The Black Cauldron

'Yes, yes!' Gurgi cried. 'Crunchings and munchings for brave, hungry Gurgi!'

'That's very kind and thoughtful of you,' said Eilonwy with an admiring glance at Adaon. 'Much more than you can expect from certain Assistant Pig-Keepers.'

Adaon went to the stock of provisions, while Ellidyr strode off to his guard post. Taran sat down wearily on a boulder, his sword across his knees.

'It's not that we're starving,' Eilonwy said. 'Gurgi did remember to bring along the wallet of food. Yes, and that was a gift from Gwydion, too, so he had every right to take it. It's certainly a magical wallet,' she went on; 'it never seems to get empty. The food is really quite nourishing, I'm sure, and wonderful to have when you need it. But the truth of the matter is, it's rather tasteless. That's often the trouble with magical things. They're never quite what you'd expect.

'You're angry, aren't you,' Eilonwy went on. 'I can always tell. You look as if you've swallowed a wasp.'

'If you'd stopped to think of the danger,' Taran replied, 'instead of rushing off without knowing what you're doing.'

'You're a fine one to talk, Taran of Caer Dallben,' said Eilonwy. 'Besides, I don't think you're as angry as all that, not after what you said to Ellidyr. It was wonderful the way you were ready to smite him because of me. Not that you needed to. I could have taken good care of him myself. And I didn't mean you weren't kind and thoughtful. You really are. It just doesn't always occur to you. For an Assistant Pig-Keeper you do amazingly well…'

Before Eilonwy could finish, Ellidyr gave a shout of warning. A horse and rider plunged into the grove. It was Fflewddur. Behind him galloped Doli's shaggy pony.

Breathless, and with his yellow hair pointing in all directions, the bard flung himself from the steed and ran to Adaon.

'Make ready to leave!' he cried. 'Take the weapons. Get the pack horses moving. We're going to Caer Cadarn…' He caught sight of Eilonwy. 'Great Belin! What are you doing here?'

'I'm tired of being asked that,' Eilonwy said.

'The cauldron!' cried Taran. 'Did you seize it? Where are the others? Where is Doli?'

'Here, where else?' snapped a voice. In another instant Doli flickered into sight astride what had seemed to be an empty saddle. He jumped heavily to the ground. 'Didn't even take time to make myself visible again.' He clapped his hands to his head. 'Oh, my ears!'

'Gwydion orders us to fall back immediately,' the bard went on in great excitement. 'He and Coll are with Morgant. They'll catch us up if they can. If not, we all rally at Caer Cadarn.'

While Ellidyr and Adaon hurriedly untethered the animals, Taran and the bard packed the store of weapons. 'Keep these,' Fflewddur ordered, pressing a bow and quiver of arrows into Eilonwy's hands. 'And the rest of you, arm yourselves well.'

'What happened?' Taran asked fearfully. 'Did the plan fail?'

'The plan?' Fflewddur asked. 'That was perfect. Couldn't have been better. Morgant and his men rode with us to Dark Gate? ah, that Morgant! What a warrior! Not a nerve in him. Cool as you please. You might have thought he was going to a feast.' The bard shook his spiky head. 'And there we were, on the very threshold of Annuvin! Oh, you'll hear songs about that, mark my words.'

'Stop yammering,' ordered Doli, hastening up with the agitated pack horses. 'Yes, the plan was fine,' he cried angrily. 'It would have gone slick as butter. There was only one thing wrong. We wasted our time and risked our necks for nothing!'

'Will one or the other of you make sense?' Eilonwy burst out. 'I don't care about songs or butter! Tell us straight out! Where is the cauldron?'

'I don't know,' said the bard. 'Nobody knows.'

'You didn't lose it!' Eilonwy gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth. 'No! Oh, you pack of ninnies! Great heroes! I knew I should have gone with you from the beginning.'

Doli looked as if he were about to explode. His ears trembled; he raised himself on tiptoe, his fists clenched. 'Don't you understand? The cauldron is gone! Away! Not there!'

'That's not possible!' Taran cried.

'Don't tell me it isn't possible,' Doli snapped. 'I was there. I know what I saw. I know what I heard. I went in first, just as Gwydion ordered. I found the Hall of Warriors. No trouble at all. No guards, in fact. Aha, think I, this will be easier than whistling. I slipped in? I could have done it in full view in broad daylight. And why? Because there's nothing to guard! The platform was empty!'

'Arawn has moved the cauldron,' Taran interrupted. 'There is a new hiding place; he's locked it up somewhere else.'

'Don't you think I have the wits I was born with?' Doli retorted. 'That was the first thing that came into my head. So I set off again? I'd have searched Arawn's own chamber if I'd had to. But I hadn't gone six paces before I ran into a pair of Arawn's guards. Or they ran into me, the clumsy oafs,' Doli muttered, rubbing a bruised eye. 'I went along with them a little way. By then, I'd heard enough.

'It must have happened a few days ago. How or who, I don't know. Neither does Arawn. You can imagine his rage! But whoever they were, they got there ahead of us. They did their work well. The cauldron is gone from Annuvin!'

'But that's wonderful!' said Eilonwy. 'Our task is done and it cost us nothing more than a journey.'

'Our task is far from done,' said the grave voice of Adaon. He had finished loading one of the pack horses and had come to stand beside Taran. Ellidyr, too, had been listening closely.

'We've lost the glory of fighting for it,' Taran said. 'But the important thing is that Arawn has it no longer.'

'It is not so easy,' Adaon warned. 'This is a stinging defeat for Arawn; he will do all in his power to regain the cauldron. But there is more. The cauldron is dangerous in itself, even out of Arawn's grasp. What if it has fallen into other evil hands?'

'Exactly what Gwydion himself said,' Fflewddur put in. 'The thing has somehow got to be found and destroyed without delay. Gwydion will plan a new search from Caer Cadarn. It would seem our work has just begun.'

'Mount your steeds,' Adaon ordered. 'We cannot overburden our pack animals; the Princess Eilonwy and Gurgi will share our own horses.'

'Islimach will bear only me,' Ellidyr said. 'She has been trained so, from a foal.'

'I would expect that, being a steed of yours,' Taran said. 'Eilonwy will ride with me.'

'And I shall take Gurgi with me on Lluagor,' Adaon said. 'Come now, quickly.'

Taran ran to Melynlas, leaped astride, and pulled Eilonwy up after him. Doli and the others hastened to mount. But as they did, savage cries burst from either side of them and there was a sudden hiss of arrows.

Chapter 5 The Huntsmen of Annuvin

THE PACK HORSES SHRIEKED in terror. Melynlas reared, as arrows rattled among the branches. Fflewddur, sword in hand, spun his mount and plunged against the attackers.

Adaon's voice rang above the din. 'These are Huntsmen! Fight free of them!'

At first it seemed to Taran the shadows had sprung to life. Formless, they drove against him, seeking to tear him from his saddle. He swung his sword blindly. Melynlas pitched furiously, trying to break away from the press of warriors.

The sky had begun to unravel in scarlet threads. The sun, rising against black pines and leafless trees, filled the grove with a baleful light.

Taran now saw the attackers numbered about a dozen. They wore jackets and leggings of animal skins. Long knives were thrust into their belts, and from the neck of one warrior hung a curved hunting horn. As the men swirled around him, Taran caught his breath in horror. Each Huntsman bore a crimson brand on his forehead. The sight of it filled Taran with dread, for he knew the strange symbol must be a mark of Arawn's power.

He fought against the fear that chilled his heart and drained his strength.

Behind him, he heard Eilonwy cry out. Then he was seized by the belt and dragged from Melynlas. A Huntsman