journey, friend! A drinking bout’s worth of thanks!’
They mounted the death-defiled stairs. Cappen peered across miles. Wings beat in
heaven, from the direction of the mountains. Horror stabbed his guts. ‘Look!’ He
could barely croak.
Jamie squinted. ‘More of them,’ he said. ‘A score, maybe. We can’t cope with so
many. An-army couldn’t.’
‘That whistle was heard farther away than mortals would hear,’ Danlis added
starkly.
‘What do we linger for?’ Rosanda wailed. ‘Come, take us home!’
‘And the sikkintairs follow?’ Jamie retorted. ‘No. I’ve my lassies, and kinfolk,
and -‘ He moved to stand before the parchment. Edged metal dripped in his hands;
red lay splashed across helm, ringmail, clothing, face. His grin broke forth,
wry. ‘A spaewife once told me I’d die on the far side of strangeness. I’ll wager
she didn’t know her own strength.’
‘You assume that the mission of the beasts is to destroy us, and when that is
done they will return to their lairs.’ The tone Danlis used might have served
for a remark about the weather.
‘Aye, what else? The harm they’d wreak would be in a hunt for us. But put to
such trouble, they could grow furious and harry our whole world. That’s the more
likely when Hazroah lies skewered. Who else can control them?’
‘None that I know of, and he talked quite frankly to us.’ She nodded. ‘Yes, it
behoves us to die where we are.’ Rosanda sank down and blubbered. Danlis showed
irritation. ‘Up!’ she commanded her mistress. ‘Up and meet your fate like a
Rankan matron!’
Cappen goggled hopelessly at her. She gave him a smile. ‘Have no regrets, dear,’