war of the spider queen 4 extinction-第39章

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n　by　an　emotion　that　was　part　elation；　part　lust　for　the　hunt；　Halisstra　wove　through　the　trees；　leaping　over　snow…dappled　logs　and　clumps　of　fern；　and　shouldering　her　way　through　branches　whose　pine　needles　slapped　her　skin。　She　ran；　following　the　others；　and　plunged　after　them　down　a　gully。　She　splashed　through　a　wide　stream　at　the　bottom　of　it；　slipping　on　the　ice　that　crusted　the　river　stones　under　her　feet。　Then　she　was　scrambling　up　the　far　bank；　fighting　to　keep　her　balance　as　she　climbed　the　steep　slope　with　a　sword　in　one　hand　and　a　horn　in　the　other。
　　　At　the　top　she　paused；　uncertain　which　way　to　go。　She　could　no　longer　hear　the　other　priestesses　in　the　forest　ahead。　The　only　sound　was　the　noise　of　Feliane　scrambling　up　the　slope　behind　her。　Then　she　heard　a　horn；　ing　from　a　distance　and　to　her　right。
　　　〃That's　Uluyara；〃　Feliane　gasped。　〃She's　found　it。〃
　　　Halisstra　didn't　stop　to　ask　what　the　high　priestess　had　found。　Panting；　sweating　even　though　the　air　was　cold；　she　plunged　on　into　the　forest；　running　in　the　direction　from　which　the　sound　had　e。　As　she　ran；　she　noted　to　her　disgust　that；　unlike　her；　Feliane　wasn't　even　breathing　hard。　Like　the　other　priestesses；　Feliane　was　swift　and　sure　of　her　footing　on　the　snowy　ground。　Halisstra；　accustomed　to　a　noble's　life　in　a　city　where　one　strolled　along　smooth　streets　and　levitated　from　one　avenue　to　the　next；　had　never　had　cause　to　run　and　climb　so　hard　or　for　so　long。
　　　This　must　be　the　〃trial〃　Feliane　had　spoken　of　when　I　was　lifted　from　the　cave；　Halisstra　thought。　That's　why　she's　holding　herself　back；　watching　my　every　move。
　　　Determined　not　to　show　herself　to　be　wanting；　aware　that　Eilistraee　herself　might　be　watching；　Halisstra　ran　on；　ignoring　the　pain　that　was　pinching　her　side　like　a　centipede's　jaws。
　　　At　least　the　moon　provided　ample　light　to　run　by…to　Halisstra；　accustomed　to　the　Underdark；　the　forest　appeared　brilliantly　lit。　But　the　trees　were　thick；　the　spaces　between　them　filled　with　low　bushes　and　ferns。　Halisstra　had　long　since　lost　sight　of　all　the　priestesses　save　Feliane。　When　Uluyara's　horn　sounded　a　second　time；　immediately　in　front　of　Halisstra；　the　closeness　of　it　surprised　her。　An　instant　later；　Halisstra　burst　through　a　tangle　of　tree　branches　that　felt　strangely　sticky；　into　a　moonlit　clearing。
　　　She　spotted　Uluyara；　hunting　horn　still　raised　to　pursed　lips；　but　she　could　see　none　of　the　other　priestesses。　Nor　could　she　hear　them。　Lowering　the　horn；　Uluyara　pointed　at　the　far　side　of　the　clearing；　then　she　backed　slowly　into　the　woods。　Tree　branches　closed　after　her　like　curtains。
　　　Halisstra　stared　in　the　direction　in　which　Uluyara　had　pointed；　but　she　saw　only　forest。
　　　She　turned　to　where　Feliane　should　have　been　and　began　to　ask；　〃What　do　I　。　。　。〃
　　　Her　voice　trailed　off　as　she　discovered　that　Feliane；　too；　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　There　was　nothing　behind　Halisstra　but　tree　branches；　sighing　against　one　another　in　the　wind。　As　it　blew　across　the　clearing　from　the　direction　in　which　Uluyara　had　pointed；　the　breeze　carried　a　familiar；　musky　smell。
　　　Whirling　back　to　face　the　clearing；　Halisstra　raised　her　sword…and　not　an　instant　too　soon。　In　front　of　her　crouched　an　enormous　spider；　easily　half　again　as　tall　as　she　was。　Its　body　was　a　mottled　gray　and　black…perfect　camouflage　in　the　moonlight…dappled　wood。　Glossy　black　eyes　reflected　the　moon　as　the　creature　reared　up；　jaws　dripping　venom。
　　　For　the　space　of　a　heartbeat　Halisstra　stared　up　at　the　spider；　uncertainty　making　her　sword　waver。　Years　of　subservience　to　Lolth　screamed　at　her　to　throw　her　weapon　to　the　ground；　to　grovel　before　the　holy　creature　and　selflessly　offer　unto　it　whatever　Lolth　would　claim。
　　　〃A　hungry　spider　must　feed；〃　was　one　of　the　first　things　she　had　been　taught　after　being　accepted　as　a　novice　at　Lolth's　temple。　〃Give　yourself　to　it　joyfully；　for　in　the　end　Lolth　will　consume　us　all。　Better　to　suffer　the　torments　of　the　flesh　now　than　to　face　the　wrath　of　the　goddess　later。〃
　　　Lolth　would　surely　have　punished　a　priestess…especially　one　who　had　spurned　her　as　Halisstra　had…for　so　grave　a　transgression。　But　Lolth　was　dead。　Or　at　the　very　least；　not　watching。
　　　The　moonlight　reflected　in　the　spider's　eyes　reminded　Halisstra　of　one　thing　more：　Eilistraee　was　watching。　Or　at　the　very　least；　she　might　have　been。　Halisstra　smiled　grimly；　suddenly　realizing　why　Uluyara　and　Feliane　had　disappeared。
　　　The　spider　was　her　trial。
　　　As　the　spider　lunged　down　at　her；　Halisstra　swung　her　sword　with　all　her　strength。　Flashing　in　the　moonlight；　the　sword　described　a　clean　arc；　its　blade　exactly　in　line　with　the　spider's　bulging　eyes。　But　instead　of　connecting　with　the　meaty　thunk　Halisstra　had　expected；　the　sword　continued　to　whistle　through　the　air　until　it　slammed　into　the　ground。　The　spider　had　suddenly　disappeared。　Thrown　off　balance；　Halisstra　pitched　forward。　She　managed　to　land　on　her　knees　and　one　hand　by　dropping　the　hunting　horn。　An　instant　later　the　spider　reappeared…directly　above　her。
　　　Halisstra　rolled　onto　her　back；　swinging　the　sword　into　an　upright　position　as　she　did；　then　she　thrust　upward　at　the　belly　of　the　spider。　Just　as　it　had　done　the　first　time；　it　disappeared。
　　　〃Goddess　help　me；〃　Halisstra　groaned。　〃A　phase　spider。〃
　　　There　was　no　way　to　predict　where　the　spider　would　appear　next…but　at　least　for　the　moment；　it　was　safely　in　the　Ethereal。
　　　Halisstra　rolled　violently　to　one　side　across　the　snowy　ground；　praying　that　she'd　chosen　correctly…that　the　spider　was　moving　in　the　other　direction；　its　ethereal　legs　passing　right　through　her。
　　　Halisstra's　guess　had　been　a　lucky　one。　The　phase　spider　re…entered　the　material　plane　a　pace　or　two　away；　allowing　her　the　briefest　instant　in　which　to　spring　to　her　feet。　Then　it　rushed　forward　again。
　　　Grimly；　Halisstra　turned　to　meet　it；　knowing　that　she　was　in　a　fight　she　could　not　win…not　even　with　Seyll's　magic　sword。　All　the　spider　had　to　do　was　wait　her　out；　slipping　into　ethereal　form　each　time　she　attacked；　then　skittering　invisibly　away　to　reappear　somewhere　else　a　moment　later。　One　of　those　times　Halisstra　would　guess　wrong　and　it　would　wind　up　behind　her。　Unseen；　it　would　inject　its　deadly　poison　and　take　its　time　as　it　sucked　her　dry。
　　　There　was；　however；　one　thing　she　could　fall　back　on：　her　bae'qeshel　magic。　Her　voice　shaking　slightly；　she　chanted　a　song。　It　should　have　charmed　the　spider；　rooting　it　to　the　spot　in　fascination；　but　nothing　happened。　The　spider　appeared；　attacked；　then　disappeared　again；　forcing　Halisstra　to　constantly　whirl　and　defend　herself　with　her　sword。　She　cursed　her　luck；　under　her　breath。　Had　she　mispronounced　a　word…or　were　phase　spiders　simply　resistant　to　the　form　of　enchantment　she'd　attempted？
　　　Dodging　the　spider　once　more　she　slipped　on　a　patch　of　snowy　ground　and　fell。　The　spider　stepped　on　her　sword；　forcing　Halisstra　to　release　the　weapon　and　roll　to　the　side　to　avoid　its　jaws。　When　the　spider　disappeared　once　more；　she　sprang　to　her　feet　and　snatched　the　songsword　up　again。　To　her　dismay；　she　saw　that　the　tip　of　the　blade　had　been　snapped　off；　rendering　the　blade　useless　as　a　thrusting　weapon。　But　perhaps　there　was　still　hope。
　　　Remembering　how　she'd　used　the　songsword　to　augment　the　spell　that　had　knocked　the　stirges　from　the　sky；　she　quickly　reversed　the　weapon　and　raised　the　hilt　to　her　lips。　The　spell　might　not　be　enough　to　stun　a　creature　as　large　as　the　phase　spider；　but　at　least　she　could　try。　Her　fingers　found　the　same　holes　that　they　had　before；　and　she　blew…hard　and　long；　expecting　the　same　shrill　note…but　nothing　happened。　The　only　sound　the　hilt…flute　emitted　was　a　sour　phht。　Slushy　mud　sprayed　out　of　the　hole。
　　　Once　again；　the　spider　lunged；　and　Halisstra　leaped　away…but　more　clumsily。　Frightened；　she　realized　that　she　was　tiring。　The　long　sword　felt　heavy　in　her　hand；　its　hilt　gritty　in　her　sweating　palm。　The　next　time　the　spider　lunged　forward；　Halisstra　was　barely　able　to　twist　aside。　Its　jaws　caught　and　held　Eilistraee's　symbol；　yanking　on　the　disk　and　pulling　the　chain　tight　around　Halisstra's　waist。　Dragged　forward；　she　f