trouble us.’ Karis smiled. ‘That remains to be seen. I look forward
to your visit.’
There were 107 captives, all of them past middle age, and several white-haired elders. They were herded out to the open ground before the dome, where Karis greeted them. The last to arrive was Goran’s father, a burly man with dark curly hair and beard. Goran ran to him, and hugged him. Barin ruffled his son’s hair, then looked up at Karis. ‘We must leave quickly,’ he said, his voice low. ‘There is no honour among these monsters. And their word is not iron.’
Karis nodded, and led the refugees back along the main street of the city of domes. Daroth came from every doorway to stare at them as they made their way towards the grasslands. Karis noticed that all the Daroth eyes were fixed upon the lean figure of Tarantio. He had killed one of them in single combat, and all had felt the blows of his swords.
They reached the outskirts of the city without incident and headed south. ‘You must beware of warmth and pain in your mind,’ said Barin. ‘This will indicate they are reading your thoughts.’
Karis passed the warning back to the others. ‘What do you think they will do?’ she asked the man.
‘The blood relatives of the Daroth cut down by your swordsman will follow you. They will try to take you alive, and keep you until the entombing. Then you will
be fed to the wife of the Daroth your man fought – save for your heart, which will be placed in the coffin with the body of her husband.’
‘What did the Duke mean about pod-lost?’ asked Karis.
‘The Daroth are virtually immortal. They exist in a single body for no more than ten years. Then, when the pods are ripe and a new form emerges, the old body is shed. Your man ended the life of the Daroth captain. Under normal circumstances he would have been born again, but his pod was either flawed in some way, or diseased. Whatever the answer, his immortality ended in that hall. Now his relatives will seek to avenge his passing.’
‘But why me?’ she asked. ‘Why not Tarantio who actually killed him?’
‘You are the leader. It was you who instigated the duel.’
‘What do you suggest?’
‘Head for high ground where the air is thin and cold. It affects the Daroth far more than us; they are heavy, and they do not like the cold.’
‘You know of such a place?’
‘There is a pass through the mountains – some twelve miles east of here. It is very high.’
Once out of sight of the city, Karis led the column down into a deep gully, then changed the direction of travel from south to east. Vint rode alongside her. ‘Where are we going?’ he asked.
Karis told him of Barin’s warning. ‘If they do come after us, I do not see how we can fight,’ said Vint.
‘There is always a way to fight,’ snapped Karis. ‘My father had a pet python; he used to feed it with live mice. The python was around six feet in length. He made me watch the snake feed. It was . . . nauseating.’
‘What has this to do with the Daroth?’ asked Vint.
‘One day a mouse killed the snake.’
‘I don’t believe it!’
‘Neither did my father; he accused me of poisoning it. But it was true. I freed the mouse. I hope she had a long life, and gave rise to many legends among her kind.’
Heeling Warain into a run, Karis circled the column and galloped back along the line of refugees where she swung into place between Tarantio and Brune. ‘You fought well, my friend,’ she said with a smile. ‘You will become a legend. The Daroth Slayer, they will call you.’
‘Their Duke was right,’ said Tarantio. ‘We will not stop them in the spring. Shemak’s Balls, Karis, they are tough to kill! I cannot see how men can defeat them. Their skin is like toughened leather, their bones stronger than teak.’
‘Yet you killed one.’
Tarantio smiled. ‘There are not many like me,’ he said. ‘For which I have – up to now – always been grateful.’ When Karis told him of Barin’s warning, Tarantio ordered Brune to ride to the crest of a nearby hill and watch for signs of pursuit.