regards and thanks for the reports you have been sending the Brotherhood of the Seneschal. They
have been most valuable.‖
Brother Hagen beamed with pleasure and returned Axis‘ bow. ―I am overcome that the
Brother-Leader should send the BattleAxe and so many Axe-Wielders to investigate.‖ Brother
Hagen‘s smile faltered a little as he gazed anxiously at the number of men still arriving. ―But I
am unsure that our village can provide adequate hospitality for so many of your men,
BattleAxe.‖
Axis smiled reassuringly at the man. No doubt he thought the Axe-Wielders would eat
the entire village to the ground before they were through. ―We will make camp well away from
the village, good Brother. Be assured that all we will need from you is water from your well. We
travel with our own provisions.‖
Brother Hagen looked visibly relieved. ―Then might I invite your good person to share
my humble abode, BattleAxe? We cannot provide your entire command with comfortable beds,
but at least you and your officers will sleep well.‖
―Myself and my officers will share the hard ground with our Axe-Wielders, Brother
Hagen.‖ Axis caught a glimmer of surprise across the face of the woman standing to one side of
Hagen. ―But I would be glad for the opportunity to share your table this evening. There are
matters we should discuss, I think.‖ He did not want to offend the man by entirely refusing his
hospitality.
―Excellent! Ah, BattleAxe, might I present some of these Goodpeople?‖
Axis smiled politely. Might as well get the introductions over with as soon as possible.
Brother Hagen motioned two middle-aged men forth. ―BattleAxe, this is Goodman
Hordley,‖ a sandy-haired stout fellow nodded, ―and Goodman Garland,‖ his companion, a
bald-headed man with a pockmarked complexion nodded at Axis, ―the two senior men of the
village. Their Goodwives,‖ Axis nodded politely at the two beaming, plump women. A tall, thin
man was introduced as Miller Powle and the equally tall and thin young man by his side as his
son, Wainwald. Hagen paused and Axis glanced across at the woman who had regarded him so
disdainfully. Most of the country folk of Skarabost were of fair colouring with sandy or light
brown hair, but this woman had the exotic features of a Nors woman with thick, raven hair
waving back from a pale face, framing smoky blue eyes. She wore the usual plain woollen dress
of most country women, although hers was of a soft blue shade that matched her eyes, covered
by a rough black-weave, full-length apron.
―Ah,‖ Hagen looked a little embarrassed. ―This is my daughter, Azhure.‖
Axis could not keep the surprise from his face. The Seneschal generally encouraged their
brothers to avoid women and the responsibilities of a family so that they could concentrate
entirely on their duties in the Seneschal. Those that did marry, mostly country Plough-Keepers
like Hagen, generally married one of the local folk. But from the look of Azhure, Hagen had
gone out of his way to find an extraordinarily exotic wife. The Nors people were known for their
somewhat relaxed attitude to morals and community standards, and few of the conservative
northern Acharites would welcome a Nors woman into their homes, despite their considerable
beauty. And Nors people rarely came this far north.
Axis realised he was staring at the woman. He turned back to Hagen and the other
villagers. ―I am pleased to meet you, Goodpeople,‖ he said. ―My name is Axis Rivkahson and
this,‖ indicating Belial, ―is my lieutenant, Belial.‖
On the long ride north Axis had decided to accept the one gift Faraday had given
him—the first glimmerings of pride in his birthright. From now on he would bear the
metronymic of Rivkahson as a badge of honour.
Now he had surprised both Hagen and Azhure, although none of the other Goodpeople
blinked at the use of the name. As a member of the Brotherhood of the Seneschal Hagen would know of the scandal attached to the BattleAxe, and presumably he had told Azhure as well. Axis
held Hagen‘s eyes until the man blushed and came to his senses. ―Ah, um, BattleAxe,‖ said
Hagen, obviously discomforted, ―perhaps your good self and Belial would care to join me in my
home to share some ale while we discuss, ah, recent developments?‖
Axis narrowed his eyes at the man. Was his nervousness simply due to the presence of
the Axe-Wielders, or was there something else?
Axis nodded his acceptance and turned and shouted for Arne. ―Take the Axe-Wielders a
good distance out of the village, Arne, and set up camp. Make sure you cause no damage to
fences or outlying buildings. I‘ll join you later.‖ Axis handed Belaguez‘s reins to a young
Axe-Wielder, giving the horse a well-earned pat, and turned back to Hagen, pulling his leather
gloves off. ―Your offer of a draught of ale is deeply appreciated, Brother Hagen. Shall we go?‖
Goodmen Hordley and Garland joined them inside the Brother‘s comfortable home.
Although it followed the usual one-roomed design of most country homes, Brother Hagen and
his family obviously enjoyed a slightly better standard of living than most country folk.
Well-made furniture, and a goodly quantity of it, stood about the house, and the internal walls
had even been plastered. The curtains and wall hangings reminded Axis of the designs he had
seen for sale in the marketplaces of Ysbadd in Nor, and he glanced again at Azhure as she
poured foaming ale from a ceramic jug for the men sitting down at the well-crafted table in the
centre of the room. His eyes narrowed idly. She was of an age to be married yet she wore no
ring.
―Is your mother not home at present, Azhure?‖
Her eyes flashed a little at his casual use of her name; although she loathed the title, the
use of ‗Goodmistress‘ would have been considered polite. She hid her dislike carefully and
smiled at this arrogant Carlonite. ―My mother ran off with a travelling pedlar when I was five,
BattleAxe. She obviously found the pace of life in Smyrton a little slow for her blood,‖ she
finished sweetly as she handed him a mug of ale.
Hagen looked both mortified and furious at the same time and Axis bit the inside of his
cheek to keep from laughing. Artor! but Azhure must be a handful for the Plough-Keeper, he
thought, amused. One could only hope that the bed sport with her mother had been worth the
daughter. He noticed that Belial had almost choked on a mouthful of ale in his efforts to avoid
laughing out loud. He took a draught and looked back at Hagen.
―My sympathies, Brother Hagen. The price these pedlars demand for their tin pots can
sometimes be over-high,‖ he said blandly, unable to refrain from commenting on the issue.
Belial made a sound suspiciously like a chuckle into his mug. Hagen‘s colour deepened and he
angrily waved Azhure back into a corner by the fireplace. Axis quickly changed the subject.
―Have you seen any other of the strange creatures you reported were coming out of the
Forbidden Valley?‖
Again the mood changed abruptly. Azhure‘s face tightened completely and she turned
away to jab angrily at the fire with an iron poker. Goodmen Hordley and Garland both leaned
forward, their eyes bright with excitement, barely restraining themselves from speech. Hagen
forgot his embarrassment of a moment previously, and smiled indulgently at the BattleAxe.
―Why, yes, BattleAxe. Indeed we have. In fact, just four nights ago we managed to
capture two of the frightful creatures as they tried to re-enter the Forbidden Valley. We have
them now, caged and guarded in the cellars of the Worship Hall. How fortuitous that you should
arrive in time for their execution tomorrow morning.
32
THE PRISONERS
Axis stared at the man, his mug of ale raised, forgotten, halfway to his mouth. ―You‘ve
what?‖ he barked in his astonishment. Belial put his own mug down carefully on the table, all
traces of amusement wiped from his eyes.
Hagen looked well pleased with the reaction his news had caused. ―Eight of the village
men were out late checking the rabbit traps when they ran straight into the pair, trying to cower
behind Goodman Harland‘s haystack.‖
Harland nodded vigorously. ―It was a battle worthy of a bard in King Priam‘s court,‖ he
said proudly, omitting to mention that he and his family had hid underneath their bedstead until it
was all over.
Hagen glared at him, then turned back to Axis. ―The men trusted in Artor to save them
from the Forbidden‘s dark magic, BattleAxe. We have brave men in this village.‖
In truth, the men had run in terror when they first discovered the Forbidden behind the
haystack, fearing their dark magic, and one of the older men had tripped and dropped his lantern.
The burning oil set the haystack ablaze and, in the ensuing panic, the Forbidden tried to escape
but fell themselves. The village men would have skewered them then and there with their