homeland. The air smelt sweet and spicy. ‘What a beautiful place,’ she said.
‘The most beautiful world in the universe,’ said Malien. ‘So the Faellem used to say, before they lost it.’
The recently arrived lyrinx had adopted defensive positions. Some had gone up trees, others to the top of a mass of purple-brown boulders away to the left. A burly male stood by a stream and scooped water with one hand. He tasted it and smacked his lips.
‘Any sign of a node?’ asked Gilhaelith.
‘I haven’t looked yet.’ Tiaan scanned her surroundings in the usual way, amplimet in hand. She could sense no field at all. ‘Nothing!’
‘There’s no saying that fields on Tallallame would be the same as ours.’ Gilhaelith had his crystal out again, holding it high. It was still glowing.
‘Is that coming through the gate?’ asked Irisis.
‘I don’t think so. Let’s go over by that rock.’
They followed him around the other side. ‘Its glow seems a little brighter,’ Gilhaelith said, ‘though it could be that it’s gloomier under the trees.’
‘Too gloomy,’ said Tiaan. ‘This place might be a paradise but it’s a –’ She screamed and hurled herself backwards, landing in the leaves.
Irisis’s sword flashed and something went flying through the air. The leaves rustled. ‘Back to the clearing, quickly.’
SEVENTY - SEVEN
‘What was it?’ said Nish, helping Tiaan up.
‘It was like a snake with legs,’ said Irisis, ‘and it nearly had you. It was so quick. I just cut a bit off the tail.’
‘You saved my life,’ said Tiaan.
‘Well, at least a nasty bite on the ankle.’
In the open space, Tiaan dusted herself off, felt at her throat and said, ‘The amplimet’s gone.’
Nish and Irisis ran back, swords drawn. ‘Here it is,’ said Nish, reaching to pick it up. ‘The chain must have broken when you fell.’
As his fingertip touched the crystal there came a brilliant flash of light and he was thrown backwards into the bushes.
‘Nish!’ Irisis ran after him.
‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘I haven’t broken anything.’ He got up, holding his sore ribs.
‘Come on. There’s bound to be more than one of those little beasts.’
Tiaan bent over the amplimet. ‘It’s glowing brightly now, as if there’s a powerful node nearby, but I can’t sense any field at all.’ She touched it gingerly. It flashed again, but did not sting her. ‘It feels different.’
‘It may well be,’ said Gilhaelith. ‘Objects carried between the worlds are often changed.’
She held it out at arm’s length. ‘Corrupted?’
‘Not necessarily. The Mirror of Aachan took on the taint of its owner, and Shuthdar was an evil man. Once corrupted, such an artefact is impossible to cleanse, and only the strongest can control it.’
‘Well, at least the gate is still working.’ Lyrinx were coming through faster than ever, now running full-tilt. They’d already worn a path out of the gate.
‘What say we climb that hill?’ said Gilhaelith. ‘I’d like to see a little of this world, if I’m to spend a day on it.’ He added under his breath, ‘Or a lifetime.’
They headed up an incline along a trail made by soft-footed animals that wound up the hill. Near the top they emerged from the towering trees into a clearing that capped the hill, and its neighbour. The spongy grass was long and blue-green.
They followed the ridgeline up onto the next hill, which was higher, and the one after that, which was also bare and looked over the surrounding countryside. The forest of giant trees extended in every direction. On the other side of the ridge they looked into a steep valley with a winding river; the sun, orange rather than yellow, reflected off the water.
Tiaan gazed at the scene and sighed. ‘It’s just lovely. I wish I could live here.’
Gilhaelith was staring into the distance, shading his eyes with his hand. Winged creatures wheeled above the river, further along. ‘The lyrinx haven’t wasted –’
Irisis pulled him down. ‘Those aren’t lyrinx! Look at the length of the necks, and the reptilian head.’
‘They’re hunting.’ Nish crouched down in the grass, squinting at the creatures.
‘They’ll be hunting us if we don’t find some cover,’ said Irisis. ‘Let’s go back.’
‘They’ve turned our way.’ Nish started to run along the edge of the hill.
‘Come back,’ she yelled. ‘Down into the forest.’
‘I don’t suppose anyone has a crossbow?’ said Tiaan.
‘Of course not!’ Irisis snapped, angry with herself for not bringing a useful weapon. ‘Get down. Crawl through the grass.’
They had not gone far before the winged creatures soared overhead, blotting out the sun with their membranous wings and emitting