"Was it like the royal standards that hung in the Towers of
Granite?"
"Oh no, my Lord, that would have been far too grand for the likes of a Candleman"s wife. People would have laughed at me or stolen it to exchange for tallow or other treasure of the light.
It was a simple picture of the sun."
"There must have been an owl in blue and gold somewhere in the picture," persisted the King. "What size was the scarf?"
Angis smiled, remembering her last few moments with Thane before he started his dangerous journey into exile.
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"No, my Lord, it was a summer sun and in my hands it was
nothing more than a scarf, but the moment Thane took it, it seemed to change in shape and size and yet it pa.s.sed easily into his pocket."
"Did it burn or shine with light?" pressed the King.
Angis frowned and then slowly nodded. "The picture did seem to come alive as Thane touched it."
King Holbian laughed, his heart lighter than it had been for many daylights. There was still room for hope, even here in this dark hole beneath the ground, and he forged ahead to come to Breakmaster and Grey Goose in heated argument.
"The road divides here, my Lord," Breakmaster said, as the King drew level.
"Can you tell which way the Chancellors chose?" asked Holbian, searching in his pocket for a spark.
"They took the left-hand road," Grey Goose replied in the fierce light of the spark.
"That is our road then. We must follow them," commanded the King.
"What is that?" asked Angis, pointing up into the roof of the secret road. Taking the King"s spark she reached up into the roof, moving her hand backwards and forwards.
"It is roots," laughed Breakmaster, "the roots of a giant tree.
Look, they arch the road in both directions. We must be pa.s.sing beneath a great forest."
With the extinguished spark safely back inside his pocket King Holbian moved on. He felt warm inside the steelsilver coat but a chill wind now blew against his face and far ahead he could hear a roaring noise and he shivered, fearing what might lie across their path.
Swanwater
Ogion looked across the darkening landscape, searching for a place to rest. Far behind on a broken ridge the hors.e.m.e.n had slowed to a walk.
"Rest, rest," he hissed, descending towards a grey stretch of marshland water. Fanning his wings he touched the lake and ploughed up a white crested wave, sending small ripples through the tall black-flecked bullrushes. One by one the grey swans followed Ogion down and landed on the lake.
Thane saw the sun reflected in the ripples from the swans which spread across the lake and he dismounted. Yawning he led Stumble down through jagged thorn bushes to the water"s edge and began cutting branches for a fire.
"No fire!" Ogion hissed, wading ash.o.r.e and knocking the bundle of wood roughly out of Thane"s arms. "The Nightmare
has set many Nightbeast watchers. No fire."
Thane shivered, wrapping the ragged half-cloak tightly around his shoulders, and sat down on the cold damp marshy earth. He had lost count of the daylights and half daylights they had followed the Nightmare, cantering and galloping whenever they could to keep pace with the swans, never daring to rest while the great birds were in the sky. "Elionbel,"
he whispered, looking into Ogion"s eyes.
Ogion turned his long neck and brushed beaks in greeting with Ousious, his life mate, as she left the lake. Turning back to Thane he hissed, "She runs at the Nightmare"s heels, cruelly driven by the one-clawed beast. She is proud and
bitter with hatred and suffers each daylight for her pride."
"And Martbel, her mother?" Thane whispered, his eyes haunted with dread.
"She runs," Ogion hissed, turning away to seek a safe place on the bank for the night ahead.
Ousious paused before Thane, looking deeply into his eyes, seeing the power of his love for the Nightmare"s prisoner.
"How will you rescue her?" she asked, rubbing her beak against Thane"s arm.
Thane looked up, a smile touching the corners of his i mouth. "I had not thought. I only live to catch the Nightmare.
I must do that first, but when he stands before me I shall find a way."
"They are tied by the Nightmare"s life thread," Ogion hissed, returning to the bank and roughly pushing Thane away from Ousious. "There is no way you can sever that thread, foolish man. Keep your distance, stay clear of my swans. I only pledged to lead you at your peril, not to befriend you."
Thane moved away and sat down beside Stumble, huddling against him for warmth. In the growing darkness he gripped the hilt of his dagger from inside his cloak. "Give me courage, he whispered, falling asleep.
Near the water"s edge the swans settled close to on.
another, whispering late into the night. Ogion sat alone, hi hard eyes watchful and alert, his long neck casting a shar black shadow across the bank. Slowly his head sank back an"
his eyelids closed.
Crack! Snap! Faint noises in the undergrowth woke Stum ble. Snorting, he nudged Thane awake. Blinking his sleet away Thane drew the dagger and turned his head towards the noise. Two Nightbeasts were silhouetted against the starligh on the top of the bank. Thane guessed they were swan hunting by the nets and three-p.r.o.nged spears they carried Slowly he rose into a crouch, the dagger ready in his rig} hand. The Nightbeasts had crept down the bank and wer
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almost level with him. Stumble flattened his ears, curled back his lips and sank noiselessly on to his hocks. The Nightbeasts had raised their spears to strike.
"Now!" Thane shouted, leaping forward, plunging the dagger hilt deep up beneath the nearest beast"s outstretched arm.
Stumble reared up and smashed both forelegs against the other Nightbeast"s iron cap, crushing his skull down into his chest. The grey swans hissed and flapped in alarm, running across the bank, fleeing into the water and surging out into the lake. Only Ogion turned, head outstretched, and tore at the lifeless Nightbeasts. Thane wiped the dagger on the bank and returned it to his belt. Stumble snorted, arching his neck with pride. Turning, they both returned to their place on the edge of the clearing.
Ogion hissed and spread his wings
"I misjudged you, l nanenana, and aounTea wny you carried that blade."
Thane drew the dagger and placed it on the ground at Ogion"s webbed feet. "This blade was forged to cut through Nightbeast armour. It was hammered out by Durondell, the Armourer. I could not, nor would I wish to, harm one soft downy feather on your chest."
"The Magician said you would protect us. He foresaw this night."
"Nevian is the Master of Magic. He sees everything,"