Pilgrim by Sara Douglas

―What was it that saved us?‖ he said, his tone almost a whisper.

―I don‘t know,‖ said Herme, shifting from foot to foot. ―But…but in the one brief

glimpse of it as one lunged past me, I could have sworn…I could have sworn that it was an

enormous bear.‖

―Whatever,‖ Zared said, ―we can afford to linger here no longer. Roll up the shade cloth,

stow the poles, bury the dead, and put the wounded on horses or litters as need be. We must keep

on moving.‖

Herme glanced at Theod, then addressed Zared.

―Sire, there is a problem.‖

―What?‖

―When Theod and I collected the names of those dead and wounded, we discovered…‖

―You discovered what?‖

―We discovered that Askam, and some four hundred men, horses and weapons, had

gone.‖

24

The Dark Trap

Sicarius returned within five hours. Axis, who‘d been sitting talking with the captain of

the escort, slowly rose to his feet as he saw the hound enter the glade and sit down.

―Azhure,‖ Axis called softly, and she turned from grooming her horse.

―Sicarius?‖ she said, and the dog whined and shifted.

―There are no other hounds,‖ Azhure said, breaking into a large smile. ―They must be

waiting at…well, at whatever they have found.‖

Both Axis and Caelum stared at the hound, wondering to what he would lead them.

―Do we wait the night…or follow Sicarius?‖ Azhure asked.

Axis hesitated, then made up his mind.

―Mount up!‖ he called, and men leapt to tightening girths and untying reins.

Sicarius led them northwards, then veered east. The land slowly rose towards the

southern foothills of the Fortress Ranges. No-one in the group, not even any of the men among

the escort, had ever explored the southern Fortress Ranges. They were rocky, barren hills, lofty

and difficult to pass. Apart from the tunnel Azhure had once travelled with the two Sentinels and

Rivkah, Axis knew of only one way through—the Valley, once known as the Forbidden Valley,

directly north of the site of the now destroyed Smyrton.

―I sincerely hope there is another way through—or under—these Ranges,‖ Axis

muttered, ―for I do not wish to be out on their open slopes during those hours when the Demons

rage.‖

Azhure shot him an anxious look, but it was Caelum who responded. ―Should we just

ride for the Valley, father, and continue our journey through the Avarinheim?‖

―Let‘s see what this hound has found for us first,‖ Axis said, and spurred his horse after

Sicarius‘ form in the distance.

The hound led them to a square hole in a cliff face.

Axis reined in his horse. ―A mine?‖ he asked, looking back at Azhure and Caelum.

―I have heard of no mines in this area,‖ Caelum said, frowning. ―Several years ago I

commissioned a survey team to see if we could cut a road through to the bay that opens into the

Widowmaker Sea just south of here. It would have been useful to open that bay up as a port.

But…‖

―But?‖

―The survey team reported back that beneath the surface soil, about an arm‘s length

down, was solid rock. It would be more than difficult to cut a road through here, especially as we

would have to cut into some of the hills themselves to avoid disturbing Minstrelsea. So we gave

it up as a bad idea.

―The team surveyed this entire southern line of the Ranges. No mines. And from what

they‘d reported to me, I cannot see how there could be any mines.‖

Sicarius was sitting in the entrance way to the mine, watching them.

―Someone could have mined down a natural fissure in the bedrock,‖ Azhure said softly,

her eyes on Sicarius rather than the dark opening of the mine. The pack must be waiting inside

somewhere, for they were nowhere to be seen.

―The point is, mother,‖ Caelum said, ―there was no mine opening here three years ago.

And look!‖ His hand waved at the entrance. ―Those beams are ancient, and the track that leads

inside has been worn down over countless generations.‖

―So what do you suggest?‖ Axis asked, looking steadily at his son.

Caelum shrugged. ―We go inside. See where it leads.‖

―It‘s a trap,‖ Azhure said. ―I can feel it.‖

―As can I,‖ Axis murmured. His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword. One half of

him was wary about riding into a black hole that stunk of entrapment, the other half of him

yearned for a brutal fight so that he could ease some of his frustration at the events of past weeks

with the swing and thrust of his sword. ―I can smell it!‖

Caelum looked between his parents, remembering Kastaleon. Then his stupidity had seen

four and a half thousand men die. Here? Not four and a half thousand lives, but the hopes and

dreams of a nation would be lost if they went inside and failed to meet whatever challenge

awaited them.

―We could always swing north-west again,‖ he said, ―but we have already lost a day, and

will lose at least one more in recovering our ground. The hounds have led us here to

this…possibility. We would be mad to ignore it.‖

Caelum‘s eyes slid towards Sicarius. Would he also be mad to ignore the fact that the

Alaunt were not quite as ―reliable‖ as they had once been?

―And if it is a trap?‖ Axis said.

―We have to risk it,‖ Caelum responded. ―We need to get to Star Finger as fast as we can.

But we also need to get there safely. We go in, but we post a guard of three men at this entrance

with a fire. On our way through we post men at regular intervals—until we are down to five

men—who will watch for the signal from the entrance that something attacks from our rear.‖

―So our retreat will be secured,‖ Azhure said. ―But what if the trap lies already set deep

within the tunnel?‖

Caelum grinned, a peculiarly charming and boyish gesture. ―Then we deal with it as best

we can, mother. Life is full of risks.‖

Axis smiled also. Caelum had suggested what he would have done. ―Good,‖ he said, and

waved to the captain. ―Station three men here—and tell them to keep sharp watch!‖

The tunnel air was damp and peculiarly thick. Each rider held both reins and a burning

brand in one hand, leaving one free to fight with. Small, sharp-edged stones littered the steeply

sloping path, forcing the horses to a sliding walk.

Stars help us, Axis thought, if we have to retreat hurriedly.

On the other hand, the rock-littered floor would hinder any enemy as well. Save for

anything winged, for within thirty paces of entering the tunnel the roof had lifted into cavernous

proportions. The tunnel might only be some four paces wide, but it was at least twenty high.

Axis shivered.

At every turn in the tunnel he motioned a guard to pull in his horse and wait. He did not

envy them their solitary vigil.

Before them Sicarius wove sinuously through the darkness, certain of his movements.

The three guards left at the mouth of the tunnel built themselves a bright fire and stood

about it, nervously stamping their feet and clapping their hands as if cold, even though the air

was mild.

―I‘m glad I am not down that hole,‖ one muttered, and his companions nodded their

agreement.

―Wish I was back with King Zared,‖ a second said.

―What?‖ the third remarked with forced jocularly. ―Do you feel safer in a crowd, then?‖

―I just feel safer with Zared. ‖

To that there was nothing to say, and the three lapsed into silence.

An hour passed.

―What was that?‖ one of them hissed suddenly. He spun about to his left, but there was

nothing but the gently shifting trees. He turned again, but here was nothing but the steep cliff

face. He turned yet again.

Nothing but the black hole.

―I don‘t like it,‖ he muttered.

―No-one ever asked you to like your orders, Brandon,‖ one of the others said, ―but only

to—‖

―There! Again!‖

Brandon whipped about with his back to the tunnel. He pointed with a hand into the trees

before them. ―There! I am sure of it!‖

His hand trembled slightly.

The other two exchanged glances, and hefted their swords.

All three stared into the forested gloom.

A shadow moved, and they jumped.

―Best signal the first man inside,‖ Brandon said, and bent down to the fire, but before he

could grasp a torch something stepped out of the forest.

Brandon, as did his two companions, froze in horror.

They were used to the Icarii—but nothing like this. Even the tales of the Gryphon that

their fathers told paled into insignificant bedtime stories compared to this abomination.

It walked at the height of a small man, but there the resemblance ended. Its head was

almost that of a bird, except that its forehead was man-like, and its lower beak was not a beak at