4.4

The steep climb was taking it's toll on the horses. The speed was slow and the nighttime was closing in fast. The last few hours they had been going upwards through an ever increasingly hostile environment. From time to time they could hear the goal of their race, the cry of the eagle high above. Though they had travelled far they was still far from it's nest and they had to follow the narrow rocky road winding it's way upwards.
Lord Anon had become ever more detached from the others in the wagon. He was contemplating what ever it was that had gone wrong. It was supposed to have been so simple, just go to the monestary to meet the saviour and then bring her to the castle. Then all would be well, but now nothing was well at all.
Grief was turning into blame and in his inner eye he was searching for whom to lay it upon. The archlord was slowly but surely being singled out as the one that could have caused it all, perhaps as a twisted test or joke. No, not joke, it could not be. The archlord know the danger involved and the consequences if she was to fall into the wrong hands.

Darkness was falling faster now, engulfing the world in a purple haze. For some a soothing environment but to Lord Anon a place where claustrophobia could dwell.
The wagon stopped as the horses cried out a short abrupted cry. Snarls and wolflike barks were heard all around the wagon which woke Lord Anon out of his own misery.
- Devil, what is the racket?, he bellowed as he saw his aide pulling down the blinds for the windows.
- Wolfs my liege.
- Well do something about it then, he said and pushed him out as he opened the door. Scare them away.

- Lord, you may want to see this, the aide said as he opened the door.
As the Lord looked out and forward he saw the two horses laying on the ground bleeding heavily from large wounds to the neck and belly. The were obviously already dead he could see. As he stepped out he saw dripping of blood from the top of the wagon. Before he looked up he said,
- This is no wolfs doing.