Then the youth's lips parted in a slow smile, his strong regular
teeth gleaming in the distant light of the fires.

"I am Trakor," he whispered. "You are Dylara!"

Open astonishment showed on her face. "How could you know that?"

She had spoken in her natural voice and alarm flickered in Trakor's eyes
as they shifted to look about the silent camp. "Shhh!" he hissed. "Keep
your voice down, else they hear and separate us."

Obeying, she said, "But how do you know my name?"

"Tharn told me."

"_Tharn!_" In spite of Trakor's warning, the word burst from her throat
in a single loud exhalation. "But that is im----"

"Shhh!"

* * * * *

A sleeper a yard or two away stirred and turned over, while Dylara and
Trakor lay unmoving, hardly daring to breathe. Dylara felt her heart
thumping wildly while a hundred mixed emotions seemed to be battling
within her. Questions, many questions welled up and sought to force her
lips apart. At last she could bear it no longer.

"He is alive?" she whispered. "Is he still in Sephar? When did you see
him last? Did he send you to find me? How were you able to follow me
here?"

Trakor was shaking his head, smiling. "Tharn did not send me. I came
here with him. He is in one of the trees bordering this clearing!"

"Ohhh!" Dylara closed her eyes as a wave of weakness seemed to roll over
her. Tharn is here! Tharn is here! Elation, thanksgiving and relief
swelled her heart almost to the bursting point. No matter now that fifty
Ammadians lay between her and the cave lord. Fifty times fifty of them
could not prevail against the might and cunning of Tharn!

Suddenly a new thought cut sharply across the flood of elation. Why was
she so happy and thrilled to learn he had sought her out? Had not she,
only a few suns ago, decided in favor of Jotan?

But Jotan was dead; the grinning Ekbar had told her so. Now, as then,
she marveled at how little the news depressed her. Yet she had brooded
many times over the thought that Tharn was dead....

She opened her eyes. "But why did he send you to take me? Has he been
hurt?"

Trakor reddened. "It was my idea; I wanted to help him."

He told her the whole story then, how he had met Tharn, the debt he owed
the cave lord, their hunt, together, for Dylara--everything. When he
came to that part of his story detailing his ill-advised attempt to free
Dylara, he stammered a little but got it all out.

Dylara was smiling as h