The Humanites fled along the only way that was open to them, back into the palace, and they swept Sloan and Van Voss with them.
Hatha and his Clan-brothers pressed them, trampling the stragglers. Then the black stallion wheeled with a neighing cry and came galloping on bloodstained hoofs back out the broad doorway with the others following him.
"Back to the forest, my brothers! Back to Vruun!"
The Hoofed Ones thundered down the dark winding forest-avenue. Nelson and Tark ran beside them and, overhead, the eagle soared, and where men of Anshan tried to stand against them they were trampled down. Out across the moonlit plain they went and up into the edge of the forest where Nsharra was waiting for them.
Before she could ask the question Tark told her.
"Barin is dead."
She said nothing, but Nelson saw that she stood quite fixed and still.
Tark's thought came roughly. "There is no time to mourn now! At dawn, our enemies come with fire for the forest!"
"Fire?" That struck Nsharra out of her frozen grief as no other thing could have done. "But that is death for the Clans?"
"Unless we warn them in time!" Tark thought swiftly. "Ei must spread the word, while we speed to Vruun."