they fled cautiously but quickly homeward , the rich husbanded countryside providing : temeraire savage and quick , cutting out elephants from a herd , while the smaller herd-dragons yelled angry imprecations but did not dare give pursuit when he had roared them down ; lily doubling back sharp on herself , when a heavy-weight roused up in a village on their course and bellowed challenge , to spit with unerring precision at a branch of the great sprawling bao-bab tree beside him .