Stumble and Sprint galloped hard throughout the morning to keep pace with Tanglecrown and together they reached the edges of the gra.s.slands before the sun had dropped towards World's End. Two daylights they had rested and waited for Stumble to recover while Thane impatiently paced the lawns.

On the third daylight the swans had taken to the air and they had quickly followed them for fear of losing their path.

'This looks a barren place,' Thane shouted as they pa.s.sed into the shadows of the wild mountains that marched away beyond the edge of sight in a ragged line before them.

'It is desolate and bleak,' Eventine called out, 'but it is no t barren. Wild flowers grow against the shale and pine trees cling to the higher slopes and there are secret lakes and heather meadows where the gra.s.sland people graze the mountain deer.'

Thane slowed Stumble to a walk and began to pick his way across the first steep shale slope. The horse skidded, sinking: u in the shale as it moved beneath his feet and twice he almost

fell on to his knees. Thane dismounted. i

'It will take us for ever to cross these mountains,' he cried, scrambling over the loose shale, pulling Stumble along by the reins.

Kyot and Eventine dismounted and began slowly crossing.

the slopes, Ogion swooped low over their-heads, his shadow racing across the uneven shale. Opening his beak he sang ins silence of the way to Mantem's Mountain and the City of:

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Night. 'Follow! Follow!' he sang, fuming into a narrow valley a hundred paces beyond where Thane struggled on the slope.

Reaching a small bluff of dark rock Thane clambered into the floor of the valley and found fimmer moss-covered ground that led up towards a high saddle of rocks. The moss felt damp and in places it covered pools of stagnant water. 'There is a hidden stream,' he whispered to Stumble before fuming to

wave to Kyot and Eventine, beckoning them forward. 'Follow the grey swans,' he shouted, 'they will show us the best road.'

Darkness had fallen before they reached the saddle of rocks and climbed up over them, using a narrow gully fashioned in the shape of a giant's staircase.

'Legends say that the Granite Kings built these mountains,'

Eventine whispered, testing each dark shadow before she climbed up through it. "whey built it with their bare hands in battle with the Nightmare,' she added.

Thane climbed up the last step and stood on the highest point of the saddle, looking out across a wide lake of still black water.

'Mantern's Mountain!' he whispered fearfully, pointing at the huge dark shape that rose sheer and terrible on the far side of the lake, blotting out the canopy of stars, casting a black shadow across the water. Kyot moved silently to his side and stared up at the black mountain. Somewhere near the summit a rock slide began, turning from a hollow rattle of sharp shale into the thunderous roar of falling rocks that plunged down into the lake, sending ripples far out across its surface.

'The most dangerous place in all Elundium!' Kyot gasped, stepping back a pace and taking Eventine's hand.

Thane turned his head and smiled softly at his two love-matched friends. 'Take nothing you treasure or would fear to lose,' he whispered, pulling his half-cloak tight against the cold night wind.

Kyot squeezed Eventine's hand and knelt beside Thane 'We treasure each moment we are together, we

a.n.u.st walk into the darkness as one.'

Thane gripped Kyot's hand, his eyes wet with tears. 'No, Kyot, stay here and wait for me. It is enough to lose Elionbel to the Nightmare, but to lose you and for you to risk losing Eventine . . .'

Kyot shook his head gently, resting his hands on Thane's shoulders. 'We are as brothers, Thane. I would not leave your side, not if all the Nightbeasts of Elundium were before us.'

'To face Krulshards will be far worse,' Thane cried, shaking himself free. 'Don't you understand? To destroy the Nightmare I must destroy Elionbel, I can see no other way. Fate has driven me along this path and I must travel it to the bitter end, but it would be a great comfort to me in the: darkness to know that you are both here beneath the canopy of stars, walking free in soft summer sunlight. And if I fail you must gather every warrior, Marcher, Galloper and Archer in a last desperate attempt to save the sunlight for I think that if Krulshards kills me he will come to claim Elundium. That will be the moment when the great Bows of Orm and Clatterford should sing together.'

Eventine knelt before Thane, holding his gaze with her gentle clear eyes. '~ate has armed us to walk with you,' she whispered, 'you cannot turn away from the twists of fate.'

Thane blinked and looked away. Ousious, the Queen of Swans, had waded ash.o.r.e and stood silently beside him, Reaching out a hand he caressed her soft, downy neck. 'Promise me,' he whispered, looking back into Eventine's eyes. 'Promise me that Elionbel will not suffer, that if I cannot cut the Nightmare's life thread you will end her pain.'

Eventine reached back into her quiver and took out a gla.s.sbladed arrow. 'I promise,' she whispered, kissing the blade and handing it to Thane.

He lifted it and pressed it against his forehead, feeling the hot sunlight trapped in the blade. Kyot also drew an arrow and pledged his kiss upon the blade that Elionbel would feel

no pain as the Nightmare died.

lo..

Thane stood up, tears streaming down his face, and lightly touched both the gla.s.s arrow-blades against his lips before he gave them back. 'You have eased my heart and freed me to destroy the Nightmare,' he whispered, turning away to hide his grief and walk alone along the dark edge of the lake.

Kyot rose to follow him, but Eventine gripped his hand, stopping him. 'He is with her now, walking in happier days.

Leave him with his sweet memories.'

Thane, unable to rest, had saddled Stumble in the grey hours and waited impatiently until the light grew strong enough for the swans to rise from the lake and find them an entrance to the City of Night. Ogion and Ousious paddled to the water's edge and bent their necks in salute, singing in haunted whispers of the dark mountainside that loomed before them and of the love that Thane had for Elionbel. Thane knelt on the bank, putting his head between them and thanked them for all they had done to lead him this far through the wildness of Elundium.

'All Elundium shall be yours to fly freely in, and any lake that you choose shall be called Swanwater. I know the King will pledge it to you if I can destroy the Nightmare.'

Ousious rubbed her beak against his cheek and sang Elionbel's name just once before she turned away and beat a path across the still water, rising up into the new morning's light. Ogion stayed a moment, his glittering eyes looking deeply into Thane's. Blinking, he touched the hilt of the dagger with his beak, turned and followed Ousious out across the lake.

Kyot tested the string of his bow and mounted Sprint.

Eventine smiled and sprang lightly on to Tanglecrown's back, but Thane stood awhile, watching the swans dip and swoop across the bleak mountainside, searching out the road.

'There, there is the path,' Eventine cried, urging Tanglecrown

forward to where the swans were circling above a tall ridge of shale that had its beginnings in the shallow waters of

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the lake. Tanglecrown was a Lord of Stags and sure-footed in the mountain crags. He roared a warning and led the way, picking a route through the treacherous shifting shale.

Kyot followed a little way behind, a gla.s.s-tipped arrow ready on the string. Stumble found the pace too fast on the steep ridge, slipping and sliding with every footfall. Thane dismounted, leading the horse, and followed as quickly as he could. Twice during the long ascent he turned back, thinking he saw a movement far below in the dark shadowy valleys.

Breathlessly he caught up with Kyot and showed him, pointing downwards. Kyot followed Thane's arm, shading his eyes against the noonday glare reflected on the slate-grey shale.

'They are hors.e.m.e.n, I think!' he said. 'Marchers and Gallopers spread out in a great crescent around the base of this black mountain. It must be Tombel or Thoron. Nevian pledged them to hunt the Nightbeasts clear across Elundium.'

Eventine had halted just above them, where the ridge curved away from the mountainside. She laughed softly, sweeping the end of her bow in a wide semi-circle. 'All Elundium has gathered to watch our battle with the Nightmare.

I can see the roofs of Underfall far away to the right and the gla.s.s spires of Clatterford far away to the left. The emblem of the owl in blue and gold is everywhere betweenthem spread in a great line that moves towards us.'

'But how many of them have the courage to follow us into the darkness?' Thane asked. Turning back to face the

mountain he began to climb again.

Ousious swooped past him, flying straight at the mountainside.

At the last moment she turned away, her bright orange beak opening and closing noiselessly. Again and again, in great danger from Nightbeasts' spear thrusts, the swans flew close to a narrow crack in the mountain wall, showing where day turned into night.

'I see it, that dark split just above us. That is the beginning of night,' Thane shouted to the circling swans, waving him

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hand in thanks as they glided down towards the still black water of the lake at the foot of the mountain.