Gaelen moved to where Layne lay and with trembling hands turned over the corpse. Layne’s throat had been ripped away, but his face was untouched and his grey eyes were open, staring at nothing. Gaelen sank back. Gwalchmai knelt by the body and reached out, his fingers tenderly brushing the skin of Layne’s face. ‘Oh, God,’ said Gwalchmai. Gaelen lifted Layne’s hand, picturing him as he had been only a few hours before – tall, handsome, and in love.
‘I promised to be there for you, and I wasn’t,’ he said. ‘I am so sorry, Layne.’
‘We must bury him – deep,’ said Agwaine.
‘We can’t,’ said Gaelen. ‘The fire will have alerted the Aenir, and the beasts could return at any time. We must push on.’
‘I’ll not have him devoured by those creatures!’ stormed Agwaine.
Gaelen rose, tears shining in his eyes. ‘You think I do not feel exactly the same, Agwaine? But Layne is gone. His spirit has fled; all that is left is dead flesh which, even if we bury it, will be devoured by maggots. The Farlain need us, Layne does not. Now let us move.’
“But we don’t know where those creatures are,’ objected Gwalchmai. ‘We could run right into them.’
‘And if we don’t,’ snapped Gaelen, ‘then by morning we’ll all be blood-eagled to the trees.’
‘Gaelen is right. It’s time to move,’ said Agwaine. ‘Kill the fire.”
Donning their packs they set off towards the east, where the dark line of the Carduil range could be seen against the sky. They walked with swords in hand, saying little, and the journey was fraught with fear. The storm clouds passed over them, lightning flashing to the south, and the moon shone bright.
‘By the gods, look!’ exclaimed Gwalchmai.
On either side of them, some twenty paces distant, dark shadows could be seen moving from bush to bush.
‘How many?” hissed Agwaine.
‘Four,’ answered Onic.
Swiftly they doffed their packs, stringing the short hunting-bows.
‘Wait!’ said Gaelen. ‘Let us each pick a target, for once they learn the power of the bow they will be more wary.”
Gwalchmai eased back on the string. ‘All right. I’ll take the one on the left at the rear.’
Choosing their targets they waited patiently, Gwalchmai and Onic kneeling, Agwaine and Gaelen facing right with bows half drawn.
The werebeasts crouched in the bushes, confused and uncertain. They could not see the shining talons that had cut down their comrade, only long sticks of wood. But they were wary. The leader edged forward, raising his head. The scent of warm flesh caused his stomach to tighten and saliva dripped from his maw. He moved into the open on all fours, edging still closer. A second followed him. On the other side a third beast was in view.
More clouds bunched above them, the sky darkening.
Gaelen cursed. ‘Let fly … NOW!’
Shafts hissed through the night air. The leader howled as the missile sliced into his chest, spearing his lungs. Blood filled his throat and the howling ceased. Behind him the second thrashed about in the bushes, an arrow through his eye.
To the left Gwalchmai’s target had dropped without a sound, shot through the heart. Only Onic had not let fly. His target had remained in the bushes. Alone and frightened, it sprinted away to the west.
10
ALIESEN LED CASWALLON to a long room beneath the Vallon caves. The walls were lined with shelves of old oak, some of them twisted and cracked with age. Upon some of them were parchment scrolls, leather-bound books, and sheafs of paper bound with twine. Others were stacked with metal cylinders or small glass bottles sealed with wax. On the far side of the hall two druids were sitting at one of the many tables, poring over scrolls and scribbling notes with quill pens.
Maggrig, Leofas and Maeg were waiting there when the druid and the clansman arrived. While Maeg examined the shallow wound in her husband’s shoulder, Maggrig pressed Caswallon about his journey through the Gateway. He told them of the baby, and the old man who had been carrying her.
As she spoke the old man’s name Taliesen sank to a chair, eyes wide, mouth agape. It was the first time Caswallon had seen him so surprised. ‘You did not tell me it was Astole,’ he whispered. ‘Still alive!’