Free The Horse Goddess (Celtic World of Morgan Llywelyn) by Morgan Llywelyn Page A

directions by infinitesimal degrees, trying to learn just how she was trapped. The wrong move could bring more salt down on her, burying her completely and ending any chance for escape. It took all her will power to lie calmly and try to think, as she should have thought earlier, before any of this happened. She wanted to scream and struggle, but that would mean a sure death.
    If she wriggled one muscle at a time, like a snake shedding its skin, she was able to ease the weight on her torso slightly and begin to worm her way out from under the salt-fall. The worst part of the process was in trying to move her injured arm. The darkness was a kindness, for it kept her from seeing just how badly the bone was broken.
    She was shocked at her lack of strength. The smallest movements left her breathless and exhausted. Once she got free of the salt-fall itself, how could she ever find her way to the surface when she had been unable to do so while uninjured?
    Better not think about that, urged the spirit within. Get free first. One step, then one more. Now she listened.
    There was a distant sound. Epona froze, trying to lift her head and hear better. Was someone else in the mine with her? Usually all the miners returned home well before dark, and it must be night by now—or morning. How could she tell? She tried to call out but broke off in another fit of coughing. The salt-fall rumbled, threatening to move again.
    Something was coming toward her through the tunnels. She
could hear it clearly now. But there was no sound of human voices. Something seemed to be shuffling … or maybe that was the roaring in her own ears that was rising, drowning out all other sounds. Her head spun dizzily, and she faded in and out of consciousness.
    She seemed to see a strange blue light moving through the heart of the Salt Mountain. It glowed through the crystalline walls. A giant, shambling shape moved darkly at its center. Down one gallery and then another, turning as if in search of something, a shaggy beast prowled through the mine, its heavy head swinging from side to side. Sometimes it walked on all fours, but where there was room it reared erect, gesturing with immense clawed paws, then dropped down again and continued its prowling.
    Epona awakened with a jolt. She could see; the blue glow was in the corridor with her, outlining a huge bear that stood not six paces from her. Her mouth was as dry as sand. There was no way she could escape the beast, which must have been driven into the caves by the storm without and its own hunger within. She lay immobilized, staring up at it, expecting to die but still not resigned.
    Never resigned.
    She groped with her free, uninjured hand and found a chunk of salt the size of a kaman ball. If the bear came toward her she would throw the chunk and try to hurt his sensitive nose. There was little chance it would discourage him, but she had to try, she had to do something …
    The big head turned from side to side and she caught a glimpse of glinting yellow eyes. Narrow, slitted, yellow eyes. The bear ambled closer, grunting, its hot breath swirling around her and becoming one with the pain and the thick salty air.
    Darkness closed over her.

    Kernunnos came to the feast, dressed in one of his ceremonial robes. Recognizing a shapechanger, even the rowdiest of the
Marcomanni fell silent and concentrated on their food while the priest summoned Toutorix aside.
    “The girl is trapped in the salt mine,” Kernunnos said simply.
    “One of my family is lost in the mountains,” Toutorix cried to the feasters, his arms lifted in the sign of command. “Brave heroes that you are, prove your courage now. The priest tells me we must bring her back without waiting for the end of the storm or the daylight, or she will die. Come, warriors. Come, strong men. Show us your courage!”
    The wind swirled and roared over the lake, making the last statement of snowseason, reminding puny man that the elements were not subdued, they