David Gemmell – Rigante 3 – Ravenheart

‘He is a good teacher.’ The soldier put out his hand, and Kaelin put down his sack and shook it. The grip was firm, and, despite himself, Kaelin warmed to the man. Then he spoke again: ‘My name is Mulgrave. The gentleman who saved you is Gaise Macon.’

‘The Moidart’s son,’ said Kaelin, stiffening.

‘That is so,’ said Gaise, his friendliness fading as he saw the cold look in Kaelin’s eyes. ‘You know my father?’

‘No. He knew mine,’ said Kaelin. With that he stepped back, swept up his sack and walked away, his heart beating fast. He was angry now. Just for a moment he had found himself relaxing in the company of the Varlish. One moment that now felt like a betrayal of his blood. This man’s father had treacherously killed Lanovar and hundreds of other Rigante men, women and children. Now the son had saved his life. It was galling.

Kaelin trudged on, past the school and up into the hills. The blood dried on his face, the bruises to his flesh throbbing in the cool wind. He had known fear – real fear – for the first time in his life when he saw Taybard Jaekel advancing on him, the knife glittering in his hand. He saw the scene again, and shivered. It was not the knife that frightened him, nor even the prospect of death. It was that he had been helpless, his arms pinned. He would have been slaughtered like a feast bull.

The strange thing was that he had never hated Taybard. He didn’t much like Luss Campion or Kammel Bard, but Taybard, he had always felt, was essentially good-hearted. He had once, so Banny told Kaelin one day, stepped in to prevent Banny’s taking a beating. He had also been heavily involved in the rescue of little Jassie Wirrall, when she had fallen into the weir and almost drowned. Taybard had hurled himself into the rushing torrent, grabbing the child and holding her head above the water until Galliott had thrown a rope and dragged them both to the bank.

He found it hard to understand the youth’s hatred of him. Yes, Taybard was Varlish, but only nominally. Everyone knew there was clan blood in his line. Kaelin walked on, keeping a wary eye out for Taybard and his companions, in case they had decided to waylay him further from town.

Up ahead was a cluster of dwellings, used by the families of timber yard workers. Several women were hanging clothes out to dry on rope lines strung across the open ground. The houses had been built more than a hundred years before, the outer shells constructed of grey granite slabs, the sloping roofs of black slate. Freezing in winter, cold in summer, they stood colourless and drab against the bright green wooded hills. One of the younger women saw Kaelin and called out. He glanced up to see Chara Ward moving towards him.

Kaelin paused, his mood lifting. Chara was tall for a girl, and she walked in a way that caused Kaelin’s pulse to race, and his mind to focus on thoughts that were entirely inappropriate. She was dressed now in a pale blue blouse, and a flowing grey skirt that hugged her body as she walked. As she neared him she smiled, her hand moving up to sweep back the long blond wisps of hair that had fallen clear of her bright blue headband. The lifting of the hand caused the blouse to press against her body. Kaelin could not keep his eyes from the plump, perfect outline of her breasts. Guiltily he looked away. As she came closer Chara saw the blood on Kaelin’s face.

‘What has happened to you?’ she asked, suddenly concerned.

‘A scrap. Nothing serious,’ he answered.

‘Who did that to you?’

‘It’s not important.’ He shuffled from foot to foot as she came closer, her hand reaching out to touch his face.

‘It is very swollen. You should come inside and let me bathe the cut.’

‘It’s nothing, Chara. You look beautiful today,’ he said, catching hold of her hand and kissing the fingers. She smiled and a faint blush touched her cheeks.

‘You shouldn’t do that,’ she whispered. ‘Mother is watching.’