the past twelve hours and was now scarcely breathing.
Axis put the bucket on the floor and squatted down in front of the man.
―Do you understand me?‖ he said quietly. For a moment Raum did nothing, then he
nodded tiredly.
Axis regarded the man. He was strong, very strong, and of strange features, but Axis
could see nothing about him to warrant the tales of cruelty and evil that the Seneschal told about
these men. What creature of evil could hold a child so lovingly? He remembered some of what
Ogden had said about these people. ―You are Avar?‖ he asked.
Raum‘s eyes widened a little. Then he nodded again, a little more strongly this time.
Axis‘ eyes shifted to the girl. She had been brutally treated by the Smyrton villagers, and Axis
could see that she was near death. Her breathing was shallow and irregular, gurgling through
fluid-filled lungs, and her fingernails and lips had a bluish tinge. His throat constricted, and
compassion for the little girl consumed him. Tears filled his eyes.
―Please,‖ he said very quietly so that none but Raum or Azhure could hear him, ―let me
hold her.‖
After an instant‘s hesitation Raum held out the little girl‘s limp body. She would need the
BattleAxe‘s help if she were to survive the day. Axis gathered her gently into his arms. After a
moment he dipped his hand into the bucket of water by his side and washed some of the dirt
from her face.
Then softly, very, very softly, he began to sing for her. It was a strange song, almost with
no melody, filled with breathy catches and lilts, but extraordinarily compelling and beautiful. It
shocked Raum to the core of his being; he had heard this Song sung only once before in his life,
and then it had been no human that had sung it. Only the most powerful of Icarii Enchanters
could sing this enchantment; yet even they were normally too weak to make it work. He sank
back against the wall of the cell, his eyes wide and unbelieving. Not even the Horned Ones could
do this, and certainly no human could!
Azhure stood puzzled. What was the BattleAxe doing to the child?
Ogden and Veremund, however, could feel if not hear the Song. Tears welled in their
eyes. ―Oh dear one!‖ Veremund whispered almost inaudibly, ―Save her!‖
Raum had no eyes for anyone save Shra and Axis. Axis‘ voice began to grow in intensity,
though not in volume, and then…then…Shra began to stir. Tiny, jerky actions at first, then
stronger movements as the child visibly squirmed in the BattleAxe‘s arms. He stopped singing,
stared quietly at the child for a moment, then looked up and smiled into Raum‘s eyes. ―She
lives,‖ he said, genuine surprise in his voice. Raum had the strangest feeling that the BattleAxe
did not quite know what he had done.
Raum held out his arms for Shra, but the BattleAxe continued to hold her tight. She was
awake now and staring at Axis curiously, then she reached out and touched his beard. ―I can get
her out of the cell for the night,‖ Axis said very softly to Raum, ―but I am not sure that I can save
your lives. I am bound by my oaths as BattleAxe to the Seneschal to destroy the Forbidden.
And…‖ He frowned. Why was he even thinking about trying to save them? They were
Forbidden!
Raum nodded. He understood that the BattleAxe of the Seneschal was the last person in
the land who would try to save them. Yet…what had he done for Shra? No BattleAxe could have
sung that Song. He leaned out a hand and briefly ran his fingertips along Axis‘ cheek, ignoring
Belial‘s sudden movement of concern. ―I understand,‖ he whispered, ―but I do not know why
one with the soul of an Icarii Enchanter wears the black and this badge of destruction. Surely the
Icarii hate as much as we do? But I thank you for the Song that you sang for Shra.‖ As he
dropped his hand from Axis‘ face he briefly touched the twin axes on Axis‘ breast.
Axis‘ face hardened at the man‘s words and he abruptly stood up, fighting desperately
not to think about what they meant. ―Azhure,‖ he said, turning and handing the child to her.
―Look after her for the night.‖ He glanced back down at the man lying amid the filth of the cell
and then turned and walked from the cell. ―Belial, get two of our men and get this place cleaned
up!‖ He glared at the Plough-Keeper, who had regained consciousness, ignored Ogden and
Veremund, and then strode out of the cellar without saying another word.
33
THE FORBIDDEN VALLEY
Azhure took the child back to the house she shared with the man she called her father.
She was still bewildered, though she felt little sympathy for Hagen; the man was a coward and a
fool, and cruel besides. She had hated and feared him ever since she could remember. His cruelty
had driven her mother away and he had since made her own life unbearable. The violence the
BattleAxe had dealt to Hagen had been only a fraction of the violence Hagen had meted out to
her over the past twenty years. Up until this afternoon Azhure had included the Axe-Wielders in
the hatred she bore for the entire Seneschal, a sentiment rivalled only by her hatred for Hagen.
Now, a little uncomfortably, Azhure had to admit to a small amount of respect for the BattleAxe
and his lieutenant. They had treated the man and child with both respect and sympathy.
As she cleaned and dressed the child Azhure continued to think, growing more and more
excited. One of her secret dreams, held ever since her mother ran away, was that one day she,
too, would find the opportunity to escape. Tonight seemed the perfect time. The village was
distracted by the arrival of the Axe-Wielders and the altercation between Hagen and the
BattleAxe. Azhure would not only escape but save both man and child in doing so. For the past
few years she had been trying to persuade GoldFeather that she could be trusted to help with the
Avar children. She wanted to help in whatever way she was able. Now she could.
Azhure had stumbled upon the secret of GoldFeather some twelve years before when she
was fifteen. Driven by the need to escape Hagen, she would often slip out of the house in the
middle of the night and sit watching the Fortress Ranges and the dark shadows of the forest
beyond. One night she had caught the furtive shadows of people moving out of the Forbidden
Valley and had followed the Acharite woman she had since come to know as GoldFeather as she
and one of the young Avar men took two children stealthily past Smyrton and into the Seagrass
Plains. Over the next year or so she tracked and followed the woman again, until finally she
made one noise too many and the woman had heard her.
Azhure had been lucky to escape with her life. The Avar man with GoldFeather became
frighteningly angry, but GoldFeather had persuaded him against any action and had then
reassured a frightened Azhure. They had later formed an intense friendship and, over the
following years, they met maybe three times a year, and talked through the night. GoldFeather
would tell her a little of the life of the Avar people, but, surprisingly, she never wanted to hear
any tales of life in Achar. ―My old life is dead and gone, Azhure,‖ she would smile sadly, ―and I
have started a new life now.‖ Azhure never told anyone in Smyrton of her new friend and,
sometimes, when she was feeling very lonely, Azhure would pretend to herself that GoldFeather
was her long lost mother.
Now Azhure smiled at the little girl she held in her arms. She was bruised and cut in
several places, but she looked much better than she had. She gave the child something to eat, and
was relieved when the little girl placidly took the food and water she was given. Azhure cuddled
her close as the girl ate. One day she hoped to have a child of her own, but not if it meant one of
the village oafs giving it to her! No, Azhure was going to escape this village and lead a life of
adventure and purpose. She would find a hero to father her children. She smiled. She had
absolutely no doubts that a hero would turn up precisely when needed.
She heard raised voices outside. It was Hagen, now recovered from the crack across his
pate, and the BattleAxe (so he was the bastard son of the Princess Rivkah!). They were arguing
about the Avar man. Finally the arguing ended and Azhure heard Axis stalk off. Hagen entered
the house and glared at Azhure but simply went and lay down. Perhaps his head pained him.