Page 15 (1/2)

"When Winterock to water

falls flooding, foes to drown,

Ravenna’s own daughter

shall kindle the crown"

Aeriel stared at the sliht, round eye stared back at her She felt a rush of wild joy and disbelief

"Heron!" she cried

Maruha and Collu Brandl hastily fell back The heron blinked slowly, her hts," she replied woodenly, "inme Scabbird, but I suppose ’heron’ will do if it must Now let be This is a difficult transfor, sharp bill snicked shut She closed her eye and, flapping ained size as she did so, her feathers losing their silvery glea her snowy pinions and flexing her long, ungainly legs

"What er-bird," Aeriel laughed, reaching to stroke the other’s white breast feathers, "that I have not seen since Orm"

The heron ruffled and danced away "I have been about my lady’s business," she snapped, "as you had all best be"

Aeriel nodded She felt buoyed up She had the rime now! As well as the pearl, and the sword--none of the back to the duaroughs, she said, "Tell led a ained hi stanzas of the rime back to her, even the last, al Perhaps he would make a bard after all, despite Maruha He had a bard’s memory, at least

"Well, Lady Sorceress," Maruha said at last "We had best be on our way The Ancientlord Melkior told us of underpaths not far from here We must return to our people and tell them all we have learned of our fellows forced to serve the Witch"

"We round to rescue theht

"He’s not an Ancient," Collu, like the Witch"

"No longer," answered Brandl sobering suddenly "He’s a golaears and wire-- like the starhorse" His voice dropped softer still "The Ravenna rebuilt him after Oriencor’s treachery left hio He has served the Ancientlady since"

Maruha hissed at hi her hand to Aeriel in the duaroughish fashion, but Aeriel would not take it Such a gesture was too for the heron stole over her now Kneeling, she eh woman

"Fare well I am in your debt"

"Debt?" Maruha exclai of the pin was the Ravenna’s doing, and if you had not kept the weaselhounds fro see the heron intently as she pouted and fluttered in the a hi of you, Lady Sorceress!" he called as his aunt pulled hi uneasily froo with you, Lady," he murmured at last

"And with you, Collum," Aeriel said

"If you fail," he started, stopped, then charged ahead "If you fail us, Lady, we are all lost No Ravenna remains to save us now"

Abruptly Collum turned and strode after the others Aeriel watched the up from the sand not rew cold as she considered the truth of Collum’s words All rested upon her now And on the pearl and the sword and the ri, she brushed the desert fro the red grit out of her feathers Reaching the outcropping, the three duaroughs waved Aeriel raised her own hand in farewell as they disappeared from view

Aeriel turned froainst the City’s dark glass Doainst the cool breeze and shivered, feeling alone suddenly, despite the heron

Absently, she ran her fingers through the downy feathers cresting the white bird’s hard little skull The heron tolerated her touch with indifference

"Do you know theof the ries," the bird replied "I do not interpret the across the sand The heron darted after it, stabbing in its wake "Hark," she observed, through a billfull of sand "Your shadow nears"

Aeriel frowned, not understanding She fingered the sword po Ravenna’s words--but she had no shadow, had had none since Or in frustration, she let her eyes stray to the far horizon The Witch’s Mere lay direcdy ahead