Poor as the marksmanship had been, it was enough to deter the rest of the birds. They kited off sideways, out of her arrow range; caught a thermal, and rowed through the air as fast as their wings could flap to vanish over the top of the cliff.
Gwena lurched back into motion, and Elspeth was forced to put her bow away and resume her two-handed clutch on the saddle pommel.
They were barely a third of the way to the top of the cliff and the shelter Of the ruins.
She hoped they would see that shelter-and that what awaited them at the top was not a further nest of foes.
Wherever the crows had gone, they had not managed to herd another clutch of magically-constructed creatures to the ruins to meet them. And they didn't return to harass the Heralds themselves.
Elspeth heaved a sigh of relief that was echoed by Gwena as they approached the edge of the cliff without seeing any further opposition to their progress. They reached the end of the path without meeting any other dangers than the treacherous path itself-though the last third, so high above the floor of the Plains, had put Elspeth's heart in her throat for the entire journey. She tried to use her Farsight to spy out the land ahead, but either her fear or somethi ng U: ,t.;AP f herself interfered her ability to See. She thought the way was clear, but she drew her bow againjust in case it wasn't.
They scrambled up the final switchback, with Elspeth praying that there wasn't anything lying in ambush, and found themselves on a smooth apron of masonry, uneven and weathered, with weeds growing through the cracks.
But there was no time to marvel. A new threat climbed the trail behind them-a threat that was surefooted enough to have closed the gap between them. Elspeth had not had any chance to shoot at these new followers, but they were much bigger than the first creatures that had pursued them across the Plain as well as being armored with horny plates, and she was not terribly confident that their arrows would make much of an impression on these beasts. And they were barely two switchbacks behind the Heralds.
She and Gwena pushed past Skif and scrambled for the shelter of that ruined tower-like edifice she had Seen. He followed right on Gwena's crupper; the Companions' hooves rang on the stone in perfect rhythm, sounding like one single horse.
They reached the shelter of the stones just barely ahead of their pursuers; the first of the creatures came over the edge of the cliff as they whisked into a narrow cleft between two standing walls, a cleft just wide enough for the two of them, or one of them and a Companion, but deep enough for several to work unhindered behind whoever held the front.
Skif and Cymry reached the cleft last, which put them in the position of initial defenders. As Elspeth threw herself from the saddle, she reached for bow-case and quiver. As she fumbled with the straps that held both in place on the saddle-skirt, the sword at her side uncoiled its power, and struck.
At her.
Her hand closed on the hilt of the blade before she was quite aware of what was happening. But as Need moved to take over the rest of her body, she fought back.
It was a brief, sharp struggle; it ended in the blade's surprised capitulation.
What in hell is wrong with you, girl?' Need shrilled in her mental 'ear.'
'I thought you were going to let me work magic against those things!'
'through me, not using me,' she snarled back. 'that's my body you're trying to take over. You didn't ask, you just tried to take.' Need seemed very much taken aback. While the blade pondered, Elspeth retrieved her bow and quiver, and counted out her shots. There were depressingly few arrows left; what she had, she would have to use carefully.
'You've got a mothering-strong Mage-Gift,' the blade said, as Elspeth positioned herself behind Skif, with one arrow nocked to her bowstring.
'I think if I guide you through it, we ought to be able to fend these things off long enough to give us a breathing space. Relax a little, will you?' Elspeth let down her guard, reluctantly. 'that's all I need,' Need said. this will be like learning how to shoot. My hands on yours, guiding. that's all. Now look, with your Farsight, below us.' Elspeth obeyed, wondering if this was a waste of time. But to her amazement, there was something down there. A kind of web of light, with a bright glow where the lines all met.
'those are ley-lines; the thing in the middle is a node. Reach out and touch it. I'll help you.' There was an odd sensation that was similar to that of having hands on hers; she followed the guidance of those invisible 'hands,' reaching out to touch-just barely touch-that bright glow.
Although her physical hands merely pointed off into the heart of the ruins, those other 'hands' penetrated deeply beneath the ground-deeper, she sensed, than the Plains below them. It was not effortless.
