A Feather on the Breath of Ellulianaen

by Robert Denethon

  ~

  And Halomlyn, Thwyrlyn and Milélyn rode seven nights to the east, to Halomlyn’s new eyrie, carrying Viv, Galt, and Hinfane and Uz on their backs – with Halomlyn and Milélyn taking turns to carry the two women. When they reached Halomlyn’s eyrie, they told Tiawéflyn the news, and very glad she was to hear that they knew that Hwedolyn had gone southeast, following the great river, for she had been alone with her thoughts and imaginings since Halomlyn had left, and dark fears concerning her cub’s fate had begun crowding in on her.

  So now, four gryphons set out from Halomlyn’s eyrie, each carrying a human, and they set off south towards the great Iothuiolmae river. On the way they crossed the Gubilae river, the Iothuiolmae’s largest tributary. Far below Milélyn espied a group of Nomoi soldiers marching north along the river bank. “Look,” he said to the other gryphons, “A squad of Nomoi! There are eleven of them, including the corporal and the Lancepesade. But I see no Mage among them.”

  Halomlyn said, “In that case, we will leave them be. These are not the Nomoi we seek.” So the gryphons continued flying south, continually looking down for signs of Hwedolyn or the elf-mage and his battalion on the riverbanks and in the forest.

  Meanwhile, the squad of Nomoi soldiers they had noticed also continued on their way. Their destination was a small mining town in the far north, by the name of Hathion Kathuiolké.