Pilgrim by Sara Douglas

his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder. ―I cannot trust Drago. I cannot!‖

―I can understand, Axis.‖

―And yet you support him?‖

Zared hesitated. ―I trust Faraday when she says that Drago has pledged himself to

Caelum. Axis, I do not believe he murdered RiverStar. Caelum treated him badly, the trial was a farce, for the gods‘ sakes!‖

―And yet the vision WolfStar conjured showed that Drago murdered—‖

―And have you ever trusted WolfStar?‖

Axis was silent, and Zared let him think for a moment before he continued. ―I am

prepared to give Drago a chance, Axis. I think that he deserves that one chance.‖

Axis‘ face tightened, but when he spoke his voice was calm. ―Then will you promise me

one thing?‖

Zared raised his eyebrows.

―Promise me that you will kill him the moment you suspect he works, not for Tencendor

and Caelum, but for those Demons. Promise me!‖

Zared slowly nodded. ―I will not allow him to betray this land, Axis.‖

―To betray this land any further than he has!‖ Axis said bitterly, but he accepted Zared‘s

words, and, after a moment‘s thought, gripped his younger brother‘s hand. ―I do not envy you

your task,‖ he said.

―Nor I yours,‖ Zared said quietly. They stared at each other, then Zared turned and

walked away.

Caelum finished checking his horse, disquieted by Askam‘s visit, then went to say

goodbye to Zared and DareWing. Zared would look after Tencendor—what was left of it—as

well as anyone could.

Drago watched him, then pushed Faraday‘s gentle hands away. ―Faraday, I must speak

with him.‖

―Wait! Drago, your neck—‖

―Faraday, a few steps won‘t hurt me, and I need to talk with Caelum. Neither of us should

leave it like this.‖

Faraday dropped her hands. ―Then stay well clear of your father.‖

Drago nodded, his expression bleak, and walked slowly away.

Caelum conversed briefly with Zared and DareWing, and then began to walk back to

where he could see his parents with the unit of twenty men that Zared had given them. Axis and

Azhure, the Alaunt milling about them, were obviously impatient.

Caelum sighed. On the one hand, he hated to leave Tencendor like this. He felt as though

he were abandoning his responsibilities. On the other hand, Star Finger represented such a haven

of safety that he could hardly wait to get there. Well might Faraday say that Drago was now the

most trustworthy soul this side of death, but Caelum could not believe it. Not when each night

the nightmare still thundered through his sleep, and the lance still pierced his heart.

Suddenly Drago stepped out from behind a tree and stood directly in Caelum‘s path.

Caelum stopped dead, his heart thumping. Drago was pale, and the blood-stained

bandage about his neck hardly improved his appearance, but Caelum thought he looked strong

enough for mischief. He quickly checked the surrounding trees—no-one was close, although he

could see his parents start in concern; Axis had taken a step forward.

―Get out of my way,‖ Caelum said.

―Caelum, please, I do not come to hurt you—‖

―Why should I believe that?‖

Drago held out a hand. ―Caelum, the only reason I came back through the Star Gate was

to right the wrong I did you so many years ago. Brother, I pledge myself to your cause. Please,

believe me.‖

His only answer was a hostile stare from his brother.

Drago‘s hand, still extended, wavered slightly. ―I can understand why you hate and

fear—‖

―You understand nothing if you can say you have pledged yourself to my cause, and you

ask me to trust you. Why should I believe that?‖

―Caelum—‖

―How dare I ever trust you?‖

Drago dropped his hand. ―Because when I came back through the Star Gate all

enchantments fell from my eyes, Caelum.‖

Caelum‘s eyes widened, appalled at what he‘d heard. He stared at Drago. ―And still you

say, ‗I come only to aid you‘?‖ he whispered.

Drago nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving those of his brother. ―I swore to aid you and

to aid Tencendor, and so I will do.‖

―You lie,‖ Caelum said, ―if all enchantments fell from your eyes as you came back

through the Star Gate, then you must lie! You are here to destroy me. No more, no less.‖

Then he stepped past his brother and walked into the shadows where waited his parents.

As they mounted and rode into the forest, Sicarius stood a moment, looking first at the

retreating riders, then at Drago standing watching them.

He whined, hesitated, then finally bounded after Axis, Azhure and Caelum.

The pack of Alaunt followed his lead.

High in a nearby tree, the feathered lizard inspected one of its twinkling talons, then

slowly scratched at its cheek, thinking. After a moment it glanced down to the two white

donkeys and the blue cart they were still harnessed to.

In its tray lay the staff.

6

The Rosewood Staff

―Drago?‖ Faraday placed a hand on his arm. ―Do not blame Caelum too much.‖

―I do not blame him at all.‖

―Then do not blame yourself too much, either. Come, let us walk back to Leagh and

Zared‘s fire. We need to eat, and I think I can see Leagh dabbling in some pot or the other. And I

sincerely hope she spent some of her princesshood attending lessons in the kitchens,‖ she added, almost in an undertone.

Despite the emotion of the past hour, Drago‘s sense of humour had not completely

deserted him, and Faraday‘s words made him grin. For someone who had lived on a diet of grass, grass and yet more grass for the past forty-odd years, Faraday should be the last person to

criticise anyone‘s culinary imagination.

They walked slowly towards the campsite. Leagh was still obviously disturbed at the

scene between Drago and his father, but she composed herself and then smiled and held out her

hands as Drago and Faraday approached.

―Drago, come and sit down. There is a pot of stew here. Not much, but it will warm you,

at least.‖

Drago thanked Leagh as she passed him a bowl and then, as he sat, asked her to fetch

Zared, DareWing, StarDrifter and Zenith. ―And any other who commands within this force,

Leagh. I need to talk, and they have done the honour of trusting me.‖

Leagh nodded, and walked off.

―Are you sure you want to do this?‖ Faraday said.

―Yes. They—all of you—deserve an explanation of what I did. And…‖

―Yes?‖

―You should never doubt Leagh‘s talents, Faraday. This stew is right flavoursome given

the restrictions of her kitchen.‖

The others arrived and grouped quietly about, taking places as they could about the fire.

Zenith was one of the first to arrive, StarDrifter close behind. He sat down close beside Zenith,

closer than need be. Zenith tensed slightly, then relaxed and smiled as StarDrifter murmured

something to her. Zared sat with Leagh across the fire from Drago. DareWing and his two most

senior Crest-Leaders were to his right. Herme sat between Leagh and Faraday, but Theod and

Askam preferred to remain standing just behind the seated circle, several of their lieutenants still

further behind them.

Everyone studied Drago curiously. StarDrifter and Zared had known Drago previously,

and, as Zenith had, they well noted the changes his experiences had wrought. A certain weariness

from his struggle through the Star Gate and some pain from his wound remained, but his face

was otherwise determined. The resentment and bitterness that had so characterised the old Drago

had gone, and the lines they‘d left in his face were now humorous and bold, and added character,

rather than emphasising his previous dampening blanket of futility. His skin was still pale, but

the tincture of his violet eyes and copper hair gave him vitality and the appearance of endless

energy; his wounding seemed to have brought no lasting damage to body or spirit. His was the

lean, thoughtful face of a man in the midst of contemplative mid-life, but there was something

else…something in his eyes, or perhaps in the way he held his head, that hinted at far, far more.

It was a face that not only projected a profound and reassuring calmness, but also invited

a further exploration of the man it represented.

For her part, Leagh thought his face and his overall demeanour extraordinarily sensual,

and that surprised her, for she had never thought of Drago in that manner previously. Casting her

eyes about those grouped around the fire, then back to Drago, Leagh thought he looked like a

prince who had just woken from a very long enchanted sleep, and who yet did not know the

talents or weaknesses of the court that surrounded him.

Neither did they know him.

There was wariness about this circle, and a little suspicion, but the general sense was of

an overwhelming curiosity.

―When I went beyond the Star Gate,‖ Drago began with no preamble, ―I thought I had

found all the love and all the meaning I had been searching for all my life. The Questors, as the