Rockspray stooped to Kyot, delivering the finger bowl into his hands. Kyot lifted the little silver bowl and traced the fine letters engraved around the rim, then looking up he shouted at the top of his voice. 'THANK! THANK!'

He jumped down from Sprint's back and pa.s.sed the bowl to Eventine and waded out into the reeds, but with each stride he sank deeper and deeper, clutching and breaking the tough reed

stems in an effort to reach his friend.

'Wait!' Eventine called, dropping the cup into her safest pocket. 'You will be sucked under the mud if you go any further. Come back.'

Kyot struggled and scrambled back on to the bank. 'We

must rescue them. We are like brothers, we must .. .'

Eventine gripped his shoulders and tried to calm him. 'We cannot cross the marsh; the rain has made it much too treacherous even to lay a reed path. Somehow we must bring them to the bank, there must be a way.'

'But Thane may be only moments away from death. The reed mat may be sinking.'

Eventine put a finger on Kyot's lips and pressed him into silence. Reaching back into her quiver she withdrew the only steel-bladed arrow she carried, barbed and hooked behind the tip. Unbuckling the pouch on Tanglecrown's saddle she lifted out a fine silken rope of twisted strands of gla.s.s nO thicker than a needle thread, and carefully tied an end around the barbs.

'Do you trust Thane's life in my hands?' she asked, springing up on to Tanglecrown's saddle and necking the arrow on to her bowstring. Kyot smiled and reached up to touch her hand.

'Your aim is clear-sighted and true. I would put my own life 0ryour hands, beautiful Lady of Clatterford.'

She looked along the spine of the arrow, choosing her moment as the reeds bent in the wind. Easing the arrow she looked down and asked Kyot to tie the loose end of the gla.s.s rope on to Sprint's saddle and lead him up on to the slope above the gully. After Kyot had secured the rope she took a deep breath and tried to calm her shaking fingers, hearing her father's words echoing in her head. 'Do not pa.s.s them by ore all Elundium will fall into shadow.'

Blinking just once she drew the arrow back and released it into the reeds. Thane laughed as he heard the arrow sing its way through the reeds and cut into the mat at his feet, sinker with a dull splash through the layer of mud that had seeped up between the weaving.

'Kyot has found us!' he cried as the silken rope went taul and the mat began to move towards the bank. Sprint arched his neck and pulled hard, urged on by Kyot as the head

250.

5.

l

1.

i

A:.

mud-laden mat broke down the reed stems in its path.

Tanglecrown hooked his antlers on to the rope and pulled beside the little horse but the mat twisted and turned, b.u.mping into the tough reed stems, and the barbed arrowhead was tearing through the reed mat. Eventine took the reins from Kyot and sent him back to the edge of the reeds.

'Wade out as far as you can and cut them a path. Be quick!'

she whispered.

'Thane, Thane!' Kyot shouted, wading out as far as he dared, cutting through the tough reed stems to ease the pa.s.sage of the mat. Closer and closer it came, pushing a small wave of mud before it. Kyot reached out and caught hold of the edges of the mat, his strong fingers tearing through the reeds as he brought it to the safety of the bank.

'Thane, oh Thane,' he cried, seeing the ragged mudblackened figure struggling to crawl towards him. With strong hands he quickly lifted him and laid him on the bank and cast his cloak over him. Turning back he cried out in horror to see Stumble slipping off the sinking mat into the marsh. Running on to the mat he cut the gla.s.s rope and tied it around the pommel of Stumble's vanishing saddle.

'Pull, Sprint, pull!' he shouted, grabbing at the reins to

keep the horse's head above the mud. 'Pull, or Stumble will sink.'

Tanglecrown and Sprint dug in their hooves and, shoulder to shoulder, edged forwards. Eventine ran back to the gully and took the reins from Kyot while he waded, waist deep in the sticky mud, and helped the floundering horse with both hands. Eventually Stumble scrambled wearily on to firm ground on the edge of the marsh and clambered up on the bank.

'You are safe!' Kyot cried with relief, stripping the filthy saddle and bridle from the exhausted horse. Sprint cantered to Stumble's side, snorting and whinnying in greeting as the muddy horse shook himself and pulled on a mouthful of gra.s.s.

Eventine and Kyot knelt at Thane's side and gently pulled back the cloak. 'He is bone thin, and near to death,' Kyot whispered. 'We must get him to shelter out of this rain.'

'He needs wholesome food and a good fire to warm him through,' Eventine added, calling Tanglecrownto come to her. 'We must get him to Clatterford without delay. I will ride ahead of you and warn my father,' she said as she sprang on to Tanglecrown's back.

Kyot made to rise as Eventine cantered away but Thane clung weakly to his hand. 'The Nightmare has Elionbel. I must find the grey swans and follow them. They will show me the way.'

Kyot smiled down at Thane. 'The grey swans have been flying over the marsh led by a beautiful swan with a white breast; they have been flying since dawn drove the night away.

They led us to where you lay.'

'Were they silent?' Thane asked anxiously. .

Kyot nodded. 'Again and again they swooped silently through the gully, brushing their wing tips on the top of the reeds.'

Thane sighed and turned over his wrist to show Kyot the fine rainbow thread. 'Ousious is the Queen of the grey swans; she ...' Thane's head slumped forward as dark drearm overtook him and he slept in the warmth of Kyot's cloak. Kyo hurriedly cut two wind-blown boughs from the trees on tla'

top of the ridge and using the gla.s.s rope and Thane's ragge half-cloak he made a rough stretcher which he attached t'

Sprint's saddle, binding it tight with his stirrup leathers. Hi tied Thane on to the stretcher and called Stumble to follow Mounting Sprint he rode as fast as he could through the tad wet gra.s.s, following the clear track Tanglecrown had left.

'Guard Stumble,' he called to the Border Runners as the fanned out on either side of the exhausted horse. Sprig; arched his neck and, pulling hard on the makeshift harness he cantered as fast as he dared through the waist-high gram

closing the gap to Clatterford with each measured stride.

252.

Light at the Erld of the Secret Road

'Daylight, Lord! Daylight!' Grey Goose cried, shaking King Holbian's shoulder.

'Daylight?' mumbled the King, slowly opening his eyes and looking up at the Archer. For what had seemed an age beyond counting he had bravely led the city folk along the secret road, but little by little the darkness and the cold had crept beneath the steelsilver cloak, weakening his ancient bones.

'Yes, Lord, less than half a league further the city folk are waiting for you to lead them out.'

Holbian carefully took offhis battle gloves and stared at the maze of fractures and hairline cracks that had spread across his fingers. Lifting his hands he touched his cheeks and forehead, scratching at the pattern of cracks. 'I am old and brittle, Captain,' he whispered, 'and I am turning back into stone. I cannot go forwards.'

'Lord, the people will not go into the daylight without you.'

Grey Goose bit his lip and knelt beside the King. 'They have grown to love you, great King. They love you so much they would turn their backs on the sunlight.'