The Last Of The Sky Pirates Part 5

aThe sooth-sisters bless you,a called Hekkle in his singsong voice. aThe sooth-sisters bless you.a He whispered urgently out of the side of his beak, aWeare nearly there. Keep together. One more walkway and weall be at the prowlgrin corral beside the Deepwoods Gate.a Stob stepped on the back of Rookas heel again. Rook stumbled heavily, the jolt almost dislodging his heavy coal-black spectacles. He screwed up his left eye as daylight flooded through a gap that had opened up between the mask and the lens. He felt the spectacles wobble on the beak.

aCareful, sister!a came a piercing voice.

Out of the corner of his eye Rook glimpsed a tall, imposing shryke-matron bedecked in finery, sitting on a raised bench and flanked on either side by smaller, but no less gaudy, companions. He was suddenly aware of a familiar overpowering stench. The shryke-matronas plumage ruffled and she let out a contented squawk as an acrid white shryke-dropping fell through the hole beneath her and down onto the lower roosts below.

aThatas better,a she said, turning to her companion. aNow, you were saying, Talonclaw aa aOh, yes,a said the shryke next to her, also letting a sour-smelling spurt of droppings go. aThe sky pirate cut off her head with one blow. Leastways, thatas what I heard.a aCome now, sisters.a Hekkleas voice had that hard edge back in it. He pulled at Rookas robes. aWe must get to the prowlgrin corrals. We have nesting materials to gather in the Deepwoods, remember.a Rook forced himself to put one foot in front of the other. He hunched his shoulders, convinced that the piercing yellow eyes of the shryke-matron seated on the ornate latrine would unmask him at any moment.

aWait!a The matronas raucous cry rang out.

Rook froze. The spectacles rattled on the bridge of his beak. The matron rose from her seat and adjusted her skirts. Rook scarcely dared breathe. Behind him, the other two were rooted to the spot. The matron approached and Rook shut his eyes tight.

aMay blessings attend your nest-building,a said the shryke-matron, and bowed. Rook inclined his head gingerly in response, praying the spectacles would stay in place. The matron turned and her talons clicked on the wooden boards as she and her companions walked away.

aQuickly now.a Hekkleas voice sounded urgently in his ear. aBefore they return!a They hurried on in a nightmare of tension and un certainty, Rook catching glimpses of evil shryke faces as they made their way to the Deepwoods Gate, all the time in terror of his spectacles falling from his mask. The acrid smell of shryke droppings gave way to the warm, musty smell of prowlgrins. Rook could hear their soft, throaty purrs as they neared the corrals. It sounded strangely rea.s.suring.

Hekkle guided them down a gangplank, and Rook could feel the heat given off by the roosting prowlgrins. He peered out of the side of his spectacles. The creatures were all round them, perching on broad branches and looking down on the newcomers with their sad, doleful eyes. Hekkle reached up and untied one of them. He pa.s.sed the tether to Magda.

aClimb up,a he said. aAnd take the reins. She wonat move until you kick her.a With Hekkleas help, Magda tentatively pulled herself up onto the prowlgrinas back, taking care not to let the shryke-mask slip. She reached round the harness for the reins and gripped them tightly. On either side, Rook and Stob did the same. Finally, Hekkle jumped up onto his own prowlgrin and pulled the great beast round.

aKick!a he cried.

All four of them jabbed their heels into the prowlgrinsa sides. The prowlgrins moved off, thrusting away from the broad perch with their hind-legs and clinging onto the one ahead with their fore-claws. Following the lead of Hekkleas prowlgrin, they clambered down onto a walkway. Rook glimpsed a large gateway up ahead.

aWeare approaching the guard tower,a said Hekkle, reining in his prowlgrin. The others did the same. All four prowlgrins slowed to a sedate lope, placing their fore-paws down and swinging their hind-legs forward.

At the end of the long walkway, the guard tower came closer.

aWhat are we going to do?a said Magda.

aNothing,a said Hekkle. aRemember, you are sooth-sisters. You do not need to talk to mere guards. I shall speak for you.a As they reached the guard tower, a tawny shryke with a rusty lance stepped forwards. Hekkle approached her. Rook, Magda and Stob stood apart and aloof, their heads raised imperiously, blind behind their spectacles.

aYou heard me,a Rook heard Hekkle saying sternly a moment later. aWe seek nesting materials for the Golden Nest.a His voice dropped. aDo you dare to stand in the sooth-sistersa way?a aNo, no,a the shryke guard said. aPa.s.s through.a She put her lance to her side, clicked her heels and bowed her head. Hekkle led his prowlgrin past. The others a" keeping as rigid as possible as their prowlgrins lurched a" followed close behind. Rook held his breath. He could only pray that the guard would neither see behind the spectacles nor hear the noisy hammering of his heart.

Step by faltering step, they left the Eastern Roost and entered the Deepwoods. The moment the last of them had crossed the boundary separating the two, Hekkle kicked his prowlgrin into action. The others followed suit, and all four of them hurtled off into the great forest, leaping from branch to branch.

aWahoo!a Rook screeched, with a mixture of elation and relief. aWaahoooo!a Hekkle laughed. aWell done, brave friends,a he said. aYou have done well.a aYou are a brave guide,a said Rook. He glanced back over his shoulder. The guard tower had disappeared from view. aWe made it!a he gasped, and he tore off his shryke-mask, gla.s.ses and heavy robes and tossed them to the air.

Magda did the same. aAt last,a she sighed, tears of relief welling up in her eyes.

Stob pulled off his own mask and held it before him. aI think I made a pretty convincing sooth-sister,a he said. aEven if I do say so myselfa"Whoooah!a he cried out as his prowlgrin stumbled, and he almost lost his grip.

He gripped the reins tightly with both hands. The shryke-mask slipped from his fingers and bounced through the branches, down to the forest floor below. He noticed the others staring at him. aWhat?a he said. aWhat?a Back at the guard tower the shryke guard was receiving a second visitor, a callow youth with a dark stubble covering his scalp sitting astride a prowlgrin.

He had pulled back his hood and thrust a pa.s.s under the guardas beak.

aSee here,a he said quietly. aThe gloamglozer seal of the Most High Guardian of Night. And here. The thumbprint of Vox Verlix. And here, the crossed-feather stamp of the Shryke Sisterhood. I trust that is authority enough for you. Well, is it?a aYes, sir. Sorry, sir,a the guard said, sc.r.a.ping her feet furiously. It was not proving to be her day. aWhat was it you wanted to know?a Xanth ran his fingertips lightly over his shaven skull. aI asked whether any had recently pa.s.sed this way?a aThree sooth-sisters, sir,a said the guard, aand an accompanying shryke-mate.a aMm-hmm,a said the youth. aAnd did they say where they were bound?a aOn a nesting expedition,a said the guard promptly.

Xanth snorted. aAn expedition to the Free Glades more like,a he said.

The guard c.o.c.ked her head in puzzlement. aBut shrykes donat go to the Free Glades,a she said.

aPrecisely,a said Xanth. He turned away and tugged at the reins. The prowlgrin grunted, sniffed the air and was off, leaping from branch to branch.

Xanth held on tightly. He didnat look back.

he four riders rode on hard into the Deepwoods, leaving the Eastern Roost far behind them. With the wind in their hair and their stomachs in their mouths, Stob, Magda and Rook clung desperately onto the reins as their prowlgrins a" sure-footed, yet breathtakingly swift a" hurtled on from branch to branch through the trees. For more than an hour they continued like this, neither pausing for breath nor descending to the forest floor. It was late afternoon by the time Hekkle finally signalled that he considered it safe to leave the trees.

aAre you sure?a Stob called back uneasily. aWhat about the wig-wigs?a aThey seldom stray this far from the roosts,a Hekkle rea.s.sured him. aBesides, you must be getting tired. Itas much easier riding on the ground.a Neither Magda nor Rook needed telling twice. The lurching, jolting ride had left the pair of them exhausted.

With a sharp kick and a downward tug on the reins, they began the long descent to the forest floor below. Hekkle followed them. Seeing that no harm had befallen his companions, and not wis.h.i.+ng to be left behind, Stob came down close behind him.

Rook soon got into the rhythm of moving with his prowlgrin as it loped steadily forwards. aI can hardly believe it,a he called across to Magda. aAll those long years spent down under the ground. You know, I must have dreamed about the Deepwoods almost every single night. And now, here I am.a He sighed. aItas even more wonderful than I imagined.a Ma.s.sive, ancient trees rose up out of the forest floor like great pillars. Some were ridged, some were fluted, some were covered in great bulbous lumps and nodules a" all of them were tall, reaching up through the green, shadowy air to find light above the dense canopy of leaves. Occasionally, the trees would thin out, allowing dazzling shafts of sunlight to slice down through the air and encouraging shrubs and bushes to grow below. There were combbushes humming in the soft breeze, clamshrubs snapping their sh.e.l.l-like flowers, and hairy-ivy, spiralling up round the thick tree-trunks and glittering like tinsel. And, as they pounded on, Rook saw the alluring turquoise glow of a lullabee glade far to his left.

aItas all so beautiful!a he cried out.

aa so beautiful!a his echo cried back.

There was a feverish rustling in a nearby bush and Rook caught a glimpse of something moving out of the corner of his eye. He looked round to see a small furry creature with deep blue fur and wide, startled eyes bounding across the leafy forest floor to a tall lufwood tree, and scurrying up into its branches.

aA wild lemkin!a said Magda. aOh, how sweet.a Oakbells and tinkleberries filled the air with soft, jangling music. A scentball fungus exploded, sending its spores flying and filling the air with a sweet, flowery perfume. A flock of cheepwits flew up into the air in a loud explosion of flapping, and fluttered away.

aWonderful!a bellowed Rook. aItas all wonderful!a aa wonderfula derful a. fulaa aYes, wonderful, brave master,a came Hekkleas voice by his side. aBut the Deepwoods is also treacherous. More treacherous than you could believe. It is unwise to draw attention to ourselves. We must travel discreetly, silently, and remain vigilant at all times aa Rook nodded absent-mindedly. They were pa.s.sing through a dappled glade of smaller trees a" dewdrop trees, their pearl-like leaves glistening in the yellowing sunlight; weeping-willoaks and brackenpines. And there, scurrying across the ground before him, a comical family of weezits in a long line, largest at the front down to smallest at the back, each one clutching the tail of the one in front in its mouth.

aa And never become separated from the others,a he heard Hekkle saying. Rook looked round. aOn no account are you ever to wander off on your own, do you understand?a aYes,a said Rook. aYes, I do.a Hekkle shook his head. aI hope for your sake, brave master, that you truly do.a He reined in his prowlgrin and stopped beside an aged and ailing tree with spa.r.s.e foliage, crumbling bark and the scars of many storms and lightning bolts. aHold my prowlgrin steady,a he told Rook.

Rook did so. Magda and Stob caught up, and the three of them watched Hekkle remove his backpack, climb onto the prowlgrinas back and reach up towards a rotten knot-hole high up on the trunk. He dangled a single talon down inside.

No-one spoke. No-one moved. Throughout their journey through the Deepwoods, Hekkle had stopped innumerable times just like this, and they had learned not to disturb him.

Sometimes he had stopped by fallen logs and broken branches and, having listened intently a" head c.o.c.ked and feathers quivering a" had torn into the bark to reveal plump, pale grubs wriggling beneath. Once he had paused and sc.r.a.ped at the leaves beneath his feet a" and discovered a nestful of squirming red worms. Another time he had thrust his beak into the soft, powdery wood of a rotting lullabee tree, and emerged with a fat caterpillar skewered on the end. Each new addition had ended up with the others in Hekkleas forage sack.

Stob leaned forwards. aWhatas he doing now?a he whispered into Magdaas ear.

Magda shrugged.

Since taking up his position on the prowlgrinas back, Hekkle had remained completely still a" apart from the one talon. Scritch scritch scritch. The needle-sharp point of the claw sc.r.a.ped lightly at the swollen bark around the edge of the hole. Scritch scritch scritch.

Stob shook his head impatiently. Rook craned his neck to see better.

Scritch scritch a All at once there was a loud scrabbling sound from inside the tree, a flash of pale orange from the entrance to the hole and Rook gasped as a set of vicious, glinting mandibles snapped shut around the curving talon. Hekkle did not flinch. Rook held the prowlgrin harness tight and watched intently as the shryke-mate slowly and smoothly drew his hooked talon away from the hole.

The creature came with it. It was sleek, with varnished armour, and multi-segmented like a string of mire-pearls. A pair of delicate white legs waved from each segment. Suddenly, perhaps sensing that it was exposed and wis.h.i.+ng to return to the darkness, the creature squirmed and released its hold. But Hekkle was too quick for it. Stabbing into the hole with its beak it dragged the entire creature out a" all stride and a half of it a" and shook it until it fell still. Then, jumping down and loosening the drawstring to his forage sack, he dropped it in on top of the rest.

aA skewbald thousandfoot,a said Hekkle. aDelicious aa aDelicious?a said Stob. aYou mean you eat them?a aOf course, brave master,a said Hekkle. aThe forest is full of food. Itas just a matter of knowing where to look.a Rook blanched. Head a.s.sumed that Hekkle was simply collecting interesting specimens, perhaps to sell to the scholars in the Free Glades. aAre you intending to eat all the stuff youave collected in that sack?a he asked.

aOf course, brave master,a said Hekkle and chuckled throatily He swung the backpack over his shoulders and mounted his prowlgrin. aThe sunas getting low,a he said. aWe must make camp before darkness falls. Stay close, and keep your eyes peeled. We need to find a specially st.u.r.dy tree to rest up for the night. Then we can see about that meal.a aI canat wait,a muttered Rook weakly.

aYou first,a said Stob meanly, thrusting the skewer with the gimpelgrub on it into Rookas face.

Rook shuddered queasily. He was sure head just seen it wriggle.

aHe doesnat have to if he doesnat want to,a said Magda. aOh, but Iam so hungry!a aEat!a chuckled Hekkle. aEat! I prefer them raw, but theyare equally good cooked. Go on, it wonat bite!a aIam not so sure,a said Rook, holding up the bright red fleshy grub. He closed his eyes, opened his mouth and bit down hard a aI never thought Iad say it,a Rook said, abut that was delicious.a aEven the thousandfoot?a said Hekkle.

aEspecially the thousandfoot,a said Rook, licking his fingers. aIn fact, is there any more?a Hekkle poked about inside the hanging-stove. aNo,a he said at last. aItas all gone. Everythingas gone.a aPity,a said Rook and Stob together, and laughed.

Theyad come across the tree just as the last rays of the sinking sun were being extinguished from the forest floor. It was a huge, spreading leadwood, with a gnarled grey trunk and broad, horizontal branches. As the prowlgrins had carried them up into the tree a" leaping and grasping, leaping and grasping a" so the sun had reappeared, treacly yellow and comfortingly warm.

High up in the tree, they had dismounted and Hekkle had tethered the prowlgrins to the stout branch they were perching on. Having travelled all day, the weary creatures were soon asleep. Hekkle had led the others up to the broad branches above the roosting prowlgrins and given the three young librarians the tasks which, as they journeyed further, were to become a daily routine.

Magda and Rook collected kindling and logs. Hekkle secured the hanging metal stove he had been carrying on his back to an overhanging branch. Stob tied up their three hammocks. Then, when they returned, Rook laid a fire inside the round stove, which Magda lit, using her sky-crystals. Meanwhile, Hekkle prepared the contents of his forage sack for cooking a" was.h.i.+ng, slicing, spicing and finally, when the fire was hot enough, placing them on skewers which he slid into the glowing stove.

The flames had died down now, and the embers of the various pieces of wood that Rook and Magda had collected flickered with colour a" now red, now purple, now turquoise a" and gave off both sweet aromatic smells and the sound of soothing lullabies.

Magda yawned. aIam going to sleep well tonight,a she said.

aItas time you all got some sleep,a said Hekkle. aGet into your hammocks, brave masters and mistress. I shall roost in the branches above your heads and sleep with one eye open. We shall be making an early start in the morning.a Stob, Magda and Rook pulled themselves up and laid their weary bodies down in the swinging hammocks. The heat from the glowing stove warmed the chill air.

aHavenat you forgotten something?a Hekkle said, as he looked down from his perch. aThe Covers of Darkness will keep you safe from prying eyes.a As one, the three librarian knights elect remembered the gift they had received from the Professor of Darkness. They sat up and untied the scarves from around their necks. Rook watched Stob and Magda unfold the flimsy material, wrap it around themselves and their hammocks a" and disappear. With fumbling fingers, he opened up his own scarf. The nightspider-silk was as soft and fine as gossamer, and almost weightless. As he went to drape it over himself, the wind caught it, making it dance in the air like a shadow.

aSecure it to the rope by your head,a Hekkle instructed him. aThatas it.a Rook lay back in the soft hammock, arms behind his head and looked upwards. Though concealing him totally, the cover was see-through, and Rook stared up into the canopy of angular leaves far above his head, silhouetted against the milky moonlit sky beyond. All round him, curious sounds filled the air. The screech of woodowls and razorflits. The coughing of fromps and squealing of quarms. And far, far away in the distance, the sound of a banderbear yodelling to another. Feeling warm, safe and secure, Rook smiled happily. aI know that Hekkle said the forest can be treacherous,a he said quietly, abut to me the Deepwoods still seems a wonderful, magical place aa aParticularly after the horrors of the terrible Eastern Roost,a said Magda drowsily.

aJust think,a said Rook. aOne day, when weave completed our studies and set out on our treatise-voyages, weall fly over these woods.a Magda stifled a tired yawn. aIam thinking of looking at the life-cycle of the woodmoth,a she murmured.

aWoodmoths?a said Rook. aIam going to study banderbears.a The curious yodelling sound repeated, fainter and farther away. aI canat wait aa aGo to sleep,a said Stob.

aWell said, Master Stob,a said Hekkle. aWeave got a long day ahead of us.a He fluffed up his feathers against the rising wind. aGood night, brave masters, good night brave mistress,a he said. aAnd sleep well.a aNight-night,a came Stobas sleepy voice.

aGood night, Hekkle,a said Rook.

Magda, already half-asleep, muttered softly and rolled over.

Six days they travelled a" six long, arduous days of hard riding. After the initial thrill of being inside the dark, mysterious forest, even Rookas enthusiasm was beginning to wane. The going was tough, and when it rained at night, they climbed out of their hammocks the following morning feeling more tired and achy than when they had turned in. But with their destination still far off, they had no choice but to continue, no matter how weary they felt.

Hekkle urged them on as best he could, encouraging and rea.s.suring them, producing delicious food night after night and praising the contributions they were beginning to make to the forage sack. But the un remitting pressure of the long, difficult journey through the Deepwoods was taking its toll. Stob and Magda bickered constantly, while Rookas sleep was increasingly troubled.

On that sixth evening, as they tucked into their supper of grubs and fungus, the atmosphere was oppressive. Stob was in a foul mood, Magda was tearful, while Rook a" who had drifted off to sleep and fallen from his prowl-grin earlier that day a" was nursing a badly bruised knee.

aAny more for any more?a said Hekkle, offering round a tray of toasted ironwood bugs. The young librarians all declined. Hekkle looked at them fondly. aYou are doing so well,a he said.

Stob snorted.

aBelieve me,a said Hekkle. aI have never guided a more determined and courageous group through the Deepwoods than your good selves. Our progress has been phenomenal.a He clacked his beak. aSo much so that youall be pleased to know our journey is coming to its end.a aIt is?a said Rook eagerly.

Hekkle nodded. aWe are getting close to the Silver Pastures,a he confirmed. His face grew serious and the familiar harsh tone to his voice returned. aBut I must tell you that this is the most perilous part of our expedition.a Magda sniffed miserably.

aNaturally,a muttered Stob sullenly.

aThis area attracts the most dangerous of creatures,a Hekkle went on. aThe pastures a" and indeed the densely populated Free Glades beyond a" offer rich pickings. From sun-up tomorrow, we must be extra vigilant. But fear not. We shall not fail a" not having come so far.a That night Rook slept worse than ever. Every squawk, every screech, every whispered breath of wind permeated his fitful sleep and turned his dreams to nightmares a" to the nightmare.

aMother! Father!a he cried out, but his voice was whisked away unheard as the slave-takers carried them both off. The whitecollar wolves snarled and howled. The slavers cackled. Rook turned away, trying to shut out the horrors of what had just taken place, when a aNo!a he screamed.

There it was again. Looming out of the darkness; something huge, something terrifying. Reaching towards him. Closer, closer a aNO!a he screamed.

Rookas eyes snapped open. He sat bolt upright.

aItas all right, brave master,a came Hekkleas voice. The shryke was perched above the hammock, looking down at the youth sympathetically.

aH-Hekkle,a said Rook. aDid I wake you?a aNo, brave master,a said Hekkle. aStobas snoring woke me hours ago.a He smiled kindly. aGet up and get ready,a he said. aThe end is almost in sight.a Despite Hekkleas words, the atmosphere that morning remained tense. They packed up quickly and in silence, and set off before the sun had risen high enough to strike the forest floor. On they travelled, through the morning and into the afternoon without once stopping.

aWhat about the forage sack?a asked Rook.

Hekkle smiled. aTonight you will feast on something grander,a he said. aHammelhorn, perhaps. Or if youare lucky oakbuck.a Rook peered ahead into the shadows and shook his head. aIt all still looks the same,a he said. aHow can you tell that the Silver Pastures are near?a Hekkleas eyes narrowed and his head-feathers quivered. aI can sense it, Master Rook,a he said quietly. He shuddered. aBelieve me, the pastures are not far now.a As they journeyed further, the prowlgrins began to grow skittish. They snorted; they rolled their eyes. They pawed the ground and tossed their heads. Once, Rookas prowlgrin bolted, and it was only Hekkleas speedy re actions that prevented him from being whisked off into the endless forest alone.

aI thought I saw something out there,a said Magda a while later. aSomething watching us aa Hekkle reined his prowlgrin in, and listened intently. aCourage, Mistress Magda,a he said at last. aItas probably just woodhogs scratching for oaktruffles. But wead better move on quickly, just in case.a Magda tried to smile bravely. So did the others. But as dark, purple-edged clouds moved in across the low sun, plunging the forest into shadow, their hearts beat fast.

In a loud hiss and a flash of yellow and green, a hover worm emerged from the undergrowth to their left and sped across their path, causing the prowlgrins to rear up in panic.

aSteady,a said Hekkle. aKeep your nerve.a Rook glanced round him constantly, his head jerking this way, that way, as he searched the shadows for whatever it was lurking just out of sight. His eyes focused in on a dark shape sliding off behind a tree. He s.h.i.+vered.

Crack.

aWhat was that?a gasped Stob.

aStay calm, brave master,a said Hekkle. aFear amplifies the slightest of sounds.a Crack.

aThere it was again,a said Stob. He looked round nervously. aFrom over there.a Hekkle nodded. aStay close together,a he whispered. He kicked his prowlgrinas sides, urging it into a loping canter. The others did the same.

Crack.

The sound was behind them now, and fainter. aI think we lost it,a said Hekkle, easing up. aBut just in case, no-one must make another sound until we get to the Silver Pasturesa"a All at once something whistled over their heads. There was a thud and the sound of splintering wood. And there, inches from where Magda sat on her jittery prowlgrin, was a flint-tipped spear, embedded in the trunk of a great lufwood tree.

Magda screamed. Stob held on desperately as his prowlgrin reared up and squealed. A second spear flew past, hitting the forest floor and scattering the iron-wood cones which lay there.

aTake to the trees!a Hekkle cried. aAnd try not to get separated!a But it was no use. All round them the air suddenly pulsed with the sound of low, guttural voices grunting in unison, throwing the prowlgrins into a panic.

aUrrgh. Aargh. Urrgh. Aargh. Urrgh. Aargh.a The prowlgrins leaped around in alarm a" and there was nothing their riders could do to bring them back under control. A second flurry of spears flew through the air.

aUrrgh. Aargh. Urrgh. Aargh. Urrgh. Aargh.a aRook! Stob!a shouted Magda, as her prowlgrin thrashed about, trying its best to dislodge her. aIt wonat climb! I canat make ita"a She screamed as the prowlgrin suddenly bolted. aHelp!a she cried out. aHelp!a aHold on!a Rook called to her.

He yanked the reins and tried to steer his own prowlgrin after her. But the creature had a mind of its own and, before he could do a thing about it, had tossed him off its back and leaped up into the low-slung branches of a huge ironwood tree.

aStick together!a he heard Hekkle shouting.

Rook rolled over and looked round. Magdaas faint voice floated back through from the shadows. Stob and Hekkle were nowhere to be seen.

aUrrgh. Aargh. Urrgh. Aargh. Urrgh. Aargh.a Heart pounding, Rook looked up to see his prowlgrin perched on a branch of the ironwood tree above. He struggled to his feet, and cried out as searing pain shot through his injured knee. He fell to the ground again. aHere, boy,a he whispered. aCome here, boy.a The prowlgrin watched him from the branch, with wide, terrified eyes. Rook gritted his teeth. There was nothing for it. If the prowlgrin wouldnat come to him, then he would have to go to the prowlgrin.

Head down, he began dragging himself across the forest floor to the foot of the ironwood tree. His knee felt as if there were a knife lodged beneath his kneecap, jarring with every movement he made. Closer. Closer a aUrrgh. Aargh. Urrgh. Aargh. Urrgh. Aargh.a All at once another spear whistled through the air. It struck the prowlgrin in its side. With a low moan, the creature dropped like an ironwood cone, hit the ground with a thud a" and fell still.