he had been more skilful than the court bards. If the Seneschal learned of these strange tunes and
words that bubbled out of long-hidden memories, Axis himself might face the purifying flames,
or, at the very least, be subjected to rigorous inquisition. For the first time in his life he was glad
for the distance separating him and the Tower of the Seneschal.
He wandered slowly through the pitch-black night, listening to the soft sounds of the
camp settling down for the night. Despite his best efforts, Axis‘ thoughts turned to Faraday and
Timozel. Two such young and innocent people, both with such promise and zest for life. One the
son of his closest female friend, the other a beautiful woman who had earned his respect and
admiration. Axis had never been in love before, although he had never been slow to charm
women into his bed, and had sometimes wondered if he was too cynical and bitter to ever open
himself to the risks of love. But that night in the shadows of the Barrows, with the bones of the
Icarii kings mouldering beneath his feet and Faraday weeping in his arms, Axis had realised that
perhaps, just perhaps, her freshness, innocence and above all, honesty, might be enough to break
through the barriers he had spent years building around his heart.
Axis bent down and pulled a strand of grass from the ground, absently chewing it as he
thought. What had he meant when he‘d told Faraday to think about risking spending her life with
someone she could learn to love? Had he meant himself? Yes, Axis admitted. Yes he had. He
laughed bitterly. Had he really been so brazen as to suggest to the daughter of an Earl that she
would forget a life of ease at court, possibly a life as Queen, for his bed? Borneheld‘s taunt in the
palace courtyard had stung deep. Axis could never hope to win the hand of a noble heiress like
Faraday. Was that why he had kissed her? Was he attracted to her only because it would be a triumph to win her away from Borneheld?
Axis wasn‘t sure. But he did know that he had never met another woman like her.
Perhaps he had kissed her simply because she was Faraday and because she was close and warm
and because he thought he might be falling in love with her.
Axis‘ mouth twisted. Now she lay mouldering with the Icarii kings along with her mother
and over three hundred of his Axe-Wielders. In any event, what was love if it made him so
careless that he condemned so many to death while he was lost in dreams of his would-be lover?
Despite the reassurances of Ogden and Veremund, Axis still burned with guilt at leading the
Axe-Wielders out of the Barrows that day.
―You must not blame yourself, Axis.‖
Axis spun around. Strolling out of the dark, Belial smiled and saluted casually, although
the use of Axis‘ name implied he came as a friend, not as Axis‘ lieutenant. In front of their men
Axis and Belial were always BattleAxe and Lieutenant; in private they were friends and
companions.
Axis tried to be annoyed and angry at the interruption, but failed on both counts. ―I was
responsible,‖ Axis said, turning away to look at the clouds. ―There is no-one else to blame.‖
Belial stood by him, watching the clouds as well, offering the simple comfort of his
presence. There was nothing else to say about what had happened at the Barrows. It was the
worst—in fact, the first—serious military defeat Axis had ever suffered and Belial knew that it
would take time for Axis to come to terms with himself. Especially since the loss involved the
Lady Faraday. Belial had not failed to notice his commander‘s attraction to the woman.
He turned his mind back to the storm. How could one call an altercation with a roiling
storm a ―military‖ defeat? Because Belial, like so many of the Axe-Wielders, had made the
connection between the unnatural ice spears of the storm and the Gorgrael of the Prophecy. What
else from the Prophecy would rise up and bark at their heels before this adventure was ended?
―Belial?‖
Belial snapped out of his reverie and realised that Axis had called his name two or three
times.
―Your introspection is catching, Axis,‖ he laughed. ―What is it?‖
―Belial, what did I play there tonight?‖
Belial gazed steadily at his friend, then clapped Axis on the shoulder and grinned. ―Who
knows, Axis? To play something that beautiful you must have the soul of a bard, and all know
that only bards and pregnant women need never explain their actions.‖
To his relief Axis laughed and relaxed under his hand. ―You have the soul of a diplomat,
Belial. What are you doing wandering about with the Axe-Wielders?‖
―I‘d look ridiculous in satins and ribbons, Axis, and I can‘t make a courtly bow to save
my life. Now, to more mundane matters. I came out here with a purpose. The fifth cohort has a
problem with its…‖
― Belial! ‖ Axis whispered, appalled, and Belial stopped short at the horror in Axis‘ voice.
Rolling down from the north, perhaps half a league away, were great churning clouds
hanging to the ground, shot through with silver and blue lightning.
Gorgrael! Axis thought, furious with the Destroyer and with Ogden and Veremund for
claiming Gorgrael would be too weak to strike soon. With his anger came fear. How could he
save his men in these open spaces?
As one both men raced for the camp.
As they reached the first of the lines Axis grabbed Belial‘s arm. ―Get word to the
commanders,‖ he shouted. ―Tell the men to dig themselves as far into the ground as they can
before the storm hits. It‘s our only hope!‖
As Belial ran off, Axis looked back to the clouds, expecting to see the ghastly head of
Gorgrael. But although they boiled with unnatural malevolence, they took no other form, and
Axis turned back into camp.
Everywhere men were digging frantically with whatever came to hand—spades, swords,
even pots and pans. Axis made himself walk slowly through the lines of men, stopping every
now and then. Fear showed on every face.
The storm clouds were closer now, perhaps only a few minutes away. They were
massive, dragging along the ground even as they boiled and tumbled among themselves, glowing
and crackling in the night air with flashes of silver and blue lightning. It was one of the most
frightening—and weird—sights Axis had ever seen.
―There‘s no wind, BattleAxe,‖ Ogden shouted, grabbing at his arm. ―Listen to me, Axis,
Gorgrael can‘t—‖
Axis threw his arm off, furious at the sight of the old man. ―You told me that Gorgrael
was too weak to strike again this far south. You were wrong then. Why should I listen to you
now?‖
―He is weak, Axis!‖ Veremund said, rushing up behind Ogden. “Look at those clouds. Do
you sense the same power in those that infused the last storm?‖
―There is no wind, no fury, Axis. Gorgrael has weakened himself,‖ Veremund continued
more quietly.
―Then what is that I see approaching, gentlemen?‖ Axis snarled.
―It is a storm of fear,‖ Ogden said very, very quietly. ―The Destroyer knows he can cause
as much damage with fear as he can with ice spears.‖
Axis knew he was right. Panic was as deadly to an army as were spears…of any
description. Without another word he turned on his heel and strode further into the camp.
Veremund laid his hand on Ogden‘s shoulder. ―We can make ourselves useful amongst
the horses. If they panic when that cloud hits they will kill more effectively than any ice spears
that Gorgrael can send our way.‖
Most men managed to dig themselves a small pit in the ground, dragging armour and
cloaks over themselves, wriggling as close as they could into the earth.
When Belial indicated a small depression he had prepared for them Axis shook his head.
―Hand me my cloak, Belial. I want nothing else. I will meet Gorgrael‘s fear on my feet.‖
He pushed Belial down, dragging a canvas ground sheet over him, then wrapped himself
in his cloak and turned to face the clouds.
Already they had enveloped the outer edges of the Axe-Wielder lines and Axis could see
the hunched forms of his men disappear as the clouds rolled forward.
Behind him Axis heard a horse neigh in terror, then a gentle whisper sounded and the
horse snorted once and was quiet.
But he had eyes only for the clouds.
He wondered if death was like this. The clouds consumed everything before them. One
moment a line of hunched shapes was clearly visible, the next it was simply gone as if it had
never existed.
Suddenly Axis‘ face was lit with an eerie blue and silver light, the reflection of the glow
of the clouds, and in the next instant they had consumed him as well.