Each of them led one of the pack-ponies. Nelson noted that the heavily burdened, shaggy little horse he led was nervously running with all its strength.
"The Hairy Ones can go faster than we, but we have a start!" rang Shan Kar's voice from ahead. "All depends upon which of the Brotherhood are out!"
A few minutes later, as though to answer him, a squalling cat-scream drifted from far behind them — a screech of feline anger.
"Quorr and his clawed ones, too!" cried Shan Kar. "And Ei's scouts wing ahead!"
Nelson had already glimpsed the dark shapes of great winged things sliding fast above the forest, only momentarily visible through the tangle of black foliage against the silvered sky.
Ei's folks — eagles of the Brotherhood! Nelson saw three of them sweeping overhead, then circling back.
Abruptly they emerged from the forest onto rolling moonlit plain.
"Those are the lights of Anshan!" Shan Kar called back over the rush of wind. "See!"
Nelson glimpsed a few closely grouped lights far ahead in the moonlit vagueness of the valley. Then they were lost to view as the party galloped down into a declivity of the plain.
Hai - ooo!