other daughter was eleven and she walked beside them. On this
night, exhausted and hungry, they had made an early camp in the
pine woods after spotting the Aenir army to the south.
I The man had fallen into a light sleep when the werebeasts struck
” and he died without a struggle, his eyes flaring open to see wide jaws
lined with fangs flashing towards his face. He had no time to scream.
His elder daughter, Jarka, took hold of her little sister and sped
from the cave – only for talons to lance into her back, dragging her to a stop. In the last moment of her young life, Jarka hurled her sister into the undergrowth. The child screamed as she crashed through the bushes; then she was up and running, the awful sound of howling echoing behind her.
For an hour or more the beasts fed, then they slept by the remains of their kill. At dawn they left the cave, their hunger not totally appeased.
The leader dropped to all fours, sniffing at the earth around the cave. His head came up as the breeze shifted. And they set off in pursuit of the child.
Maggrig was angry. An hour before he had been furious. Caswallon had calmly told him that the clans would fight as one, and the one would be led by Caswallon. Maggrig could not believe his ears. The two men had been alone in a tiny cell, the bedchamber of a druid. Caswallon sat beside Maggrig on the narrow cot outlining his plans.
‘I have plans of my own,’ said the Pallides chieftain. Caswallon had been dreading this moment and he took a deep breath.
‘I know it is hard for you, but think about it deeply. The death toll among the clans has been enormous. I have perhaps four thousand fighting men, you have eight hundred. Even together we are no match for one fighting wing of the Aenir army.’
‘I accept that, Caswallon. But why should you lead? What experience do you offer? Great gods, man, you’ve turned down responsibility all your life! Granted you’ve led us here, and our women and children are safe. But to lead in war calls for more than that.’
‘It calls for a cool head,’ said Caswallon.
Maggrig grunted. ‘You’ll not lead the Pallides.’
‘Let me make this clear to you. You are on Farlain land, under the protection of the Farlain clan. If you do not accept me then I will require you, and all your people, to leave tomorrow.’
‘And where would we go?’
‘Wherever you choose. Those that remain will follow me without question.’
‘You would really do this thing? Turn out women and children to be slaughtered by the Aenir?’
‘I would.’
‘What have you become, Caswallon? I mean, I’ve always liked you, boy. You were different yes; but you were a clansman. Now you sit here and calmly say you would sacrifice my people for your ambition?’
‘No, that is what you are saying,’ Caswallon told him. ‘During the Games you made an agreement with Laric that you would support him in any war – as long as you became War Lord. You reached that decision on the grounds that your men outnumbered the Haesten. That argument should surely still apply, can you not see it? If I were to agree that you lead, then most of the Farlain men would quit and go; they would not follow you.’
‘You think the Pallides would follow yow?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why? What makes you so different?’
‘I am your son by law, for I wed your daughter. That gives me the rights of a Pallides warrior. They cannot argue.’
‘All right,’ said Maggrig at last, ‘I will follow you. But only as long as I think you are right.’
‘No,’ said Caswallon. ‘You will take my hand and swear allegiance to me as War Lord. You will offer me your life, as your carles have done for you.’
‘Never!’
Then prepare your people to move.’
Maggrig had stormed from the room seeking Intosh and together they walked among the trees of Vallon, avoiding the dark entrance to the Druids’ Hall. Maggrig emptied himself of fury, his words tumbling over one another as he poured scorn on his son-in-law, the Farlain, the Druids, and the One Angry God for bringing him to this pass.