‘You saw them yourself?’ asked Tarantio.
‘I did, Chio. Horses of eighteen hands or more, huge warriors with white, naked skulls and twisted faces. And the desert is no more. Trust me. The Daroth are back.’ She told him of Sirano’s assault on the Pearl, and of the ghostly Eldarin. Lastly she outlined the decision of the Council to send a group of riders to meet with the Daroth. ‘I will be leading the group,’ she said. ‘I want you with me.’
‘Who else have you chosen?’
‘Vint, the boy Goran, and a politician called Pooris. But it must be a small group.’
‘Forin is in Corduin,’ he told her. ‘He is a good man -and he knows many stories of the Daroth. He could be useful.’
‘I will have him found. Will you come?’
‘You have not mentioned a price,’ he pointed out.
Karis grinned. ‘One hundred in silver.’
‘That is agreeable. And what about him?’ he asked, gesturing at the green-clad swordsman.
‘What about him?’ countered Karis.
‘He wants to kill me. I do not relish being stabbed to death as I sleep.’
‘How dare you?’ snapped Vint. ‘I never murdered a man in my life. You have my word that our duel will wait until we return. Or is my word not good enough for you?’
‘Is his word good, Karis?’ asked Tarantio.
‘Yes.’
‘Then I agree. I won’t kill him until we return.’
Vint’s handsome face lost its colour. ‘You are an arrogant man, Tarantio,’ he said, ‘but it would be wise to remember the old adage – never a horse that couldn’t be rode, never a man that couldn’t be throwed.’
‘I’ll remember that when I find a horse I can’t ride.’
‘Would either of you mind,’ put in Karis, ‘if I enquired as to what caused this enmity?’
‘A friend of his attacked Brune. Hit him from behind, then tried to kick him while he was unconscious. I stopped him. He drew a knife on me and I broke his arm. Should have killed him, but I didn’t.’
‘That is not how it happened,’ said Vint to Karis. ‘My friend was dining when this . . . drunken savage … attacked him for no reason.’
‘For what it is worth, Vint, I have never known Tarantio to lie. Nor have I ever seen him drunk. But that is beside the point. You are both strong men, the kind I would want with me on this mission. I will not however take either of you if you do not grip hands now, and swear to be sword brothers until we return. I cannot afford such hatred. While we are in Daroth lands, you must each be willing to risk your life for the other. You understand me?’
‘Why would he need a sword brother?’ asked Vint. ‘Surely he could master the Daroth on his own.’
‘That is enough!’ snapped Karis. ‘Shake hands and swear your oath. Both of you.’
For a moment the two men sat in stony silence, then Tarantio rose and offered his hand. Vint stared at it for several heartbeats, then thrust out his own, and the two men clasped each other wrist to wrist. ‘I will defend your life as my own,’ said Tarantio.
‘And I likewise,’ hissed Vint.
‘We will depart at dawn,’ said Karis. ‘If your man Forin has not been found by then, we will leave without him.’
‘I would like to bring my . . . friend . . . Brune,’ put in Tarantio, as Karis moved towards her horse.
She swung back. ‘Can he fight?’
Tarantio shrugged. ‘No, General, but he has the eyes of an eagle. Trust me on this.’
‘As you wish,’ she said.
Chapter Seven
Of all the joys Duvodas had ever known, this was the most intense, the most beautiful. In his young life he had summoned the music of the earth, and watched its magic flow across the land. He had healed the sick, and felt the lifeblood of the universe flowing in his veins. But here and now, as he lay beside his new bride, he felt complete and utterly happy. He stroked her long dark hair as she slept, and stared down at her beautiful face lit by the virgin light of a new dawn. Duvo sighed.