Part 13 (1/2)

A sliver of ano war theht The tranolls and their foul co in their still-war the reins without feeling, his knees nu autorey was too tired for tricks Its head bobbed listlessly at the end of its long neck as it sought out and followed the easiest path

Mika slipped in and out of slu back and forth between the happy illusion of drealy, his mind chose to rest in the warm pleasantness of the dream state more often than the physical and mental traumas of wakefulness

Wrapped in his cocoon of illusion, Mika felt the whispery patter of tiny feet on his neck To his exhausted mind, it seemed the soft caress of Julia's tiny hand

Some small corner of his nized it for what it was A fly A tiny black fly

Annoyance flared briefly and Mika thought to raise his hand To sweep it away But exhaustion was greater than the effort required, and the one

Mika fell into a deep sleep, an ongoing dream of Julia which was far more pleasant to contemplate than the fly

So deeply immersed was he in the dream, that he barely even noticed when the fly bit hiined it to be a love bite fro gratitude for his bravery in single-handedly saving her from the spell and the horrible army of monsters

The black fly crouched low over the puncture it had ht fall, readying its tattered black wings for flight, but it had chosen its an pu a thick, black noxious fluid out of itsthe flow of the spittle, the fly channeled the awful stuff directly into the open wound

The spittle entered the wound, thinning the blood on contact, and it quickly entered the hout his system until it pervaded every inch of his body, even the heart and mind, with its evil poison

Mika slept on, drea Satisfied, the fly left the site of the wound and flew off, abandoning the ed He saw Julia in his ar look in her eyes This was no de a wo freely of her favors Mika felt her hot flesh roll beneath him, the scorch of breath on his chest and the rake of sharp nails down his back

Then he wakened, cold and chilled, racked with rey stumbled up yet another hill, Mika kneith a fevered intensity that whatever the cost, he would have Julia for his own

Julia controlled his every thought froirl locked in Recknass's ar to do with the woman he saw in his mind's eye They were the saed This was obvious to everyone from Hornsbuck to Recknass He was quick to follow Hornsbuck's every suggestion He encouraged theout the lay of the land ahead, pushi+ng his tired iant had little to complain about for it seemed that Mika had found fewer excuses to ride at his side, and he ceased offering to hold the princess should Recknass grow tired Even Hary noticed the change and mentioned it to Hornsbuck

”Aye, I have eyes I can see what is happening,” said Hornsbuck ”Sometimes it happens that way Trouble can do that to a rowing up before your eyes, beco a man”

”More frequently it happens the other way,” said Hary ”Trouble, hard times will reduce a man to jelly, make him useless Frankly, that is the path I would have expected Mika to take I did not figure him for leadershi+p”

”I alad I always knew he had it in him Whether he chose to use it or not was the question”

”What bothers nolls haven't overtaken us yet It alh they're content to re us forward, herding us”

”Don't is that are not there,” replied Hornsbuck ”We've just been smarter than they, and we've chosen our course They're not herding us anywhere”

As though in reply, the gnolls began to chant Their voices could be clearly heard even though they theuishable Their tongue was not one spoken bywas obvious

”HUNhunhun! HUNhunhun! HUNhunhun!” they intoned over and over in deep bass tones, a shrill chorus of hyena and hyenadon wails providing an eerie contralto counterpoint After a short ti over and over,in its insistent repetition

The horses and mules tossed their heads and hurried their pace unbidden, breaking out in nervous sweats The wolves turned and faced the unhu in all directions as though searching for an escape

It was then that Mika side Hornsbuck, he spoke

”You remember when you said that if I did not tell you as happening, you would take the men and ride away?” he asked Hornsbuck nodded

”Well, I think that the time has come to do just that,” said Mika ”I think it is our only chance”

”What do you esturing toward the series of peaks that rose before the some sort of watershed, a place where the hills forest that we split up into ers to clinolls will be unable to decide what to do, which path to follow, or how to divide the thereement

”Eventually, of course, they will follow But we are bound to gain soh their confusion Once over the top, ill regroup at some place that we decide in advance and then make our way to the city in safety”

Hornsbuck looked at Mika in ad the plan for soic, although there was so he could not place, in the man's attitude

”There should be no roup,” said Mika ”I will go with Hary or some of the drivers”

”No,” said Hornsbuck, convinced by Mika's deiant He should have someone to protect his back since he has his hands full”

”If you insist,” Mika said quietly, turning his head aside so that Hornsbuck could not see the smile of triumph that flitted across his face As he wheeled his horse around, the grey nearly tra behind

Tam whined low in his throat and backed up a few steps Hornsbuck stopped and looked at the wolf RedTail touched noses with Tam and looked at Mika with uncertainty

”What's thethe disturbed tone in the wolf's voice

”Nothing to be concerned about,” Mika said s Gets this way once in a while”

Hornsbuck stared at Tahstrung, but still, a man knew his oolf better than anyone else, and it was considered a serious breach of nomad etiquette to meddle between another noue

A council was quickly called and instructions given Mika listened intently to Hornsbuck as he carefully described the point where they should reconvene For the first ti of elation swept over the rasped the possibility of escape

Hary and Recknass looked as though they ree with Hornsbuck's directions, which paired Mika with Recknass and separated him from the co the reasons for the small parties, they re the men

Mika conducted hiiant and expressing concern for his imperiled mission Recknass eyed him suspiciously but could find no fault with Mika's words Still, Mika knew by the way that thea trusted friend But as he led the giant into the dark hills, he smiled to himself; friendshi+p wasn't what he was after

Ta his tail slowly, he looked back at Hary, Hornsbuck and the rapidly dispersing riders and whined unhappily His dark eyes rested on Mika's back as the ain Then, head hanging dejectedly, knowing that so, he hurried after the man as his bond companion

Chapter 14