Chapter 16
Krobbah had slid through the woods when the coldsliders attacked the band of marauders. He had reluctantly joined them to secure the Book of Life for his queen. Surely the one who presented the Book to her would be bestowed a most handsome reward!
The Carrier of the Book of Life was powerful, he had observed. They made snow balls that wiped out a party of nearly forty darkhounds! Surely that was whom they had encountered; no other could yield such great power. Krobbah, of course, did not know about the South Elven wood, about the straying magic, for as everyone knows, darkhounds rarely ventured into Elfwood. His small army had been defeated. Now his mission was clear to him: he must run to the queen to tell her where the Carrier of the Book of Life was.
For two days he followed the party south onto the plains of Rhammahadra. When he was sure where they were going, he veered west at a dead run. A young darkhound in good shape such as he could run as fast as a horse for days, stopping only seldom to drink. On all fours, their build was ideal for sprinting, the rib cage expanding and contracting in sync with their gate, forcing inhalation and exhalation. The long legs were designed for striding, making sprinting nearly as easy as walking upright. As he ran, he dreamed of the likely reward he would be bestowed. He was also motivated in thinking of what would befall him should he not make good time to his queen.