‘I have nothing against you, old man,’ said Bane. ‘I’d just as soon let you live.’
‘Then you’d better share that bacon,’ said Parax. ‘Otherwise I might starve to death.’
‘Of course. The food is yours, after all.’ Bane speared a strip of bacon on his hunting knife, then passed the pan across to the hunter. They ate in silence. The bacon was full of flavour but a little too salty and Parax moved back to the stream for a drink.
‘How did you evade the hunters?’ he asked, as he returned to the fire.
‘It wasn’t difficult. They didn’t really want to find me. Can’t say I blame them. Most are married men, who wouldn’t want to leave behind young widows.’
‘You are a cocky whoreson,’ snapped Parax.
‘Indeed I am. But I am also very good with sword or knife. I have fought my battles, Parax. Twice against Sea Raiders, and three times against Norvii outlaws.’ He tapped the thick gold clasp round his left wrist. ‘Uncle Braefar himself awarded me this for courage. It should have been awarded by the king – but that would have been too embarrassing.’
Parax heard the rising anger in the young man’s voice and changed the subject. ‘So why did you allow me to find you?’
Bane laughed. ‘You didn’t find me, Parax. I found you. I felt sorry for you. It must be hard to lose one’s skills.’
‘Aye, it is hard. Though I doubt you’ll live long enough to know how hard it is. So, why are we having this meeting?’
The young man did not answer at first. He carried the pan to the stream, washed it, dried it with grass, then returned it to the old man’s pack. Then he stretched out by the fire. ‘I was intrigued. I know why Uncle Braefar’s men were after me. But not why the King’s Hunter should have been sent. Nor, indeed, why you did not ride with the other hunters.’
‘The king does not want to see you dead,’ said Parax.
Bane gave a scornful laugh. ‘Is that so? My father does not want to see me dead. How touching. In all my life he has not spoken to me – save when I won the Beltine Race and he awarded the prize. “Well done.” In my seventeen years they are the only two words I have heard my father speak. And now I am to believe he is concerned for my welfare?’
‘I cannot speak for his concerns. He asked me to find you. Gave me a bag of gold to give you.’
‘A bag of gold? What a sweet man!’ Bane spat into the fire.
‘He is a good man,’ said Parax softly.
‘Be careful, old man,’ warned Bane. ‘I am not known to be overly forgiving. I have killed two men in the past five days. A third will not trouble my conscience.’
‘My understanding is that they spoke slightingly of your dead mother, then waylaid you after you had beaten them with your fists. A trial would most certainly have seen you acquitted.’
‘And this bag of gold is to aid my trial?’
‘No,’ admitted Parax. ‘It is to help you once you have left Rigante lands. The men you killed were kin to the general, Fiallach. He has sworn a blood oath to fight you. The king does not want either of you hurt.’
Bane laughed, the sound merry and full of humour. ‘He doesn’t want Uncle Fiallach killed, you mean?’
‘If that is what he had meant, then that is what he would have said,’ snapped Parax.
‘I like loyalty,’ said Bane. ‘I don’t have much experience of it, but I like it none the less. So I will let you live, and I will take the bag of gold.’ His voice hardened, and an edge of cold fury showed through. ‘But maybe I will not leave. Maybe I will stay and challenge Fiallach. And cut his throat in front of the king.’
Parax was silent for a moment. ‘I have rarely seen such depths of anger in a man,’ he said. ‘It saddens me, Bane. Fiallach is headstrong. He is also a great fighter, but more than that he is married to your mother’s sister. You think your mother’s spirit would rejoice in seeing the father of her nephews cut down by her son?’