David Gemmell. Winter Warriors

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demon must therefore be a most powerful creature. He now dwells in the world of men. He it is who has summoned the creatures you see over the city. It is his purpose that must be discerned.

‘As to the emperor being sacrificed . . . this is not a symbol. There were many rumours when he was slain, and the body was never recovered. But the voice you heard was interesting. “The day of Resurrection is at hand. You are the first of the Three.” Once again we have the number three. But what is to be resurrected? And who are the other two? This is the manifestation of the problem. Three are to be sacrificed in order for the Demon to achieve his purpose. One is already slain.

‘Now to the scene in the forest. You and the queen stand protected by a few soldiers. Three old men and a youngster are all that stand between you and a terrible evil. The clue here, I believe is the person you are pro­tecting. Axiana is obviously one of the Three. It makes sense, since her father was the first. Perhaps there is something in the bloodline that the Demon requires.’ He smiled and spread his hands. ‘I can tell you no more, Ulmenetha.’

‘Should I try to find these soldiers?’

He shook his head. ‘What you saw is what will be, whether you seek them out or not.’

‘You did not mention the white crow,’ she pointed out.

‘No,’ he said, sadly. ‘Nor did I need to. You know what that means.’

‘Aye, I know,’ she said, wearily. She gazed around the temple, unwilling to leave its quiet sanctuary. On the wall above the High Altar was carved the symbol of Emsharas, the slender hand holding a crescent moon. ‘I thought this to be a Source temple,’ she said. Tt is

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unusual to find the crescent moon in such a place.’

‘You perceive Emsharas to be a creature of evil?’

‘Was he not, according to legend, a demon?’ she asked.

‘He was indeed one of the Windborn, a spirit being. The name “demon” is a description devised by man. We have here in this temple many of the oldest scrolls in existence, and even some legends engraved on gold foil. I have studied them over the years. I have come to admire Emsharas, and I believe he was Source driven. Did your studies include the legends of the Demon Wars?’

‘Very briefly,’ she told him. ‘Thousands of years ago Emsharas and his brother, Anharat, were enemies. Emsharas joined the human armies of the Three Kings, and banished all demons from the world. That is the sum total of my knowledge.’

‘In truth that is probably the sum total of all our knowledge,’ he said. ‘But you notice the figure three appearing again? It is of great mystical significance. However, he did not merely banish demons from the world. All the creatures of the Windborn vanished as a result of the Great Spell.’

‘And now they are coming back,’ she said.

‘It would appear so,’ he agreed.

Banelion summoned his twenty senior officers soon after dawn. All were veterans, many of them men who had served with him for more than thirty years. They were sur­vivors, tough and lean, hard eyed and iron willed. They stood to attention around him, filling the tent. No-one could ever have accused the White Wolf of sentimentality, and yet, as he looked into their faces, he felt an acute sense of family. These men had been his brothers, his sons. He

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had raised them, and trained them, and led them across the world. Now he was taking them home, to a retirement few desired, but all deserved.

Banelion rarely looked into mirrors. He had lost that vanity at sixty. But now, looking at these men he felt the weight of his years. He could remember them all as they had been, bright eyed, fresh of face, their hearts burning to serve – aye and to save – the country of their birth.

‘There will be no easing of discipline,’ he told them. ‘We will have eighteen hundred men with us, all private citizens now. But I will not lead an unruly mob back to Drenan. Every man who travels with us will sign on for the journey as a soldier, subject to my discipline and under my orders. Any who do not wish to do so will be turned away. The payment will be one half silver per man per month, to be paid out of my own treasury. Officers will receive five full silvers. The payment will be made upon landing at Dros Purdol. Any questions?’