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The great horses nodded and nickered as they came forward the last few steps to nuzzle their riders； urging them to mount。 Instantly； all the Bloodguard leaped onto the backs of their Ranyhyn。 They used no saddles or reins； the Ranyhyn bore their riders willingly； and replied to the pressure of a knee or the touch of a handeven to the mand of a thought。 The same strange power of hearing which made it possible for them to answer their riders at once； anywhere in the Land…allowed them to sense the call tens or scores of days before it was actually uttered； and to run from the Plains of Ra to answer as if mere moments； not three or four hundred leagues； separated the southeast corner of the Land from any other region…also enabled them to act as one with their riders； a perfect meeting of mind and bone。
The Lords Shetra and Hyrim mounted more slowly； and Covenant watched them with a thickness in his throat； as if they were accepting a challenge which rightly belonged to him。 Foamfollower； please… he thought。 Please… But he could not articulate the words； forgive me。
Then he heard a shout behind and above him。 Turning back toward Revelstone； he saw a small； slim figure standing with arms raised atop the watchtower …the High Lord。 As the mounted pany swung around to face her； she flourished the Staff of Law； drew from its tip an intense blue blaze that flared and coruscated against the deep sky…a paean of power which in her hands burned with a core of interfused blue and white turning to purest azure along the flame。 Three times she waved the Staff； and its blaze was so bright that its path seemed to linger against the heavens。 Then she cried； 〃Hail！〃 and thrust the Staff upward。 For an instant the whole length of it flashed； so that an immense incandescent burst of Lords…fire sprang toward the sky。 For that instant； she cast so much light over the feet of Revelstone that the dawn itself was effaced…as if to show the assembled pany that she was strong enough to erase the fate written in the morning。
The Lords answered； wielding their own power and returning the vibrant cry； 〃Hail！〃 And the Bloodguard shouted together as one； 〃Fist and faith！ Hail； High Lord！〃
For a moment； all the staffs were upraised in fire。 Then all the Lords silenced their flames。 On that signal； the pany of the mission wheeled in a smooth turn and galloped away into the sunrise。
EIGHT： 〃Lord Kevin's Lament〃
THE departure of the mission…and his meeting with High Lord Elena the previous evening…left Covenant deeply disturbed。 He seemed to be losing what little independence or authenticity he possessed。 Instead of determining for himself what his position should be； and then acting according to that standard； he was allowing himself to be swayed； seduced even more fundamentally than he had been during his first experience with the Land。 Already； he had acknowledged Elena's claim on him； and only that claim had prevented him from acknowledging the Giants as well。
He could not go on in this fashion。 If he did； he would soon e to resemble Hile Troy…a man so overwhelmed by the power； of sight that he could not perceive the blindness of his desire to assume responsibility for the Land。 That would be suicide for a leper。 If he failed； he would die。 And if he succeeded； he would never again be able to bear the numbness of his real life； his leprosy。 He knew lepers who had died that way； but for them the death was never quick； never clean。 Their ends lay beyond a fetid ugliness so abominable that he felt nauseated whenever he remembered that such putrefaction existed。
And that was not the only argument。 This seduction of responsibility was Foul's doing。 It was the means by which Lord Foul attempted to ensure the destruction of the Land。 When inadequate men assumed huge burdens； the oute could only serve Despite。 Covenant had no doubt that Troy was inadequate。 Had he not been summoned to the Land by Atiaran in her despair？ And as for himself…he； Thomas Covenant； was as incapable of power as if such a thing did not exist。 For him it could not。 If he pretended otherwise； then the whole Land would bee just another leper in Lord Foul's hands。
By the time he reached his rooms； he knew that he would have to do something； take some action to establish the terms on which he had to stand。 He would have to find or make some discrepancy； some incontrovertible proof that the Land was a delusion。 He could not trust his emotions； he needed logic； an argument as inescapable as the law of leprosy。
He paced the suite for a time as if he were searching the stone floor for an answer。 Then； on an impulse； he jerked open the door and looked out into the hallway。 Bannor was there； standing watch as imperturbably as if the meaning of his life were beyond question。 Stiffly； Covenant asked him into the sitting room。
When Bannor stood before him； Covenant reviewed quickly what he knew about the Bloodguard。 They came from a race； the Haruchai； who lived high in the Westron Mountains beyond Trothgard and the Land。 They were a warlike and prolific people； so it was perhaps inevitable that at some time in their history they would send an army east into the Land。 This they had done during the early years of Kevin's High Lordship。 On foot and weaponless…the Haruchai did not use weapons； just as they did not use lore； they relied wholly on their own physical petence…they had marched to Revelstone and challenged the Council of Lords。
But Kevin had refused to fight。 Instead； he had persuaded the Haruchai to friendship。
In return； they had gone far beyond his intent。 Apparently； the Ranyhyn； and the Giants； and Revelstone itself…as mountain dwellers； the Haruchai had an intense love of stone and bounty had moved them more deeply than anything in their history。 To answer Kevin's friendship； they had sworn a Vow of service to the Lords； and something extravagant in their mitment or language had invoked the Earth power； binding them to their Vow in defiance of time and death and choice。 Five hundred of their army had bee the Bloodguard。 The rest had returned home。
Now there were still nearly five hundred。 For every Bloodguard who died in battle was sent on his Ranyhyn up through Guards Gap into the Westron Mountains； and another Haruchai came to take his place。 Only those whose bodies could not be recovered； such as Tuvor； the former First Mark； were not replaced。
Thus the great anomaly of the Bloodguard's history was the fact that they had survived the Ritual of Desecration intact even though Kevin and his Council and all his works had been destroyed。 They had trusted him。 When he had ordered them all into the mountains without explaining his intent； they had obeyed。 But afterward they had seen reason to doubt that their service was truly faithful。 They had sworn the Vow； they should have died with Kevin in Kiril Threndor under Mount Thunder…or prevented him from meeting Lord Foul there in his despair； prevented him from uttering the Ritual which brought the age of the Old Lords to its destruction。 They were faithful to an extreme that defied their own mortality； and yet they had failed in their promise to preserve the Lords at any cost to themselves。