When Slungandi became aware that he had lost the crystal which he had taken from under the prison house of Prámiz, he gave great thought to what it might be, why it had been there, and why it had not attracted the attention of the prisoner. These were his conclusions.
The crystal must be one of the two siblings of the Talyoran, probably the one called Kanyolar, the crystal of the East. Unlike the Talyoran it did not respond to Sporni or act upon him at all. He did not know why that should be, and he had not had the leisure to find out. Most likely its inner spirit needed to be unlocked with a Deep-rune. Most likely the Entellári guardians had placed it beneath the floor of the prison house because, through its powers, they could discern the movements of their captive. For that reason Prámiz, though he may have coveted the crystal, decided not to take it away, not wanting his movements known. Possibly also he hoped that, if Slungandi escaped from Thorodas, he would take it with him (as he did). Then, by some arts of his father, Prámiz might himself be able to discern where the crystal was, and hence where Slungandi was.
Therefore, Slungandi concluded, if the Kanyolar remained with Kwífa (and he suspected that she would not be willing to give it up), it would soon be known to Prámiz that Slungandi had spent a night at her house by the lake Fleswen ta Féorë; it would then be a simple matter for the pursuers to ascertain from the widow where he, Slungandi, was bound next. So it would be prudent not to take an expected route to the south, for he would certainly be pursued or ambushed on such a road. That would be to take the Giants’ Road, first east, then south. Instead, Slungandi at once resolved to set off westward as far as the mouth of the great river Féwaron, and then take ship back along the southern coast towards Yivanówa.
He plotted out his journey in three stages. First, he must make his way to the end of the great Lake without the Lady perceiving his passage: for anyone who touches her waters becomes known to her, and the Swanfolk are ever on the alert: and so he must travel on foot along the pathless northern bank. Next, he must navigate the River, and for this he must use Brandubur as his vessel; but at the junction of the Lake and River dwelt the fearsome Karank, who would make prey of anyone entering his waters, so he should enter the River lower down. Last, at the far estuary of the River he must find a ship and crew willing to carry him into the southern sea. It might be hard, for he had long been estranged from his former fosterfolk, the Silúna (now called the Fáwiengri), who alone navigated those seas. It seemed a hopeless errand, but the one hope for putting an end to the threat of Gantzor.
And now Slungandi set out through the wilderness, keeping away from the shores, lest Endáyra’s spies should detect him.
Meanwhile, the Hyûvanka yokeservants of Negobith returned to Kapgar Kûm with the crystal and delivered it over to the Runewives. These spoke by darksight with the Valkari, who very soon guessed that the stone was indeed the Kanyolar, sibling to the Talyoran. They instructed the Runewives in a very simple invocation by which they should ascertain where Sporni, shard of the Talyoran, might be — and thus, where Slungandi was. For though Slungandi had found that the Kanyolar did not respond to Sporni’s powers at all, one who knew how to use the Kanyolar could detect where Sporni was.
And so, as Slungandi came almost to the end of the lake, near to the place where the shores draw together and the river runs fast into the western lands, a troop of Falakkazri, mounted upon skulldeer, came upon him, far from any help or refuge. Their purpose was to slay Slungandi and take Gantzor and Sporni from him. They dared not approach within the reach of the Coldsword, but they were armed with deadly arrows. As soon as they caught sight of him, with one accord they began to loose their bows. Slungandi was no further than a bowshot from the River, and the banks were overgrown with trees and bushes, so he dashed into the thickets and took to the water on the back of Brandubur. Trusting to his fate that no arrow would pierce the great drum, he let the current carry him out of reach of their arrows.
But no sooner had he escaped the servants of Negobith, than another peril loomed up. He was now crossing the great bay Marfulês, where the Karank dwelt. The Karank allowed no other creature to pass unscathed through his realm. So, as the stream bore Slungandi towards the outflow of the lake, a great dark head broke the surface, and a wide mouth, full of huge teeth, opened before him.
The Drumster of the Deep invoked a rune of binding, to prevent himself from losing his seat on Brandubur’s broad back. Then he pulled Gantzor from the sheath strapped to his back. He took the coldsword in both his hands, clad in the dragonhide gloves of Murnag’s making, and held it point foremost as the current drew him into the monster’s mouth. When he came within the compass of the great jaws, the huge tongue rose before him, and he smote it with the flat of Gantzor. At once the tongue, losing its suppleness, became like a cold dead stone in the monster’s mouth. The Karank roared and thrashed, turning this way and that in the lake, for he thought that his frozen tongue was some boulder or log that he had taken into his mouth. He spewed a mighty flood of water from his throat, thrusting Brandubur out, with Slungandi clinging tightly to it with one hand and grasping Gantzor with the other. As the current, gathering strength, bore them into the River and away from the furiously plunging Karank, Slungandi rejoiced in his luck, but he said:
Kwél’ eltenîf hyîn; hulla tyamarle doithemun? (Luck has been with me twice; but for how much longer?)
And as Slungandi was carried away down the River towards the harbour of the Fâwiengri on the western ocean, Groiznath set out from the Dagnath Nebren, mounted on the back of Hugturágis. He made numerous circling flights over the foothills of the mountains, and soon he marked where the Secret River flowed forth from beneath Hogunoth and coursed down through the hills towards Fleswen ta Féorë.
And so it befell that, while Kwífa was closing up her old home on the bank of Fleswen ta Féorë, she suddenly perceived an abominable stench in the breeze. Before she could set out to investigate what might be the cause of it, she saw a tall, handsome stranger coming up the lane. At once she understood that this was a lord of the Doitherúna, and she curtseyed and gave him humble greetings.
But Groiznath was in haste. More courteously, but not less urgently, he required of her answers to the same three questions as Negobith’s yokeservants had asked, and learnt, more quickly than they had, who had lodged with her, what thing he had with him, and whither he was bound. When he departed, Kwífa, filled with curiosity, followed at a distance. Then she beheld, with horror, the monster Hugturágis ascending with Groiznath on his back. As she stood gazing, she was almost choked by the foul smell left behind.
Groiznath flew above the lands west of the Dagnath Nebren. Soon he descried a large party of Falakkazri riding on skulldeer along the north bank of the lake, carrying bows and arrows. Without doubt they had been sent from Kapgar Kûm to look for Slungandi. And it was evident that they had been instructed not to travel south by way of the Giants’ Road, but to go westward. How convenient it was to Groiznath that a seeing mind in Kapgar Kûm had somehow discerned Slungandi’s flight to the west, but had not been able to hide this discovery from Groiznath. Flying high, he turned the head of Hugturágis towards the sunset, and made for the Isle of the Lady of the Lake.
There was consternation in Otset Asathë that day as the foul monster descended, scattering the Swanfolk in all directions. The Lady herself came forth from Aulihaudë Ráda, with a kerchief held to her face, and demanded of Groiznath by what right he had brought the abominable monster into her realm. Groiznath bowed low and said:
My Lady, I intend no harm to you or your realm. I seek a thief, who is not unknown to you. Some call him Fûbraváni, others Slungandi, but the elder Doitherúna know him as Silûnakánti. I have good reason to think that he has passed by your lake. Do you know whether he has?
Mollified, Endáyra replied:
In truth, O Prince, he is known among us as an egregious robber, as some of my subjects can testify. If he were here, he should be locked in the lowest dungeon of the Spiral Castle. But we surmise that he has passed this way, for someone entered the waters of the great bay Marfulês, and in that place there was a tumult, and it is reported that even now the Karank is writhing and thrashing the water, as if in pain from a hidden wound. Most probably, the one whom you seek is travelling downriver, hoping to take ship away from Thrâyeldim. To our mind, it will be well if he fails.
And Groiznath said:
We are perfectly in accord, my Lady, and I thank you for the tidings you have given me. The Drumster of the Deep shall not escape me!
And with that, Prince Groiznath mounted his foul steed and made off to the west. But even Hugturágis could not fly without stopping. They rested by night and followed the River Féwaron by day. On the third morning Groiznath caught sight of a small speck borne along on the River’s broad surface. Without coming much closer he perceived that it was Slungandi, riding Brandubur as before. Groiznath resolved to bide his time and be certain of his prey. Let the wretch think he had escaped! He would come upon him on the open seas, far from land and from help. So he broke off the pursuit and turned the head of Hugturágis north towards the grey woods of Haldoreth, where he might feast on purûfrédhi. After that the monster would be ready for a long flight over the western seas.
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