When the overman sent the warbeast off to hunt its twice-weekly meal on the third night following the battle, it returned shortly after midnight, well fed, as it had not in the forests west of Derbarok. Garth was pleased by this, as he was rather fond of the monster as well as impressed by it. Elmil, however, reacted with revulsion the following morning when he woke to find the only physical evidence of the hunt a pool of drying blood that had dripped from the animal’s jaws during the night. Despite the bandit’s admiration of Koros’ power and grace, the beast both frightened and horrified him.
It was on the fourth day, shortly before sunset, with the eastern hills—which were actually good-sized mountains, in Garth’s opinion—looming before them, and Garth riding and musing on his mount’s v
