Daphne Mayne and the Hounds of Magic by Kent Silverhill

Author:Kent Silverhill
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mirke Books

CHAPTER NINE

THE WOOD SPRITES gathered to watch Daphne and Aleihra leave, and to wish them well on their travels. The king had assigned a slender, weatherbeaten sprite called Wycro to guide them through Durrin.

Aleihra was doing up the strap on the satchel when a wood sprite burst into the clearing and hurried over to the king.

“Sire!” He held up a small leather pouch. “We found this next to the bog! It belongs to the woodrede.”

Aleihra recognized Leanna’s herb pouch instantly. Her heart sank.

“There are tracks leading into the bog, but then the mud becomes so churned up it’s impossible to say what happened. A little further on, we found a dead creature, like a misshapen wolf.”

“What of Leanna… the woodrede?” said Daphne.

The messenger gave his head a shake. “Of the woodrede, there was no sign. We even went to the great tree that is her home, but we found nothing.”

Daphne sighed and bowed her head.

“Come. There’s nothing we can do. It’s time we were going,” said Aleihra, glancing at Daphne. Her voice was gruff, but her eyes were moist.

“We can’t leave Leanna!” said Daphne. “We have to look for her!”

Aleihra’s nostrils flared. “Leanna wouldn’t want us to stay. The longer we delay, the more likely the remaining hound will find us. And we need to get to Oaknorton so you can be healed.”

“Don’t treat me like a child! I know all that, but I can’t abandon Leanna.”

“I don’t want to either, but I don’t think it will do any good if we stay. There is too much at stake… The Wightstone…”

Daphne’s cheeks reddened. “You’re always going on about the Wightstone! Don’t you realize it’s dead?”

“You don’t know that! I’m not going to give up! The Wightstone is the only hope Luillan has!”

“The elf is right,” said the king, his deep eyes fixed on Daphne, “My people will search for the woodrede and help her if she needs it.” He placed a hand on Daphne’s shoulder. “You accepted Aleihra’s request to save her people. It is your duty to see that through. Go in peace.”

Daphne nodded, her eyes downcast. “You’re right.” She avoided looking at Aleihra as she spoke. “If… When you find Leanna, please tell her what happened.”

“I will,” said the king. “Farewell.”

The girls bowed. Wycro stepped past them and led the way into the forest.

Months ago, when Daphne had entered the forest on the other side of the Hedge from her village, she had been impressed by the size and age of the trees. She’d felt like they and the creatures living under the forest’s canopy had been watching every step she took.

Durrin took that to another level. In the forest’s heart, the trees were even more ancient and huge than those in Fylwood. Their massive trunks soared into thick branches that formed a dense, twisted, leafy roof. The forest’s musty carpet of loam was in eternal gloom and little, apart from fungus, grew there. Though the wind rustled the leaves far overhead, the air under the trees was still.

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