Snatching up a warm blanket for him； she drew him close to the fire。 Her few low ments were full of concern； but she asked him nothing until the games had beaten back his worst shivers。 Then； shyly； as if she were inquiring where she stood in relation to him； she reached up and kissed him。
He returned the caress of her lips； and the movement seemed to carry him over an inner hurdle。 He found that he could look at her now。 She smiled softly； the voracious power of her gaze was lost again in its elsewhere otherness。 She appeared to accept his kiss at its surface valuation。 She hugged him； then seated herself beside him。 After a moment； she asked； 〃Did it surprise you to learn that I am so vehement？〃
He tried to excuse himself。 〃I'm not used to such things。 You didn't give me fair warning。〃
〃Pardon me； beloved；〃 she said contritely。 Then she went on。 〃Were you very dismayed…by what you have beheld in me？〃
He thought for a while before he said； 〃I think if you ever looked at me that way I would be as good as dead。〃
〃You are safe；〃 she assured him warmly。
〃What if you change your mind？〃
〃Your doubt chastises me。 Beloved； you are part of my life and breath。 Do you believe that I could set you aside？〃
〃I don't know what to believe。〃 Ids tone expressed vexation； but he hugged her again to counteract it。 〃Dreaming is like…it's like being a slave。 Your dreams e out of all the parts of you that you don't have any control over。 That's why…that's why madness is the only danger。〃
He was grateful that she did not attempt to argue with him。 When the shivering was driven from his bones； he became incontestably drowsy。 As she put him to bed； wrapped him snugly in his blankets by the campfire； the only thing which kept him from trusting her pletely was the conviction that his bargain contained something dishonest。
For the most part； he forgot that conviction during the next three days。 His attention was clouded by a low fever which he seemed to have caught from his plunge in the stream。 Febrile patches appeared on his obdurately pale cheeks； his forehead felt clammy with sweat and cold； and his eyes glittered as if he were in the grip of a secret excitement。 From time to time； he dozed on the back of his battered mount； and awoke to find himself babbling deliriously。 He could not always remember what he had said； but at least once he had insisted maniacally that the only way to stay well was to be perpetually awake。 No antiseptic could cleanse the wounds inflicted in dreams。 The innocent did not dream。
When he was not mumbling in half…sleep； he was occupied with the trek itself。
The High Lord's party was nearing some kind of destination。
The morning after the landslide had dawned into crisp sunshine…a clear vividness like an atonement for the previous day's distress。 When Amok had appeared to lead the High Lord onward； Elena had whistled as if she were calling Myrha； and another Ranyhyn had answered the summons。 Covenant had watched it gallop up the valley with amazement in his face。 The fidelity of the Ranyhyn toward their own choices went beyond all his conceptions of pride or loyalty。 The sight had reminded him of his previous bargain…a bargain which both Elena and Rue had said was still kept among the great horses。 But then he had struggled up on his mustang； and other matters had intruded on his fever tinged thoughts。 He had retained barely enough awareness to place Elena's marrowmeld gift in Bannor's care。
After the riders had followed Amok out of the valley； Covenant caught his first glimpse of Melenkurion Skyweir。 Though it was still many leagues almost due southeast of him； the high mountain lifted its twin； icebound peaks above the range's rugged horizon； and its glaciers gleamed blue in the sunlight as if the sky's azure feet were planted there。 Elena's guess seemed correct： Amok's ragged； oblique trail tended consistently toward the towering Skyweir。 It vanished almost immediately as Amok led the riders into the lee of…another cliff； but it reappeared with increasing frequency as the day passed。 By the following noon； it dominated the southeastern horizon。
But at night Covenant did not have the mountains veering around him。 He could not see Melenkurion Skyweir。 And after the evening meal； his fever abated somewhat。 Freed from these demands and drains upon his weakened concentration； he came to some vague terms with his bargain。
It did not need her consent； he knew this； and berated himself for it。 Once the thrill of hope had faded into fever and anxiety； he ached to tell her what he had been thinking。 And her attentiveness to him made him ache worse。 She cooked special healing broths and stews for him； she went out of her way to supply him
with aliantha。 But his emotions toward her had changed。 There was cunning and flattery in his responses to her tenderness。 He was afraid of what would happen if he told her his thoughts。
When he lay awake late at night； shivering feverishly； he had a bad taste of rationalization in his mouth。 Then it was not embarrassment or trust which kept him from explaining himself。 His jaws were locked by his clinging need for survival； his rage against his own death。
Finally； his fever broke。 Late in the afternoon of the third day…the twenty…first since the High Lord's party had left Revelwood…a sudden rush of sweat poured over him； and a tight inner cord seemed to snap。 He felt himself relaxing at last。 That night； he fell asleep while Elena was still discussing the ignorance or failure of prehension which kept her from learning anything from Amok。
A long； sound sleep restored his sense of health； and the next morning he was able to pay better attention to his situation。 Riding at Elena's side； he scrutinized Melenkurion Skyweir。 It stood over him like an aegis； shutting out the whole southeastern dawn。 With a low surge of apprehension； he judged that the High Lord's party would probably arrive there before this day was done。 Carefully； he asked her about the Skyweir。
〃I can tell you little；〃 she replied。 〃It is the tallest mountain known to the Land； and its name shares one of the Seven Words。 But Kevin's Lore reveals little of it。 Perhaps there is other knowledge in the other Wards； but the First and Second contain few hints or references。 And in our age the Lords have gained nothing of their own concerning this place。 None have e so close to the Skyweir since people returned to the Land after the Ritual of Desecration。
〃It is in my heart that these great peaks mark a place of power…a place surpassing even Gravin Threndor。 But I have no evidence for this belief apart from the strange silence of Kevin's Lore。 Melenkurion Skyweir is one of the high places of the Land…and yet the First and Second Wards contain no knowledge of it beyond a few old maps； a fragment of one song； and
two unexplained sentences which； if their translation is not faulty； speak of mand and blood。 So；〃 she said wryly； 〃my failure to unlock Amok is not altogether surprising。〃
This brought her back to a contemplation of her ignorance； and she lapsed into silence。 Covenant tried to think of a way to help her。 But the effort was like trying to see through a wall of stone； he had even less of the requisite knowledge。 If he intended to keep his side of the bargain； he would have to do so in some other way。
He believed intuitively that his chance would e。
In the meantime； he settled himself to wait for Amok to bring them to the mountain。
Their final approach came sooner than he had expected。 Amok took them down a long col between two blunt peaks； then into a crooked ravine that continued to descend while it shifted toward the east。 By noon they had lost more than two thousand feet of elevation。 There the ravine ended； leaving them on a wide； flat； barren plateau which clung to the slopes of the great mountain。 The plateau ran east and south as far as Covenant could see around Melenkurion Skyweir。 The flat ground looked like a setting； a base for the fifteen or twenty thousand feet of its matched spires。 And east of the plateau were no mountains at all。
The Ranyhyn were eager for a run after long days of constricted climbing； and they cantered out onto the flat rock。