#26 Owl Flight by Mercedes Lackey

Author:Mercedes Lackey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 1974-05-16T16:00:00+00:00

Owl Flight

stone, late this afternoon.

Now that everyone knew the enemy was on the move, the

waiting around Daystorm broke up. Snowfire looked

group

UP to find Darian at his elbow, waiting patiently for the f

scout to notice him.

“What is it, little brother?” Snowfire asked. "Do you

wish to change the plan for tonight?"

“No!” Darian exclaimed. "No-I mean, 1-1 am afraid.

I'm scared, but I don't want to back out or anything. I just-

I just need something to do." i

Snowfire understood only too well the need to have

something to do" before a planned engagement, but he was

at a loss to think of anything. Finally he had an inspiration.

"Please-practice those exercises in magic I have shown

you,“ he said earnestly, ”and try to think of ways in which

they could be used tonight. We will need every weapon at

our disposal; remember what I said about the way that a

small application of magic can be used to a great effect."

Darian grimaced a little, but nodded and trailed off to find

a quiet place in which to practice.

Hweel, Hweel's mate Huur, and their young fledgling

watched him move off with unblinking gazes. Then Huur

yawned hugely, her youngster did the same a moment later,

and both of them shut their eyes and hunched their heads

re

night, and we

down to sleep. They had arrived last

probably exhausted. They had certainly eaten hugely of the i

bounty that an excited Hweel had provided for them-

Hweel practically radiated contentment as he sat beside

his mate and their burnbling youngster. Huur was consider-

ably larger than Hweel, as was usually the case with birds of

OWULIGHT 301

prey, and Snowfire paused to consider whether he really

wanted Huur to bond with him. After all, Hweel was quite a

burden; Huur would be worse.

Well, it wasn't within his power to decide one way or

another. it was the bird's decision, not his. And meanwhile,

Hweel was overjoyed to have her beside him and that was

no bad thing.

Snowfire had his own ritual of preparation to begin. He

had things timed to a nicety, so that his hours would be

occupied and his mind would not be idle to make up sce-

narios of disaster.

First, he ran through his own magic practice, though he

didn't have to think of ways in which small magics would

be useful in tonight's raid, for he had plenty of experience

along those lines. All the while he practiced, he sat across

from Daystorm, with one ear cocked in case she said any-

thing about activity in the village. He put himself through

his paces, pushing to speed up the time it took for him to

work a particular piece of magic, by even a fraction of a

breath. That was always what he worked toward; it would

be useless to try for more power, for he had reached the

Ifinits of his ability there-but it was always possible to try

for more speed.

By the time he was done, it was about noon; he left

DaYstorm's side just long enough to collect food for himself,

DaYstorm, and Starfall. He left Starfall's ration just outside

the containment shield, though Starfall was so deep in con-

centration that the Adept never noticed he was there. That

was all right; the food was covered and would keep, and

Starfall's bird would keep pests from carrying it off.

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