Jarek chuckled. That will not concern Azrek.’If there’s nothing to take, what can he do?’ responded the hunchback.
Jarek said nothing. Wrapping himself in his sheepskin cloak, he lay down beside the dying fire and closed his eyes.
It was mid-morning on the following day when we topped the last rise before the lake. Black smoke was billowing from the village and we could see several buildings ablaze.
Wulf and the other villagers ran down the slope, but Jarek Mace stood quietly on the brow of the hill scanning the distant tree-line. Swiftly he strung his longbow and notched an arrow to the string. Then he walked slowly down the hill, angling to the south. I followed him, dagger in hand.
We found Ilka, the mute whore, hiding among the thick bushes at the foot of the hill. Her face was bruised and an arrow was lodged in the muscles behind one shoulder-blade. The wound was not deep, and it seemed the shaft had struck her at an oblique angle. Jarek broke the arrow, but did not pull it clear. ‘It needs to be cut free,’ he said. ‘If we drag it out, she could bleed to death.’The girl could hardly stand and so I lifted her into my arms and carried her into the ruined village. Bodies were everywhere -women, old men and children, scattered in death. Wulf was kneeling by his murdered family, cradling his yellow-haired daughter in his arms and weeping.
Jarek Mace walked to Megan’s house. It was undamaged and the old woman was sitting by her fire; she was unharmed. I carried Ilka inside, laying her on the wide bed, turning her to her side so that the broken arrow jutted upwards. Jarek Mace had run to the far wall, pulling open a hidden compartment. It was empty, and he cursed loudly.
‘What happened, Megan?’ I asked.
‘Soldiers from Ziraccu. There was no warning, they merely rode in and began the killing.’ There was no resistance.’Why did they spare you?’They did not see me,’ she said wearily, pushing herself to her feet and approaching the injured girl.
Jarek Mace stormed out of the hut. Once more I followed him. It was the first time I had seen him genuinely angry. I knew it had nothing to do with the slaughter of the villagers; he was furious because the soldiers had found his cache of stolen gold and jewels.
Running to the weeping hunchback, Jarek dragged him to his feet. ‘They had horses,’ he shouted. That means they must keep to the road. We can cut them off by taking the hunting track.’Leave me alone!’ screamed Wulf.
‘You will let them die unavenged?’ hissed Jarek Mace. The hunchback froze, his dark eyes gleaming. Then he took a deep, shuddering breath.
‘You are right, Mace. Let’s kill them all!’I had no wish to remain in this village of the dead, and when the fourteen hunters loped off I followed them. It was a gruelling run, down through glens, up over hills, through dense undergrowth, finally crossing a wide, shallow river, wading to the far bank and the road to Ziraccu.
Wulf ran down to the road, kneeling to examine the tracks. They’ve not yet passed,’ he told Mace. ‘See, this was their outward journey.’How many?’The hunchback moved back and forth along the road, studying the hoofprints. ‘Maybe thirty, perhaps less. But no more.’Jarek called the men together, ordering six to take cover on the right of the road, seven on the left. ‘Do not let fly until I do,’ he commanded them.
‘What about me?’ I asked. ‘What should I do?’Stay with me,’ he answered, then sat down at the side of the road with his longbow beside him.
‘How can we fight thirty?’ I asked him, as the fear started to gnaw at my belly.
‘You just keep killing until there’s none left,’ he answered grimly.
He was in no mood for conversation, so I sat in silence for a while watching the north, listening for the sound of hoofbeats.
‘Why did they kill everyone?’ I asked at last.
‘Azrek is encouraging immigrants from the south to settle here; they will pay good money for tracts of forest land. Wulf and the others were tenants of Count Leopold. They have no rights.’They could have been ordered off. There was no need to kill.’There is rarely any need to kill,’ he said, ‘but men still do it.’As you are intending to now?’They stole my gold,’ he hissed, as if that was answer enough.