy to call the effort a failure and rejoin the rest of the band。 He muttered the harsh syllables of a spell and gestured in a peculiar fashion； concentrating。
In a moment the wizard straightened and motioned to Ryld； e。 I've created an image that will make it seem that we still stand guard here； but you and I are invisible to our antagonists。 Follow me quietly； and stay close。
Ryld nodded and moved off stealthily just behind the wizard。 He took one last glance at the desolate forest behind them； wondering if the wizard's trick would work。
Halisstra is back there somewhere； he thought。 Most likely dead。
The surface dwellers had shown no interest in taking prisoners； and in the logical part of his mind Ryld simply wrote off her loss as another casualty of battle； just as he might account for the untimely fall of any useful rade。 He'd fought enough battles over the ye