Curse of the Shadowmage - Mark Anthony [56]
"We killed one shadevar," Morhion countered. "But in ancient times there were thirteen of them."
"Might I suggest we continue this argument later?" Cormik said with a note of hysteria. "Perhaps sometime when we're not about to be gruesomely dismembered?"
The shadevar was gaining speed. "Make for the bridge," Morhion said quickly. "The shadevar cannot cross large bodies of water. Their nature prevents it."
The horses required little urging. They galloped wildly toward the bridge. Kellen gripped Flash's mane tightly; he had given up even attempting to control the little pony. The sound of the river grew louder. The stone arch of the bridge loomed before them in the gloom. Without Warning, Mari reined Farenth to a halt. The other horses skidded to a stop.
"Have you gone mad, Al'maren?" Cormik demanded. "Don't stop now. The thing is gaining on us!"
"No, she is not mad," Morhion said hoarsely. The others followed his gaze. In the faint light, they could just make out two figures standing in front of the bridge, blocking the way. Both wore thick black robes.
"By Azuth on High," Mari swore in a mixture of horror and amazement. "More of them!"
Once, the Fellowship had managed to defeat a single shadevar. Just barely. Now they faced three of the ancient, evil creatures. Morhion looked over his shoulder. The first shadevar loped toward them swiftly. It would be upon them in moments. The other two stood firm before the bridge, and a river too deep to ford. The companions were trapped.
"This way!" Morhion shouted, turning to the left and spurring his mount away from the road. "The edge of the Reaching Woods is less than a mile away. It's our only chance!"
The others did not stop to argue. They spurred their mounts, leaving the road behind and thundering toward the dark wall of the forest. A cry of inhuman rage rose the cold night air. Yet, when Kellen dared to glance back a few moments later, the creatures had vanished. Perhaps they had given up. The shadevari were swift, but even they could not outrun a galloping horse.
Jewel spoke up, her smoky voice tinged with fear. "I really hate to be negative, loves, but you might want to look up."
The shadevari had not abandoned their pursuit after all. Three dark shapes whirled in the air above the riders, soaring on broad wings. The outlines of the creatures were hazy and indistinct, almost as if they were formed of smoke. They looked like some malformed mixture of lizard and bat, only far larger. Riding on the back of each of the flying creatures was one of the shadevari. The shadowsteeds folded their wings and began to dive, stretching out curved talons.
"Don't look up!" Morhion shouted. "Keep riding!"
Kellen tore his eyes away from the horrible scene in the sky. Fixing his gaze on the approaching line of trees, he braced himself as his horse sped up, fearing that at any moment he would feel sharp claws rake deep into his back, peeling flesh from bone.
Then Flash crashed through a low wall of undergrowth into the forest. Through the lattice of branches, Kellen looked up to see the three shadowsteeds pull up sharply, barely avoiding a collision with the treetops. Screams of pure fury pierced the night, but the terrible cries faded as the horses pushed onward. The winged shadowsteeds could not pursue them into the forest. They had escaped the shadevari. At least for now.
Kellen let out a sigh of relief as they wound their way deeper into the safety of the trees. Then Mari uttered something that made their hearts sink. "We've lost Caledan's trail," she said quietly. After that, they rode for a long time in silence.
Eleven
The wanderer