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pulled down an odd-shaped saddle and bridle designed for darsteeds. He pushed
the saddle into Alexeika s hands. I ll go in first and bridle it. While I
hold it you get the saddle on. Agreed?
Aye, she said breathlessly. But how
He reached for the gate, paused a moment to let the hot fury that was the
darsteed s mind flood his, then opened the gate, stepped inside, and clamped
down hard on the beast with all his willpower.
Stand/stand/stand/stand.
The darsteed snorted and retreated from him, lashing its barbed tail from side
to side. Dain kept aiming the mental command at it. Never before had he felt
anything fight him so hard. Never before had he had to be so harsh with a wild
beast to make it do his bidding.
Sweating in the darkness, he advanced on the creature, aware that if his
control slipped the darsteed would attack him instantly.
Stand/stand/stand/stand.
It stopped retreating and lowered its head. Flames rumbled in its nostrils.
Dain s heart was thudding hard, but he knew he dared not hesitate now. Swiftly
he strode forward and slipped the bridle onto that narrow skull. He fastened
the throat latch with a hard tug, then turned around.
Come.
Alexeika entered the pen, lugging the heavy saddle. The darsteed reared and
struck out with a deadly forefoot, missing Dain by inches.
He struck back with his mind, and the darsteed squealed in pain.
Someone s coming, Alexeika said. I heard them.
Dain refused to listen. He could feel the animal s savage desire to attack
pushing against him. With all his might he struggled to hold it while she
fumbled with the saddle and tugged at the girths. Dain helped
her, fear giving him the strength to yank them tighter than the darsteed
liked.
It pawed and shifted, and its tail nearly struck Alexeika. Her mind reached
out, blundering and clumsy, entangling with Dain s as she tried to help him
control the darsteed.
Distracted, Dain lost control of it.
The darsteed opened its venomous jaws and charged. Shouting something,
Alexeika tried to stop it, but its mind was a maelstrom of fury and attack. It
bounded right at Dain, who retreated until his shoulders struck the brick wall
behind him. Swiftly he drew Truthseeker, and as the darsteed reared above him,
Dain slapped the creature s chest with the flat of his blade.
Truthseeker burned the darsteed. Squalling in pain, it dropped to all four
feet and retreated. The stench of burned hide filled the air.
In the distance, shouts rang out, and Dain heard the sound of running feet.
Pushing past Alexeika, he sprang into the saddle and beat the darsteed with
his mind to regain control of it.
Quick! he said to Alexeika.
She climbed on behind him, and the darsteed exploded into a gallop, bursting
through the half-open gate. They thundered through the stables, frightening
the horses, which neighed and jerked at their ties.
The other darsteeds bugled and kicked while grooms came running with torches
and shouts of alarm.
The darsteed sprang outside, bounding faster than Dain was prepared for. By
the time he stopped it and wrenched it around, precious minutes were lost. It
fought him every step as he forced it back to the stables to get Thum.
His friend was standing there openmouthed in the brightening moonlight. He
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retreated as the darsteed sidled up to him.
I cannot, he said.
Quick, Thum! Dain shouted. There s no time for your scruples now.
Leave me. Us blasphemous to ride it.
There was no time to argue with him. Dain urged the darsteed closer, and when
Thum turned to run
Dain reached down, gripped him by the back of his tunic, and hauled him up
across the darsteed s withers. Thum howled in fear and struggled, but Dain
held him in place ruthlessly. Dain wheeled the darsteed around so sharply it
reared, then let it run.
On the other side of the compound, more worshipers were entering. Now there
was no question of trying to slip out unnoticed, but the gates were open, and
if he could reach the streets beyond the palace, he vowed, he d lead his
pursuers on a merry chase.
No! No! Thum was still protesting.
Sit up! Dain shouted at him. Damne, man, you re alive and we ve a chance to
get out of here. Sit up and ride like the du Maltie you are, or by Thod I
will leave you behind.
His words were harsh, his temper ablaze, but Thum stopped whining and
struggled erect astride the darsteed s neck. It bounded along with a longer
stride than a horse s, awkward and hard to get used to.
But Thod s bones, Dain thought in sudden exhilaration as his hair blew back
from his face, it was indeed fast.
Scattering worshipers on every side, he came galloping up to the gates. They
were wrought of some kind of ornate met-alwork, far from the solid and
immensely thick portals he was used to in Mandria.
Shouting and cursing, the guards were shoving the gates closed, but although
Alexeika screamed something in Dain s ear, he did not hesitate.
For Nether! he shouted, drawing Truthseeker.
He swung the sword with lethal force, and the guards reach-ing for him went
sprawling. As Dain sent the darsteed leaping straight at the gates, he leaned
forward to strike the metal with his sword.
Truthseeker shattered the ornamentation, sending bits of metal flying in all
directions. He struck again and again, chopping his way through while the
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