Part 6 (1/2)

Tombel sighed, vowing in his heart that a place would be found for these strange people with their sh.e.l.l-shaped ears and large round eyes. A safe place, in the sunlight, somewhere in Elundium.

Thane left the fire and the talk of darkness beneath Mantern's Mountain, and walked to the edge of the high plateau. Behind him, around each bonfire, rose the murmur of victory, but in his heart he knew that this was a long way from the truth. Far below in the darkness one lamp shone out brilliant white.

'Underfall!' he whispered, smiling as he remembered how he had first seen the great fortress of World's End rising up out of the morning mist, clinging on to the mountain's bleak shoulders, all those daylights ago.

'What troubles you, Thane?'Tombel quietly asked, moving to stand beside him.

'Krulshards lives,' Thane replied. 'I had the chance to follow and to kill him, or to choose to rescue my grandfather.'

Tombel put his hand on Thane's arm. 'Choices are never easy, Thane,' he whispered.

Far below a great cry shook the mountainside and the lamp on the highest gallery of Underfall flickered and went out.

'By Nevian! What has happened?' Tombel cried, drawing his Marching sword.

'Underfall is under attack!' Thane shouted. 'Krulshards has escaped into Elundium! I know it! I am the fool who chose: wrongly!'

'But he will never be able to break into Underfall. It is the

26.

Palace of Kings, built against the Master of Nightmares!' cried Tiethorm, the First Archer of Underfall.

Below, a terrible booming sound shook the mountain's roots.

Twice it sounded, drawing all the warriors to the plateau's edge.

'Fomm the Gallopers into a column,' Thane shouted, 'and follow us with the Marchers as quickly as you can.'

Tombel gripped Thane's amm and pointed with his sword down into the darkness. 'Look, the great lamp has been relit!'

'But it does not s.h.i.+ne as before; it is weak against the darkness,' Kyot mused. 'Something terrible has happened there.'

Tombel raised his hands and shouted for silence. 'Warriors,'

he called against the panic.

Thane looked down at the broken lamps burning feebly below. 'Nowhere is safe now!'

'Warriors!' Tombel shouted again, demanding order across the high plateau. Thane turned towards him and thought of Tombel's house, the Wayhouse at Woodsedge, and Elionbel, the beautiful Elionbel. His hand moved to his belt to touch her gift, the silver finger bowl, but his hand found only the broken silver chain.

'Elionbel!' he cried, spinning round and feeling in all of his pockets, but the chain was broken, the last link on his belt twisted out of shape by the wrench of Kerzolde's claw.

'Kerzolde!' he whispered, remembering how the Nightmare had leapt on him in the dark entrance, wrestling him to the ground. Thane felt Tombel's iron grip shake him and heard his

voice shouting him back out of his memories.

'Thane! Thane! What is it? Why do you stare at the black gates?'