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tops. His lungs burned in chest; his muscles ached with exhaustion.
Clouds as dirty as undyed wool scudded low over the mai No wind blew, but the
cold air was numbing enough. With his breath fogging about him, Dain waited a
moment, then waded through the knee-deep water even farther into the reeds and
crouched again. Constant shivers ran through him, as much from fear as from
cold. He clenched his teeth to keep them from chattering. He had to be silent
now, as still and silent as the mist lying upon the river that flowed behind
him. The wound in his right forearm
dripped pale blood into the water. He held his arm beneath the surface in
hopes of stanching the bleeding and hiding the smell from the dogs.
The coldness of the water burned his skin and raised huge goose bumps across
his body. Sucking in his belly, he bowed his head and let quick breaths hiss
in and out through his gritted teeth. His pulse thumped so fast it bruised his
throat. His mind was wide open, receiving the crimson bloodlust of the dogs
chase/chase/chase; kill/kill/kill
and the flick, flick, flick of men-minds, blurs of thoughts, shapes, and
colors he could barely shut out.
A whimper came from between his jaws. He held his breath, savagely starving
himself for air. He d already made enough mistakes today. No need now to lead
them right to him because he could not hold his fear silent.
To his right he saw a great levee built of dirt to hold the marsh back. A road
paved with stone topped the levee, which curved to accommodate the lazy bend
of river.
Beyond, trees stood silhouetted against the dirty sky. Spangled in colors of
gold, scarlet, and rust, most of them were dropping their leaves. Distant,
thin spirals of smoke rose into the sky. A village, he thought, feeling a
faint measure of hope. If he could get there, get to the smithy and call
himself Jorb s apprentice, he might find refuge of a sort. Most
Mandrians were suspicious of strangers, let alone those of his kind, and were
inclined to toss those of the bent eye into the nearest horse trough or
stream, for despite their priests and large churches, the old beliefs of
Man-dria claimed that those of pagan blood melted in water.
Dain glanced down at the muddy water enclosing him at the rib line and
grimaced.
He wished at this moment that the superstition were true. Melting would be a
more merciful end than what the hunters planned for him.
He tried to calm himself. Jorb always said no good came of panic. He
understood now that he d tried to steal a war-trained horse, one taught not to
let a stranger mount it. Even had 1 it into the forest, he could never have
gotten on its back wi being thrown.
It would have been useless for his purp Well, the mistake had been an honest
one. It was past. He i it aside and wasted no more thought on
self-recrimination Only let these hunters go, he thought impatiently, ho his
muscles rigid against the shivers which racked him them go before he froze to
death in this icy water.
Keebacks perching in a nearby copse of trees on the rose with a sudden flurry
of wings. Their harsh squawking tied Dain. A cry choked in his throat, and he
nearly burst his miserable hiding place on the force of their instinct.
But he could not run another step. His legs were spent, muscles cramped and
trembling. His stomach felt as thoi had been knotted and was being drawn up by
slow degree; his throat to choke him. He crouched lower in the icy wate gaze
on the boys still searching for him among the trees though at this distance he
could not distinguish their wore could hear the frustration in their voices as
they called to other.
Dain grinned to himself, feeling his whole body shake toes had gone numb. He
could barely feel his feet now. Cl ing his jaw tight to keep his teeth from
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chattering, he wai his baffled pursuers and knew they hadn t expected him t
tually come out here into the open.
Go away, he thought with all his might. But he was too and spent now to focus
his thoughts enough to really pers them.
A track! shouted the huntsman. He took to the wate Hoofbeats came thudding
across the muddy banks o marsh. A horse neighed as it floundered belly-deep in
v The dogs noise changed note, and Dain stopped breathinj watched the dogs
rush to the water s edge, only to leap 1 With lolling tongues and waving
tails, they barked in his c tion as though they could see him in his paltry
hiding place riders rode back and forth, discussing the matter.
Go away, Dain thought fiercely while the terrible numl crept up his legs. His
strength
was waning. He did not thü could hold himself crouched there and still in the
freezing 1
much longer.
Two of the dogs jumped into the water, then scrambled out to shake themselves
and whine at their masters.
For an instant the sun broke through the storm clouds to shine upon supple
leather, velvets, and fur-trimmed caps. It tipped the hunting spears with
gold.
He s gone to the water, right enough, said one of the men in chain mail. His
gnarled voice carried clearly across the marsh. Morde a day, but he s sly as
a vixlet. Yer highness s fine dogs cannae catch scent in yon marsh.
The boy he spoke to snatched off his cap to reveal hair that shone as bright
as gold coin. It was the handsome one, the boy whose horse Dain had tried to
steal. I m aware of that, he said angrily. His voice rang out in a clear
tenor, like the song of crystal. But he s not gone far. He s spilled enough
of his cursed white blood to weaken him. I ll wager a gold dreit he s out
there in those very reeds now, shivering and trying to cast a spell on us.
Thum! Mierre! Attend me, both of you. What say you to it?
Dain shrank even lower in the water. His eyes were wide and unblinking,
focused on nothing save the hunters. His heart thudded harder than ever. Why
had fate crossed his path with that of a prince? And gods, this prince guessed
his intentions too plainly.
The youth called Thum made no answer to the prince s call, but the other
one burly in the shoulders and moon-faced kicked his mount closer to his
prince. They faced each other at the water s edge, their bodies slack in the
saddle while their horses drank.
Overhead, the keebacks sailed the skies, crying out their harsh call. In the
distance, a bell began to ring, and another hunting horn blew.
Hear that? Thum said. We re being called in.
The others ignored him.
I say aye, my prince, the boy called Mierre answered. Our quarry s nearby,
all right. The marsh is narrow this way between the road and the river. If he
goes on he ll have to swim the river, and I doubt he can do that. Not after
the run he s had.
Cornered, the golden-haired prince said in satisfaction.
Prince Gavril, Thum said, his voice fine and clear. It s to be a damned
cold wetting, riding into that muck just to fish out a thief. A poor end to
fine hunting. Let s leave the wretch to freeze and go back to the hold as we
are bidden.
His sensible words gave Dain a trickle of hope.
No! Prince Gavril said. I ve not run my horse hard to go home now. If
you re afraid of wet feet, go in and yourself fire. I m not finished here.
The boys glared at each other. Even at a short distance ] could feel Thum s
exasperation and Gavril s iron-hard dete nation.
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