"Troy Denning - Return of the Archwizards 2 - The Siege" - читать интересную книгу автора (Denning Troy)

The rebuke shocked Galaeron into silence, for Vala was the one person in the
world whose loyalties he could never question, the one person in the world who
could break through the Change to tell him such things. Together, they had
traveled the dark pathways of the shadow fringe, fought beholders, liches, and
illithids, seen their friends and comrades die in ways horrible beyond
imagining. Vala had stood fast through everything and nursed him back to
health when all was done, and that had connected her to his true nature in a
way no shadow crisis could obstruct.
Galaeron continued to stare past Vala and Escanor into the darkness for a
long time, then finally shifted his gaze back to the Vala and said, "I didn't
mean to imply that the Shadovar are anything but the finest warriors."

He looked to Escanor, but his eyes retrained distant and dark. "The prince is
right. If the phaerimm were using magic to conceal themselves, I'm sure your
divination spells would reveal where they're hiding."
Galaeron held Escanor's gaze a moment, then glanced toward the cave ceiling.
The prince seemed oblivious. "Good." His eyes did not even stray from
Galaeron's face. "We're almost done with the Splicing. Evereska need hold only
a few months longer, elf. The phaerimm are doomed."
"My city is grateful for the aid of Shade Enclave, Prince, but it would not
do to underestimate our enemies." Galaeron furrowed his arched brows and again
rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. "I recall one of our high mages saying the
same thing shortly before a phaerimm larva tore its way from his throat."
This drew only a condescending smirk from the prince. "When will you learn,
elf? We are not your high mages." He reached over Vala to clap a huge hand on
Galaeron's shoulder. "The Shadovar have been preparing for this war for
centuries."
Vala barely heard this last part, for Galaeron's efforts had drawn her
attention to the mass of limestone fangs hanging down overhead, each with a
single drop of water clinging to its stony tip. With broad roots narrowing
down to sharp points, the stalactites were shaped more or less like phaerimm,
save that they lacked spiny hides and four thin arms. There were hundreds in
the lit area alone. At only three to six feet, most were too short to be
phaerimm, a few were so long their flattened tips actually touched the lake
surface, but a handful hung down in the ten-foot range. It didn't take Vala
long to locate three with suspiciously dry tips and odd dark lines where their
bases pressed against the ceiling.
"... that right, Vala?" Escanor asked.

"Is what right?" Hoping that all the blood had not drained from her face,
Vala tore her gaze from the ceiling and tried to look calm. "Sorry."
Escanor cocked a disapproving brow but said, "I was just assuring Galaeron
that we Shadovar were hardly likely to make the same mistake as the elves and
Waterdhavians."
"I'm sure you won't," Galaeron said, still trying to draw the prince's gaze
to the ceiling. "But new mistakes will proveтАФ"
"Rare, I'm sure," Vala said, taking Galaeron's arm.
The prince should have recognized the elf's signal, and they didn't dare
push things too far. Once the phaerimm realized they were discovered, they
would attack instantlyтАФand there were few mistakes more grave than letting a