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Udinaas, heart ha bodies, to the wooden stairs reaching to the loft Splinters stabbed his hands as he clawed his way up the steep, rough-hewn steps Feather Witch’s shrieks filled the air now, as she thrashed in the grip of the unseen talons But crows have no talons-

He reached the loft, skidding as he raced across its uneven planks, eyes fixed on Feather Witch, then, one step froe, he leapt into the air Arms outstretched, he sailed over the heads of the crowd below

His target was the swirling air above her, the place where the invisible creature hovered And when he reached that place, he collided hard with a s haht about a clammy, muscle-clenched body He heard a wild hiss, then a jaw snapped down over his left shoulder Needle-like teeth punched through his skin, sank deep into his flesh

Udinaas grunted

A Wyval, spawn of Eleint-

With his left hand, he scrabbled for the net-hook at his belt

The beast tore at his shoulder, and blood gushed out

He found the tool’s ooden grip, dragged the hooked blade free Its inner edge was honed sharp, used to trinore the lizard jaws slashing his shoulder again and again until little more than shreds reht one of the Wyval’s legs e of the blade into the tendons

The creature screamed

And released Feather Witch

She plummeted into the ainst Udinaas’s chest, punched through

He slashed, cutting deep The leg spasmed back