Valour

CHAPTER NINETY-SEVEN

CYWEN

Cywen dipped her head against the wind. It carried with it an edge of ice that set her skin prickling. Over the last few days they had travelled through a mountain pass, tall peaks so high they blotted the sky, and now they were moving into a rolling featureless moorland with patches of heather peeking through the snow. A hundred glittering streams dissected the land.

As always, Alcyon accompanied her. Not far ahead Nathair rode his draig, Calidus and Sumur riding with him. The Jehar warriors stretched in a wide column behind, trailing into the mountain pass. The sound of wolven howling floated on the wind, a noise Cywen had become accustomed to. The further north they travelled, so the wolven population seemed to grow, although she never saw one. Obviously two thousand Jehar were too big a meal for even a wolven pack to chew on.

Buddai padded the other side of her, nose low to the ground. The wolven didn’t seem to bother him, either. At least, not since the first time they had heard them, howling like a mournful farewell the day she had left Dun Vaner. Buddai had been restless all that day, often pausing to look back at the mountains. For long heartbeats Cywen had harboured the hope that it had been Storm, come with her kin to rescue her.

Idiot, she scolded herself. No one’s going to rescue me, except me. I should have gone south with Pendathran when I had the chance.

No point fretting over that, now. She would just have to bide her time and wait for an opportunity.

I wish I had my knives.

They camped in a dip in the land that night. It did little to ease the constant cut of the wind; icy fingers crept through layers of fur and leather. Cywen shivered and tried to shuffle closer to Alcyon’s small fire. She had already finished the porridge he had made, its warm glow spreading through her like a hot coal thawing the frost. But that small heat had long since evaporated.

‘I can’t feel my toes,’ she said.

‘Try wiggling them,’ Alcyon said. He was full of helpful advice like that.

A figure came striding out of the darkness, a great hawk perched on his arm. Calidus. He saw them and came over.

Calidus gave the bird a piece of meat from a pouch at his belt, then raised his arm. With a flap of its wings the bird flew away, the sound of its passing little more than a whisper in the night.

Calidus held a thin strip of parchment in his hand.

‘This is the last night that we can risk a fire,’ he said as he held the parchment over the flames, reading silently.

Wonderful, thought Cywen. I’m going to freeze to death.

‘What news?’ Alcyon said.

‘There you are,’ a voice called out. It was Nathair, with Sumur and the giant, Uthas, behind him.

‘I’ll tell you after,’ Calidus said quietly.

Nathair, Sumur and Uthas joined them about the fire.

Cywen drew back from the flames, shuffling into the shadows so that she wouldn’t be forced to talk to them. Alcyon had changed, sitting straighter, a stiffness in his shoulders that spoke of his discomfort.

‘I must leave soon,’ Uthas said. ‘Murias is little more than a ten-night away for you, at your pace.’

‘All is set. You know what to do?’ Calidus said.

‘Of course. The gates of Murias will be open to you. I can do little more than that. You will have to defeat the Benothi that stand against you.’ He looked at Calidus. ‘And you will honour our agreement. You will spare the Benothi that stand with me. They shall not be harmed.’

‘Of course,’ Calidus said. ‘You have given great aid. It will not be forgotten, and it will be rewarded.’

‘Good.’ Uthas bowed his head.

‘Can you do this, Uthas? Can you see it through?’

‘Yes. I will open the gates to you and I will split the Benothi defence. That is all I can do. Nemain and those loyal to her you will have to deal with yourself. I will not shed their blood. And the brood of wyrms. I cannot raise my hand against them.’

Calidus reached across the fire and gripped Uthas’ forearm, his own engulfed by the giant’s.

‘In the morning, then.’

‘Yes, in the morning,’ Nathair echoed. ‘And may Elyon watch over you. May he watch over us all.’

‘The absent god,’ snorted Uthas, then he rose and walked into the night.

Cywen had been captivated as she had watched the exchange, hardly daring to breathe. They must have forgotten I’m here, she thought. Now as Uthas walked away she saw a frown crease Sumur’s face. He stared after the giant long after he had been claimed by the darkness.

‘Do you think he will see it through?’ Nathair asked Calidus.

‘I do. But if he does not, we will still complete our task. We have two thousand Jehar warriors. We have Alcyon and the starstone axe. We have you, the Bright Star of Elyon.’

‘And we have you, my friend,’ Nathair said, reaching out to grip Calidus’ arm. ‘One of the Ben-Elim, standing by my side.’ He closed his eyes and breathed out a long sigh. ‘It has been so long, since my dreams began, since I heard Elyon’s voice, since I first heard of the cauldron. And now we are so close. I almost cannot believe it.’

‘The end of this quest is close, my King. You have made this happen. The All-Father will be proud.’

Nathair smiled at him. Then he and Sumur stood and walked way.

Calidus watched them leave. Alcyon sat gazing into the fire, Cywen trying to remain still, keep her breathing slow, pretending to sleep.

‘It would appear that our gambit has worked. The bait is drawing our fly,’ Calidus said, breaking the silence. He screwed up the parchment that he still held in his fist and dropped it into the fire. Cywen watched it curl and then ignite into flame.

Alcyon nodded. Briefly his eyes flickered to Cywen.

‘They are two days behind us, maybe less. I think you should take some men with you and meet them.’

‘How many are there?’

‘Ventos says six, and the boy’s wolven.’

He’s talking about Corban and Storm.

‘Take a score of Jehar with you. That should be more than enough.’

Alcyon nodded, a rippling of his bulk. ‘Where?’

‘Not out here, in the open moors. We’ll carry on along the road to Murias. There’s some woodland about a day’s journey ahead. The road to Murias passes straight through it, so they’ll be on it, or close to it, depending on how careful they’re being. Wait for them there.’

‘Do you want him alive?’

‘No,’ Calidus said. ‘Kill them all.’ With that he rose. ‘Hurry to me once the deed is done. I would like news of his death before we reach Murias. I’ll keep a watch over our bait once you’re gone.’ He stood and disappeared into the night.

‘You can breathe louder now, child,’ Alcyon said. ‘And come back to the fire, before you freeze.’

‘What did he mean by that?’ she said as she moved closer, panic loosening her tongue. ‘He was talking about Corban, wasn’t he? About my brother.’

Alcyon said nothing, but would not meet her gaze.

‘He told you to kill him.’ Fear was twisting its way through her now, her voice rising. ‘You’ve used me as bait, haven’t you, to lure him after you? Damn you; damn Calidus; damn you all.’

‘That is already beyond doubt,’ Alcyon said quietly. It did not help to calm Cywen.

‘You’ll find Corban’s not so easy to kill,’ Cywen hissed at him. ‘More likely he’ll be the one killing you.’

Alcyon just looked across the flames at her with pity.