Sara Douglass – The Axis Trilogy 3 – StarMan

They took children out there? Azhure shuddered.

“I sent word to the northern tribes to seek shelter from the Skraelings among the ice packs,” Ho’Demi continued. “They were to leap in their boats and paddle for the ice, for the Skraelings could not cross the open strip of water between the shore and the pack. I thought that my people would have their best chance of survival on the ice, for they knew it and loved it. But. . .”

He faltered, and Sa’Kuya, who sat by his side in front of the fire, took his hand. “But I had no way of knowing we would be gone so long. For over three years my people have had to fight for their survival among this ice. They were hearty Rave/isbundmen and women all, but even I doubt their ability to live that long among the ice without respite.”

So they waited. They waited three days, during which Ho’Demi grew increasingly fretful, and Axis and Azhure became concerned about the time that flew by. Soon they would have to be at Talon Spike, and then Axis would have to travel on to the Earth Tree Grove for Fire-Night. How many more days could they linger at the edge of this ocean?

Early on the morning of the fourth day a shout brought Ho’Demi hastening from his bedroll. Were his people emerging from the ice? But all that he could see was a great icebear slipping and sliding as it leapt from ice sheet to ice sheet, one moment apparently in danger of being swallowed by a yawning chasm, the next avoiding being speared by sharp ice only by the merest breath.

Ho’Demi stared and then, with every other Ravensbund man who was awake and watching, he fell to his knees,

“Urbeth,” he whispered.

Still wiping the sleep from their eyes, Axis and Azhure joined him, standing at his shoulder.

Axis stared at the bear.

She was massive, the height of a tall man at her shoulder and half as long again as a horse. Her paws had black talons twice as long and thick as a man’s fingers, and her teeth, gleaming as she panted for breath, looked almost as wicked as a Skraeling’s. Thick fur, yellowing with age, covered her body and, as Axis looked closer, he could see that she had lost an ear.

“Azhure,” he began, about to remind her of the icebear he had seen that day they had sat on the ledge at Talon Spike so long ago, but his words were cut off by a gigantic splash. The bear had plunged into the waters and was now paddling towards the beach, only her head and a small island of her back showing above the water.

“Urbeth,” Ho’Demi said again in a tone of deep reverence.

Urbeth? Axis asked Azhure, not wanting to disturb the strangeness of the moment with speech. She shrugged, and Axis turned back to the bear.

She was close to the shore now, and she grunted as her paws scrabbled for purchase on the pebbly beach. Water cascaded off her back as she slowly waded towards the watchers, and she shook herself so vigorously that water sprayed over Ho’Demi and all those within ten paces of him.

Axis belatedly wondered if they should be standing so close to one of the fearsome icebears. By the Stars! he breathed, she towers over most here.

“I greet you well enough, Ho’Demi,” the bear said pleasantly.

“Urbeth.” Ho’Demi placed his hands over his breast and half bowed from his kneeling position. Along the shore line men bowed so that their foreheads touched the beach, and Axis wondered if he and Azhure should do the same.

Us? Azhure smiled at him. You forget who we are, StarMan. She inclined her head graciously towards the bear.

“Moon,” Urbeth said, and flicked a stray droplet from one of her claws. “I know you, for I gambol among the tides and your light shines over the ice-den where I hide my cubs.”

Then Urbeth gazed curiously at Axis. “StarMan,” Azhure said by way of introduction, “and Song.”

“Well,” said the bear, “no wonder I don’t know you, for the grating of the ice keeps out all but the low timbre of Ho’Demi’s horn…and the screams of the seals as I sihk my teeth deep into their backs.”

Axis grinned wanly and pitied the seals.

“I call my people, Urbeth,” Ho’Demi interrupted. “Do you know of their whereabouts?”

Urbeth yawned, and abruptly sat down, both hind legs sliding out almost at right angles from her body. “Your people?” She twitched the toes of her hind paws and contemplated one of her fore paws, perhaps wondering if one

swipe would be enough to take off a man’s head, or if two would be required. “Did I perchance eat them, and forget the fact?”

Ho’Demi stared at her, and did not respond.

Urbeth sighed and put her fore paw down with a slap that sent several pebbles skidding along the beach. “Your people, Ho’Demi. Well. You have left them alone for a long time.” She paused and tilted her head, her eyes dark and sharp. “A very long time. Many things can happen in – what is it? – almost four years? But. . .” she turned her eyes skyward, as if consulting deep memory. “Let me think. Ah . . . yes. They arrived, most of them, although I remember twenty or thirty falling here on the beach with Skraelings clinging to their backs.”

Azhure shuddered, and Urbeth dropped her gaze and stared at her. “Not very good to eat,” she said. “Not enough salt.”

“Oh,” Azhure said after a moment. “The Skraelings.”

Ho’Demi shifted in frustration. “Urbeth?”

Urbeth sighed again, her breath rippling over the entire assembly. “Your people, Ho’Demi. Yes, well. They scrambled into the ice and there they were safe. For some time. But, oh dear, then the winter storms came, and they were fiercer than they had ever been before. Many froze to the ice, and were swallowed and digested as the ice rose and fell.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “They are still there, somewhere, Ho’Demi. Bits of them, anyway, still frozen in the ice. When they thaw out I may taste them.”

Axis placed a restraining hand on Ho’Demi’s shoulder. Whoever, whatever, this bear was, Axis was afraid Ho’Demi would do something rash.

Ho’Demi relaxed. “You are a tease, Urbeth.”

“A tease? A tease?” Axis swore the bear had managed to raise a non-existent eyebrow. “Ho’Demi, I simply have a sense of humour. Something you should learn to cultivate.”

“Good Urbeth,” Azhure said, “are your cubs well?”

“Yes, indeed, Moon. Thank you for asking.”

“I have my own cub, Urbeth. See? He sleeps, in my blankets by the fire.”

“Yes, I see, Moon. He is a fine cub.”

Azhure sighed, her eyes sombre. “But cubs can be so trying, Urbeth. Sometimes I must rock him and rock him before he consents to sleep.”

“Oh, I know, Moon, I know,” Urbeth consoled, and Axis wondered if he were dreaming, or if this bizarre conversation was really taking place.

“Such a trouble making him sleep, Urbeth. But you have far more help than I.”

“I do?”

“The tides,” Azhure said softly, “rock your cubs to sleep in their ice-den, so I think that they cannot be the trouble that my cub is.”

Urbeth shifted uncomfortably. “Well, you are right, Moon. And I should thank you for that.”

“A boon then, friend Urbeth. I rock your cubs to sleep for you, and in return, I would have you tell Ho’Demi what has happened to his people.”

“I would have told anyway, Moon,” Urbeth said crossly, and lumbered to her feet. “You did not have to waste a boon on the matter.”

Azhure smiled. “I thought Ho’Demi about to stick you, Urbeth, and I sought to prevent a slaughter.”

Urbeth chuckled, the sound shocking coming from such a massive beast. “Indeed you did, Moon, for had Ho’Demi sought to stick me I would have slaughtered all his people standing before me. Well now, Ho’Demi, are you ready for Urbeth’s joke?”

He jerked his head in assent.

Urbeth looked sly. “But are you ready for a walk, Ho’Demi?” And with that she turned and lumbered northwestwards along the shoreline of the Iskruel Ocean.

They had no choice but to follow. Camps were hurriedly struck and horses saddled, then the entire force – eight thousand Ravensbundmen and three thousand Acharites – fell into file behind the great bear as she ambled along, grunting to herself and occasionally pausing to scratch the ruff of her neck.

No-one spoke. The Ravensbundmen were either too tense or too awe-struck, and the Acharites were so dumbfounded at what they were doing they could not find the words to discuss it.

Azhure kept the Alaunt slinking in a well-controlled pack behind Venator; she had little doubt that if they tried to play with Urbeth, she would give as good as she got.