stroke. Turn away.”
The red eyes blinked but the pack did not move. Rix took another step. Only eight more to the door. He could hear Glynnie’s heavy breathing behind him.
“It’s all right, Benn,” she whispered. “Rix’ll save us.”
The tone of her voice wasn’t convincing. He lowered the torch, holding it out in front of him at the chest level of the shifters. Another step.
“To get to me, you’ve got to pass the fire,” said Rix, swinging it back and forth.
The pack leader’s eyes followed the flame. It double-blinked.
Now! Rix leapt forwards, thrusting out the burning torch with his right hand and Maloch with his left. Up one step, two, three and still the shifter had not budged. If he had misjudged, the children would die. Four, five, six. He let out a furious battle cry and swung Maloch at the beast’s snout.
It ran, and the others did too. But not far. Only ten yards up the steps. Hyena shifters knew how to play this game. Even if it took a day to wear their prey down, they could wait.
He took another step. The door was on his left. He pushed it open. “Glynnie, Benn?”
They came up.
“Go through.”
“But, Lord…” said Glynnie. “What about you?”
“Now!”
They went through. The pack leader was up on its toes, its tongue out. Rix swung the torch back and forth, but this time the beast’s eyes didn’t follow. It was a bad sign. It had his measure and was getting ready to attack.
Now! And if he was wrong, it was all over. He swung the blazing torch around, turned on the balls of his feet and tossed it out and down towards the bottom of the steps. The pack charged. He hurled himself through the door.
“Hold it shut!” he panted, taking hold of the door and forcing it closed.
The pack was clawing at the door when an enormous thudding boom was followed by a blow on the door that burst it wide open and hurled Rix, Glynnie and Benn six feet backwards. Tongues of fire licked in, then a rolling blast of sulphurous heat. The pack leader tumbled past them, its fur blazing, snapping uselessly at the flames and howling in agony. It raced down the tunnel, lighting the way for a few seconds, then disappeared.
Rix heaved the door shut and slumped against it, panting.
Glynnie was staring at him, wide-eyed. “Lord, I didn’t know you could use
magery
.”
“I can’t. Stink-damp is heavy and it pools in low places. I tossed the torch down to the bottom, praying it would be thick enough there for it to explode.”
“And you saved us, Lord.” The light was back in her eyes. The belief that he could do anything.
“Not yet. The enemy will send people to investigate. We’d better get going.”
The hero-worship made him acutely uncomfortable, nonetheless there was a kind of solace in doing his duty by Glynnie and Benn. Without them, he would have hurled himself at the shifters in a suicidal attack.
They crawled through another fissure that appeared to have opened recently, then continued along one passage after another. The air reeked of burnt fur for a while, though they did not see the shifter again.
“Do you think it’s dead?” said Benn.
“Yes, lad.” Rix put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I’m sure it is.”
But there would be others, and soldiers, too. The enemy did not give up.
“I knew you could do it, Lord,” said Benn. “And… and you can save Hightspall, too.”
“Don’t start that again,” Rix growled.
“But it’s true,” said Benn, bewildered. “You’re strong and clever and brave, and Hightspall needs you, Lord. Why can’t you see?”
“Benn!” said Glynnie.
They continued in an uncomfortable silence. Benn was plodding now.
“Anyone smell water?” Rix said after several minutes. “Benn?”
“Sorry, Lord,” said Benn after a long pause.
“I think… the lake is this way,” said Glynnie, pointing to a passage that went left, sloping gently down.
“How can you tell?” Rix did not like being underground and had no idea which
The red eyes blinked but the pack did not move. Rix took another step. Only eight more to the door. He could hear Glynnie’s heavy breathing behind him.
“It’s all right, Benn,” she whispered. “Rix’ll save us.”
The tone of her voice wasn’t convincing. He lowered the torch, holding it out in front of him at the chest level of the shifters. Another step.
“To get to me, you’ve got to pass the fire,” said Rix, swinging it back and forth.
The pack leader’s eyes followed the flame. It double-blinked.
Now! Rix leapt forwards, thrusting out the burning torch with his right hand and Maloch with his left. Up one step, two, three and still the shifter had not budged. If he had misjudged, the children would die. Four, five, six. He let out a furious battle cry and swung Maloch at the beast’s snout.
It ran, and the others did too. But not far. Only ten yards up the steps. Hyena shifters knew how to play this game. Even if it took a day to wear their prey down, they could wait.
He took another step. The door was on his left. He pushed it open. “Glynnie, Benn?”
They came up.
“Go through.”
“But, Lord…” said Glynnie. “What about you?”
“Now!”
They went through. The pack leader was up on its toes, its tongue out. Rix swung the torch back and forth, but this time the beast’s eyes didn’t follow. It was a bad sign. It had his measure and was getting ready to attack.
Now! And if he was wrong, it was all over. He swung the blazing torch around, turned on the balls of his feet and tossed it out and down towards the bottom of the steps. The pack charged. He hurled himself through the door.
“Hold it shut!” he panted, taking hold of the door and forcing it closed.
The pack was clawing at the door when an enormous thudding boom was followed by a blow on the door that burst it wide open and hurled Rix, Glynnie and Benn six feet backwards. Tongues of fire licked in, then a rolling blast of sulphurous heat. The pack leader tumbled past them, its fur blazing, snapping uselessly at the flames and howling in agony. It raced down the tunnel, lighting the way for a few seconds, then disappeared.
Rix heaved the door shut and slumped against it, panting.
Glynnie was staring at him, wide-eyed. “Lord, I didn’t know you could use
magery
.”
“I can’t. Stink-damp is heavy and it pools in low places. I tossed the torch down to the bottom, praying it would be thick enough there for it to explode.”
“And you saved us, Lord.” The light was back in her eyes. The belief that he could do anything.
“Not yet. The enemy will send people to investigate. We’d better get going.”
The hero-worship made him acutely uncomfortable, nonetheless there was a kind of solace in doing his duty by Glynnie and Benn. Without them, he would have hurled himself at the shifters in a suicidal attack.
They crawled through another fissure that appeared to have opened recently, then continued along one passage after another. The air reeked of burnt fur for a while, though they did not see the shifter again.
“Do you think it’s dead?” said Benn.
“Yes, lad.” Rix put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I’m sure it is.”
But there would be others, and soldiers, too. The enemy did not give up.
“I knew you could do it, Lord,” said Benn. “And… and you can save Hightspall, too.”
“Don’t start that again,” Rix growled.
“But it’s true,” said Benn, bewildered. “You’re strong and clever and brave, and Hightspall needs you, Lord. Why can’t you see?”
“Benn!” said Glynnie.
They continued in an uncomfortable silence. Benn was plodding now.
“Anyone smell water?” Rix said after several minutes. “Benn?”
“Sorry, Lord,” said Benn after a long pause.
“I think… the lake is this way,” said Glynnie, pointing to a passage that went left, sloping gently down.
“How can you tell?” Rix did not like being underground and had no idea which
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