With Papa's aid, Magnus thought; but he didn't say it aloud.
"Yet I cannot pretend I am not happy at the outcome of thy disobedience," Tuan admitted. "Indeed, thine aid was most fortunate."
"Fortunate indeed," Brom rumbled. "In truth, 'twas but good fortune that none of thee were slain, or maimed."
The children shrank in on themselves again.
"He doth but speak the truth," Tuan said, some sternness returning.
"We know," Magnus said, his voice low. "Had it not been for thy timely rescue, we'd ha' been crow's meat this even-tide."
"Indeed thou wouldst have," Brom O'Berin agreed. "Therefore, hearken! I now command thee to get to thine home! And sweep, adorn, and wash it, that thy parents may have pleasant housen when that they return!"
"Dost thou think they will?" Magnus's eyes lit.
Brom shrugged impatiently. "A universe could not keep them from thee. 'Tis but a matter of time. Therefore, go!" He glared at Puck. "Directly, to their home! Conduct them, Robin—and let them not linger by the wayside!"
"I go, I go!" Puck cried. "See how I go!"
"Be sure, I will," Brom said.
"Thou also." Tuan fixed his son with a stern gaze. "Thou must not risk thyself further."
"Must I go home then after all?" Alain protested.
The wood was quiet while Tuan gazed at his son thoughtfully. At last he said, "Nay, I think not."
Alain grinned, delighted.
"A prince must learn the ways of battle," Tuan explained, "and this will be a proper chance for learning, now that the Shire-Reeve is felled and there's little danger. These petty barons are not like to combine against me—and, one by one, I may swat them like flies. Yet an thou art with me, my concern for thy safety will hamper me; I will not strike as swiftly and fully as I ought. Therefore must thou promise most devoutly to stay within my tent, whiles I do battle."
Some of the glow left the prince. He lowered his eyes and glowered at the ground, shuffling a toe.
"What!" Tuan cried. "Is a father's commandment not enough?"
"Nay," Alain said reluctantly. "I will obey."
"Yet I bethink me thou wilt forget, and seek to creep out to watch the battle," Tuan said, frowning.
Alain was silent.
"Therefore, I command thee—as thy liege!" Tuan said sternly. "Son or not, thou art my subject—and my vassal!"
Alain drew himself up smartly. "I am, Majesty!"
"Then thou wilt hearken to me, by thy vows as my vassal! Thou wilt stay in thy tent when battle rages! 'Tis thy duty to thy sovereign!"
Alain stared at him. Then he said, "An thy Majesty doth command it, I shall," and his face was full of devotion.
Tuan broke into a smile. "Stout lad! Come, then—for thou and I must hasten back to our army."
"Aye, my liege!" Alain came running, and jumped. Tuan caught his outstretched arm and swung him up behind, on his horse's rump. Alain threw an arm around his father's waist, and turned back to wave to the Gallowglasses.
"Again, I thank thee!" Tuan called back over his shoulder. "Now get thee home, young witchfolk!"
They rode off into the forest, and disappeared among the trees with Brom and the soldiers thronged around them.
Cordelia watched them go with a gleam in her eye.
"And what dost thou think, watching that handsome lad so shrewdly?" Magnus teased. "Bethink thee, thou'rt five months older—he's too young for thee."
"Yet he'll not always be so," Cordelia pointed out. "And thou, great lummox of a brother, mayest mind thine own affairs!"
"Of which thou art one," Magnus said, grinning. "Come, sister—gather up thy babe of a brother, and follow our elf."
Cordelia smiled and caught Gregory by the hand. They all turned toward the southern trail, following a chastised, but very relieved, Puck.
Chapter 17
They meant to go straight home. They tried to go straight home. This time, they did everything they could to go straight home.
Could they help it if they were ambushed?
One minute they were walking down the path; the next, something huge and dark dropped over them with a roar.
"Geoffrey, defend!" Magnus cried, striking—out but the thing just flapped where he hit it.
"Have at thee, villain!" His brother threshed about, but the darkness tangled itself about him. Cordelia screamed, and Gregory bawled—and all of them fought to lift whatever the foul-smelling thing was, with their thoughts.
But nothing happened.
Outside, Fess's battle cry tore the air, underscored by the sound of meaty impacts. Something bellowed, and someone shrieked, then something big struck the ground with a metallic crash. Then the bellow sounded in full rage, and hoofbeats galloped away with a defiant, fading, whinnying scream.
"Praise Heaven!" Cordelia said. "My unicorn, at least, hath saved herself from whatever foul monsters have set upon us!"
"But Fess!" Gregory bleated. "What of gallant Fess?"
For a moment, they all listened frantically, searching for Fess's presence with their minds.
"He is disabled," Magnus said, and all of them felt terror seize them. What could be so mighty as to put the robot out of action so quickly?
There was one being who had done it before…
The huge voice roared with victory now, and something squeezed all around them, jamming the four of them up against each other. Then the dark foul-smelling thing yanked their feet out from under them and swung them high in the air, jumbling and knocking against one another, feet up, heads down. They couldn't see a thing, and they all screamed and yelled.
The roar turned into words. "We have them! And their guardian beast lies slain! We have them!"
"So I see," wheezed a crackling old voice, and the sound of it chilled the children. "Hold that sack tightly closed, Groghat! Let them not escape!"
"Nay, Lontar! Fear not—I'll not chance it!"
"But thou didst enchant him!" Cordelia cried to Magnus. "He cannot so much as think of injuring us, or any folk, without pain!"
Lontar's voice gave a high, shrill laugh. "But I do not hurt thee, foolish child! 'Tis Groghat who doth so!"
"And do gladly, for children who cozened me and gave me pain," the giant grumbled. "Do thou prevent them from disappearing, Lontar!"
"Oh, the lass cannot disappear, at the least," a feminine voice said impatiently. "That power's proper only to warlocks."
"Indeed," Lontar's voice wheezed. "And hast thou not noticed, Phebe, that these lads can move objects by thinking at them?"
"Nay, I had not," Phebe answered, her tone surly. "Hold them fast, Lontar!"
"Oh, be easy in thine heart." Lontar cackled. "This spell is new, but 'tis mighty. They'll not be able to use any witch-power they own, the whiles I hold them with my mind. Yet be sure thou dost keep the lads in check, when we loose them in their dungeon."
"I'll answer for the two larger ones," Phebe said, with certainty. "Yet the smallest… I ken not. Even babes have never been proof against me, so long as they were male—yet this one scarcely doth notice."
"Well, between us three, I warrant we can contain them all," Lontar chortled. "'Tis well we chanced upon one another. What we could not do singly, we may surely do together."
"I would we had done more with that horned horse," Phebe said bitterly. "She hath gored mine hand to the bone! Aid me in winding this bandage, Lontar… Ow! Pest upon her, that she would not let me approach!"
"Having certain powers doth preclude others," Lontar creaked. "Yet I will be pleased with those I do own, for they have brought mine enemies into my grasp. Now these meddling babes shall be forever made still!"