Kyot sadly shook his head and stood up. 'You cannot follow anybody until you have rested and found new strength at Clatterford, but when you are strong I promise I will come with you to hunt down the Nightmare.'

Thane cursed and muttered helplessly as Kyot remounted, but there was nothing he could do. Closing his eyes he sank into dark dreams lulled by the rattle of the rain as they pa.s.sed through the tall gra.s.ses. The low grey rain clouds darkened with the coming night. Kyot turned in the saddle and searched the trampled gra.s.s, he was worried that Stumble would be lost once darkness fell but he laughed with relief to see the little horse had almost caught up with them. He looked gaunt and tired but there was a flicker of pride in his eyes as he whinnied a greeting to Sprint.

A stag roared out in the half light and Kyot saw Tanglecrown and Eventine galloping towards them. 'There are Nightbeasts on the borders of Clatterford. Tombel has cleared a wide path through them but we must hurry!'

'How long will it take us to reach Clatterford?' he called out as Eventine moved in beside him.

'If we ride hard, without rest, dawn will be breaking as we cross the ford before my father's house,' she answered, looking down at Thane's fever-lined face, worrying that he might die from the rough journey long before they were threatened by a Nightbeast attack.

Thane opened his eyes and for a moment he caught sight of Eventine, but all he saw was a blurred face framed in a halo of fire-gold hair and edged by the dark grey rain clouds.

'Elionbel,' he whispered as the face slipped away from him and he sank back into darkness.

Kyot called Stumble to him and caught his reins, drawing him in close to Sprint's flank. The two huge Border Runners dropped back one on either side of the stretcher as the company forged ahead and the only sounds above the pouring

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rain were the jingle of their harness and the thunder of their hooves as they pa.s.sed through league after league of the night-dark gra.s.slands.

The grey hours came, cold, wet and forbidding to show them Nightbeast carca.s.ses strewn in rough battle order across the trampled gra.s.ses.

Eventine turned anxious eyes from left to right searching for signs of life amongst the Nightbeasts. 'It looks as though the path is still ours,' she whispered, necking an arrow on to her bow, but the Border Runners smelt danger and their hackles rose. -;

Rockspray lifted quickly from Kyot's shoulder and flew in a wide circle. 'Nigh/beasts!' he shrieked, stooping at a black shadow and plunging towards its hideous upturned face as the monster rose to hurl its spear at Kyot.

All about them Nightbeasts leapt to their feet. Eventine and Kyot loosed their arrows, the Border Runners leapt snarling: at the Nightbeasts' throats while Tanglecrown lowered hut antlers and swinging his head from side to side he scythed a path through the swarming beasts, cutting and tearing with the glittering crystal tips that Fairday had woven into his'

antlers.

'Follow me,' Eventine shouted as Tanglecrown surged ahead.

Kyot dug his spurs in Sprint's sides to keep pace with that Lord of Stags for now he could see the ford of Clatterford less than sixty strides ahead. All around him Nightbeasts were screaming and shouting, rising up to block out the breaking dawn and fighting to block the gap Tanglecrown had made.;,

Tanglecrown reached the ford and halted. He lifted ho head to the grey morning light, roared, turned and charge'

again.

'Follow me, faster!' Eventine called out as Sprint broke frog from the ma.s.s of Nightbeasts and followed Tanglecrown in'.

the ford. 'My father's Archers will not let the Nightbeasts

to the lawns of Clatterford.'

Bright water sprayed up from Sprint's fleeing hooves, bubbling and swirling over the stretcher, soaking Thane to the skin. Roughly woken and terrified of the seething ma.s.s of Nightbeasts less than a dozen strides behind him he began to shout, struggling frantically against the binding cord that held him on to the stretcher. With a mighty b.u.mp they left the water and climbed the steep slopes on to the lawns of Clatterford. Brilliant peac.o.c.ks surrounded the stretcher, fanning out their plumage and turning a thousand eyes against the Nightbeasts, and the last Thane saw of the battle was the

two huge Border Runners crouching side by side defending the ford.

The stretcher had stopped. Kyot was at his side, cutting the cords and helping him slowly to his feet. Before him, in all its dazzling beauty, rose the House of Clatterford. Thane looked up and gasped, catching his breath at the sheer beauty of the sunlight trapped in a thousand interwoven patterns, from bright white on the gables and roof tops to indigo and deep purples where the walls rested their feet in the neat shadowcovered lawns. Each brick and beam seemed to be fashioned out of smooth crystal, transparent and yet solid, and they all glowed in countless soft hues.

'It is beautiful, truly beautiful,' he whispered, stepping dizzily forwards.

Fairday stood on the gla.s.s steps, his sky-washed cloak shining out in the first rays of sunlight to break through the rain clouds. 'Welcome! Welcome!' he cried, descending and taking both of Thane's hands in his. 'You did not fail me, daughter,' he said quietly, sweeping his gentle eyes over Thane's ragged clothes and fever-wasted face. 'You found the ones that all Elundium waits for.'

Stumble snorted and lowered his head as Fairday ran his hand through his mane. 'You ran a hard road, hard enough to wear this great-hearted horse into a shadow.'

Thane blinked and then held Fairday's eyes. 'We chase the Nightmare, Krulshards. I gave Stumble his

freedom, but he chose to stay with me.'

Fairday nodded, a smile touching the corners of his eyes as he led the company into the house of Clatterford. 'You will stay with us long enough to take meat and build up your strength or I fear that road will be the death of you for that is indeed a hard and desperate road to travel alone.'

'He is not alone, Father,' Eventine cried, interrupting. 'We, Kyot and 1, will travel into the darkness with Thane.'

Fairday frowned. 'No, child, hunting Nightbeasts on the edge of the morning is one thing, dangerous enough. But to chase the Nightmare, Krulshards!'

'The Nightmare has Elionbel and her mother, Martbel, as prisoners. I shall ride with Thane, we are as brothers,' Kyot said fiercely, taking Thane's hand.

'And we are love-matched, our bowstrings are intertwined,'

whispered Eventine, looking into Kyot's eyes.

'Enough! Enough!' cried Fairday, raising his hands for silence. 'What would you do with the Nightmare, Thane, if you caught him?'

Thane shook his head. 'I know not, Lord. Nevian said that

Elionbel and Martbel were tied to the Nightmare by his life thread and if I was to hurt him they would be strangled to death.'

Fairday placed a hand on Thane's shoulders and looked; deeply into his eyes. 'He will destroy you, Thane, through that moment of weakness if you hesitate because of your love for Elionbel. Remember, whatever the price, if you come face to face with Krulshards you must drive the blade hard and quick through the shadowy malice into his rotten heart. More than Elionbel's life is in the balance. You must strive to win the daylight for all Elundium!'

Thane paled; the marsh fever was making him feel dizzier with despair.

Fairday smiled and summoned two of his furnace men tot come forward. 'Did Nevian counsel you to let fate find a way; to destroy the Nightmare?'

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Yes!' cried Thane, looking up at the two gla.s.smakers carrying slender arrow-filled quivers in their hands. 'But I am no Archer, my Lord, I am a swordsman!'

Fairday laughed, drawing two polished arrows, one from each quiver. 'They are spine-matched, Thane, for the two greatest bows in Elundium. Spine-matched to sing with one voice as they cut through the air.'

Eventine took one of the arrows from her father and wet the blade with her tongue. Spinning the arrow between her fingers she filled the grand crystal hall with pure shafts of scattered light.

Fairday smiled, taking the arrow from his daughter and gently replaced both in the quivers. 'Legend foretold of a time when the great bows would sing together against the darkness.

I feared that moment, knowing it would take my daughter into great danger but I cannot fight against fate.