The Return of Kavin by David Mason Read Free Book Online

side!”
    Zamor’s hand dropped to his sword hilt; Hazarsh and Gorash stared at the rocky slopes, and Gorash muttered something under his breath. Gwynna made no sign, except that her green eyes widened somewhat. “What was moving, Fraak? People? Animals?”
    “No, no, not people,” Fraak said, and moved his whiskers in a puzzled way. “Not animals. Like people, but bigger, and not right. Long arms, long, long arms, and all gray. Many! Hugon, we run, run, now!”
    “Long arms and gray color?” Zamor asked, frowning. “What could that be? Little lizardkin, what did you see, anyway?”
    “I am afraid!” Fraak said, and snapped his wings again. “Please, run! Run!”
    “It might be a fine notion to take his advice,” Gwynna said. Hazarsh had already done so; he was pelting away, down the road in the direction from which they had come, back toward the sea. Gorash was behind him, but not far behind.
    “No!” Fraak squalled, suddenly, rising a few feet in the air, and then settling back on Hugon’s shoulder. He flapped with wild agitation, crying out again. “No, no, wrong way!”
    Hazarsh was a tiny form, now, far down the road.
    Then, from either side, something moved, coming out of the gray rock, something that seemed almost the same color as the rock Whatever they were, they were twice the size of the running figure; erect, walking… but they were not men. Two came from one side, and three from the other, moving with surprising speed, and blocking Hazarsh’s path. He seemed to stop and try to run back, but there was another behind him.
    Gorash, still a distance behind Hazarsh, had turned, and was returning at an even faster speed, head downward and arms flailing wildly. The gray shapes hid Hazarsh briefly; then they seemed to move back into the slopes. And Hazarsh was… gone.
    “Run away!” Fraak cried again. Hugon shuddered, staring back down the road; he grasped Gwynna’s hand with his left, and drew the long blade with his right. Beside him Zamor’s sword slid out, with a snicking sound.
    “Let’s make haste,” Hugon said, making an effort to sound calm. Gwynna’s hand tightened suddenly on his own as they began to move. Then, gasping horribly, Gorash arrived; he was unable to run farther, but he kept on, moving as fast as he could, choking out words as he went.
    “Demons!” he choked, looking back at the others. “Gh-ghosts! No… FACES!” He staggered on, his breath tearing in huge gulps.
    Hugon broke into a trot, and Gwynna with him; Zamor came beside them, his sword out, his long legs loping easily along.
    “No… faces, he… says!” Hugon panted. “Sounds… inconvenient!”
    Zamor barked a deep laugh, but with a note of tension; and the dragonet lifted into the air, sailing just over their heads and uttering a rising and falling whistle of excitement.
    Then, just ahead, Hugon saw the odd structure, and called out, pointing. It was atop the ridge on the right of the road, a round, squat tower of black stone. As they came closer, abreast of it, it loomed against the sky; a narrow path led from the road, up to a single narrow doorway in the tower’s wall. Hugon came to a stop, panting.
    “Zamor, look there!” he puffed. “Like… a guard tower, it might be… one door, and no windows!”
    “Better than an open place like this,” Zamor said, staring at it. “Unless… ah, but there’s nothing alive in that.” He began to mount the path, and the others followed. Gorash, seeing them go, returned, and went up after the other three, chattering with fear as he went.
    Zamor, at the narrow doorway of the tower, paused to stare into the shadowy interior; he turned, and called out, “Empty!”
    Then, they were all inside, gasping for breath; Hugon leaned against a wall and stared about him, while Gorash collapsed in a gibbering heap, and Gwynna leaned on Hugon’s shoulder, her breath coming hard.
    The tower’s interior was simply a stone floor, some thirty feet across, strewn with