quick glance at Taran, 'I had always hoped that if Eilonwy were betrothed to anyone it would be? yes, well, what I mean to say is that despite all the squabbling and bickering between the two of you, I had rather expected…'
'Do not mock me,' Taran burst out, reddening. 'Eilonwy is a Princess of the House of Llyr. You know my station as well as I. Such a hope has never been in my mind. It is only fitting for Eilonwy to be betrothed to one of her own rank.' Angrily he drew away from the bard and galloped ahead.
'So you say, so you say,' murmured Fflewddur, hurrying after him. 'Look closer into your heart. You may find your opinion to be somewhat different.'
Taran, unhearing, pressed his steed to join the line of warriors.
TURNING NORTHWARD along the lower slopes of the Hills of Parys, the searching party broke into smaller bands, each quartering its own ground. The warriors, widely separated, moved in long, wavering lines, often out of each other's sight, painstakingly scouting every possible hiding place. Yet, as the morning wore away and noontide passed, they found no trace of the Chief Steward or Eilonwy.
Among the green and gentle slopes ran broken, pebbly trails, where the fleeing Magg might have passed and where clues would be invisible to the eyes of even the most able tracker. Taran's heart sank; in his mind chafed the fear that he was following a false hope and that Eilonwy had been taken in an altogether different direction. From time to time he anxiously scanned the sky for a glimpse of Kaw returning with news of the Princess.
Gwydion, Taran knew, was the only one who might discover Achren's plan. Magg was the key, but the Chief Steward had acted so swiftly that perhaps even now he was beyond the reach of the searching party. Taran redoubled his efforts to find a broken twig, a loose stone? anything that might bring them closer to Eilonwy before nightfall put an end to the day's searching.
Gurgi, riding close at hand, called out to him. 'Look, look! Noble prince goes far alone, too far into the woods! He will lose himself. Then cheerful hullos will turn to sad moanings and groanings!'
Taran, who had dismounted to study what seemed a possible trail, raised his eyes in time to see Prince Rhun galloping over the shoulder of a hill. He shouted at him, but Rhun was too distant to hear, or, more likely, Taran thought, was simply paying no heed. He leaped astride his horse and sought to overtake the Prince. Until now he had managed to keep Prince Rhun always in view, but by the time Taran reached the hill, Rhun had vanished into the shadows of an alder grove. Below, on the rapidly darkening meadow, Fflewddur had cantered into sight and was calling him. Taran shouted Rhun's name once again, then beckoned for the bard and Gurgi to join him.
'That sickening spider has escaped us today,' Fflewddur cried angrily, while his nag labored to the crest. 'But we shall fetch him out tomorrow and Eilonwy will be safe and sound. If I know the Princess, Magg has already begun to regret stealing her away. She's worth a dozen warriors even if she's tied hand and food' Despite the bard's brave words, his face looked deeply worried. 'Come,' said Fflewddur, 'the Master of Horse is calling in the warriors. We're to make camp with them for the night.'
Even as the bard spoke, Taran heard the faint notes of a signal horn. He frowned. 'I dare not leave Prince Rhun to wander alone in the forest.'
'In that case,' replied Fflewddur, glancing toward the setting sun, 'we had best get hold of him without delay. A Ffiam is keen-eyed! But I'd rather not go stumbling about the countryside after dark, if it can possibly be avoided.'
'Hasten, yes, yes, with hurryings and scurryings!' cried Gurgi. 'Fearsome shadows fall, and bold but cautious Gurgi does not know what hurtful things hide in them!'
The companions rode quickly into the grove where, Taran felt certain, they would find the Prince. However, once beyond the ring of alders, and seeing nothing of him, Taran's alarm grew. Vainly he called the Prince's name. Only the echo returned.
'He cannot have ridden far,' he told the bard. 'Even Rhun would have wits enough to halt at nightfall.'
Darkness covered the grove. The horses, more used to their quiet stalls in Dinas Rhydnant than to the forests of Mona, trod fearfully, rearing and shying at every wind-stirred bush. The companions were obliged to dismount and make their way on foot, leading the reluctant steeds. By this time Taran was deeply troubled. What had begun as a simple matter had turned grave.
'He might have fallen from his horse,' Taran said. 'Even now he might be lying hurt or unconscious.'
'Then I suggest we find our way back to the rest of the band,' said Fflewddur, 'and ask them to help us. In this gloom the more eyes the better.'
'We would lose too much time,' Taran answered, pressing on through the underbrush. Gurgi followed, whimpering softly to himself. The rising ground told Taran they were moving above the foothills. No sound came but the hiss of saplings that whipped back as he passed and the click of the horses' hooves over pale stones. Taran stopped short, his heart in his mouth. From a corner of his eye he glimpsed a fleeting movement. It lasted but an instant, a shadow within a shadow. Fighting down his fear, he groped ahead. The horses had turned more skittish than before, and Taran's mount laid back his ears and voiced a frightened whinny.
Gurgi, too, had sensed the dark presence. The terrified creature's hair rose along his neck and he began to howl pitifully. 'Wicked, evil things come to follow harmless Gurgi! Oh, kind master, save Gurgi's poor tender head from hurtful dangers!'
Taran drew his sword and the companions, with many backward glances into the darkness, hurried on. This time the horses did not lag, but plunged desperately ahead, nearly dragging the bard with them.
'Great Belin!' protested Fflewddur, who had crashed into a tree and struggled to free his jangling harp from a bush, 'hold up, there! Next thing you know, we'll be looking for our own steeds as well as for Prince Rhun!'
With difficulty Taran managed to calm the animals who now refused to budge. Despite all his coaxing, pleading, and tugging, the horses stood stiff-legged and round-eyed, their flanks trembling. Taran, himself exhausted, sank to the ground.
'Our search is blind and useless,' he said. 'You were right,' he went on, turning to Fflewddur. 'We should have gone back. The time I had hoped to save is wasted twice over, and Eilonwy's danger is greater with every moment we delay. Now Prince Rhun is lost? and so is Kaw, for all we know.'
'I'm afraid you're right,' sighed Fflewddur. 'And unless you or Gurgi knows where we are, I rather suspect we're lost, too.'
Chapter 6
The Potions of Glew
AT THESE WORDS GURGI set up a wail and rocked back and forth, clutching his head. Taran swallowed his own despair as best he could and tried to reassure the frightened creature.
'We can do nothing now but wait for dawn,' Taran said. 'The Master of Horse cannot be too far away. Find him as soon as you can. Above all, do not delay the search for Eilonwy. I shall seek Prince Rhun,' he added bitterly. 'I have given my oath to keep him from harm and I cannot do otherwise. But when I find him, I'll rejoin you somehow.'
He was silent then, his head bowed. Fflewddur was watching him. 'Do not wear out your heart with grief,' the bard said quietly. 'Magg can't escape us for long. I don't believe he means to harm Eilonwy but only bring her to Achren. And we shall catch him long before he can do that. Rest now. Gurgi and I will share the watch.'
Too weary to protest, Taran stretched out on the ground and covered himself with his cloak. No sooner did his eyes close than fears of Achren came to torment him. In rage and vengeance the haughty Queen would slay any of the companions who fell into her hands. And Eilonwy? He dared not let himself imagine her in Achren's grasp. When at last he dropped into fitful slumber it was as though he slept beneath a millstone.
The sun had barely risen when he opened his eyes with a start. Fflewddur was shaking him. The bard's yellow hair stood out raggedly in all directions, his face was pale with fatigue, but he grinned broadly.
'Good news!' he cried. 'Gurgi and I have done some seekings and peekings of our own. We're not as badly lost as you might think. The truth of it is we've been thrashing around in a circle. Look for yourself.'
Taran sprang to his feet and followed the bard to a low ridge. 'You're right. There's the alder grove. It must be! And there? I remember the fallen tree where I lost sight of Rhun. Come,' he added, 'we shall ride that far
