must not die like this!
Yet he could not move.
The beast took one step, then another, then fell to its knees and collapsed. Hardly able to believe his life had been spared, Byren scrambled to his haunches.
'Lence?' he croaked, gulping great lungfull's of cold mountain air. His legs shook so badly he had to crawl, praying all the while to Halcyon for his twin's life, praying the beast had not managed to get its rear legs into his brother's belly and disembowel him, or torn out his throat.
Chapter Six
Lence lay on his stomach. He must have turned and tried to run. The thick fur of his winter coat was shredded from his shoulders to his buttocks. Only the many layers of cloth underneath had saved his back from being lacerated. Byren's knees ploughed through the fine white snow as he dropped beside him. 'Lence, speak to me.'
His brother stirred and Byren rolled him over. Lence seemed unhurt, thrusting Byren's helping hands away.
'I'm all right, just winded. Saw nothing but stars for a bit.' Lence grimaced and shrugged his massive shoulders. 'M'back feels like the beastie danced on it.'
Byren grinned with relief. 'I guess he did.'
Lence came to his feet easily enough, his gaze going to the fallen leogryf. 'So what happened?'
Byren pointed to the wound as they approached the beast. 'I was lucky. My hunting knife found its heart.' He stepped around the body, onto the far side near the drop but, before he could retrieve his knife, he saw an impossible sight.
A second leogryf stood poised on the high rock behind Lence, about to attack. Just as Lence spun to see what had startled him, the beast leapt.
'Down, Byren!' Lence threw himself across the fallen leogryf, shoving Byren out of the path of the attacking beast. They both went down, sprawling in the snow. Byren's legs swung off the ledge. He felt the weight of his thick-soled winter boots drag him over and scrabbled for purchase on the slippery snow-covered rocks. Lence grabbed his arm. Byren clutched him. For a terrible moment he felt Lence begin to slide towards him, then Lence wedged his legs between two rocks and saved them. Relieved beyond measure, Byren swung his weight onto the ledge.
Even as this was going on Byren was aware of the leogryf sailing over them. He rolled closer to Lence and looked up to see the beast's paws scrambling as it hung suspended in mid-air, wings battling to prevent its fall. Then it dropped. Its feral scream of fury echoed up the ravine walls.
Byren wriggled around to peer down over the ledge's lip. He was in time to see the beast battling valiantly to prevent its fall, but its ragged wings were in even worse condition than the larger one. Unable to gain height, it was rapidly tiring. A vicious gust of wind drove it into the cliff face, stunning it. Then it tumbled out of control towards the jagged rocks below.
Byren felt the impact in the pit of his stomach. That could so easily have been him.
'Who would have thought there'd be a second one?' Lence muttered.
'It was the female,' Byren said as he made the connection. 'Leogryfs mate for life. The male must have been bringing back its kills to share. We were lucky this time.'
Lence sat up on his heels, careful not to look towards the ledge's edge. 'You saved my life. Again!'
'Then you saved mine. That makes us even.' Byren grinned.
'No. Not even. There was that time when -'
'Doesn't count. You would have saved yourself.'
Lence rolled to his feet, backing away from the drop. 'I owe you.'
Byren would have argued but the others arrived. They came shouting and marvelling over the fallen leogryf. Seeing both brothers alive and well they cheered.
Monk Autumnwind approached the beast to say the chants over it. The Affinity that had been released when it died had to be settled. It was best to be sure with matters of power. Before he could start, Nun Springdawn hurried over to join him. Her manner made it clear she thought it her business to make sure he went about this correctly.
Byren hid a smile and turned to find the hunt-master inspecting the beast. He checked where the hunting knife was wedged then shook his head and laughed. Retrieving it, he wiped it clean and strode over to Byren. As if it was an honoured sword, he presented it to him, hilt first across his forearm. Byren took it and slid the knife into its