It amazed Hyden, looking at the wolves through Talon’s eyes, when they were traveling. They radiated a soft, glowing aura, which Hyden had come to think of as their life force. All creatures had it to some degree, but the higher predators were bathed in it. Other birds of prey, the tree cats, and sly foxes that they had seen, even the few long, slithery snakes hiding in the trees, all glowed with it. In the rabbits, squirrels, and the flirty songbirds that called the forest home, the radiance was more of a timid and fleeting glimmer. Hyden longed to study the sensation, and the creatures he could define by it, as well.
He had asked Vaegon and Mikahl both about books that held such information. Mikahl told him that they could be purchased in the more sizable kingdom cities. Vaegon said that he had some books at his home. They weren’t about animals or magic, but he could use them to help teach Hyden to read. That had excited Hyden no end, but now, it looked like Vaegon wasn’t going to be able to find his way home. Hyden would have to wait to get himself a book.
Hyden didn’t dare voice his disappointment. His problems were insignificant compared to Vaegon’s and Mikahl’s. He could wait until they reached Highwander. A temple of his goddess, Whitten Loch, was in the city called Xwarda, and he had enough coin to purchase plenty of books when they got there. He wished he had had the foresight to buy a book or two while at Summer’s Day. He had seen them there, but had never once thought about them, or the wealth of knowledge that they might contain.
Thinking about the festival made him think of his brother. He hoped that Gerard was all right. He was glad that it was nearing time to get back under way. Riding on Grrr’s back, with Talon winging through the trees beside them, was as exhilarating as it was exciting. He could free his mind, and like an animal, live only in the moment, forgetting all other concerns. It was the greatest feeling he had ever felt, save for soaring through the heavens with Talon. The joys of both were amazing.
Grrr’s ears pricked up suddenly. Hyden sensed the alarm in him immediately. Oof and Huffa rose quickly, while Urp sniffed at the air. Without warning, Urp let out a low growl, and then darted off into the forest.
Hyden nudged Mikahl awake.
“What is it?” Mikahl asked sleepily. He had fallen asleep leaning against the tree.
“SHHHH!”
The urgency and warning in Hyden’s tone brought Mikahl fully awake. Silently, he took Ironspike’s sheath rig from his lap and looped it over his shoulder. When he had it buckled in place, he looked over and saw his chain mail shirt lying on his blanket. Too late now, he decided regretfully, as Urp’s distant bark caused Grrr and the other two wolves, to charge off towards the sound.
“At first, I thought it might be Vaegon returning,” Hyden whispered. “It’s not. The wolves feel threatened. There’s something out there.”
Mikahl looked up through a small break in the forest canopy. The sky was a deep, dusky blue. Not much daylight left above, even less down there under the trees.
One of the wolves suddenly let out a long, angry series of snarling barks. Another wolf, Urp, thought Hyden, echoed the sentiment. The first had been Grrr. Something unknown was upon them. Something, that the wolf wasn’t sure he should attack or not. Grrr’s uncertainty was a good sign. If it had been some dark, evil thing, Hyden figured that they would already be attacking it. Talon was gliding into the trees, above the wolf pack now, and Hyden closed his eyes so that he could see.
Mikahl saw Hyden close his eyes, and huffed out a frustrated breath. He didn’t wait for his friend’s explanation. Vaegon might need them. He charged off in the direction the wolves had gone. He drew Ironspike as he ran, and noticed that its magical glow was noticeably dimmer than it had been when he had used it to kill Duke Fairchild. The sound of its magical symphony was still in his head though, only it was as if it was coming from a great distance. Through his grip on the leather wrapped hilt, he could feel the power of the blade slowly fading away.
“It’s all right!” Mikahl heard Hyden call out to him from back at the camp.
He hoped that it was all right, because all he saw as he came crashing into the clearing was snarling great wolves, dozens of angry yellow eyes, and a whole bunch of razor-sharp arrow tips, trained on him and his four four-legged friends. It wasn’t until after he had blinked his eyes several times that he realized that all of those yellow eyes staring back at him belonged to elves.
Chapter 43