‘Am I dead too?’
‘Yes,’ she said sadly.
A low moan came from the spirit. There was silence for a while. ‘I didn’t want Chara to die,’ he said. ‘Truly I didn’t.’
‘I know that, Luss Campion. You were bred to hate, and that is a dangerous and terrible thing to do to a child. You do not need me to send you to your destination. You can hear it calling you. Let go, boy. Just let go.’
‘I don’t have any way to make amends now, do I?’
‘No. That chance was taken from you. But it is good that you would desire to.’
‘I feel so lost. So sad.’ The Wyrd felt the soul of Luss Campion vanish. And she wept.
Kaelin Ring sat quietly, watching and listening to the two men. Jaim he knew and loved, but the big Varlish was another matter entirely. Kaelin was still unsure why they should be risking themselves for this enemy. Yes, he had not punched Jaim when the highlander was virtually helpless. But that was his choice. It seemed unreasonable that, for this one act, he and Jaim should put their lives in peril.
They were sitting in Jaim’s cave, a fire burning, a lantern set high on a natural rock shelf. Jaim was in his travelling clothes, black trews and walking shoes, a dark shirt and a black cloak. Chain Shada wore thick-heeled riding boots and a heavy, double-shouldered coat of shimmering brown leather. Kaelin felt out of place alongside these massive men and had moved to sit a little distance from them. He was almost at the mouth of the cave, and could feel the cool night air against his face.
In the days since Chara’s death he had not slept well. He had dreamed of her, and in his dreams she was alive and happy. Upon waking the full realization of her passing would strike him like a hammer blow, wrenching at his guts. Everything seemed different now, and Kaelin took no pleasure from the sun on the mountains, or the breeze whispering through the trees. He moved listlessly through the days, then slept fitfully, his nights disturbed and full of sorrow.
‘So who is this Huntsekker?’ he heard Chain Shada ask.
‘He is a southerner, and has served the Moidart for twenty years,’ Jaim told him. ‘He is a skilled tracker. And canny.’
‘You know him?’
Jaim grinned. ‘Oh, we’ve crossed each other’s trails now and again.’ Removing his headband, he rubbed at the empty socket. ‘So, tell me, why did the mighty Chain Shada come this far north for such a small contest?’
Chain shrugged. ‘I needed the money, and I thought Gorain could become champion in my place. Needless to say, I wish I hadn’t.’
‘How could you need the money?’ asked Kaelin. ‘It is said you’ve won every fight you ever had. It is also said you are rich.’
‘I made the mistake of marrying a woman for her beauty,’ said Chain. ‘The face of an angel, and a body like a goddess. I was totally besotted with her. She had a brother who was a merchant. She convinced me to invest heavily in his ventures. When she left me I discovered I had no wealth left.’ Chain shrugged. ‘Nothing more foolish than a man in love.’
‘Or more grand,’ countered Jaim. ‘Did you go after them?’
‘No. They fled across the narrow sea to Goriasa. The ship was caught in a storm and sank. She – and my gold – now sit at the bottom of the ocean.’ Chain lapsed into silence, and he stared at the fire for a few moments. Then he took a deep breath. ‘So I had to go on fighting. I had already beaten most of the good challengers, so the purses shrank as I fought lesser men. Then one day I realized I no longer had quite the power or speed I once had.’ He smiled. ‘I never met a man I couldn’t conquer. Yet no man conquers time.’
‘Uncle Jaim would have beaten you,’ said Kaelin. ‘Had he been fresh and strong.’
‘No, he wouldn’t, lad. I’d have blinded him within three periods. He can’t protect his left. Gorain was too stupid to see that.’