Valley of the Ancients: Book Three of the Restoration Series Read Free Page B

and rough looking. Both the shirt and pants were made out of an animal hide, perhaps deer. Her hands rested on her hips and she regarded him solemnly.
    Derek looked all around for what could have done the damage to the soldier, but he could see nothing.
    The strange woman still had not said a word and she turned and strode to the first soldier, the one who had been cut across the face. Slowly, she reached down and touched his forehead, ignoring the blood which covered the man's skin and clotted in his hair.
    After a moment, a mist formed around the two of them and then the soldier began to shrivel. There wasn't any other way to put it. His skin dried out and began to crack, the plumpness of his skin disappeared until it looked like skin stretched over bones, and his whole body seemed to fall in upon itself. After another moment or two, the woman released what was left of the corpse and it fell back to the ground, breaking into multiple pieces.
    Derek's eyes bulged at the sight and he tried to stand. His right leg was hurt though, whether broken or sprained he did not know, but it wouldn't support his weight. He gave up trying to climb to his feet and returned to his kneeling position. He tried to crawl to his sword but that too caused an unbearable pain to run up his leg.
    Turning, the woman met his gaze and Derek looked around hopelessly. His mind flung around for any possibility of escape and then his eyes fell on the edge of the gulley. Better to take his chances with quicksand than let the woman touch him. He flung himself into a laying position and began to roll
    He hadn't even covered half the dn uistance when the strange woman stepped between him and the edge of the gulley. She smiled down at him.
    "Can't have you falling into the muck. It probably would kill you." Like a viper, her hand shot out and grabbed his left wrist. It was the wrist that still held the knife.
    Looking up at the woman, Derek relaxed. At least his death would be over quickly. The mist formed around them and a warmth spread through his body. It took him a moment to realize the dull throb in his leg was gone. Must be nearly dead, he thought, closing his eyes.
    The dark haired woman released his wrist and stepped back.
    Derek's eyes popped open in surprise. He wasn't dead. The woman was standing there grinning at him.
    "You must be Derek. Flaranthlas described you to me." She stepped forward and held out her hand. "My name is Leela."
    He took the offered hand without thinking and she pulled him to his feet. His mind seemed to be working slower than normal, and Kara frequently said his mind worked pretty slowly under normal circumstances. It was then that he realized he was standing on his damaged leg and there was no pain.
    "What did you do to me?" And then he remembered what she had said, "Did you say that Flare described me to you?"
    Leela's smiled broadened. "I did say that but I can actually sense his presence on you. That is how I knew you."
    Okay, Derek thought, whatever that means. "When did you see Flare?"
    "He passed through here some time back. He said that he and his companions were headed to Helum. I assumed he was planning on meeting you there."
    Nodding, Derek sighed. "We were delayed." Urgency settled in as he remembered what had brought them here. "Listen, my friends are in the forest as well. Can you help them like you helped me?"
    Leela's eyes fluttered and they half closed and it was like she was actually somewhere else. "Two of them are to the north of us and the other two are to the south. Your pursuers have found both groups."
    "What? You have to help them."
    "Remain calm. I can not reach them in time, but they will be helped." She turned and started north along the edge of the gulley. "Come, follow me."
     
    Five steps into the forest, Keenan lost Enstorion's trail. It was rather surprising, not to mention embarrassing, that a magician was able to lose him that quickly but Enstorion was an elf and they did have a certain