EIGHT

Moccus

When it reached the clearing, the boar ground to a halt and blindly sniffed the air.

Collun grasped his dagger. The stone seemed to glow in the dim green light of the forest.

The boar's snout suddenly swung in his direction. Then, pawing the ground with its thick front legs, it catapulted itself into motion, moving with a speed that belied its huge girth. It was headed directly for Collun.

Collun's legs pumped and his breath came in short gasps. The animal was getting closer and closer. Collun desperately scanned the trees he passed, looking for one with branches low enough for him to swing himself out of the boar's reach. But even the lowest branches were too high.

The boar was closing on him. Collun realized he could never outrun it. He spun around, holding his dagger in front of him. The animal slowed, then came to a complete stop.

Collun watched in horror as the boar raised its hideous, eyeless face and once again sniffed the air. He could see black bristles standing out on the gleaming bone white skin. It slowly began to paw the ground, and flecks of foam dripped from the glistening pink snout.

Collun clutched the dagger tightly in his hand as if to wring courage from its handle, but it was hopeless. He did not know how to use a dagger.

Then, behind the boar, Collun saw Breo-Saight. Her bow was to her shoulder, and she let fly an arrow. It stuck in the animal's back. The boar gave a snort and kicked back with its rear legs. And then it charged.

Collun ran. He could feel the animal's hot breath on the back of his legs, and he desperately leaped up at the trunk of the nearest tree. There were no branches to grab, but fear gave him strength, and he shimmied several feet up the trunk and clung there, his heart racing.

The boar reared up and sliced at his legs with its tusks. Collun felt the skin on his calf open. He fought back a scream. Yet he managed to hold fast to the tree and was even able to inch higher up the trunk so that he was out of the animal's reach.

It circled the tree several times, rearing up at Collun, just missing his feet. It paused, sniffed again, and then stood still. Waiting.

Collun saw Brie again, this time with Talisen beside her. Brie let fly three arrows in quick succession. But though they all found their mark, the boar just snuffled and twitched its thick white skin, as if flicking an annoying fly. It continued to wait.

Blood dripped from Collun's calf, and he felt himself weakening. He knew his arms would soon give out. The boar knew it, too. Collun thought he could hear Talisen calling out for Silien.

Brie's arrows had no effect. She shouted at the animal and waved her arms, trying to draw it from Collun's tree. She moved closer to the boar. It sniffed and turned toward her, but it did not move. Collun slid down an inch, the bark scraping his face and hands. His arms were aching and his leg throbbed.

Brie moved closer, a blade now visible in her hand. Talisen was not far behind. The boar moved a step toward them, its snout in the air.

"No," Collun screamed. "Go back!" He let go of the tree and hit the ground with a thud. The enormous creature deftly swung around on its short legs. There was only an arm's length between them. The boar charged again.

In desperation Collun hurled his dagger. Then the vast white body was on him, and the evil cloying smell of the animal's hot breath filled his nose.

Collun's last conscious thought was of Emer's face as she pressed the lucky stone into his palm.

***

Collun dimly perceived that something heavy was being rolled off him. His leg throbbed. For a moment he could not remember where he was. Then he heard Silien's musical voice and an abrupt reply from Brie. Collun opened his eyes and saw the still figure of the enormous boar lying on its side. He blinked twice, not believing what he saw. Out of the creature's forehead protruded the handle of the dagger that had been a trine. The lucky stone gleamed almost white.

A grim-faced Brie was pulling her arrows out of the boar's hide, using leaves to wipe off the red-black blood. Silien leaned over Collun's leg, peering at the wound in his calf. Talisen hovered anxiously behind the Ellyl.

"It is deep, but not too deep," Silien was saying.

"Is it ... can it truly be dead?" said Collun weakly.

All three heads turned toward him in surprise.

"You are awake," replied Brie, relief etched on her face. "Yes. It is dead." She reached over and pulled the dagger from the boar's forehead. A trickle of blood flowed down over the grotesque eyeless face. Collun shuddered. Brie wiped the blade and handed it to Collun.

"You are a better marksman than I," she said.

Collun shook his head in wonder. "No. I just threw it. The blade found its own mark."

"This wound needs cleaning," said Silien, and Collun clenched his teeth as the Ellyl carefully swabbed the bloody gash. "I will cleanse it if you can find me water to heat."

"We are low on water, Ellyl." Brie's voice was cold. Through the fog of pain, Collun wondered why.

"You were about to tell us, Silien—what in Amergin's name was that hideous thing?" broke in Talisen. "You called it Moccus?"

The Ellyl nodded. He was holding a piece of cloth firmly against Collun's wound in an attempt to stop the flow of blood. "I was wrong," he replied. "Though not far wrong. Moccus was a giant boar, a legendary evil thing from the Cave of Cruachan. But it was black, not white. Do you know of the wizard Cruachan?"

"Of course. I know many songs about Cruachan," responded Talisen. "There was one I heard once about a giant boar, but it was from a bard who hit notes that made my fingernails ache, so I did not learn it."

"Do you know of Cruachan's cave?" asked Silien.

"The creatures came from the cave. But what were its origins?"

Keeping up the pressure on Collun's wound, Silien spoke. "When Cruachan carved his fortress in the Mountains of Mourne, there was one deep cavern that no one was allowed to enter. The wizard worked there, night and day, weaving spells, testing his powers against those of nature herself. Finally he found what he had been searching for: the ultimate power, the secret to making life. No one had done so before, nor has since.

"He used this power to create fantastic creatures, each one misshapen, powerful, and utterly evil. I do not know how many. Moccus, the black boar, was one; and there was a vast and evil Firewurme—Naid, it was called; and Arracht, half-man, half-bear; and others. It is said that ultimately one of his own creatures turned on Cruachan and killed him. But the legacy he left was an evil one, for these creatures roamed the land, mindlessly destroying all that stood in their path. The rivers of this country ran red with the blood of Ellylon and Eirrenians alike.

"It took the combined powers of Dil, Amergin, and Mannan to hunt down the creatures and seal them in the Cave of Cruachan. With the Cailceadon Lir, they wrought a powerful spell of binding at the entrance to the cave. It has held through time, and I did not think it could be broken, but when I heard the sound of what I knew to be a giant boar and sensed the evil that came from it, I thought only of Moccus. But, as you see, this boar is white—though, like Moccus, it is eyeless. Moccus did not need eyes; he had a sense of smell better even than Ellylon. This may be the mate of Moccus. His sow."

Collun's mind was hazy, and only scattered bits of what the Ellyl said filtered through. Brie had been watching Collun. She spoke abruptly, rising to her feet.

"I think our time would be better spent in finding water. And the path, which I fear we have lost."

"I will go," Silien offered, touching his ears. "I am well equipped for finding running water. And I shall look for the path as I search."

"And if you find it, it will no doubt be the last we see of you." Brie's voice was like a slap in the face, and Collun opened his eyes in surprise.

"Brie..." Talisen protested.

She swung around to face him and Collun. "You did not see the Ellyl when the boar came. He fled, with no thought but of saving his own skin. And we all have heard much of the Ellyl's superior sense of hearing, but when we called to him for aid, he did not come."

The Ellyl's eyes widened in surprise. "Of course. I am young with many years yet to live. I have no desire to shorten my life on your account."

Brie gave a snort of disgust. "Nobly spoken. You see? Ellylon are not to be trusted."

"He saved our lives once before," pointed out Talisen.

"Yes, and I wondered then as I do now. Why did you save us from the cro-olachan?" Brie turned again to the Ellyl, her eyes icy.

"I heard the music and your voices singing. It pleased me. I wished to see where it came from, and I found I had to uncover you first. Now I will see if I can find water, for I, too, am thirsty." And Silien left them, with an unperturbed smile.

"He has fine taste in music, you have to grant that, Brie," Talisen said, his eyes twinkling.

"I do not trust him," Brie said stubbornly. She then looked with concern at Collun, whose skin had turned a shade paler. His eyes had closed again.

"You judge the Ellyl harshly," said Collun through dry lips.

"Perhaps, but just to be sure I will also look for the path and for water." She left the clearing.

Talisen set about making a campfire, while Collun dozed.

Not long after, Silien returned. He was carrying two skin bags filled with water. "I found a brook," said Silien, "but it is dying and will not serve us long. Where is the Flame-girl?"

"She went in search of the path," answered Talisen.

The Ellyl's eyes flickered, but all he said was, "I hope she has more luck than I."

While Talisen held one of the skin bags up to Collun's lips, Silien brought a pan of water to a boil. He then opened a leather bag he wore at his waist. From it he drew out an assortment of items: a handful of small, dark green leaves; a wooden spool with a silvery, translucent thread wound around it; and a needle made of something black and shining.

Silien used the boiled water to cleanse Collun's wound and then the black needle. But first he told Collun to crush two of the leaves between his teeth.

"These will help you bear the pain," said the Ellyl. The leaves tasted bitter, but they numbed Collun's tongue and made him drowsy. Everything was muffled, including the pain in his leg. He wondered sleepily what herb it was.

Silien slid the gossamer thread into his needle and made a knot at the end. Then he expertly brought the two jagged edges of Collun's wound together and stitched his flesh as if it were a piece of torn cloth. When he came to the end of the gash, Silien tied another knot and cut the thread with his teeth.

Collun slept after that.

When he woke, he saw that Talisen and Silien also slept. Fara was pacing the clearing, looking uneasy, Collun thought. Brie had not returned. She had been gone long, and a stab of worry now pierced Collun's torpor. But his eyelids were heavy, and he was soon asleep again.

He woke again to the smell of a broth Silien was brewing over the fire. "Brie?" Collun said faintly.

"She has not returned," replied Talisen, bringing a cup of the broth to Collun's lips. Collun drank a few sips, then turned away.

"I am sure she'll be back soon," Talisen said, but he also looked worried.

"Someone is coming," said Silien, his eyes alert.

Soon after, Brie appeared in the clearing. She looked exhausted and discouraged. "I could not find the path," she said. "I will try again after some rest. How are you feeling?" she asked Collun.

He tried to speak, but his throat was dry and words would not come.

"We have to get him out of this cursed forest," said Talisen.

But Collun was too weak and feverish to travel, and they stayed in the clearing for a day and a night. They began to worry that there had been poisonous venom on the sow's yellowed tusks.

Brie made several more forays into the forest, but still could find no trace of the path.

"I don't understand it," she said upon returning from her last effort. "It is as if the forest wants to keep us here. I know it sounds foolish..."

Talisen was nodding. "No, I feel it, too. Like some evil spirit is watching us."

"We will find our way out," said Brie, abruptly getting to her feet. She glanced at Collun, who was awake and had been listening to their exchange. He struggled to sit up.

"We must go on," he said. "If ... the forest ... is closing in on us ... we have to go somewhere ... anywhere."

And so, not long after, they set forth. Without the path to guide them, Brie could only guess at the right direction. Talisen, Silien, and Brie took turns lending a shoulder for Collun to lean on as he limped along.

The forest seemed to get even denser as they moved forward. The gloom about them deepened.

They all felt unnaturally weary and stopped frequently, sinking to the ground with strength enough only to breathe. Collun was close to delirium. He slept at each stop and often woke sweating and wild-eyed, as if from a nightmare. They had filled every bag they had with water from Silien's dying brook, and they tried to conserve it, giving most to Collun.

Because it became almost impossible to distinguish day from night, they lost track of time, though Brie estimated that it had been four days since the attack of the boar. And still they could not find the path.

Then came a terrible moment. Brie abruptly stopped short with a sharp sound of dismay.

"What? What is it?" asked Talisen.

"We have passed this tree before. Yesterday. Or the day before. I can't remember." Brie pointed at a tree with an unusual bole that curved in the shape of a question mark. She dropped to her knees in exhaustion.

"You mean ... we've been going in circles?" Talisen moaned and leaned heavily against the tree. Silien gently lowered Collun to the ground, where the wounded boy promptly fell into a restless slumber.

"He cannot go much farther," the Ellyl said.

"None of us can," Brie answered. Listlessly they made camp. They were down to their last drops of water and had long since run out of food, subsisting on the few edible nuts and berries they were able to find.

"Lend me your harp, Talisen. Perhaps I can cheer us." The Ellyl held out his hand, and Talisen silently passed his harp to Silien.

Talisen asked dully, as though he could not remember why it was important, "You will sing an Ellyl song?"

Silien did not answer, but began to finger the harp strings. Beneath his hands the harmonies that shimmered forth were not like music as they knew it. The notes the Ellyl found were crystalline and pure, so pure they even penetrated the mande of musty gloom that had oppressed them ever since they had entered the Forest of Eld.

Brie and Talisen both fell asleep.

The music wove its way into Collun's dreams. He was in a meadow back in Inkberrow. The tall grass brushed against his fingertips as he walked. A fresh breeze feathered his face, and there were purple wildflowers as far as the eye could see.

Silien sang on.

***

Abruptly Collun awoke. He saw that Talisen and Brie were just waking as well. Silien was watching them with his usual half-smile. His fingers were resting lightly on the harp strings.

"What did you do?" Brie's voice was sharp with suspicion.

"You needed sleep. Restful sleep. Do you not feel better for it?"

And Brie admitted she did. "I feel as though I have slept for days," she said in wonder.

"It was only several moments," replied Silien.

"You are a miracle worker, Silien," Talisen said. "But why didn't you do this before?"

"It takes much away from me," replied the Ellyl. "I keep that song as a last resort." And indeed Silien's face looked drawn and pale, as though the song had weakened him as much as it had strengthened them.

Collun saw that Brie was gazing at the Ellyl with a puzzled expression. He sensed she was confused by Silien—his coldness one moment and generosity the next.

"How do you feel, Collun?" asked Talisen.

"Better," he replied, though his leg still throbbed and his skin was hot.

"I'm afraid it will not last, but for a while the going will be a little easier," Silien said.

"Well, that's all very well and good," grumbled Talisen, "but I don't appreciate you knocking me out. I missed all the words to your song!"

"You would not have understood them," Silien responded. "I do not use words as you do."

They set out shortly after and made much better progress. But toward what, they knew not.

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