A Feather on the Breath of Ellulianaen

  ~

  Halomlyn, in the meantime, searched the mountains and the abandoned cave where the snowdragon had lived, and their old eyrie, and many other places that he knew of where Hwedolyn might hide or rest for the day, but he found no sign of him anywhere, neither goat nor lamb nor empty barrel nor abandoned fireplace. For three nights and days Halomlyn searched the north and the east as the full moon waned, finding sign of Hwedolyn anywhere, and he waited for Milélyn and Thwyrlyn, but without seeing any sign of them either.

  He slept at their old eyrie and often awakened with a cheerful heart, forgetting everything that had passed until he saw that Tiawéflyn and Hwedolyn were not beside him, and then his heart sank as he remembered. And when the sun went down on the third day, Halomlyn returned to the copse of trees, where a large pot was boiling on top of a fire made out of twigs and heather, standing next to two barrels of mead. The young Duke was sitting on a stone nearby.

  He said, “Hello Gryphon. I am Hvar Udvéwynn, nephew of Zhallad, a man whom you have met. The widow Hinfane told me to tell you she made you a goat stew, and that you can have the mead as a gift. She said that stories of yon gryphons have brought good business to her tavern, and she is grateful. She said for you to eat now, and when she has finished work at the tavern tonight she will tell you everything, for she has some news for you.” After delivering his message, the boy stood up and ran off quickly, for a gryphon is a fearful sight, even for a fairly brave boy such as the young Duke.

  Halomlyn was glad of the meal, and the mead, and waited for Hinfane to come to him.