bridle with his left hand, slowing her to an easy canter.
Ascilius cast an uneasy glance over his right shoulder. “Once darkness falls, the lentulus is sure to pursue us,” he said worriedly. “If it takes to the air, it will quickly catch up with us.”
“I think not,” Elerian reassured him. “That creature was too large to be a lentulus. I also have a feeling that it does not travel far from its abode, preferring to lure its prey instead with magic.”
“Even if you are right about the creature lurking in that tunnel, it would still be prudent to distance ourselves from that place,” insisted Ascilius. He suddenly gave Elerian a cheerful look. “I did give you quite a start back there, you know.”
“Indeed you did,” agreed Elerian with a smile as he called his ring back to his hand. They all vanished once more beneath its protective cloak of invisibility.
“I see you have become quite a rider,” said Elerian innocently after a moment. “I had no idea you could leap onto a horse like that.”
Ascilius turned and gave Elerian a suspicious look, but of course, his companion was now invisible.
“Drat him, he is laughing at me again,” he thought to himself, recalling uncomfortably how he had sprinted across the cromlech.
“With practice, a Dwarf can accomplish any goal,” said Ascilius haughtily.
There was no reply from Elerian, but Ascilius thought he heard the sound of soft laughter behind him.
THE CATALUS
Ascilius and Elerian continued to ride northwest after leaving the cromlech behind. By early evening, they reached the east bank of the Catalus without incident.
“We had best ride under cover from now on,” said Ascilius over his shoulder to Elerian as he guided his mare into the willows lining the river's eastern bank. “I am sure that even the lions have deserted this dangerous country,” he assured Elerian as he turned his mount to his right, following the river north. Enias followed close behind.
Now that they were under cover, Elerian felt safe in sending away his silver ring, ending the invisibility spell that he had used to conceal himself, Ascilius, and their horses. He felt a welcome sense of relief when his ring vanished from his hand, sent back to the place where he kept his spell book, for this was the third day that he had used it. Whenever it was on his finger now, he could feel his power slowly draining out of him, like water trickling out through a hole in a bucket. Even with the ring gone, he still felt an irksome weariness that his brief period of sleep last night had done nothing to dispel.
“How much longer can I keep this up without doing some sort of harm to myself?” wondered Elerian to himself. “The ring consumes far too much power keeping the horses, as well as myself and Ascilius, out of sight.”
“How long can we remain under the trees?” he asked Ascilius.
“If we follow the Catalus, we need not emerge into the open again until we reach Ennodius,” replied Ascilius without turning his head. “We had best travel only during the day, however. If the dragon decides to hunt at night, it may see our shades with her third eye unless we are well hidden.
“The Goblins may also be abroad at night,” Elerian reminded Ascilius as he scrutinized the open plains to their right through gaps in the trees. “I fear them more than the dragon now that Torquatus knows that we are traveling to Ennodius.”
“I would be surprised if Torquatus pursues us much farther north,” replied Ascilius. “His servants will be in as much danger as we are, for a dragon will eat a Goblin as readily as a Dwarf or an Elf.”
Side by side, in companionable silence, they continued on through the narrow belt of trees growing alongside the river, the slender willow leaves whispering and tossing above their heads, kept in motion by the constant wind that blew across the plains. On their right the rolling, empty pastures of Tarsius continued on, but across the river, to
Ascilius cast an uneasy glance over his right shoulder. “Once darkness falls, the lentulus is sure to pursue us,” he said worriedly. “If it takes to the air, it will quickly catch up with us.”
“I think not,” Elerian reassured him. “That creature was too large to be a lentulus. I also have a feeling that it does not travel far from its abode, preferring to lure its prey instead with magic.”
“Even if you are right about the creature lurking in that tunnel, it would still be prudent to distance ourselves from that place,” insisted Ascilius. He suddenly gave Elerian a cheerful look. “I did give you quite a start back there, you know.”
“Indeed you did,” agreed Elerian with a smile as he called his ring back to his hand. They all vanished once more beneath its protective cloak of invisibility.
“I see you have become quite a rider,” said Elerian innocently after a moment. “I had no idea you could leap onto a horse like that.”
Ascilius turned and gave Elerian a suspicious look, but of course, his companion was now invisible.
“Drat him, he is laughing at me again,” he thought to himself, recalling uncomfortably how he had sprinted across the cromlech.
“With practice, a Dwarf can accomplish any goal,” said Ascilius haughtily.
There was no reply from Elerian, but Ascilius thought he heard the sound of soft laughter behind him.
THE CATALUS
Ascilius and Elerian continued to ride northwest after leaving the cromlech behind. By early evening, they reached the east bank of the Catalus without incident.
“We had best ride under cover from now on,” said Ascilius over his shoulder to Elerian as he guided his mare into the willows lining the river's eastern bank. “I am sure that even the lions have deserted this dangerous country,” he assured Elerian as he turned his mount to his right, following the river north. Enias followed close behind.
Now that they were under cover, Elerian felt safe in sending away his silver ring, ending the invisibility spell that he had used to conceal himself, Ascilius, and their horses. He felt a welcome sense of relief when his ring vanished from his hand, sent back to the place where he kept his spell book, for this was the third day that he had used it. Whenever it was on his finger now, he could feel his power slowly draining out of him, like water trickling out through a hole in a bucket. Even with the ring gone, he still felt an irksome weariness that his brief period of sleep last night had done nothing to dispel.
“How much longer can I keep this up without doing some sort of harm to myself?” wondered Elerian to himself. “The ring consumes far too much power keeping the horses, as well as myself and Ascilius, out of sight.”
“How long can we remain under the trees?” he asked Ascilius.
“If we follow the Catalus, we need not emerge into the open again until we reach Ennodius,” replied Ascilius without turning his head. “We had best travel only during the day, however. If the dragon decides to hunt at night, it may see our shades with her third eye unless we are well hidden.
“The Goblins may also be abroad at night,” Elerian reminded Ascilius as he scrutinized the open plains to their right through gaps in the trees. “I fear them more than the dragon now that Torquatus knows that we are traveling to Ennodius.”
“I would be surprised if Torquatus pursues us much farther north,” replied Ascilius. “His servants will be in as much danger as we are, for a dragon will eat a Goblin as readily as a Dwarf or an Elf.”
Side by side, in companionable silence, they continued on through the narrow belt of trees growing alongside the river, the slender willow leaves whispering and tossing above their heads, kept in motion by the constant wind that blew across the plains. On their right the rolling, empty pastures of Tarsius continued on, but across the river, to
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