Into the fire

"Ha!" barked Farly. "They have run from the Stones in the past."

"Do not get your hopes too high," warned Ry

"Speaking of the Dread," said Tipperton, "will the Gar-gon's fear not hurt the Stones?"

Ry

Finally, Ry

"Nevertheless…" said Tipperton, "it is a Gargon after all."

Ry

Beau shivered and said, "If we must."

Ryn looked at Farly. "Farly, you go forward and warn Lady Linde what we are to do, for she and the Vanadurin must keep their horses in check should the Stones rumble as we pass among them. And tell her to relay the word for all to step softly, else the Stones will grumble."

Even as Farly darted forward, the dread of the Gargon swept over them once more, the monster leading the howling Spawn toward slaughter anew.

Among the shadows of lithic giants wended the column of horses, the half-moon low and nearly set, casting long darkness easterly. Here was an aggregate of Eio Wa Suk, a wide vale of enormous Stones, ranging from tall, standing monoliths soaring skyward, some towering upward fifty feet or more, to great boulders half-buried in the ground, squat and rotund in comparison. Huge and rough were they all, the lofty ones looming up in the pale yellow light cast by the sinking moon, the smaller ones-no less imposing- lurking in shadows below. Some of the Stones were barren and dark, others barren and light, and still others were covered with moss or vines or were splotched with dottles of lichen splayed in long runs of greenish white.

And as the column moved among these great rocks, Tip could hear the howls of the oncoming Foul Folk behind, for the entire file of Jordians and Warrows and fox-riding Pysks had slowed to let the Spawn draw nigh. And the dread of the Gargon was now locked onto the hammering hearts of those it would slay, terror coursing through the veins of horses and foxes and Harlingar and Wee Folk and Hidden Ones all, as amid massive Stones they fled.

Twisting and winding and moving apace, among lofty rocks they hastened, the Stones rumbling low at the tread of horses jarring the ground. But the Vanadurin held tightly to the reins near the bits as they trotted before their steeds, pulling the beasts after.

Down this vale of Groaning Stones fled the Free Folk, and up a long ridge out of the dell, where they came to the last of the great rough rocks.

"Go on," cried Ry

And as the last of the moon fell away, Linde saluted and over the crest and downslope she went, following after the others, leaving Tip, Beau, Ry

"Lor', but I wish we had the vision of Elves," said Beau, tasting fear and peering into the darkened valley, looking back the way they had come. "Then we could see by starlight alone."

"Fear not, Beau," said Ry

His palms sweating, his heart hammering, Tipperton reached out and took Ry

Ry

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than there began a groaning rumble.

One of the Fox Riders spoke: "Va Dreeth ar en va dep un visin den Eio Wa Suk."

"The Gargon is in the valley," translated Ry

Louder and louder came the groaning, and the howls of the Foul Folk juddered to a halt.

"Mayhap it is working," said Tip, squeezing Ry

Ry

Louder and louder groaned the Stones, the rumbling ground itself begi

And still the Draedan came onward, its terror growing with every massive stride.

"Oh, love, I just remembered," called Tip above the collective moan filling the air, the buccan's voice shaking with dread, "the Gargon, his tread is ponderous, as if moving on massive feet of stone."

Her breath jerking in and out of her lungs, Ry

Now the whole vale shook with a collective deep grinding, a vast unending stentorian groan, the very earth thrumming in response, as if the whole world howled.

Beau clapped his hands over his ears and squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

And from his place on the ridge, Tip could see down in the starlight and among the Stones, where -He screamed in unending terror and fell to his knees and shrieked and shrieked and shrieked.

And beside him Ry

Through a gap between monoliths, the Gargon had them trapped in its glare.

Yet as the creature stalked toward the gaze-stricken victims, it passed behind a Stone, and suddenly all were free, though pounding dread yet coursed through their veins.

"Run!" cried Tip, but even as they started to turn, Tip's eyes flew wide for he beheld -one of the huge monoliths tilting, tilting, falling, falling, falling -down -down Whuuump!

– the entire vale quaked with the shock of the thunderous crash -and great waves of unendurable dread blasted outward, and Tip, Ry

And then it was gone.

Completely.

His breath coming in gasps, Tip managed to say, "The Gargon is dead."

And an angry roar rose up from the Groaning Stones, a sound so loud that it rattled the very bones, and the earth itself quaked and trembled under the thunderous blast. Stumbling and falling and rising and ru