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her invisible。 She stood as quietly as she could； cringing at every soft rustle or clink of her mail； and began steadily moving away。
Halisstra broke out into the open night much sooner than she expected…it seemed she had been sitting no more than six or seven feet from the edge of the darkness。 Confident in her invisibility； she stood up straight and looked around。 The forest looked much as it had before； except there was no sign of her panions or the woodsmen and surface elves who had attacked them。 The moon was rising； and its brilliant silver light flooded the forest floor。 She set off in what she hoped was a westerly direction； moving as quickly and quietly as she could。
She soon came upon the scene of a furious battle； if she read the signs right。 Several large； blackened circles in the forest still smoldered。 In other places the bodies of perhaps half a dozen surface elves and green…garbed human warriors lay where they'd fallen； most bearing the marks of sword； mace； and talon。 Of the drow； there was no sign。
Halisstra tried to remember what she'd seen of the pale elves and their human allies； deciding that there might have been as many as fifteen to twenty of the surface folk。
〃Where are your rades； I wonder？〃 she asked the fallen warriors before moving on。
Halisstra only managed another half mile through the moonlit forest before she stumbled into the ambush。 One moment she was stealing along； quick and confident； eager to catch up to the rest of the pany and the familiar perils of their association； the next she was surprised by the appearance of a surface elf wizard who simply stepped out of a tree and hurled a spell at her； barking words of arcane might as he gestured with his hands。
〃Quick！〃 he shouted。 〃We have her！〃
Halisstra's invisibility failed at once； undone by the surface wizard； and from the foliage and tree trunks all around her a dozen of the pale elves and the green…clad humans abruptly appeared； weapons at the ready。 They leaped at her； murder in their eyes； filling the forest with their war cries and shouts of exultation。
Recognizing the hopelessness of her plight； Halisstra snarled in pure drow rage and charged to meet the surface warriors； determined not to sell her life cheaply。
The first foe in her path was a hulking human with a bristling black beard； fighting with a pair of short swords。 He launched into a spinning attack； stabbing one blade at her eyes to raise her shield and slipping the other low to gut her while her guard was high。 Halisstra simply dodged aside and hammered down at his extended left arm with her mace； striking a heavy blow that cracked bone and jarred the blade from his injured hand。 The man grunted in pain but kept at her； giving ground grudgingly as he continued to hew and slash with his one remaining sword。
Three more of his rades moved up to engage Halisstra from all sides； and she was forced on the defensive； batting spear and blade aside with her shield and delivering crushing parries with 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