"I should have killed her," he repeated.
"WolfStar will stop her," Zared said, almost running in order to keep up with Axis.
"WolfStar has so many secret intrigues that he is more likely to kill Zenith than StarLaughter. No doubt StarLaughter will be more useful to him in the long run. What is Zenith? Merely a woman who is loved! She has no power! Nothing to offer him!"
They had reached the horse lines, and Axis took Sal's bridle, quickly slipping it over the mare's head.
"Axis —"
Whatever Zared had been about to say was interrupted by the arrival of Urbeth.
"I will come with you," Urbeth said, and growled.
For the first time Axis felt the faintest glimmer of hope.
"And I have a thousand trees at my back," Urbeth said further, and Axis' hope soared.
"Zenith will be saved if you offer yourself!" a new voice said behind WolfStar. "You are all she needs!"
WolfStar turned about and snarled at StarDrifter. Fool! What use did he think to be?
StarDrifter walked slowly forward until he was within a pace or two of WolfStar. His hand was held out in entreaty to the Enchanter-Talon, but his eyes were fixed on Zenith beyond WolfStar.
"If you love her," StarDrifter said, finally looking back at WolfStar, "then give yourself to StarLaughter, and free Zenith."
WolfStar hissed. "Give yourself, you useless fool! I have no use for love."
StarLaughter screamed, hoarse and frightful, and both men whipped about to face her.
"No use for love, WolfStar?" she yelled. "Then you have no use for life!"
"StarLaughter!" WolfStar cried, starting a step towards her.
"Too late!" StarLaughter hissed, and the sky fell in about them.
"Where are they?" Axis asked Urbeth as he mounted Sal.
The bear lifted her nose and scented the air. "There," she indicated, pointing north with her snout.
"Somewhere in a gorge in the hills."
Axis grunted, and would have urged Sal forward save that Urbeth stepped in front of the horse.
"I can smell a darkness in the air," she said, "all warm and bloody, and I do not like it."
Axis dug his heels into Sal's flanks with such a thud the mare jerked from halt to gallop in two strides.
Darkness descended about them, and both WolfStar and StarDrifter instinctively crouched on the ground, their arms and wings protectively wrapped about themselves.
"See," StarLaughter whispered. "See what I have brought you!" So intent was she on WolfStar the rope had loosened about Zenith's neck.
Zenith glanced at StarLaughter leaning over her shoulder, then began very slowly and carefully to work at the knots binding her hands behind her. Thank the Stars StarLaughter was not sailor-taught when it came to knots!
The Hawkchilds encircled WolfStar and StarDrifter in a fence four or five bodies thick.
This is to what they'd been questing for thousands of years.
This is the one who had murdered them, and stolen their heritage.
They whispered and shifted, a mass of feathers and bright eyes and white, grasping hands at the tips of leathery wings.
WolfStar!
WolfStar!
We're coming for you WolfStar!
We're here, WolfStar!
One of them stepped forward. StarGrace, half woman-child, half Hawkchild. Her form shifted from one to the other; now, the limb she extended was a graceful white hand and arm, now twisting leather and talons.
"Uncle," she said, and WolfStar slowly turned to face her.
"I could have had so much," StarGrace said sadly, "but you took it all away from —"
"If you have been drifting four thousand years with nothing but revenge feeding your heart," WolfStar said, "then I pity you. You have become a nothing. An inconsequential."
"For the heavens' sakes," StarDrifter cried, "take him! Kill him once and for all, and then let Zenith
