Knocking on Heavens Door by Marty Dobrow

Author:Marty Dobrow [Dobrow, Marty]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Social Science, Biography & Autobiography, United States, Sports, Sports & Recreation, Baseball Players
ISBN: 9781558498433
Publisher: Univ of Massachusetts Pr
Published: 2010-10-15T22:51:37+00:00

'Shaarilla! Quickly-a rope!'

'There is no rope, Elric!' She was ripping off her

top garment, frantically tearing it into strips.

Still Elric sank, his feet finding no purchase

beneath them.

Shaarilla hastily knotted the strips of cloth. She

flung the makeshift rope inexpertly towards the sink-

ing albino. It fell short. Fumbling in her haste, she

threw it again. This time his groping left hand

found it. The girl began to haul on the fabric. Elric

felt himself rise a little and then stop.

'It's no good, Elric--I haven't the strength.'

Cursing her, Elric shouted: 'The horse--tie it to

the horse!'

She ran towards one of the horses and looped the

cloth around the pommel of the saddle. Then she

tugged at the beast's reins and began to walk it

away.

Swiftly, Elric was dragged from the sucking bog

and, still gripping Stormbringer was pulled to the

inadequate safety of the strip of turf.

Gasping, he tried to stand, but found his legs in-

credibly weak beneath him. He rose; staggered, and

fell. Shaarilla knelt down beside him.

'Are you hurt?'

Elric smiled in spite of his weakness. 'I don't think

SO.'

'It was dreadful. I couldn't see properly what was

happening. You seemed to disappear and then-then

you screamed that--that name!' She was trembling,

her face pale and taut.

'What name?' Elric was genuinely puzzled. 'What

name did I scream?'

She shook her head. 'It doesn't matter--but what-

ever it was--it saved you. You reappeared soon after-

wards and fell into the marsh...'

Stormbringer's power was still flowing into the al-

bino. He already felt stronger.

With an effort, he got up and stumbled unsteadily

towards his horse.

'I'm sure that the Mist Giant does not usually

haunt this marsh--it was sent here. By what-or

whom--I don't know, but we must get to firmer

ground while we can.'

Shaarilla said: 'Which way--back or forward?'

Elric frowned. 'Why, forward, of course. Why do

you ask?'

She swallowed and shook her head. 'Let's hurry,

then,' she said.

They mounted their horses and rode with little

caution until the marsh and its cloak of mist was be-

hind them.

Now the journey took on a new urgency as Elric

realised that some force was attempting to put obsta-

cles in their way. They rested little and savagely

rode their powerful horses to a virtual standstill.

On the fifth day they were riding through barren,

rocky country and a light rain was Falling.

The hard ground was slippery so that they were

forced to ride more slowly, huddled over the sodden

necks of their horses, muffled it/ cloaks which only

inadequately kept out the drizzling rain. They had

ridden in silence for some time before they heard a

ghastly cackling baying ahead of them and the rattle

of hooves.

Elric motioned towards a large rock looming to

their right. 'Shelter there,' he said. 'Something comes

towards us--possibly more enemies. With luck,

they'll pass us.' Shaarilla mutely obeyed him and to-

gether they waited as the hideous baying grew

nearer.

'One rider--several other beasts,' Elric said, listen-

ing intently. 'The beasts either follow or pursue the

rider.'

Then they were in sight--racing through the rain.

A man frantically spurring an equally frightened

horse-and behind him, the" distance decreasing, a

pack of what at first appeared to be dogs. But these

were not dogs--they were half-dog and half-bird,

with the lean, shaggy bodies and legs of dogs but

possessing birdlike talons in place of paws and sav-

agely curved beaks which snapped where muzzles

should have been.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.