Waterborn (cotc-1) by Gregory Keyes

Author:Gregory Keyes [Keyes, Gregory]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sf_fantasy

After noon, the sky began to darken. A thunderhead gathered above the mountain, and cold, wet wind began to bluster down, bending the trees. Leaves flapped their pale undersides, and it seemed to Perkar as if they weren't leaves at all, but thousands of white moths, clinging to dead branches. Ravens flew above, croaking their dire songs, ebony harbingers of the storm.

"The hunt has begun," Ngangata said grimly. "We still have far to go."

They redoubled their speed, and Perkar was again surprised at what Mang was willing to give him; though he could feel the animal shuddering, he broke from canter to gallop as they beat recklessly across the open floor of the bottomland. Perkar tried to calculate how far they had to go to the next line of hills. Engaged in that, he heard the first, faint howling. Wolves, and many of them, singing their hunger.

Thunder cracked above, but to Perkar's ear it sounded more like the croak of a giant raven.

By the time they reached the hills, the howling of the wolves had taken on an exultant tone, a fierce anticipation.

"Maybe we should just stop, make a stand," Perkar shouted up to Ngangata. "After all, we have the godswords."

"That is the Forest Lord's hunt," Ngangata bellowed. "He can call every god and beast in this land. You cannot slay them all, Perkar. It would only give them sport."

"They will catch us anyway!"

"Over these hills is the basin where the Changeling flows. We must cross those hills."

Perkar set his teeth. Eruka was pale, frightened. Apad—Apad looked grim.

They forded a stream, stopped just long enough for the horses to wet their mouths. Ngangata reached back to the bundle on his saddle. He took his bow and strung it; Atti did the same. Perkar watched helplessly. He could string his bow, of course, but if he tried to fire it from horseback he would certainly fall off.

Ngangata slid the godsword he had taken from Apad from his saddle. He scowled at it.

"Apad," he called, and tossed the sheathed weapon to the man. Apad caught it, bowed his head in acknowledgment and thanks.

"Piraku around and about you, Ngangata," he said softly.

Ngangata nodded back. "Don't let the horses fill their bellies," he told them all. "They won't be able to run."

Mang stumbled often as they hurried up the steep slope. Once both front legs collapsed, and he nearly rolled over Perkar trying to get back up. Perkar dismounted and ran holding the reins of the trembling beast. Slower, that put him back with the Alwat, who were at last beginning to straggle. They were running in a tight little group, the slightly larger males on the outside, cane spears in hand. Perkar got a glance at their feet; their deerskin shoes were in tatters, and the flesh within was bruised and bleeding.

The ground steepened a bit more and, worse, became gravelly. The horses slipped on it, and for that matter so did Perkar. The wolves were close now; Mang shivered nervously at their scent, but was otherwise brave.

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