sheath.
Garzik bounded over to Byren demanding to know exactly what had happened.
'Watch what you're doing.' Lence grabbed the youngster's arm, pulling him away from the edge. He caught Byren's eye with a shake of his head. Were they ever so heedless? 'Come over here, Garza.'
Byren and Lence returned to the place where the others crowded around the leogryf. They were perched on rocks or struggling to get a glimpse of it, impeding each other on the narrow path.
'Byren killed it with a single blow of a hunting knife,' the hunt-master announced.
They cheered. Orrade clapped him on the back saying something but his words were drowned out as the others all shouted at once, demanding to know how he'd managed it.
Lence raised his arms. 'He leapt on its back to save m'life.'
They cheered again.
'That's right,' Byren agreed. 'Then the beastie's mate would have killed me but for Lence's quick thinking!'
'We heard the second one's scream,' the hunt-master said, shaking his head. 'I missed it. I -'
'I should have suspected,' Autumnwind muttered, rising and dusting snow off his hands.
'Yes. Leogryfs mate for life,' Springdawn said, as if this was obvious.
'Don't worry,' Byren spoke quickly. 'The villagers missed it too.'
While the others discussed this, the hunt-master turned to Byren. 'I've never seen a leogryf slain with a hunting knife. King Rolen the Third was the last man to kill one with a spear!'
Byren shrugged. 'It was that or end up in the beast's belly.'
'Trust Byren. He always has to go one better.' Lence slung an arm around Byren's shoulders, but his voice held a tinge of bitterness, reminding Byren that his twin had wanted the honour.
As the men cheered he turned to Lence, worried. His brother's black eyes gleamed with laughter and rueful admiration.
Relief eased the knot in Byren's belly. Today had proven the old seer wrong. Nothing would come between him and his twin. Nothing could. He caught Cobalt watching them and grinned. His older cousin returned the smile with a shake of his head which Byren took to mean that he and his twin were lucky to be alive. And didn't he know it.
One of the hunt-master's apprentices returned Lence's spears and they set about tying the beast across them to carry it back to the village.
'Now we know what your symbol should be,' Garzik told Byren, his eyes glowing.
'What symbol?'
'Your honour guard's,' Garzik explained. 'A foenix facing a leogryf!'
Byren laughed. The men lifted him off his feet, onto their shoulders. Their cheers drowned all thought. Blood rushed through his veins. He'd faced death and come out the other side. Throwing back his head, he felt a great shout of laughter roaring up through him and let it out.
Life sung in his veins.
'Byren Leogryfslayer!' the men chanted. 'Byren Leogryfbane!'
At that moment he looked over to Lence, willing him to share this. Cobalt leant close to his twin, to make a comment. For a heartbeat his brother's eyes glittered strangely. Then the men spun Byren around so that he lost sight of Lence. He demanded to be let down and they released him, still shouting and laughing. Disoriented and disconcerted, he staggered a little.
'One blow, straight to the heart!' Garzik crowed. 'With only a hunting knife!'
'A lucky strike,' Byren protested. The men laughed and refused to believe him. Though he tried to contain the grin, he felt his lips pull back. After all, it was an achievement. Then Byren remembered his twin's odd expression. If Lence's spear had been thrown true it would have been him they lauded as the leogryf slayer. 'Enough of that.'
But his protests fell on deaf ears. The rest of them, the sons of the kingdom's first families and the hunt-master's apprentices, congratulated him.
'We'll take the leogryf back to the village to celebrate tonight,' the hunt-master announced. The Affinity warders would lead the village in making atonement to Halcyon, for they had killed one of her creatures. 'Then tomorrow, we head down to Rolenhold. Don't want to miss the midwinter feast!'
The men agreed.
Soon they were trudging back to the high mountain village, where the others told the story of how Byren had killed the leogryf with nothing but his hunting knife. The villagers were in awe of him and very relieved to be free of the beast. When they learnt that the male's mate had been hidden in the lair, they were horrified and apologetic. Byren assured them no harm was done and it too, was dead. They insisted on honouring the hunters with a feast and set