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eBook Category: Fantasy
eBook Description: Once a warrior, Darb has found peace in his mountain hamlet, and happily let his sword rust. Now he must take up his weapon and defend his home against the sorceress who plagues it.

eBook Publisher: Fictionwise.com, Published: Sword & Sorceress XI, ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley, 1994
Fictionwise Release Date: October 2002

38 Reader Ratings: Great Good OK Poor

Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [77 KB], eReader (PDB) [32 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [19 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [18 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [68 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [90 KB], hiebook (KML) [71 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [68 KB], iSilo (PDB) [16 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [20 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [74 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [29 KB]
Words: 5809
Reading time: 16-23 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

Darb found the ewe in his upper pasture. It lay on its side, convulsing. As Darb lifted its head, blood poured from its mouth, spotting his hands. The animal let out a final gurgling breath and grew still.

In the grass upon which the sheep had been grazing bloomed tiny white flowers. Darb ripped a handful from the ground, inspecting the shape of the petals. Lamb's bane. The herb should have grown only in the wake of melting snow, when alert shepherds had not yet released their flocks to open pasture--not now, after snows had closed the high pass for the year.

He let the animal lie where it was. The carrion birds could have it. He'd have his hands full rounding up the other sheep before they were poisoned, or before the taint of blood on the wind brought wolves or glacier bears. He turned away.

Climbing up through the woolthorn and granite came his daughter Oleya. His frown deepened. She would not have left the magician's cottage at this hour without grave cause.

She gestured at the dead ewe. "That's the work of a sorceress. She's driven locusts to attack Metch's grain fields, guided the fish in the lake away from the nets, and who knows what else. Her song comes from the high country on this side of the pass. I've called a gathering of the elders."

"I will get my sword," Darb said.