‘No!’ I shouted. ‘Strike the fireball!’At the last moment he twisted his arm, sending the silver shaft singing through the air. It smote the glowing fireball in the centre, sundering it, and the arrow exploded in a brilliant burst of white
light that near blinded us. Jarek Mace stumbled upon the battlements and I threw myself forward, grabbing at his jerkin and hauling him back to safety.
He notched a second arrow to his bow and sought out Cataplas.
But the sorcerer had gone.
Piercollo moved forward, his face grey with weariness. ‘Will they come again?’ he asked.
I shrugged, but Mace clapped the giant on the shoulder. ‘If they do, we will turn them back.’Unconvinced, Piercollo merely nodded and walked back to the ramparts, sitting down with his back to the wall. Wulf settled down opposite him, lying on his side with his head on Piercollo’s pack. Ilka squatted between them, staring down at the sabre in her hands.
‘The enchanted blades saved us,’ I told Mace.
‘Yes, they are sharp and true.’It was not the sharpness. We did not even have to plunge them home. As they touched the corpses, all sorcery was drawn from them.’A lucky find,’ he agreed absently, ‘but what did the old man mean about the three and the one?’I don’t know.’You must,’ he insisted.
Truly, I don’t.’Then think on it!’ he snapped. Turning from me he began to pace the battlements, keeping a watchful eye on the cadavers below. I sat down with my back to the cold stone wall and thought of all Cataplas had said.
I have two now in my possession, the third I will find. Nothing you or your band of petty cut-throats can do will stop me. And what will you do with the last should you find it before me? You cannot use its power. The three need to be together.
Two in his possession. Two of what? You cannot use its power. What power?
No matter how much I forced my brain to concentrate, I could make no sense of the words. The three need to be together.
Stretching out on the wooden floor, I pillowed my head upon my arm and slept. Mace woke me with a boot in the ribs and I
grunted and rolled, scrabbling for my dagger. ‘Are they back?’ I whispered hoarsely.
‘No, but I’m getting bored with my own company. Have you thought about the problem?’I have – but to no avail.’He sank down beside me, his handsome face taut, the eyes red-rimmed and tired. ‘The old man wants something, and he thinks we know more than we dp. Why? What have we done to make him think so, save by coming here?’You think these ruins are the key?’ I asked him.
‘They must be. I do not believe he came here just to kill us; he wanted to make a bargain. You said he was a man interested in knowledge. Power. He wasn’t here looking for gold or treasure, but something else entirely. I would guess it is in’that cellar. Something we didn’t find – a magical trinket perhaps? A holy relic?’I don’t believe so. There are few such pieces, save in myth. The Cup of Arenos, the Spear of Gtath. And as for holy relics . . . Cataplas has moved beyond such things. They would burn him now, were he to touch them.’Then think, Owen! What is there about this place? What is its history?’How many times must I tell you that I don’t know!’ I said, my voice rising. Piercollo stirred but did not wake, but Wulf grunted and sat up.
‘How long now to the dawn?’ asked the hunchback.
‘Another hour,’ Mace told him. Wulf rubbed circulation back into his cold limbs, then joined us.
‘I told you no good would come of entering this place,’ he grumbled.
‘We’re alive, aren’t we?’ responded Jarek Mace.
‘For now,’ muttered Wulf. ‘We’ll all end up like him,’ he added, pointing to the skeleton.
‘No, we won’t,’ said Mace forcefully. ‘That graveyard does not contain an inexhaustible supply of corpses, and we have enchanted blades to cut our way through what remains of them. And we will, come daylight. Put aside your fears, Wulf. Think of this, there may be many of them but what opposition do they offer? Their muscles are rotten, they move as if through water.