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come to it."
Camp in Drearwood? Tuck felt a vague sense of foreboding at the thought of
staying in this dread wood, for in days of old this dark-forested hill country was a
region most dire. Hearthtales abounded of lone travellers or small bands who had
passed into the dark woods never to be seen again. And stories came of large
caravans and groups of armed warriors who had beaten off grim monsters half seen
in the night, and many had lost their lives to the grisly creatures. This Land had been
shunned by all except those who had no choice but to cross it, or by those
adventurers who sought fame, most of whom did not live to grasp their glory. Yet
seventy years past there had been the Great Purging of the 'Wood by the Lian
Guardians, and no fell creatures had been seen in the area since. But now that the
Shadowlight pressed darkly upon the Land, Tuck wondered if Modru had caused
the dire monsters to return.
Now they came among the trees, and Galen stopped to camp. All that night
during Tuck's watch, the slightest sound caused him to jerk up from his diary and
peer this way and that for sign of danger. But in spite of his foreboding, when it
came his turn to sleep, he immediately fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.
It seemed to Tuck that he had no more than put his head down ere the Prince was
shaking him by the shoulder.
"Come, Tuck, we must away," said Galen, fetching the Warrow a biscuit and
handing him one of the leathern water bottles.
Stumpily, his joints creaking, Tuck hunkered down by the fire and ate his crue
while watching Jet at his grain. "Hmph!" grunted the buccan, "not enough warmth,
drink, food, or rest. And we are surrounded on all sides by a wood reputed to be
full of monsters." Then his mouth turned up in a wry smile. "Ah, but this is the life,
eh Jet?"
The black horse rolled his eyes at the Warrow and tossed his head, and Tuck and
Galen burst out in laughter. And while Tuck bundled the blankets and quenched the
campfire with snow, Galen removed Jet's feed-bag and saddled the steed. The
blanket rolls were tied behind the cantle, and then the warriors mounted up, and once
more the long chase resumed.
Into Drearwood the track led, and among the dark trees went the three Warrow,
Man, and horse. Tuck now rode behind the Prince, for here the buccan's sight was
no better than Galen's, and in these close quarters there could come an unexpected
need to fight.
Now the Ghûlen wake turned straight to the east, and as they went it came sharp
and clear; for here the wind did not reach, and no new snow had fallen since the
Hèlsteeds had trod this way.
On they went, through the grim woods, and the Shadowlight fell dim among the
clutching branches. Hours they rode, and at times walked, ever following the
eastward trek. At last they came into the open, leaving the trees behind.
Ten miles or more they travelled across a great clearing where the trees grew not,
and Tuck now rode on Jet's withers. Then ahead the Warrow again saw a line of
trees as they came once more to the Drearwood.
"Lord Galen! Something lies in the snow ahead." Tuck strained to see what it
was, but he could not discern its form. "Nought else is there near, only a crumpled
bundle on the ground, just at the edge of the woods."
Jet was spurred forward, and his canter swiftly closed the distance. Now Galen's
sight saw it, too. "A body, I think."
Now they came to it, and Tuck could see that the Prince was right. Galen reined
Jet to a halt, and Tuck sprang down, his heart racing, and ran to the form lying face
down in the snow. Tuck dropped to his knees and reached forth with trembling
hands, reaching across and taking hold of a shoulder, fearful of what he would see,
and he rolled the body toward him, the face coming into view.
"Waugh!" he cried, scrambling backwards, for he was staring into the dead
black eyes of one of the corpse-people.
"He's dead, Tuck, the Ghol is dead, yet he is unmarked by weapon." Galen stood
and looked at the Warrow. "How he was slain, I cannot say."
"Lor, but he gave me a fright," said Tuck. "My heart is still pounding at a gallop. I
don't know what I expected, but it certainly was no Ghûl." Tuck looked down at the
pallid flesh and the blood-red slash of a mouth, and he shuddered. "Why is he here?
What was he doing?" asked the Warrow, but the Man shook his head and said
nought.
Now Lord Galen examined the tracks leading east. Just beyond the tree line he
found the ashened remains of a burnt-out fire, and all around the blanket of snow
was beaten down.
"Here they made camp," said Galen, and he took up a charred limb from the dead
fire and held it to his nose. "Rach!" he cursed, flinging the wood aside. "Tuck, we [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]