I watched as Valyan and his sabrun disappeared toward the morning, leading behind them a second bird which bore the unconscious form of Kreeg strapped over its back. The breath came heavy in my chest of a sudden. My hands shook. After one long glance toward me, Diken Graye turned away to recheck the remaining two saddle birds, leaving me alone in stillness.
In a few minutes we, too, would be mounted and on our way. We would take a different route, a wind-road that would lead us to the ruined city of Vohan, where Eric Ryall had told us we would find the goddess Vohanna. And Bryce. But for this moment my thoughts were only of Nyshphal. And Rannon.
The sky overhead was green in the dawn, a delicately jeweled shade of olive. In Nyshphal, this day would be the culmination of the spring festiv
