Pouring carefully from a small oilskin pouch, she filled
it with oil, taking care not to spill any. Then she took the flint out
of a pouch, together with a little bit of punk, or fine, dried grass,
and placed it beside the oil lamp, whereupon she contrived with several
deft strikes of the flint and a series of expertly aimed sparks to
start the punk to glowing with a single precious spark enmeshed deep
within its crushed dry bosom, and blow gently upon it, and soon had a
flame. With this in turn she lighted the oil lamp's pour spout.
Successful at last in doing this, she paused and somberly studied the
lighted lamp with it's pale flame wavering a little in the still
morning air.
Abruptly she heard a noise, and looked behind her in alarm to see that
the pack of hyenas she had passed while riding in, had already cut off
her escape route and was preparing to close in on her. The stallion
still stood his ground, but was already becoming spooked and would not
be manageable for too much longer. A few of the hyenas were already
trying to work up their nerve to make the initial charge.
Protectively, Si'Wren picked up the oil lamp and stepped forward
between the pack of hyenas and her nervously neighing horse.
The black continued stamping his hooves and neighing loudly, rearing
animatedly several times to show his readiness to defend himself from
all comers.
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