Blind Man's Buff by Barbara Gaskell Denvil

Author:Barbara Gaskell Denvil [Denvil, Barbara Gaskell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gaskell Publishing
Published: 2018-03-07T23:00:00+00:00

“The land of our birth is dying,

But breathes as yet undead.

The blown ashes float sighing,

But the blood of our wounds boils red.

The land that we love

Holds the life that we love,

But the land that we love is dying.

The land that we love

Holds the life that we love,

But our brothers die, crying.”

The wolf wiped all six eyes. He sniffed as he asked, “But if we join you in a Lashtang war, how do you want me?”

Neither Poppy nor Peter was quite sure what he meant. Poppy said, “I think that should be up to you. I will certainly send a message when the war begins.”

“No, no,” said the wolf. “I mean as I am now, or as a man. I’m not saying I’d be human of course, but as a lava man I fight very well. But of course, I can’t speak.”

“Sorry. What?” Poppy was entirely confused.

“It seems she doesn’t know,” said Wuz. “Honestly, these humans are taught nothing about Sparkan. So I should explain that the lava wolves are three headed dogs, and alternatively can turn to a human shape. But the human figure is mute, whereas the dog figure is somewhat talkative, three times over.”

“Anything else?” asked Poppy, amazed.

Roon shook his head, and so did Ro and Ron. Then all six eyes blinked, and as they closed the lids, so the eyeballs rolled, as if looking backwards inside the socket. And then, with a misty shiver, the dog shape appeared to melt, and a strong young man grew out from the fog, growing in clarity as the mist faded back. He stood there, bare chested, the muscles of his arms and chest very prominent and gleaming. The face, heavy jawed, was a little pug nosed and there seemed to be rather too many teeth in the mouth. But it was certainly a man in nothing but tight brown leather trousers, barefoot, with a head full of big black curls which flopped over his forehead, and big black eyes.

He grinned and pointed to himself, but could not speak. Then with another six blinks the mist came back, and Ron, Ro and Roon once more sat at Poppy’s side, waving a paw and wagging one agile tail.

“Wonderful,” breathed Poppy, excited. “This will frighten the Hazletts.”

“I doubt it,” sighed Wuz. “Clebbster, the greatest Hazlett of all time, comes here often. He rarely communicates except to hiss as he slithers into the Serpent Lake. We know he can also change, but we have never seen him do it except once.”

Peter and Poppy were interested. “And how did he look?”

“Like a bent old haggard man-creature,” said Roon. “Very ugly and very old. Not big and strong like me. But strong in dark magic.”

They had expected something more unusual. “Just an old man?” asked Peter.

“Two arms, two legs and one head?” asked Poppy.

“Oh yes. Skinny. Dark hair. Green eyes. But he has a special finger,” said Wuz, speaking softly, as if not wanting anyone else to hear. On his left hand he has a middle

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