could seize complete control in Achar; now, in his grief for FreeFall and his horror at
Borneheld‘s action he did. If Priam and Borneheld refused to unite the Acharites with the Icarii
and Avar in order to fight Gorgrael, then Axis knew he was now ready to go to war against them.
Civil war in Achar was inevitable.
Axis slid FreeFall gently to the roof, touching the birdman‘s forehead briefly in
benediction, wishing he had known FreeFall for years instead of only moments, then he stood and looked back at Borneheld. Each knew at that moment that only death would bridge the gap
between them. Neither was aware of the commotion about them.
The instant after Borneheld struck FreeFall, Belial had grabbed HoverEye‘s arm and
hauled him backwards several steps out of the way of the violence. ―Listen to me!‖ Belial
whispered fiercely into the shocked birdman‘s ear. ―Listen to me! I will get Axis to the foot of
the Icescarp Alps for you. Are you listening?‖
HoverEye, still riveted by the dreadful sight in front of him as Borneheld wrenched the
sword from FreeFall‘s back, nodded slightly. ―Can you and yours meet him there? Birdman?
Can you? Or will you let FreeFall die in vain?‖
HoverEye finally looked at Belial. He nodded again, some understanding replacing the
horror on his face. ―Then fly, damn you, fly before Borneheld slaughters you as well!‖ Belial
gave HoverEye a push. ―Fly!‖ HoverEye stared again at FreeFall. Belial literally shook him in
frustration. ―You can do nothing! He is dead. Now fly! Watch the foot of the mountains for your
Axis. Fly!‖ Belial seized an equally shocked and unmoving SpikeFeather. ―Fly!‖ he whispered
hoarsely. ―I can do no more for you.‖
Both birdmen stretched their wings out and started to lift off; several of the soldiers
behind Borneheld saw the movement and raised their bows. ―Halt!‖ Magariz cried, finally
shaking himself out of his own shock. ―Unnotch those arrows! Let them go!‖ Reluctantly, the
soldiers lowered their bows and watched the two birdmen rise off the roof and wing away
towards the Icescarp Alps.
Axis and Borneheld still stared at each other. After a moment Borneheld started to laugh
and, leaning down to where FreeFall‘s body lay on the roof, wiped his sword clean along the soft
white feathers of his wings before sheathing it.
―You will wait till later, I think, brother,‖ Borneheld said lightly. ―I am in a good mood
now that I have disposed of one of the filthy Forbidden.‖
Axis felt as if he should kill Borneheld here and now; raise his sword and wipe this piece
of filth from the face of the earth and the minds of men forever. But, oh FreeFall, his heart cried,
if I am to flee to the Icarii and StarDrifter then Borneheld must live to save Faraday! My hands
are still tied. But one day…one day…―One day you will die for what you have just done,
Borneheld. I swear that I will kill you in just combat for my cousin FreeFall SunSoar‘s death. On
that day you will join the carrion on the refuse heaps of Achar. Only the crows will tug at the
flesh of the Duke of Ichtar, Borneheld, not the sweet words and lying ballads of troubadours.
Priam has two heirs, Borneheld, you and I, but you will not live to enjoy your heritage.
Eventually I alone will lead Achar against Gorgrael.‖ Axis‘ voice was completely calm, and
completely believable and chilling because of that. His eyes were steady, his body relaxed, his
sword hanging loose at his side, and yet Borneheld suddenly felt very, very afraid.
―Seize him!‖ Borneheld cried, as Axis‘ final words burned into his memory. Cousin? He
had called the dead Forbidden cousin? ―Seize him! He is Forbidden himself !‖
One of those filth had raped his mother?
Gautier and three other soldiers rushed forward and seized an unresisting Axis. Gautier
tore the sword from Axis‘ hand and the axe from his belt and threw them across the roof. For
weeks he had resented the adulation that Axis commanded from the men stationed in
Gorkentown and Gorkenfort. Now he could participate in his downfall; it made him glad, it made
him feel strong.
Borneheld stood back and tore his eyes away from Axis‘ continuing stare. ―Throw him
into the dungeons,‖ he snarled at Gautier. ―He will die tomorrow morning hanging from a gibbet like any common criminal!‖ He turned to the small knot of people behind him. ―And throw the
body of the Forbidden over the parapets. Let the Skraelings feast on it. I do not want it fouling up
the roof of the Keep any longer.‖
He stared about him for a moment longer, then he stomped off the roof, Timozel hauling
a shocked Faraday after him. Gautier and his men hustled Axis roughly towards the trapdoor.
Jorge and Roland stared at Magariz and Belial, lost. What could they do? Was Axis truly
one of the Forbidden? And if so, how should they regard him? Slowly they, too, turned and
followed Borneheld, shocked and sickened by the murder they had just witnessed but not yet
ready to turn against Borneheld because of it. They were men loyal to the monarchy of Achar,
and it was Borneheld who represented the monarchy here in Gorkenfort. Priam was not going to
save Achar, but Borneheld just might be able to do so. Axis could hardly be the one to save them
if he was to die in the morning. Brave as they were, Jorge and Roland were too old and too set in
their beliefs to turn their back on the established and comfortable order in order to help the birth
of a new world.
Soon only Magariz and Belial stood on the roof, the bloody body of FreeFall before
them. Two of Gautier‘s men had tried to drag the body towards the parapets to hurl it down to
the Skraelings, but Magariz snarled at them and the men fled.
Magariz stared at FreeFall‘s body for a moment longer then turned to Belial. ―Are you
with Axis?‖ he asked.
Belial knew what he meant. He nodded. ―I and all the Axe-Wielders who are left. We
will follow Axis to the pits of the AfterLife if he asks…and if it becomes necessary. We believe,
as do the Icarii, that he is the One named in the Prophecy.‖
Magariz‘s eyes were thoughtful. ―Then I am with you, Belial. I am with you.‖ He paused,
uncertainty crossing his handsome face. He had never pledged himself to treachery before, yet,
strangely, it did not feel as foul as he thought it might. Indeed, it would have been a betrayal if he
had denied Axis, especially after hearing the startling news about Rivkah the Icarii had brought
with them. ―What do we do now?‖
Belial bent down to FreeFall and smoothed the golden hair back from his dead eyes.
―Now, Magariz? Now we give FreeFall SunSoar the Office of the Dead that befits his rank and
honour, not the dishonour that Borneheld would have him thrown to. Fetch Brothers Ogden and
Veremund, they will know what to do. If FreeFall cannot be with his people for his farewell into
the AfterLife, then we will be his people for him.‖
57
ESCAPE FROM GORKENFORT
FreeFall‘s death gave Axis the desire and the anger to live. As he sat alone and cold in
the dark and dank dungeons of Gorkenfort he did not give in to self-pity as he had done after the
fall of Gorkentown. He owed it to FreeFall to succeed. The dungeon and Borneheld‘s threat of
death did not concern him. He would live for FreeFall, for the first of his family who had
welcomed him home. He had Belial, and Belial had Faraday, and in the end it would be Faraday
who would make sure that the way would be clear.
Belial argued with Borneheld, leaning forward from his chair, his face flushed with the
force of his argument, knowing he was right, knowing that Borneheld could not resist agreeing
with him. Knowing that Borneheld would see Axis‘ death in the plan.
―My Lord,‖ he said forcefully. ―I care not if I offend with these words. Gorkenfort will
not hold. Not even the best commander, not even you, my Lord Duke, could hold it. There are
too many men and not enough food. More Skraelings arrive each day while the IceWorms grow
larger, in a few days they will be large enough to start disgorging their loads over the top of
Gorkenfort‘s walls. Soon Gorgrael will strike, and Artor alone knows what he will strike with. It
is best now to start thinking of retreating back into Ichtar, and perhaps trying to hold the
Skraelings in the gap between the Rivers Azle and Nordra.‖
Borneheld‘s flinty eyes stared coldly at Belial, but he did not stop him. He had come to
the same unpalatable conclusion. He would lose Ichtar, but better lose Ichtar and save the bulk of