Shastasawallthisinaglandlookedba。ThelionhadalmostgotHasmakingsnapsatherhihereenowinherfoamflecked，wide-eyedface。
“Stop，”bellowedShastainBree&#oback。Musthelp!”
Breealwayssaidafterwardthatheneverheard，orhis;andashewasingehfulhorsethisword。
Shastaslippedhisfeetoutofthestirrups，slidbothhislegsovertheleftside，hesitatedforonehideoushuhofasedjumped。Ithurthorriblyandnearlywindedhim;butbeforehekhurthimhewasstaggeringbacktohelpAravis。Hehadhihisinhislifebeforeandhardlykneasdoingitnow。
&hemostterribleheworld，ahorse'ssHwin'slips。AravisinglowoverHwin'snedseemedttodrawhersword。Andnowallthree—Aravis，Hwin，andthelioontopofShasta。Beforetheyreachedhimthelioshindlegs，largerthanyouwouldhavebelievedalioncouldbe，aAraviswithitsrightpaw。Shastacouldseealltheterribleclawsextended。Aravissdreeledinthesaddle。Thelionwastearinghershoulders。Shasta，halfmadwithhedtolurchtowardthebrute。Hehadevenastickorastoedout，idiotically，atthelioadog。“Gohome!Gohome!”Forafraofasedhewasstaringrightintoitswidemouth。Then，tohisutterastohelion，stillonitshindlegs，checkeditselfsuddenly，turnedheadoverheels，pickeditselfup，andrusheda>
Shastadidnotforamomehadgood。Heturnedahegateinthegreenforthefirsttime，herememberedseeing。Hwin，stumblingandnearlyfainting，wasjustehegate:Aravisstillkeptherseatbutherbackwascoveredwithblood。
“ydaughter，ein，”therobedandbeardedmanwassaying，andthen“yson”asShastapaohim。Heheardthegateclosedbehindhim;arangeringAravisoffherhorse。
Theywereinaerfectlycirclosure，protectedbyahighwallofgreenturf。Apoolofperfectlystillwater，sofullthatthewaterwasalmostexactlylevelwiththeground，laybeforehim。Atohepool，pletelyitwithitsbrahehugestareethatShastahadeverseehepoolwasalittlelowhouseofstohdeepach。Therewasasouihefarsideoftheehereweresomegoats。Thelevelgroundletelycoveredwiththefigrass。
“Are—are—areyou，”paa。“AreyouKingLuneofArd?”
Theoldmanshookhishead。“No，”herepliedivoice，“IamtheHermitoftheSouthernMarysoimeoions，butobey。Thisdamseliswounded。Yourhorsesarespent。RabadashisatthismomentfindingafordovertheWindingArrow。Ifyourunnow，withoutamoment'srest，youwillstillbeiLune。”
Shasta'sheartfaihesewordsforhefelthehad。Ahediseemedtheduhedemayetlearifyoudoonegooddeedyourrewardusuallyistobesettodoanotherateroallhesaidoutloud>
&heKing?”
&urnedahhisstaff。“Look，”hesaid。“Thereisae，rightoppositetotheoeredby。Openitandghtahead:alwaysstraightahead，overlevelorsteep，oversmh，overdryorwet。IknowbymyartthatyouwillfindKiahead。Butrun，run:alwaysrun。”
Shastanoddedhishead，raherngateanddisappearedbeyoheHermittookAravis，whomhehadallthistimebeensuppwithhisleftarm，andhalfled，halfcarriedherintothehouse。Afteraloagain。
“Now，s，”hesaidtotheHorses。“Itisyourturn。”
Withoutwaitingforananswer—aheyweretooexhaustedtospeak—hetookthebridlesahofthem。ThehembothdowagroominaKing'sstableothavedoer。
“There，s，”hesaid，“dismissitallfromyourmied。Hereiswaterandthereisgrass。YoushallhaveahotmashwhenIhavemilkedmyothers，thegoats。”
“Sir，”saidHwin，findinghervoiceatlast，“willtheTarkheehelionkilledher?”
“Iwhoknoresentthingsbymyart，”repliedtheHermitwithasmile，“haveyetlittlekhihereforeIdonotkheranymanorwomaheillbealivewhestonight。Butbeofgoodhope。Thedamselislikelytoliveaslongasanye。”
WhenAraviscametoherselfshefoundthatshewaslyingonherfaalowbedofextraordinarysoftnessinacool，bareroomwithwallsofuone。She'tuandwhyshehadbeenlaidowheurhehpainsalloverherback，sheremembered，andrealizedwhy。She'tuafullyspringystuffthebedwasmadeof，becauseitwasmadeofheather（whichisthebestbeddiherwasathingshehadneverseenorheardof。
ThedooropeheHermitentered，galargewoodenbowlinhishand。Aftercarefullysettingthisdowhebedside，andasked:
“Howdoyoufindyourself，mydaughter?”
“Mybackisverysore，father，”saidAravis，“butthereisnothingelsewrongwithme。”
&besideher，laidhishandonherforehead，aherpulse。
“Thereisnofever，”hesaid。“Youwilldowell。Ihereisnoreasonwhyyoushouldomorrow。Butnow，drinkthis。”
&hewoodenbowlaoherlips。Aravis'thelpmakingafashetastedit，foats'milkisratherashoyouare。Butshewasverythirstyaodrinkitallaerwhenshehadfinished。
“Now，mydaughter，youmaysleepwhenyouwish，”saidtheHermit。“Foryourwoundsarewashedahoughtheysmarttheyarehaniftheyhadbeesofawhip。Itmusthavebeerangelion;forigyououtofthesaddleaioyou，hehasonlydrawnhisclawsacrossyourbascratches:sore，butnerous。”