[. . .] Ernie hunched over his horse, leaning forward, staff under his arm, riding for all he was worth. But the wizard wasn't a very good rider, so Ben and Jess caught up quickly. Ernie gave them both a quick wide-eyed glance and said, “There wasn't a rumble, was there?”
“There was,” Ben said.
“Faster,” Ernie muttered, and gave his horse another kick.
“What is it, wizard?” Jess shouted. “In the king's name, you tell us what is coming!”
“It might be—possibly—perhaps—” Another rumble came from behind them, louder. “That is to say, almost certainly,” Ernie said, hastily, “a bikalis.”
“What's a bikalis?” Jess yelled over the beat of the horses' hooves.
“Can we outrun it?” Ben asked.
“The bikalis is a terrible creature. Its blood burns like acid, its spittle is deadly poison, and its scream strikes utter terror in the heart of every man and beast!” Ernie sounded utterly terrified already. His white-knuckled grip clung to the reins of his horse. “It's never been outrun before, but I'm trying for a first.”
There came another rumble, now clearly a distant bestial roar, closer.
“It's no use,” Jess said. “The thing is gaining fast. It'll be here in a few minutes. We'll have to stand and fight.”
“Has that ever turned out well? I distinctly advise against that unless you're immortal or have a full dozen wizards to aid you in battle,” Ernie said shrilly. “But if you would string out behind me so the bikalis slows to eat both of you first I'd be much obliged!”
How Does It Turn Out?
The Stuttering Bard of York is a lighthearted tale of adventures and mishaps, starring a stuttering farmer who wants to be a bard, a warrior princess with a horse called Mankiller, and a pacifist wizard who isn't very helpful when it comes to saving the world.
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