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Agalleos measured the hounds, and then Alain "This is ato you in e once it seeh"

"How can that be?" dealleos’ state soldiers to battle rang faintly in through the cave’sand jumped down to stand beside his brother The resemblance between the tas uncanny; Alain could tell them apart only because Shevros had a scar on his belly and because Maklos had belted his linen kilt--the only clothing except sandals that thea great deal of taut belly

"The Cursed Ones come," said Shevros "The horn has been raised at the fort They have found the dead ones"

Agalleos frowned "This is bad They will swarain by the low ground"

"Are we trapped here?" Alain asked

"There is a longer road back We ht comes"

It wasn’t easy to wrestle the hounds out of the cave’s opening, nor to maneuver theht draped over his shoulders, and brave Maklos took Rage Shevros led the way, cli back at the rear Clouds drifted across the crescenthis back as they ascended The horn blasted thrice ulf of air Just as they reached the ridgetop and let the hounds down, throwing the into life along the fort’s walls, spilling out the unseen gate and scattering like falling sparks down the slopes of the defile

Agalleos regarded Sorrow and Rage solemnly "From here we know only two paths which can lead us safely back to the camp of our queen But the shorter of these the hounds cannot walk"

"Even with ropes, and our assistance?" asked Alain

"Even so It is a worround and underwater We cannot risk it We will have to go north and circle around the river"

Maklos hissed sharply