Sara Douglass – The Axis Trilogy 2 – Enchanter

“It bleeds,” Axis observed, “as red a blood as do the Skraelings.”

The SkraeBold, agonised by the wound underneath his arm and by the useless flapping of his broken wing, finally started to think a little more clearly. He pretended mortal hurt, gave a single sobbing sigh, and, hugging his arm to himself, crouched down as if he were preparing to die.

Axis was not fooled, but he let the creature think he had been. He stepped close, over-confidently, his whole body apparently relaxed and off guard.

The instant he was close enough the SkraeBold leapt to his feet and swung out with his injured arm.

But Axis was quicker and far more agile than the heavily muscled SkraeBold. He ducked underneath the arm and sank his sword deep into the creature’s belly. The SkraeBold caught him with his uninjured arm, hurt too deep this time to cry out, but Axis was prepared for that as well and, as the SkraeBold clutched him to his chest, punctured the creature’s left eye with a knife.

The SkraeBold convulsed, and Axis felt his claws tear through the black wool of his tunic and into his back. He grunted and grabbed at the hilt of his sword, still buried deep in the SkraeBold’s belly. As he stepped back Axis placed his booted foot to one side of the SkraeBold’s belly, using it as a lever to pull his sword free, twisting it as viciously as he could as it started to slide free.

The SkraeBold collapsed on the ground, his remaining eye staring at Axis in horror. “You tricked me,” he hiccupped softly, then he died.

Axis stood there, wondering at the ease of his kill, when he heard a horseman behind him. “Axis.”

He turned. Belial rode up on his stallion, leading Belaguez. Both horses laid back their ears and tossed their heads at the sight and smell of the dead SkraeBold.

“Look!” cried Belial, and Axis turned back to the SkraeBold. It was slowly fading from view.

“Returning to its master,” Axis said tiredly, “for him to do with as he will.” Exhaustion threatened to overcome him, and he swung into Belaguez s saddle before he slipped to the ground.

Belial gazed worriedly at him. He could see the reddened tears in the back of Axis’ tunic, but Axis’ exhaustion concerned him more.

By morning the majority of the Skraelings had disappeared from the WildDog Plains. They drifted back through the Icescarp Barren and down towards southern Ichtar, where they could hear their comrades whispering and crying softly to each other. Their orders had been clear. If, for whatever reason, they were forced to abandon the push south through WildDog Plains, they were to rejoin their companions at Jervois Landing.

Gorgrael himself, faced with another pile of grey sludge on the cold floor of his chamber, was not overly distressed. He had not expected any of his SkraeBolds to do well against Axis. Not with what Axis had undoubtedly learned. And this SkraeBold’s death had provided Gorgrael with what he needed most. Building material. Already his first pack of Gryphon were approaching maturity and once they had whelped Gorgrael would throw them against Jervois Landing. Now he had the materials to make more.

Axis pulled his troops out of the WildDog Plains, leaving but one unlucky unit to patrol (with the assurance that they would be relieved soon) the wind-swept and increasingly snow-bound plains. A Wing of the Strike Force was also left in the northern Urqhart Hills to provide an early warning if Gorgrael sent his Skraelings through the WildDog Plains again. Somehow, Axis did not think he would.

The Strike Force already winging its way over the Urqhart Hills towards Sigholt, Axis led the mounted section of his command south towards the entrance to HoldHard Pass. Nosing ahead ran the four couples of Alaunt which had proved as valuable as Azhure’s mounted archers. Well, now both archers and Alaunt were heading back to their mistress.

As am I, thought Axis. As am I.

At the mouth to HoldHard Pass, Axis’ command found a small group of refugees from Skarabost just about to enter. They were a ragged bunch, having spent some weeks fleeing northwards into the worsening weather. Their trust must have been great, thought Axis, as he rode forward to meet them, to keep on moving northwards even though the weather worsened with each step north they took.

The leader of about forty-five men, women and children, was a middle-aged, plump and grey-haired trader called Dru-Beorh. He was beside himself with pleasure to learn that the golden-haired man who sat the magnificent grey stallion before him was Axis himself.

“Great Lord,” he breathed, abasing himself in the dirt before Belaguez. “To meet you like this is an added boon. I have travelled from Nor to join your cause.” Axis, as Belial and Magariz behind him, raised his eyebrows in some surprise. News of the Prophecy had spread as far as Nor? “And I have brought you a gift for you to do with as you will. Behold!” he cried, waving his hand towards the back of his small column.

Axis drew in a quick breath of surprise as he saw what Dru-Beorh indicated. He knew exactly what he was going to do with it.

‘Woe! Woe!”

f f L zhure.”

i\ Azhure turned at the sound of Axis’ voice, JL -A-wiping the sweat out of her eyes. She had resumed training two weeks ago, and had spent the morning at archery practice in a small field just outside the Keep.

“What is it?” she asked, wondering if something was wrong with Caelum, only four weeks old. She had left him in their apartment with his grandmother and Sicarius watching over him.

“Relax. Nothing is wrong, Azhure. simply came out to watch my archery commander at weapon practice. So, tell me, Azhure, are you fully fit now? Ready for any action your StarMan might demand of you?”

“I would be fully fit if I had a decent horse to ride,” Azhure said tartly. “As it is I have to trail behind the slowest of my command on a nag that should have been retired five years ago. I might as well ride one of Veremund or Ogden’s donkeys.”

Axis couldn’t believe she’d given him such a perfect opening.

“I expect you think I should give you Belaguez back,” he said, making his voice as terse as hers.

Azhure’s back tensed as she sighted down the shaft of an arrow, then loosed the arrow and swung round to Axis in one fluid movement. “Are you going to tax me about exercising your horse after all this time? Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“Oh, I’m not upset, Azhure. You did well with Belaguez. Even now when he greets me in the stable I do not know if he welcomes me with his soft nose, or searches for scent of you. No,” Axis waved to one of the guards standing in the shadows under Sigholt’s main gates, “I’m not upset at all. Impressed, rather. So impressed, in fact,” he paused, “that I have decided to give you your own war-horse.”

A plump grey-haired man, whom Azhure recognised as one of the refugees Axis had returned with from the WildDog Plains, stepped out from the shadows of the gateway. He led a finely boned chestnut Corolean stallion, fully outfitted with saddle and bridle. Dru-Beorh hesitated as the stallion skittered in the sudden light, then led the horse across the bridge towards Azhure.

Axis took the Wolven and the quiver from Azhure and laid them carefully to one side. “Do you like him, Azhure? He is fully trained, but young, and so he will take to a new rider well. He has not been exercised for some time though, so he will be a bumpy ride for the next few days.”

The sheer delight on Azhure s face was enough thanks for Axis. He took her arm and led her t< meet Dru-Beorh and the horse. “He is an inadequate gift to thank you for Caelum, Azhure. Inadequate, because nothing I could do in this life could be thanks enough. Here, stroke him. Do you like him?”

Azhure reached out a hand and touched the horse s silken coat. It gleamed a dark bronzed red in the sunlight and twitched under her fingers. “He is a wonderful gift, Axis,” she said, her eyes bright with tears.

Dru-Beorh shuffled a little in embarrassment. He did not mind in the least that the Great Lord had elected to pass on his gift to this beautiful lady, for Dru had heard of her exploits and her courage. “His name is Venator, my Lady,”

Dru muttered. “In the language of the Coroleans the name means ‘One Who Hunts’.”

“Venator,” Azhure repeated. “What a beautiful name. And you gave him to Axis?”

Dru nodded and explained briefly how he’d seizedVenator as recompense for a bad debt from a Nors nobleman who had only just purchased him from a Corolean unit passing, through Nor.