Watt-Evans, Lawrence - Annals of the Chosen 01 (60 page)

"But
the
Archer
..."
the
Beauty
began.

"I'll
drive
the
oxen,"
the
Scholar
said.
"I'm
not
as
good
at it
as
he
is,
but
I'll
manage."

"Good,"
the
Leader
said.
"Now,
this
attack—have
we learned
anything
from
it?
Are
there
precautions
we
should take?
Do
we
know
what
to
expect
next?"
He
stepped
aside
to let
the
Scholar
past.

A
moment
later,
as
the
Seer
and
the
Speaker
explained
to the
Leader
what
had
happened
before
his
return,
and
as Breaker
cleaned
the
blade
of
his
sword,
the
wagon
jerked, shuddered,
and
began
rolling
again.

 
Although
the
discussion
of
possible
threats
and methods
of
magical
attack
stretched
on
through
much
of
the
afternoon,
at
first
Breaker
did
not
dare voice
his
own
greatest
concern.
This
was
a
possibility
that had
occurred
to
him
as
he
watched
the
squirrels
he
chased from
the
driver's
bench
scurry
along
the
wagon's
tongue.

He
hoped
that
the
Wizard
Lord
had
not
thought
of
it,
and for
that
reason
he
did
not
mention
it;
while
the
Seer
apparently
always
knew
when
the
Wizard
Lord
was
watching
or listening,
Breaker
was
not
convinced
the
Wizard
Lord
might not
have
other
ways
to
spy
on
them
beyond
direct
observation.
He
did
not
intend
to
say
anything
about
his
worries
lest the
Wizard
Lord
overhear
and
decide
to
try
out
Breaker's idea.

If
he
could
think
of
an
effective
way
to
counter
it,
then mentioning
it
to
the
others
would
make
sense,
but
until
he did
he
preferred
to
keep
quiet.

Of
course,
he
could
ask
questions
that
might
lead
to
devising
a
defense.
He
mulled
that
over
for
a
time,
and
when he
had
watched
the
largely
recovered
Archer
return
to
the driver's
seat
and
the
drenched
and
shivering
Scholar
clamber
back
into
the
wagon,
he
finally
spoke
up.

"The
Wizard
Lord
can
possess
any
animal,
can
he
not?" he
asked.

"So
long
as
he
has
the
eight
talismans,
yes,"
the
Seer replied,
as
she
wrapped
a
dry
cloak
around
the
Scholar.

"And
is
there
any
way
to
reverse
this
possession,
to
free the
beast
from
his
control?"

The
others
exchanged
glances.

"If
you
speak
the
beast's
true
name
and
order
it
to
be
free, you
can
counter
the
Wizard
Lord's
influence,"
the
Speaker said.
"I
attempted
to
do
as
much
with
the
squirrels.
But
you must
speak
the
name
clearly
and
fully,
and
be
heard
by
the creature's
ler.
And
it
may
be
necessary
to
repeat
this
several times;
it
depends
on
how
much
of
his
own
power
the
Wizard Lord
has
put
into
the
enchantment."

Breaker
hesitated,
but
decided
this
was
the
counter
he
had wanted.
He
said,
"I
think
it
might
be
wise,
then,
if
all
of
us knew
and
could
say
the
true
names
of
our
oxen.
We
can't
afford
to
kill
them,
should
they
turn
on
us
or
lead
us
astray."

"The
oxen?"
The
Leader
glanced
at
the
wagon's
door.
"A very
good
point,
Sword.
Very
clever.
Babble,
could
you
help us
out
with
this?"