however , when the walls of the castle emerged in the distance sooner than he thought , for the black mare was dashing forth so swiftly they might as well be flying yern could discern no tongues of fire rising from the battlements , and so , along with everyone else ( the high servant , the seers and even yonfi , secure in gallans embrace with a look on his boyish face that wavered between terror and excitement ) he turned his head to the right and saw the origin of the thickening , choking smoke .