The gorthling himself did not try to move, for the little group of hostages was clinging together in a terrified huddle between his huge legs. They did not dare run, and neither the Hunnuli nor the magic-wielders could reach them as long as the beast stood over them.
It was not long before the gorthling noticed that only the sorceress was offering any real counterattack. She fired her own spells at him while the men only tried to distract him with awkward feints whenever possible. They were rank beginners, he realized gleeful y. That noted, he began to concentrate his attack on Athlone and Sayyed, forcing Gabria to expend more and more of her energy to defend her companions.
As time went on, the battle grew more desperate. Gabria silently thanked the gods for the Hunnuli herd. She knew she and the two men would not have lasted so long against the gorthling if they'd had to defend the crowds. The horses stopped several bolts of magic, and their presence kept the gorthling penned on the island.
But even with the help of the Hunnuli, the struggle was tel ing upon the three humans. Athlone's and Sayyed's inexperience was beginning to show. Their shields were weakening, and several times the gorthling nearly knocked them from their horses. Gabria's fear for them intensified.
Gabria, too, was tiring. She had faced the brunt of the gorthling's attack, and she knew her strength would not last much longer. She pressed the gorthling harder with the Trymian Force, with fireballs, smoke, and flights of arrows. She tried everything she could think of, yet her magic had no effect. The gorthling's size and greater strength helped him ward off her blows with ease. Gabria was running out of ideas.
Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed.
Sayyed's Hunnuli, Afer, was near the sacred ring when he abruptly slipped on a mossy stone and his front hoof slid down between a cluster of rocks. The stallion lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground. The snap of his foreleg was heard al over the island.
Sayyed was thrown over the stallion's head into the rocks. The Turic lay dazed while his Hunnuli tried frantically to free his broken leg and defend his rider. The other Hunnuli neighed in strident, ringing calls, and Eurus and Nara sprang forward to help the fallen horse and rider.
The gorthling moved faster, grabbing the dazed Turic with one huge hand. Sayyed was bleeding heavily from a cut on his head and was too stunned to try to escape. Nara and Eurus started toward the giant in the stone circle.
The gorthling laughed, and his eyes glowed red. "Now," he bel owed, brandishing his stone club with one hand and Sayyed's struggling form in his other, "watch one of your own die.
To the watchers' horror, Branth hoisted the young Turic over his head. Sayyed fought back weakly, his face working with fear when he saw the ground far below.
Across the river, Tam stood by the Hunnuli colt and Lord Sha Umar, watching the battle. She had not moved from the riverbank since Gabria had left, and she had ignored Sha Umar's offer for food or drink. Her hand stayed on the colt's neck and her eyes remained on the island.
When Afer fell, Tam stiffened and her mouth opened slightly. She watched in growing apprehension as the gorthling grabbed Sayyed. A tiny whimper escaped her lips. When Tam saw the creature lift Sayyed into the air, she quivered with anger and fear. A fury that she had never known before exploded at the injustice and cruelty of losing another person she loved. No, her young mind cried, not again. No! No!"
"No!"
Tam's voice rang out loud and clear across the water. At the same time, she instinctively used her wild talent to project her into furious thought into the human brain of the gorthling.
The effect was stunning. The protest burst on the gorthling's unprepared mind like an explosion, sending him staggering back. He let go of the Turic and clamped his hands to his head. His concentration broken, he dropped his stone club and began to shrink back to normal size.
The magic-wielders reacted instantly. Before Sha Umar could stop her, Tam jumped on the smal Hunnuli and galloped him toward the island. Gabria broke Sayyed's fall by transforming the stones beneath him into a thick pile of hay, and Athlone fired a bolt of the Trymian Force at the unprotected gorthling. The bolt was weak and uncontrol ed, but it was enough to knock Branth onto his back and give Sayyed a chance to escape.
"Get to the other side of the river!" Gabria cried.
The Turic did not listen. Instead of retreating, he flung himself into the group of hostages. The gorthling screeched in rage. He fired a blast at the people huddled together, but Sayyed formed a shield over them all. The Trymian Force bounced harmlessly away.
The gorthling felt his twinge of fear return and grow stronger. He immediately revived his own defensive shield. Now he had no escape route, no hostages for safety, and no place to retreat. He was trapped, and while his enemies were tiring, so was he. He could no longer maintain his gigantic size or the ful power of his Trymian Force. The thought occurred to him that he had seriously underestimated these humans. He paused for a moment, breathing heavily, and looked around the island for some means of turning this battle in his favor.
Gabria and Athlone took advantage of the brief respite to regroup. Nara clattered over the rocks closer to Eurus, and their two riders watched the gorthling warily.
“We seem to be in a stalemate,” Athlone said between deep breaths. "What do we do now?"
Gabria frowned in frustration. "I really don't know. He can't leave the island, but I still don't know how to send
