With each stroke of her silvery white wings, he could feel a sudden tensing of her shoulder muscles beneath him—and a powerful whooooosh of air that blew with the force of a giant’s breath. Above, beyond the shredding clouds, the stars burned bright. So bright that Tamwyn couldn’t bear to look at them. Instead, he watched the winged horse as she carried them skyward: the forward tilt of her ears, the shimmering light on her mane, the steady pumping of her wings. Henni sat right behind Tamwyn, his huge hands wrapped around his companion’s waist. To Tamwyn’s surprise, the hoolah showed no signs of mischief as they gained altitude, not even an irreverent laugh. Whether Henni’s good behavior came from the wonder of flight, the seriousness of their quest, or the deadly threat that Ahearna had made, he sat in silence as they climbed through the clouds. For his part, Batty Lad seemed quite frightened at flying so high.
