‘In part.’
‘Will I … will my friends succeed?’
‘Do not ask me. I cannot alter your fate, much as I might wish to. This is your path, Tenaka, and you must walk it like a man. You were born to walk it.’
‘I understand, Lord. I should not have asked.’
‘There is no harm in asking,’ said Ulric, smiling. ‘Come, close your eyes – you must return to the world of blood.’
*
Tenaka awoke. It was night, yet his fire still burned bright and warm and a blanket had been placed over his sleeping body. He groaned and rolled to his side, raising himself on his elbow. Ananais sat across from the fire, the light flickering on his mask.
‘How are you feeling?’ asked the giant.
‘Good. I needed the rest.’
‘Has the pain gone?’
‘Yes. Did you bring food?’
‘Of course. You had me worried for a while. You turned ghostly white and your pulse was slow as death.’
‘I’m all right now.’ Tenaka sat up and Ananais tossed him a canvas sack containing dried meat and fruit. They ate in silence. The waterfall glittered like diamonds on sable in the moonlight. Finally Ananais spoke.
‘Four hundred of the Legion have joined us. Decado says they will fight true – claims his priests have read their minds. Only three did they turn away. Two hundred others chose to return to Ceska.’
Tenaka rubbed his eyes. ‘And?’
‘And what?’
‘And what happened to those who chose to return?’
‘I sent them out of the valley.’
‘Ani, my friend, I am back now. I am all right. So tell me.’
‘I had them slain in the valley. It was necessary, for they could have given information about our numbers.’
‘This was known anyway, Ani – the Templars are watching over us.’
‘All right. But even so – it is still two hundred fewer men that they will send against us in the days to come.’
Silence descended again and Ananais lifted his mask gently, probing at the angry scar tissue.
Take the thing off,’ said Tenaka. ‘Let the air get to the skin.’
Ananais hesitated, then he sighed and removed the leather. In the red firelight he seemed like a demon, inhuman and terrible. His blue eyes were fixed on Tenaka in a piercing stare, as if he were trying to discern some evidence of revulsion.
‘Give me your view of the battle,’ said Tenaka.
‘It went to plan. I was pleased with Rayvan’s men, and her son Lake is an asset. The black man fought well. He is a fine warrior. Given a year, I could rebuild the Dragon around these Skoda men.’
‘We don’t have a year.’
‘I know,’ said Ananais. ‘I reckon two months.’
‘We cannot beat them like this, Ani.’
‘You have a plan?’
‘Yes. But you won’t like it.’
‘If it means our winning, I will like it,’ promised Ananais. ‘What is it?’
‘I mean to bring the Nadir.’
‘You are right – I don’t like it. In fact it stinks like rotting meat. If Ceska is bad, the Nadir are worse. Gods, man, at least with Ceska we are still Drenai. Are you out of your mind?’
‘It is all we have left, my friend. We have almost a thousand men. We cannot hold Skoda and would be hard-pressed to withstand a single charge.’
‘Listen to me, Tani! You know I have never held your blood against you. Not personally. I love you better than a brother. But I hate the Nadir as I hate nothing else on this earth. And I am not alone. No man here will fight alongside them. And suppose you do bring an army? What the hell happens when we win? Do they just go home? They will have beaten the Drenai army; the land will be theirs and we shall have another bloody civil war.’
‘I don’t see it that way.’
‘And how will you bring them? There are no secret ways through the mountains, not even through the Sathuli passes. No army can come from the north save through Delnoch, and even Ulric failed to pass those gates.’
‘I have asked Scaler to take Dros Delnoch.’
‘Oh, Tani, you have gone mad! He is a fop and a runner who has not joined in one battle so far. When we rescued the village girl, he just buried his head in his hands and lay in the grass. When we found Pagan, he remained with the women. When we were planning yesterday’s sortie, he was shaking like grass in a breeze and you told him to stay behind. And he will take Delnoch?’