‘And his eyes were also green and gold?’
‘Oh yes, sir. Just like Gaise. But the Moidart didn’t kill the boy. Gave him no love, though.’
What a quandary, thought Ramus. To be so full of hatred that he would kill his wife, and then not to know whether he was raising the son of his enemy. Did Gaise inherit his looks from his great-grandmother, or from the highlander who cuckolded him? The Moidart could never know.
‘Then came the night of the fire,’ said Maldrak. ‘It was only a few months later. It was awful. The Moidart came out, but we could hear the screams of people trapped inside.’
‘The Moidart was burned badly,’ said Ramus. ‘He still suffers.’
‘No, he came out unscathed,’ said Maldrak. ‘He shouted to someone: “Where is my son?” Nobody answered. The Moidart gave a terrible cry then, and ran back into the inferno. I’ve never seen the like. We all thought he was dead. Then he appeared at an upper window. His cloak and shirt were on fire, and he was carrying little Gaise wrapped in a blanket. And that had started to smoulder. The Moidart kicked out the window and jumped. When he hit the ground he rolled to protect the babe. We all ran to him, and beat out the flames. The baby had a little burn on his face, but he was all right. The Moidart was burned bad and had a broken ankle. After that I knew he would never kill Gaise. Not after risking everything to save him.’
The old man drifted off to sleep. When he awoke some minutes later he blinked and seemed confused. ‘What happened to the priest, apothecary? Did he go?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did he damn me?’
‘No, my friend. He blessed you.’ Maldrak winced and groaned.
‘Hurting a lot now,’ he said. Ramus opened a bottle of potion and helped the old man to drink. ‘Man, that’s bitter.’
‘It will ease the pain.’
‘Am I dying, Ramus?’
‘Yes.’
‘Oh dear. I don’t want to.’
‘Drink some more. Finish the bottle.’
Maldrak did as he was bid. Then he sank back. After a while he said: ‘That’s a little better. I think I’ll sleep now. I’ll be right as rain when I’ve rested. Thanks for all you’ve done for me. He blessed me, you say?’
‘Aye, he did.’
‘Don’t want the Gates shut when I get there.’
‘Rest, Maldrak. Sleep.’
The old man closed his eyes. Ramus waited quietly by the bedside. The potion was a powerful one, and soon Maldrak was sleeping deeply. Ramus had seen such cancers before. Death from them was always agonizing. Maldrak would suffer no such agony. A few drops of the potion would take away pain. A little more and sleep could be induced. But to drink the whole bottle would slow and then stop the heart.
Ramus took hold of Maldrak’s wrist, feeling for the pulse. It fluttered weakly for a while, then faded away. ‘I hope your wife is waiting for you,’ he said. Then he blew out the lantern and left the hut.
Since the attack on him eight months earlier Call Jace had been a changed man. His left arm ached continuously, and his shoulder pained him when the weather was cold or wet. His men noticed the change in his mood. Rarely did Call Jace take part in the joking and camaraderie of the Rigante, keeping to the great house, or wandering by himself at Sorrow Bird Lake. His son Bael carried out most of his duties, though Call himself always led the twice monthly clan meetings with his captains.
The winter had been especially harsh, and this meant there was little trouble with Ranaud and his beetlebacks, but no-one doubted the spring would see trouble. Throughout Black Mountain the word had gone out that Call Jace had been responsible, either personally or by order, for the murder of Colonel Linax. The ailing officer was said to have travelled to a meeting with Jace to discuss various aspects of the unwritten treaty between Rigante and Varlish. He had ridden out one early autumn morning, in the company of Captain Ranaud. That night Ranaud had returned, telling a tale of treachery. They had arrived at the meeting place only to find a group of highlanders waiting in ambush. Colonel Linax had, according to Ranaud, been shot in the head. Ranaud himself had escaped by drawing his sabre and charging the ambushers. Only the intervention of the Source had saved him.