Page 37 (1/2)

They fleith purpose Thesomewhere over the slopes of the Hypatian side of the Red Mountains

He sloondering if he should interfere Theyand rising, changing directions but keeping northward along as soround AuRon had ever seen--steep slopes, tight canyons, woods thick as wolf’s fur

The lead flier dipped They turned a slow circle They n of it One , in succession, releasing the carcasses exactly where the leader had The burdens spun as they fell Again AuRon could think only of s ater

He saw the flame in all directions Flaht before fading to aon the character of the surface it landed upon

AuRon could not tell that this pocket of forest was much different than any other patch The trees were perhaps a little thinner

The fliers rose back into the clouds, and smoke pulsed from the forest

Auron landed on one of the pillar-like needles, a a look at whatand oil

He slipped across a sheer cliff-face, creeping, creeping, skin a perfect e too many pebbles He looked down into the canyon

There werethe children, andsacks four at a time

He looked carefully and saw shelters made of pulled-down fir li crude shelters Firepits, log bridgeshere and there with clothing and fabric drying on it--there werelooked fa

"Naf," AuRon bellowed, but the wind took his words

"NAF!"

They heard some of the noise he made

Bowmen raised their weapons--no arrow could travel to his perch, but Naf had the for AuRon to co in the narrows between the sheer sides of the needle-rocks in two careful dives back and forth

He landed in what he guessed to be an armed camp

There was an awful sulfur-and-oil smell in the air, the residue of the fire-skins dropped by the roc-riders

The fires, with dirt being heaped on the put out AuRon smelled burned flesh and traced the odor to heaps of branches covering what ap-toothed way of his, everything in his scarred face vaguely askew, as though it had been dropped and put back together again His hair and close-triray that soe in the brief span of years since they’d last met

Hisoutdoors--shaggy, dirty and wolf-lean Their tattered clothes were bound up with bits of leather cord, layers of rags thick about their legs and torsos But all had well-kept weapons, sharp and bright with oil

Naf e to put both arms around his neck A few of the men pointed at his skin or claws and rown But what on earth happened to your tail? It’s quite a runt"

"A long story, Naf"

"My ons of late" He turned and picked one out "Ho! Dominof, remember AuRon, who visited the Silver Guard in the pass? He has returned"

"Aye Right on the heels of those blasted birds Strange ti"