He let the final breath gather inside him. Then spreading his wings for
balance, he exhaled in a quick and powerful motion. The result was a
whistling sound so loud and shrill that it wounded the hearing even
through covered ears. All the Valley seemed to hush in its aftermath,
an echo of silence, as if all life for miles around had stopped its
breath to listen. Indeed, thought the girl, even a creature that did
not know the massive killer from which it emanated, would be sure to
stay far clear of the place from which the sound had come. The Mantis
rested for a short time, then repeated its territorial warning.
Akar returned out of the larger cave as Skither's breathing became
normal once more. After several minutes he nodded imperceptibly to the
wolf, then spread his wings and took off slowly. He circled the
mountain twice, swooped low down the canyon as if in anger, then turned
westward at the sandstone ridge and moved steadily out of sight.
Sylviana stood watching Kalus, whose eyes gleamed with some fierce
emotion that was beyond her experience, but not her ability to feel. He
was silent, lost in some world of his past, then spoke.
'It will be a long time before the Commodore ventures so far from its
hole, to steal the flesh of those yet living.'
With this he seemed to come back to himself.
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