Sara Douglass – The Axis Trilogy 2 – Enchanter

“Ogden, Veremund. I rould not help but overhear your conversation with Axis and the Crest-Leaders. Are you travelling to Sigholt?”

Ogden nodded. “As soon as we can, Rivkah. Why? Would you like to join us?”

Rivkah relaxed. “Azhure and I would both like to travel with you. And we would be no trouble.”

“We would be honoured,” Veremund said. “It will be a trip into your past, will it not Rivkah, to see Sigholt again?”

“In more ways than one,” Rivkah remarked. “Will we travel down through the Avarinheim to where the Nordra escapes the Fortress Ranges?”

Azhure visibly tensed. That meant they would have to pass very close to Smyrton — and Azhure would be loathe to get that close to her old village again.

Veremund patted Azhure reassuringly on the arm as he answered Rivkah. “No, my dear, we will not travel that way.”

“Then which way?” Rivkah asked, confused. It would surely be the most direct route.

Ogden and Veremund smiled conspiratorialry. “No,” Ogden said. “We would prefer one of the lesser-known paths. We will travel through the Avarinheim for a few days, certainly, but we will strike west towards the Fortress Ranges immediately.”

“But I thought they were impossible to cross,” Azhure said. “Isn’t the only route through the Forbidden Valley?”

“No, sweet lady,” said Veremund. “There are other ways, and it will be our pleasure to show you one of them. But once through we will have to travel south through the WildDog Plains to HoldHard Pass. It is a long and lonely trip, so Ogden and I are relieved that we will have such charming company to keep us amused.”

Rivkah smiled at them. “When will we leave?”

“This afternoon, Rivkah. Soon.” Ogden paused. “If you have goodbyes to say then say them now.”

The light died in Rivkah’s face. For weeks she had talked about leaving the Icarii, but now that her departure was imminent the reality of leaving a marriage and a people with whom she had spent the majority of the past thirty years struck. She looked at the flights of Icarii lifting off from the groves, tears glinting in her eyes. Was she doing the right thing?

StarDrifter stepped up from nowhere and placed a hand on Rivkah s waist. “You look upset, Rivkah. What is it?”

Rivkah forced a smile to her lips. She wished that StarDrifter had not touched her, not when he really wanted the woman who stood beside her. “I am leaving this afternoon with Ogden and Veremund. And Azhure comes with us. We travel for Sigholt.”

StarDrifter looked stunned. Azhure was leaving for Sigholfi He’d thought she would return to Talon Spike. StarDrifter had hoped that with Axis out of the way, Azhure might reconsider her choice. But now she would be escaping even further away and he might not see her for months.

The tension among the group deepened as Axis joined them. He had seen StarDrifter approach the group and had quickly made his excuses to the Crest-Leaders and hurried over. His eyes were all for Azhure. She had left his side sometime during the early hours of the morning and had been avoiding him ever since. It was too much that Star-Drifter should have the chance to speak with her, and not himself.

“Rivkah?” he smiled, kissing his mother, then turned to kiss Azhure. It was a provocative action, meant to irritate StarDrifter.

Azhure quickly side-stepped, leaving Axis hanging awkwardly in the air. StarDrifter smiled, and Azhure caught his look of satisfaction. By the heavens, what wedge had she driven between these two men? she thought frantically. More than ever, Azhure knew she had to leave as soon as possible.

The Prophecy could not afford to have Axis and StarDrifter torn apart by their jealousy over her. What had possessed her last night? Why couldn’t she have walked away from both of them?

Rivkah linked her arm comfortably through Azhure’s. “Azhure and I travel to Sigholt with Ogden andVeremund,” she said. “Both of us have had quite enough of the complications that Enchanters cause in our lives.”

StarDrifter recovered first and leaned forward to kiss Rivkah. “Undoubtedly I will see you there again,” he said softly. “Watch for me from the roof.”

“Are you sure it is me you want to watch from the roof, StarDrifter?” she replied.

StarDrifter s smile faded fractionally, then he turned to Azhure, who offered him her hand before he could kiss her mouth. “Until we meet again, Azhure.”

Azhure nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She did not want to alienate StarDrifter by ill-considered words now.

StarDrifter dropped her hand and turned to Axis. “Beltide sometimes brings out hidden desires and dreams, Axis. Unfortunately we’ve both discovered that we are more alike than we hitherto realised.” His eyes sparkled. “I have never before had to compete with a son who has, apparently, inherited all of my charms and more. Azhure made her choice last night, and she has made her choice today. I harbour no grudges and I bear no ill will. I don’t want this to come between us.”

Axis hesitated, then embraced his father as Azhure and Rivkah watched with more than a little cynicism.

Once Azhure and Rivkah said their goodbyes to both Icarii and Avar, they waited at the edge of one of the lesser groves for the Sentinels.

“It is going to be a hard journey,” Rivkah sighed. “And I am no longer such a young woman.”

Azhure fingered her pack. Axis had given her the golden tunic to take down to Sigholt, and it was stowed, together with her crimson robe, at the bottom of the pack.

She raised her head. “Here they come now. I can hear them arguing about something.”

Ogden andVeremund stepped into the grove, each leading a fat white donkey loaded with well-stuffed packs.

“I’ve heard about these two donkeys,” Azhure said. “Where on earth did they find them this time?”

“What?” Veremund said as they drew level with the two women. “What? Find them? Why, they were in camp, weren’t they, Ogden?”

“Yes, indeed,” Ogden replied cheerfully. “Waiting for us. Veremund must have put them there.”

“Oh no,” Veremund disagreed, his face darkening. ” You must have put them there. / had nothing to do with it.”

“Well,” Rivkah said, “at least we’ll have something to sit on when we get too footsore.”

As the Sentinels continued to squabble about who had procured the donkeys, Rivkah began to laugh. It would be all right. Leaving for Sigholt was the best decision that either she or Azhure could have made. For the first time in many, many years, Rivkah began to feel positive about the future.

In one of the northern groves Axis gave last instructions to FarSight. “As soon as Belial has established supplies then join him. I will join you in Sigholt as soon as I have learned what I can from the Charonites. Tell Belial that he must do what is right, but that above all he should consolidate.”

“Do not be gone too long. Both Belial and I will need you there by late autumn,” FarSight said, then saluted and lifted into the air.

Axis turned to his father, and they embraced again. “Thank you,” he murmured, and StarDrifter knew it was for far more than the training he had given his son.

“Axis,” MorningStar said, giving her grandson a quick peck on the cheek. Beltide had not turned out quite the way-she had hoped, and StarDrifter was not the only SunSoar regretting Axis’ choice of Beltide partner. “Learn well from the Charonites. And ask them if they have any idea about…”

She hesitated to put her thoughts into words, but Axis knew what she meant. Since their discussion many weeks earlier about the possibility – reality, really – that both Gorgrael and Axis had been trained by an unknown SunSoar Enchanter, powerful enough to use the Dark Music of the Stars, no-one had wanted to discuss it again. Nevertheless, the worry about who and where the Enchanter was marred their unguarded moments.

“If anyone will know, they will,” StarDrifter said.

Axis watched the worry carve lines into his father’s face. “I will find out what I can from the Charonites, StarDrifter, but somehow I think that this rogue Enchanter will keep himself well hidden until he wants to reveal himself.”

“And what,” MorningStar said in a toneless voice, “if he is someone you already know, Axis? What if he is someone close to you? An Enchanter this powerful could choose any disguise he – or she – wanted to.”

Axis picked his way down the path that StarDrifter had directed him to, pushing through the overgrown oldenberry bushes to the mouth of the cavern. It was just as StarDrifter had described. Hesitating only slightly, Axis walked down to the back of the cavern and squatted by the wall, remembering the Song that StarDrifter had told him to use. He hummed it underneath his breath, tapping the wall gently with his fingers. Unlike StarDrifter, Axis was gentle with the Song and, after only a few moments, a small portion of the grey rock splintered and slid gently to the floor of the cavern, revealing a gleaming bronze door. Axis pushed it open and began the journey into the UnderWorld.