The Ancient Enemy Read Online Free PDF

time. I hope your weave will be finished by then."
    "It will be, Utnapishtim, and I will take it as a gift for my mother."
    Three weeks later, on the feast day of the Sea Spirit, Thru, Utnapishtim, and Meu of Deepford entered the kingdom of Dronned and glimpsed Cormorant Rock as a distant dark spike. Thru felt the excitement of homecoming after a long absence. He had not seen Warkeen for six months.
    But as they came over the brow of the last hill, though, Thru's blood suddenly ran cold. The old line of lime trees along the lane by Tramine's field was gone, leaving just a row of stumps. Thrust up from the smooth slope of Tramine's field was a large new house, with two chimneys, lots of windows, and mots hard at work on the roof.
    They passed the row of stumps and turned away down the lane leading into the village. Thru had loved those old trees; they had always been there, a line of shaggy titans, holding up one end of the field, or so it seemed to him.
    The village itself seemed the same as ever. The rows of white-fronted houses, the dark thatch and the grey stone of walls and chimneys, it all made a pleasing picture to his eye after all those months spent in Highnoth's gloomy halls.
    "Hail to thee, Thru Gillo." Lanky Moon Shapin came out the door of his house, and Thru paused to speak with him.
    "Hail, Moon. How are things in the village?"
    "Things are well enough. Are ye just now back from Highnoth, Thru?"
    "Yes. See there's the Assenzi I'm with."
    "You be careful around them old Assenzi. Spirit knows where you'll end up."
    Thru had to chuckle. "That's all too true, Moon, but tell me what has happened to the lime trees along Tramine's field?"
    "Oh, that's a shocking business." Moon's face wrinkled in anger. "That's young Pern Treevi's work. Built himself a new house, he has. He's too good to be living in Tramine house like any other Tramine has since I don't know when. So he built his own house and cut down the trees so he has a view to the sea."
    Thru looked back up the hill to where the new chimney was visible through the trees and shook his head. The lovely lime trees were gone forever, and Iallia was probably living in the big new house with Pern.
    "I thank you for your welcome, Moon. It is wonderful to be back home. I must go on and see my own people."
    Thru went on, catching up with the Assenzi and Meu, who had gone on down the road into the village.
    Outside the inn they halted and tied the donkey to the hitching post by the pump.
    "We will take a meal here and spend the night. It looks as if there will be room."
    Indeed, the Warkeen Inn seemed rather quiet.
    "You go on to your family, young Thru," said Utnapishtim. "I can see you're itching to be off."
    Thru came over the line of Polder Bank and saw the stone walls of Gillo house. It wasn't so grand, indeed the thatching was starting to look tatty, but it was home. A powerful wave of emotion rolled through his heart as he saw it once again.
    He turned in at the gate and saw his mother at the door.
    There came a scream from the kitchen, and she ran out and hugged him with all her strength. Father Ware looked out of his workshop, set his tools down, and joined them with his great hug. After a long moment, with tears streaming from their eyes, they stood back and Ual and Ware got another look at him.
    Their son had changed in certain ways. He was more muscular and hardened, too. The sad, wounded look in his eyes was gone. Now they sparkled, as they had of old.
    "Where are your eyebrows?" said Ual.
    "Singed, while I made this sword."
    Ware's bushy eyebrows rose dramatically at the sight of the sword and scabbard on his son's belt.
    "And this is for you, Mother," he said, bringing the mat off his shoulders and untying the string and unrolling it on the stoop.
    "You wove this, my darling Thru?" said Ual, running her hands over it, genuine awe in her voice.
    "Master Sassadzu says I have an aptitude for the weaving."
    "It's wonderful, it's beautiful, Thru." She hugged him