‘Are you just going to stand there all day?’ said a voice.
Rek turned to see Virae. By his side, dressed in a flowing gown of white. She smiled at him.
‘You’re back!’ he said, reaching out for her.
‘No time for that, you fool! Here! Take your sword.’ Her arms reached towards him and the bronze sword of Egel appeared in her hands. A shadow fell across them as Rek snatched the sword, spinning round to face the worm which was towering above them. The blade swept through three feet of the creature’s neck as the mouth descended and green gore spouted from the wound. Rek struck again and again until the creature, almost cut in two, flopped backwards into the pit.
‘The spider!’ yelled Virae and he spun once more. The beast was upon him, its huge mouth mere paces away. Rek hurled his sword into the gaping maw and it flew like an arrow to split the green face within like a melon. The spider reared into the air and toppled backwards. A breeze blew up, and the beast became black smoke which drifted into the air and then was gone.
‘I suppose you would have gone on standing there if I hadn’t come along?’ said Virae.
‘I think so,’ answered Rek.
‘You fool,’ she said, smiling and he moved forward tentatively, holding out his arms.
‘Can I touch you?’ he asked.
‘An odd request for a husband to make.’
‘You won’t disappear?’
Her smile faded. ‘Not yet, my love.’
His arms crushed her to him, tears spilling from his eyes. ‘I thought you were gone for ever. I thought I would never see you again.’
For a while they said nothing, but merely stood together embracing. Finally she gently pushed him away. ‘You must go back,’ she said.
‘Back?’
‘To Delnoch. You are needed there.’
‘I need you more than I need Delnoch. Can we not stay here? Together?’
‘No. There is no “here”. It doesn’t exist. Only you and I are real. Now you must return.’
‘I will see you again, won’t I?’
‘I love you, Rek. I will always love you.’
He awoke with a start, eyes focusing on the stars outside his window. Her face could still be seen, fading against the midnight sky. ‘Virae!’ he shouted. ‘Virae!’ The door opened and Serbitar ran to the bedside.
‘Rek, you’re dreaming. Wake up!’
‘I am awake. I saw her. She came to me in a dream and rescued me.’
‘All right, but she’s gone now. Look at me.’ Rek gazed into Serbitar’s green eyes. He saw concern there, but this soon faded and the albino smiled.
‘You are all right,’ said Serbitar. Tell me of the dream.’
Afterwards Serbitar questioned him about the face. He wanted every detail that could be remembered. Finally he smiled.
‘I think you were the victim of Nosta Khan,’ he said. ‘But you held him off – a rare feat, Rek.’
‘Virae came to me. It was not a dream?’
‘I think not. The Source released her for a time.’
‘I would like to believe that, I truly would.’
‘I think you should. Have you looked for your sword?’
Rek swung out of the bed and padded over to the table where his armour lay. The sword was gone.
‘How?’ whispered Rek. Serbitar shrugged.
‘It will return. Never fear!’
Serbitar lit the candles and stoked the fire to life in the hearth. As he finished a gentle tapping came at the door.
‘Come in,’ called Rek.
A young officer entered, bearing the sword of Egel.
‘I am sorry to disturb you, sir, but I saw the light. One of the sentries found your sword upon the Kania battlements, so I brought it here. I wiped the blood from it first, sir.’
‘Blood?’
‘Yes, sir. It was covered in blood. Strange how wet it still was.’
‘Thank you again.’ Rek turned to Serbitar. ‘I don’t understand.’
*
In the tent of Ulric the candles flickered. The warlord sat transfixed, staring at the headless body on the floor before him. The sight was one which would haunt him for the rest of his days. One moment the shaman had been sitting in trance before the coals, the next a red line had been drawn across his neck and his head toppled into the fire.