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the damage, wondering what had happened in the few minutes they were apart. Darkness flowed up the touch, Parry shifted his hand, laying the other over Galen’s heart, trying to get a better sense of what had attacked him. Cold mist wrapped around him.
     

    “Shit,” Bobby whispered.
     

    Parry glanced up from Galen. Bobby was staring across the grass, a look of surprise on his face.   Parry squinted, all he could see was a soft shimmer, almost like mirage on a hot day, the grass moving in the wind. It took a moment before he realized that the wind wasn’t blowing. It was only in that single spot that there was any movement in the silent landscape.
     

    Bobby made no sound as he stood, he moved so he was between the shimmer and Parry. “I can see you,” he said. There was a pause and Bobby drew his sword and held it in front of him. “Did you hear me?”
     

    “Bobby?” Parry asked silently, through their bond.
     

    “We’ve got a little trouble.” Bobby took a step forward. “You know what I am, stay back.” He took another step, his sword raised. “Parry!” Parry was up an instant later, drawing his own sword and moving to Bobby’s left. “Just ahead of you!” Bobby called.
     

    Parry raised his sword and took a swing at the air, only slightly surprised when he felt his blade impact on something solid. He pulled back and thrust again, the sword slamming against metal this time. “Shield?” he asked Bobby.
     

    “Shield and sword.” Bobby was swinging his own blade, the sound of metal striking metal ringing through the fog.
     

    “Got it.” Parry moved forward, took another swing at where the shield should be, then feinted to the right, his sword slid into something, an icy cold swept up the sword and into Parry’s hand. He nearly let the hilt go as the freezing touch of darkness wrapped around him.
     

    “Down!” Bobby said from beside him, Parry moved without thinking. He was up in the next breath, cutting low. There was a phantom grunt of pain. Out of the corner of his eye, Parry saw that odd mirage-like shimmer moving up. “Behind us?” he said.
     

    “Yeah.”
     

    “Right,” Parry said, knowing Bobby would move. They shifted together.
     

    “Riders,” Bobby said suddenly.
     

    “What?”
     

    “Oh gods, Parry! I… I think it’s… Oh gods, it is! It is the Hunt! Wake Galen, get him up, conscious!”
     

    “Are you sure?” Parry asked, dropping back beside Galen, his heart pounding with fear for his son.
     

    “Pretty damn sure, I can see them. The other thing is with them. We have to get Galen out of here. Get him up.”
     

    “Trying,” Parry said, focusing the healing into Galen. Cold seeped up his arms, and with it the image of swirling mists and softly chiming bells. “Galen,” he said desperately. He wasn’t going to lose Galen without a fight. “Galen!” In desperation, he slapped Galen’s face, and finally he felt the light moving through his son’s body, felt when the first sliver of awareness touched him. “Galen?”
     

    “My lost brothers,” Galen whispered. Parry wasn’t sure if he’d heard it, or sensed it through the healing. “I can go.”
     

    “No, Galen.” Parry concentrated, trying to force Galen into wakefulness.
     

    “Parry? You might need to hurry, I can’t hold them off forever.”
     

    “I’m trying,” he murmured. “I don’t have enough…” He paused, then changed his focus. “Galen, I need you to use my Gift, focus it into yourself. Come on, Galen.” There was a long moment when nothing happened, then he felt the shift in the healing as it amplified and altered, blending with Galen’s Gift.
     

    “Dad?” Galen’s eyes fluttered opened.
     

    “We really need to go,” Bobby said, stepping back towards them.
     

    “Help me,” Parry said, pulling Galen to his feet.
     

    “What’s going on?” Galen mumbled.
     

    “Now!” Bobby said desperately. “You take Galen, I’m right behind