魔兽争霸官方小说:仇恨之轮-Cycle of Hatred(英文版)-第14部分

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of　any　thunder　lizard　on　the　continent。　She　spoke　the　incantation　and　then　cast　her　senses　outward。　Unlike　most　
reptiles；　thunder　lizards　had　a　herd　mentality　akin　to　that　of　cattle；　so　most　of　them　had　stayed　together　even　as　they　
departed　their　home。　Sure　enough；　she　found　the　bulk　of　them　milling　around　the　river　that　fed　Drygulch　Ravine。
They　were　in　a　docile　phase　right　now；　which　simplified　Jaina　s　life　considerably。　She　was　prepared　to　magically　
put　them　into　such　a　phase　if　need　be。　Thunder　lizards　were　either　docile　or　stampeding　they　didn　t　really　have　
much　of　a　middle　ground；　and　teleporting　them　while　stampeding　would　be　a　good　deal　more　problematic。　Still；　she
preferred　not　to　disturb　the　animals　　routine　any　more　than　necessary；　so　she　was　glad　they　were　in　the　more　
cooperative　mode。　

For　a　caster　to　include　anyone　but　herself　in　the　teleportation　spell　required　line　of　sight　at　least；　according　to
most　scrolls　one　would　find　on　the　subject。　However；　Antonidas　had　told　Jaina　that　one　could　also　do　it　if　one　was
in　what　he　called　line　of　mind。　　It　required　the　mage　to　reach　out　and　touch　the　thoughts　of　whomever　she　wished
to　teleport。　This　was　a　lot　riskier；　as　there　were　many　whose　minds　were　difficult　or　dangerous　to　touch。　Other
mages　and　demons　generally　had　protections　against　such　things；　and　even　someone　particularly　strongwilled
would　probably　be　able　to　resist。　

No　such　impediment　existed　with　the　thunder　lizards；　however。　Right　now；　their　minds　were　focused　on　one　of
three　things：　eating；　drinking；　or　sleeping。　In　addition　to　running　very　fast；　those　activities　were　generally　all　that
occupied　a　thunder　lizard　s　mind；　except　during　mating　season。　

Still　and　all；　it　took　several　hours　for　Jaina；　standing　in　the　razed　forest；　to　reach　out　with　her　mind　to　each　thunder
lizard　in　Drygulch；　as　well　as　the　stragglers　that　had　wandered　off　toward　Razor　Hill。　

Grass。　Water。　Eyes　close。　Rest。　Lap　up。　Chew。　Swallow。　Sip。　Sleep。　Breathe。　　

For　a　moment；　she　was　almost　lost　true；　the　lizards　　thought　patterns　weren　t　plex；　but　there　were　hundreds　of　
them；　and　she　found　herself　overwhelmed　by　their　instinctive　need　to　eat　and　drink　and　sleep。　

Gritting　her　teeth；　she　reasserted　her　own　self　over　that　of　hundreds　of　thunder　lizards。　She　then　started　to　mutter　the　
incantation　for　the　teleport　spell。　

Pain！　Searing　whitehot　agony　sliced　through　Jaina　s　skull　as　soon　as　she　uttered　the　final　syllable　of　the　spell。　The　
ruined　forest　melted　before　her　and　then　slammed　back　into　form　immediately。　A　milder　pain　shot　through　Jaina　s
left　knee；　and　only　then　did　she　realize　that　she　had　stumbled　to　the　ground；　her　knee　colliding　with　the　nearest
stump。　

Pain。　Hurt。　Hurt。　Hurt。　Run。　Run。　Run。　Run。　No　more　pain。　Run；　no　pain。　　
　
Sweat　beading　on　her　forehead；　Jaina　resisted　the　urge　to　start　running　through　the　forest。　Something　happened　to
the　teleport　spell；　but　Jaina　couldn　t　take　the　time　to　find　out　what　just　yet；　because　the　pain　she　felt　when　the　spell　
was　ruined　was　transferred　to　the　thunder　lizards　via　their　mental　link。　It　was　serving　to　put　them　into　a　stampeding　
frame　of　mind；　and　she　had　to　stop　them　before　they　ran　through　Drygulch　again。　

Every　instinct　screamed　for　her　to　break　the　link；　as　holding　back　the　urges　of　the　nowagitated　lizards　was　like　
trying　to　hold　back　the　ocean　with　a　broom。　But　the　only　way　to　calm　them　was　to　keep　the　link。　Closing　her　eyes
and　forcing　herself　to　focus；　she　cast　a　spell　that　Antonidas　had　said　was　specifically　written　to　calm　bucking　
mounts。　Clenching　her　fists　so　hard　she　feared　her　fingernails　would　draw　blood；　she　shoved　as　much　of　herself　as
she　could　into　the　spell；　making　sure　to　catch　all　the　lizards　with　it。　

Moments　later　they　were　all　asleep。　Jaina　barely　managed　to　break　the　mental　link　before　she　herself　also
succumbed。　Her　own　fatigue　was　doing　enough　without　adding　the　lizards　　magically　induced　naps。　

Her　limbs　ached；　and　her　eyelids　felt　heavy。　Teleport　spells　were　draining　under　the　best　of　circumstances；　and　both
the　volume　she　was　trying　to　move　and　the　spell　s　violent　end　made　these　circumstances　far　from　the　best。　Jaina
wanted　nothing　more　than　to　lie　down　and　join　the　lizards　in　their　slumber；　but　she　couldn　t　afford　that。　The　spell
would　only　keep　the　lizards　asleep　for　six　hours　possibly　less　because　the　spell　was　so　diffuse。　She　had　to　find　out　
what　there　was　in　Bladescar　that　kept　her　from　pleting　the　spell。　

She　sat；　folding　her　legs　together；　letting　her　hands　fall　limply　to　her　side；　and　controlled　her　breathing。　Then　she　
once　again　cast　her　senses　outward；　this　time　toward　the　Bladescar　range；　specifically　the　small　area　in　the　center　of
the　mountainous　region。　

It　didn　t　take　her　long　to　find　what　she　was　looking　for。　

Someone　had　put　up　wards　around　the　entire　highlands。　From　this　distance；　Jaina　could　not　pinpoint　the　type　of
magic　being　used；　but　the　wards　were　precisely　the　type　designed　to　among　other　things　disrupt　teleportation
spells　in　order　to　keep　whatever　was　inside　the　wards　protected。　

Jaina　stood　and　collected　herself。　She　was　about　to　start　the　teleportation　spell　that　would　bring　her　to　Bladescar；
then　stopped　herself。　Reaching　into　the　small　pack　attached　to　her　belt；　she　took　out　some　jerky。　Another　of
Antonidas　s　earliest　lessons　was　a　reminder　that　magic　used　the　body；　and　the　only　way　to　replenish　the　body　was
to　consume　food。　More　wizards；　　he　had　said；　have　wasted　away　because　they　were　so　busy　exploring　the
wonders　of　magic　that　they　fot　to　eat。　　

Her　jaw　aching　from　chewing　the　tough　dried　meat；　the　newly　refreshed　Jaina　then　cast　the　spell　that　would　take　her
to　a　spot　just　outside　the　wards　placed　around　the　highlands。　

The　one　flaw　in　her　plan　to　eat　before　teleporting　was　that　the　stomach　rumblings　she　often　felt　as　a　side　effect　of
the　spell　were　far　more　pronounced　with　undigested　food　still　in　her　belly。　But　she　pushed　past　the　effect　as　she
stood　on　the　steep　incline　that　more　or　less　demarcated　the　beginning　of　the　highlands。　Below　and　behind　her　was　a
sheer　cliff。　In　front　of　her　was　the　slanted　grasslands。　There　was　barely　enough　room　to　stand。　

Of　course；　the　wards　were　invisible　to　the　naked　eye。　But　Jaina　could　noheless　feel　them。　They　were　not
particularly　powerful；　but　they　didn　t　really　need　to　be。　In　fact；　if　the　object　was　to　hide　someone　or　something
which　Jaina　was　being　more　and　more　convinced　was　the　case　here　it　was　best　to　keep　the　wards　at　a　low
level。　Too　powerful；　and　they　would　be　like　a　beacon　to　any　mage。　

This　close；　Jaina　also　recognized　the　flavor　of　the　magic　that　had　cast　these　wards。　She　last　felt　it　in　the　pany　of
Medivh；　during　the　war。　This　was　Tirisfalen　magic　but　all　the　Guardians　were　supposed　to　be　dead；　including　
Medivh；　the　last　of　them。　
　
Removing　the　wards　now　that　she　knew　they　were　there　was　but　the　work　of　a　gesture。　She　then　walked　ahead
and　started　to　explore　the　highlands；　pausing　to　put　a　concealment　spell　on　herself　so　she　could　move　about
undetected。　

At　first；　it　was　just　as　she　expected：　grasslands；　dotted　with　fruitbearing　bushes　and　the　occasional　tree。　A　wind
blew　in　off　the　Great　Sea；　funneled　by　the　mountains　and　billowing　Jaina　s　white　cloak　behind　her。　It　had　been
cloudy　back　at　Thunder　Ridge；　but　the　highlands　were　above　the　cloud　line；　so　it　was　bright　and　sunny　here。　Jaina
cast　her　cloak　s　hood　back　so　she　could　enjoy　the　feeling　of　the　sun　on　her　face。　

Soon　she　came　across　the　first　sign　of　whatever　was　hiding：　several　of　the　bushes　had　had　their　fruit　picked
recently。　As　she　continued　to　walk　uphill；　she　found　a　well　that　had　been　built；　with　some　firewood　stacked　next　to
it。　On　the　other　side　of　a　large　tree；　she　saw　a　large　hut。　Rows　of　plants　vegetables；　mostly；　and　some　spices
were　planted　in　an　orderly　manner　in　an　area　behind　the　hut　that　was　more　or　less　level。　

A　moment　later；　a　woman　came　into　view。　She　was　dressed　only　in　a　threadbare　light　blue　linen　dress；　her　feet　were　
bare。　Her　gait　was　steady；　and　as　she　approached　the　well；　Jaina　saw　that　she　was　unusually　tall　for　a　woman
certainly　taller　than　Jaina　herself。　In　addition；　she　was　unmistakably　old。　Wrinkles　marred　her　face；　which　Jaina
thought　must　once　have　been　beautiful。　The　woman　had　white　hair　held　in　place　with　a　tarnished　silver　diadem；　and
the　deepest　green　eyes　Jaina　had　ever　seen。　They　matched　the　cracked　jade　pendant　she　wore　around　her　neck。　

Suddenly；　the　hairs　on　the　back　of　Jaina　s　neck　stood　on　end；　as　she　thought　she　recognized　the　woman。　They　had
never　met；　of　course；　but　she　d　read　descriptions　during　her　apprenticeship；　and　all　the　accounts　made　mention　of
her　great　height；　her　blond　hair　held　simply　with　a　silver　diadem　and　her　eyes。　Everyone　was　sure　to　mention
those　jade　eyes。　

Certainly；　if　it　was　her；　it　explained　the　wards。　Yet　she　was　supposed　to　have　died　long　ago…。　

The　woman　put　her　hands　on　her　hips。　I　know　you　re　there；　so　you　might　as　well　not　waste　that　concealment
spell。　　She　shook　her　head　as　she　moved　to　the　well　and　lowered　a　bucket　by　letting　down　the　rope　hand　over　hand。
Honestly；　they　don　t　teac