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.When he opened his eyes, he looked across the ravine to another ridge, running parallel with the path.Above it hung the two moons, throwing their eerie light over the bleak, icebound forest below."Helios is breathing funny," said Rose, sounding worried.She bent down and rubbed the dog all over."Warm up, Helios, warm up!"Max looked at the shivering hound and noticed for the first time how cold he looked."Yeah, he's kind of blue around the mouth," he said, sliding off his knapsack and digging through it.Helios looked gaunt and hollow-eyed, his paws glazed with frozen snow.Max pulled out the blanket and threw it over him, tying it around his neck.He hoped that the dog would be all right.228Rose jumped up."Look, over there!" Her voice was high and breathless.Terrified, Max peered through the trees, studying the hills, trying to make sense of the landscape.All he could see were leafless branches and barren cliffs.Where would they go if someone came after them now?The silver owl flapped overhead.Helios shook his body out and started to whine.Too bad he wasn't one of those snarling guard dogs advertised in Homes and Domes, thought Max, feeling more anxious than ever."I see shapes, running on the snow!" Rose pointed to the other ridge.This time Max saw them: three black wolves, running fast, dark blurs against the sky.He felt his throat close up in terror."Plague wolves, right?" Rose whispered.Max's heart shriveled.He felt all hope leaching out of him.How could they outrun three hungry wolves?"If anything bad happens," he said, swallowing hard, "will you remember we were friends?""I'll remember." Eyes closed, she leaned into him, kissing his cheek.Her breath smelled of peaches and her hair had a sharp, spicy odor."Star-crossed friends, that's what we are," she said softly, "like the gods and goddesses of old."It was just as well she couldn't see him blushing.A freezing mist swept down, and the path, crusted with snow, grew narrower and more treacherous as they ran.Max became more fearful with each step, staring at the wizened trees wrapped229in ice, the black rocks crouched along the path.Even the sky looked frozen.Sleet began falling like frozen knives.Cold and miserable, Max looked uncertainly around.His owl, her feathers soaked with ice and snow, fluttered ahead of them, urging them on.Without warning the path widened, opening out onto a vast, frozen plain.It struck him as the kind of place where battles had been won and lost centuries ago, a place where ancient ghosts might walk.Through the ice and sleet he could make out a line of jagged shapes ahead, looming against the sky.Fear pressed against his chest."I see shapes!" shouted Rose."It's a castle!"Max let out a sigh of relief.Maybe their luck was turning.He could see a high stone wall that curved for miles into the distance, its watchtowers jutting up at intervals: sturdy stone turrets with narrow windows cut into the sides.His owl gave a joyful hoot."It's a medieval fortress, Rose! It has to be!" Max said, his excitement mounting.He envisioned a castle bristling with weapons and soldiers."They built them around cities for protection, with towers and parapets and windows for shooting arrows out of! I saw pictures in Gran's books, but I didn't think there were any still standing.This is unbelievable!""That's in the poem!" said Rose, her eyes growing wide." 'The fortress old'!"Max hadn't even thought of that.Could this be the place they'd been searching for? he wondered.Light spilled down from the crimson moon, infusing the snow with a reddish glow.As they rushed over the icy ground, his heart filled with hope.Soon they230stood before a turret built of flat, square stones.Three enormous stone steps led to a huge door, which stood slightly ajar, almost as if someone were expecting them."Is this the Owl Keeper's house?" asked Rose.Before Max could answer, a howl shattered the night.He felt the blood drain from his skull.The silver owl dove down and into his pocket.Hardly daring to breathe, he turned to see, a few yards away, three black wolves crouched on their haunches.His gut went numb as he realized that the crimson light wasn't coming from the moon--it was coming from their eyes.He pulled Rose protectively against him."Get in the turret!" he ordered, pushing her up the steps."Quick!"Rose flew up the icy steps, Helios clambering after her.The wolves sprang to their feet, shaking ice from their fur.Their bodies were gaunt and abnormally thin, and their eyes had a ravenous gleam.Max could see white foam dripping from their mouths."Max!" screamed Rose from the turret entrance."Max, come inside!" She started back down the steps.Eyes burning, the largest wolf began to make low, guttural, menacing sounds deep inside its throat.Max had never heard such terrifying growls.Emboldened, he stood on the bottom step, eyeing the wolves defiantly.For once in his life, he was determined to be brave.He'd fight the wolves to the death if he had to.He would do anything to protect Rose and his silver owl.Then his eyes widened in horror as they began running toward him.231CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE[Image: The owl.]P aralyzed, Max watched the wolves streak toward him.Flecks of dirty foam flew from their mouths.He was beyond panic, beyond fear [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]