The master of the Dagora Forest, the Green Dragon, had been watching them all the time.

"We didn't intend on encroaching long in your domain," Cabe added, clearly uncomfortable around the drake lord.

Darkhorse did not care for the drakes himself, but the lord of the Dagora Forest had always been friendly toward humans. Something, though, had changed the once-deep friendship between the Green Dragon and Cabe Bedlam into a shade of its former self. They conversed when necessary and met together when circ.u.mstances required it, but where once the scaled warrior had been welcome in the Bedlams' domain, he now never visited.

"You are not encroaching, Cabe. I underssstand the rea.s.sson why you are here. a.s.ss the power of my people, myssself included, has declined, thossse like Lanith of Zuu have taken full advantage of it. I have been watching, and my agents, both human and otherwissse, have also been well at work."

"And have they found anything?" Cabe asked, still maintaining his distant tone.

"Very little." The Green Dragon looked from one to the other. "I have lossst at least five spies, all loyal volunteers. They entered Zuu . . . and did not return. I am quite certain that they are all dead."

This intrigued Darkhorse. The drake lord before them was one of the great powers of the Dragonrealm. He had access to rare artifacts and knowledge. His predecessors for generations back had worked to gather these things, providing the present lord of Dagora with many options when it came to such business as investigating the activities of a human monarch who had once been his va.s.sal. "Have you looked for them?"

"I . . . have. Of courssse, demon sssteed. I do not leave sssuch things unfinished."

There is something he fears about me. While fear was an emotion Darkhorse encountered often from those he confronted, the drake lord had never reacted like this. It had something to do with whatever had shattered the drake's friendship with the sorcerer.

"Did you find out anything?" the spellcaster pushed, clearly desiring an end to the discussion.

The scaly warrior looked away, obviously disconcerted. This time, however, Darkhorse surmised that it was because of the results of the drake's investigation.

"Nothing . . . no . . . almossst nothing, Cabe. Each one left no trace, but I did sssense twice a great emptinesss just before the link to me faded. I can't explain it. They were not agents without protection." The Green Dragon looked up, eyes locking on the sorcerer's. "Lanithcontrols sssome power, sssome force, that makesss his insssipid Magical Order redundant and yet I cannot fathom what it could possibly be! Only that it may be more than any of usss can deal with alone!"

The more he spoke, the more the drake's natural sibilance took over. The upper hierarchy of the drake race prided itself on speaking the common tongue perfectly, but whenever too emotional, they slipped.

"An emptiness," Cabe mused. "That's all you can tell us?"

"If I had more to tell you, believe me, I would. When I sssensed you, I debated whether to sssay anything until I knew more, but then I quickly realized that I have no idea how I can learn any more. Not without entering Zuu myself . . . and I do not think that would be a good idea."

"What about Adderly?" asked Darkhorse. "Has anything happened to this barony?"

The pause was far too lengthy for either Darkhorse or the sorcerer. "Adderly is no more. A laughable offense that Lanith callsss hisss first great victory. A tessst of hisss might . . . a.s.ss if Adderly had any defense of significance. The cursssed horse king did not even attempt to take the castle without the aid of his misssbegotten ssspellcastersss!" The Green Dragon clenched his fists. "They ssslaughtered the inhabitants even after they had sssurrendered! Monssstersss! They call usss abominations and thisss isss what they do?"

Such an emotional admission from a warrior whose race was known for its savage ways surprised even Darkhorse. It also made the shadow steed more eager than ever to return to Zuu. This Lanith had been allowed too much freedom; he had abused every notion of humanity. Darkhorse understood many of the reasons that the Gryphon and the Bedlams had given for no one having gone to war with Zuu, but he was now aware that such reasons mattered little anymore. There was no doubt now as to either Lanith's intentions or his methods for achieving them.

"I can't believe Blane's brother could be like that." Cabe grimaced. "I knew Blane for only a short time, but he was a good man, a brave warrior. He cared about people. Can Lanith be that different?"

"Lanith wa.s.ss alwaysss the ambitious one, Cabe. Alwaysss the more driven. Yet thisss is far more than I expected from him. The Lanith I recall did once have compa.s.sion . . . but not now."

"Talk! Talk! All we do is talk!" The eternal had had enough of talk. Everyone talked about how terrible things were and what a threat the horse king was. Well, it was time to take action, not continue treading softly. "We waste precious moments here! Lanith has moved, tested his power! He will move on from here, moving north, no doubt! If we do nothing, he will be at the walls of Gordag-Ai before very long! He may be marching there even now!"

The Green Dragon shook his head. "No, eternal, he isss not. Lanith returned to Zuu after this ma.s.sacre and now awaitsss some newsss. I know not what, though. Only that his misstress, the sssorceresss Saress, is to bring it."

"Saress?" Cabe Bedlam looked up. "Do you know anything about her? Even the Gryphon can't find out much."

"Rumorsss, Cabe. Nothing more. Saresss is nearly as great a myssstery to me a.s.ss thisss power that Lanith wields."

"Could they be one and the same?"

"No. I can tell you that, at lea.s.sst."

"We waste time here!" Darkhorse kicked up earth with one of his hooves. "Cabe, we should go to Zuu ourselves!"

His companion looked down at him, then at the Dragon King. The latter made no sound, did not even move. "Not Zuu, Darkhorse, but I do want to see the baron's castle. There might be something we can learn there. Are Lanith's forces still there, Lord Green?"

"Only a small garrison. There are many patrols, however. The bulk of hisss forces are encamped nearer to Zuu. I believe he likely intendsss to attack Gordag-Ai, but on the chance that he will sssuddenly turn east, I have kept a careful eye."

"We'll look over Adderly first, then. Do you mind, Darkhorse?"

He still desired to journey directly to Zuu, but the eternal trusted Cabe's opinion. "Very well."

By this time, the sun was barely a glimmer on the horizon. The Green Dragon had become a shadow among shadows. He backed away in silence. Cabe seemed disinclined to bid him farewell. Darkhorse swore that someday he would find out what had come between them . . . and if the drake lord had betrayed his friend in some way, the ebony stallion would see to it that the master of the Dagora Forest paid for his folly.

"Have you been to Adderly before, Darkhorse?"

He twisted his head around to look at Cabe. "I have pa.s.sed through it. There is not much to see there. I have only seen the castle from a distance."

"There are hillsss to the north and some wooded area.s.ss to the west and east," called the retreating drake. "Neither afford much cover, but for the two of you, either should be sssufficient."

Cabe stiffened, then twisted around so that he could face the nearly invisible figure. "My thanks, Lord Green."

"Take care, my friendsss." The Dragon King vanished into the forest.

Darkhorse's comrade stared at the forest a moment more, then turned back to him. "Do you know those areas at all?"

"I recall them somewhat. His suggestions have merit. Cabe, what is the-"

"The darkness will help us. Let's go."

"As you desire, Cabe." Feeling subdued, Darkhorse reared, then started westward. His hooves made no sound as he raced, and in fact, he left no prints in the earth. Now was the time for speed, yes, but also for stealth. Even if he did not fear for himself, he always tried to watch over Cabe.

The castle of the baron of Adderly was at first a black hill jutting upward just a short distance from the true hills that the drake lord had mentioned. One or two tiny points of light flickered near the battlements, but as Darkhorse and Cabe moved nearer, other lights materialized around the castle grounds. It became obvious that besides the garrison, there was at least one band of cavalry, likely a returning patrol, camping nearby.

"The structure looks unsettled," Darkhorse commented after a brief study. "As if someone had tried to crack it in two."

"Lord Green did say Lanith utilized sorcery. The baron and his people probably expected a more conventional battle." Cabe inhaled sharply. "Lanith killed them all . . ."

The shadow steed was about to remark on the last when he felt the slightest tug of power. Some sort of spell was at work and it had a familiar feel to it, although he could not say exactly how. It did not strike him as a major undertaking, but he nonetheless grew curious to study it.

"Do you feel something, Darkhorse?" his companion suddenly asked. "A spell of some sort?"

So Cabe felt it also. "I do. Shall we investigate? I sense nothing extraordinary about it, but I find myself curious as to its origins! It seems to come from the wooded area just east of the horse people's encampment. We can be there and gone before any of them notice us."

Cabe looked up, Darkhorse following his gaze. Only one of the two moons was evident and cloud cover mostly obscured that one. The sorcerer acquiesced to his companion's suggestion. "I'm curious, too. We'll have to watch carefully, however. There may be some danger we can't sense from here."

"And what danger is there that the two of us cannot handle?" The eternal chuckled quietly. "Lanith may have his tame spellcasters, Cabe, but you and I . . . there is nothing we cannot overcome together!"

"I wish you'd quit saying that, Darkhorse," whispered Cabe with a rueful smile. "I'm not quite as invincible as you think I am . . . and come to think of it, neither are you."

Despite the other's words, Darkhorse still felt confident. This was so much like times past. He and Cabe against the villainy of such as the wolf raiders, the burrowing Quel, the treacherous Toma . . . it was in times of adventure that the eternal felt most alive. He could not tell this to his human friend, though. Even Cabe, who knew him best, would not have understood the sense of pleasure that always underlined the shadow steed's emotions during such dangerous missions. Darkhorse felt needed at times such as this.

They reached a position near enough to the enemy encampment that they could make out individual figures moving about. The hors.e.m.e.n of Zuu appeared restive; Lanith had succeeded in stirring his subjects to war. They would be ready to ride the moment he commanded them to do so. Darkhorse snorted. While he enjoyed adventure, he found no enjoyment in war. All it did was waste lives.

"Ahead, Darkhorse," Cabe muttered. "By that small open area behind those trees."

He was already aware of the location, having sensed even before Cabe the strong presence of the spell. Again, Dark- horse thought that there was a familiar signature to it. He had confronted the creator of the spell in the past . . . but where?

Then a feminine voice whispered, "Get away! Not here!"

Startled, Darkhorse turned toward the voice. As he did, one of his hind legs touched what felt like the branch of a tree, only there should have been no tree, not even a bush, at that location.

An intense pressure closed in on Darkhorse from all sides, squeezing him with such force that it grew more and more difficult to maintain his form. Darkhorse grunted, fighting as the incredible pressure threatened to squeeze him into a shapeless ma.s.s.

A cry alerted the shadow steed to his rider's plight. Cabe was caught in the same trap and he did not have the malleability of form to survive for very long. The eternal was not even certain that he could survive very long. This was like no spell trap he had ever encountered.

It was already futile to retain his equine shape. Darkhorse drew his legs inward and then collapsed his upper torso. His struggling companion fell with it. The shadow steed immediately enveloped the sorcerer, shaping himself into a soft, spherical cell that would, for the moment at least, provide Cabe with some protection from the spell.

His head was the last vestige of his equine shape that he discarded. The snout retracted quickly until only the pupilless eyes and a slash that had been his mouth remained. His new shape would afford him a little extra time, but unless he found some way to disrupt the trap, both he and Cabe were doomed.

There was one other thing he could do for the sorcerer, Darkhorse realized, but even a death as hideous as what the pair of them faced would have been preferable to the human. Cabe had witnessed Darkhorse absorbing his enemies and it was a sight that the spellcaster had clearly abhorred.

There must be something! I am Darkhorse! There is nothing from this realm that can hold me! Yet . . . that was not entirely true. There had been other traps, other spells, that had nearly done him in. Somehow he had always escaped. This time, though . . .

Despite his best efforts, the pressure continued to squeeze him into a smaller and smaller ball. Before long, he would be too small for Cabe to survive.

In the midst of it, Darkhorse sensed an emanation that made no sense. It was his own power, yet it worked against him. It was as if he had designed this trap himself. That was foolish, though, no doubt the product of his rattled senses.

The pressure increased. Unable to withstand the added pressure, the eternal shrank yet again. Now he sensed the sorcerer's new discomfort. Cabe had folded himself up as best he could, but that was no longer sufficient. Darkhorse felt Cabe make one aborted attempt to disrupt the trap, but it held firm.

And so I shall discover what death means to me! I shall see if I, too, am granted an afterlife! He doubted the latter. Having been created in the endlessness of the empty dimension called the Void, he was not at all like the creatures who were born in the world of the Dragonrealm. When he perished, Darkhorse suspected that he would simply cease to exist.

For being so foolish, for failing to save his dearest friend, he expected nothing better.

The pressure increased yet more . . . then decreased just as the eternal was about to collapse. Seizing advantage of the shift, Darkhorse expanded as quickly as he could, trying to wreak what havoc he could on the spell. It continued to weaken and as it did, he pressed harder.

As suddenly as it had been sprung, the spell trap dissipated.

Free at last, he remained still, not even attempting to reshape himself. The eternal shifted his gaze and caught a glimpse of long golden hair in the darkness. Again he sensed a familiar magical signature, but he was too weak to give chase. Besides, Darkhorse was suddenly very certain that it was through her doing that the deadly spell trap had abruptly faltered. Only from the outside could anyone have affected such a sinister snare.

But why had she saved them . . . or warned them in the first place?

Unfolding as an oyster might, Darkhorse inspected the still form of his companion. He knew that Cabe still lived, but what condition was the human in?

At first the sorcerer did not move, but when Darkhorse prodded Cabe's mind with a gentle magical probe, his companion immediately stirred.

"Dark-Darkhorse?" Cabe awkwardly rose to his knees. He blinked, then stared in visible amazement at the peculiar shape of the eternal. The latter made no attempt to resume his equine form. What mattered most was whether the human was injured or not.

"How do you feel, Cabe? Are you well?"

"Well pressed," muttered the sorcerer. He touched his side, immediately wincing. "I think a rib . . . may be cracked. I could fix . . . this. . . eventually. . . but I'll need s-some time."

A horn blared. Darkhorse heard men calling out and horses moving. "Time is not something we have, it seems! A wonder they did not arrive sooner than this! We were held-"

"No more than . . . a few seconds, although I agree that it seemed like much . . . much longer." Cabe grimaced. "If they have any more spells at . . . their command 1-like this, I don't think that I can fight them j-just now, Darkhorse."

"On that I must unhappily agree, Cabe." The eternal attempted a limb. It was of the proper length, but rough-hewn, as if some artist had just begun work on a sculpture. It was proof enough, however, that Darkhorse could resume a shape capable of carrying his companion to safety. He adjusted his form immediately, gingerly raising his injured friend up.

Cabe seized hold of his mane. Given time, the sorcerer would be able to heal himself, but with Lanith's men approaching, all the pair could do was retreat.

His first movements were ungainly. Darkhorse had to struggle to recall the proper coordination of his limbs. The more he moved, though, the smoother his movements became.

Unfortunately, the delay allowed the first of the riders to reach them. Two warriors, one bearing a torch and the other a bow, urged their mounts toward the duo. A third horseman followed, sword in hand.

Darkhorse felt Cabe draw upon power. Dirt swirled up into the air, blinding men and mounts. The horses struggled against their masters, not at all willing to ride into the magical storm.

"Ride . . . Darkhorse!" Cabe gasped, his voice sounding more and more ragged. The spellcaster slumped against the re-formed neck of his comrade. "Ride!"

The shadowy stallion would have preferred to fight these first attackers off, but while he probably would have survived, he was not so certain about Cabe. He turned in the direction of the Dagora Forest, knowing that the best way to lose them would be among the thick foliage. Still weak, it was impossible for Darkhorse to transport the two of them away, but he had no doubt that he could outpace the patrol's mounts. They were, after all, only mortal steeds . . .

That thought came back to haunt him a moment later as a long row of flickering torches and dark, rapidly moving figures to the south warned him that a large patrol sought to cut them off from the safety of the forest. The riders moved with such precision and planning that Darkhorse wondered whether they somehow could read his thoughts. He increased his pace as best he could, but between his need to keep an eye on the injured sorcerer and his own weariness, the eternal found that outracing the hors.e.m.e.n of Zuu was a greater challenge than expected.

A fiery arrow shot past his muzzle, striking the ground no more than a few feet from him. His fear for Cabe's safety increased a hundredfold. Darkhorse sent a mental probe to his comrade, but the thoughts he received were jumbled. The sorcerer was alive, but barely conscious. It was all the human could do to maintain hold. Darkhorse shaped himself so as to better keep Cabe from slipping, but could do nothing to protect the sorcerer should the archer fire any more of the deadly bolts.

The riders continued to close. Everything appeared to be working as if someone had planned to capture or kill the shadow steed and his friend. Had they really known that the duo was here or had they simply expected them?

From somewhere ahead came the touch of another mind. A female. Just a few feet more. I can help you, then. You must turn a little to the right, though! Hurry!

To the right would take him even nearer to the oncoming riders, many of whom were evidently expert bowmen even on horseback judging by the increasing number of bolts that a.s.sailed him. Darkhorse almost demurred, but at the last moment decided to take the risk. He only hoped that he was not being played for the fool. The stallion altered course, at the same time pushing forward with what strength he had left. The spell trap had taken too much out of him; he had not felt so weak in decades.

Directly ahead, the woman informed him. Only a few yards more.

Her last words confused him. He was still far from the forest and there appeared to be nothing in sight. Darkhorse could not even sense any sorcery.

That was what made the hole that swallowed them a moment later even more surprising.

Chapter Five.

Darkhorse stood in the midst of a picturesque field of lush, high green gra.s.s that covered the sloping landscape to the horizon. Several trees of different species stood tall among the gra.s.s, islands in an emerald sea. Birds flew among the branches, singing and darting about without care. Overall, the pastoral scene was a sight that should have gladdened the heart of any who came to this place.

The shadow steed could only think of how much danger he and Cabe might be in from this supposedly tranquil land.