stallion squealed in fury and lashed back with a foot just a moment too late. The creature was already gone into the darkness before either man or horse could see it.
Valorian cursed under his breath. This journey was growing intolerable. He could hardly bear to continue simply riding into a blind trap while an unseen menace lurked at his heels. He wanted to stand and fight, to see his enemies and drive them away. But the evil things in the darkness stayed out of sight, and al he could do was keep going.
Warily he and Hunnul continued on, winding their way downward into the mountain fastness. It wasn't long before the creatures behind them grew bolder. Their whispers changed to malicious laughter that grated on Valorian's already stretched self--control. Rocks flew out of the dark to land with a crash near Hunnul's feet or strike with stinging pain on Valorian's back. Shadows small and swift dashed maddeningly in and out of the rim of Valorian's light.
"Come forth and fight me, you worms!" he shouted, brandishing his sword at the taunting shadows.
They merely laughed at him again with harsh, maniacal voices.
Valorian had ridden what seemed a very long distance when suddenly Hunnul snorted a fierce warning. Before the man could move, three small creatures dropped from the ceiling onto his head and shoulders. They wrenched off his helmet, threw it aside, and clutched at his head. His soul quailed at their foul touch. They reeked of evil, and their tiny, powerful fingers dug into his skin and hair like burning poison. They couldn't draw blood or seriously injure the soul, but they could inflict agonizing pain.
With an oath, Valorian dropped his sword across his legs and tried to wrench the creatures off with his hands. They clung, screeching and yowling in his ears until he was finally able to peel two of them off and fling them against the rock wal s. They bounced off the stone unharmed and ran gibbering into the darkness. The third still clung to his shoulder.
The clansman looked around, and for just a moment, he stared into the wizened, depraved face of a gorthling. Its head looked like a mummified child's; its eyes were large and depthless, like a chasm of horror and despair. With a shudder, Valorian stabbed his sword at the wicked, grinning face. The blade sliced deep into the creature's head, knocking it off his shoulders to the ground, but the creature clambered to its feet and vanished as quick as a rat.
"Gorthlings!" Valorian spat with loathing. Somewhere in the tunnel, a harsh, evil laugh sounded out of the unseen depths.
The man and horse didn't wait for another attack. They hurried on, breathless and frightened, while dry, guttural voices snarled and mocked them.
"Foolish mortal," the voices hissed. "You play your games, but you are ours."
"They're testing us, Hunnul," Valorian said harshly. "They're not yet sure what we can do." Al at once he noticed his sphere of light had dimmed during their fight with the gorthlings. He quickly concentrated on it, channeling the unfamiliar magic through his mind and into the light. To his vast relief, it flared, bright and reassuring, once more.
At that moment, he caught a glimpse of something at the edge of the renewed light. A mass of small, gibbering forms was crowding into the tunnel behind them, gathering to attack. If that many creatures caught them, he and Hunnul would never be able to fend them off.
An image of Amara's lightning bolt flashed into his mind, and quickly Valorian raised his hand and sent a small blue bolt of his own burning into the midst of the creatures. The mass fell apart, screaming in furious surprise.
"Run!" he shouted to Hunnul.
The stallion raced forward down the tunnel, his eyes rolling white with fear. Valorian ducked his head and clung desperately to the gal oping horse. He could only pray there were no sudden drop--offs or blind walls ahead. His light kept pace with them through the dark tunnel like a guiding star, and Valorian
Valorian cursed under his breath. This journey was growing intolerable. He could hardly bear to continue simply riding into a blind trap while an unseen menace lurked at his heels. He wanted to stand and fight, to see his enemies and drive them away. But the evil things in the darkness stayed out of sight, and al he could do was keep going.
Warily he and Hunnul continued on, winding their way downward into the mountain fastness. It wasn't long before the creatures behind them grew bolder. Their whispers changed to malicious laughter that grated on Valorian's already stretched self--control. Rocks flew out of the dark to land with a crash near Hunnul's feet or strike with stinging pain on Valorian's back. Shadows small and swift dashed maddeningly in and out of the rim of Valorian's light.
"Come forth and fight me, you worms!" he shouted, brandishing his sword at the taunting shadows.
They merely laughed at him again with harsh, maniacal voices.
Valorian had ridden what seemed a very long distance when suddenly Hunnul snorted a fierce warning. Before the man could move, three small creatures dropped from the ceiling onto his head and shoulders. They wrenched off his helmet, threw it aside, and clutched at his head. His soul quailed at their foul touch. They reeked of evil, and their tiny, powerful fingers dug into his skin and hair like burning poison. They couldn't draw blood or seriously injure the soul, but they could inflict agonizing pain.
With an oath, Valorian dropped his sword across his legs and tried to wrench the creatures off with his hands. They clung, screeching and yowling in his ears until he was finally able to peel two of them off and fling them against the rock wal s. They bounced off the stone unharmed and ran gibbering into the darkness. The third still clung to his shoulder.
The clansman looked around, and for just a moment, he stared into the wizened, depraved face of a gorthling. Its head looked like a mummified child's; its eyes were large and depthless, like a chasm of horror and despair. With a shudder, Valorian stabbed his sword at the wicked, grinning face. The blade sliced deep into the creature's head, knocking it off his shoulders to the ground, but the creature clambered to its feet and vanished as quick as a rat.
"Gorthlings!" Valorian spat with loathing. Somewhere in the tunnel, a harsh, evil laugh sounded out of the unseen depths.
The man and horse didn't wait for another attack. They hurried on, breathless and frightened, while dry, guttural voices snarled and mocked them.
"Foolish mortal," the voices hissed. "You play your games, but you are ours."
"They're testing us, Hunnul," Valorian said harshly. "They're not yet sure what we can do." Al at once he noticed his sphere of light had dimmed during their fight with the gorthlings. He quickly concentrated on it, channeling the unfamiliar magic through his mind and into the light. To his vast relief, it flared, bright and reassuring, once more.
At that moment, he caught a glimpse of something at the edge of the renewed light. A mass of small, gibbering forms was crowding into the tunnel behind them, gathering to attack. If that many creatures caught them, he and Hunnul would never be able to fend them off.
An image of Amara's lightning bolt flashed into his mind, and quickly Valorian raised his hand and sent a small blue bolt of his own burning into the midst of the creatures. The mass fell apart, screaming in furious surprise.
"Run!" he shouted to Hunnul.
The stallion raced forward down the tunnel, his eyes rolling white with fear. Valorian ducked his head and clung desperately to the gal oping horse. He could only pray there were no sudden drop--offs or blind walls ahead. His light kept pace with them through the dark tunnel like a guiding star, and Valorian
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