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As the hounds sniffed the fur, Kel stepped forward as if to speak, but Beor thrust hiainst Alain’s chest The bronze blade glearasped the haft of Beor’s spear The other er, with a bear’s muscular bulk, but Alain was on fire

"Move aside," he said in his own language, staring hio quickly, we et Adica back If they meant to kill her at once, they’d have done so, but if they took her, it means we have a little time at least For the sake of God, do not hinder e expression passed across Beor’s face Behind hiers murmured to each other Beor stepped back hesitantly

"I go," said Alain, groping for words "I find Adica"

Mother Orla spoke Instantly, several folk ran off into the village

Kel ju now a bronze knife in addition to the bronze spear he had taken off the corpse of the dead invader "I go!" he cried triuo," said Beor abruptly

Belatedly, a dozen other adults volunteered, but a large party could not move in haste and secrecy "Kel" Alain paused, then nodded sharply "Beor We go"

Quickly, they made ready Alain wished keenly for his knife and sword, but he didn’t knohere Adica had hidden them, and there wasn’t time to look Instead, he accepted a bronze knife Mother Orla’s errand runners brought rope, waterskins full of mead, a wooden tube lined with fired ceraent supply of dried fish, wayfarer’s bread, and a bundle of leeks Both Beor and Kel had wood fra on their backs, fitted with a leather sack for carrying these provisions Even this took precious ti house Urtan’s daughter, following, showed hiround where the altercation had taken place; by ns and mime, she showed hiate Urtan and his coroup of at least twenty raiders had coroups, one to harry the village and one to capture the Hallowed One, Adica

The hound sniffed the ground and, at a co a trail only they could perceive Alain followed at a jog, with Kel and Beor at his heels The villagers gathered like ate ung shut The half-finished outer palisade looked fliht He saw a scrap of color fallen in the ditch: a corpse

Who were the raiders who had struck? Why did they look like relatives of Prince Sanglant? Everyone knew that no Aoi roaht in a purgatory between substance and shadow Why did they want Adica?

Beor and Kel could probably answer these questions, but he had no words to ask He could only pursue

He expected the hounds to lead the of earthworks and padded along in the shadow of the twisting serpent of earth until, at the eastern edge, they scrambled downslope

There, most of the way down the eastern slope, stood a stone lintel, the threshold of a passageway that led into the great hill Kel -dead craftswoure wearing the skin and antlers of a stag Beside the yawning opening lay an offering of flowers, wilted now, scuffed by the passage of anis where it had paused to investigate the floreath, and the hounds becae

Beor knelt When he rose, he displayed a scale of bronze that ht have fallen from armor Alain searched to n of the raiders’ passage A stone had fallen fro faded cornflower blossoms Tansy had found a foothold in a hollow off to one side, where water collected That was all

Sorrow barked and vanished into the passage Kel had gone quite pale, as though painted with chalk Beor only grunted, but he had a fierce grin on his face as he looked toward Alain as if to see if the other h to continue on

No matter

A half-dozen torches lay ready, stacked neatly inside the threshold Alain caught a spark in the pitch-sround ahead to test for obstacles and a second unlit torch thrust between his belt and tunic, he followed Sorrow into the passage

Beor and Kel exchanged words, soon muffled by stone Alain had to crouch toThe torch bled ss pecked into the stones that lined the passageway: es and spirals, but here and there curious sticklike hands which reached toward four lines cut above theods, but he wasn’t afraid of them They had no power over those who trusted to the Lady and Lord