Quest for Lost Heroes

CHAPTER TEN

'I am growing tired of sitting up here,' declared Beltzer. 'What is he doing? Why does he not signal?'

'He has met the leader,' said Okas, moving in to sit by Beltzer. 'It was interesting meeting.' The old man chuckled. 'It will be more interesting yet.'

'Why?' asked Chareos. 'Who is he?'

'It is not a he, Blademaster. It is a she.'

'Then he is in no danger at present?' enquired Chareos. The smile faded from Okas' face.

'Of that I am not certain. There was a moment when he spoke with her when his danger was great. I felt she would kill him. But something stayed her hand.'

'We shouldn't have sent him,' said Maggrig. 'He does not have the experience.'

'Not so,' said Okas, 'I believe it is lack of experience which keeps him alive down there. The woman is hard, very hard. But, whatever else, she finds Kiall… of interest.'

'She wants him in her bed, is that what you're saying?' put in Beltzer.

'Perhaps; she is certainly a predatory woman and it is often the way that such people find innocence attractive. But there is more, I can feel it. She questioned him about all of you.'

'And he told her?' Beltzer hissed.

'He did. That is what, I believe, saved his life.'

'But if she is the leader,' said Chareos, 'then it is she who has been sending out the hunters to kill us.'

'Exactly,' replied Okas. 'Curious, is it not?'

'There is something missing here,' said Chareos.

'Yes,' Okas agreed. 'There is something else also. There is a man in the settlement who saved Kiall. His name is Harokas and he told Kiall he wishes to talk with you, Chareos.'

'Harokas? The name is not familiar to me.'

'He says he has a message from the Earl, whatever that may mean.'

'Nothing good, I'll wager,' muttered Beltzer. 'So, what do we do?'

'We wait,' said Chareos.

'She could have armed men moving in on us,' argued Beltzer.

'Indeed she could,' agreed Chareos. 'Even so — we wait.'

'I do not know why you are still alive, farm boy,' said Harokas, as he and Kiall sat at a bench table in the crowded eating-house. 'Tanaki is not usually so gentle with enemies.'

'I am not her enemy,' Kiall told him, spooning the last of the hot broth to his mouth.

'Are you not?'

'Why should I be?'

'It was here that your beloved was dragged to the auction block. Does that not make you angry?'

Kiall sat back and stared into the cold eyes of the scarred man. 'Yes, it does. Are you saying it was. . Tanaki. . who led the raid?'

'No,' answered Harokas. 'Tanaki merely controls the auctions. Nadren raiders travel here from all over the Steppes. You should see this place at market time; it's a revelation.'

'I still do not understand how an Earl's man is welcome here,' said Kiall.

Harokas chuckled. 'That is because you do not. . yet. . understand the ways of the world. But I see no harm in instructing you. You will learn soon enough. You know, of course, that the Lord Regent outlawed the slave trade a decade ago?'

'Yes. And ended the serf laws. It was good policy.'

'That depends on your viewpoint. If you were a slave or a serf, indeed yes. But not if you were a nobleman. The wealth of the nobility used to depend on land. Not any more — not with the fear of Nadir invasion. Crops bring profits, to be sure, but then the Gothir lands are rich and food is cheap. No, the real profit was always in slaves. The Lord Regent did not take this into account with his new laws. Are you beginning to understand me?'

'No,' admitted Kiall.

'So slow? I took you for an intelligent man — but then you are also a romantic and that must cloud your reason.' Harokas leaned forward. 'The nobility never gave up the trade; they merely found another way of continuing. The raid on your village was sanctioned by the Earl. He takes a share of the profits and I am here to make sure his share is just.'

Kiall felt the taste of bile in his mouth. He swallowed hard and took a sip of the ale Harokas had purchased. 'We pay him taxes. We look to him for protection. And he sells us out to line his pockets?'

'It is not a nice world, is it, farm boy?'

'Why tell me this? Why?'

Harokas shrugged. 'Why not? Your chances of leaving here alive are negligible. And anyway, perhaps I am sick of it too.' He rubbed his eyes. 'I am getting old. There was a time when I believed in heroes — when I was young, like you. But there are no heroes — at least not the ones we want to see. Every man has his own reason for every deed. Usually it is selfish. Take your friends. Why are they with you? You think they care about Ravenna? No, they seek to recapture lost glories, lost youth. They want to hear their names in song again.'

'I do not believe that,' said Kiall. 'Chareos and the others have risked their lives for me — and for Ravenna. And you cheapen them, merely by speaking their names. Thank you for the meal.'

Kiall rose and left the table. The air outside was crisp and fresh, and he strode to the battlements. The two sentries ignored him as he gazed out over the land. He did not look in the direction of the camp, but waited until the voice of Okas sounded in his mind.

'What do you have to tell us?' asked Okas.

'Nothing,' replied Kiall. 'Tell Chareos not to come to the wall. I am waiting to see the woman, Tanaki.'

'Be careful in her company. She has killed before, and will kill again.'

'I will be careful. But she. . disturbs me.'

He felt Okas drift from him and returned to the central square. The auction platform was large, supported by six piers of round stone. He pictured Ravenna standing upon it, surrounded by Nadir men ogling her, desiring her. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine her. But all he could see were the eyes of Tanaki, wide and slanted.

A man tapped his shoulder, making him jump.

'I thought it was you,' said Chellin. For a moment Kiall did not recognise the stocky warrior, then he smiled.

'You are a long way from the mountains, Chellin. I am pleased to see you made it safely.'

The man sat down on a bench seat and scratched at his black and silver beard. 'It wasn't easy. You came a long way. How are your friends?'

'Alive,' answered Kiall.

'No mean feat, considering the number of men sent out to kill them.'

'I'm glad you were not with them,' said Kiall.

'I was. We got back this morning. Still, with luck you'll sort out your difference with the Princess and we won't have to meet on a battlefield.'

The Princess?'

'Tanaki. Did you not know she was Nadir royalty?'

'No, I did not.'

'She's the youngest child of Tenaka Khan.'

'What is she doing here?' asked Kiall, amazed.

Chellin laughed. 'You don't know much about the Nadir, do you? To them women are nothing, worth less than horses. Tanaki had some sort of falling out with her brother, Jungir; he had her banished here.'

'She is very beautiful,' said Kiall.

'She is that — and the most desirable piece I ever saw. A man could die happy if he bedded her.'

Kiall reddened and cleared his throat. 'Where will you go from here?" he asked.

Chellin shrugged. 'Who knows? North again. Maybe not. I'm tired of this life, Kiall. I may head south, to Drenai lands. Buy a farm, raise a family.'

'And have raiders descend on you to steal your daughters?'

Chellin nodded and sighed. 'Yes. Like all dreams, it doesn't bear close examination. I hope matters work well with you and the Princess. I like you; I hope they don't ask me to kill you.' Chellin rose and wandered away but Kiall sat where he was for another hour. Then a warrior came seeking him.

'You are wanted,' said the man. Kiall stood and followed him back to the long hall.

Tanaki waited, as before, on the divan. She was dressed now in a short tunic of white linen, her legs and feet bare. She wore no jewellery or ornament, save for the silver buckle on her wide black belt.

As he approached she rose. 'Welcome to my hearth, Kiall. Sit and talk with me.'

'What would you have me say, lady?'

'Very little. Just give me a compelling reason why I should not have you killed.'

'Do you kill for no reason?' he asked.

'Sometimes,' she told him. 'Is that so surprising?'

'I am becoming inured to surprises, Princess. Tell me, will you help me find Ravenna?'

She took his hand and led him to the divan, sitting beside him with her arm resting on his shoulder. 'I am not sure that I will. You know I sent men out to kill you?'

'Yes,' he whispered, aware of her breath warm on his cheek and neck.

'I did that because I heard that a group of heroes was riding out to revenge a raid. I thought you were coming to kill me.'

'That was never our intention.'

'And then I find a tall, handsome young innocent, seeking a woman who does not care for him. This man intrigues me.' Her lips touched his neck and her right hand moved across his chest, sliding down over the tense muscles of his stomach. His face felt hot, his breathing shallow. 'And I wondered,' she went on, her voice low and dreamy, 'how it was that a man who has never known love could risk so much.' Her hand slid lower.

His fingers clamped to her wrist. 'Do not toy with me, lady,' he whispered, turning in towards her. 'You know that I find your beauty. . irresistible. But I have little. . self-worth as it is. Just tell me where Ravenna is — and let me leave you.'

For some time she held his gaze, then she pulled back. 'How delightfully you turn me away — not with strength, but with admitted weakness. You put the decision in my hands. Very well, Kiall. But you do not wish to know where she is. I mean that, almost tenderly. I asked you to trust me this morning and now I ask it again. Leave this quest, and return to your home.'

'I cannot, lady.'

'You will die. Your friends will die. And it will be for nothing.'

He lifted her hand and gently kissed the palm. 'Then that is as it must be. But tell me.'

She sat up. 'The girl Ravenna was bought by a man named Kubai. She was sent to a city not far from here and given as a gift to another man. Then she was taken far across the Steppes to Ulrickham.'

'I shall go there. And find her.'

'She was given to Jungir Khan.' The words struck Kiall like knife-blades and he closed his eyes, his head bowing. 'So you see,' she said tenderly, 'there is no point to this quest. Ulrickham is a fortress city. No one could enter the Khan's harem and spirit away one of his brides. And even if you did — where could you go to escape his vengeance? He is the Great Khan; he has half a million men under his command. Where in all the world could you be safe from him, or his shamen?'

Kiall looked at her and smiled. 'Still I must make the attempt. And somehow it is worse now — not because of Jungir, but because of you."

'I do not understand you.'

He stood and shook his head. 'I cannot say it. Forgive me. Do I have your permission to leave?'

For a moment it seemed as if she would speak, but she merely nodded her head. He bowed and walked from the hall.

His thoughts were many as he rode from the town and a great sadness filled him. He knew now that he did not love Ravenna; she was the dream of an adolescent, the unattainable beauty. But what could he do? He had made his promise. And, though it cost him his life, he would keep it.

He heard the sound of hoof-beats and turned in the saddle.

Harokas cantered alongside him and drew rein. 'May I ride with you?' he asked.

Kiall reined in his horse. 'I do not desire your company, sir. But if you wish to meet with Chareos, then I will not stop you.'

'Then that must suffice,' said Harokas. Kiall spurred his horse into a run and the beast was blowing hard by the time they reached the hill-top. Harokas followed at a more sedate pace. Chareos, Beltzer and Okas were seated in the clearing, but of Maggrig and Finn there was no sign. Kiall dismounted and he started to tell Chareos about Ravenna, but the Blademaster waved him to silence. 'I know,' he said, his gaze fixed on the rider following Kiall.

Harokas slid from the saddle and bowed to Chareos. 'I have searched for you for a great length of time,' he said. 'I have a message from the Earl. You have been cleared of all charges — and would be welcome at any time in the city of Talgithir. Captain Salida told the Earl of your valiant assistance at the Tavern Town.'

'Is that all?' asked Chareos coldly.

'Indeed it is. Now will the bowmen show themselves?'

'I find it hard to believe in the Earl as a forgiving man,' said Chareos, 'and I am wondering why he should send a warrior in search of me. Could it be that you are an assassin?'

'All things are possible, Chareos,' replied Harokas, smiling.

'I think we should kill him," said Beltzer. 'I don't like the look of him.'

'And I do not like the look of you, you fat oaf!' snapped Harokas. 'Now keep silent before your betters.'

Beltzer pushed himself to his feet and chuckled. 'Let me break his back, Chareos. Just say the word.'

Finn emerged from the undergrowth. 'Chareos!' he called. 'You'd better see this: there's an army of Nadir warriors moving towards the town — I don't think they're here to visit.'

Tanaki watched the young man leave the hall and then rose, stretching her arms over her head, and arching her back. Her feelings were mixed as she wandered back into her living area. Kiall's innocence was both appealing and surprising — like finding a perfect flower growing on the edge of a cess-pit. She poured herself a goblet of wine and sipped it. A young man in search of his love; a dreamer. Her eyes narrowed.

'The world has some savage shocks in store for you,' she whispered. A cold breeze rustled the heavy hangings, touching the bare flesh of her legs. She shivered.

'I miss you, Father,' she said, picturing again the tall lean warrior, seeing his slow smile, watching it soften his cruel face. Tanaki had been his favourite — despite her birth being responsible for the death of her mother, Kenya. Tenaka Khan had lavished all his love on his only daughter, while his sons fought for a kind word — or even a nod which might be interpreted as praise. She thought of her eldest brother, Jungir. How he had longed to be accepted by his father.

Now Jungir was the Khan, Tanaki's other brothers murdered, and she was merely living out her life awaiting the inevitable.

She smiled as she remembered her last meeting with Jungir. He so wanted her dead. But the Khan's generals would never accept the complete obliteration of Tenaka Khan's blood-line and, as everyone knew, Jungir Khan was sterile. Not one of his forty wives had conceived. Tanaki chuckled. Poor Jungir. He could ride the wildest horse, and fight with lance or sword. But in the eyes of the Nadir he was suspect, because his seed was not strong.

Tanaki pressed her hands to her belly. She had no doubt that she could conceive. And one day, perhaps, when Jungir grew desperate, she could be back in favour and wed to one of the generals. The face of Tsudai leapt into her mind and she recoiled. Not him! Never him. His touch was like the feel of lizard skin, and the memory of his tomb-dark eyes made her shiver. No, not Tsudai.

She pushed him from her mind and thought of Jungir as she had last seen him, sitting on the throne and staring down at her. 'You are safe, bitch — for the moment. But know this. . one day I will see you humbled. Live for that day, Tanaki.'

So instead of death Tanaki was banished here, in the desolate wastelands of the south. There were few pleasures to be found in this land, save for the heady joys of alcohol and the succession of young men she took to her bed. Yet even these pleasures soon palled. Bored with her life, she had watched the inefficiency of the slave trade — alternating between glutted markets, with the price low, or no trade at all. Added to this, there was no central point where slaves could be auctioned and prices guaranteed. It had taken Tanaki less than four months to establish the market town, and within a year she also coordinated all raids into Gothir territory. Prices had stabilised, the new, improved, market was buoyant and enormous profits were being made. The gold meant little to Tanaki, who had spent her childhood surrounded by the wealth of conquered nations. But the trade kept her agile mind busy, and away from thoughts of Jungir's revenge.

No matter how great the pressure from the generals, she knew there would come a time when Jungir would feel strong enough to have her killed. So strange, she realised, that she did not hate him for it. It was so easy to understand what drove him. He had yearned for his father's affection and, failing to win it, had come to hate that which his father loved.

Tanaki pulled aside a velvet curtain and gazed out of a narrow window.

'He left you nothing, Jungir,' she whispered. 'He conquered most of the world; he united the tribes; he founded an empire. What is there left for you?'

Poor Jungir. Poor sterile Jungir!

Her thoughts turned to the young man, Kiall. His face loomed in her mind, the grey eyes gentle, yet with a hint of steel. And there was passion there too, raw and unmined, volcanic and waiting.

'It would have been pleasant to swallow your innocence.' She smiled, and her expression softened. 'No, it would not,' she realised with sadness.

'Princess! Princess!' yelled Chellin, running the length of the hall. 'Nadir warriors!'

She stepped out to meet him. 'What of it?' she enquired. There are always Nadir warriors near here.'

'Not the Royal Wolves, Princess,' said Chellin. 'And Tsudai is leading them.'

Tanaki felt her mouth go dry. 'Is the gate shut?'

'It is, lady. But there are three hundred of them, and we have less than fifty. And most of those will run, given the chance.'

Tanaki moved to a chest of dark oak and lifted the heavy lid. She took out a wide belt, from which hung two short swords. 'We cannot fight them, lady. Why are they here?'

She shrugged and did not reply. So, she thought, the day has come. No more to see the blue of the sky, the eagle riding the wind currents over the mountains. No more men to possess her, and in possessing her to give away their souls. Anger flared. Ignoring Chellin she walked from the hall and on to the wall, climbing to the ramparts to watch the approach of the Khan's Wolves. As Chellin had said, there were more than three hundred warriors, their pointed silver helms ringed with wolfskin, their silver breastplates edged with gold. They rode seemingly without formation and yet, at a single order, they could wheel and charge in a flying wedge or break into three units. Their discipline was incredible. Tenaka Khan had formed the royal guard a quarter of a century before, and trained them to a degree never before experienced among the Nadir. Among the tribesmen it was still regarded as a badge of honour to be accepted into the Wolves. For every hundred applicants, only one was given the helm and the Wolfhead embossed breastplate.

And there at the centre rode Tsudai, a fighting man without equal, a general without peer.

Men gathered around Tanaki. 'What shall we do?' asked one.

'Why are they here?' asked another.

They are here to kill me,' said Tanaki, surprised that her voice remained calm.

'Will they want to kill the rest of us?' asked a burly warrior.

'Shut your damned mouth!' roared Chellin.

Tanaki raised her hands for silence. 'Get your horses and leave by the iron gate. Do it swiftly! They will kill all they find here.' Some of the men ran from the ramparts but Chellin stood firm.

Til not let them take you while I live.'

She smiled and placed her hands on the old warrior's bearded cheeks. 'And you cannot stop them. But it would please me to see you survive, Chellin. Now go!'

For a moment only he stood, then he cursed and ran for his horse.

The Nadir were closer now and the face of their general could be clearly seen by Tanaki. Tsudai was smiling. He raised his hands and riders swept out on either side of him in a skirmish line.

'What do you want here?' Tanaki shouted.

'We want you, whore!' called back Tsudai. 'You are to be brought to Ulrickham for trial.'

Tanaki's anger rose, but she fought for calm. 'By what right do you call a daughter of the Great Khan a whore, you who were suckled by a scabrous goat?'

Tsudai chuckled. 'I have here three hundred warriors, Princess. Each one of them will use your body between here and Ulrickham. Now the journey will be sixty days. Even my simple mind tells me that five men a day will get to enjoy the pleasures you bestow so freely on the foreigners and scum you surround yourself with. Think of it, Princess, three hundred men!'

'Why warn me, you foul-mouthed whoreson?'

'It could be that you will not wish to suffer such humiliation. Surely someone of the blood of the Great Khan would sooner take her own life?'

Through her fear Tanaki forced a laugh. 'My esteemed brother would like that, would he not? No, Tsudai. Come and take me. I'll survive. And when the generals hear of my treatment at your hands, I will live to see the skin flayed from your foul body.'

He spread his hands. 'As you wish, Princess, but do not expect too much support from the other khans. The Lord Jungir will shortly be celebrating the birth of an heir. All the omens say it will be a boy.'

'You lie! Jungir is sterile.'

'I never lie, Tanaki! You know that. One of the Khan's wives is pregnant.'

Then she had a lover,' snapped Tanaki, before she could stop herself. But her heart sank. The Khan's concubines and wives were kept in a walled palace, patrolled by eunuchs. There was no way a man could infiltrate such a fortress. And even if by some miracle he did, the scores of spies among the concubines would carry word to the Khan.

'Will you come out — or will we come in after you?' shouted Tsudai.

'Come in!' she yelled. 'Why not come yourself?'

Tsudai chuckled and waved his arm and twenty riders raced for the walls, hurling ropes which looped over the pointed stockade timbers. As the Nadir leapt from their saddles and swiftly clambered up the walls, Tanaki drew her swords. The first man to show himself died, his throat ripped open. The second fell, his lung pierced. As the others came in sight Tanaki waited, blood dripping from her silver blades as they advanced from left and right. She leapt and spun, killing a man with a reverse sweep across the neck, then jumped from the battlement into a wagon loaded with sacks of wheat. Scrambling clear, she ran for the hall. Four men moved to cut her off but she swerved into an alley, then doubled back and waited. Six warriors raced into view. She charged into them, cutting and cleaving, breaking through their line.

On the battlements knelt a warrior holding a sling. He whirled it round his head and let fly, the small round stone cracking into Tanaki's temple. She staggered and almost fell. A man ran at her. . spinning, she hurled her right-hand sword. It punched into his chest and he fell back, scrabbling at the blade. A second stone screamed past her. Ducking she stumbled to a barn, pushing her back against the door. Her head was swimming and a terrible dizziness overcame her. Two more Nadir warriors came into view. She half fell and they leapt at her. Her sword came up, part severing a man's arm. A fist cracked against her skull and her swords were torn from her grasp. Twice more the fist pounded at her face. She fell to her knees. Men were all around her now, tearing at her clothes. They dragged her into the barn, hurling her naked to the straw-covered floor.

'Well, well, we do not look like a princess now,' came Tsudai's voice, cold and mocking. She struggled to stand but a foot was pushed against her face and she fell back. 'I said five men a day, but these twelve warriors have at least fought for you, Princess. I will leave you in their tender care.'

She gazed up through swollen eyes and watched the men untying their rawhide belts, saw the lust in their faces. Something inside her quivered and snapped. Tears ran to her cheeks.

'Make her scream a little,' said Tsudai, 'but do not mark her unduly. There are many more men waiting.'

The general walked out into the sunlight, where he stood for a while listening to the sounds of grunting men and the low moans which came from the once proud princess. Then she screamed, long and piercing. Tsudai allowed himself a smile. He had waited a long time for this moment. Four years since the haughty princess Tanaki had first spurned his offer of marriage. He had given her a second chance mere months before. Now she would begin to understand the depth of his hatred. The scream sounded again. More animal than human, he thought. Curious how so much despair could be carried in a sound with no words. .

The screams drifted on the breeze, carrying high into the mountains. 'Dear Gods, what are they doing to her?' said Kiall.

'What the Nadir always do,' hissed Beltzer. 'They're raping her. My guess is they'll kill her soon after.'

'Shame,' commented Harokas. 'Good-looking woman.'

'We must do something,' said Kiall, pushing himself to his feet. Chareos grabbed his belt, hauling him back.

'Good idea,' agreed Beltzer. 'Why don't we saddle up and charge all three hundred of them? Grow up, Kiall. She's finished.'

'Kiall is right,' said Okas softly.

Beltzer turned to him, his jaw dropping. 'You think we should charge them?'

'No, my friend. But she is part of this. . this quest. I know it. I feel it.'

'We're here to rescue a farm girl,' said Beltzer.

'Not any more,' said Okas.

'What do you mean?' asked Chareos.

Okas rubbed his tired eyes. 'It is coming together now, my friends. All the threads. And I can see them. The girl Ravenna was sold to Jungir Khan. He has bedded her, and it is she who now carries his child. He has made her the Kian of Wolves, the Queen. You are seeking to steal the Nadir Queen.'

Beltzer began to laugh. 'Better and better. In that case we should charge them. It'll be good practice for when we take on the entire Nadir army!'

'The woman down there is Tenaka Khan's daughter, Jungir's sister. She will know the palace. She will be of great help to us,' Okas said.

'Help?' said Chareos. 'We can't go on with this. It is madness now to even consider it."

There is more to this quest than you realise, Chareos Blademaster,' Okas continued. 'Far more. Can you not see it? The dream of Bel-azar, the ghost of Tenaka Khan? It is all part of a great whole.'

'What part?' asked Finn, kneeling by the Tattooed Man.

'The child,' answered Okas. 'He will be born early. . twelve weeks from now. The stars show that he will be great king, perhaps greatest who ever lived. He will be blood-line of Ulric and Tenaka Khan, and of Regnak, Earl of Bronze. He will be warrior and statesman. As Nadir Khan, he will take his armies across the world.'

'Are you saying we should kill the babe?' Beltzer asked.

'No. I am saying you should continue with this quest — and see where it leads.'

'It will lead to death — for all of us,' declared Chareos. 'We are no longer talking of buying or stealing back a farm girl. We are talking about the Nadir Queen!'

'Let me speak,' said Kiall softly. 'You are right, Chareos, it is all too… too overpowering. May I then suggest we take one step at a time? Let us first think of a way to rescue Tanaki. After that we can decide what to do.'

Chareos sighed and shook his head. 'We are six men in an alien land. And you want us to consider a plan to steal a prisoner from three hundred of the fiercest warriors in the Nadir nation? Well, why not? How many ways can a man die?'

'You don't even want to consider that question,' said Harokas. 'In Nadir hands a prisoner could be killed slowly over a score of days, with each painful day worse than the last.'

'What a sack of comforts you are,' snapped Beltzer.

'The sun is going down,' said Finn. 'If we are going to get the girl, then tonight will be our best chance. Especially if the main force camps outside the walls. Then all we have to do is get down there, sneak past them, climb the walls, kill anyone inside and carry the girl out.'

'Oh, that's all?' Beltzer sneered. 'And I know who gets to carry the bitch? It's me, isn't it?'

'Correct,' admitted Finn.

Til come with you,' said Harokas. 'I rather like the woman. You don't mind if I stick close to you, do you, Chareos?'

'Not at all. But stay in front of me, Harokas.'

Chareos knelt on the hillside as the sun faded into dusk. The Nadir warriors had dragged the girl out into the open and dropped her naked body in the dust of the square. She was limp as a doll. Two of the men then hauled her up, lifting her on to the auction platform and bending her over the block. Chareos averted his eyes and switched his gaze to the riders beyond the town. They had settled down in the open, setting camp-fires. The general and four of his men had entered the long hall, which left seventeen men inside the town.

Too many. .

Kiall brought Chareos a meal of dried meat and fruit, then sat in silence beside him.

What am I doing here? thought Chareos. What is this madness? The woman means nothing to me, this quest is of no consequence. What will it matter to the world in a thousand years if another Nadir Khan is born? He gazed down at the still, white form draped over the auction block and the men bearing down on her.

'Do you have a plan?' whispered Kiall. Chareos turned to the pale-faced young man.

'Do you think me some god of war, Kiall? We can get in — possibly without being observed. But then there will be seventeen against seven — six if you discount Okas, who is no warrior. Now, let us assume we could defeat all seventeen, could we do it silently? No. Therefore the other warriors outside would be alerted. Can we defeat three hundred? Even you will know the answer to that.'

'Then what do you suggest?'

'I don't know, boy!' snapped Chareos. 'Go away and let me think!'

The sky darkened, the moon shone bright. Idea after idea drifted into Chareos' mind, there to be examined, dissected, discarded. Finally he called Finn to him and outlined his thoughts. The hunter listened, his face impassive.

'Is this the only way?' he asked, at last.

'If you can think of a better plan, I'll go along with it,' answered Chareos.

Finn shrugged. 'Whatever you say, Blademaster.'

'I say we should all go home and forget this nonsense,' said Chareos, forcing a smile.

That would win my vote,' admitted Finn. 'So why don't we?'

Chareos shrugged and pointed down to the moonlit town, where the naked form of Tanaki was tied to the auction block.

'We don't know her,' said Finn softly.

'No, we do not. But we have seen her suffering. Do I sound as na'i've and romantic as Kiall?'

'Yes, but that is no bad thing, my friend. I share your view. Evil will never be countered while good men do nothing.'

'Then we are a pair of fools,' declared Chareos, and this time the smile was genuine. Finn reached out his hand and Chareos took it.

'Win or lose, we achieve nothing that the world would understand,' said Finn.

'But then the world does not matter,' answered Chareos, rising.

'Indeed it does not,' Finn replied. 'It is good to understand that.'

It was close to midnight when Finn and Maggrig rode from the camp. Chareos, Harokas, Kiall and Beltzer slowly made their way down the slope towards the stockaded town. Okas remained in the woods, squatting cross-legged, his eyes closed. He began to chant softly and a mist rose from the grass, swirling out to cloak the four warriors as they moved into the open.