The Dream Spheres - Elaine Cunningham [136]
He shook the reins over the horses' backs. The frightened animals took off at a tearing run.
Danilo crawled through the window onto the box. "Don't think that I am devoid of appreciation," he began, "but-"
"Not another a word," the elf snarled as he guided the team around a sharp turn. "You wanted to catch those men. This is the only way you'll do so without bleeding yourself dry."
Danilo considered, then gave a curt nod. That was all he had time for, because another careening turn tipped the carriage onto two wheels. He seized the edge of the seat and braced his boots against the footrest to keep from sliding off onto the cobblestones.
"Hang on," Elaith said, belatedly.
They tore through the streets, tilting wildly first to one side then the other as they thundered along. The elf kept the hindmost rider in sight-no easy task, despite the fact that the man's precipitous flight emptied the streets.
Elaith followed him down a narrow alley, one that curved and twisted like a snake. The carriage tilted but did not fall. Sparks flew as the wheel rubbed against the narrow walls and showered down on them from where the upper edge grazed the opposite wall.
They burst out into the chaos of a crowded courtyard. A trio of barrels rolled toward them. One shattered beneath the horses' hooves. The scent of mead honeyed the air. Chickens fled, squawking in stupid indignation. A few merchants stood their ground, shouting imprecations and pelting the carriage with spilled and ruined produce.
Instinctively Elaith reached for a retaliatory knife. Danilo caught his arm as he was getting ready to throw.
"Listen," he said grimly.
The distinctive rise and fall of the Watch horn sounded over the noise of the street. Elaith swore and jerked the reins to the left, sending the horses careening down a side street. Four men in black and green scale armor formed ranks at the end of the street. "The Watch," Danilo said. "The penalty for attacking them is high!"
"Then let's hope they have the sense to get out of the way," the elf returned. He leaned forward, shaking the reins over the horses' backs to urge them on. Something of his grim determination transmitted itself to the team. The pampered carriage horses turned back their ears, lowered their heads, and charged.
At the last moment the Watchmen leaped aside. The carriage thundered through, veering off to the right with a screech of wheels and a wild chorus of snorts and whinnies-an equine cry that would not have disgraced a paladin's battlehorse.
"At least someone's enjoying this," Danilo commented. He sent a worried glance over his shoulder, then sighed with relief as all four men rose to their feet.
A shadow flashed over them, tracing a circle on the road below. "Griffon rider," Danilo supplied.
Elaith swore and pulled back on the reins, but the horses were too lost in their wild, newfound freedom to respond in time.
Wind buffeted them as enormous wings backbeat the air. A huge, leonine body pivoted in the air and dropped to the ground in a ready crouch. The creature's eaglelike beak snapped in percussive counterpoint to the menacing, feline growl that rumbled from its feathered throat.
The horses shied, rearing up to paw the air and whinnying in terror. The carriage tilted, spilling its occupants to the ground. Elaith was on his feet at once, alert for the attack, but he did not draw a weapon. From his position on the cobblestone, Danilo applauded the elf's good sense. At least twenty Watchmen and a dozen guards surrounded them with drawn swords.
Elaith cast a baleful look at Danilo. "Are you dead?" he demanded tartly.
Dan hauled himself painfully to his feet, giving the matter careful consideration. "Not quite."
"Good," the elf growled as the men closed in. "I should hate to miss the opportunity to kill you myself."
* * * * *
The door to the prison cell clanked shut. Elaith turned to glower at his companion.