In appearance a huge swan, Slungandi, the sly Drumster of the Deep, flew northwards from Fleswen ta Féore, the great lake of the west. His destination was the fâligna or ‘higheries’ of the Melainë of Zorthin — the mountaintop dwellings of the birdlike Doitherúna. He intended to entreat one of the Melainë to carry the swan-cloak back to Aulihaudë Ráda. As he travelled over the Northlands, he saw a surprising thing. Though it was yet only early autumn, snow was already lying on the high ground and hills, and as he came to the foothills of the northern mountains, it lay thick, and the air was cold. Flying lower over the land, he began to see here and there white figures, standing or fallen. Mostly they resembled small people carved from ice. It came into Slungandi’s mind that these must be Kabadri stricken by Gantzor the Coldsword in the hands of Dreygan the Frostgiant. Slungandi said:
Cursed be Dreygan, dealing icedeath
And cursed the day when the Deep’s Drumster
Assisted smithying the Sword of Doom.
Rue shall Dreygan his death-dealing:
Slungandi vows to avenge victims.
As he flew low over a partly frozen lake to inspect the icebound figures, he disturbed a flock of true swans from their quiet swimming. Curious about a strange swan of far greater size than usual, and perceiving that he did not act towards them as one of their own kind would, they rose from the waters and came after him. Slungandi beat the great wings faster to escape them, but this provoked them. They gathered angrily and swooped upon him. To escape them, he plunged into a dense wood hoping that no true swans would enter such a place.
Exhausted by his flight, Slungandi alighted in a glade. The day was late, and the privy rune would soon be of no use. It was time to cast off his swan-form. He intoned the rune of transformation:
Inaveth ashemikal edekapu shenabruhem
Ashemikal edekapu shenabruhem inaveth
Edekapu shenabruhem inaveth ashemikal
Shenabruhem inaveth ashemikal edekapu
He stood once more in the shape of an Entelláwa, wearing his dragonhide covering. He replaced his outer clothing. Then, utterly weary at the expending of his powers in rune-casting and flying, he laid himself down in the shelter of the trees and went to sleep.
Between the lake of swans and the woods, two of the Falakkazri were, at the bidding of Dreygan, making a circuit of the western Northlands, to ensure the obedience of his subjects and exact tribute from them. They noticed the agitation of the true swans and marked where the intruder had descended into the woods. Hastening that way, they soon came upon Slungandi, asleep, with the swan-cloak beside him on the ground. They had no mind to disturb the Drumster of the Deep, whose powers they well knew; he could beat them or scatter them without difficulty. But they at once seized the swan-cloak of Thëanetsa. They did not know what they would do with it, but were certain that it would be valuable to them. So they made off with it and directed their steps towards Kapgar Kûm.
When Slungandi awoke and saw that the swan-cloak was gone, he was at a loss. His plan had been to go to Zorthin and entrust the return of the swan-cloak to the Melainë. He had taken it only as a means of escape: he had no grudge against Thëanetsa the fair, just as he had no base designs upon her, and he knew that the deprivation of her swan-cloak would disgrace her in the eyes of the Lady Endáyra and all her people.
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