Sometimes the beauty of the Icebear coast grew so extreme, and the cries of the sea birds so haunting, that Azhure and Axis would kick their horses into a wild and breathless gallop, the Alaunt streaming out to each side and in front of them, adding their cries to those of the birds.
Arne kept his horse to a restrained canter, knowing he would catch them in the end. Even he, dour as he was, was affected by the savage scenery they passed through, and sometimes tears streamed down his face.
Five days out from DeadWood Forest Axis reined Belaguez to a halt late one afternoon.
“Look,” he said, pointing, and Azhure saw Talon Spike rearing out of the clouds. They sat for long minutes, staring at the mountain, wondering at its majesty and splendour.
“What will become of it, do you think?” Azhure asked eventually.
“Become of it?”
“For a thousand years it was the home of the Icarii, but now most, if not all, will live in the southern regions. StarDrifter told me that in the days before the Wars of the Axe the mountain was used as a summer residence – a playground for the Icarii.” She paused. “It would be a shame if Talon Spike became a playground again. It has seen too much, and meant too much, for that.”
“I know what you mean. StarDrifter should be there by now, and FreeFall. We can decide together what we shall do with the complex. Ah, here comes Arne. Arne, see that mountain? That is our destination.”
Arne pulled his horse up and stared at the mountain. It was still distant, at least one day’s ride away, but the sight took his breath away.
“Come,” Axis said. “We shall turn south into the alps here. Say your goodbyes to the Icebear Coast.”
“When you come home, Axis,” Azhure said softly, “we shall return here and race our horses the length of this beach.”
Axis reached across and touched her cheek. “Just you and me, Azhure, on a deep moonlit night. Now,” his tone turned brisk, “we shall have some climbing to do.”
He took them through several small ravines that led south, then east, the ground rising the whole way. To the north they could hear Talon Spike’s glacier grinding and splintering its way to the sea, but soon even that was lost in the laboured breathing of the horses.
When they camped that night, Azhure asked Axis if the horses would have to climb much further. There was little feed here in the alps, and she thought the three hourses might be weakening slightly.
“No. One of the things StarDrifter and MorningStar made me learn were the entrance ways and passages of Talon Spike. We will climb another hour or two in the morning, and then we should be able to enter one of the tunnels that lead to the foot of the great peak itself. From there we can bed the animals down in one of the lower chambers and ascend into the complex.”
They were in the mountain by noon of the next day. The horses had struggled until they reached the tunnel, which was so smooth-floored and gently graded that they lowered their heads and breathed easy, jogging along with little effort. The tunnel, lit by magical enchantments like all Icarii creations, led into the lower regions of the mountain. Here the riders found stables and fodder for the horses, and once their mounts were comfortable Axis took Azhure and Arne through stairwells and shafts until they reached the higher chambers of the complex.
Axis led Arne to the dining halls where several Icarii sat eating and he left die man in their care. Then he and Azhure continued higher and higher into the mountain. Whatever destruction the Gryphon had wrought had been repaired. The complex was almost empty, and the sounds of the few Icarii who moved through it rang loud and clear.
Azhure shivered, trying to imagine what these corridors must have looked like with thousands of Gryphon crawling through them. For those remaining, the end must have been a horror.
“I wish I could have done something,” she whispered, and Axis took her hand.
“You warned them. It was their choice.”
“Where is he?” she asked eventually.
“In the Assembly Chamber,” he replied, “waiting for us.”
They entered the Assembly Chamber from the upper archways, silently, halting at the top tier to stare down to the circular floor below.
StarDrifter was there, lying face-down and spreadeagled in the centre of the golden marble.
Azhure gave Axis a gentle push in the back. “Go,” she mouthed, and Axis walked slowly down the steps towards his father.
When Axis was a third of the way down StarDrifter raised his head, paused, then rose to his feet. “Axis,” he said, and held out his arms.
Axis took the remaining steps at a run and embraced his father fiercely. When Azhure joined them both men’s faces were wet with tears.
“I thought I had lost you,” StarDrifter whispered.
“You had. Azhure brought me home.”
StarDrifter turned and embraced Azhure tightly. “Azhure. You are looking well. I have heard strange stories about you,” he leaned back and ran his eyes over her dark blue suit, “and you shall have to spend many hours satisfying my curiosity.”
Axis scrutinised them carefully, at first suspiciously and then he relaxed. Whatever desire StarDrifter had carried for Azhure now seemed to have gone. They were at ease with each other, the bonds of their friendship stronger than he could ever have imagined.
StarDrifter lifted Caelum from Azhure’s back and hugged him as well. “I heard that Gorgrael had taken him…” His voice faltered.
Axis smiled. “Again we must thank Azhure.” Then his smile died as realisation hit him. “Stars, Azhure,” he breathed. “None of us would be here if not for you.”
She looked at him quizzically. “Explain.”
He took her face in his hands. “You are our salvation, Azhure, and you were birthed by a darker power – WolfStar. The last prophecy of the second verse of the Prophecy of the Destroyer has come to pass.”
They were all silent for some moments. “Then it is just the prophecy concerning the Sentinels that needs to be fulfilled before I can wield the Rainbow Sceptre,” Axis said. “Has anyone seen them, StarDrifter? In the events of the past months I had completely forgotten about them.”
“No,” StarDrifter said. “Wherever they are, whatever they do, they do not seem to want anyone else to know.”
“Well, there is nothing to be done, I suppose. I shall have to trust in them to fulfil their part of the Prophecy.”
“They have dedicated their entire lives to the Prophecy, Axis,” Azhure reminded him, “and the other prophecies have worked their way through without any help or prompting from us. Trust. And try not to worry.”
“Yes, you’re right, Azhure. StarDrifter . . . have you . . . ?” He couldn’t voice the question.
“Within a day of my arrival, Axis. SpikeFeather and the Strike Force had been here two weeks; Talon Spike was clean and the bodies of the dead neatly laid out. Stars!”
His voice quavered and he turned away, his shoulders trembling. Azhure stepped up and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “StarDrifter?”
StarDrifter took a deep breath and tried to smile, cuddling Caelum closer. “I’m sorry. But I have never seen such injuries. Not even after the Yuletide slaughter in the Earth Tree Grove.” He took another breath, remembering. “We lit a great pyre at the peak of the mount and burned them there. Their souls drifted straight to the stars.”
He paused, and Axis and Azhure held their peace. “RavenCrest and I were never particularly close,” StarDrifter said after a moment, “for there was such an age difference
between us, and our personalities were so different.” The reflection in his eyes turned to pain. “RavenCrest so often accused me of being reckless, Axis. Stars, but he was right! It was my own son who ordered this slaughter! My simple lusts brought all this death and destruction down upon my own people.”
“Simple lusts, StarDrifter? Then blame yourself for the fact that the Icarii now fly the southern skies again,” Axis said fiercely. “Blame yourself for the fact that the sacred sites are now reclaimed. Blame yourself that your simple lusts have resulted in your people’s freedom!”
StarDrifter lowered his head. “With great gain needs must also come pain,” he whispered.
“Would you rather that the Icarii sit here in the Assembly and mouth useless dreams, StarDrifter? Gods, but I have not been through all that I have to stand here and watch you develop a conscience!”
StarDrifter stared at Axis. Then, unexpectedly, he laughed. “You bring me joy, Axis, and you have brought the Icarii far more joy than pain. Forgive my maudlin ramblings.”
Azhure lifted Caelum from his arms. “RavenCrest and BrightFeather and all those who died here have been avenged, StarDrifter.”