Sara Douglass – The Axis Trilogy 2 – Enchanter

“Yes,” Raum answered. “Yes, she has. Several times. Each time Faraday uses the bowl I can…feel it.”

Ogden and Veremund both studied the Bane closely. You can feel it? wondered Ogden. And I would wager that you can feel it changing you, can’t you, Bane Raum? How long before you, too, feel the urge to wander the paths of the Avarinheim all by yourself, wander until the pain in your body and your skull drives you mad? Until you are transformed? Do you feel it yet, Bane? Do you know?

Azhure sighed and sat back. She envied Faraday greatly. Not only did she have Axis’ love, but she had a major role to play in the Prophecy, a role that would one day see her walk at Axis’ side. Azhure might love Axis herself, but she knew her love would not be returned. Axis would never be her lover. Faraday and Axis were both heroes, and they would walk together into legend and immortality. She was only a human woman, scarred in mind and body, doomed to drift without a true home or a lifetime lover.

The next day the party walked down from the mountains and into Beltide.

The pigs abandoned Sigholt five days before Beltide.

Saddened, Jack stood and watched as the fifteen who had kept him company for the last three thousand years rolled and grunted their way across the bridge. He had always known they would go one day, always known they would pick the day. What better time to choose than these days when the Prophecy walked?

But Jack was excited as well as saddened. The pigs would only leave him to seek the Blood.

For three days the pigs trotted resolutely along the HoldHard Pass, stopping only to rest or nose around the rocks for whatever they could find to eat. But they did not waste much time foraging for food. Soon there would be better eating than stiff weather-worn grass, so aged and wizened it took true hunger to make it palatable.

On the fourth day the pigs emerged from the HoldHard Pass and turned north-east. For another day and night they trotted.

On Beltide, as the day darkened towards dusk, the pigs began to change. Their limbs lengthened, their bodies became sleeker, their coats lighter. Their teeth began to glint and their mouths began to grin.

As the moon emerged they began to lope, but they made no sound. They would not begin to bay until they had caught the scent they had waited so long for.

Above, the moon gleamed and lit their way before them.

BeltideAs they closed the distance between the last of the alps and the Avar groves, Axis drew closer to Azhure. “Azhure, what do you think of the Avar?” he asked.

Azhure thought for a moment. “They are a reserved people, Axis, and they do not accept strangers easily. They are very peaceable and reject those who embrace violence.”

Axis nodded. If the Avar had rejected Azhure because of her involvement in her violent father’s death, then how would they feel about a former BattleAxe of the Axe-Wielders?

“They are reserved,” Azhure repeated. “Shy. They have learned over centuries of persecution to fear the Plains Dwellers, as they call …” She almost said “us”, “the Acharites. They protest to loathe violence, but …” Her voice trailed off.

“But they have an aura of violence about them?”

Azhure glanced at Axis, startled. “Yes. I had not thought of it that way before. But…yes. They put their children through a frightening test to see if they have the ability to become Banes — a test that kills many of them. And sometimes the Banes themselves can threaten violence. When I was a girl in Smyrton and stumbled upon Rivkah and a Bane taking two children past the village, the Bane was so angry that I think Rivkah only just managed to prevent him.

from killing me. Yes,” she paused, “they protest violence, but they exude it.”

“When I walked into the Sacred Grove in my dream,” Axis said, “the feeling of hatred and inherent violence was overwhelming – of course,” he laughed humourlessly, “I was BattleAxe, then.”

“Do you still fear the reaction of the Avar, Axis? You do not walk into their groves as BattleAxe but as the StarMan.”

“Perhaps, but they still have reason enough to distrust me. They will not be easy to win over.”

“They are ashamed that it was their blood which birthed Gorgrael but not you,” Azhure said softly so Raum, walking just ahead, would not hear. “The Icarii and the Acharites have accepted and will accept you because you have been born of their blood. But to the Avar you will not only be foreign, but also frightening.” She paused. “Axis, don’t be too confident. The Avar will not be as ready to follow you as the Icarii were.”

Axis was taken aback once again by her perceptivity, but did not say anything. Like Ogden andVeremund, more and more he found himself wondering if Azhure was the peasant woman she first appeared to be. An odd memory resurfaced. Strangely, the few times Azhure had discussed Hagen, she had never referred to him as her father.

“Azhure,” he said, hesitant.

“Yes?” Azhure replied, her face open and uncomplicated.

“Was Hagen your father? Your real father?”

“What a thing to ask! Of course,” she said, but her voice sounded forced. “Who eke?”

Axis began to say something, but Azhure broke in. “Look, Axis! We’re almost there. How I’m looking forward to seeing Fleat and Shra again!”

The sacred groves and surrounding forest were a confusion of Icarii and Avar as the small party finally arrived in the early afternoon of Beltide. The bulk of the Icarii had arrived an hour earlier -and were now laughing and exchanging greetings with the Avar. As they pushed through the crowds, StarDrifter hailed them. “Axis! Rivkah! Azhure!”

Smiling hugely, StarDrifter embraced Axis and then gave Rivkah a warm kiss on the cheek. “I am glad to see that you arrived well and in time for Beltide,” he said, giving Azhure a light and blameless kiss on the cheek as well. “Did you travel without incident?”

Raum nodded and grasped StarDrifter’s arm. “You look cheerful, StarDrifter. Should I assume that… ?” He let the question hang in the air between them.

Both Icarii Enchanters and Avar Banes had been worried about the arrival of spring. The SkraeBold attack on Yuletide had disrupted the rites before they were completed and many feared the sun would not regain the strength it needed to break through the grip of Gorgraels unnatural winter. What if spring did not arrive? Was there any point in holding Beltide if there was no spring to celebrate?

“Raum,” StarDrifter said, stepping closer to the Bane so he could be heard above the din. “Gorgrael’s power is strong and winter has a grasp on the northern regions, but Earth Tree sings, and even though we could not finish the Yuletide rites, the sun has strengthened enough to allow the earth to reawaken. Spring has begun. It will be weak and many areas will experience a cold summer, especially Ichtar, but the Banes tell me that the sun will shine strongly over the Avarinheim. Your people will be well.”

“And Achar?” Axis broke in. His plans would have to be drastically altered if Achar remained in the grip of ice. “Will winter break in Achar?”

“Yes, Axis,” StarDrifter replied. “It will be a cool summer and the crops may not flourish as well as hoped, but it will be a summer. Gorgrael’s power has not spread as far south as we had feared.”

Axis relaxed visibly. “Good.”

StarDrifter looked at his son carefully. Apart from informing the Assembly of his intention to seek further training with the Charonites, Axis had not talked to anyone about his plans after Beltide. All knew that he meant to unite the Icarii and Acharite nations, but to do that he would have to face Borneheld. When? How?

“Strike-Leader!” FarSight CutSpur’s voice cut across Star-Drifter’s thoughts. “You have arrived. Good.”

Axis turned and conferred with the Crest-Leader. He did not want the Strike Force to leave the Beltide rites as exposed as they had at Yuletide, and he confirmed with FarSight the plans they had made in Talon Spike for both air and ground patrols of the northern Avarinheim.

As Axis and FarSight talked, Azhure frowned and peered through the throngs of Avar and Icarii.

“There,” Raum pointed. “The GhostTree Clan usually pitches its tents under that stand of trees. Remember?”

“Do you think I should…?” she started, nervous.

Raum smiled reassuringly. “They will be pleased to see you, Azhure. Especially Fleat and Shra. Go on, now.”

Azhure took a deep breath and headed in the direction Raum had pointed. Fleat and Shra might welcome her, but what about Grindle? And Barsarbe, if she was with them?

Rivkah hurried after her. The GhostTree Clan had been Rivkah’s surrogate family for years now, and she always looked forward to seeing them. Besides, Azhure looked as though she might need some support.