[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
diamond nets across the weird rock sentinels, unlike any light she'd ever seen
on Earth.
She ventured a question. 'What are those?'
Page 16
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
'Just stones. said Auriel.
They walked through the forest for what she judged to be twenty minutes; but
time was deceptive here. She felt it wasn't passing in a straight line but in
curves and clumps, sometimes in knots that went back on themselves, then
forward again. And this, like Auriel himself, felt so familiar yet so
unspeakably strange that her head ached with trying to understand it.
'Here we are. he said.
She couldn't see anything at first. They walked on a few steps and then it
took shape from the trees themselves. A great house, rising up into the canopy
of the forest.
It was tall and wide, like a mansion, but its walls were formed by living
trees, their tall trunks as supporting pillars, their living branches woven
into a curved roof, panels of loose-woven twigs between the trees to complete
the walls. Its appearance was simple and awe-
inspiring. No rustic construction, this, but a lofty, timeless edifice that
might have housed gods. Tanthe was breathing fast. She was truly in the faerie
realm, from which no one came back unchanged.
Auriel led her through an open doorway to the interior. She looked up into a
great, dark space, hearing the branches of the roof creaking and rustling
above, feeling the air moving through the lattice walls, sweet and green
scented. There was a great central hall with a long table in the centre, with
three chandeliers of rough branches that resembled stag antlers suspended
above it. Along the far wall were wattle screens that seemed to have other
rooms behind them. A rope ladder hung from a balcony that overlooked the hall;
beyond it was darkness. More rooms? she wondered. There was a greenish
material like canvas on the floor, and scattered on it, rugs of a rich dark
blue speckled with silver beads.
Auriel went to the table, where a single lamp glowed, a white orb. She
couldn't quite see what he did but she had the impression he scooped fire out
of it with his fingers, and went along touching that fire to glass or crystal
lamps all along the walls.
He came back to her and touched her cheek; she thought she felt the cool flame
of the lamplight lingering on his fingertips. 'Are you thirsty?' 'Yes, and
starving,' she said. He smiled. 'Sit down.'
The table and the wooden bench on which she seated herself were rustic in
shape, yet the creamy grain of the wood was satin-smooth under her fingers.
New scents kept coming to her; the crushed herbs on the rugs, the spicy
incense of the wood. This was so vivid and yet...
Tanthe kept feeling that time was slowing down, stopping, curling back on
itself, then suddenly rushing ahead in a flurry of steps. Parts of the hall
seemed to blur and glimmer, settling back into focus when she tried to catch
them out.
Auriel went to a shadowy construction - some kind of cupboard or dresser she
couldn't see properly
- and came back with a plate of round white cakes, a slim carafe and a goblet
of deep blue glass. As he poured, the clear stream caught the light like
diamonds, bringing her thirst to ravenous life. The same glow played around
his gilded form and fiery hair, and she couldn't stop staring, dumbstruck by
the reality of him. He sat down beside her, smiling. He watched her all the
time, she noticed, as if he couldn't believe she was real, either.
As she lifted the goblet, she found it was not glass at all but some kind of
carved mineral, cool on her fingers. She drank deeply. The liquid was
delicious, flavoured with honey and elderflowers, with a herbal bitterness
beneath.
'Aren't you having a drink?' she said.
Til share yours.' He wrapped his hand round hers as she held the vessel and
lifted it to his own lips, taking a sip then planting a kiss on her thumb. The
sensuality of the gesture took her breath away. He called her 'sister' yet he
wasn't treating her like one. Normally she would have been angry by now but it
Page 17
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
seemed sacrilegious to lose patience in the Aelyr realm. Half of her didn't
want to believe they were related, purely because of the disturbing lust she
was beginning to feel for him.
She took a mouthful of cake. Rice, almonds and rose-water, dissolving on her
tongue ... that was all she could compare it to. 'Is this where you live?' she
asked. 'Have you always been here? All the times you tried to reach me?'
'Some of the times. Not all of them.'
'Are we safe here?'
He hesitated, as if surprised by the question. 'Yes, of course.'
'Only you said outside that there were dangers, and this house is hardly the
Amber Citadel. Anything could come in.'
'It's all right,' he said, stroking the back of her hand.
'Really? Oh, good. Why don't I believe you?'
He looked down, studying her fingertips. 'If only you could remember, this
wouldn't be so hard. If you hadn't lost the mirror!'
Now she was becoming impatient, despite herself. 'How do we know we are
talking about the same mirror?'
Reaching into the pocket from which he'd taken the sphere, he produced a round
mirror, eight inches across; a disc of clear silvered crystal set in white
quartz. He placed it on the table in front of her and she stared at it.
'Did it look like that?' he asked.
'Yes,' she breathed. 'Exactly like that.'
'This is what I used to call you. A
silvenroth mirror. You know what roth is, don't you?' [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szkicerysunki.xlx.pl
diamond nets across the weird rock sentinels, unlike any light she'd ever seen
on Earth.
She ventured a question. 'What are those?'
Page 16
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
'Just stones. said Auriel.
They walked through the forest for what she judged to be twenty minutes; but
time was deceptive here. She felt it wasn't passing in a straight line but in
curves and clumps, sometimes in knots that went back on themselves, then
forward again. And this, like Auriel himself, felt so familiar yet so
unspeakably strange that her head ached with trying to understand it.
'Here we are. he said.
She couldn't see anything at first. They walked on a few steps and then it
took shape from the trees themselves. A great house, rising up into the canopy
of the forest.
It was tall and wide, like a mansion, but its walls were formed by living
trees, their tall trunks as supporting pillars, their living branches woven
into a curved roof, panels of loose-woven twigs between the trees to complete
the walls. Its appearance was simple and awe-
inspiring. No rustic construction, this, but a lofty, timeless edifice that
might have housed gods. Tanthe was breathing fast. She was truly in the faerie
realm, from which no one came back unchanged.
Auriel led her through an open doorway to the interior. She looked up into a
great, dark space, hearing the branches of the roof creaking and rustling
above, feeling the air moving through the lattice walls, sweet and green
scented. There was a great central hall with a long table in the centre, with
three chandeliers of rough branches that resembled stag antlers suspended
above it. Along the far wall were wattle screens that seemed to have other
rooms behind them. A rope ladder hung from a balcony that overlooked the hall;
beyond it was darkness. More rooms? she wondered. There was a greenish
material like canvas on the floor, and scattered on it, rugs of a rich dark
blue speckled with silver beads.
Auriel went to the table, where a single lamp glowed, a white orb. She
couldn't quite see what he did but she had the impression he scooped fire out
of it with his fingers, and went along touching that fire to glass or crystal
lamps all along the walls.
He came back to her and touched her cheek; she thought she felt the cool flame
of the lamplight lingering on his fingertips. 'Are you thirsty?' 'Yes, and
starving,' she said. He smiled. 'Sit down.'
The table and the wooden bench on which she seated herself were rustic in
shape, yet the creamy grain of the wood was satin-smooth under her fingers.
New scents kept coming to her; the crushed herbs on the rugs, the spicy
incense of the wood. This was so vivid and yet...
Tanthe kept feeling that time was slowing down, stopping, curling back on
itself, then suddenly rushing ahead in a flurry of steps. Parts of the hall
seemed to blur and glimmer, settling back into focus when she tried to catch
them out.
Auriel went to a shadowy construction - some kind of cupboard or dresser she
couldn't see properly
- and came back with a plate of round white cakes, a slim carafe and a goblet
of deep blue glass. As he poured, the clear stream caught the light like
diamonds, bringing her thirst to ravenous life. The same glow played around
his gilded form and fiery hair, and she couldn't stop staring, dumbstruck by
the reality of him. He sat down beside her, smiling. He watched her all the
time, she noticed, as if he couldn't believe she was real, either.
As she lifted the goblet, she found it was not glass at all but some kind of
carved mineral, cool on her fingers. She drank deeply. The liquid was
delicious, flavoured with honey and elderflowers, with a herbal bitterness
beneath.
'Aren't you having a drink?' she said.
Til share yours.' He wrapped his hand round hers as she held the vessel and
lifted it to his own lips, taking a sip then planting a kiss on her thumb. The
sensuality of the gesture took her breath away. He called her 'sister' yet he
wasn't treating her like one. Normally she would have been angry by now but it
Page 17
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
seemed sacrilegious to lose patience in the Aelyr realm. Half of her didn't
want to believe they were related, purely because of the disturbing lust she
was beginning to feel for him.
She took a mouthful of cake. Rice, almonds and rose-water, dissolving on her
tongue ... that was all she could compare it to. 'Is this where you live?' she
asked. 'Have you always been here? All the times you tried to reach me?'
'Some of the times. Not all of them.'
'Are we safe here?'
He hesitated, as if surprised by the question. 'Yes, of course.'
'Only you said outside that there were dangers, and this house is hardly the
Amber Citadel. Anything could come in.'
'It's all right,' he said, stroking the back of her hand.
'Really? Oh, good. Why don't I believe you?'
He looked down, studying her fingertips. 'If only you could remember, this
wouldn't be so hard. If you hadn't lost the mirror!'
Now she was becoming impatient, despite herself. 'How do we know we are
talking about the same mirror?'
Reaching into the pocket from which he'd taken the sphere, he produced a round
mirror, eight inches across; a disc of clear silvered crystal set in white
quartz. He placed it on the table in front of her and she stared at it.
'Did it look like that?' he asked.
'Yes,' she breathed. 'Exactly like that.'
'This is what I used to call you. A
silvenroth mirror. You know what roth is, don't you?' [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]