‘Does it matter?’
‘It does to me.’
‘Is it not enough that you were alone and needed help?’
‘This is not a song or a fable, Kiall. I am not one of your yellow-haired ladies trapped in a tower.’
‘But you are a princess,’ he said, smiling. ‘One should always rescue a princess.’ She ignored the smile, and annoyance showed in her eyes.
‘What about the others? Why did they help?’
‘The Tattooed Man asked them to – he said you were part of our quest. Does that satisfy you?’
She nodded. ‘I will repay you all.’
‘There is no need.’
‘I will judge that. I want no debts hanging over me. Where will you go now?’
‘To find a man named Asta Khan.’
She looked at him, but he could not read her expression through the bruises she bore. ‘He still lives? Surprising. My father set great store by him.’
‘He does still,’ said Kiall.
‘What madness are you speaking? My father is dead; he has been for years.’
‘It is hard to explain.’
‘Try!’ she snapped. ‘I may be bruised, but there is nothing wrong with my brain.’
As best he could, Kiall outlined the duel with the demons, and the violet-eyed warrior who had come to his assistance. ‘Okas told me it was the spirit of Tenaka Khan.’
‘How did he fight?’
‘With two short swords. He spun like a dancer; I have never seen anything like it.’
She nodded. ‘That is one of the names he carried: Bladedancer. He was also the Prince of Shadows.’
‘Chareos and Beltzer both knew him,’ said Kiall, ‘as did Maggrig and Finn. They are the heroes of Bel-azar; he sat with them on the last night of the battle.’
‘I know. My father told me. They are the ghosts-yet-to-be.’
‘What does that mean?’
She shrugged. ‘I do not know. My father was a secretive man. He told me of the warriors of the Gothir; he said one of them was blood kin – a Drenai prince. I would guess that to be Chareos. It is inconceivable that it could be the bald, fat one.’
‘I know what you mean. Beltzer is not exactly cultured.’
The sound of a walking horse came to them and Beltzer leapt up, his axe in his hands. Kiall stood, drawing his sabre, as Harokas guided his mount into the camp and stepped down.
‘I thought you had gone for good,’ said Beltzer.
‘So did I,’ answered Harokas, wearily, ‘but I found your friend.’
‘Maggrig?’ Beltzer whispered.
‘Yes.’
Finn lurched to his feet and ran forward. ‘Where is he?’ he shouted, grasping Harokas’ black jerkin.
Harokas put his hand on Finn’s shoulder. ‘The Nadir took him.’
‘Oh, no! Oh, please no!’ cried Finn, stumbling back. He ran to his horse, but Chareos cut him off, grabbing his arms and holding him tight.
‘Wait!’ said Chareos softly. ‘We will all go. Calm yourself, my friend.’
Finn seemed to sag in Chareos’ arms, his head falling to rest on the swordman’s shoulder. Chareos turned to Kiall. ‘Wait here with the woman. We’ll be back.’
‘There’s no point,’ said Harokas. ‘The Nadir are everywhere. It’s madness.’
‘Even so,’ replied Chareos, ‘will you take us to the body?’
‘It means that much to you? You’ll risk your lives for a corpse?’
‘Yes.’
Harokas shook his head in disbelief. ‘Follow me then, but ride warily.’
Trees were sparse as the questors rode in single file behind Harokas, and the land spread out before them in a series of folds and gullies, like a giant’s cloak carelessly tossed from Heaven.
They moved with care for more than an hour, coming at last to a rocky rise. Harokas dismounted and led his horse up the hill, the questors following his lead. He tethered his mount to a skeletal poplar and waited. Chareos joined him. No one had spoken since they rode from the camp. Finn stood by, white-faced, expressionless, his eyes tormented. Beltzer was beside him.
‘Follow me,’ whispered Harokas, ‘and please … no heroics?’
He led them to a rock-face, and on into a narrow fissure which wound down to a ledge. There he squatted in the fading light and pointed to the Nadir camp below. The greater part of the three hundred Wolves were there, and six camp-fires had been set. At the centre of the camp, staked out naked on the ground was Maggrig, his body covered in cuts and burns. Finn groaned and Beltzer’s hand gripped the hunter’s shoulder.