Part 32 (1/2)

Chapter TWENTY-ONE

As the day wore on and the sun rose higher to splash its waran to feel more at ease upon the weed As a matter of course, he avoided any cluht hide an attacker After observing several asso was too thin to walk upon, he noticed that such places were lighter in color than the thicker places, a faint, but definite difference He avoided the lighter patches and the footing stayed firm

Alas, Conan could not see how they would reach the castle before dark, traveling in such a roundabout manner To circumvent some of the obstacles took them far to the sides at times, and sometimes the places upon which they could safely walk required a wide detour to find

As the light of noon shone upon them, they stopped to eat the last of the food Stead and the late Jube had stolen in the village

”Good that you found this,” Conan said, chewing on a greasy sausage

Stead said, ”Yes Jube did not die with an empty stomach”

He said this as if it were ireee and bit off another chunk He could not say that dying with a full sto this world with an e Alive, ato fill his belly Dead? Well, that was another h it came to all eventually, Conan was in no hurry to try that option as yet

To a at the ith the point of the short knife Tair had given him, and he looked happy in that small chore Conan smiled at the boy It took little to keep a child amused

”What do you think we shall find e arrive at the castle?” Cheen asked

Conan shrugged ”Who can say? Your ood Perhaps so Or maybe a hundred ars He would face it when it arose, and to worry overmuch about it noas merely wasted effort

Before Tair could speak to that, there ca sound unlike any Conan had ever heard His ears were keener than those of his coing so melody, it sounded like

Tair noticed it; Conan saw him turn his head to better hear the tune Hok lifted his head froht the sound and finally, Cheen looked around, apparently puzzled

”What is that?” Tair said ”I have never heard anything sobeautiful!”

Aye, Conan agreed The, singing conjured up visions of wo for soet their sadness Anyone would do, but they would prefer Conan, as if they could see hi

Already, Tair was on his feet, as was Hok Behind them Stead had taken several strides toward the call Cheen continued to look puzzled

”What are you doing?” Cheen asked

Conan ignored her and began to follow Stead The boy and his older brother had already started in that direction

”Conan? Tair? Wait!”