over the dark silence, Greyfax looked quickly from the mountains into the near darkness, and held up his hand for silence as Froghorn began to speak again. The pale glow that had illuminated the ground around the two stilled and disappeared, and all fell into a tense silence, a quietness choked with some presence that Greyfax now detected. It was still far off, but searching, and he did not like the sound of the birds’ cry. There was something about it that struck him as harsh, more menacing than a lover calling to his dark mate somewhere in the deep folds of thickets. It came again, and the answer was closer now, and a distant, faint murmur of padded footsteps could be heard by his keen ears. An’yim, Greyfax’s steed, started, raising his head, snorting and pawing the grass with his powerful forehoofs. Soon Pe’lon neighed softly and drew closer to his master, Froghorn. The stars had gone, and the only light came from the splinter of moon, a deadly gray glow that seemed to darken even more all the shadows as they waited breathlessly, listening, in the clearing. Hastily Greyfax drew Froghorn .near him, and spoke so sofdy into his ear Froghorn was not sure he had heard turn.
“We must fly now, quickly. Our ways part here for a time. We must not be snared like rabbits. Away. I shall find you next where I can. Fly, old fellow, and use all speed.”
Even as he spoke, Greyfax was astride An’yim, and lightly the two, horse and rider, moved away into the darkness without so much as a blade of grass disturbed to mark their fleet passing. Pe’lon trembled eagerly to be gone, and had barely given Froghorn time to mount before he, too, had climbed the wind and bore away his master with an ease of speed that brushed the treetops silently into a faint tremor of leaves. The only evidence that they had been discov ered was a last, long, angry cry of. the night bird’s voice, its wail of defeat echoing emptily above the vale, and something else joined, not bird nor beast, a scream that turned Froghorn’s heart cold, and Pe’lon, at hearing it, lowered his great head.
“Snared like rabbits in a trap, indeed,” Froghom thought, then remembered a time, beyond all years or measurement, when Greyfax and he had been exactly that, snared rabbits in an evil web of the spider-cold heart of the grim Queen. They had grown strong again over the ages of time, but even now could not withstand her forces alone. With a word he turned Pe’lon toward the south, where lay the house of Lorini, sister of the Dark Queen, whose halls were al ways golden. Lorini, holder of the Sacred Fire, wisest of all save Melodias, now second master of the Circle, would perhaps have news that would aid him in these dark times. And Greyfax, too, might at the very moment be making his way to her halls. There was much he had not asked, and much he desired to know, and the closeness of the elder of Grimwald irked him into touching Pelon’s neck, urging yet more speed.
There was a shadow of light, so swift and bright in passing over the lowering shoulders of the moun tains, the hollows of their deep hearts trembled in its wake. Far ahead, the moon seemed to shrink from the swiftness of Pe’lon, now only a motion of stillness across the hidden faces of the stars in the silent heavens.
Creddin
“S o there you are at last. We thought you’d dis appeared, without so much as breakfast.” Dwarf poked his head out of the galley door upon hearing Creddin’s call. “Come along, your guests have helped themselves. There’s enough here to satisfy our host, too.”
“Can you hand me down that larder, Dwarf, there on the buttery? I simply must have something to go with this loaf.”
Dwarf stretched far up on the sideboard to remove the tin, but to his surprise, Creddin almost bowled him over with a darting hand that snaked past him and clutched the canister.
“No, no, you mustn’t use this, friends. It’s spoiled, I’m afraid. I’ve been meaning to throw it
“We must fly now, quickly. Our ways part here for a time. We must not be snared like rabbits. Away. I shall find you next where I can. Fly, old fellow, and use all speed.”
Even as he spoke, Greyfax was astride An’yim, and lightly the two, horse and rider, moved away into the darkness without so much as a blade of grass disturbed to mark their fleet passing. Pe’lon trembled eagerly to be gone, and had barely given Froghorn time to mount before he, too, had climbed the wind and bore away his master with an ease of speed that brushed the treetops silently into a faint tremor of leaves. The only evidence that they had been discov ered was a last, long, angry cry of. the night bird’s voice, its wail of defeat echoing emptily above the vale, and something else joined, not bird nor beast, a scream that turned Froghorn’s heart cold, and Pe’lon, at hearing it, lowered his great head.
“Snared like rabbits in a trap, indeed,” Froghom thought, then remembered a time, beyond all years or measurement, when Greyfax and he had been exactly that, snared rabbits in an evil web of the spider-cold heart of the grim Queen. They had grown strong again over the ages of time, but even now could not withstand her forces alone. With a word he turned Pe’lon toward the south, where lay the house of Lorini, sister of the Dark Queen, whose halls were al ways golden. Lorini, holder of the Sacred Fire, wisest of all save Melodias, now second master of the Circle, would perhaps have news that would aid him in these dark times. And Greyfax, too, might at the very moment be making his way to her halls. There was much he had not asked, and much he desired to know, and the closeness of the elder of Grimwald irked him into touching Pelon’s neck, urging yet more speed.
There was a shadow of light, so swift and bright in passing over the lowering shoulders of the moun tains, the hollows of their deep hearts trembled in its wake. Far ahead, the moon seemed to shrink from the swiftness of Pe’lon, now only a motion of stillness across the hidden faces of the stars in the silent heavens.
Creddin
“S o there you are at last. We thought you’d dis appeared, without so much as breakfast.” Dwarf poked his head out of the galley door upon hearing Creddin’s call. “Come along, your guests have helped themselves. There’s enough here to satisfy our host, too.”
“Can you hand me down that larder, Dwarf, there on the buttery? I simply must have something to go with this loaf.”
Dwarf stretched far up on the sideboard to remove the tin, but to his surprise, Creddin almost bowled him over with a darting hand that snaked past him and clutched the canister.
“No, no, you mustn’t use this, friends. It’s spoiled, I’m afraid. I’ve been meaning to throw it
Similar Books
