Pilgrim by Sara Douglas

tunnel that led to the interior of a many-staired and balconied tower.

Faraday relaxed slightly, then she and Katie followed Drago into Spiredore.

Perhaps it understood the urgency of the matter, for Spiredore did not take long to

transfer them to its outer door that led to the edge of Grail Lake. Three turns of a spiral staircase

and they were there, the hounds, cats and feathered lizard close behind.

Drago pushed open the door and stepped outside. Then he halted, transfixed with horror

as Faraday, Katie and sundry animals bumped into him.

The far shores of Grail Lake were dense with hundreds of thousands of animals—horses,

cattle, feral creatures, birds of every variety—and wild-eyed humans, all milling about the walls

of Carlon.

Even from the far side of the Lake Drago and Faraday could hear them howling and

mewling and screaming. One of the cats, crouched low at Drago‘s feet, growled at the cacophony of sound drifting over the Lake.

Faraday‘s face went ashen, and she put a hand to her mouth. Drago leaned around to

gather Faraday and the girl tight against him. Appalled and grief-stricken by the sight before her,

Faraday did not object.

Katie merely studied the scene expressionlessly.

It was mid-afternoon, and the grey miasma of despair was settled upon the land. Drago

and Faraday had grown so used to their immunity, as that of the hounds and, apparently the cats,

that it completely escaped them that Katie seemed unaffected as well.

In her, the power and magic of the Star Dance surged more powerfully than it did in the

vast unfettered spaces of the universe, simply because it was concentrated into a vastly smaller

space.

Inside her tiny body, Katie had enough power to ravage the entire land into a blackened,

smoking waste, should she put a mind to it.

Katie grinned.

52

Of What Can’t Be Rescued

Theod rode as if in a dream. Time passed him by unnoticed, and landscape and sun and

night melded into one unknowable blur.

All he was aware of was the feel of the stallion‘s silken coat and powerful muscles

beneath him, and the cold fire of the stars that foamed about his hands where they gripped within

the mane.

All Theod thought about was Gwendylyr and his sons. Gone. Had he failed them? Should

he have done something different?

Was she still somehow alive?

No. The existence she currently enjoyed could in no way be called ―life‖, but while her

heart still beat, there was hope, surely.

Surely.

Somewhere there had to be hope!

He had to ride south, meet Zared who must be on his way north with his army by now,

and go back and get her…and save the other groups crawling slowly, innocently, towards that

horrid cave and all the beady eyes awaiting in its depths.

But Theod never met Zared coming north.

―Where are you?‖ he screamed one day into the blur that swept by him, but no-one

answered, and the stallion‘s gait did not falter. They sped south through days that folded

inexorably from sunlight to night to sunlight again.

―Norden? Norden? Sir? Wake up! ‖

Norden mumbled and opened his eyes, irritated that Greman had woken him before his

watch was due to start. What in the world could—

― Wake up, sir! ‖

The panic in Greman‘s voice woke Norden as nothing else could. The captain of the

northern wall watch struggled to his feet, cursing the lingering lethargy and stiffness of sleep, and moved to where Greman stood by the parapets.

He was staring at something beyond the wall.

Now that Norden could understand. The tens of thousands of cursed creatures were

wailing and moaning with even more virulence than usual, but their cacophony in itself was

nothing to be remarked on.

Were they preparing to attack?

Norden leaned on the stone blocks of the parapet, trying to see what it was that had

disturbed Greman.

―There, sir, directly north. Do you see?‖

Greman narrowed his eyes against the cold wind, ignoring the mass of creatures seething

at the base of the walls for the moment.

―I—‖ he began, then concentrated. There was something…something…pale…

Beside him, Greman visibly relaxed. ―It‘s a horse and rider, sir!‖

Norden grunted, not wanting to concede that Greman‘s younger eyes were clearer than

his.

―Perhaps,‖ he said. ―And if it is, then who would be so stupid as to ride straight for this

psychotic circus below us?‖

He blinked, and this time he, too, could see that it was a horse and rider. A white horse,

with a peculiarly brilliant mane and tail, and a rider.

―Gods, but look how fast they‘re coming!‖ Norden said, and before he could add any

more, or even think about informing someone of this peculiar event, the animals below roared

into full-voiced fury.

Both guards instinctively dropped below the level of the parapet.

―Gods!‖ Norden whispered again, and carefully peered over the stone ledge.

What he saw this time stunned him.

The animals—while not abandoning the walls—had nevertheless turned to meet whatever

it was that ran toward them. They were screaming with such vigour that Norden could actually

see one or two convulsing with the strength of their hate.

The horse and rider were now very close, within only twenty or thirty paces of the outer

ranks of the animals. Norden‘s throat went dry…they would be torn to pieces! But even as he

thought that, the white horse had closed the distance between it and the animals, and plunged

into the first ranks that leapt to meet it.

Norden thought the horse and rider would be overwhelmed instantly, but suddenly

creatures screamed and smoke rose from either side of the horse.

Norden blinked, then decided he was seeing true.

Tiny stars were falling from the horse‘s mane, burning a path through the now-frantic

animals. The stallion— the Star Stallion—cantered through the crowd as though it paraded along

a processional boulevard, the man atop him swinging somewhat uselessly to either side with his

sword.

The creatures had backed several paces away from the horse, still snarling and howling,

but terrified of the horse‘s magic.

―Open the gates,‖ Norden whispered, then recovered his voice and roared down the

ladder. ― Open the gates! ‖

As the guards leaned to the bolts, Norden scrambled to his feet and headed for the ladder,

sliding to the ground in three heartbeats. Turning from the ladder, he heard the horse leap

through the gates, and then the thunder as the guards slammed them shut against the first of the creatures leaping after the horse.

But Norden had no eye for anything save the wondrous Star Stallion and his rider.

A man—it was the Duke of Aldeni!—slid off the stallion‘s back, and the horse reared,

screamed…and disappeared.

The Duke saw Norden standing gaping, and dropped a heavy hand on his shoulder.

―Get me to the King. Now! ‖

Norden stared at Theod‘s haggard face, then moved hastily to obey.

Earl Herme rose slowly, unbelievingly, from his chair outside Leagh‘s chamber as he saw

Theod and an officer of the watch approach. ―Theod? My friend…what do you here?‖

―I come wondering why Zared did not bother to ride to my aid. Where is he? Where is

the carrion-cursed—‖

―We have had no word, Theod.‖ Zared emerged from the door, closing it softly behind

him. ―Nothing. No farflight scouts. No ships. We thought…‖

He stopped, staring appalled at Theod‘s face. ― What has happened? ‖

―No-one got through?‖ Theod whispered. ―Not one of the farflight scouts got through?

Oh, gods!‖

He sat and drank, glass after glass of the best Romsdale gold, and neither Zared nor

Herme stopped him.

They listened to his extraordinary tale, and shared doubts in silent glances over Theod‘s

bowed head. If all others had perished, then how was it Theod had got through?

How had he made it south safely through unprotected territory…unshaded territory?

How had he come so swiftly ?

How had he got through the cordon about Carlon‘s walls?

Was he mad with grief…or mad with Demonic delight?

Was he another Askam?

Zared‘s hand slipped about the knife in his belt, and saw Herme‘s silent nod.

―Sire?‖

Zared‘s head jerked about. He‘d forgotten Norden‘s presence.

―Sire,‖ Norden said. ―I saw him, and this horse. I cannot vouch for the earlier part of his

tale, but of this magical horse I can say he speaks truth. And over a dozen of the watch on the

northern wall will say the same thing.‖

―And where is this magical horse now?‖ Herme said.

―Gone, sir Earl. He vanished before our eyes.‖

Zared glanced again at Herme, and saw that doubts remained. Had they all been infected?

His hand tightened about his knife.

―How can we get across?‖ Faraday said. ―Look at the water!‖

The waters of Grail Lake were simmering. Great bubbles slowly broke across the surface.

Faraday jerked, and pressed closer to Drago in horror. A huge slimy tail rose lazily in the