out to where the shadows had been, then freezing and retracting again as if, without filling in the shadows first, it was unable to change.
As Tali crawled away, her thigh so painful that she could only drag the leg, the shifter was whacking at the globe on its forehead, trying to knock it off. It kept flinching away from the light.
Rannilt tottered up, wobbly on her feet. Her skin was almost translucent. Taking Tali under the arms, she tried to drag her.
‘Hurry, oh hurry! I’m losin’ it. As soon as it goes out, the beast’s gonna attack.’
The golden glow did seem to be dwindling, the shadows returning and extending. There came a shrill whistle, an answering whinny, then Tobry was heaving Tali over his shoulder and running back to a gigantic horse, black as the inside of a skull and with rolling red eyes that went deep purple when the light from his elbrot passed across them.
‘Leather!’ said Tobry, stroking her muzzle. ‘Leather, old friend. If that’s your hoof mark inch-deep in the beast’s skull, you’ve done us some service.’
He heaved Tali across the front of the saddle like a bag of carrots, clambered up and lifted Rannilt after him.
‘Take this, child!’ he said, handing her the elbrot and whirling Leather around. ‘Hold it up until we’re on the Caulderon road.’
Rannilt held it as high as she could reach, the light illuminating the slope of the hill and the Seethings beyond that. As Tali looked the other way, the golden glow went out and the surrounding shadows strengthened. The shifter whacked the globe off his forehead and began to transform.
‘Go, Leather!’ said Tobry, and the horse bolted down the slope.
When Tali looked back, the shifter was lost among the scrub.
‘Thank you, thank you,’ sobbed Rannilt, throwing her thin arms around Tali and hugging her, accidentally whacking her sore ear with the elbrot. ‘I was so afraid. Horrid, smelly thing. But you saved me. I knew you’d come.’
‘You saved us all, Rannilt. You’re the cleverest girl in the world — ’
Tali had a sudden foreboding that Rannilt’s gift should have been concealed from the enemy. Leather crashed down into a dip, sending a jolt of pain through her. She gasped and closed her eyes. Endure it. You’ve got to endure it.
Tears … pain without end … the pressure of small hands on her thigh, and a gentle golden light that warmed her over and drove the pain down deep until she could barely feel it. Until she slept.
‘Facinore!’ she cried, snapping awake.
‘It’s far away,’ whispered Tobry. ‘Go back to sleep.’
The elbrot light was out and Leather was trotting along a smooth, hard surface. They must be on the road. Rannilt was asleep, her arms locked around Tali’s middle.
‘The shifter’s called a facinore,’ said Tali.
‘Where did you get that from?’
‘It came to me in my sleep. The wrythen must have called it that. What is a facinore? Is it man? Beast? Phantom?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ said Tobry, shivering a little. ‘But the word has an unpleasant ring to it.’
‘It won’t give up. He won’t let it.’
‘Nothing in Hightspall on two legs or four can catch Leather when she’s racing. Besides, it’ll never get through Caulderon’s guarded gates. Go to sleep now.’
She woke as Leather stopped. Tobry cursed and stood up in the stirrups, looking all around.
‘Wassamatta?’ said Tali, drowsily.
‘Lights! Right across the Seethings from east to west, as far as the edge of Lake Fumerous.’
‘Do you think it’s the enemy, looking for me?’
‘More than likely. And by the look of those lights, they’re heading directly for the city.’
‘To cut us off?’
‘And form a cordon of war we’ll find it impossible to creep through.’
He thumped down in the saddle and flicked the reins. Leather began to trot, then canter, then moved to a rocking, rolling gallop.
Tali held Rannilt more tightly. ‘How far is it?’
‘We just passed the five-mile post.’
‘Can we beat them to the gates?’
‘The back roads are good in Suthly County, out to our left, and they’ll make fast time there. But if anyone can outrun them, Leather can.’
‘Carrying the three of us?’
‘I doubt that we three together weigh more than Rix. Go, Leather, old girl. Run like the very wind or we’ll suffer the same fate as poor Beetle.’
Their speed, at full gallop, was so terrifying that it almost detached Tali from the pain of each jarring stride. Almost. She dared not close her eyes. If Leather struck a deep pothole and broke a leg they would hit the ground hard enough to smash every bone.
Soon, far ahead she made out the glow of the city lanterns. Tali clung onto Rannilt, who was still sleeping, clenched her teeth, and prayed.
‘How far to the gates now?’ said Tali.
‘Two miles.’
‘How long?’
‘Less than four minutes.’
‘So fast,’ she marvelled.
‘Rix has never lost a race on Leather.’
‘I can see lights to the left. Ahead of us.’
‘Yes.’
‘They seem to be cutting across to this road.’
‘They are.’
‘Will they catch us?’
‘They’ll certainly come within bowshot.’
Skyrocket flares shot up from the left, one, two and then a third, hanging high in the air and burning with a brilliant yellow light that illuminated everything for half a mile around. Rannilt cried out in her sleep. Tali clutched her protectively, blinking against the brightness.
‘Where are they, Tobry? I can’t see them.’
‘Everywhere,’ Tobry said grimly. ‘They’re everywhere. Thousands of the devils.’
He had one hand over his eyes and was peering through his slitted fingers. Tali did the same, and started. The Cythonians had extinguished their lights and were running in a vast horde, the black cloaks swirling out around them making them difficult to pick out of the darkness.
Leather careered past the one-mile post. The Cythonians were curving around towards the road now, racing to cut them off. Ahead, Tali could see lanterns on the city gates, and guards moving restlessly there.
‘The gates don’t seem to be open.’
‘They never are, at night,’ said Tobry.
‘Will the guards open them for us?’
‘Depends how close the enemy is.’
‘You mean we could reach the gates and be trapped up against them?’
‘More than likely.’
Something shot past Leather’s nose — a streak of silver accompanied by a hackle-raising screech. The great horse tossed her head and whinnied, but kept on.
‘What the blazes was that?’ said Tobry.
‘I’ve heard talk of shriek-arrows,’ said Tali.
‘If they’re intended to frighten us, they’re succeeding.’
A shriek-arrow passed low overhead. Leather’s eyes were rolling now. Tobry patted her and spoke soothing
