And would have, had she not been there to give him aid.

  Perhaps he was relying on her now.

  Perhaps he knew she would not abandon him, that because she had saved him once, his life was her responsibility. Old legends said that this was so. She had never believed it.

  But somehow, at that moment, she did.

 « Are you injured?» Traunt Rowan asked pleasantly, supporting Pen under his free arm, not looking at him as he talked, moving him steadily along toward theAthabasca.

  Pen shrugged. «Nothing serious.»

 « Aphasia Wye?»

 « I hurt it trying to get away from him.»

 « But no broken bones?»

  Pen shook his head.

 « You’re lucky. If you hadn’t gotten away from him, broken bones would have been the least of your problems.»

  The second Druid, the one Tagwen had named Pyson Wence, moved up suddenly on Pen’s other side. «Howdid you get away from him?»

 « 1 don’t want to talk about it.» He risked a quick look at Traunt Rowan, seemingly the friendlier of the two. «Not until we’re away.»

  Pyson Wence seized his arm, the blunt fingers squeezing so hard he flinched. «I don’t like your tone of voice, little man,” he hissed. «What you want in this matter is of no concern to us.»

  Pen shrank from him. «I want to know my friends are safe before I tell you anything.»

 « Let him go, Pyson,” the taller one whispered. «Unfriendly eyes are watching. We can wait.»

  The one called Pyson let him go. Pen tore away from Traunt Rowan and rubbed his injured arm. He kept his head down and his eyes averted. He didn’t want to do anything to aggravate them until the airships were aloft and his friends free. He didn’t know what to expect then, but he would have a story in place to tell them that might buy him some time.