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The horses screa to his saddle with one hand and fought the reins with the other

Barak beat at his horse's ruely at the animal's flanks until the horse, finally reat sweeps, one to either side, Barak killed two of the beasts as he plunged through A third, claws outstretched, tried to leap on his back, but stiffened and collapsed facedown in the mud with one of Lelldorin's arrows between its shoulders Barak wheeled his horse and chopped at the three reo!" he bellowed

Garion heard Lelldorin gasp and turned quickly With sick horror he saw that a lone Algroth had crept out of the woods beside the road and was clawing at his friend, trying to hook hioat face with his bow Garion desperately drew his sword, but Hettar, co froh the beast's body, and the Algroth shrieked and fell writhing to the ground beneath the pounding hoofs of the pack ani now in sheer panic, scralanced back over his shoulder and saw Lelldorin swaying dangerously in his saddle, his hand pressed to his bleeding side Garion pulled in savagely on his reins and turned his horse

"Save yourself, Garion!" Lelldorin shouted, his face deadly pale

"No!" Garion sheathed his sword, pulled in beside his friend and took his aralloped toward the tor with Garion straining to hold the injured youngup above the tallest trees around it Their horses scra the wet boulders When they reached the small flat area at the top of the tor where the pack ani in the rain, Garion slid out of his saddle in time to catch Lelldorin, who toppled slowly to one side

"Over here," Aunt Pol called sharply She was pulling her ses out of one of the packs "Durnik, I'll need a fire - at once"

Durnik looked around helplessly at the few scraps of wood lying in the rain at the top of the tor "I'll try," he said doubtfully

Lelldorin's breathing was shallow and very fast His face was still a deadly white, and his legs would not hold him Garion held him up, a sick fear in the pit of his stomach Hettar took the wounded man's other arm, and between the her bundle

"I have to get the poison out iive er and handed it to her Swiftly she ripped open Lelldorin's brown tunic along his side, revealing the savage wounds the Algroth's claws had made

"This will hurt," she said "Hold his, holding him down

Aunt Pol took a deep breath and then deftly sliced open each of the puffy wounds Blood spurted and Lelldorin screamed once Then he fainted

"Hettar!" Barak shouted froe of the slope "We need you!"

"Go!" Aunt Pol told the hawk-faced Algar "We can handle this now Garion, you stay here" She was crushing so wounds "The fire, Durnik," she ordered

"It won't start, Mistress Pol," Durnik replied helplessly "It's too wet"

She looked quickly at the pile of sodden wood the sesture Garion's ears rang strangely and there was a sudden hissing A cloud of stea flames curled up from the sticks Durnik jumped back, startled