Chapter One part one

The thick fog had made night fall early. The street was deserted. Tall houses crowded over the cobbled road. A row of street lamps lined the pavement as it disappeared into the fog. A man lifted a long pole up to one of the lamps. On the end of the pole was a flame. The thin slither of light caught the wick inside the glass case; it flickered before the flame glowed brilliant white. For a moment it burnt intensely and then settled to a constant yellow glow. The glass door to the lamp was pushed closed and the hook at the end of the pole set the catch back in place.The man turned to the small boy at his side.

"Hear that?" He rested the pole into the cruck of his arm and cocked his head; lifting his ear towards a far-off sound. For a moment both man and boy strained to hear. The fog muffled the sound but eventually the boy nodded. Together they listened to the distant clatter of hooves striking the cobbled street as it got louder and louder. "Strange," the man said narrowing his eyes at the fog, "you don't often get people out on a night like this".

boy blinked under the shadow of his peaked cap.

"Detiny?"

But before the man had time to explain another horse appeared on the road. This one made no sound. Its feet were carefully bound by padded leather boots. It moved swiftly, like no horse the Lamplighter had ever seen. It seemed to float above the ground, its great neck bent in a proud arch of black muscle. The rider's top hat was pressed well down so that the shadows of the brim covered his face. His dark riding coat splayed across the horses back. Even the animal's tail, held high, was covered by the dark fabric. In an instant the soundless riders was past them, swallowed by the dark shadows.

"Did you see that?" the man asked the boy afraid that his eyes had tricked him. The boy nodded, his eyes wide with fear.

"Nothing good comes of a horse with feet wrapped to silence them." The man touched the boy at the elbow, "Come now lad, this isn't the night to be caught gawping at things that don't concern us". The boy nodded his mouth still hanging open. The man, urged the boy to his feet. "Come lad, be quick."