Axis was left alone in the dark.
4
AT THE FOOT OF THE FORTRESS RANGES
The two women sat closely together in the cold air, their plain woollen wraps tight about
their shoulders, watching the sky begin to lighten over the Fortress Ranges. They had been
sitting talking most of the night, and each knew they would have to move soon so that the
younger could be back in her bed undiscovered by dawn.
The older woman turned her eyes from the sky. She had fine features, and such incredibly
thick and wavy hair that it threatened to break free of the pins holding it protesting in its coil.
From the widow‘s peak on her forehead a startling swathe of gold, two-fingers wide, ran back
through her silvery hair. She smiled gently at the younger woman, who had risked a lot to meet
her here tonight.
―You are very generous to offer to help us, my dear.‖
The younger woman looked at her companion. ―You still do not trust me.‖
The older woman‘s eyes were as sooty-grey as the smoke from a damp wood fire. They
held as many sparks, too. ―You understand the reasons for that, surely.‖
The young woman sighed and rubbed her arms. ―Yes. I do. But what can I do to make
you trust me? What?‖
―Trust cannot be bought, or hurried. It always takes time.‖
―But you do not have time.‖
The silver-haired woman paused. ―We‘ve never had enough time, Azhure. We have
never had enough space. We have never had enough respect. And though we need the help of
people like you, we must remain wary.‖
Disappointed at the rebuff, Azhure turned and waved her hand towards the distant
village. ―They hate anything they do not understand. It is the Way of the Plough.‖
The older woman rested a hand on Azhure‘s arm comfortingly and said, her voice filled
with sadness, ―I know, Azhure, I know.‖
―GoldFeather, you must trust me. Please! You desperately need help with the children.‖
GoldFeather shook her head slowly, resigned. ―No, Azhure. It is too late. The only one
that can save us from the Destroyer is lost and cannot be found. The Sentinels do not yet walk
the land and Tree Friend has yet to be found. Soon winter comes. Ice will come to claim us.
Tencendor cannot fight divided.‖
Her eyes glittered with tears. ―You must return to your home before it is too late. Sing
well and fly high, Azhure, and may you find some kind of peace in this most treeless of lands.‖
She leaned forward and kissed Azhure‘s pale cheek.
5
IN THE PALACE OF THE KING
Axis lay awake for another hour after Embeth left, then, as the sky began to lighten
towards dawn, cursed silently and stood up. He still felt exhausted. He‘d only had an hour or two
of sleep before the nightmare had claimed him and he‘d needed a good eight or nine after the
hard ride.
He splashed himself with cold water to rid himself of the stale sweat of his nightmare and
dressed silently in the dark, not bothering to light a candle. He dreaded what Jayme might tell
him this morning.
Jayme was already up and at prayer when Axis slipped into his quarters. The
Brother-Leader was kneeling at the altar in his room, praying before an exquisite silver and gold
icon of Artor the Ploughman. Axis knelt quietly behind him and bowed his head in prayer, trying
to find some ease of mind in the rhythms of the ancient words and rituals. But prayers could not
comfort him this morning, not after the nightmare he had endured, and after a few minutes his
thoughts drifted to the daily problems of commanding a force of four thousand men.
A little later Axis realised Jayme was standing beside him, his hand resting comfortingly
on his shoulder. He sighed inwardly—Jayme‘s interruption had distracted him from calculating
the logistics needed to move six cohorts of Axe-Wielders from Nordmuth to Carlon.
―My son, you must not pray so devoutly, otherwise it might be said that the BattleAxe is
more devout than the Brother-Leader…and we cannot have that.‖
Axis smiled and gripped Jayme‘s hand as it lay on his shoulder. ―I find great comfort in
prayer, Father, but there is no man who serves Artor more reverently and faithfully than you.‖
Jayme helped Axis to his feet and the two men embraced warmly, Jayme touching Axis‘
forehead briefly in blessing. ―Well, at least I‘ve managed to impress someone!‖ he said. ―Come,
I have fruit and bread, and some delicious fresh warm milk sent up for us to break fast with.‖
Jayme had arranged their breakfast at a small table by a window overlooking the twisting streets
of Carlon far below the palace.
The sun was just beginning to rise above the horizon and, although thick snow clouds
blanketed much of the sky, a few rays managed to catch the glittering rooftops of the city‘s
buildings. Jayme turned and looked out across the beautiful view for a moment, watching myriad
colourful pennants and banners snap in the stiff breeze. What fruit trees there were in the city
waved their bare branches at the sky. They had lost their leaves weeks earlier. Axis noticed that
Jayme‘s face seemed older and more tired in the early morning light, and he wondered how
haggard he looked himself.
Jayme‘s tone turned serious as soon as they seated themselves. ―Axis, you probably know
something of what is happening in the north.‖
―Something, but mostly rumour.‖
Jayme was silent a moment longer, then he sighed. ―Unfortunately, Axis, much of what
you‘ve heard is probably more truth than not. Gilbert and Moryson will give you exact military
details later, and I have yet to hear what Priam‘s intelligence is, but let me tell you what I know.‖
For the next twenty minutes or so, while Axis ate his breakfast, his chewing becoming
slower with each passing minute, Jayme outlined what he knew.
―So, my BattleAxe,‖ Jayme finished with a sad smile, ―are your Axemen ready to face
unbodied wraiths that can kill the most experienced soldier?‖
Axis put down the piece of bread he had been turning over and over in his hand. What he
had heard horrified him. Lord Magariz was an exceptional commander and his Gorkenfort units
were among the best in Achar. If he was losing men in this manner then the situation was more
than serious.
―Is there a possibility that the events of last winter were isolated, Father?‖
Jayme frowned. ―The Forbidden, or whatever they are, are starting to move south. Last
winter…‖
―Last winter they were simply probing,‖ Axis finished for him, speaking slowly, thinking
it out. ―This winter there is every possibility that they will come in force.‖
―Yes,‖ Jayme nodded. ―I think so, and so, I believe, do Priam and Borneheld. These past
few weeks they‘ve been as jumpy as cats. Borneheld travelled to Gorkenfort over the summer
months to assess the situation for himself. Now he is starting to move large units of infantrymen
and cavalry north; for the past ten days all the merchant rowing transports on the River Nordra
have been busy with men and armour rather than grain. And, as the good brothers of Gorkentown
reported, the mood is not good. Nor is it here in Carlon. Even the traditional drunken revelry in
the streets following the public nameday banquet for Priam was less than enthusiastic last night.
Men preferred to return to their wives rather than take advantage of other, um, offers. And over
the past week or so my brothers in the city and surrounding districts have been performing more
marriages than usual. Those soldiers moving north are making sure their affairs are in order.‖
Axis‘ face was grim. ―Will Priam and Borneheld ask for our help?‖
―If it truly is the Forbidden that they face…then they‘ll have to.‖ He paused a moment.
―Axis, I am more than pleased you managed to return to Achar so quickly. I have a feeling that
we will need you desperately over the coming months.‖
Axis met Jayme‘s eyes above the remains of breakfast. After a moment both men looked
back out over the city view. At first Axis had been puzzled by Jayme‘s insistence on eating
breakfast by the window when the warm fire beckoned, but as he gazed out he realised that
Jayme had probably wanted him to have a good look at the weather. DeadLeaf-month was too
early by eight weeks for heavy snowclouds.
6
IN THE KING’S PRIVY CHAMBER
Priam had requested that Jayme and Axis meet him in his Privy Chamber mid-morning,
and Moryson accompanied them, to advise the Brother-Leader and swell the numbers of the
Seneschal.
The Privy Chamber was one of the largest chambers in the royal palace, smaller only than
the Chamber of the Moons. It was lit by narrow windows high in walls which sported as their
only decoration the nine standards of the major provinces of Achar. At the centre of the chamber