who were approaching the Nordra as it ran below the Urqhart Hills.
May we attack? the Hawkchilds asked.
The Demons considered. You may have your fun, they finally decided, but do not tip them
from the mountain trails, for we need them for the final hunt.
The Hawkchilds circled lower.
Caelum and his parents rested at mid-morning and then mid-afternoon under the shelter
of overhangs and tumbled rocks. They felt the corruption of tempest and despair sweep up through the gorges to break against the mountain ridges, but were heartened by the relative
weakness of the Demons‘ influence within the Alps.
―Maybe it is the rarefied air,‖ Caelum said, fighting his urge to pant.
―Or perhaps merely the distance,‖ Azhure said.
―Or maybe,‖ Axis said slowly, turning to look at his wife and son, ―they do not like the
mountains. Who knows? But if their influence is weaker here, then what will it be like at Star
Finger?‖
As despair died after the mid-afternoon, they struggled from under their sheltering
overhang and prepared to climb for another few hours until they came to a suitable cave where
they could shelter for the night.
They had been on the trail barely an hour when the Hawkchilds decided to play with
them.
The Hawkchilds had descended deep into the gorge behind the three, so they could
launch an attack from behind. The first Axis, Azhure and Caelum knew of it was when they‘d
swung about at a horrible whooshing noise from behind, only to realise that nine or ten
Hawkchilds were rushing up the trail towards them, running on clawed feet, their wings
outstretched for balance, hands grasping, beaks whispering.
The Alaunt, further up the trail than Axis, Azhure and Caelum, turned and snarled, then
cringed, apparently unsure of what to do against the threat. Azhure shot them a look that was
both sympathetic and damning, then joined her husband and son in drawing her sword, prepared
to kill as many of the creatures as she could before she was killed in her turn.
But the Hawkchilds did not come close enough for the sword thrust. When they were five
or six paces away from the group, they rose up on wings, and passed overhead barely a sword‘s
length above the three.
There was a rush of a foul wind, and a whisper on the air. DragonStar comes, Caelum.
Do you hear the thunder of horses’ hooves on the path behind you? Do you feel his heat?
Caelum cried out, swinging wildly around to look down the path, and Axis had to grab
his arm to prevent him falling over the edge of the cliff.
―They only taunt you,‖ Axis hissed. ―No-one comes!‖
Wrong, StarMan, the Hawkchilds whispered as another cloud of them spun over their
heads. He comes. Can you not hear him, Caelum?
―I will kill him,‖ Caelum shouted.
They howled with merriment, and a cloud some twenty strong blocked out the sun.
Relinquish the Throne of the Stars and he may allow you your life!
―Ignore them,‖ Azhure said softly, placing a hand on Caelum‘s arm. ―They seek only to
distract you.‖
Caelum hesitated, then nodded.
―They do not attack,‖ Axis said. ―They fear you.‖
Caelum‘s back straightened. ―Yes. I—‖
The Hawkchilds howled with laughter. Fear you? Nay, we merely keep you warm so that
the true heir can baptise his accession in blood!
―Walk,‖ Azhure said, and turned back to the trail rising before them. ―Walk, and ignore
them.‖
They did their best, but the Hawkchilds hovered close for the remainder of the afternoon,
alternately creeping along the path behind them, or swooping low overhead, whispering,
whispering, whispering.
The Alaunt crept just in front of their two-legged companions, their tails between their
legs, their bellies close to the ground, as useless as sheep before a cavalry charge.
When finally Azhure spotted the gloomy entrance to a small cave off the main trail, all of
them, two-legged and four, stumbled inside as quickly as they could, grateful for the shelter and
quiet the cave provided.
―Damn it!‖ Caelum said as he sank down, resting his back against the rough rock wall of
the cave. ―Why don’t they attack? Why not try to kill me?‖
―They fear you—‖ Azhure began, but Caelum shook his head.
―No,‖ he said quietly into the darkness. ―They merely toy with me.‖
He was being blooded for the hunt.
30
Home Safe
Askam‘s mind was a tangle of black feathers, razored talons and the bright, bright eyes of
the brown and cream badger.
He had no thoughts of his own. He listened only to the rustle of feather and the
commands of the badger, and was content in the febrile embrace of madness.
He sat his horse—its mind equally as feathered and mad—before his four hundred
mounted men, all insane and under the control of the badger.
They waited.
Zared pulled his horse up as Herme waved the column to a halt. ―Askam?‖ he said softly.
Herme reined in beside him. ―No other. And his four hundred.‖
Zared didn‘t know what to think. In the days since Askam had disappeared they‘d
continued their push for Carlon, now only a day or two away. Zared had not wasted effort trying
to track Askam down. He‘d believed that Askam had finally succumbed to resentment and had
fled to fulfil his own purpose, which no doubt included some plan to wrest control of the West
back from Zared.
Well, let him try. Zared had no time to deal with Askam‘s desertion and what it might
mean for his own security on the throne of Achar. Gods! Did Achar still exist? Or Tencendor?
So, Zared had let Askam go with barely more than a shrug of his shoulders. Leagh had been
upset by Askam‘s disappearance, but had not insisted that Zared mount a search for him. Her
brother was old enough to know his own mind.
Now Gustus and Theod joined Zared, Leagh not far behind them.
―Askam!‖ she said, and would have urged her horse forward, save that Zared snatched at
her reins.
―No. Wait,‖ he said. ―I do not like this. What if—‖
―No!‖ Leagh cried. ―He knew how to protect himself.‖
―Askam may be a fool personified when it comes to running the West,‖ Herme said, ―but
he would not risk himself, or the men with him, to the ravages of the Demons.‖
Zared stared before him. Some fifteen paces ahead, Askam sat his horse in front of the
neatly ranked four hundred men and horses, the only movement the lifting of manes and tails in
the frigid northerly wind.
―I will ride ahead,‖ Herme said, and Zared nodded.
―Be careful.‖
Askam made no move, and his face remained set into its carefully neutral expression as
Herme rode forward.
As the Earl reined to a stop before him, Askam inclined his head in greeting. ―No doubt
you wonder what I have been doing,‖ he said.
―No doubt,‖ Herme said, his tenseness communicating itself to his horse, which shifted
and fidgeted nervously.
―The attack of the crazed beasts—and worse—came as a shock,‖ Askam said. ―I
understood how vulnerable our—Zared‘s—force was to them. I decided that I might assist in
some small way by breaking off with a smaller force and scouting the way ahead—springing any
trap that might exist.‖
―So you absconded in the middle of the night?‖ Herme asked, and in response to the
touch of his legs his horse backed away several steps.
Askam grinned as if embarrassed. ―Foolish, I know, but I also knew that so long as we
kept the shade above our heads we would be safe. Herme, have you been attacked in the days
since we‘ve been gone?‖
―No,‖ Herme said.
―Well, then,‖ Askam said. ―I may be guilty of absconding, but mayhap I have done some
good!‖
Herme stared at him, trying to see beyond Askam‘s bland eyes. ―So you and your four
hundred safely dealt with what almost brought Zared‘s thirty thousand to their knees?‖
―A smaller force is more manoeuvrable,‖ Askam said, ―and I must add that we met only
much smaller groups of the crazed creatures. But, as I said, mayhap even that did Zared some
good. Look, Herme, are you going to sit there screwing your face into lines and studying me all
day? Mid-afternoon approaches. I and the hundreds behind me are hungry—we forgot to make
off with any of the supply mules—and, for the gods‘ sakes, do we look as if the Demons have us under their sway?‖
Herme gave in to the irritation in Askam‘s voice. Whatever else Askam might be lying
about—and frankly, Herme thought this tale of trying to spring any traps to make Zared‘s life
easier was a fabrication to hide Askam‘s own ambitions—he surely did not look crazed.
―Then join up with the main force,‖ Herme said, ―and answer for your foolishness to
Zared himself.‖
He wheeled his horse about, and cantered back to his King.
Zared sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. Gods, but he would appreciate being back under