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The War God’s Own

by David M. Weber

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This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional,

and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 199 !avid ". #eber

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

A $aen $ooks %riginal

$aen &ublishing 'nterprises

&.%. $o( 1)*+

iverdale, - 1*)/1

0$-2 *34/13//+35

Cover art by 6arry 'lmore

7irst printing, "ay 199

!istributed by imon 8 chuster 1+* Avenue of the Americas

-ew ork, - 1***

&roduction by #indhaven &ress, Auburn, -:&rinted in the ;nited tates of America

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For Clarence A. Weber,

my father.

A man who loved books and taught me to, as well.

I wish you were here to read this one

like you promised.

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ALSO I !"IS S#$I#S%

%ath of words

&A# &OO'S by (A)I( W#&#$%

Honor Harrington Novels:

%n $asilisk tation

The :onor of the <ueenThe hort =ictorious #ar

7ield of !ishonor

7lag in '(ile

:onor Among 'nemies0n 'nemy :ands

Edited by David Weber:"ore Than :onor

"utineers> "oon

The Armageddon 0nheritance

:eirs of 'mpire

&ath of the 7ury

With Steve White:

0nsurrection

Crusade

0n !eath ?round

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&%6%?;'

late3gray seawater blew back in e(plosions of white as the twin3 masted schooner sliced

through the swell. The eastern sky ahead of her was brushed with rose and gold, a dawn that

offered beauty to the eye if no warmth to cold3pinched fingers and noses, and ice glittered onher stays. The low, sleek vessel>s flag@green, badged with a golden seagull@and black hull

proclaimed her "arfang 0sland registry. -ot that any flags were needed. A prudent seamanwould have taken at least one reef, but she leaned well over to the wind, driven hard by a

captain who was, to say the least, confident. %thers would have used a less complimentary

adective as they watched white water cascade over her leeward rails like a tide race.

ome argued that "arfang 0slanders took risks sane people went far out of their ways toavoid specifically because of their small siBe, as a sort of compensation for standing little

more than three feet tall. %thers held that they deliberately courted danger in an effort to prove that the reputation for cowardice which clung to other halflings did not apply to them,

while still others claimed that it was all because of something in "arfang 0sland>s water. Anyor all of the theories could well be true, yet in the end the whyD mattered less than the

what,D and any deep3water sailor who saw that schooner>s driving approach to $elhadan

$ay would instantly proclaim that her skipper and crew must be "arfangers.

And he would have been right . . . mostly. $ut not entirely, for two of the figures workingabout her deck were hradani who towered above their companions. %ne was perhaps an inch

or two over si( feet, which was Euite enough to make him loom over the ivory3hornedhalflings about him, but the other was at least seven and a half feet tall. That made him a

giant even for his native :orse tealer tribe, and someone like him had no business on the

deck of a vessel scaled to halflings, yet he moved among them with a nimbleness at odds

with his stature, lending his massive weight and strength wherever it was most needed.!on>t ust stand there like a whore at a wedding, "aster :oldermanF Trim that foresheetF

0t>s slacker than those idlers you call seamenFDThe words roared from the Euarterdeck through 'vark &itchallow>s leather speaking

trumpet, and his first mate grimaced. Then he waved acknowledgment aft and begansnapping orders of his own. The schooner>s crew had ust finished shaking out the reefs that

even 'vark carried overnight in these waters in winter, and the mate was pleased with how

efficiently they>d done so. 0n fact, there were at most a few inches of slack in the offending

foresheet, but the word panache might have been coined specifically for Captain &itchallow,and :olderman knew better than to argue with him. -or did the seamen who hurried to obey

his orders show any inclination to dawdle, for $elhadan $ay was the largest Gand busiestH port of the 'mpire of the A(e. 'very professional seaman in the world passed through it

sooner or later, and &itchallow>s crew knew he wasn>t about to stand for their embarrassing

him in front of his peers, even if they did have two out3siBed, half3trained landlubbers getting

in their way.omething between a word and a grunt came through the speaking trumpet in an

e(pression of what was probably satisfaction, and :olderman drew a deep breath and nodded

to the men about him. everal grinned at him, as accustomed as he to their captain>s ways,and he was hard put not to grin back. $ut he>d earned his own master>s ticket last year, andhe had high hopes of winning command of his own ship when Wind Dancer returned home.

The city of efuge boasted "arfang 0sland>s only true deep3water harbor, and for all its

inhabitants> small siBe, that made it the home port of the finest seamen in all %rfressa. 'vark

&itchallow stood high among that select company, and his recommendation would almostguarantee :olderman a captain>s berth. #hich meant it was time to begin practicing his own

captain>s demeanor, and so he simply repeated his nod and made his way to the rail.

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:e crossed the deck carefully. "arfangers were daring and intrepid, but reputationnotwithstanding, they weren>t foolish. %r not totally so, at least. :olderman used the safety

lines rigged across the treacherously wet planks with as much care as he insisted any of hisseamen take, then clung to a stay and peered ahead along Wind Dancer >s course.

The wind of the open sea cut like icy swords, striking tears from his eyes and offering to

freeBe his very skin off. howers of lashing spray made it no more pleasant, but these

northern waters were as familiar to :olderman as the warmer, milder ones around hissouthern homeland, and compared to what conditions could have been at this time of year,

this was an almost balmy day.:e sucked in a huge lungful of the sea>s brutal freshness and watched the mountains

looming steadily higher above the eastern horiBon. There was snow on the taller of those peaks year round, but now their heads glittered a rose3tinged white as they loomed against the

dawn, and the masthead lookouts kept a close watch. $elhadan>s location as the northernmostice3free port of the 'mpire helped e(plain its importance, but it wasn>t so far south that drift

ice or icebergs were unheard of. 0ndeed, given his own preferences, :olderman thought hemight actually have reduced sail, or at least left the night>s reefs in rather than shaking them

out, if only to give himself a little more time to avoid any ice his lookouts spotted. $ut the

decision wasn>t his, and at least visibility was e(cellent.:e felt rather than saw a huge presence looming up behind him and turned to glance over

his shoulder at the taller of the two nonhalflings in Wind Dancer >s crew.

And how long would it be to reach yonder mountainsID a cavern3deep bass rumbled in awind3whipped cloud of steamy breath.

%h, we should fetch the harbor in another two or three hours,D :olderman replied. :eturned, still maintaining his grip on the stay, and looked up at the other with frank curiosity.

:ave you and $randark given any more thought to your plansID-o, but not for want of trying. #e>ve nothing at all to be basing plans on, you see, and

0>m thinking the A(emen may be after being ust a wee bit unhappy to see us.D:ow unreasonable of them,D :olderman said dryly. #hy, 0 can>t think of anything that

would make me happier than having a couple of hradani come ashore in my port.DA deep, booming laugh answered him, and a shovel3siBed hand thumped him on the

shoulder. 0t was a gentle thump, given the siBe and strength of the hand>s owner, but:olderman staggered anyway. :e glared up at the huge hradani, yet his heart wasn>t in it,

which kept him from generating the intended power.

0>ll thank you not to knock me over the rail, lummo(F 0>ve spent ten years at sea without

drowning yet, and 0>d ust as soon not start now.D!rown, is itI And here was 0, thinking as how "arfang 0slanders learned to breathe water

when they were no more than wee, tiny fellowsFD The hradani paused ust a moment, thenadded, $ut then, you>re always wee, tiny fellows, so it might ust be 0>d the wrong of

e(actly when you>re after learning, mightn>t itID:e tilted his head and cocked his fo(like ears at an angle that mirrored the devilish sparkle

in his brown eyes, and :olderman snorted.0>d spend some time watching Jwee, tiny> sharks finish off a whale before 0 got too

complacent about my siBe, $ahBell $ahanaksonFD he said, and the hradani raised a hand in thegesture of a fencer acknowledging a touch. :e gave the first officer another white3toothed

smile, then turned and crossed to his fellow hradani>s side, and :olderman watched him go.0t wasn>t easy for someone that huge to maneuver about Wind Dancer >s decks, but $ahBell

moved with an easy balance which seemed profoundly unnatural, especially to a halfling, in

anyone his siBe. 'ither of his legs alone would easily have outweighed :olderman, and the

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blade of the sword he carried ashore was at least a foot longer than the tallest halfling aboard, but he could fit into amaBingly tight Euarters when he had to. :is companion $randark was

over a foot shorter than he, yet $ahBell had made himself much more Euickly at ease aboardthe schooner. &erhaps, :olderman mused, that was because $ahBell, at least, could swim.

$randark couldn>t, and the first officer suspected that had made him more than a little

tentative when it came to finding his sea legs.

et he>d found them in the end, and he>d learned much more about Wind Dancer than$ahBell had. -ot that $ahBell had been disinterested or tried to avoid doing his share and a

little to spare aboard ship. $ut the :orse tealer saw the schooner mainly as a means of getting from one port to another, while $randark saw deeper than that. $ahBell had learned to

obey the orders of the skilled professionals about himK $randark had learned why thoseorders were given.

:olderman watched the two hradani talk with their heads close together while water creamed up over the lee rails and raced at their feet. :e couldn>t hear them through the sound

of wind and wave, the creak and groan of timbers, and the high3pitched song of the rigging, but he>d heard them chaffering often enough to have a shrewd notion of what they were

saying, and he shook his own head.

"arfangers knew more than most people about hradani, for their homeland lay directlyacross the #ild #ash Channel from the hradani clans of the same name. et for all their

fierceness in battle and predilection for carrying off anything not nailed to the earth, the #ild

#ash clans> reputations were but shadows of those of the :orse tealers or $randark>s native$loody words. Wind Dancer >s crew had heard all about their savagery and mutual hatred, 3

despite their northern homelands> isolation, long before $ahBell and $randark had comeaboard. 0n fact, every -orfressan Gwith the possible e(ception of a few hermits among the

desert3riding #akLo nomadsH had heard about the :orse tealers and $loody words, and noone wanted a thing to do with either of them.

And that was what puBBled :olderman whenever he looked at Wind Dancer >s passengers.They should have gone for one another>s throats on sight, which made their deep and obvious

friendship confusing enough, but neither was remotely like their people>s reputations in mostother ways, either. That, :olderman reflected, might indicate that hradani reputation was as

misleading as some of the wilder tales told about his own folk, but it didn>t e(plain why thesetwo differed so . . . profoundly from the stereotypes.

$randark was bad enough. The kindest description of the $loody words emphasiBed their

contempt for the weakening influence of anything smacking of civiliBation, yet $randark

favored lace3fronted shirts and embroidered erkins which would have done a &urple 6ord proud. #orse, he was the best educated person aboard Wind Dancer , although he was entirely

self3taught. And to top things off, he was a skilled musician, despite the loss of two fingers,who could play the bawdiest tune a seaman could name or spend hours staring into a lamp

flame while he stroked soft, haunting beauty from his balalaika. :is voice, unfortunately, wassomething else again. -ot even his closest friend would call it beautiful, and :olderman was

almost relieved that it was so. The notion of a hradani scholar and dandy was hard enough tocope withK he rather doubted he could have gotten his mind around the concept of a $loody

word bard .%n the other hand, even that idea might have been easier to adust to than that of a :orse

tealer champion of TomanMk . 6ike the rest of Wind Dancer >s company, :olderman had feltnothing but scorn when seven and a half feet of stark naked hradani had swum half way

across $ortalik $ay, climbed over the rail, and calmly claimed to be one of the war god>s

chosen champions. The assertion had been preposterous and probably blasphemous, given the

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fact that there hadn>t been a single hradani champion of any ?od of 6ight in the twelvecenturies since the 7all of Nontovar. $esides, every -orfressan child knew the hradani had

served as the Carnadosan traitors> shock troops in the war which had destroyed the empirewhich once ruled %rfressa>s southern continent. That was why they were universally

distrusted and shunned, if not actively hated. #ell, that and the berserk, uncontrollable

bloodlust $ahBell>s people called the age.D -o one, after all, wanted to get too friendly

with a gigantic barbarian who might suddenly take it into his head to chop one into teeny,tiny pieces for no particular reason.

:olderman was prepared to admit that stereotypes tended to be e(aggerated, yet he>dfound it impossible to believe that TomanMk %rfro, Neeper of the cales of %rr, the word of

6ight, ?od of Oustice, and Captain3?eneral of the ?ods of 6ight as well as ?od of #ar,would pick a champion from such unpromising material. $ut TomanMk had done ust that.

The powers of the champion>s blade $ahBell bore had proved it, and $ahBell>s championstatus, even more than the fury he>d waked among the &urple 6ords whom Captain

&itchallow hated with every fiber of his being, e(plained the speed with which Wind Dancer >s master had granted him and $randark passage to $elhadan. -ot that &itchallow

wouldn>t have cheerfully rescued anyone who could infuriate the &urple 6ords. ;nder most

circumstances, however, he would at least have reEuired them to pay their passages@he wasa "arfang halfling, after all@and he>d flatly refused to take a copper kormak from $ahBell.

That hadn>t kept him from insisting that they pull their weight aboard ship, but it was a

sign of his high regard for the hradani, and he and $ahBell had spent many a late night withtheir heads together. -o one else@aside, perhaps, from $randark@had any idea precisely

what the captain and $ahBell had found to discuss so earnestly, but &itchallow>s devotion toNorthrala, the sea god, was as well known as it was strong. And although even his own

followers admitted that Northrala wasn>t overblessed with wisdom by divine standards, he

was TomanMk>s younger brother and firm ally, so perhaps it wasn>t so very surprising that one

of his churchmen should have a lot to say to a brand new champion of the war god.'specially one who needed advice as badly as $ahBell $ahnakson was likely to need it.

-ow, as he watched the two hradani shade their eyes with their hands, gaBing at theapproaching mountains while they talked, :olderman said a small, sincere prayer of his own

for them. :e might be less devout than his captain, but given what Wind Dancer >s two guestswere likely to face when they set foot ashore in $elhadan, he reflected, even his prayers

couldn>t do any harm.

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C:A&T' % -'

o, =aion. Are you readyID

The Euestion came in a gently sardonic voice, and the golden3haired young man standing

before the mirror in the chapter house>s entry vestibule turned Euickly. A faint flush touchedhis cheeks as he recogniBed the voice>s teasing edge, but he bent his head in a small bow.

0 am, ir Charrow.D

:is reply was proper enough, but irritation lingered in his e(pression. -ot overtlyK it wasmore subtle than any scowl, little more than an e(tra bit of tension in his aw, more sensed

than seen, perhaps, with ust the tiniest edge of challenge under his courteous words. ir Charrow "alakhai, Nnight3Captain of the %rder of TomanMk and master of its $elhadan

chapter, hid a sigh as he wondered if the youngster even realiBed that edge was there. ir Charrow had seen other arrogant young sprouts@more of them, in fact, than he had any

desire to contemplate@during his years with the %rder. 7ortunately, TomanMk>s %rder, as arule, had a way of knocking that sort of attitude out of its brethrenK unfortunately, the process

seemed to have gone awry this time.

?ood, my son.D The knight3captain made his words a gentle reprimand and was rewarded by seeing the younger man>s flush darken. #hatever else he might be, =aion wasn>t stupid.:e recogniBed a rebuke even when he truly failed to grasp the reason for it. This is a very

important day for our chapter, =aion,D Charrow went on in a more normal voice. 0t is up to

you to represent us@and TomanMk @properly.D

%f course, ir Charrow. 0 understand. And 0>m honored by the trust which led you toselect me for this duty.D

=aion went down on one knee and bent his head once more, and Charrow gaBed down athim for a moment. Then he laid one scarred hand, blunt fingers still strong and calloused

from regular practice with sword, bow, and lance, upon the gleaming gold hair.?o then with my blessing,D he said, and with that of the ?od. "ay his hield go before

you.DThank you, ir Charrow,D =aion murmured. Charrow>s mouth Euirked in a small smile,

for there was a trace of impatience in the younger man>s voice now to mingle with hislingering irritation. Clearly, if he had to do this, he wanted to get it over with as soon as

possible.The master of the chapter considered pointing out that this was not precisely the correct

attitude for one being sent forth on the #ar ?od>s business, but then he thought better of it.

=aion>s attitude, after all, was one reason he>d selected the young knight3probationer for this

particular task, and so he settled for patting him on the shoulder and left.

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#hen he looked back from the doorway, =aion was back on his feet and gaBing oncemore into the mirror. The knight3captain shook his head with another smile. 0t was a wry

smile, and if the young man before the mirror had been even a little less involved with hisreflection, he might have felt a twinge of alarm at the sparkle of amusement in his superior>s

eyes.

At twenty3five, ir =aion of Almerhas, $aron :alla, fourth son of 'arl Truehelm of Almerhas and cousin to !uke aicha, oyal and 0mperial ?overnor of 7radonia, was a

handsome young man. :e was also a very large one Ghe stood si( inches over si( feet, with broad shouldersH, and as the son of a great noble and heir to a barony in his own right on his

mother>s side, he had begun his weapons training early. :e moved with the trained grace of awarrior, his muscles had much the same solidity as well3seasoned oak, long hours on the

training field had gilded his comple(ion with a bronBe which lingered even in midwinter, andthe deep green surcoat of the %rder of TomanMk set off his hair and flashing blue eyes

admirably.ir =aion was well aware of all those facts. 0ndeed, although it would have been

unbecoming to admit it, he knew he took a certain pride in them. As his father was fond of

pointing out, after all, one had a duty to one>s blood@and, of course, to the %rder@and presenting the proper appearance was part of discharging that duty. #hen one looked the part

of a knight of the %rder and spoke with the confidence of a gentleman, one>s words carried

additional weight even with one>s peers and impressed lesser folk into obeying one without bothersome argument.

0n moments of honesty, ir =aion was prepared to admit that his pride in his birth andappearance stemmed from more than a simple awareness of how they served him in the

performance of his duties. To be sure, the administration of ustice was the primary purposeof the %rder, and it was clear to =aion that an imposing presence and the udicious use of his

aristocratic titles would . . . encourage others to defer to him when he stepped in to settledisputes. :e couldn>t change who he was, anyway, so why shouldn>t he embrace his identity

and use it to the %rder>s benefitIet as he listened to the door close behind him and used the mirror to check his grooming

one last time, =aion knew ir Charrow disagreed with him. The knight3captain consideredhis firm sense of who he had been born to be a flaw, though =aion had never been able to see

why. %r, at least, to see that it detracted in any way from the performance of his duties. -ot

even ir Charrow could fault his passion for truth and usticeK indeed, the master was more

likely to suggest in his gentle way that =aion might want to temper his Euest for ustice witha bit more compassion. -or could he fault =aion as a warrior, for it was a simple fact that no

one had ever bested him@in training or actual battle@since his seventeenth birthday. #hichwas only to be e(pected in an Almerhas of Almerhas, of course. And in one who had known

almost from the day he learned to walk that he was destined to be a knight of the war god.et the master seemed to have reservations even there, as if he thought =aion>s confidence

in his abilities constituted some sort of overweening pride, even arrogance. $ut how couldsimply admitting the truth of one>s own capability be arrogance And it wasn>t as if =aion

thought that he alone deserved all the credit for his prowess. :e knew how much he owed hisinstructors for his superlative training, and he was well aware of how fortunate he was in

terms of the siBe and native strength with which TomanMk had blessed him. 0ndeed, thatawareness of the favor the word of 6ight had shown him was one of the reasons he longed

to administer ustice among the little people of %rfressa, which was why he was often baffled

by the master>s concern when all he sought was to be worthy of the trust TomanMk had

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chosen to repose in him.#hen ir Charrow spoke, =aion always listened, of course. 0t was his duty as a knight3

probationer, and no Almerhas of Almerhas ever failed in his duty. et closely as he listenedand hard as he pondered the master>s words, he could not convince himself ir Charrow was

right. Oustice was ustice, truth was truth, and skill at arms was skill at arms. To deny or

compromise any of them was to undercut all the %rder stood for.

And as far as his birth was concerned, =aion had never claimed precedence over any other member of the %rder, however low born those others might be. 0ndeed, he took a certain

pride in the fact that he never had. ;nlike many other chivalric orders, the %rder of TomanMk stood open to all, and fitness for membership was udged solely on the applicant>s merits. 0t

was, perhaps, regrettable that such a policy allowed the occasional lowborn embarrassmententry, but it also meant that only the most Eualified warriors from the ranks of the gently born

were admitted, as well. And however common some of his brother knights might be, =aionknew their hearts were in the right place, else they had never been admitted in the first place,

which made up for a great deal. $esides, the better born and more sophisticated members of the %rder@like, for e(ample, ir =aion of Almerhas@could normally cover their occasional

public gaffes, and =aion defied anyone to name one time when he had treated any of them

with less than true courtesy.And so far as those who were not one>s brothers were concerned, neither TomanMk>s Code

nor any law or rule of the %rder specifically reEuired one to actually sociali!e with inferiors

so long as one saw to it that they received ustice. till, he couldn>t escape the notion that ir Charrow felt he should be more . . . more@

=aion couldn>t lay his mental grip on the e(act word to describe what ir Charrow wantedof him, but he knew it was there. The knight3captain didn>t lecture him@that wasn>t the way

of the %rder@but there had been enough elliptical references to the character traits of a trueknight to leave =aion with no doubt that ir Charrow was unconvinced he possessed them all

in proper proportion. "ore, =aion remained only a knight3probationer after almost three fullyears. :e knew his failure to advance beyond that status had nothing to do with his prowess,

which could only mean ir Charrow had delayed his promotion for other reasons, and =aionhad noted Gthough no proper knight could admit he hadH that the master had a tendency to

single him out for particularly onerous duties from time to time. -ot dangerous ones, andcertainly not ones to which a knight of the %rder could obect, yet subtly . . . demeaningI -o,

that wasn>t the word either. 0t was as if . . . as if ir Charrow hoped that by burdening him

with tasks better fitted to the more humbly born he could force =aion into some sort of

insight.0f that was, indeed, the master>s purpose, =aion had no intention of obecting, for ir

Charrow was his superior in the %rder. :e was also one of the noblest, and certainly one of the holiest, men =aion had ever met, and the younger knight did not even blame the knight3

captain for his own lack of promotion. :e might not agree with it, but decisions onadvancement were properly made by the master of a chapter, and it was the mark of a true

gentleman to accept the decisions of those placed in authority over him whether he agreedwith those decisions or not. And if ir Charrow wished =aion to learn some lesson or attain

some insight which had so far eluded him, then the younger knight was earnestly willing to be instructed by him. That, too, was one of the traits of a man of noble birth, and hence, by

definition, of an Almerhas of Almerhas.;nfortunately, he had yet to obtain so much as a glimpse of whatever ir Charrow

intended him to learn, and there were times when he found the knight3captain>s notion of his

proper duties more obectionable than others. 6ike now. -ot that there was anything ignoble

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about this task, but the morning was little more than an hour old, and si( inches of fresh snowhad fallen overnight. A knight must be hardy and inured to discomfort, yet there were very

few places ir =aion of Almerhas would rather be on a morning like this than buried in anice, warm nest of blankets. Certainly the last place he wanted to be was down at dockside,

and in the full regalia of the %rder to boot.

:e gave the set of his surcoat one last, finicky twitch of adustment and grimaced as he

listened to winter wind moan ust beyond the stout front door. :is silvered chain hauberk Gagift from his father when he earned his probationary knighthoodH glittered brightly, and the

gems studding his white sword belt Ga gift from his mother on the same occasionH sparkled,yet he suspected he was fiddling with his appearance at least in part to delay the moment he

had to step outdoors. The deep green surcoat, woven of the finest silk, emphasiBed thesplendor of his accouterments . . . but it wasn>t very thick. Oust this once, =aion thought

longingly of the plainer, cheaper surcoats the %rder provided for those knights who lackedhis own family>s private resources. They were far more plebeian@rather drab, in fact, with

minimal embroidery in barely adeEuate colors@but there was no denying that they werewarmer.

&erhaps so, he told himself, but a nobleman must hold to a higher standard, especially on

important occasions. And if his surcoat was thinner than he might have wished, at least hehad the arming doublet under his hauberk and the otter3trimmed cloak his mother>s ladies had

sewn for him. %f course, once the wind moaning outside the chapter house had a chance to

sink its teeth into the steel links of his mail they would nip right through his arming doublet, but@

:e shook his head and scolded himself for thinking about such things at a time like this.:owever much the weaknesses of the flesh might make him long to avoid e(posing himself

to the chill@and this early, to bootF@the task he had been assigned was a great honor for aknight3probationer, and =aion drew another deep breath, swept his cloak over his shoulders,

picked up his gloves, and headed for the door.

'vark &itchallow laid his schooner alongside the pier with a master>s touch. Wind Dancer ghosted in under a single ib, then kissed the fenders guarding her hull from the pilings like a

lover, and a doBen longshoremen caught the lines her crew threw ashore. Thicker hawsersfollowed, and it took no more than a handful of minutes to wrap them around the mooring

bollards and lower a plank from the pier. 0t angled steeply downward, for the schooner>s deck

was much lower than the edge of the wharf, but heavy cross battens promised plenty of

traction for those who had to use it.'vark spent a few more minutes making certain Wind Dancer was properly snugged down,

then tucked his thumbs in his belt and marched over to where his passengers stood in thewaist of the ship with their meager belongings at their feet. :e paused in front of them,

rocking back on his heels to regard them properly, and $ahBell smiled down at him.#ell, 0>ve seldom seen a scruffier pair,D the halfling allowed after a moment, and

$ahBell>s smile grew broader. Aye, all very well to stand there with a witless grin, fishbaitF$ut this is the big city, not some ratty little town in the back of beyond, and the $elhadan

?uard>s not e(actly known for viewing vagrants with affection. 0f you want my advice, you>lllie up somewhere out of sight and see about at least getting yourselves some clothes that pass

muster.D J=agrants> is it, nowID $ahBell laid a hand on his massive chest, and his fo(like ears

flattened in deection. ou>re not after being one to smother a man with flattery, are you

nowID

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:aF Calling you two that probably insults real vagrantsFD 'vark snorted, and there wasmore than a little truth to his words.

$ahBell>s gear had been passable enough when he fled the $loody word city of -avahk, but since then he>d covered the full length of -orfressa, north to south, on foot, through a

particularly rainy autumn and the onset of winter. :aving the Assassins ?uild and the

adherents of at least two !ark ?ods competing to kill him had added a bit more wear and tear

to his eEuipment. The rents various swords, daggers, and demon claws had left in his cloak had been mended competently enough, but the repairs would never win any priBes for

neatness, and his boots had been beyond salvation weeks ago. :is armor had seen better days, as well. There were gaps in his scale shirt>s overlapping steel plates, and despite his

best efforts, the survivors wore a faint patina of rust.et grubby as $ahBell was, $randark was almost worse. 7or one thing, he lacked the

towering inches which lent his companion a certain imposing presence regardless of what hewore. 0ndeed, having $ahBell for a friend actually made $randark look even scruffier. The

$loody word was taller than most humans, with far broader shoulders, yet no one reallyrealiBed that when he stood ne(t to $ahBell, for his head didn>t even top the :orse tealer>s

shoulder.

$ut shorter stature was only a part of what made him look so tattered. :e>d lost a bigger share of his personal gear during the last wild, scrambling stage of their ourney than $ahBell

had, and what he had left had once been more splendid than anything his friend would ever

have worn. #hich meant, of course, that the damage it had suffered was even more apparent.And the right ear tip and the two fingers of his left hand which he>d lost along the way only

made him look even more battered and bedamned.0n short, 'vark &itchallow could scarcely imagine a pair who looked less like prosperous,

gainfully employed souls, and that didn>t even consider the fact that they were hradani@adetail which was hardly likely to escape the observation of the first guardsman they

encountered.0 mean it, lads,D he said in a Euieter, far more serious tone, and erked his head at the

longshoremen already peering curiously at them from the safety of the dock. There>s thosein $elhadan of the opinion that the only good hradani>s one who>s had a foot or so of steel

shoved through his throat, and there>s no reason in looking any more like their notion of brigands than you have to. ou>d be wiser to bide aboard while 0 have a word with a tailor 0

know.D :e paused, regarding them shrewdly, then went on slowly. 0f it>s that you>re short of

money, 0 could@D

6isten to the man,D $ahBell said, shaking his head with yet another smile, and looked at$randark. #ere you ever hearing a kinder offerI And here he>s been to such lengths to make

folk think he>s a ball of old pitch where others keep a heartF 0t>s enough to make a man comeall over teary3eyed.D

'vark glowered up at him, and the :orse tealer laughed softly in a cloud of vapor andreached down to rest a hand on his shoulder.

Oesting aside, it>s grateful 0 am for the offer, 'vark,D he said, and 0>m thinking you>ve probably a point or three, as well. $ut we>ve no lack of funds@D he gave the fat belt purse

which had once belonged to a &urple 6ord landlord a ingling shake @and we>ll not bewandering about $elhadan all unescorted.D

ou won>tID 'vark sounded surprised.#e won>tID $randark echoed, and raised an eyebrow at his towering friend. That>s nice

to know. Ah, ust when were you planning to tell me we wouldn>t beI And while 0>m thinking

about it, how in 7iendark>s name d> you know we won>tID

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0 wasn>t after telling you sooner because himself only got around to telling me on the wayinto the harbor,D $ahBell said reasonably, and $randark and 'vark closed their mouths with

perfectly synchroniBed snaps. :e gave a deep, rumbling chuckle at their reaction, and$randark shook himself.

0 don>t recall seeing any deities standing around the deck,D he remarked mildly, and

$ahBell shrugged.

0f he>d been minded to show himself he>d have been bringing along a chorus of trumpetsand appearing in a flash of light, 0>m sure,D he e(plained kindly. ?iven as he didn>t do

either, why, the only thing 0 can think of is that he wasn>t all that wishful to be seen.D%h, thank you for e(plainingFD $randark replied, and this time 'vark oined $ahBell>s

laughter. $randark let them chuckle for several seconds, then poked his friend in the chest.All right, 6ongshanks,D he said firmly. -ow stop laughing and e(plain ust what you

mean about not wandering around on our own.DThere>s no mystery in it, little man,D $ahBell replied. #e>re after being met, and unless

0>m much mistaken@D he raised his hand to point @that>s the lad looking for us now.D$randark followed the direction of $ahBell>s inde( finger, and both eyebrows rose as he

took in the apparition striding down the dock.

%thers were turning to look, as well. Actually, gawk was a better word, for seldom didsuch splendor grace the warehouse district of the $elhadan waterfront with its presence. The

handsome, golden3haired newcomer was taller than $randark, which made him very tall

indeed for a human, but despite broad, well3muscled shoulders Gonce again, for a humanH hewas almost slender compared to the powerfully built $loody word. :is silver3washed mail

glistened, the white sword belt that marked a knight of one of the chivalric orders wasstudded with faceted gems that flashed with eye3watering brilliance, as did those adorning the

scabbard of his sword, and his high, soft boots had been dyed the same forest green as hisfur3trimmed cloak and surcoat.

A surcoat which bore the crossed sword and mace of TomanMk in gold and silver thread.NorthralaFD 'vark muttered, pulling at his magnificent handlebar mustache while he

stared at the glittering vision. 0 could buy a whole new suit of sails out of what he>s wearingon his backFD

Aye, he is after being a mite . . . spectacular, isn>t he ustID $ahBell agreed with a wickedsmile.

!id you know what was comingID the halfling asked, unable to tear his eyes away.

-o, 0>m thinking himself was after deciding 0>d enoy the surprise,D $ahBell replied, and

$randark sighed.#onderful. 0 wish someone had thought to warn me about gods and their senses of

humor.D:ow>s thatID 'vark asked.

0 know all the legends and lays,D the $loody word said plaintively. 0>ve learned ustabout all the songs, read most of the chronicles, and studied everything 0 could get my hands

on about the 7all.DAndID 'vark prompted when he paused.

And not one of them warned me,D $randark complained. The halfling looked at him, andhe shrugged. %h, there>s plenty of warning that :irahim 6ightfoot enoys bad okes, but

that>s his "ob. According to the lore masters, TomanMk is supposed to be a serious, high33minded sort of god . . . not the kind of person who>d send that @D he waved at the

oncoming martial fashion plate @to meet us.D

AyeI #ell according to the tales, he>s not one to be having hradani champions, either,

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now is heID $ahBell demanded. $randark shook his head wryly, and $ahBell smacked him onthe shoulder. Then 0>m thinking that either your precious lore masters weren>t Euite the

Jmasters> they thought, or else there>s changes being made. 'ither road, 0>ve more than afeeling there>s a reason himself was after sending Jthat> to be meeting us.D

%h, 0>m sure of that,D $randark muttered. #hat 0>m not sure of is that it>s a reason 0>ll

like.D

P P P0t was even colder on the docks than =aion had feared. :e had the distinct impression his

nose was about to freeBe off, followed by other portions of his anatomy in order of e(posure, but he looked about with interest despite his discomfort.

:e>d never been a good sailor. The mere thought of a winter voyage could tie his stomachin knots, and he>d managed to avoid visiting the docks more than twice in the entire time

he>d been assigned to the %rder>s $elhadan chapter. Those two trips had been made in themiddle of summer, unfortunately, and in addition to its importance as a shipping hub,

$elhadan was home port to the largest fishing fleet in -orfressa, and his business had takenhim right to 7isherman>s #harf. The stench from the midsummer fishery sheds had turned

=aion a darker green than his surcoat, which was why he>d gone to such lengths to avoid

repeating the e(perience. 6uckily, today>s business took him to a different part of thewaterfront. 'ven better, the winter cold seemed to have froBen the stench out of the air, for

which he was devoutly grateful.

:e consulted the scrap of paper ir Charrow had handed him and nodded as he matchedthe numbers on it to those painted on the dockside pilings. :e>d been told to look for a

schooner Gwhatever a schoonerD wasH at $erth -ine at the &roduce &ier, and he shoved thenote into his belt pouch as $erth -ine came into sight. :e couldn>t see much of the ship

moored there@it appeared to be lower than the side of the pier@but it had only two mastsand seemed Euite small. :e felt a spurt of indignation that a champion of TomanMk should be

forced to travel aboard such a lowly vessel, but he stepped on it Euickly. A true knight wentwhere honor and his duty to the ?od took him, and a champion>s presence touched even the

least prepossessing ship with the shadow of TomanMk :imself.:e Euickened his pace, reassured by that thought, and sEuared his shoulders as the crowd

of roughly dressed longshoremen turned to stare admiringly at him. :e was accustomed tothat reaction, and he inclined his head at precisely the right angle@enough to acknowledge

their admiration but not enough to appear overly proud@as he headed for the gangplank.

?odsFD $randark muttered as the magnificent young man drew closer. !>you think TomanMk would be too upset if we dropped him in the harbor for a few minutesI 0>d pull him

back out@promiseFD#ill you ust listen at that, nowFD $ahBell replied. #hy, 0>m thinking he could be

teaching you a thing or two about dressing sharp, $randark my lad.D HimD $randark snorted. All this time together, and you still haven>t learned to

appreciate the elegance, the restrained style and cut, the carefully selected fabrics of mywardrobeID :is hand swept a graceful gesture at his tattered finery, and he shook his head

sadly. #nyone can sew fistfuls of ewels onto himself, you uncouth barbarian, but thatdoesn>t mean he has a sense of fashionF $esides, 0 won>t have to drop him in the harbor if

he>s not careful. 0f he pokes his nose an inch or two higher, he>s going to trip over his owntwo feet, go over the edge, and drown out of pure self3admiration.D

Ah, so that>s itF 0 was thinking 0>d heard a note of ealousy there,D $ahBell observed, and

grinned at his friend>s e(pression. $randark started to reply, then stopped as the newcomer

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walked to the edge of the pier and looked down at Wind Dancer with a puBBled air.

=aion looked out over the boat@no, he corrected himself, the schooner @in confusion. :eknew he>d come to the right berth, but there was no champion in sight, nor even any sign of

his proper entourage. een close up, the schooner was less pedestrian3looking than he>d

feared. 0n fact, it had a certain undeniable grace, a long, lean set of lines which looked

indefinably right somehow, but its crew appeared to consist entirely of halflings. #ell,halflings and two@

ir =aion of Almerhas froBe. :e>d never encountered a hradani in his life, for suchsavages were never seen among civili!ed folk, but he couldn>t mistake the mobile, fo(like

ears. %r, for that matter, the sheer siBe of the bigger one. The mountainous hradani wouldhave made at least two of any man =aion had ever seen@he must weigh four or five hundred

pounds, all of it bone and muscle@and a more evil3looking villain would have beenimpossible to imagine. :is cloak looked to have been looted from a dead brigand, his crudely

made scale mail had obviously been scrounged from the same source, and his boots and breeches were little better than rags. The hilt of a sword thrust up behind his raggedy cloak>s

left shoulder, and the sort of warrior>s braid favored by backward human frontiersmen blew

in the icy wind. The smaller hradani was ust as tattered looking, but beside his companion>shulking menace he looked almost civiliBed.

Ancient tales of the hradani rape of Nontovar and more recent stories of border warfare

and bloodshed here in -orfressa flashed through =aion>s mind, and he stared at the hradanias if he>d opened his closet and found it full of vipers. There was no sane reason for two

members of the most feared and reviled of all the aces of "an to suddenly appear in themiddle of $elhadan, but there they stood, gaBing up at him, and his hand dropped

instinctively to the hilt of his sword.:e started to draw, then made himself stop while he battled his confusion. :e was only a

knight3probationer, but it was the duty of any knight of TomanMk to defend the helplessagainst hradani and their like. :e got that far without difficulty. The problem was that no one

else on the pier seemed to realiBe they were in danger. 0n fact, they were gawking at him, notthe hradani, and as he stood there with si( inches of his sword out of its sheath, most of them

began to grin and one or two actually laughed aloud.:is ears might be half froBen, but they weren>t too cold for him to feel them burn as the

loutish bystanders chuckled at his e(pense, and he shoved his blade back home with a click,

kicking himself mentally for reacting without thought. The hradani were simply standing

there on the schooner>s deck, with two eEually travel3stained packs at their feet. They wereobviously passengers, not raiders sailing into $elhadan on the Euarterdeck of a hith3Niri

corsair, and however fearsome their kind might be as fighters, a single pair was hardlyenough to threaten one of the Ning 'mperor>s largest citiesF -o wonder no one else seemed

concerned. -o doubt the ?uard would keep a close eye on them@=aion would pass theword to the authorities himself after he guided the champion to the chapter house@but the

very thought of the champion reminded him that he had more important duties this morning,and he shook himself impatiently. :is lungs ached, protesting the cold as he drew a deep,

calming breath, and then he settled his cloak more neatly about his shoulders and stalkeddown the gangplank with icy dignity.

%r as close to icy dignity as he could come. The plank was much springier than he hadimagined, and he found himself doing an awkward hop3skip3and3stumble over its battens as it

fle(ed under his boots. "ore guffaws rose from the idlers on the dock, and =aion muttered a

few words ir Charrow would not have approved of as he felt his ears burn afresh. #hat he

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wanted to do was take the flat of his blade to the buffoons who dared laugh at him, but hisoath to the %rder, not to mention the Code of TomanMk , forbade any such thing. 0n an

intellectual way, =aion could agree with the restriction@it wasn>t as though anyone hadoffered him physical violence, after all@but his blood boiled and his teeth grated as he

forced himself to swallow the insult of their low3born hilarity.

:e made it to the schooner>s deck in one piece and managed to hide his relief as he felt

relatively stable footing underfoot once more. :e took another moment to settle himself and be sure he had control of his temper, then turned to the halfling he assumed was the ship>s

master. 0t was unfortunate that the halfling in Euestion was standing right beside the twohradani, for their pro(imity made it difficult for =aion to ignore them, but he managed.

'(cuse me for intruding,D he told the presumed captain, but 0 was told to meet a passenger on your vessel.D

ou were, were youID The halfling>s gruff, accented A(eman sounded harsh and uncouth beside =aion>s polished, aristocratic enunciation, and his short ivory horns gleamed against

his chestnut hair as he folded his arms and tilted his head back to gaBe up at the young knight.And who might you beID

=aion blinked, unaccustomed to so direct and challenging a Euery. :e started to reply with

the hauteur such impertinence deserved, but he stopped himself in time. The %rder of TomanMk taught respect for even the most humble, and those of gentle blood bore a special

responsibility to avoid treading upon those who didn>t realiBe they were being insolent.

0 am ir =aion of Almerhas, son of Truehelm of Almerhas, Nnight3&robationer of the%rder of TomanMk and $aron of :alla,D he said, infusing all the dignity of his ancestry into

his tenor voice. And you are, sirID-othing so special as all that,D the halfling replied, then snorted. 'vark of "arfang,

master of this ship,D he said brusEuely.0 am honored to make your acEuaintance, Captain,D =aion said with a gracious bow.

Charmed myself, 0>m sure,D 'vark said dryly as =aion straightened. -ow, what wereyou saying brings you aboard Wind Dancer ID

The knight drew himself to his full height once more and rested one hand regally on thehilt of his sword.

0>ve come on the business of the %rder of TomanMk ,D he said. 0 was sent to meet one of your passengers.D

And which one would that beID

0 wasn>t given his name, Captain. 0 was simply told that you would have a champion of

the %rder on board and instructed to guide him to our chapter house.D%hF 0t>s a champion of $oman%k you>re looking for, is itID =aion nodded, raising his

eyebrows encouragingly as the halfling finally grasped the reason for his presence. #ell,why didn>t you say soID 'vark went on. That>s him there,D he e(plained, and waved at the

bigger of the two barbarians standing beside him. The tall one,D he added helpfully.=aion felt his aw drop, and then bright spots of anger blaBed on his froBen cheeks. $lue

eyes flashed dangerously as the halfling mocked him, and the bystanders> howls of laughter only made it worse. :is gloved hand clenched on the hilt of his sword, and he took a half step

forward, opening his mouth to lash out angrily. $ut before he got the first word said, another voice spoke.

?ently, my lad,D it rumbled, and =aion paused. 0t was deeper and more powerful thanany voice he>d ever before heard, and amusement flickered in its depths. Amusement at him,

he realiBed with a raw burst of fury, and spun towards its owner.

=aion of Almerhas was accustomed to looking even the tallest human in the eye, but he

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felt the strain in the back of his neck as he glared up at the hradani. :e e(pected to see amocking e(pression, but the brown eyes that met his were almost gentle@twinkling with

amusement, yes, but oddly sympathetic. #hich only made it worse, of course. $ad enough to be mocked by a halfling without having some unwashed barbarian sympathi!e with him for

being made the butt of someone else>s bad okeF

0 beg your pardonID he got out through gritted teeth. #ere you addressing meID

Aye, 0 do believe 0 was,D the hradani agreed in that rustically3accented subterranean bass.#hen 0 reEuire your advice, sir , 0 will inform youFD =aion said with freeBing hauteur.

-o doubt,D the hradani replied easily. $ut the problem with that, 0>m thinking, is thatmost often by the time a man>s reali!ed he>s after needing advice, he>s past the time when it

might have been doing him some good.D =aion>s teeth ground audibly, but the hradani wenton calmly.

Take this very moment, for e(ample,D he suggested. There you stand, thinking as how'vark here is after making light of you, when he>s done naught at all, at all, but answer your

Euestions. 0t>s best you be thinking over the answers before you>ve the doing of somethingyou>ll not be so happy about after.D

=aion>s nostrils flared and white3hot fury pulsed in his veins. et much as he hated

admitting it, the hradani had a point. -o doubt he thought it was amusing to mock a knight of the %rder, but his very mockery had reminded =aion of who and what he was. :e had a

responsibility to protect the %rder>s honor from public insult and ridicule, but much as he

longed to punish 'vark>s insolent e(cuse for a sense of humor, thrashing someone as muchsmaller than he as a halfling, however badly he deserved it, was hardly the act of a true

knight.0 shall take your advice under consideration,D he told the hradani after two or three

incandescent seconds, but his eyes were back on the halfling. 0n the meantime, however, 0would advise you to direct me to the person 0>m here to meetFD he said coldly.

The halfling only shook his head with a curious mi(ture of amusement, derision, andsympathy, then looked up at the hradani.

0>ve my ship to look after,D he said, and this un>s one of cale3$alancer>s lot, gods helpus all. &ou deal with it.D Then he turned and stalked off, leaving a stupefied =aion staring at

his back.0@ :ow dare@ Come back hereFD he spluttered, and started to charge off in pursuit. $ut

a huge hand closed on his mailed shoulder, stopping him, and he felt himself being turned as

easily as if he were a child.

:e found himself staring up at the hradani once more and reached for the hand whichgripped him. That hand>s wrist was as broad as his own biceps, and a strange little shiver of

disbelief went through him as he realiBed how powerful it truly was, but his eyes flamed.?ently, nowFD the hradani said, and his voice was sharper than before, edged with

command. 0 told you to be thinking over 'vark>s answers, ir =aion of Almerhas, and youshould have done it.D

#hat d>you@ID =aion began, and the hradani shook his head.0>m thinking 0>ve begun to see why himself wasn>t after warning you, my lad,D he said.

ou>ve a way of going at things without thinking at all, at all, don>t you ustID =aionopened his mouth again, but the hradani gave him a gentle shake.

top now, and take it slow,D he advised. 0>ve no doubt the notion comes as a shock, butold 'vark told you true, you see.D

Told me@ID =aion froBe, and the hradani nodded.

Aye,D he said almost compassionately. 0t>s sorry 0 am to be telling you this, =aion of

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Almerhas, but my name is $ahBell, son of $ahnak, 6ord of Clan 0ron A(e of the :orsetealer hradani and &rince of :urgrum, and it>s me you>re after meeting.D

3 you're a3a cham@ID =aion couldn>t force the words out of his mouth as he stared inhorrified disbelief, all color draining out of his face, and the enormous hradani nodded gently.

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C:A&T' T#%

0t couldn>t be true. =aion knew it couldn>t, yet something in the hradani>s eyes, something in

the timbre of his voice, whispered otherwise. $ut that had to be =aion>s imagination.

TomanMk had no hradani champions. The very idea was . . . was . . . 0t was blasphemous, thatwas what it wasF

:e started to stay so, then stopped and fought to think his way through the impossibility.

As a knight of the %rder, he was honor bound to challenge any who falsely claimedmembership in it, and the thought of matching himself against the hradani didn>t worry him

particularly, despite the other>s siBe. :e worked out daily with the $elhadan chapter>s besttrainers, even in midwinterK none had ever bested him, and big as the hradani was, he had to

be slow, especially with any weapon as ponderous as the two3handed sword he wore acrosshis back. $ut =aion couldn>t issue challenge without proof the other had lied, and until he

had that proof, his own honor reEuired him to treat the hradani with the same courtesy hewould show an honest man.

7orgive me, sir,D he said finally, but since the master of my chapter house was unable to

give me either the name or the description of the one 0 was sent to meet, 0 must seek some proof of identity.D

:e was rather pleased by how close to normally that had come out, but the hradani>s

unflustered nod puBBled him. There was no defensiveness in it, and he held his empty right

hand out in front of him. =aion felt his eyebrows rise in confusion as the other fle(ed his

fingers, and then that earthEuake voice uttered a single word.(ome,D it said Euietly, almost coa(ingly, and =aion of Almerhas umped straight

backward in astonishment as five feet of burnished steel leapt into e(istence. %ne instant thehradani>s hand was emptyK the ne(t the sword which had been on his back was in his grip,

flashing with raBor3edged wickedness in the morning light.=aion>s backwards stumble ended with him half3crouched, eyes huge while a panic no

opponent had ever waked pulsed within him. $ut the hradani only looked at him with thosesame compassionate eyes and lowered his blade until its tip touched the deck before him,

then turned it so =aion could see it clearly. The knight Euivered, still lingering on the edge of that totally une(pected panic, but then he sucked in air and forced himself back under

control. :e was a knight of the %rder of TomanMk , and whatever else he might be, he was nocoward. And so he ree(erted his self3mastery and looked at the sword, then leaned abruptly

forward, blue eyes wide once more as he stared at the crossed mace and sword etched deep

into the blade below the Euillons.

A profound silence stretched out. =aion had never actually seen a word of TomanMk .

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uch a blade was the ultimate emblem of the %rder, a weapon only the mightiest of champions might bear and the symbol of the obedience every member of the %rder owed to

its bearer. 'ven among champions such blades were vanishingly rare, for they came onlyfrom the hands of TomanMk :imself, and :e bestowed them only upon those who had proven

themselves worthy to stand at :is own side in battle. $ut rare though they might be, every

servant of the %rder, down to the rawest sEuire, knew each was imbued with its own special

powers, and what the hradani had ust done combined with the burnished, unmarred andunmarrable perfection of the sword>s blade and those perfectly formed emblems of TomanMk

to tell =aion e)actly what he looked upon.7or an instant, he looked whiter than the snow behind him, despite his weathered

comple(ion, but then the color came back in a scalding flood of scarlet. 0t was stillimpossible. :is emotions insisted that this hradani couldn>t possibly be a champion of

TomanMk . et his intellect knew better . . . and that he>d made a colossal fool of himself intothe bargain.

:e forced himself to straighten and cleared his throat, gloved hand still locked on the hiltof his own sword. 0t was remotely possible that the blade he>d been shown was a wiBard3

wrought forgery, but ir Charrow would be the best udge of that. 7or now, his own duty was

clear, and he made himself look the hradani sEuarely in the eye.&ray pardon me for Euestioning your identity . . . ir $ahBell,D he got out.

As to that, 0>ve no doubt 0>d be a mite surprised in your boots my own self,D $ahBell

replied. #hich, come to think, is the reason himself was after giving me this sword. :e said 0>d have need of proof.D :is sudden grin showed sEuare, white teeth that looked strong

enough to bite Wind Dancer >s hawsers in half. And 0>ve no need for Jsirs,> my lad. Oust plain$ahBell will be serving well enough for the likes of me.D

$ut@D =aion began, then chopped himself off and managed a nod. As you will, @ $ahBell. As 0>ve said, ir Charrow "alahkai, Nnight3Captain and "aster of the $elhadan

Chapter of the %rder of TomanMk and Constable of 7radonia in the Ning3'mperor>s name,sends greeting through me and begs you to accompany me to the chapter house that he and

your brothers of the word may greet you properly and welcome you to their fellowship.D:e knew there was a sour edge to his voice, hard though he tried to keep it out, and

$ahBell cocked his head, twitching his ears thoughtfully back and forth as he gaBed down athim. A handful of seconds trickled past, and then the :orse tealer reached back over his

shoulder to sheath his sword and nodded agreeably.

That>s after being the friendliest welcome 0>ve had this whole trip,D he observed, with ust

enough irony to make =aion flush anew, and it>s happy 0>ll be to accept it. Assuming, of course, that it>s meant to include my friend here,D he added, indicating $randark with a flick

of his ears.=aion hesitated in fresh consternation. $ad enough to invite a hradani who might be a

champion into the chapter house without inviting one who most certainly was not. $utassuming that this $ahBell was who and what he claimed, he had the right to e(tend guest

right to anyone he chose . . . and there was that sword. . . .%f course,D =aion said with a sigh he couldn>t Euite hide. #ill you have your baggage

sent after you to the chapter houseID0>m not after being so feeble as all that ust yet,D $ahBell said genially. :e hung a leather

rucksack over one shoulder, picked up the steel3bowed arbalest which had lain beside it onthe deck, and beamed at his guide while $randark gathered up his own pack. #e>ll ust be

taking it with us as we go,D he told =aion. The knight3probationer started to make another

comment, then hesitated and visibly changed his mind.

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0f you and your . . . companion will follow me, then,D he said instead, and led the way back up the springy gangplank. $ahBell and $randark paused only to e(change farewells with

Wind Dancer >s grinning crew, then followed docilely in his wake.

-either hradani spoke as =aion led them through $elhadan>s streets, and he was ust as

glad. 0t freed him to think, which was in many ways a mi(ed blessing, but at least it also gave

him a chance to consider the conclusions which his brain persisted in drawing however muchhe would have preferred not to.

0t was certainly possible ir Charrow had known no more about this champion>sD identitythan =aion had, but =aion didn>t believe it for a moment. 'specially in light of the master>s

freEuent, gentle admonitions on the perils of pride in self, his selection of a guide back to thechapter house was too pointed to be coincidental, and =aion clamped his aw tight on

resentment as he reflected upon that unpalatable fact.:e longed to cling to the belief that ust plain $ahBellD was, in fact, an impostor, but he

knew better, and it was no part of a gentleman>s conduct to lie to himself. et admitting thatknowledge to himself didn>t make things any better. Champions were chosen directly by the

?od :imself. They were :is true words, the e(alted few who bore the full brunt of battle

against the !ark ?ods in the 6ight>s name, and there were probably fewer than twenty of them in all -orfressa at any given moment. :ow could TomanMk have wasted such honor as

that upon an ignorant, bloodthirsty, barbarian hradani

:is soul cried out in protest at the very thought, yet even as it did, another part of himwrithed in self3contempt. :e had no right to dispute the choices of the god he served. #orse,

the part of him ir Charrow had worked so hard to reach@the tiny, buried part which hadheard the summons of the ?od of Oustice even through the pride of :ouse Almerhas@knew

protest was stupid. That the %rder itself taught that neither birth nor blood nor family made atrue knight. That the only cause which truly counted was the cause of ustice, the only true

treasure was the treasure of truth, and the heart of a true knight>s strength must come fromwithin. And if all those things were true of the knights of the %rder, how much more must

they be true for the ?od>s own championsIThat small, inner voice would give =aion no peace as it whispered in the back of his brain,

castigating him for his own blindness. et it was only a whisper, and youth and pride muffledit. :e truly tried to work through his confusion and lay hands on understanding, but his own

strength and stubborn will were turned against him in the struggle, and resentment and

confusion boiled ust beneath the false surface of courtesy his childhood training still

presented to the world.

$randark glanced at their guide>s pike3straight back, then looked at $ahBell and rolled hiseyes, flattening his ears for emphasis. :is wicked e(pression warned the :orse tealer that

he>d ust thought of a way to twit =aion, and a part of $ahBell wanted to sit back and watchit happen. $ut only a part, and $randark shrugged when he shook his head Euellingly. The

$loody word flipped his left hand in a small gesture, resigning responsibility for whatever happened, and turned his bright3eyed attention to the city about them, instead.

0t was worth looking at, for if the &urple 6ords> $ortalik was Eueen of the southern coast,$elhadan ruled the far north . . . and she was a more impressive monarch. #orse still, from

the &urple 6ords> perspective, she was only the second city of the 'mpire, as outclassed bythe royal and imperial capital at A(e :allow as she outclassed $ortalik.

The &urple 6ords> festering resentment for the 'mpire and all its works was probably

inevitable. $oth the 'mpire>s wealth and the ingenuity of its artisans and craftsmen mocked

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their efforts to imitate its achievements, and they hated it for that. 0t was bad enough to beovershadowed by anyone, but what truly stuck in the &urple 6ords> craws was to find

themselves so outclassed, and with such apparent lack of effort, by the mongreliBedDA(emen. 0t was a fundamental article of faith for any &urple 6ord that his half3elvish blood

made him superior to all of the other aces of "an. After all, his people>s elvish heritage

meant they lived as much as four hundred years, while the pragmatism of their human blood

kept them focused in the real, everyday world as no dreamy elf lord could ever be. To besure, they were less fertile than humans or dwarves, but Euantity was no match for Euality.

'ven dwarves were fortunate to live more than two and a half centuries, and if &urple 6ords bore few children, their city3states boasted more than sufficient human peasants and serfs to

serve their needs. 7rom their viewpoint, their cultural and racial superiority were obvious,and they went to enormous lengths to maintain the purity of both. All of which made their

persistent failure to match the 'mpire>s achievements far worse than merely infuriating, for A(emen embraced precisely the opposite attitude. #orse, they regarded the &urple 6ords>

unceasing efforts to wrest away the 'mpire>s undeserved preeminence as a source of amusement , not a threat.

-ot that anything better could have been e(pected from them, for the 'mpire of the A(e

had grown out of the even more ancient Ningdom of the A(e, and the Ningdom of the A(ehad been the land to which three Euarters of the refugees from the 7all of Nontovar had

come. The traditional insularity which most of the aces of "an had practiced in Nontovar@

and which had reemerged in many of -orfressa>s younger kingdoms@had crumbled in theNingdom of the A(e. 0t was difficult to see how anything else could have happened, given the

desperate straits to which the 7all>s survivors had been reduced, but the :ouse of Normak had taken pains to nurture what necessity had created over the centuries which followed.

As a race, dwarves were probably the finest engineers ever born@certainly their peopletook the deepest pleasure in working with earth and stone and iron, for it was in their blood.

:istorically, however, they had always been the most insular of the aces of "an, tending tokeep themselves Gand their secretsH to themselves. 7ew among them had truly valued@or

even understood@the elves> soul3deep love for the beauty of poetry, art, and music or humans> restless energy and hunger for e(perimentation and change. $ut the fusion of

peoples which had created the 'mpire of the A(e had made dwarf, elf, and human partners asnever before, bringing all those Eualities together in the mongreliBationD the &urple 6ords so

despised . . . and had never been able to eEual.

And however contemptible the &urple 6ords found the 'mpire>s half3breed pedigree, the

fruit of the A(emen>s labors were obvious to $ahBell and $randark as they gaBed out over $elhadan on a cold winter>s day. The deep bay which served the city was smaller than

$ortalik $ay, but it was vast enough. There was room and to spare for twice a hundred shipson its sun3streaked, wave3wrinkled cobalt, and the city spread up the sheer mountains above

it like some enormous flower petaled with steep3pitched roofs of slate and tile. 0t showed theunmistakable impress of dwarvish engineers, and not ust in the massive breakwaters which

oined the islands off the bay>s mouth to protect its moorings even in the wildest weather, yethuman and elvish influence was eEually obvious.

-o other race understood stone as dwarves did, and $elhadan was unEuestionably thework of their hands. $ut dwarves had always favored straight lines and soaring heights fused

with functionality, and their love of stone had never blunted their urge to master it and makeit conform to their desires. 0n many ways, they were at least as intractable as their beloved

rock and iron, and their solution to a problem was generally to tackle it head3on. 0f a hillside

or mountain blocked the path of a roadway, a dwarvish engineer went straight through the

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obstacle. :e was Euite capable of going around it, insteadK it was simply that the idea of detouring would never enter his head unless someone else put it there.

Clearly, someone had done ust that for $elhadan>s architects, for the city was intimatelyentwined with the mountains in which it had been planted. ather than subdue those

mountains, it embraced them and followed their contours with streets and small, intimate

plaBas, brick3paved sEuares and terraced courts. $ut it also shaped those contours, utiliBing

them with a subtle efficiency which allowed them to be themselves yet bent them to theservice of $elhadan>s citiBens, as if a normalD city had been divided into portions and

inserted with loving care into mountains untouched by mortal hands. -atural cliffs and steepslopes furred with evergreens loomed above broad sEuares and avenues designed for

commerce, trade, and places of government. atellites of homes and shops swept up thoseslopes, like surf spouting up through fissures and flues, while residential avenues trickled

down to meet the wide roadways reEuired by freight wagons and merchant caravans.egularly placed street lamps@not the torches most cities $ahBell had seen used for street

lighting Gif they used any at allH but big, sEuare lanterns on green3painted pillars@stood likesentries, oined by waist3high chains which separated the streets from wide, flagged

sidewalks, and the thought of how they must look from a distance at night as they traced the

arteries of the city through the darkness like ilendros> own stars touched $ahBell with awondering awe. And under the surface, tunnels and galleries sliced through those same cliffs,

burrowing deep into their foundations to provide streets, taverns, warehouses, ropeworks,

ship chandlers, and a hundred different kinds of businesses@all carved deep into living rock without disturbing the mountains> rough3spined beauty.

-or had $elhadan>s builders neglected its defense. #alls as mighty as those the &urple6ords had raised to protect $ortalik reared behind the busy wharves and docksK the huge

oyal and 0mperial naval base, enclosed within its own wallsK and the winter3idled shipyards.A raiding fleet might ravage the docks, if it could strike with numbers enough, but no

seaborne force could breach those walls so long as the defenders had strength to man them,and the landward fortifications were even more imposing. The impress of dwarvish engineers

was most obvious there, for military considerations had been foremost in their design. et inan odd way, the harsh, uncompromising lines of wall and tower only emphasiBed the love

with which $elhadan had been fitted into its surroundings. 'ntire slopes had been Euarriedaway into man3made cliffs, many pierced with the slits of tunneled archers> galleries. Their

bare stone rose to the walls and towers which crowned them, impregnable, and yet less like

fortification against outside foes than like dikes, holding in the greenery and life of the city.

$ahBell and $randark had seen wonders few of their kindred could have imagined in themonths since they>d fled -avahk. They>d passed through 'sgfalas, !erm, even fabled

aramfel, where elven lords who remembered the 7all itself ruled, yet $elhadan touchedthem as none of those other cities had. 0t was larger than any of them, older than !erm yet far

younger than aramfel, and it had a strength@a sense of itself and a bright, confident vitality @wholly and uniEuely its own. They felt it singing in the ice3cold air as they followed =aion

through the rousing bustle of morning streets, the early cries of vendors, the laughter of apprentices sweeping and shoveling the night>s snow from streets and walks. 0t took all their

self3discipline not to gawk like the yokels ir =aion obviously considered them, yet a part of them pitied the people about them, for $elhadan>s citiBens were too close to the wonder the

hradani perceived so clearly to recogniBe how remarkable their city truly was. This was their home. They took it@and themselves@for granted as they got on with their lives, and perhaps

only barbarians who knew from grim e(perience how thin a line stood between peaceful

prosperity and ruin could truly appreciate the wondrous thing which had been created here.

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$ahBell shook his head as the wish that his father could see this slid through his thoughts.&rince $ahnak would have grasped the wonder of a people so secure in the safety of their city

that it never even occurred to them to think about it. :e might not have fully understoodsomething so foreign to his own e(perience, yet it was the end towards which he worked, the

reason he had imposed his will on the other clans of the :orse tealers. %h, $ahBell knew his

father too well to see him as a saint, and he knew how much &rince $ahnak enoyed the

game, how he relished the conflict and competition of building an empire where there had been only anarchy. et he also knew there were depths within $ahnak, hopes his father might

never have fully defined even for himself, and he recogniBed the millennium3old heart3hunger of his people for the chance to be like the people bustling through $elhadan>s streets,

clapping their hands together against the chill, huddling into coats and cloaks for warmth,hurrying about their business and eddying aside as they suddenly recogniBed the hradani in

their midst and gave them a wide berth.7or the chance, $ahBell realiBed, simply to be, and to let others be, without warlords and

the constant need to watch and ward. That was what his father wanted to bring to the northernhradani, whether or not he>d ever put it into so many words, and $ahBell felt suddenly

humbled and ashamed for all the years in which he hadn>t understood. $ut he understood

now, and in understanding that, he also understood why the !ark ?ods opposed $ahnak. The!ark fed on suffering and despair, for it was those who saw no other hope of saving

themselves or those they loved who turned their backs upon the 6ight. 0t was those conscious

only of their helplessness who would make any bargain with anyone who promised themstrength, and who could blame them if they didI

That was why the !ark ?ods hated $ahnak2 because he would take that sense of helplessness, that despair, from his people if he succeeded in his efforts.

0t was odd, $ahBell reflected, to see it all so clearly three hundred leagues from homeamong the people of a city who regarded all hradani as blood3drinking barbarians, but

perhaps he>d had to come here to see it. &erhaps it was only the combination of all he>d seenand e(perienced since leaving -avahk which made the vision so clear. $ut none of that truly

mattered. #hat mattered was that he had seen it and, in the seeing, understood yet another reason TomanMk %rfro had chosen a hradani champion at last.

AhF $here you are, &rince $ahBellFD

The ill3assorted trio had ust turned up the steep slope still called Tannery :ill Galthough

the city fathers had banished all tanneries and their stench from $elhadan proper to share

Euarters with the fishery sheds decades agoH when someone called to them. 0t took =aion amoment to realiBe the voice was addressed to them, for they were halfway to the chapter

house and his mind had been busy with how he was going to e(plain two hradani to the door wardens, but then he stopped and turned to see the speaker . . . only to blink in fresh

astonishment.The man striding briskly towards them wore a knee3length coat. That wasn>t uncommon in

$elhadan, where most people preferred such garments for winter wear. They were lessfashionable than cloaks, and they almost always made =aion think of bankers and merchants

and moneylenders, but they were also warmer and more practical. And he felt no temptationto curl a mental lip in disdain this time, for this coat was darkest midnight blue, trimmed in

white. Those were the colors of the magi, and the golden scepter of emkirk glittering on itsright breast said the man who wore them held high rank in the mage academies. :e was of no

more than middle years, though snow3white streaks shone like burnished silver in his thick

brown hair and neatly trimmed beard. :e wore a huge smile and carried the traditional

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polished white staff of a mage, and =aion inhaled sharply as he recogniBed him.$ahBell had also stopped, and his ears cocked in Euestion as the newcomer walked up to

them.And a good morning to you, too,D the :orse tealer said politely, then tilted his head to

one side. 0>m hoping you>ll forgive the asking, but should 0 be knowing youID

-ot yet,D the mage said, still smiling. "y name is Nresko. 0>m the senior master of the

$elhadan "age Academy.DAre you nowID $ahBell murmured, and his eyes narrowed. There had been a time when

mageD and wiBardD meant the same thing, but that had been long ago. These days, a meresuspicion of wiBardry was enough to get a man lynched places@understandably, given what

the dark wiBards had done in Nontovar@but magi were as trusted as wiBards were feared.;nlike a wiBard, a mage>s skills and talents were those of the mind, and he could draw only

upon his own strength, or that of other magi linked in mutual support, not upon the enormous power wiBards routinely sought to manipulate. $ut the true reason they were trusted was the

%ath of the "agi, the code which bound them to use their talents only to help and never toharm . . . and made them mortal foes of any black wiBard.

es,D Nresko said, answering the :orse tealer>s Euestion. "istress Qarantha told us you

and 6ord $randark would be arriving today and asked us to greet you, but 0>m afraid her precognition wasn>t eEual to telling us the precise time of your arrival, and 0 missed you at

the docks.D

=aion stood mutely to one side, listening, and fresh confusion flickered through him."aster Nresko was one of the most important people in $elhadan@or, for that matter, in the

entire province of 7radonia@but he seemed totally unaware of it as he smiled at both hradaniand e(tended his right hand to clasp forearms with $ahBell.

#e of the academies owe both of you an enormous debt,D he said more seriously.Qarantha is still new to her talents. #hen they reach full maturity, she>ll be one of the most

powerful magi we>ve seen in generations, and she and !uke OashRn have already begunconstruction of their own academy. $ut if the two of you hadn>t saved her life@D

$ahBell made a small, uncomfortable gesture, and Nresko stopped what he>d been saying.:e gaBed EuiBBically at the two hradani for a moment, then shrugged.

he warned us about you, you know,D he said, and let his smile grow a little broader as$ahBell and $randark e(changed glances. he said you wouldn>t let us thank you properly,

and 0 see she was right,D he went on. $ut that was only part of why 0 hunted you down this

morning. The main reason was to deliver three messages.D

And what messages might those beID $ahBell asked with a touch of wariness, and Nreskochuckled.

-othing too sinister,D he assured the :orse tealer. 7irst, !uke OashRn asked me toremind you and $randark that you>re now sept to OashRn, and he knows from Qarantha that

you lost most of your gear to the &urple 6ords. Accordingly, he>s used the mage relays toestablish a line of credit in his name with :ouse :arkanath>s local factors, and he e(pects

you to draw upon it. And Qarantha said to tell both of you that she doesn>t want to hear anynonsense about refusing the offer. he says she told you her father would reward you for

helping her get home, and all your new relatives will be mightily insulted if you make a liar out of her.D

:e paused with an e(pectant air, and the two hradani looked at one another once more.Then $randark grinned.

he did tell us that, $ahBell,D he said. -either of us believed her, but she did say it.D

Aye, and 0>d not like to see what she might be doing if she took to feeling Jmightily

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insulted,> D $ahBell agreed wryly, and flicked his ears at Nresko. All right, "aster Nresko.0t>s pleased 0>d be if you>d tell 6ady Qarantha we>re glad to accept the !uke>s kindness.D

?ood. -ow, for the second message. #encit also asked us to thank the two of you for your assistance. :e, ah, said you might not be the smartest pair he ever met, but that your

other virtues make up for it.D $oth hradani snorted, and Nresko smiled. $ut then his smile

faded, and his voice turned more serious. :e also said to tell you he>d be seeing you again,

and that he would count it an honor if you called upon him for assistance when the timecomes.D

JThe time comes>ID $ahBell rumbled. :e reached up to scratch the tip of one ear andfrowned. And did he happen to be saying ust what Jtime> he>s after talking aboutID

0>m afraid not.D Nresko shrugged wryly. ou know how #encit is. 0t>s like pulling teethto get him to tell you anything . 0 think it>s part of his Jmysterious, all3knowing wiBard> act.D

Aye, isn>t it ustID $ahBell muttered. :e frowned down at the cobblestones, clearlythinking hard, and =aion swallowed. 0t had been bad enough to hear "aster Nresko throwing

around the name of a duke, even a foreign one, who claimed hradani as members of his ownfamily, but this was worse. There was only one person to whom Nresko could be referring2

#encit of m. $ut that was ridiculousF #hat in TomanMk>s name did a pair of hradani

barbarians have to do with the last and greatest white wiBard of them allI#ell,D $ahBell said finally, he>s a right pain in the arse with his acts and games, but he>s

a knack for turning up when things look worst, too. 0f he>s after contacting you again, 0>d be

pleased if you>d tell him 0>m still thinking he>s one as knows too much for my peace of mind, but 0>ll not turn him down if he wants to help.D

:e>ll be delighted, 0>m sure,D Nresko said dryly. $ut that brings me to my third message.#hen !uke OashRn had us contact :ouse :arkanath to establish credit for you and $ahBell,

their factor sent word to !warvenhame, and Nilthandahknarthas sent back a message of hisown.D

AhID $randark smiled. And what did the old thief have to sayID he asked.epeated shocks, =aion observed, seemed to be stunting his ability to feel surprise.

Nilthandahknarthas dihna>:arkanath was the head of Clan :arkanath of the ilver Caverndwarves and of the vast trading house of the same name. There might be three wealthier

individuals in the entire 'mpire of the A(eK there couldn>t possibly be four, and hearing arag3clad hradani call him an old thiefD should have stunned him speechless. -ow it seemed

almost minor, and he waited for "aster Nresko>s response.

:e said to tell the two of you you were still idiots to leave him in iverside, but that his

offer still stands. And if either of you need a reference with merchants here in $elhadan@or,knowing you, with the ?uard@you should mention his name and his factor will post bail for

you. At a slight interest rate, of course.DAye, he would be saying that.D $ahBell chuckled.

es, he would,D $randark agreed, and while you>re doing whatever a champion of TomanMk does in the middle of the winter, 0 think 0>ll ust take him up on his offer.D

ou will, heyID $ahBell cocked his ears EuiBBically, and $randark shrugged.0 actually learned a little something on Wind Dancer . 0>d like to learn more, and 0 imagine

old Nilthan has pretty good contacts here in $elhadan. "aybe they can vouch for me andgive me an introduction to one of the shipyards.D

0 wasn>t after noticing a lot of activity in those yards,D $ahBell pointed out, and $randark shrugged again.

-o, but there>s bound to be something going on, and even if they>re not actually building

or rigging anything, there have to be brains 0 can pick.D

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And you the lad who>s never learned to swim,D $ahBell marveled with a grin.-o, 0 haven>t,D $randark replied with dignity. And if it>s all the same to you, 0 think 0>ll

wait to learn until 0 don>t have to melt the water to practice in, thank you. $ut there>s noreason 0 shouldn>t get started on the rest of my education, now is thereID

-ot a reason in the world,D $ahBell agreed cheerfully, and smiled at Nresko. %ur thanks

for your messages, "aster Nresko. 0t>s a pleasing thing to be finding so warm a welcome

here.D-o warmer than you deserve,D Nresko said.

That>s as may be, but it makes it no less pleasing. And truth to tell, 0>m minded to learn amite more about magi while we>re here. #ould it be overimposing to be inviting myself to

visit your academyID%f course notF ou>d both be welcome any time. Oust give us a little warning. There>s

always a class of new magi, and their shielding and control aren>t all they might be duringtraining, so we need to warn their mentors if nonmagi are coming on campus, but we>ll be

delighted to see you.DThank you,D $ahBell murmured, and $randark nodded in agreement.

0n that case, 0>ll be on my way,D Nresko said cheerfully. 0>ve got several more errands to

run this morning. 0>m delighted to have finally met you both, and 0 look forward to seeingyou again 7riday when 0 drop by for my regular chess game with ir Charrow.D :e clasped

forearms with both hradani once more, nodded briskly to =aion and set off about his

business.=aion stared after him for several long seconds, then looked back at the hradani. $randark

grinned impudently at him, ears weaving gently back and forth, but $ahBell met his eyes withthat same wry, oddly compassionate e(pression, and =aion closed his eyes while he tried to

digest the violence "aster Nresko had done to his worldview in such a tiny handful of minutes. "aster magi, dukes, dwarvish merchant princes, and white wiBards couldn>t

possibly have anything to do with hradani. $ut they did. And Euite a lot, to udge by the toneof the messages "aster Nresko had delivered. And that meant@

:e shook himself. Oust for the moment, he decided, he wouldn>t think about all that itmight mean. There would be time enough for that later . . . assuming he could get these two

to the chapter house without the 6ord "ayor and the entire City Council stopping by toannounce that they were old friends, as well.

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C:A&T' T:''

AhF $here you are, =aionFD

=aion paused halfway through his formal bow of greeting as ir Charrow>s tone

registered. 0t confirmed his suspicion that the knight3captain had deliberately sent him out to be humiliated, and fresh anger flared within him. $ut he snuffed it sternly and rose, and the

touch of color in his cheeks could easily have been put down to the cold wind outside the

chapter house. :e doubted ir Charrow would be fooled into thinking any such thing, but thetwo of them could pretend.

es, Nnight3Captain,D he made himself say formally. &ermit me to introduce ir $ahBell,son of $ahnak@D his voice stumbled over the unfamiliar names, though not as much as on

the ne(t three words @Champion of TomanMk .D0 see.D ir Charrow rose from behind his desk and e(amined the two hradani. They stood

ust inside the door to his study, the taller of the two with his head bent to clear the ceiling of what was normally a comfortably large chamber, and the lips half3concealed by Charrow>s

snowy beard Euirked in a smile. Ah, =aion,D he said delicately, ust e(actly which of them

is ir $ahBellID=aion inhaled a agged breath, yet once again the knight3captain had asked no more than a

courteous Euestion he should have answered without asking. !espite his undertow of fury at

being rebuked, he knew he had drawn it upon himself . . . and the fact that he was actually

failing even in the courtesy his parents had taught him long before he oined the %rder, far

less that e(pected of a knight3probationer, only proved he had, however hard it bit. #hatever =aion might think of the idea of a hradani champion, a gentleman owed it to himsel* to treat

even the most basely born with courtesy.7orgive me,D he said with a very creditable effort at a calm tone. This,D he gestured at

the huge :orse tealer, is ir $ahBell, ir Charrow. And this@D :e started to gesture at thesecond hradani, and his face went crimson as he realiBed he hadn>t even asked the other>s

name. $ut "aster Nresko had called him by name, hadn>t heI =aion thought frantically for aseemingly interminable moment, hand froBen in midair, then@finally@completed the

gesture.This is his companion, 6ord . . . $randark,D he said, and made himself face the smaller

hradani. our pardon, "ilord, but 0 failed to ask your full name so that 0 might make you properly known. The fault was mine. #ould you, of your courtesy, make yourself known to

ir CharrowID

$randark>s eyebrows rose as =aion>s e(Euisite, aristocratic accent rolled out the words.

:e hadn>t really believed there were people who actually spoke the way bad bards wrote

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dialogue, and the devil in him longed to twit the youngster. $ut he also heard the gritted teethin the young man>s voice, and compassion won out. :e didn>t know if someone could die of

mortification, but ir =aionD seemed to be headed in that direction, and $randark didn>twant his death on his conscience.

Certainly, ir =aion,D he said instead, proecting all of his considerable suavity, and

bowed to ir Charrow. "y name is $randark, ir Charrow, on of $randark, of the aven

Talon Clan of the $loody word hradani, until recently of -avahk.D%h, yes.D ir Charrow nodded. The poet.D

$randark blinked, then smiled crookedly. ay, rather, the would+be poet, "ilord,D hesuggested. 0>ll claim the title of Jscholar,> but more than that@D :e shrugged, and Charrow

nodded once more, in understanding.As you say, 6ord $randark, but know that you are welcome in this house as the

companion and sword brother of ir $ahBell. Accept hearth right and come under the protection of our shield.D

$randark bowed once again, much more deeply, at the ancient words of welcome he hadnever actually encountered outside a book, but $ahBell shook his head beside him.

0t>s grateful 0 am for your welcome, ir Charrow. Aye, and for your welcome of this

worthless $loody word, as well. $ut as 0 was after telling the young fellow here,D henodded sideways at =aion, it>s ust plain $ahBell.D

0 beg your pardonID

There>s no Jsir> on the front,D $ahBell e(plained with a hint of e(asperation.$ut 0@D Charrow broke off, looking for ust an instant as confused Galthough far more

poised about itH as =aion. Then he cleared his throat. '(cuse me,D he said, but the ?od did say you were properly ,rince $ahBell, didn>t heID he asked carefully.

Aye, 0>ve no doubt himself would be doing ust that,D $ahBell replied, and this timeresignation had replaced e(asperation. :e>s the sense of humor for it, now hasn>t he ustID

$ut . . . Are you saying you>re not a princeID%h, well, as to that, 0 suppose 0 am,D $ahBell said a bit uncomfortably. That>s to say, my

father>s after being &rince of :urgrum, and 0>m after being his son, so@D :e shrugged. tilland all, my folk are minded to see clan lordship as more important than Jprinces,> and there>s

three brothers betwi(t me and any crown, so there>s small enough point in putting on airs.D&erhaps not from your perspective, "ilord,D Charrow said with a hint of dryness. till,

for those of us whose sires aren>t princes of anything, it seems worth noting. $ut my point

was that even if you>ve never been formally pledged to the %rder, there are secular orders of

chivalry. urely, as a prince, you were knighted by your father, so@DThe master of the $elhadan %rder broke off in astonishment as $ahBell began to chuckle.

ir =aion was inclined to bristle, but the :orse tealer>s e(pression made it obvious he wasfighting hard not to laugh. ;nfortunately, he was failing. $randark at least managed to turn

his laughter into a fit of coughing that looked almost natural, but $ahBell couldn>t stophimself, and he pressed one hand to his ribs as his huge, chamber3shaking guffaws broke

loose.0t took him only a few seconds to strangle his mirth once more, and he wiped tears from

his eyes while he shook his head as penitently as the low ceiling allowed.0 beg your pardon, ir Charrow, and 0>m hopeful you>ll forgive me, for my father would

be after fetching my skull a fearful rap for laughing so free. $ut it wasn>t you as 0 waslaughing at so much as the notion of him knighting anyone. 0t>s not the sort of thing hradani

are like to spend much time in doing, d>you see.D

ou mean@ID =aion was stunned into the indiscretion. :e tried to cut it off, but

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something else seemed to command his tongue as all eyes swung to him, and he heard hisown voice blurt out the Euestion. ou>re not even a knightD

0t came out in a half3wail, like a child>s protest that something an adult had ust saidcouldn>t possibly be true, and a blaBe of scarlet swept over his face and burned down his

throat. et he couldn>t tear his eyes from the :orse tealer, ust as he simply could not wrap

his mind around the thought of a champion of TomanMk who had never been knighted. #ho

wasn>t even a knight+probationer like =aion himselfF;nless my tongue>s taken to saying other than 0 tell it to, that>s the very thing 0 was ust

telling you,D $ahBell said after a moment and, for the first time, =aion heard an ominousrumble in the deeps of his voice.

$ut . . . but@D&eace, =aionFD ir Charrow spoke with a sharpness =aion had seldom heard from him,

and the flicker of true anger in the older knight>s brown eyes did more than anything else toshock =aion into silence.

7orgive me, @ ,rince $ahBell,D he said, and bent his golden head in contrition.6et it be,D $ahBell said after half a doBen aching heartbeats, and Charrow inhaled deeply.

0 thank you for your patience with us, "ilord,D he said gravely. As 0>m sure you must

realiBe, we of the %rder have no e(perience in how properly to address a hradani champion.And 0 fear that the ?od was . . . less than fully forthcoming when :e advised me of your

arrival, shall we sayID

%h, ayeF :imself>s a rare one for having his little oke,D $ahBell agreed with a snort, illhumor banished. And as for that, 0>m thinking there must be a deal he wasn>t after telling

me either. -ot least that there ever was an J%rder of TomanMk > in the first placeF 0>ve nomore notion what you do, or how, than a &urple 6ord has of charity.D

:e didn>t tell you about the %rderID 'ven Charrow seemed taken aback by that, and$ahBell shrugged. The old knight gaBed at him for several seconds, obviously considering

what he>d ust been told, then shook himself. #ellF 0 see we have a great deal to discuss,"ilord. 7irst, however, 0 think it would be well for =aion to escort you and 6ord $randark to

your Euarters and see you settled. After that, if you would be kind enough to oin me in thelibrary, 0>ll try to fill in the blanks :e neglected to deal with.D

An hour later, =aion, divested of his mail and dressed in the simple tunic and hose the

brethren normally wore within the chapter house Galthough his were of the finest silkH, guided

$ahBell and $randark into the library. After showing them to the Euarters set aside for them,

he>d used the intervening time to get his thoughts into some sort of order, and his e(pressionwas composed as he ushered them through the stone3walled passages. 0nternally, however, he

remained imperfectly reconciled to the entire concept of a hradani champion. 'specially@it pained him to admit it, yet it was true@of a backwoods, uneducated hradani champion whose

A(eman came out sounding remarkably like that of the unlettered foresters who served on theAlmerhas estates in backward =onderland. :e knew it shouldn>t matter to him if it didn>t

matter to $oman%k - but it did. 0t truly did, and try as he might, he couldn>t Euite swallow hisresentment that so high an honor should be wasted on such a person . . . or his disdain for the

one on whom it had been sEuandered.And then there was $ahBell>s companion. Clearly, $randark was better educated than

$ahBell. 0ndeed, his A(eman could have been that of any well3educated citiBen of the 'mpireof the A(e. 0t lacked the aristocratic finish with which =aion himself spoke, yet it was better

than, say, ir Charrow>s. $ut for all that, =aion wasn>t at all certain he ought to be leading

$randark along with $ahBell. ir Charrow had said he had much to e(plain to ah!ell K it

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didn>t automatically follow that he intended to e(plain the %rder>s business to an outsider.;nfortunately, $ahBell clearly wanted $randark along, and the smaller hradani eEually

obviously saw no reason why he shouldn>t come. And so, yet again, =aion found himself doing something he was positive he ought not to do at the unspoken behest of the totally

unsuitable creature TomanMk had seen fit to choose as :is champion.

That thought carried him into the library, where ir Charrow sat beside a crackling coal

fire. !espite the large chamber>s lofty dimensions, the hot air flowing from furnaces in thecellar through the vents of the hypocaust hidden under the stone floor and buried in the walls

went far to drive off the chill. $ut the fire on the hearth was still welcome, particularly to ir Charrow. The $elhadan master remained fit enough to hold his own in the field at need, yet

there was no denying that he>d slowed with age, and he felt the cold more keenly than oncehe had.

-ow he looked up from the tongs he held in one scarred, sinewy hand, and the fresh coalhe>d positioned in the flames crackled wildly as he smiled at his guests.

Thank you for coming, my lords,D he said. &lease@be seated.DThe library>s walls were lined with high bookshelves, and a second3floor3level balcony ran

around them to give access to still more shelf space. As a result, the ceiling was far higher

than that of ir Charrow>s study, and it was obvious he>d used the intervening hour to makesome preparations of his own. The chair to which he waved $randark was no different from

the one in which he himself sat, although the $loody word filled a seat which made most

humans look undersiBed ust about to capacity. $ut no one in $elhadan had ever built a chair to $ahBell $ahnakson>s stature, and so Charrow had ordered a cushioned, high3backed bench

brought in to replace the chairs on the other side of the polished table by the library>sdiamond3paned windows. 0t was a little low for the :orse tealer>s long legs, but it had been

built for several pages to sit abreast while awaiting the summons to duty, so at least it didn>tsEueeBe in on him from the sides.

#e>re pleased to be asked,D $ahBell replied as he took his seat, but if it>s all the same toyou, 0>m thinking $randark is as wishful as 0 that you>d be after leaving aside the Jsirs> and

Jmy lords.> D$ut 0@D Charrow began, then stopped. =ery well, my friends. 0f that>s truly how you

prefer to be addressed, it>s certainly not my place to argue with you. $esides@D he chuckleddryly @traditionally, champions of TomanMk are noted for their . . . um, determination.D

ou mean rock3headed, stiff3necked, bloody3minded obstinacy, don>t you, ir CharrowID

$randark asked politely, and the white3haired knight3captain laughed.

%f course not, "i@ $randark. 0t would be most improper for me to say such things abouta championFD

0 see.D $randark>s eyes laughed at $ahBell, and he tilted his ears impudently.7ortunately, it>s not at all Jimproper> for me to describe him accurately.D

That>s as may be, little man,D $ahBell rumbled, but ust you be thinking about all thenasty accidents as might befall a man too busy working his mouth to watch where he>s

walking.D%h, 0 will. 0 will,D $randark promised with a laugh, then looked back to Charrow. $ut 0

believe you>d invited us to oin you so that you could e(plain the %rder of TomanMk to thisanointed lout of yoursID

$eside Charrow, =aion felt his hands close into fists behind him. :e didn>t care at all for the mocking levity with which these two addressed ir Charrow, even if ir Charrow did

seem perfectly comfortable with it. And despite his own doubts about hradani champions@or

perhaps because of them@hearing $randark describe $ahBell as this anointed loutD was

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infuriating. et no one but him seemed to care, and he forced himself to stand calmly erect beside the chapter master>s chair.

o 0 did.D Charrow leaned forward to pour wine into wrought silver goblets and passedone to each hradani, then poured a third for himself and leaned back in his chair.

0f you will, $ahBell,D he went on, sounding almost comfortable using the bare name

without honorifics this time, 0 thought it would be wise to give you a Euick, brief description

of the %rder. 0>m sure you>ll have Euestions about the details, but 0>d like to lay a broadfoundation for them first. !oes that sound acceptable to youID

Aye,D $ahBell said. The single word came out ust a bit shortly, as if he found the older man>s continual deference an uncomfortable fit.

=ery well, then. 'ssentially, the %rder was established shortly after the 7all@initially inthe old Ningdom of the A(e, at "anhome, though we now have chapters in many lands@as

the secular arm of the Church. There are, in fact, suggestions in our earliest records that the%rder had e(isted in Nontovar for thousands of years be*ore the 7all, but as with so many

other institutions, the Church lost by far the greater part of its written history during the flightto -orfressa. #e cannot be sure if the J$rothers of the word> which historians tell us held

the Anvil of TomanMk in Nontovar to the very end were, in fact, members of the %rder which

we still serve. #e would like to believe that they were, but we have no proof.D:e paused for a moment to sip wine and gaBe into the flames seething on the hearth, then

shrugged.

$e that as it may, the organiBation@or reorganiBation@of the %rder in -orfressa took many years. There was enormous confusion in those early days, of course, with refugees

flooding in from Nontovar and !uke Normak trying frantically to find places ust to put themall.D

Aye, so 0>ve been told,D $ahBell rumbled, and his deep voice was dark, almost cold.Charrow looked up Euickly, and the hradani shrugged his shoulders impatiently. Ah, don>t

be fretting yourself,D he said. 0t>s ust that hradani have little enough use for your !ukeNormak. 0>ve no doubt at all, at all, that he was a good man, after doing the best he could, but

never a single thing did he do for our folk. aving, of course, to order our throats slit if wewere after washing up on his coast.D

$ahBell, 0@D Charrow began in a troubled tone, but the hradani waved a hand.!on>t fret yourself, 0 said, and meant it,D he said in a more normal voice. #hat

happened twelve hundred years and more ago bears small enough weight today. Aye, and

truth to tell, 0 was no more there then than you or Normak>s heirs. 6et the past be burying the

past.D0@ All right.D Charrow paused a moment longer, then resumed. At any rate, it took us

Euite some time to get organiBed, and, as 0 say, the "anhome chapter, as the first founded, isthe "other Chapter even today, although our administrative headEuarters were transferred to

A(e :allow when the royal and imperial capital moved there. #e>re not the largest chivalricorder in the 'mpire, but we are the oldest, and, unlike most of the others, our membership is

open to anyone who hears the ?od>s voice and proves worthy to serve :im. #hich, as a rule @D he darted a sudden, eagle3eyed glance at the :orse tealer @includes :is champions.D

AhID $ahBell asked mildly.Ah, indeed,D Charrow replied in dust3dry tones. There have been a handful of

e(ceptions, over the centuries, but for the most part, the ?od chooses :is champions fromwithin the %rder. -othing re/uires :im to restrict :is choices to our membership, of course.

:e>s a god, and we serve Him. #e certainly don>t sit around telling :im what to doF

-onetheless, we>re always taken a little aback on those rare occasions when :e selects

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someone from outside the %rder. 6ike you.D#hy is it 0>m thinking himself was after going ust a mite further Joutside the %rder> than

usual when he decided to go pestering me into signing onID $ahBell murmured. ,estered =aion thought indignantly. Did he "ust say the 0od pestered him into accepting

the greatest honor a man could possibly receive1

Ah, yes, 0 suppose you could put it that way,D Charrow agreed through pursed lips.

#hich creates something of a problem, 0>m afraid. ome of our members@D the chapter master>s eyes might have flitted sideways at =aion, but $ahBell couldn>t have sworn to it @

are going to find the idea of a hradani champion ust a trifle difficult to deal with.D0>m not wishful to be upsetting anyone,D $ahBell said seriously. "ind, 0>m not after

apologiBing for who or what 0 am, either, but 0>ve no mind to be putting myself forward or sticking my spoon into someone else>s stew. 0f there>s those as wish me elsewhere, well, 0>ve

been wished elsewhere before, and will be again, no doubt.D-o,D Charrow said so flatly the hradani blinked. 0t doesn>t work that way,D the human

went on in firm tones. Champions are rare, $ahBell. ou may not realiBe ust how rare, butaccording to the %rder>s rolls, there are currently, not counting you, only seventeen living

champions in all of -orfressa. %nly seventeen @eighteen with you@and the entire purpose

of the %rder is to support your work in the world.D 2y workID $ahBell stared at him, ears flat in astonishment, and the old knight nodded.

&recisely. %h, 0 have no idea at all what your particular task is. That>s between you and

TomanMk , and the Eualities which make it something between you and :im are the sameones which made you a champion in the first place. ou and those like you truly are

TomanMk>s words. 0t is your task to lead, and ours to follow you. -ot blindly, but as wewould follow any captain set in command of us by our liege lord.D The human>s voice rang

with iron pride@not arrogance, but the fierce determination of the warrior he was. #e arenot forged of the same steel as :is champions, but it is we of the %rder who hold the frontiers

they conEuer, $ahBell $ahnakson. As :e commands you, so you may command us@any of us@for we were created as your shield arm, and however high you may fly in :is service,

wherever you may go under :is command, there we will be also.D:ere nowFD $ahBell tried to bring the protest out Euickly, lightly, but the old man>s

sincerity hushed his voice. :imself was never after saying all thatF 0>ve no mind tocommand any man to follow me@no, nor to fight my battles for me, eitherFD

%f course you don>t. 0f you did, you wouldn>t be a champion. $ut that doesn>t mean you

can escape it, either. %h, you can try to run from us. %thers have, on occasion, but the %rder

has a way of finding :is champions sooner or later. et 0 don>t think you>re the type whowould run,D Charrow added thoughtfully. -ot once you>ve thought it over. ou>re not so

proud or arrogant@or cowardly@as to turn your back on the aid you may need to dowhatever it is :e>s called you to do.D

$ahBell winced, but he shook his head, as well. That>s as may be, ir Charrow, but 0>ll notgo seeking it, eitherF 0 told himself 0>ll do what 0 do because 0 choose to do it@because it>s

the right as I see the right. 0>ll not Jcommand> anyone to follow where it may be naught butmy own stiff3necked pride leadsFD

#hich is probably the reason :e picked you in the first place,D Charrow said serenely. :emet $ahBell>s fierce gaBe for several unflinching seconds, then smiled and poured more wine

into the goblets.#ell, that>s the bare essentials of the %rder@and how it relates to you,D he said more

lightly. As for the details, our commander is ir Terrian, Nnight3?eneral of the %rder, and

we currently count a total of ninety3si( chapter houses. 'ach chapter house consists of at least

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five knights3companion and their sEuires and from three to five knights3probationer, which isthe minimum strength allowed under our charter. "ost are larger, of course, like our chapter

here in $elhadan. #e have myself, as knight3captain, four knights3commander, and thirty3oneknights3companion, all with their sEuires, plus twelve knights3probationer and two hundred

lay3brothers as our men3at3arms. 0n addition, another ten knights3companion and fifty lay3

brothers are headEuartered here but assigned to roving duty across the border in =onderland,

where things tend to be somewhat less, um, orderly than here in 7radonia. %ur chapter issomewhat larger than others because of $elhadan>s importance to the Ning 'mperor, and@D

$ahBell $ahnakson sat back on the bench, holding his wine and listening to ir Charrowdescribe the siBe and organiBation of the %rder, and a sense of rebellion bubbled within him,

leavened by a feeling of futility. Charrow>s attitude made it plain that the choice to havenothing to do with the %rder had been taken out of his hands the moment he agreed to serve

TomanMk as his champion. 0t was too late for him to evade the authority Charrow wasdetermined to cede him, but even as he listened to the chapter master>s voice, he felt =aion

of Almerhas> eyes and knew not all of the %rder>s brethren would accept his presence ascalmly as the $elhadan chapter>s master seemed to have done.

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C:A&T' 7%;

#ell, you seem to have settled in comfortably enough,D $randark observed as he tipped his

chair far back on its rear legs. The heels of his brand new boots rested easily on the table

$ahBell had moved in front of the fire in his assigned Euarters, and his hands lovingly oiledthe wood of the balalaika in his lap. ir Charrow@or, to be more accurate, "istress <uarelle,

the chapter house>s chatelaine@had wanted to put the visiting champion in a considerably

larger set of chambers, but $ahBell had put his foot down at that. After the past severalmonths spent mainly in the field, this much smaller suite offered him all the space and

comfort he wanted, and he continued to feel awkward about his status with the %rder.#ell as to a roof to keep the snow off, aye, 0>m after being comfortable enough,D he

rumbled now, looking up from the whetstone he had been carefully applying to his dagger.The sword lying on the table no longer reEuired honing. :e still found that unnatural, and

though he continued to check it religiously@he winced at his own choice of words@it wasalmost comforting to turn his attention to more normal steel.

$ut not with your new brothers, ehID The Euestion could have come out with $randark>s

normal astringency, but instead it was asked almost gently, and $ahBell>s e(pression turnedgrim as his ears flattened in agreement.

Aye. Though truth to tell, it>s less that 0>m feeling awkward with them3 though there>s

something to that, for a fact@as that they>re still after trying to decide what himself was after

thinking. That pompous nit =aion>s not one to make it any easier, but he>s scarcely the only

one who>s wondering. 0t>s in my mind that orhus and Adiskael are at least as ill3pleased ashe is, and with less cause. #orse, they>re older than him, and senior to boot. 0f they>re

minded to send whispers marching back and forth to set folk against me@and 0>m thinkingthey are@then like as not they>ll do more damage in the end. And ust for now, =aion>s after

making himself so spectacular a fool that not even ir Charrow>s noticed what the pair of >emare about.D

;m.D $randark fle(ed his legs, rocking his chair back and forth precariously, andfrowned into the flames on the hearth, hands resting motionless on the balalaika while he

considered. $ahBell was certainly right about how obvious =aion had made his own angryresentment, but the $loody word hadn>t paid ir orhus or ir Adiskael much heed. -ow he

berated himself for his lack of attention. orhus and Adiskael were both knights3commander,ranked fourth and fifth in the $elhadan chapter, respectively, and soft words from them could

do more damage than the most impassioned tirade from an arrogant young hothead. And

while $randark might not have noticed anything of the sort from them, he knew $ahBell too

well to believe the :orse tealer was inventing enemies. That had never been his way, even

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in -avahk.The $loody word>s ears cocked thoughtfully. &erhaps it wasn>t all that surprising he

hadn>t noticed orhus or Adiskael. :e was even more an outsider than $ahBell, and thoughhe>d begun to find a place of sorts for himself among the bards and minstrels who entertained

in $elhadan>s taverns@and with the oyal and 0mperial ;niversity scholars to whom "aster

Nresco had introduced him@the %rder>s members were unlikely to confide in him when they

hadn>t even made up their minds about $ahBellFAnd in fairness to the %rder, $randark had to admit that $ahBell might have been more

than a bit hard for them to accept even if his race weren>t hated and reviled. There wereinnumerable things $randark had yet to figure out about $ahBell>s relationship with TomanMk

@which, he reflected wryly, also seemed to be true for $ahBell@but he could certainly seewhy the :orse tealer might disturb the %rder>s more orthodo( members.

"ost importantly, he supposed, was the way $ahBell spoke about TomanMk . There wasnever anything disrespectful in his tone or manner@not by hradani standards, at any rate@

but $randark doubted the rest of the %rder saw it that way. ir Charrow clearly did, but it washard for any of the other aces of "an to understand the hradani>s ways, and especially those

of the :orse tealers. 6ike his own $loody words, :orse tealers were capable of e(Euisite

courtesy, but Geven more than among his $loody wordsH having one of them be polite to onewas usually a sign of serious trouble. As a rule, formality on their part was a sign of distrust,

and they were most polite of all to people they detested. &ersonally, $randark suspected that

politeness was yet another defense against the age, a way of using courtesy to defusetension and keep swords sheathed.

%n the other hand, the :orse tealers were inclined to be a bit more . . . informal under normal circumstances than even other hradani. $randark had never been to :urgrum, but

he>d heard reports of &rince $ahnak>s court,D and he shuddered at the very thought of howsomeone like =aion would have reacted to it. -ot because of any barbarian sEualorD or

crudity, but because any of $ahnak>s people had the right, by custom and law, to appear personally before him to present petitions directly. And, as $ahBell had told ir Charrow,

$ahnak>s position as lord of Clan 0ron A(e was more important to his own people than any princely title. $y a tradition stretching back to the days when only the clan>s swords stood

between its people and e(tinction, a clan chief was the true source of its cohesion, theembodiment of its oint survival. -othing and no one could be more important to $ahnak>s

folk, and he had proven himself one of the greatest chieftains in the 0ron A(es> history. #hich

meant, of course, that his people addressed him as they would their clan chief, with an earthy

succinctness utterly at odds with =aion>s notions of proper courtesy.And that was precisely how $ahBell spoke of $oman%k @with the devotion, loyalty, and

familiarity of a :orse tealer for his clan lord. 0n its own way, that was a supremecompliment, the highest honor $ahBell could bestow, yet too many of these citified, over3

civiliBed knights seemed unable to grasp that fact.#ell enough for you to be sitting there saying Jum> while you>re after toasting your arse

in front of my fire,D $ahBell said moodily, breaking into the $loody word>s thoughts. 0t>snot you as has to deal with them directlyFD

-ot directly, no,D $randark agreed, but your relationship with them rubs off on me, youknow, 6ongshanks. 0 get the bad with the good@second3hand, as it were.D :e waved a hand

as $ahBell darted a dangerous look at him. %h, don>t worryF They>re too civiliBed for their own good, and they>d never dream of offering me even the tiniest insult. $ut they do tend to

look at us a bit askance, don>t theyID

A bit and then some,D $ahBell growled, looking back down at his dagger and testing its

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edge on his calloused thumb. $ut that>s not to say as how they>ve done aught but see to our needs with rare speed,D he admitted.

That>s true enough,D $randark agreed, for it was.The hradani had been in $elhadan for a mere twelve days, but anyone looking at them now

would have found it difficult to envision the ragged state in which they had arrived. 0n

$randark>s case, that was due in no small part to the line of credit !uke OashRn had set up for

them. The $loody word had confined his buying spree primarily to the funds he and $ahBellhad brought with them, but the !uke>s credit had allowed him to indulge himself without

worrying about what happened when his cash ran out. :e>d not only replaced his lost andruined eEuipment but commissioned new garments from one of $elhadan>s foremost tailors,

and his elegant shirt was made of the finest silk while the embroidered doublet whichcovered it would have done credit even to ir =aion>s relatives. 0n fact, the only place he>d

spent more money was in $elhadan>s bookstores. :e had no idea how he was going to get hismountain of books home, but that was the least of his worries. &rinting presses and movable

type were two more things the A(emen had and hradani did not. %f course, there were veryfew hradani books@printed or hand3copied@of any kind. "ost of the foreign volumes he>d

managed to acEuire had been printed, but he>d been able to assemble his library back home in

-avahk only in bits and pieces, and almost all of his books had been damaged, many badly, before they ever fell into his hands. :ere in $elhadan, though, he felt like a miser loosed in

someone else>s gold mine, and he intended to pry up every nugget he could lay hands on.

$ahBell, on the other hand, had never been much of a reader, and he continued his utter indifference to fashion. :e had allowed the %rder to replace his ruined clothing, but he>d

refused anything remotely like $randark>s finery. :is breeches were warm and serviceable, but they were cut for comfort, not style. :is full3sleeved shirt was made of first3Euality linen,

but without a trace of embroidery, and the warm tunic he wore over it was of the same plaingreen wool as the %rder>s field3issue surcoats, as was the Euilted othSii3style poncho he>d

insisted upon instead of a cloak. "ost of the lay3brothers who served the %rder as men3at3arms were better dressed than he, and he must certainly be the drabbest knightD ever to

grace these halls.'(cept, of course, that he wasn't a knight.

ou know,D $randark said slowly, adusting a tuning peg with e(Euisite care rather thanlooking at his friend, it might put these people a bit more at ease with you if you>d let them

knight you. ir Charrow, at least, is ust aching for the opportunity, and 0 don>t see how

TomanMk could obect. They are his %rder, after all.D

:aFD $ahBell snorted, and sheathed the dagger with a sharp click1 as if for emphasis.#ouldn>t that ust look wonderful, now. "e, decked out like some cursed knight from one

of your fool talesF %h, no, my ladFD$ut if it would make them happy@D

-o, 0 said, and no, 0 meant,D $ahBell said flatly. :imself was after telling me he neededa champion. :e said naught at all about knights and lords and titles, and 0>ve no mind to be

taking such on, either. And@D his brown eyes hardened ominously @if these folk can>t beaccepting what>s good enough for himself, then 0>ve no mind to be catering to their

preudices, eitherFD0 hadn>t thought about it in that light,D $randark admitted. :e pursed his lips and half3

flattened his ears, then plucked a string, listening critically to his instrument>s voice. o if you>re not going to let them knight you, what are you going to doID

-ow there you>ve got me.D $ahBell sighed. :e rose and clipped the dagger sheath to his

belt, stretching in a huge yawn despite the limitations of the chamber>s ceiling, then crossed

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to the rack on which he>d hung the armor ir Charrow had insisted the %rder was duty boundto provide him. A kite3shaped shield, dark green and bearing the emblems of TomanMk in

gold, hung on the wall behind it, beside his arbalest, and $ahBell smiled faintly as he reachedout to brush his fingertips almost reverently across the mail. 0t was by far the finest he>d ever

owned, dwarvish chain with a steel breast3and3back, though he felt certain ir =aion would

turn up his nose at it. The mail was of honest steel rings, with no silver wash or fancywork,

and the burnished breastplate was eEually plain, without even the green enamel mostmembers of the %rder preferred. $ut $ahBell knew the Euality of that armor>s workmanship,

and $ahBell $ahnakson had little use for flash and glitter.et happy as he was to see it and to once again have boots which not only fitted but kept

out snow and wet, the price seemed high. 0t was obvious =aion could scarcely force himself to be civil even now. 0n fact, the young man>s unhappiness seemed to be growing still worse,

as if some poison festered deep inside him. et $ahBell almost preferred =aion to thereservations and resentments behind the e(Euisitely courteous facades of all too many of his

new brothers.D :e>d identified orhus and Adiskael, but he suspected there were others, aswell. %thers who were far harder to identify because they were older and more restrained.

"ore . . . cautious than =aion>s desperate youthful ardor permitted the golden3haired

knight3probationer to be. et they were there. :e often wondered whether or not =aionrealiBed that, but he doubted it, somehow. oung =aion was too wrapped up in his own

unhappiness and disappointment to realiBe that he was serving@perhaps even being made to

serve@as the focus of the unstated resentment of so many of his seniors, as well.0>ve thought on it, this last week and more,D he went on to $randark after several

thoughtful seconds, while his fingers unconsciously caressed the high3combed helmet withthe special openings for a hradani>s ears. To speak truth, 0>ve been more than half minded to

take myself off. %ld Nilthan>s factor could find work enough for the two of us, or "aster Nresco>s one as would be after putting us up at need, and 0>ve had a bellyful of sideways

looks. "ind you, 0>ve naught at all against ir Charrow, and most of the rest>ve tried at least, but there>s no skirting >round it, $randark. $ut for ir Charrow and two or three others, most

of >em are ready enough to be seeing my backside.D:e paused, staring moodily into the fire once more, then sighed heavily.

Oust betwi(t the pair of us, 0>d as soon show it to >em, too,D he admitted, and maybe thesooner the better.D $randark glanced up Euickly at his words> bitter undertone, and $ahBell

looked back at him with an e(pression not even the most charitable could have called a smile.

:is hand caressed the hilt of his dagger, and a dangerous glitter, like chips of cruel ice,

flickered in his usually mild eyes. &erhaps only another hradani would have understood thatglitter, but $randark was a hradani, and he drew a deep breath before he spoke very carefully.

#as there a specific person who brought you to that conclusionID he asked.Aye,D $ahBell said grimly, and knuckles whitened as his hand clenched on the dagger.

The ice in his eyes burned suddenly hot with remembered passion, and his nostrils flaredas a raBor3edged echo of his people>s curse shivered at his core. :e and $randark had learned

more about the age than any other hradani had ever suspected there was to learn. They hadmastered the trick of summoning it at need@of using it in their times of darkest peril@but

that hadn>t lulled them into forgetting its dangers, for having accepted that it could be used,the temptation to use it might well become even greater. 0t wasn>t something they discussed,

but there were times when both of them feared that their new knowledge might actuallyweaken the chains with which they held their demon pent. And as $randark gaBed at his

friend, he suddenly wondered how much of $ahBell>s apparent calm was no more than a

mask for something else. There were dark and dangerous places in any hradani>s soul, even

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that of a champion of TomanMk , and it was chillingly obvious that someone, at least, hadcome perilously close to pushing his way into one of them.

$ut then $ahBell closed his eyes, shook himself, and e(haled noisily. #hen he looked back at $randark once more the sick, hungry fury of the age had been banished from his eyes,

and he took his hand from his dagger. $randark said nothing, but the :orse tealer needed no

words to read the thoughts behind his eyes, and he chuckled harshly.

Aye, it was after being Jspecific,> right enough,D he agreed, and the fool not evenguessing how close he>d come to seeing his guts spilled on the floor before him, eitherFD :e

bared his strong, white teeth. 0t was near as near, $randark@that close@D he raised hishand, holding inde( finger and thumb a bare Euarter3inch apart and but for himself, 0>m

thinking 0>d>ve@D:e stopped himself and shook his head.

-o, let>s be honest amongst ourselves. $ut for himself 0>d not >ve stopped myself. 0>d>vekilled the sanctimonious, smiling bastard and laughed . . . and wouldn>t that have been

proving as how they>d all been right to think us savagesID!on>t blame yourself too much,D $randark said Euietly, his voice for once devoid of

humor. The age can take even the best of us, $ahBell. ou know that as well as 0.D

Aye, aye.D $ahBell turned his eyes back to the hearth and shrugged, but his voice was low.et 0>d hoped when himself told us how it was changing 0>d not have to be facing it again@

not in the old way. et there it was, like red murder in my soul, and the hunger of it. The need

ust to be reaching out and taking him by the neck and@D:e shuddered again, then stood completely motionless for almost a minute. Then he tossed

his head and turned to his friend once more, and this time his smile was almost natural. till and all, himself was never after promising us it would be easy, was he nowI And

0>m thinking he was also after warning us the old age lingers yet, so like as not it wasnaught but foolish pride made me think as how it might not be waiting for me these days,

heyI And while 0>d sooner not come any closer to it than 0>ve done already, it>s in my mindthat himself is after thinking up something for me to be doing here, which means 0 can>t be

off before 0>ve done it . . . whatever it is. %n the other hand, cursed if 0 know what it is. Andhimself>s not after making so very free with his little Jvisits,> either,D he added wryly, then

chuckled. -ow there's a thing 0>d not thought myself likely to be missingFD0 feel sure he>ll get back around to confiding in you,D $randark said dryly, as relieved as

his friend by the change of topic.

%h, like enough,D $ahBell agreed, turning back to the table and seating himself once

more. The problem is 0>m not so very comfortable in my mind about waiting for the boot tofall, you see. 0>ve the notion that when it does, there>s someone as won>t like it overmuch,

and e(perience has a nasty way of suggesting the someone>s me, like enough.D?oodFD $randark said, and grinned as his friend looked up Euickly. 0>m working on

another verse for $he 4ay o* ah!ell loody+Hand ,D the $loody word e(plained, and the

interesting things that happen to you always provide plenty of inspiration.D

-ow ust you be holding up thereF 0 thought you>d given over on that curst songFD%h, 0 meant to, $ahBell. 0 truly meant to. $ut then we got here and 0 saw how your own

brethren in the %rder have failed to appreciate your towering nobility. Surely you see that it>smy duty to repair that dreadful inustice.D $randark struck a rousing chord on his balalaika,

grinning devilishly, and $ahBell glowered at him.#hat 0>m seeing,D the :orse tealer said grimly, is that 0>ve waited overlong in wringing

your scrawny neckF -ot,D he added, but what that can>t be seen to easy enough still some

dark night.D

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#hy, ah!ell1 #hat would ir Charrow think if he could hear you nowID $randark demanded with a gurgle of laughter.

:e>ll cheer me on, like as not, if you>ve been after spreading that song of yours about,D$ahBell shot back, then stabbed the $loody word with suddenly suspicious eyes. ou have

been spreading it about, haven>t youID he demanded.

#ell, it has proved Euite popular down at the eaman>s est,D $randark admitted. And

at the Anchor and Trident. And, now that 0 think of it, 0 do believe they asked for an encore atthe 7lying 6ady night before last, and 'stervald@he>s the resident harpist at the Oeweled

:orse@wants to know when the new verse will be finished.D0 have waited overlong.D $ahBell groaned, and $randark laughed again. :owever

dreadful his singing voice or the doggerel his efforts at verse normally produced, even hisworst enemies@perhaps especially his enemies@would admit he had a gift for satire, and

$he 4ay o* ah!ell loody+Hand was his personal gift to his towering friend. ;nfortunately,from $ahBell>s viewpoint, he>d chosen to set it to the melody of a much beloved and

depressingly easy to remember drinking song.0 don>t really see your problem, $ahBell,D he said now, his tone insufferably prim. 0t>s

not as if the song insults you in any wayFD

-o, and if one tenth of what it claims was after being true, 0>d be the biggest ninny on theface of -orfressaFD

#hy, $ahBellF :ow can you say thatI 0>ll have you know that no one could possibly

doubt that you>re a very perfect paladin after hearing my songF our nobility of character,your selfless determination to rescue maidens, your fearless resolve when facing demons or

devils, your@D%ne more word@ one moreF@and 0>ll crack your skull this minuteFD $ahBell told him,

and $randark shut his mouth with a grin.

ir =aion of Almerhas stalked into the chapter house in a black, bleak fury so deep thatthe door warden physically flinched away from him. 0n his defense, =aion had no idea his

rage showed, which was, of course, yet another sign of its seething power. $ut he knew itwas there, and the reasonable part of his mind told him he should take it to ir Charrow, or

perhaps to ir 7errik, the chapter>s senior priest.%nly he couldn>t. :e>d done that too often in the last two weeks, and each time, they>d

looked at him with that same reproach. -either had berated him, yet it was obvious both felt

the problem was his. That some failing within him created the terrible pressure boiling in his

heart and mind whenever he faced the intolerable thought of a hradani champion.=aion had tried. :e>d truly tried, spending endless hours watching beside his armor and

sword when he should have been asleep, begging the ?od to help him deal with this insult tothe %rder. To help him accept the inclusion of a hradani among :is brightest blades. :e

knew other members of the %rder were humbly born. ir Charrow>s father had been a brick mason, for TomanMk>s sakeF $ut a hradani An uncouth barbarian who spoke like a

barbarianI #ho refused even to allow the %rder to knight him in order to regain at least someof the respect it was bound to lose when it became known he was one of its championsI A

barbarian who didn>t even appear to realiBe the tremendous honor ir Charrow had offered to bestow upon him and spoke of the ?od :imself with such casual disrespectI

And now thisF =aion>s face flushed afresh, and his teeth grated audibly as the songreplayed itself in his mind. :e hadn>t meant to visit the tavern. uch places were for the low

born@for seamen and tradesmen and the like@but he and ir orhus had been returning

from an errand to Captain :ardian, who commanded the cruisers the %rder maintained here

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in $elhadan, when he>d heard the name $ahBell $loody3:andD in the snatch of songfloating out the briefly opened doors and known he had no choice. :e and ir orhus had

stepped into the establishment, wrapping themselves in their cloaks and hoping no one wouldnote the %rder>s arms on their surcoats, and stood in the back to listen@first with

astonishment, then with incredulity, and finally with horror and outrage.

0t mocked the %rderF 0t mocked everything the %rder stood for, and all in the name of that

unciviliBed dolt . aving serving girls from the foul attentionsD of ill3favored overlords,DindeedF And that business about rescuing noblewomen disguised as peasants@as if things

like that truly happenedF And fighting demons and evil princes with cursed swords, for TomanMk>s sakeF #hy, the 'mpire hadn>t seen a proved demon sighting in over forty yearsF 0t

would have been bad enough, &hrobus take it, if the song had treated it all with proper dignity, but this@F %ne of the bards at his father>s high table might have sung such mythic

deeds properly, to teach and inspire, even though all who heard his song would know it wasmyth. $ut this . . . this . . . this ditty had the sheer effrontery to suggest such things had really

happened, to give $ahBell credit for them by name, and to do it all as if it were some sort of game1 As if someone who claimed to be a champion of TomanMk were no more than a topic

for sportF

The insult had been too much for him, and ir orhus> efforts to calm him had been worsethan useless. =aion knew the knight3commander was displeased by $ahBell>s presence, but

the older knight had tried valiantly to point out that it scarcely mattered what ignorant,

lowborn laborers and seamen thought about the %rder or its members. Certainly their brethren had cause to be disappointed, even angry, over the insult, but it was their duty to rise

above it and ignore it lest in reacting to it they bring still more ridicule upon the %rder.0t had been an unfortunate choice of argument. :ad ir orhus tried, he could not possibly

have said anything better calculated to fan =aion>s rage, and the younger knight had stormedout of the tavern. -or had the long, frigid hike back to the chapter house cooled his blaBing

anger. 0ndeed, it had grown only worse during his walk.:ad he been even a bit less furious, =aion might have recogniBed why the song had

crystalliBed all the resentment and discontent@the disappointment@he>d labored under since$ahBell>s arrival. $ut he wasn>t that one bit less furious, and he was disappointed. 0t wasn>t

something he>d put into so many words for himself. 0ndeed, it was something he would not@ could not@ allow himself to put into words, even in the privacy of his own mind. $ut deep

inside he knew, whatever he could or could not admit to himself, that he>d been betrayed. $y

choosing someone like $ahBell as :is champion, the #ar ?od had broken faith with =aion

of Almerhas. $y forcing him to acknowledge the paramount authority of someone not fit tokeep the 'arl of Truehelm>s swine, TomanMk mocked thirty generations of the :ouse of

Almerhas.$ut since =aion could not permit himself to blame the ?od, there was only one person he

could blame, and he ground his teeth still harder as he stalked down the passage towards hissmall, spartan chamber. :e fought his rage as he might have fought a servant of the !ark, for

even in his fury he knew a knight of the %rder should never feel such things. $ut he was onlyhuman, and he was very young, and his fight against it only made it stronger as humiliation at

his inability to vanEuish it coiled within him.And then he turned a corner without looking and staggered back with an 5o*1D of shock

as he ran full3tilt into someone coming the other way and almost fell.our pardon,D he began stiffly, catching his balance somehow and managing to keep his

feet, 0@D

$ut then he saw the one he was addressing, and the words died on his tongue.

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-o matter, lad,D $ahBell said comfortably. The passage isn>t overwide, and 0>m one astakes up a goodly bit of any road. o@D

!on>t patroniBe meFD =aion snapped.'ven as the words burst from him, he knew he was in the wrong. uch discourtesy was

worse than wrong, for it violated his oath to the %rder. :e was a knight3 probationer , not even

a full knight3companion, and this man was a champion. $ut it didn>t matter. %r, rather, it did

matter . . . and there was nothing he could do about it. $etrayal and fury blaBed in his blueeyes, and he saw the hradani>s normally mild gaBe harden, saw the ears fold back and the

right hand steal to the hilt of the dagger at his belt, and he didn>t care.0 wasn>t after JpatroniBing> anyone, ir =aion.D The deep, bass rumble was hard, anger

grumbling in its depths like boulders coming down a cliff, and the bright, hungry flicker in$ahBell>s eyes would have warned another hradani of ust how deep was the danger in which

he stood. $ut =aion was human, not hradani, and he had never seen a hradani in the grip of the age. :e had no concept of what he faced in that moment, yet despite his own fury he

recogniBed, however imperfectly, the control $ahBell e(erted over himself.et that only made it worse, for $ahBell spoke as a grown man should speak, and all

=aion heard was an adult rebuking an enraged, spoiled child by e(ample.

%h, yes you wereFD he spat, unable to contain the hurricane of emotions whirling withinhim. #ell, 0 don>t need your Junderstanding,> hradani1 0 don>t need anything from you, or

your stinking clan, or@D

6ai"on1DThe whipcrack authority of that single word cut through =aion>s white3hot tirade like a

knife, and he froBe. 7or one dreadful instant the entire universe seemed to hold its breath,unmoving, waiting, paralyBed between one moment and the ne(t. $ut then that illusory

eternity ended . . . and the reality was worse than the illusion. 7ar worse.0 find you discourteous, ir =aion,D the voice behind him continued, colder than a

=onderland winter and sharper than a !warvenhame blade. ou forget yourself and thehonor due a champion of our ?od, and in the doing, you insult :im #hom we serve with

blade and blood and soul.D0>m thinking it was naught but@D $ahBell began.

&eace, "ilord Champion.D Charrow>s voice was respectful but harder than iron. 7or once,there was no hint of deference in it as the master of the $elhadan chapter asserted his

authority, and $ahBell shut his own mouth, then drew a deep breath and erked his head in an

unhappy nod.

#ell, ir =aionID ir Charrow turned back to the knight3probationer. :ave youanything to say for yourselfID

0@D =aion swallowed and made himself face the older man. The mentor, he realiBed inthat moment, whom he respected most in all the world . . . and whom he had ust failed. $ut

not even that realiBation could Euench the outrage blaBing at his core, and he stared at ir Charrow, trapped between obedience, shame, and the fury which would not release him.

0 asked a Euestion, ir Nnight,D Charrow said very, very Euietly, and =aion>s anger burstup afresh.

#hyID he demanded bitterly. #hatever 0 say will be wrong , won>t itI :e>s a championof the %rder, isn>t heI Anything he does is right, and whatever I do is wrongFD

Charrow blinked at the raw anguish =aion>s rage could no longer disguise, and a part of him went out to the younger man. et only a part, for what he heard from =aion was the hurt

and anger of a child, and no knight3probationer of TomanMk was a child. :e looked at =aion

pityingly for a moment, but then his face hardened.

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ou@D he began, but =aion had whirled away from him to $ahBell.&ou1D he snapped. &ou're the one who insults the ?odF our very presence is an insult to

himFD :e glared up at the hradani, taloned hands half outstretched, panting like a man at thelimit of his endurance. #hat can you know of what the ?od demands of :is warriors,

hradani -one of your accursed kind have ever served the 6ight@it was you who brought

the !ark to power in NontovarF !id &hrobus send you to ape the part of a championI Are you

here to give Nor*ressa to the !ark, as wellIDir Charrow froBe, a deathly hush seemed to spread to fill the chapter house, and =aion

went parchment white as he realiBed what he>d said. :e stood there, feeling his entire lifecrashing down about him, and he couldn>t move even when Charrow reached out and,

without a word, unbuckled the belt which supported his sword and dagger.ou have disgraced yourself and the %rder,D the older man grated in a voice like

crumbling granite, and we take back the weapons you bore in the ?od>s name.D=aion>s hands moved in small, hopeless arcs, as if they longed@needed@to snatch back

the blades ir Charrow had taken. $ut they couldn>t, and horror filled his eyes.The commandery shall be summoned to determine your fate,D Charrow went on. ou

will be udged before the brethren you have dishonored, and@D

Oust one moment, ir Charrow.D The knight3captain looked up Euickly as a voice colder than a dagger>s kiss interrupted him. ir =aion turned more slowly, like a poorly managed

puppet, and $ahBell bared his teeth in an icy smile that belonged on something from the

depths of a ?houl "oor winter.es, "ilord ChampionID Charrow spoke with the same formality, but there was a worried

crease between his brows as he tried to interpret $ahBell>s e(pression, for no more than=aion had he ever seen the age in a hradani>s eyes. There was anger in those eyes, that

much the chapter master knew, but there was something else, as well. A deep, terriblesomething@a fusion of cruelty colder than =onderland>s ice and a dark passion crackling like

heat from an opened furnace door@that reached out for all about $ahBell with talons of freeBing flame.

0>m thinking as how the insult was after being to me, not to your brethren,D he rumbled.To you, and through you to the ?od :imself,D ir Charrow agreed, but it was offered by

a member of the %rder, and so the dishonor is to us.DAs to that, himself can be taking care of his own insults, and 0>m not so very interested in

the dishonor,D the hradani said in a voice of chill iron, and hardened warrior though he was,

ir Charrow felt himself shudder as the hungry smile that reached out almost lovingly to

=aion drove a sliver of terror deep into him. ou>ve the right of it in that much, my lad,Dthe :orse tealer told the paralyBed young knight, for 0>m naught but what you see before

you. %ld TomanMk >d split his guts with laughter, like enough, if 0 was to go about callingmyself Jir This> or JChampion That,> and my family tree>s not nearly so pretty as some, 0>ll

wager. $ut it>s me you>ve made your tongue so free of@not ir Charrow, not the %rder, ustme, $ahBell $ahnakson. And so 0>m thinking it>s me you should be after answering to, not

your brethren.D"ilord, you can>t@D Charrow began in a Euick, urgent voice, but a raised hand cut him

off, and $ahBell>s deadly eyes froBe him into silence.ou>ve been after calling me a champion of TomanMk for days now,D he said flatly. Am 0

suchID Charrow nodded helplessly, and $ahBell bared his teeth again. And would it happena champion has the right to administer his own understanding of cale3$alancer>s usticeID

Charrow nodded once more. And would that ustice be like to supersede your

commandery>sID Charrow had no choice but to nod yet again, and $ahBell nodded back, then

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erked his chin at =aion.0n that case, you>d best be giving yonder lordling back his weapons, ir Charrow, for

he>ll need them come morning.D:e turned that blood3freeBing smile directly upon =aion, and his hungry voice was soft as

serpent scales on stone.

ou>ve plenty to say about barbarians and hradani and servants of the !ark, =aion of

Almerhas. #ell, come morning, here>s one barbarian will show you what hradani truly are.D

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C:A&T' 70='

ir =aion did not spend a restful night.

0n fairness, his insomnia owed little to fear. -ever having lost in the last eight strenuous,

often brutal, years of training, he simply could not conceive of losing now, to anyone, yetthere was more to it than simple self3confidence could e(plain. !espite the unforgivable

actions he knew his fury had betrayed him into committing, he was a knight of TomanMk who

had sworn obedience to the %rder and to those set to command him. -ow he was foresworn,disbarred in his own eyes, as well as his fellows>, from their ranks, and he knew that, as well.

et whatever failings $ahBell $ahnakson might have as a champion of TomanMk , andwhether he realiBed it or not, he had given ir =aion an opportunity to reverse that udgment

by making their confrontation what was, for all intents and purposes, a trial at arms to be udged by TomanMk :imself.

0t was a trial ir =aion did not intend to lose, yet he found he could not approach it as hehad any other contest under arms. -ot because he doubted his own prowess, but because

deep inside, some little piece of him whispered that he ought to lose. :ard as he might try, he

could find no e(cuse for his conduct. ir Charrow was rightK he had disgraced himself andthe %rder. A defiant part of his heart might still cry out in bitter disillusionment that TomanMk had no right to waste such honor on a barbarian, but even granting that, a true knight had no

e(cuse for such behavior. And so, even as the thought of besting the hradani and proving

$ahBell had no right to the position he claimed filled him with a fiery determination, he could

not escape the unhappy suspicion@small and faint, but damnably persistent@that perhapsthis time he did not deserve to win.

At first, as he watched that night beside his weapons, he pushed away any thought of defeat whenever it surfaced. 0nstead, he filled his mind with memories of how $ahBell had

transgressed, of how the hradani>s mere presence filled him with fury, and promised himself that the morrow would see all his anger and betrayal assuaged. $ut as the night crept slowly,

slowly past, he made himself look the possibility that he might lose in the eye, and he was 3almost surprised by what he saw there, for $ahBell had made it a trial at arms. 0f =aion lost,

he would probably die. :e was too young to truly believe that, though he recogniBed the possibility in an intellectual sort of way, but the thought that if he did lose he would at least

have been punished for his actions was obscurely comforting. :e fully intended to emergevictorious and thus e(punge the stain of those acts, yet defeat would erase them in another

fashion, and the deep and abiding devotion to TomanMk which had first brought him to the

%rder was glad that it would be so.

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Ah, you>re not actually planning to, well@ID $randark paused delicately and cocked histruncated ear at $ahBell as his friend buckled the straps oining his breast and back plates and

adusted them carefully.To whatID the huge :orse tealer demanded, not looking up from his task.

0 realiBe =aion is a pain in the arse,D $randark replied somewhat indirectly, and there>ve

been times enough when I wanted to put him out of my misery. $ut 0 was only wondering

e(actly what you intended to do to him this morning.D J!o to him,> is it nowID $ahBell finished fiddling with the last strap and looked up at last,

and his deep voice rumbled derisively. urely you>ve been after hearing the same as me,$randark, my lad. on =aion is TomanMk>s own gift to mortals with sword or lanceF #hy,

he>s after being downright invincible, and my heart>s all aflutter with terror of him.D The:orse tealer>s smile was cold enough to confirm the suspicions ir Charrow>s obliEue

Euestions had awakened in $randark, and he began to feel true alarm.-ow let>s not do anything hasty, $ahBell. -o one could deny you>ve got every right to be

angry, but he>s only a youngster, and one who>s been spoiled rotten, to boot. 0t>s plain as thenose on your face@or my face, for that matter@no one ever told him@D

0t>s too late to tell me such as that, $randark,D $ahBell said, lifting his sword down from

the wall rack and slinging the baldric over his shoulder, and his voice was so grim $randark frowned. And =aion>s no Jyoungster,> D the :orse tealer added even more grimly. :e>s as

old for his folk as either of us is after being for ours, and a belted knight, to boot. #ell, he>s

always after yammering about knightly this and knightly that and chivalric the other, and thewhole time he>s sulking like a spoiled brat, and 0>m thinking it>s past time he was after

finding out ust what all that means. Aye, him and all the other nose3lifters minded to think like him.D

$ut@D $randark began once more, then closed his mouth with a click at $ahBell>sglower.

ir Charrow "alakhai wrapped his cloak about himself and tried to hide his gnawing

worry as he stood waiting in the center of the huge, echoing salle. The training room>s floor had been covered with fresh sawdust, and the scent of it filled his nose with a resinous

richness, spiced with the tang of coal smoke from the fires seething in the huge hearths ateither end of the room.

"ost northern chapters of the chivalric orders had salles like this one, and the weather

raging outside the thick walls reminded Charrow of why that was. $lasts of wind rattled the

skylights which admitted the gray, cold light of a snow3laced morning, and despite the fires,his breath was a thin mist before him. %utdoor weapons training in such weather was out of

the Euestion, although he supposed one could always teach courses in how to survive under bliBBard conditions. $ut this morning the training salle would serve another, grimmer

purpose, and he sighed as he checked the lighting once more.:uge lanterns burned before brightly polished reflectors, filling the cavernous room with

light that would be fair to both parties, and with the sole e(ception of those assigned to dutyas door wardens, every member of the chapter currently in $elhadan had gathered as

witnesses. Nnights, sEuires, and lay3brothers alike, they packed the trestle benches set updown the long sides of the salle with a sea of green tunics and surcoats, and that sea stirred

restlessly as whispered conversations rustled across its surface. ir Charrow glanced at them,and his brown eyes hardened as they rested on the knot filling the center of the front two

benches along the west wall. ir orhus and ir Adiskael were the focus of that knot and, if

truth be told, Charrow was far more furious with them than he was with =aion.

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=aion was an arrogant, willful child whose father should have spent more time tanning his posterior than spoiling him with gifts . . . or filling his head with nonsense about his family>s

incomparable lineage. :e shouldn>t be@not at this stage of his life@but he was, and todayhe would pay for it. orhus and Adiskael were senior members of the %rder, both in their late

thirties, who had served TomanMk well in the field. That gave them a responsibility to lead by

e(ample, yet they were as disgusted as =aion himself by the notion of a hradani

champion . . . and neither was as straightforward as he about it.0n every way that counted, the pair of them were far more dangerous to $ahBell than

=aion could ever be, but ir Charrow had been slow to recogniBe that, and he wondered if the hradani realiBed it even now.

The %rder of TomanMk had fewer factional struggles than most chivalric orders, yet thesort of people who>d chosen to sit with orhus and Adiskael had alerted Charrow to a

problem he hadn>t realiBed he had. %ne which might cut deep into the bone and muscle of the$elhadan chapter. The knights3commander weren>t arrogant. They didn>t see $ahBell>s

elevation to the status of champion as an insult to their personal honor. $ut they felt ust as betrayed as =aion, for they were Bealots who hated and despised hradani, and ir Charrow

hadn>t even guessed they felt that way.

et now that his eyes had been opened, the knight3captain wondered how he could possibly have missed it before. &erhaps it had grown so gradually that no one would have

noticed it, or perhaps he>d been unwilling to see it. That didn>t really matter now. #hat

mattered was that it had happened . . . and that the %rder of Toman k simply could not

tolerate the bigotry some ecclesiastic orders put up with. The %rder>s impartial devotion to

truth and its even3handed administration of ustice must be forever above Euestion. That waswhat made orhus and Adiskael so dangerous. They hadn>t shouted their disgust openly, as

=aion had. 0nstead, they had used soft words@words Charrow could not believe they hadchosen accidentally@to hammer home suspicion of $ahBell with a smooth rationality that

was almost seductive.=aion>s firebrand fury only made those softer words sound even more reasonable. 0ndeed,

Charrow felt grimly confident that the older knights had deliberately encouraged his rage,and that willingness to twist and manipulate in the name of their own preudices made them

and the half3doBen others who sat with them a cancer at the %rder>s heart. 0t attacked the veryessence of their calling to open3minded, honest e(amination of the facts in any dispute, even

among themselves, and Charrow felt a fresh stab of worry as he wondered how he was going

to deal with the problem they represented. That he would deal with it was a given@the %rder

of Toman k did not choose chapter masters who shrank from their duties@but he was

honest enough to admit he dreaded it.

5* course I do- he told himself impatiently. What sane person wouldn't- especially with the support they seem to en"oy ut at least my eyes have been opened to the *act that I must

deal with it- and *or that I thank $oman%k . . . and ah!ell.:is mouth Euirked. The %rder>s histories said champions had a way of bringing things to a

head and that they tended to arrive for that very purpose at the times one least e(pected them, but he rather doubted $ahBell $ahnakson regarded himself in that light. $ut then his half3

smile faded, and he shivered as he remembered the hunger which had echoed in the :orsetealer>s ice3cold promise to show =aion what hradani truly are.D

7or all the young knight3probationer>s flaws, and Toman k knew they were legion,

Charrow loved him. :e sometimes wondered if that was why =aion had failed to overcome

those flaws. :ad Charrow, as his mentor, taken the wrong approachI hould he have

accepted that it was time someone beat some sense into that handsome, golden3haired head

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rather than persist in his efforts to show =aion the wayI et there had been something elseabout the youngster, from the moment Charrow first laid eyes upon him. There truly was a

strength and power inside him, hidden by the spoiled demeanor and choked in a thornythicket of arrogance. Charrow had wanted to save that power, to awaken =aion to the

potential he represented and train him in its use, and so, perhaps, he had let things go too far,

spent too long trying to repair the weak spots in an imperfect vessel rather than hammering

that vessel with the flail of discipline to see if it was strong enough to withstand the blowsreEuired to mend its flaws. :ad@

:is thoughts broke off as $ahBell and $randark strode through the door in the center of thenorth wall. The $loody word looked an(ious, as if he were less concerned by how the trial

might end than by the conseEuences of that end, but $ahBell>s face might have been forged of iron. :e wore no e(pression at all as he halted, helmet in the crook of his right arm, kite3

shaped shield on his left. The hilt of his sword thrust up over his shoulder, and even orhusand Adiskael and their cronies hushed their murmured conversations as the lantern light fell

upon him.even and a half feet tall he stood, as broad and hard looking as the mountains in which

$elhadan had her roots, and his brown eyes were cold. !anger clung to him like winter fog

and, despite himself, Charrow swallowed. :e had never faced hradani in battleK now, lookingupon $ahBell $ahnakson, he realiBed how fortunate he had been.

Another door opened, this one in the salle>s southern wall, and =aion stepped through it.

6ike $ahBell, he was bareheaded, carrying his helmet, but there the similarities ended.$ahBell was grim and still, a towering cliff of plain, burnished steel and the muted tones of

leather harness, but =aion glittered like the #ar ?od :imself. ilver3washed chain flickeredin the lantern light, silk and gems and blinding white leather added their magnificence to his

presence, and his golden hair shone like a prince>s crown. :e was a foot shorter than his foe, but he moved with catlike grace, and if $ahBell>s eyes were cold, his blaBed with

determination.A fresh mutter went up, and Charrow>s stomach tightened as he heard it. 0t came from

orhus and Adiskael>s followers, and it carried the unmistakable echo of approval for =aion>s cause.

$ut he had little time to think about that as =aion strode towards $ahBell, and hestraightened his own spine as they approached him. -ormally, there would have been at least

two referees to serve as score keepersK today there were none, for this was no training

e(ercise. The combatants were not armed with the blunted weapons of practice, and their

scores would be kept only in the wounds they wreaked upon one another.$ahBell and =aion stopped with a perfectly matched timing which could not have been

intentional, each precisely one pace short of Charrow, and he looked back and forth betweenthem. ;nder any other circumstances, it would have been his duty to attempt to dissuade

them from combat even now, but $ahBell had made that impossible. The huge hradani whohad been so reluctant to e(ert his prerogatives had never even hesitated this time, and he was

right. A champion>s authority did supersede even that of the %rder>s commandery. :e, and healone, could avert this confrontation, and his cold e(pression said all too clearly that he had

no intention of averting it. And so Charrow made no effort to remind them of their brotherhood within the %rder or to beg them to reconcile. :e only cleared his throat sadly,

then made his voice come out as clear and calm as he could.$rothers of the %rder, you are here to meet under arms,D he told them simply. "ay

TomanMk udge rightly in the Euarrel between you.D

:e took one step backwards, turned, and walked to the high3backed chair which awaited

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him. :e seated himself in it and watched as $ahBell and =aion nodded coldly to one another and donned their helmets. Then steel whispered as they drew their blades, and he waited one

more moment, as if engraving the tableau before him on his memory.=aion>s longsword gleamed in his hand, and not even the gems which crusted its hilt

could hide its lethality. 0t was a beautiful bauble, yes, yet it was the work of a master

swordsmith, as well, a yard3long tongue of steel, as deadly as it was gorgeous, and sharp

enough to slice the wind itself.$ahBell>s sword boasted no such decorations. 0ts blade was two feet longer, but it was a

plain, utilitarian weapon whose only beauty lay in the perfection of its function. The hradaniheld it one3handed, without so much as a wrist tremor to indicate its massive weight, yet

=aion>s body language was assured. :is weapon might be shorter, but it was also far lighter.0t would be Euicker and handier, and he was clearly confident in his own prowess and the

speed of his own refle(es.7or an instant longer ir Charrow watched them, and then he said one last word.

$egin.D

$ahBell stood motionless, eyes glittering on either side of his open3faced helm>s nasal bar,

and the right side of his mouth drew up in a dangerous smile. :e felt the age flicker in thecorners of his soul, trying to rouse and take control, and he ground an inner heel down upon

it. :e had felt it, known he hovered on the brink of an instant and lethal e(plosion when

=aion insulted him, and even now he felt the hot blood hunger calling to him. 0t would tasteso sweet to yield himself to it. To call upon it to smash and rend the personification of all the

insults and hatred he had felt from those who should have been his brothers. He had never asked them to become such. 0t was their own code, their own precious %rder, which insisted

that they should have, and somehow that had made their abhorrence cut even deeper. -ow hehad not simply the opportunity but the e(cuse to repay them all, and the age cried out to

him, demanding that he set it free to do ust that. $ut deeply as he longed to do ust that,$ahBell $ahnakson refused to give himself to it this day. 0t was hard to fight the terrible need,

the hunger@harder than any human could ever have suspected@and it took every ounce of discipline he possessed, yet he had no choice but to fight it. The outcome of this fight was too

important for anything else.Then =aion uncoiled in a lightning3fast attack. The blow came without warning, in a light3

silvered blur of steel with absolutely no clue of changing e(pression or tensing muscles to

alert its victim, and $ahBell felt a distant flicker of admiration for =aion>s trainers. 0t took

years of harsh, unremitting practice to teach one>s self to launch an attack in deadly earnestwithout betraying one>s intention.

$ut $ahBell had been trained in an eEually unforgiving school, and his brown eyes didn>teven flicker as his right hand moved. :is five3foot blade would have been a two3handed

weapon for any human, but $ahBell wielded it as lightly as a othSii sabre. teel belledfuriously as he met the attack blade to blade, without even bothering to interpose his shield,

and he sensed =aion>s shock at the speed of his parry.The human fell back a step, eyes narrowed behind the slit of his helm, but $ahBell only

stood there, still smiling that small, cold smile. :is ears twitched derisively, and his refusal tofollow =aion up mocked the young knight, eering at him as $ahBell displayed his own

confidence. And then the :orse tealer>s shield made a small beckoning motion. 0t was a tinything, as much sensed as seen, yet it struck =aion like a lash. 0t dismissed him, dared him to

do his worst, and he snarled as he accepted the challenge.

et for all its fury, his rage was not enough to betray his training. 0nstead, he drew upon

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the power of his anger, forcing it to serve rather then rule him. :e came at $ahBell perfectly balanced, with a speed and brilliance which made more than one of the veteran warriors

watching him hiss in appreciation. Three strides he took, with a dancer>s grace, longswordlicking out with viperish speed, and his shield was another weapon, not merely a passive

defense. 0t slammed into $ahBell>s shield like a battering ram, backed by all the power of

=aion>s hard3trained, powerful weight, and the sound of collision was a sharp, ear3shocking

(rack1"any of those watching had seen =aion launch the same attack in training. 0t had never

failed when e(ecuted properly . . . and =aion had never e(ecuted it any other way. 0t came inat precisely the correct angle, and it should have smashed $ahBell>s shield to the side,

battered him sideways, opened the way to his body for =aion>s blade even as it staggeredhim and drove his weight back on his heels.

$ut $ahBell wasn>t staggered. :e didn>t even seem to shift balance. :e simply took =aion>s full weight, and all the momentum of his charge, and absorbed it. 0t was =aion who

bounced, eyes wide in disbelief, as $ahBell twisted his arm and tossed their locked shields@ and =aion@aside so that his stroke went wide . . . and left him wide open for the hradani>s

riposte.

omeone in the watching audience bit off a shocked shout as $ahBell>s blade flicked outalmost negligently. The blow seemed effortless, almost gentle, but it sounded like an a(e in

seasoned oak as it landed, and =aion staggered back another stride as $ahBell lopped a huge

chunk from the side of his shield.The younger man tried to gather himself, regain his balance, but $ahBell wouldn>t let him.

The hradani stood motionless no longer, and =aion felt a totally unfamiliar surge of panic. 0twasn>t *ear , really, for there wasn>t time for it to become that. 0t was surprise@disbelief and

even shock@that anyone the :orse tealer>s siBe could move so Euickly, coupled with thefeeling that he himself had somehow been mired in Euicksand. :uge as he was, $ahBell

moved like a dire cat, with a deadly precision whose like =aion had never beforeencountered. :is huge sword sang, impossibly Euick, lashing out as if it weighed no more

than a walking stick as he *licked the blade in strokes that looked effortless even as every oneof them carved yet another chunk out of =aion>s shield.

%ther knights came to their feet as =aion reeled back, mercilessly driven by hisunrelenting foe, and ir Charrow watched in a disbelief as great as that any of his brother

knights felt. $ahBell wasn>t attacking =aion directly. :e was attacking =aion>s shield ,

ignoring openings to the other>s body, using that huge sword like a hammer to batter the

smaller, slighter human back and back and yet further back. :e all but ignored =aion>ssword, as well, using his own shield with almost contemptuous ease to brush aside the few,

desperate attacks the younger man managed to launch.0f it was hard for the rest of the chapter to believe, it was even harder for =aion. :e>d

never e(perienced anything like it, never imagined an attack like this was possible. No onecould maintain that furious, driving rhythm@not with something as massive and clumsy as a

two3handed swordF $ahBell had to tire, had to slow, had to lose his cadence and give him atleast an instant to regain his balanceF

$ut that tree trunk arm didn't tire . . . and it didn>t slow. =aion tried to twist his body, triedto set himself and thrust $ahBell back, and it didn>t work. Then he tried to fall back faster

than $ahBell could follow, tried to get outside the other>s reach, open the range at leastenough to rob the hradani>s blows of their power, and that didn>t work, either. $ahBell had

too much reach advantage, and he seemed to sense =aion>s moves even before the human

attempted them. :e followed up, hacking, hacking, hacking at =aion>s shield, and splinters

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flew as that merciless blade reduced it to wreckage.=aion panted for breath, too astonished by the boundless power of $ahBell>s attack to feel

fear even now, but it was obvious to every watcher that he was totally at the hradani>s mercy.$ahBell was toying with him as he drove him back in a staggering, lurching parody of his

normal, tigerish grace. The hradani battered the younger man back until =aion>s heel caught

on the hearth at the southern end of salle. The golden3haired knight staggered for balance,

half3falling, and a deep, rustling sigh went up from the audience as he faltered, e(posinghimself for $ahBell>s coup3de3grace.

$ut $ahBell didn>t deliver it. 0nstead the hradani stepped back with a deep, booming laugh.The mockery in it cut like a lash, and =aion>s half3strangled gasp for breath was also a sob of

rage and shame as he hurled himself forward once more behind his shattered shield. The tipof his blade came up, thrusting murderously for $ahBell>s e(posed face, but the hradani>s

shield slammed the sword@and swordsman@aside. =aion bounced back from the blow andwent half3way to one knee, and this time $ahBell was on him in an instant.

The hradani wasted no more time driving his enemy about the salle. :e had only one purpose now, and ir Charrow felt himself froBen motionless in his chair as $ahBell

$ahnakson of the :orse tealer hradani gave the $elhadan chapter of the %rder of TomanMk

a merciless lesson in who and what he was. A single savage blow smashed what remained of =aion>s shield into dangling wreckage, hanging from his shield arm to entangle and hinder

without affording the least protection. =aion fought to interpose his longsword, but $ahBell>s

blade crashed down upon it, and steel rang like an anvil. The younger man went all the waydown on his right knee, and $ahBell struck again, twisting in with brutal, side3armed power.

teel belled and clangored again, like harsh, e(plosive music ugly with hate, and =aion>ssword flew through the air, spinning end3over3end. 0t landed in the sawdust fifteen feet away,

and ir Charrow lunged to his feet at last as $ahBell>s sword came down yet again.et the knight3captain>s shout of protest died unspoken. =aion was defenseless, and the

hradani would have been completely within his rights to finish him once and for all. $utinstead, the massive sword came in from the side, the flat of the blade striking =aion>s shield

arm like a blacksmith>s sledge, and the knight3probationer cried out. :is mail sleeve could blunt that blowK it couldn>t stop it, and his forearm snapped like a dry branch. And then

$ahBell struck yet again, and =aion cried out once more as his sword arm broke as well. :eslumped fully to his knees, both arms broken, crouching at $ahBell>s feet, and the hradani

stretched out his sword once more@gently this time, with the precision of a surgeon@until

its lancet tip rested precisely against his plate gorget.

#ell now, ir =aion of Almerhas,D a voice rumbled. 0t was deep and steady, unwindedand coldly mocking. 0>m thinking 0 promised to show you what hradani truly are, but it>s in

my mind as how you>re not overpleased with the lesson. till, there>s little need for me to beafter showing you, for you already know, don>t you nowI Aye, it>s a rare, bloodthirsty lot my

people are, so 0>m thinking there no reason at all, at all, why 0 shouldn>t be pushing this @Dmetal grated with a small, tooth3clenching sEueal as he twisted his wrist, grinding the tip of

his blade against =aion>s gorget @right through your arrogant throat, now is thereID=aion stifled a whimper@of pain, not for mercy@and gaBed up along the glittering edge

of the five3foot blade resting against his throat. Absolute silence hovered in the salle, and fear flickered in his blue eyes at last. That fear was made only sharper and deeper by the fact that

he>d never truly e(pected to feel it, yet he refused to beg, and $ahBell smiled. 0t was a grimsmile, but there was a hint of approval in it, and he eased the pressure on his sword.

till and all,D he said Euietly, it might ust be you>ve a thing or two to learn yet, =aion of

Almerhas, and not about hradani alone. 0>m thinking himself can>t be feeling any too pleased

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with you ust now, for 0>ve yet to meet a more conceited, miserable e(cuse for one of hisknights.D

=aion felt his face go scarlet within the concealment of his helm, despite the shock and pain of his broken arms, as that deep, rumbling voice hammered spikes of shame into him.

They hurt even more than shattered bone, those spikes, for they were completely deserved,

and he knew it.

0f 0 were wanting your life, my lad, 0>d already have had it,D $ahBell told him almostcompassionately, but for all you>ve worked yourself into a right sorry position ust now with

me and with himself, as well, you>ve some steel in your spine and some gravel in your gullet.Aye, and 0 doubt you>ve ever had a conniving thought in your life@unlike some.D The

hradani let his eyes rest briefly on ir orhus of $elhadan>s strained face, then looked back down at =aion. 0t>s a pity, perhaps, that you>ve so much bone in your skull to go with the

steel, but 0>ve been known to be a mite stubborn myself, from time to time. 0>ve a notionhimself would think it a bit harsh to be taking someone>s head ust because he>s acted the

fool, however well he was after doing it. o tell me, =aion of Almerhas, would it be thatyou>re minded to be ust a mite more open3minded about who himself can be choosing as his

championsID

0@D =aion bit his lip until he tasted blood, then sucked in a huge lungful of air and madehimself nod. es, "ilord Champion,D he said, his voice loud and clear enough to carry to

every corner of the salle despite his shame and the waves of pain flooding through his arms.

our skill at arms has vanEuished me, yet your mercy has spared my life,D the youngknight forced himself to go on, proving both your prowess and your right to the honor to

which the ?od has called you.D :e paused, and then continued levelly. "ore, you havereminded me of what 0 chose in my arrogance to forget or ignore, "ilord. TomanMk alone

udges who among :is servants are fit to be :is champions, not we who serve :im. ir Charrow sought to teach me that. To my shame, 0 refused to learn it of his gentleness, but

even the most vain and foolish knight can learn when the lesson is tailored properly to hisneeds, "ilord Champion.D

:is pain3tightened mouth Euirked a wry smile within his helm, and $ahBell withdrew hissword entirely.

Aye, well as to that, lad,D he said with a ghost of a laugh, you>d not believe what it took for my father to hammer a lesson into my own head when 0>d the bit between my teeth. 0>d

not want to say 0 was stubborn, you understand, but@D

$ut I would,D another voice interrupted, and =aion of Almerhas> eyes went huge and

round as another armed and armored figure flicked suddenly into e(istence behind $ahBell.The newcomer stood at least ten feet tall, brown haired and brown eyed, with a sword on his

back and a mace at his belt, and the deep, bass thunder of his words made even $ahBell>s powerful voice sound light as a child>s.

ir Charrow went instantly to one knee, followed ust as Euickly by every other person inthe salle. All but one, for as the others knelt before the power and maesty of TomanMk %rfro,

word of 6ight and Oudge of &rinces, $ahBell turned to face him with a EuiBBical e(pressionand cocked ears.

#ould you, nowID he said, and more than one witness Euailed in terror as he stoodsEuare3shouldered to face his god.

0 would,D TomanMk told him with a smile, and 0 feel Euite confident your father wouldagree with me. hall we ask himID

0>m thinking 0>d ust as soon not be bothering him, if it>s all the same to you,D $ahBell

replied with dignity, and TomanMk laughed. The sound shook the salle with its power and

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pressed against those who heard it like a storm, and he shook his head.0 see you>ve learned some discretion,D he said, and looked down at =aion. The Euestion,

my knight,D he said more softly, is whether or not you have.D0 . . . 0 hope so, 6ord.D =aion had no idea where he>d found the strength to whisper those

words, for as his god>s brown eyes burned into him, they completed the destruction of the

arrogance $ahBell had humbled at last. :e was naked before those eyes, his soul e(posed to

the terrible power of their knowledge, for they belonged to the ?od of Oustice and of Truth,and their power unmasked all the petty conceits and pompous self3importance which had

once seemed so important for what they truly were.et there was a strange mercy in that searing moment of self3revelation. :e didn>t even

feel shame, for there was too vast a gulf between himself and the power of the being behindthose eyes, and if no secret cranny of his soul was beyond their reach, then neither did they

conceal their essence from him. :e was aware of his abasement, of the countless ways inwhich he had fallen short of the standards TomanMk demanded of his sworn followers, yet he

also felt TomanMk>s willingness to grant him a fresh start. -ot to forgive him, but to allowhim to forgive himsel* and prove he could learn, that he could become worthy of the god he

had always longed to serve.

And as that awareness flowed through him, =aion of Almerhas saw at last the link between TomanMk and $ahBell $ahnakson. They were akin, the champion and his god, oined

on some deep, profound level which =aion glimpsed only faintly even now. 0t was as if a

flicker of TomanMk was ine(tricably bound up with $ahBell>s soul, an indivisible part of him,muted and filtered through the hradani into something mere mortals could trust and follow.

omeone in whom they could see a standard to which they might actually aspire, a mirror and an inspiration which shared their own mortality. And that, =aion realiBed suddenly, was

what truly made a champion. The dauntless will and stubborn determination which stoppedshort of his own shallow arrogance@which was almost humble in admitting its limitations

yet had the tempered3steel courage of its convictions within those limitations@and thestrength to endure an intimacy with the power of godhood few mortals could even imagine. 0t

wasn>t anything $ahBell did K it was who and what he was. 0n that moment =aion knew hesaw the myriad connections and cross3connections between champion and deity far more

clearly than $ahBell himself ever would, and in seeing them, understood why $ahBell greetedTomanMk upon his feet, not his knees, and the profound respect which underlay his apparent

insouciance.

es, 0 think you have learned, =aion,D TomanMk told him after a moment. 0t was a hard

lesson, but the ones which cut deepest are always hardest, and there is no resentment in your heart.D =aion blinked, amaBed to realiBe that was true, and TomanMk smiled at him. o

you>ve learned the entire lesson, not ust the easy part, my knight. ?oodFD Another laugh, thisone softer and gentler but no less powerful, rumbled through the salle. 0>m pleased, =aion.

&erhaps now you>ll finally start living up to the potential Charrow always saw within you.D0>ll try, 6ord,D =aion said with unwonted humility.

0>m sure you will . . . and that you>ll backslide from time to time,D TomanMk said. $ut,then, even my champions backslide at times, don't they, $ahBellID

A mite, perhaps. -ow and then,D $ahBell conceded.:mm.D TomanMk gaBed down at his champion for a moment, then nodded. 0t seems to

me that =aion will need a proper e(ample to keep him from losing any of the ground he>sgained,D he observed, and having someone to be an e(ample to might ust keep you from

getting carried away with your own enthusiasm, $ahBell. o perhaps 0 should entrust =aion

to your keeping@as your trainee, as it were.D

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!on>t you get ust a little tired of all thatID $randark asked in a voice ust too soft for

anyone else to hear, and grinned at the deadly look $ahBell gave him. The two lay3brothers

who had stepped aside with bows of profound respect to let the two hradani pass fell behind,and the :orse tealer leaned close to his friend.

Aye, 0 do get a mite worn out with it,D he said eEually Euietly, and 0>m thinking as how

0>d ust as soon be working out my frustrations on someone.D%hI !id you have a specific someone in mindID

-o, that 0 didn>t . . . until ust now.D$randark chuckled but let the opening pass. :e was reasonably certain $ahBell was only

oking, but the :orse tealer>s e(asperation was real, and there were times it was more prudent not to prove or disprove a theory.

The deference the lay3brothers had ust shown had become the norm over the last twodays, and $ahBell found it even more difficult to deal with, in a very different way, than the

hostility which had preceded it. :ostility was something any hradani had no choice but to

learn how to cope with if he meant to travel among the other aces of "an. Admiration, awe,and near deification were something else entirely, and very few hradani had ever been offeredthe opportunity to deal with them.

et there was no avoiding them now. The knights of TomanMk knew all champions were

directly and personally chosen by their god. 0n $ahBell>s case, however, that was no mere

intellectual awareness. TomanMk :imself had manifested@ personally @to make :is choiceclear. #orse, from $ahBell>s perspective, :e had le*t once more . . . leaving $ahBell to take

the brunt of :is worshipers> religious awe. 'ven orhus and Adiskael@or, perhaps,especially orhus and Adiskael@had taken pains to make plain their allegiance to TomanMk

and $ahBell, in that order.Actually,D $randark went on as the two of them reached the larger Euarters to which

Charrow and "istress <uarelle had insisted upon transferring $ahBell following The=isitation,D as $randark had christened TomanMk>s appearance, the situation is an

improvement. "ind you, 0 can see where having everyone falling over themselves bowing toyou could get, um, bothersome, but it>s certainly better than worrying over who might want

to leave a dagger in your back some fine night.D:umphFD $ahBell snorted. :e shoved the door open and nodded $randark through it, and

the $loody word stopped short as ir =aion looked up from the breastplate he was

polishing.

?reetings, 6ord $randark,D the golden3haired knight said cheerfully, then looked at

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$ahBell. ?ood morning, "ilord Champion,D he said, and inclined his head in a small bow.0>m thinking as how 0 could shine that up myself, if it were after needing it. #hich it

isn>t,D $ahBell rumbled back with a hint of disapproval, and =aion shrugged.o you could, "ilord. $ut 0 had no other pressing duties, and 0 was taught that caring for

his master>s gear is a proper duty for any sEuire.D

EuireID $ahBell>s ears cocked and his eyebrows rose. 0>ve no memory of saying as how

0>d take on any s/uires.DThere was no need for you to,D =aion replied with a serenity $ahBell found very difficult,

even in the wake of divine intervention, to reconcile with the arrogantly superior pain in the backside he remembered. TomanMk assigned me :imself.D The young man allowed himself

a small smile. 'ven ir Charrow agreed with me about that, "ilord, when he authoriBed meto move my possessions to your chambers.D

#hen he whatD $ahBell blurted, but =aion only gave another of those serene nods andreturned to polishing the breastplate. The :orse tealer stared at him in disbelief, then shook

his head.-ow look here, lad,D he began in his most reasonable tone. 0>m willing

enough to admit himself had it in mind for me to be, well@D :e glanced at

$randark, and his discomfort kicked up another notch as his friend adopted a painfullyneutral e(pression, crossed to the hearth, and busied himself poking up the fire. $ahBell

glowered at his back for a moment, then looked back at =aion and made himself continue.

#ell, to be taking you under my wing, as you might say, until you>ve worked all that pompous fuss and feathers out of your head. $ut he never said a word at all, at all, about

JsEuires,> and 0>ve not the least tiniest notion how to go about having one, even if he hadFD0t>s not difficult, "ilord,D =aion assured him, running his cloth one last time over the

breastplate. Then he lifted the burnished steel, turning it under the light to inspect it, carried itto the armor tree, and hung it carefully with the rest of $ahBell>s mail. A sEuire looks after

his lord>s personal gear and horses. 0f they>re in the field, he looks after his lord>s tent andmeals, as well. 0n winter Euarters, he keeps his lord>s chamber neat and sees to his

appointments and any other minor tasks that need doing.D:e turned to smile at $ahBell, and the hradani crossed his arms.

And ust what is it he>s after getting in return for all this slavelike devotionID hedemanded.

#hy, his lord trains him, "ilord.D

:owID =aion>s smile turned into a faint frown of incomprehension, and $ahBell

shrugged. 0t>s new 0 am to championing, =aion, and 0>ve still less e(perience at anything todo with knights and knighthoods. ou>d best be remembering that when it comes time to

e(plain about such.D%f course, "ilord.D The young man@who, $ahBell suddenly realiBed, wore a plain,

utilitarian surcoat utterly devoid of gems or bullion embroidery@rubbed his chin for amoment, as if seeking e(actly the right words. The most important things a sEuire learns

from his lord, "ilord, are skill at arms and the proper deportment of a knight. As you bestedme with considerable ease, it seems painfully evident you have a great deal to teach me about

the former, and@D he blushed faintly @TomanMk :imself made it Euite plain you haveeven more to teach me about deportment. That>s why 0 feel :e intended me as your sEuire,

not ust a Jtrainee.> 0 would be honored far beyond my deserts to learn from you, and the performance of such duties as normally fall to a sEuire would seem far too little repayment

for my lessons.D

=aion>s Euiet sincerity took $ahBell aback. !espite everything, including TomanMk>s

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:orse tealer hradani, some of whom>d ust as soon cut your throat as look at you. 0>ll put ina word for you, you understand, but some of my folk . . . #ell, let>s ust say they>re after

thinking about humans like you were thinking about hradani. There>s some would look at allthat and think two or three times before deciding as how they>d want to be my friend, 0>m

thinkingFD

0>m sure there are, "ilord,D =aion agreed, and smiled. #hen do we leaveID

ou mean to whatD Charrow looked at $ahBell with the e(pression of a man who

devoutly hoped he>d misheard.0>ve dallied long enough,D $ahBell told the knight3captain with unwonted seriousness. :e

stood in the library, his back to the fire, and =aion stood Euietly in one corner. The master of the $elhadan Chapter had been careful to take no note of the way the young knight3

probationer>s finery had mutated into an echo of $ahBell>s utilitarian style. -or had he drawnattention to =aion>s new modesty of manner by praising it, although the smile he>d given his

long3recalcitrant protUgU had carried its own measure of approval. $ut $ahBell>s abruptannouncement of his impending departure had snapped Charrow>s attention away from

=aion in a heartbeat.

$ut . . . but it>s high winterFD he protested. And you>ve been here less than three weeksFThere>s so much we still have to tell you@and that you still have to tell usF And@D

:isht, nowFD $ahBell rumbled with a crooked grin. 0t>s in my mind that himself already

has what he was wanting out of my time here. This fine young lordling@D he erked his headat =aion and winked at the younger man @was after getting a mite out of hand, so himself

had me spank him for you.Domething suspiciously like a chuckle emerged from =aion>s corner. ;nder other

circumstances, Charrow would have been astonished to hear itK now he scarcely noticed.As for the rest of your chapter,D $ahBell went on more thoughtfully, 0>m thinking it was

orhus and Adiskael and their crew himself wanted seen to.D :is crooked smile becamesomething very like a grin as Charrow frowned at him. #ell, no one>s ever called hradani

smart, ir Charrow, but 0>d>ve been a right idiot not to see how the wind set with those two.$ut if they>re after having the makings of good religious fanatics, 0>ve a shrewd notion

himself>s little visit has, um, redirected their attention, hasn>t it nowID#ell, yes,D Charrow admitted. 0n fact, he found the two knights3commander>s newfound,

humble piety almost more worrisome than their earlier Bealotry. Charrow had seen too many

people in whom humility and e(tremism seesawed back and forth. $ut at least now he

realiBed the potential problem was there so that he could keep an eye on it, and $ahBell wasright. 0t was the hradani>s presence@and, of course, TomanMk>s manifestation@which had

not only shaken them out of their previous attitude but pushed Charrow himself into seeing a problem to which familiarity had blinded him.

#ell, then,D $ahBell said, holding out his right hand, palm up. 0>m thinking that waswhat needed doing here, and now 0>ve other matters to see to.D

$ut what in TomanMk>s name is so important it can>t wait until springID trictly speaking,Charrow had no right to demand that information, for champions were the sole udges of

where the ?od most needed them. :e knew that, but he was also no stranger to the rigors of winter campaigning and travel.

As to that,D $ahBell said slowly, turning to stare down into the fire, 0>m not so verycertain. -ot as to the whole of it. $ut 0>ve something to teach my folk@something himself

was after going out of his way to be certain 0 knew, and . . .D :e paused and looked up at

Charrow, then glanced at =aion, as if measuring their probable reactions, before he

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continued. The !ark ?ods are meddling amongst my folk, ir Charrow,D he said Euietly,and 0>ve no idea how deep the rot has spread.D

ou>re certain of that, "ilordID Charrow>s Euestion came out like the crack of a whip,and =aion stiffened in matching concern.

Aye, that 0 am,D $ahBell said. :e grinned again, sourly this time. 0>ve no doubt the two

of you have been ill3fortuned enough to>ve heard that curst song of $randark>sI The one

about J$ahBell $loody3:and>ID Charrow nodded slowly, and $ahBell shrugged. #ell, that bit in it about the prince with the cursed sword is after being true enough. "ind, the apester

who wrote it saw fit to dress things up a bit@aye, and left out the tiny little fact that he wasafter facing four of the prince>s guardsmen by himself at the time, and them all in the grip of

the age@but it happened.DCursed how, "ilord ChampionID Charrow>s voice was crisp, now, with the authority of

his rank, and $ahBell shrugged again.As to that, 0>d no e(perience with such before himself took it into his head to be

recruiting me, but he was there, as well, and when 0 asked him what it was, he said as how itwas forged as a Jgate> to harnM>s realm.D $oth Charrow and =aion hissed at that name. :e

said old !emonspawn meant it as a way to strike at me through :arnak, and there>s no way

in all the world :arnak could have been laying hands on such if the !ark ?ods weren't meddling.D

This :arnak was heir to the -avahkan throneID Charrow>s tone made the Euestion a

statement, and $ahBell nodded. Then Jmeddling> is too weak a word, "ilord,D the knight3captain said grimly. 0t>s a classic pattern. %ne of the !ark ?ods gets his@or her@hooks

into a ruler>s heir, then . . . disposes of the ruler so that the throne falls into his hand like aripe plum. And of them all, harnM is best at that maneuver. Too many people in love with

power are likely to employ the Assassins ?uild, never realiBing the dog brothers are alwaysas much harnM>s tool as that of whoever pays them.D Charrow snorted bitterly. 7or that

matter, 0 suspect many of the dog brothers fail to realiBe they are. They>re not among themost devout adherents of any god, and no doubt they see their relationship to harnM>s church

primarily as a business opportunity. $ut his priesthood has always coordinated the guild>sactivities, and the guild has always found it convenient to have the support structure the

church offers. #hich means that anyone who deals with the one must also deal with theother, whether he knows it or not. And once that door is opened@D

Charrow broke off with a twitch of his shoulders, and $ahBell nodded heavily.

Aye, 0 was thinking the same,D he admitted. 0>m hoping they were after banking on

:arnak and not working on one of his brothers at the same time. 0f that was their plan, then0>m thinking killing him must>ve set their efforts back. And from what 0 know of his father,

they>d not have wanted to spread their net too wide, lest he realiBe they were about. "indyou, ChurnaBh of -avahk>s soul is blacker than Nrashnark>s riding boots, and he>s no giant

when it comes to thinking things through. $ut he>s not after being a complete idiot, and he>dnot have lasted as long as he has without a certain cunning. 0>m thinking he>d>ve ripped

:arnak>s heart out with his own hands, son or no, had he ever guessed what :arnak wasabout, for he knows how his allies would react to word of it.D

:ow would they reactID Charrow asked softly, and $ahBell turned to face him fully, brown eyes hardening as he straightened his spine.

As to that, how would your folk be reactingID he challenged harshly. 7or ust a moment,his gaBe and the knight3captain>s locked across the office, and then Charrow raised a hand in

a small gesture of apology. $ahBell glared at him for another second or two, and then his

nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply.

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That>s the reason 0 wasn>t so very eager to be babbling all about it to everyone 0 meet,D headmitted, turning to stare moodily back down into the fire. 'ven now, there>s too many folk

too ready to believe hradani chose to serve the !ark in Nontovar, and the truth is that we did serve. -ot because we>d chosen to, but because their curst wiBards gave us no choice. 7ew

enough hradani have any use for any god, 6ight or !ark, ir Charrow, but there>s no one in

all the world has more cause to hate the !ark than my folk. et let a whisper of even a single

hradani>s having dealings with the !ark slip out, and all the old hate comes back to lifeagainst all of us, and 0>ll not add to that.D

-o,D Charrow said softly. -o, 0 can see that, and 0 ask you to forgive me. 0t seems that 0,too, have more of the old preudices than 0>d guessed.D

$ahFD $ahBell made a sweeping, dismissive gesture and shrugged. :ow many hradanihad you met before $randark and 0 were after washing up at your doorID

#ell . . . none,D Charrow admitted.Then you>d naught to measure the stories against, now had youID

That>s a reason for my blindness, "ilord@not an e(cuse. $ut you>re right, 0 suppose.And you>re right about how most people would react to your news. et it>s the %rder>s

business to deal with such threats when they arise.D

And so the %rder will,D $ahBell reassured him. ou were the one as was telling me allchampions are part of the %rder, whether we like it or no, weren>t youID Charrow nodded.

#ell, that being so, 0>d say it>s after being up to me and young =aion here to be dealing

with it.DOust the two of youID Charrow couldn>t Euite keep his skepticism from showing, and

$ahBell laughed.#ell, the two of us, and $randark . . . and forty or fifty thousand :orse tealers.D

0 thought a truce e(isted between your people and the $loody words.Do it does@or did before :arnak and 0 were after having our little disagreement. 0>ve had

no letters from my father since $randark and 0 left, and it>s possible the truce holds still, but0>ve a shrewd notion 7ather wasn>t any too pleased when :arnak raped a girl under his

father>s protection and laid the blame for it on me. And even if he was minded to let that pass,there>s those among his captains would never let it stand. %h, 0>ll not say it>s all because of

me, but no one but a fool ever thought that truce would last forever, and one thing 7ather isn>tis a fool. 0>m thinking he must have had most of his preparations in place before ever :arnak

and 0 crossed swords. And even if 0>m wrong, he>ll move Euick enough when he hears who

:arnak had dealings with.D

o he doesn>t know yet,D Charrow mused.-o. 0>d meant to write him, for we>ve no magi for the mage relays to pass word to him

through, but it>s likely enough 0 can get there as fast as any letter. And while it>s happy 0>ll beto have his backing, you>ve the right of it. This is the sort of ob himself had in mind for the

likes of you and me, and 0>ll not leave my clan to fight my battles for me.D-o. -o, 0 can see that,D Charrow agreed. :e lowered himself into a chair and leaned

back, stretching his legs out before him while he plucked at his lower lip in thought. Theslow, steady ticking of the clock on the mantel and the soft crackle of flames from the hearth

were the only sounds as he pondered $ahBell>s words, and then he gave a sharp nod andinhaled deeply.

=ery well, "ilord Champion. ou scarcely need my permission, but for what it matters,you will have my blessings. And my aid.D

AidID $ahBell frowned. 0f you>re minded to send more folk than =aion and $randark

along with me, it>s grateful 0 am, but not so certain it would be wise. #e>ve two choices once

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we get closer to home2 we can cross the $loody word lands to reach 7ather, or we can strikeout cross3country from !aranfel to !urghaBh. 0>d favor the second, e(cept that only a

madman would be crossing that stretch of ground in winter if he>s a choice. till and all, itmay happen we>ve no choice but to try it, and either road, three men will find it easier going

@and easier to avoid the notice a doBen would draw.D

-o doubt you>re right, but that wasn>t what 0 had in mind. %r not e(actly. 0 would like to

send an escort along with you@perhaps led by ir orhus or ir Adiskael.D The master of the$elhadan Chapter smiled with cheerful nastiness. 0 believe a good, brisk ride through

freeBing cold and bliBBards might help inspire them to consider the full implications of their recent, ill3udged actions, don>t you thinkID

ou>re a cruel and wicked man, ir Charrow,D $ahBell said with a slow, lurking smile of his own, and Charrow laughed. $ut then he sobered and leaned forward, raising one hand to

stab a forefinger at the hradani.That>s as may be, "ilord, but an escort could be very helpful to you. 7or one thing, it

would help avoid any . . . misunderstandings you and $randark might encounter crossing the'mpire. And while 0 realiBe your homeland is at least as cold as $elhadan, and 0>m sure you

and 6ord $randark are well acEuainted with winter travel, we can provide e(perienced guides

to see you safely on your way. :ow, e(actly, had you planned to make your way homeIDThe hard way,D $ahBell said wryly. :e smiled at Charrow for a moment, then crossed to

the enormous map that hung on one wall. 0>m thinking the best route is from $elhadan down

through A(e :allow,D he said, tracing the roads with a finger as he spoke, then across to6ordenfel, south to the 'storaman high road, up to ilmacha and across the &ass of :eroes to

$arandir. 7rom there, we can skirt the #ind &lain down into !aranfel, then either sneak through the $loody words> back pasture or cut straight across to !urghaBh and take the

main road south from there to :urgrum.D;m.D Charrow stood and walked over to oin the :orse tealer>s perusal of the map.

That>s a logical enough route . . . for someone who>s picking it off a map. $ut 0>ve spentsome time traveling through 6andria and 6andfressa myself, and you>ll never get through the

&ass of :eroes before spring. That>s almost as bad as outh #all &ass down in outh&rovince. -o, "ilord. 0f you truly intend to make the trip at this time of year, you>ll either

have to go clear south to Crag #all &ass or else bear straight north from 6ordenfel to'sfresia, then cross into !warvenhame through "ountain :eart.D

AhID $ahBell rubbed his chin, and his ears shifted gently in thought.

'(actly,D Charrow said, tapping the map with his forefinger. The bit from 'sfresia to the

mountains will be the worst of the entire ourney, but once you reach the !warvenhameTunnel, it will take you under the mountains, and from there you can pass through ?olden

6ode ?ap into %rdanfressa and turn south to $arandir. That will take you considerablyfurther north than you>d planned, but ?olden 6ode is far lower than the &ass of :eroes, and

the going@especially across the mountains@will be much easier. And@D he turned from themap to regard $ahBell levelly @0 ust happen to know a guide familiar with the route all the

way to "ountain :eart. Ah, not to mention the fact that ir orhus was raised in 6andfressaand is Euite an accomplished snow country traveler.D

0 see.D $ahBell looked back at the knight3captain for several contemplative moments, thenchuckled. 0>ll not take >em any further than !aranfel, ir Charrow, but you>re one as drives

a hard bargain. As long as they>re all ready to be taking orders from a hradani champion of TomanMk , they>ll be welcome to come along that far.D

0 thought you>d see it my way, "ilord,D ir Charrow murmured, and he smiled.

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C:A&T' '='-

The first portion of their ourney was less arduous than ir Charrow had predicted or $ahBell

had e(pected. The skies had cleared, and their worst problem was the eye3gnawing sunlight

reflected from the snowfields. 7ortunately, all of them knew the danger of snow blindness,and the A(emen had better ways of dealing with it than $randark>s and $ahBell>s people did.

0nstead of the layers of cloth in which the northern hradani swathed their eyes, the reindeer

herders of =onderland, #indfel, and 6andfressa used lenses of tinted glass to reduce the glareto manageable proportions.

$ahBell approved wholeheartedly of the innovation. now lenses weren>t cheap@evendwarves found the manufacture of unflawed, uniformly tinted glass an e(pensive proposition

@and adusting the goggles in which they were mounted for an e(act fit could be difficult.$ut their only real drawback was that they tended to fog up under certain circumstances, and

he could live with that. 'specially since the problem was worst when the temperature waslowest, and the temperature Gduring the dayH had actually risen above freeBing and stayed

there for most of the first week. That was a blessing $ahBell had not anticipated, and the

Euality of the 'mpire>s roads was another.'ven a barbarian :orse tealer had heard of A(eman engineers and their mighty proects,

but those tales had sounded so unlikely that $ahBell>s people tended to put them down as the

sorts of wild e(aggerations city slickers spread among their credulous country cousins.

$ahBell might have been less scornful than some, but neither he nor $randark were the least

prepared for the reality of the royal and imperial high roads. $ahBell supposed they shouldhave been, given the pithy comments Nilthandahknarthas> wagoneers had made about the

highways beyond the 'ast #all "ountains. ome of those roads had seemed like marvels of engineering to him and $randark, but now he knew why the wagoneers had been so critical,

and even with the reality underfoot, he found it hard to believe in. -ot even $elhadan had prepared him, for $elhadan, after all, was a city. 0t sat in one place, a focal point of effort.

oads were something else, for they fanned out in all directions, and the sheer length of themmade even a fairly modest highway a greater proect than the mightiest city wall ever raised.

$ut modestD was a word no one would ever apply to any royal and imperial high road.The one from $elhadan to A(e :allow, for e(ample, was si(ty feet wide and paved with

smoothly leveled stone slabs. The hugest freight wagons could easily pass one another, andthe roadbed>s arrogant straightness bent around only the most intractable obstacles. Clearly,

its builders had known precisely where they wanted to go, and they had cut sunken rights of

way through the very hearts of hills rather than curl around them or accept slopes whose

steepness would have e(hausted draft animals.

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et even as he admired the way in which the 'mpire>s roads served the needs of freighthaulers, $ahBell knew any civilian advantages were secondary to the real reason they had

been built. The 'mpire>s freight traffic was important, but those roads were built for men onfoot, not wagons or the horsemen who used the 'mpire of the pear>s highways. They were

bordered on either side by broad, firm stretches of turf which were clearly intended to spare

the hooves of rapidly moving horses the pounding a stone surface would have given them,

but their hard3paved centers were meant for the boots of marching men, for the oyal and0mperial Army>s true strength was its superb infantry. -o one else in -orfressa could match

that infantry>s Euality, and roads such as this provided it with uneEualed mobility. The men of the royal and imperial infantry called themselves the Ning3'mperor>s mulesD with a pride as

genuine as it was wry. Their peacetime training included regular marches of forty miles a day,in full kit, and they had repeatedly proven their ability to march almost any cavalry in the

world into the ground.'specially along roads like these. The $elhadan3A(e :allow high road was almost a

thousand years old. The bridges over the many streams and minor rivers it crossed wore thick moss over their ancient stones, and the bordering firs which had been planted as windbreaks

had grown into giants four and five feet thick. et for all its age, it had none of the potholes

and mired stretches, even now, in the middle of winter, that $ahBell and $randark had 3encountered elsewhere. The 'mpire was a prosperous land, and villages and towns@the

latter large enough to count as small cities in most realms@were threaded along the highway

like beads on a string. The farmland which supported communities of such siBe obviouslymust be rich, yet as $ahBell counted the houses and observed the smoke curling up from

chimneys and the healthy, well3fed citiBens who watched their party move by, he realiBedA(eman farmers must know a thing or two his people didn>t. 'ven allowing for the ability of

the 'mpire>s transportation system to ship in food, no hradani farmers could have fed somany mouths off so little land.

$ut these people managed it, and he made a mental note to suggest that his father seeabout importing a few A(eman farming e(perts. 0t was a point worth bearing in mind, and so

was the way in which the local communities kept the high road cleared of snow in their vicinities. et $ahBell also had to admit that clear skies, sun, and the Euality of the roads

were only a partial e(planation for the ease of the ourney>s early stages. ir Charrow had provided rather more support than he had wanted, but he wasn>t about to complain after he

saw it all in action.

ir orhus commanded the escort, and he clearly intended to wash away any stigma of his

previous resentment of hradani champions. :e was almost oppressively attentive, and hisconstant, pestering search for things he might do for $ahBell and $randark>s comfort had

threatened to drive the rest of the escort mad for the first day or so. After that, however, hehad calmed down@less, $ahBell was sure, because he felt he had sufficiently e(piated his

original attitude than because, for all his potential Bealotry, he was a wise enough commander to leave others to attend to the business they knew at least as well as he did.

And they did know their business. ir Charrow had provided two capacious wagons,drawn by teams of =onderland reindeer completely at home in ice and snow, and the wagons

@like those of Nilthan>s merchant caravan@had wheels rimmed not with iron but with somethick, fle(ible substance. %ne of Nilthan>s wagoneers had told $ahBell the material came

from the distant ungles of southeastern -orfressa, although he>d been a bit vague about ustwhom the dwarves dealt with to obtain it. #herever it came from, however, it certainly made

for a far smoother ride than the grating of iron3shod wheels would have, and so did the fat

metal cylinders@the shock absorbers,D as one of Nilthan>s wheelwrights had called them@

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and steel leaf springs which had replaced the leather or rope slings a hradani wagon wouldhave been fortunate to boast.

et these wagons, unlike Nilthan>s, were intended for winter use, and each was providedwith a set of sled runners, as well, carried in long racks along its sides. &racticed drovers like

those ir Charrow had provided could mount the runners and strike the wheels in no more

than an hour, and while there had been no need to do any such thing so far, $ahBell could

appreciate the advantage the runners would offer under less salubrious conditions. The winter daylight was brief enough to limit them to no more than thirty miles or so a day even with

such wagons, but that was far better than $ahBell would have dared to predict before settingout.

-or had the %rder skimped on their other supplies. Aside from their inability to find ahorse up to $ahBell>s weight@which, he admitted cheerfully, no one could have done@the

%rder>s Euartermasters had provided anything he could have thought to ask for and more. 0naddition to grain and fodder for the reindeer and horses, there were down3lined =onderland

sleep sacks Ga marvelous innovation whose worth, $randark had loudly announced, e(ceededthat of any shock absorberD ever inventedH, snowshoes, heavy winter tents, coal oil heaters

and the fuel to feed them, rations, and even the cross3country skis $ahBell and $randark had 3

reEuested. $etter yet, from $randark>s perspective, at least, the wagons provided space for the entire collection of books he had assembled in $elhadan. Tents were nice, but the ability

to haul his loot home was even nicer. till, it seemed unnatural to spend nights in such

comfort, and the five knights and twenty lay3brothers ir Charrow had added Gno doubt,$ahBell thought wryly, to sufficiently impress his own importance upon any anti3hradani

bigot they happened to meetH, provided a degree of security the two hradani had note(perienced since leaving Nilthan>s employ the previous autumn.

All in all, $ahBell decided, he could become accustomed to such coddling. 0t wasn>tsomething he intended to mention to $randark, who lu(uriated shamelessly in it already, yet

he knew it was true, and that was one reason he insisted on working out regularly. Thedaylight was too short to waste, but even the best wagon was slower than a mounted man@or

a :orse tealer on foot@which meant he could train for an hour or so each morning and stilleasily overtake the rest of the party by midday.

The first day, he and $randark had worked out together while ir orhus, =aion, and twoother knights kept watch, but that hadn>t lasted long. The ne(t morning, =aion had

respectfully reminded $ahBell of his promise to complete his training, and ir :arkon, the

senior knight3companion and orhus> second in command, had asked if he might spar with

$randark, as well. $y the third day, all the knights and two of the senior lay3brothers hadarranged to take the duty of guardingD 6ord $ahBell in rotation while he worked out so that

all of them could get in their own drill time. :e wasn>t really surprised, given that they weremembers of a martial order. That sort of training had been an everyday part of their lives for

years, and they knew how serious the need to stay in training was. 0t was also a way to break up the monotony of the ourney@and no matter how well eEuipped they might be, any winter

ourney was always a dreary proposition.et there was another aspect, as well, one $ahBell was slow to recogniBe, for he remained

unaccustomed to thinking of himself as special. $ut he was special to these men. :e was agods3touched champion of the 6ight, one their own ?od had personally appeared to claim as

:is own in front of them. #hatever he might want, however he might try to change it, hecould never be anything else to them, and so they hungered to test themselves against him

and so touch the edge of godhood, however indirectly.

And when he finally did realiBe what was happening, he certainly did try to change it. :e

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always after being sure, with never a bit of give in him until someone rubs his nose in it, andEuestions never bother his head at all, at all.D

$ahBell paused, cocking one eyebrow and both ears at =aion, and the younger mannodded slowly.

0 know,D he said, and his eyes fell briefly. 0t never bothered me before you were so kind

as to break my arms rather than my head, but he>s not very . . . fle(ible, is heID

A bit of the pot and the kettle in that, 0>m thinking,D $ahBell observed with a smile, and=aion chuckled in wry acknowledgment. Then he sobered.

$ut not for the same reasons, "ilord. 0 was too full of myself to listen, but orhus isn>tlike that. 0n most ways, he>s one of the humblest knights 0 know. 0t>s ust that . . . that@D

0t>s ust that too much humility is after being the worst kind of arrogance,D $ahBell saidEuietly, and saw understanding flicker in the blue eyes which rose suddenly to meet his once

more. ou>re right. 0>m thinking he>s a good enough man underneath it all, but 0>m wishinghe could>ve met Tothas.D =aion looked a Euestion at him, and he shrugged. A pearman 0

know, 6ady Qarantha>s personal armsman. :e follows TomanMk , and a better man@or amore understanding one@0>ve never met. :e offered me some advice one night that was

better than even he guessed, and it>s in my mind that if anyone would be having the patience

or wit to straighten orhus out, Tothas would.DThen send orhus to him,D =aion suggested. $ahBell looked at him sharply, for the

younger man>s voice was completely serious, as if he>d ust made the most reasonable

suggestion in the world.0 don>t think 0 was after hearing that correctly,D the hradani said after a moment. #ould

you be so very kind as to repeat itID0 only suggested you send orhus to this Tothas.D =aion sounded perple(ed, as if

$ahBell>s apparent confusion puBBled him. 0f you think he could get through to orhus in away you can>t, then why not send orhus to him, "ilordID

#hy notID $ahBell sat back, cradling the warmth of his mug between his chilled hands,and cocked his ears sardonically. #hy, aside from the tiny fact that Tothas is after being a

good thousand leagues from here, all of them covered in snow, and a pearman in the middleof an entire empire of pearmen who aren>t over fond of A(emen that 0>ve noticed, and that

orhus is after being assigned to a chapter house in $elhadan and under ir Charrow>sorders, not mine@ #hy, aside from all that, there>s not a reason in the world that 0 can see

why 0 shouldn>t be sending him off to the ends of the earth in hopes a man as doesn>t even

know he>s coming can sort him out if ever he gets there.D

#ith all due respect, "ilord, none of that matters,D =aion said, and smiled crookedly as$ahBell>s ears flattened in disbelief. 0f you>d stayed a little longer in $elhadan and let ir

Charrow finish e(plaining things, you>d know that without my telling you.DNnow whatD

0 was there when ir Charrow told you there are only eighteen living champions in all of -orfressa. %nly eighteen, "ilord. Aside from ir Terrian, no member of the %rder can so

much as dispute any order one of you chooses to give, and not even ir Terrian could disobeyyou e(cept on TomanMk>s direct authority. 0f you feel ir orhus could benefit from being

sent to your friend Tothas@or anywhere else in the world@you have the authority to sendhim there without consulting ir Charrow or anyone else.D

$ahBell blinked, and a shiver which owed nothing to winter weather ran through him. Thethought of such authority was terrifying, for with it came responsibility . . . and the

temptation to tyranny. The idea that his will, however capricious, could send a man across a

thousand leagues of bitter winter snow and ice made his stomach knot, and he wondered what

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insanity had possessed the %rder of Toman k to put that kind of power into anyone's hands.#ell,D a familiar, earthEuake3deep voice said soundlessly in the back of his brain, 0

suppose they did it because 0 told them to.D=aion sucked in a sudden, deep breath and went white as the snow around them, and

$ahBell blinked again as he realiBed the knight3probationer had also heard Toman k>s silent

voice. There was undoubtedly a reason for that, but at the moment, the sudden revelation of

his own authority was the first weight on $ahBell>s mind, and he set his mug aside and leanedaggressively forward, bracing his hands on his knees as he glowered at the empty air.

ou did, did youID he said tartly. And ust what maggoty3brained reason were youhaving for that ID

$ahBell wouldn>t have believed =aion could turn any whiter, but the knight3probationer managed. TomanMk , on the other hand, only chuckled.

"ine is a military order, $ahBell, and any army needs officers to command it. 7or themost part, the %rder chooses its own officers@like ir Terrian and ir Charrow@and those

choices serve it well. $ut it is my order, and 0 reserve to myself the right to select my ownofficers and place them in authority over it. As 0 have chosen you.D

And never a word did you say to me about it while you were a*ter choosing me, eitherFD

$ahBell pointed out.%f course not. 0f you>d asked, 0 would have told you the truth, of course. $ut you didn>t,

and 0 was ust as glad of it. 0f 0 had told you, you would have raised even more obections,

and recruiting a boulder3brained hradani was hard enough without thatFD=aion uttered a strangled sound and made as if to rise, but $ahBell waved him back down.

The younger man settled back on the saddle bags he was using for a seat, and the hradanireturned his attention to his deity.

0t may be 0 would have, and it may be 0 wouldn>t,D he said, but that>s neither here nor there ust this moment. #hat>s in my mind is that 0>m none too happy to think such as me

could be sending a man 0 hardly know to what might be his death on a whimFD$ahBell, $ahBellF ou can be the most stubborn, infuriating, obstinate@D The god

chopped himself off, then sighed. $ahBell, would you give authority to an officer youe(pected to use it capriciously and carelesslyID

The hradani shook his head.$hen what in the names o* all the ,owers o* 4ight makes you think 0 wouldD

The Euestion was a sudden peal of thunder, reverberating with such soundless violence

between $ahBell>s ears that his eyes glaBed. 0t was obvious from =aion>s e(pression that he>d

heard the same Euestion, although $ahBell felt certain he>d heard it at a lower volume. Hiseyes weren>t crossed, after all.

That was when $ahBell realiBed TomanMk had withdrawn with as little warning as he hadarrived, and the hradani>s lips Euirked. :e hadn>t considered the Euestion from TomanMk>s

viewpoint, but he supposed it did make sense, after a fashion. $ahBell wasn>t about to awardhimself any accolades for infallibility, and he was only too well aware of his own myriad

shortcomings. $ut he also had to admit that the casual abuse of power had never appealed tohim, and if he knew that, how could TomanMk not know itI till, the god hadn>t said a word

about whether or not $ahBell would use his newly discovered authority wisely, only that hewouldn>t use it carelessly . . . which left the responsibility sEuarely in $ahBell>s hands. And

that, too, he realiBed now, was a part of the measure of a champion>s duties. 0t was his ob todecide whether he was right or wrong. TomanMk might offer guidance, but as he>d told

$ahBell on another snowy afternoon, it was the e(ercise of his champions> wills and courage

which made them champions. 0t was simply that $ahBell hadn>t thought about the particular

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sort of courage it took to assume the authority TomanMk had ust confirmed was his.#ellFD he said finally, e(plosively, and slapped his palms on his thighs. The loud

smacking sound made =aion ump, and $ahBell grinned. :eard him yourself, did youIDAh, well@ 0 mean, that is@D =aion stopped and swallowed. es, "ilord. 030 suppose 0

did.D

Ah, well himself can be a mite testy from time to time,D $ahBell said blandly, then

laughed out loud and leaned over to clap =aion on the shoulder as the younger man stared athim. 0>m not so very certain ust why he was wanting you to be hearing@not yet@but you

can lay to it that he had a reason. 0n the meantime, though, 0>m thinking perhaps 0 should begiving your suggestion some thought.D

"y suggestion, "ilordIDAye, the one about orhus and Tothas. 0t ust might be there>s some merit in that, after

all.D

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there was no place to put them. The western approach to the capital was worse going thanany of the others, and the stark slopes of the hillsD were the ne(t best thing to perpendicular.

The high road wound back and forth as it climbed them like a stony serpent, yet not even thatconcession could make the repeated ascents anything but a long, e(hausting haul, and there

certainly weren>t any flat places for people to live on.

7rom the maps, most of the towns and villages near the capital were located to A(e

:allow>s east and southeast, where the Normak iver flowed out and down to reach the?reenleaf. $ahBell would have chosen to locate in the same place, given a choice between

these barren hillsides and a sheltered river valley, but he could certainly see how Normak 000>s councilors had convinced him to locate his new capital here eight hundred years ago.

The Normak =alley was the only true breach in the natural fortress of the hills. Tiny blockingforces could hold the strongest invading army along any of the capital>s approaches, and

Normak>s dynasty were dwarves, who probably found the terrain comfortingly homey.$ahBell did not. :e didn>t mind mountains as such, but these barren, snow choked hills

seemed to close in on him, making him feel simultaneously e(posed and trapped even whenno bliBBard was howling through them. :is fellow travelers seemed as miserable as he felt,

but not one of them had complained about the way his decision to push on yesterday had left

them no choice but to continue onward now. #hich, since the party included $randark, probably meant they simply hadn>t reasoned it all out . . . yet. :e spared a moment to hope

things would stay that way, wrapped the thick othSii3style poncho more tightly about him,

and stumped onward into the wind and gathering snow.%ne good thing, he reflected wryly, was that none of his companions cared to complain

about whatever pace a man on foot set. The knights and lay3brothers remained uncomfortableat having their commander walk while they rode. They understood horses simply didn>t come

in the right siBe for someone seven and a half feet tall, and they probably felt a bit likechildren cantering along on their ponies beside an adult on foot, but it still seemed profoundly

unnatural to them . . . which was solely because they were so unfamiliar with hradani ingeneral and :orse tealers in particular. 0t never crossed their minds that they were far more

likely to slow him than vice versa, for they didn>t realiBe he could have run their horses into astate of foundered collapse. $randark did, but he took it so much for granted that it never

occurred to him to mention it, and given the weather, $ahBell was prepared to take shamelessadvantage of the others> ignorance to push them still harder. The last milestone had shown

them only thirteen miles from A(e :allow, and he wanted the lot of them under shelter

before the real storm hit.

:e topped out on another rise and turned his back to the wind long enough to look behindhim. 7resh snow coated the pavement in a thin, slippery skim of white. The reindeer seemed

unperturbed, but the wagoneers looked a little an(ious, and the mounted men had movedtheir horses onto the better footing offered by the turf beside the road proper. At least snow

wasn>t ice, $ahBell told himself philosophically as he turned to peer back into the wind oncemore. %r not yet , at least.

7rom everything he>d ever heard of A(e :allow, the watchtowers on the hilltops above itought to be visible by now, but the flying snow reduced visibility badly, and he shrugged.

They>d reach the city when they reached itK in the meantime, he had more pressing concerns,and he slapped his mittened hands together in a vain effort to make his fingers feel warmer as

he started forward once more.

$y late afternoon, there was no longer any Euestion about how the weather might best be

described. The day had degenerated into a howling gale, and their pace had slowed even

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more. The road>s steepness would have made every mile feel like two even without the bliBBardK with it, the thirteen miles $ahBell had e(pected to cover in two or three hours had

eaten up every remaining scrap of putative daylight, and he was beginning to consider stopping right where they were.

0t was not an appealing decision. The road passed through a series of narrow cuts bare of

anything remotely like a windbreak. 0f they must, they could turn the wagons broadside to the

wind and use them for cover, and their felted tents and sleeping sacks would keep them fromfreeBing to death. $ut that wasn>t the same as keeping them warm, and he didn>t care for the

feel of the wind. 0t had been icy all dayK now the temperature had begun a dangerous plummet to sub3Bero levels, and with no better cover than was offered here, they could easily

lose half their horses on a night like the one they plainly faced.:e swore to himself, pounding his fists together and peering vainly into the snow. -one of

his companions knew precisely where they were, and even ir orhus, who>d made this tripmany times, had lost his bearings. The milestones had long since vanished as the snow and

wind closed in, and $ahBell snarled. 7or all he knew, they could be within a hundred yards of the city . . . but they might not be, too, and he had to make a decision soon. They couldn>t

stumble on indefinitely, always hoping the capital was "ust ahead. ooner or later a horse

would lose its footing and go down, or frostbite would claim someone>s fingers or toes@or worse. $ut if A(e :allow was close at hand, it promised walls and roofs and fires.

:e was about to give up and order his followers to make camp when he realiBed someone

@or something@was coming. 0t was more sensed than seen, a darker blot in the gale3lasheddark, and he frowned and raised one hand, trying vainly to shield his eyes in an effort to see

better. 0t was useless at first, but then he stiffened as a single horseman emerged from thewall of snow and came trotting straight towards him.

#ell, wellF Here you areFDThe white3bearded rider>s cheerful voice should have been torn to shreds in the heart of the

bliBBard, but it carried with absolute, unnatural clarity. The othSii warhorse under him wasworth a prince>s ransom, but nothing else about him suggested any particular wealth or rank.

6ike $ahBell, he wore a plain othSii3style poncho over eEually plain@and warm@woolensand leather, and the scabbard of his longsword was of unadorned, scuffed leather. :e pushed

back the hood of his poncho with mittened hands, e(posing the gay stripes of a red3and3whiteknitted woolen cap that looked absurdly out of place amid the blowing snow and ice, and

grinned, and $ahBell planted his fists on his hips and glowered at him.

0>m getting ust a mite tired of the weather you carry about with you, wiBard,D he

growled.0 had nothing to do with it,D the mounted man told him virtuously, then leaned sideways

in the saddle to clasp forearms with him.:aFD $ahBell replied, surveying the newcomer with obvious disbelief. The old man

looked back with what was probably an e(pression of artful innocence, but it was hard to besure without seeing his eyes, and no one had seen #encit of Lm>s eyes in well over a

millennium. The glowing witchfire which had replaced them when the wild magic came uponhim danced and flickered under his craggy brows, and he chuckled.

ou have my word, $ahBell,D he said. -ot even a wild wiBard meddles with the weather.$esides, if 0 were going to adust conditions, 0 can think of far more pleasant things than

snow and iceFD0 suppose,D $ahBell agreed grudgingly and turned his head as $randark urged his horse up

beside him. 6ook what the wind>s blown in . . . again,D he said sourly.

ou really have to work on the way you speak about ancient and powerful masters of

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arcane lore,D $randark told him severely, then held out his own hand to the wiBard. :ello,you old horse thiefFD he said in genial tones. 7ancy meeting you here.D

emind me to do something nasty to both of you,D #encit replied. $ut not right now.#hy don>t we get the lot of you inside so you can at least be warm when it happensID

That,D $randark said with feeling, sounds like an e)cellent idea. %f course,D he went on

in a more wary tone, eyes narrowing as he considered the wiBard, the last time we ran into

you in a bliBBard, there were forty or fifty dog brothers and a pair of dark wiBards@one of them a priest of Carnadosa, as 0 recall@camped out in the middle of it. 0 trust you>re not here

to reprise that performanceID-o, noFD #encit assured him with another grin. 0 happened to be in A(e :allow on

business of my own@business which, 0>m sure you>ll be relieved to know, had nothing at allto do with either of you@when this little sEuall blew in. ince you hadn>t turned up before

dark fell, 0 thought 0 should come looking for you, that>s all.D JAll,> is itID $ahBell murmured. :e studied the old man thoughtfully, but #encit only

grinned more broadly, and the hradani decided to let it drop. #encit of Lm was a law untohimself, and $ahBell no more believed he>d ust happenedD to be in A(e :allow than he did

that the sun would rise in the west tomorrow morning. %n the other hand, he>d had ample

opportunity even in the brief time he and $randark had spent working with the old man torescue 6ady Qarantha to realiBe #encit would tell him as much as he wanted him to know

and no more. $ahBell would have e(pected that to infuriate him, given the traditional hradani

attitude that the only good wiBard was a dead one and his own lack of patience, but somehowit didn>t. :e supposed that could be because if anyone had ever earned the right to be

mysterious, #encit was certainly that anyone. %nly four white wiBards had survived the 7allof Nontovar. %ne of them had been driven Euite mad, and two more had been permanently

drained by the #hite Council>s desperate, self3immolating counterstrike against the 6ords of Carnadosa. %nly #encit had survived with his power intact to protect the e(odus to

-orfressa by the last, decimated wave of the 7all>s survivors, and he was probably the onlyreason anyone had survived to flee. ;nder the circumstances, he was entitled to a few Euirks.

#ell,D the :orse tealer said after a moment in tones of elaborate patience, you>re theone as knows ust how far we are from the blasted city, #encit. o if it>s no bother, 0>m

thinking it would be a kindly thing for you to stop sitting on your arse and show the rest of us. 0n a manner of speaking, of course.D

%h, of courseFD #encit chuckled, and turned his horse back the way he>d come. 0f you>ll

ust follow me,D he invited. And do try not to get lost.D

0n fact, they>d been barely half a mile from the city>s western gate when #encit found

them, and $ahBell didn>t know whether to be grateful that they>d had so short a distance leftto go or disgusted that he>d been prepared to spend a miserable, icy night that close to the

shelter he>d been unable to see. :e decided to settle for gratitude, and craned his neck back tostare up at A(e :allow>s walls as the party approached them.

ince its founding, the capital had e(panded mainly to the south and east, where there wasroom for homes and businesses and merchants could take advantage of the Normak iver and

its canal system. The successive rulers who had made A(e :allow the greatest city in -orfressa had insisted that the fortifications must be e(panded to cover each outward bound

of the city limits, however great the e(pense, and the e(pansion had gradually replaced all theother original gates. %nly #est ?ate remained, but there was nothing at all wrong with it,

despite its age. The outer wall stood more than tall enough for its battlements to vanish into

the wind3blown snow, and massive, he(agonal towers flanked the gate itself. ;nder normal

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A(eman infantryman thought of himself that wayK all of his training focused on the need tofight as a member of a mutually supporting team carefully organiBed to ma(imiBe the

effectiveness of its members.The A(emen>s primary maneuver unit was the thousand3man strong battalion. Composed

of ten hundred3man companies, each of ten ten3man sEuads, it formed the heart of the tactical

formation known as a torren,D after the Nontovaran 'mperor, who had formaliBed it. The

two or three battle lines of a torren resembled nothing so much as a huge chessboard built outof blocks of infantry, each of whom left a gap between itself and the units on either side of it

which was e(actly the width of its own frontage. The line behind it was arranged in the sameformation . . . but offset so that each of its units was immediately behind one of the gaps in

the first line. The torren could be adopted by units from battalions down to the sEuad level. 0nfact, it was most common for a battalion to break down into company3siBed blocks, but siBe

as such hardly mattered, for that apparently simple formation was the secret of the Army>ssuccess. 0t was also, as &rince $ahnak had discovered when he began evolving his own

tactics for his :orse tealers, much less simple than it seemed, and only superbly trainedtroops could make it work.

7or those who could employ it, the torren provided unparalleled battlefield mobility. 0ts

sEuare blocks could march in any direction eEually well simply by changing facing, and thegaps in each line allowed units to fall back under pressure, knowing there would always be

friendly units ready to cover its flanks. %r the front line could be used to hold an enemy

while the second charged through its gaps to administer successive shocks to the opponent.7or that matter, less sophisticated troops often saw the spaces in the torren as opportunities to

break their enemies> formation and stormed forward into the gaps only to have the torren>ssecond3line battalions charge into their own flanks.

$ut as if the torren>s tactical advantages weren>t enough, every A(eman infantryman wasalso issued a thigh3length chain hauberk, a steel breastplate, and steel greaves to protect his

legs. That was far better than most armies@like those of the 'mpire of the pear, whichrelied upon feudal levies for its military manpower@could manage. 'ven the wealthiest

pearman baron or count would have found it difficult to match the standard3issue armor of the oyal and 0mperial Army, yet e(cellent as their armor might be, the most important

defense of the Ning3'mperor>s mulesD were the tall, cylindrical shields designed to protectthem from throat to knees and to overlap into an impenetrable defensive wall in close 3

formation.

&rotected behind those shields, they engaged their foes with light spears and shortswords.

Their spears could be thrown as they charged, showering an opponent with a deadly hail of missiles as they closed, but they were used as hand3to3hand weapons ust as often, with each

man thrusting out through the narrow gap between his shield and that of the man to his ownright. The length of his spear gave him a reach few sword3armed foes could match, but even

when it had been cast at the enemy or broken, no one could get at him past his shield as longas his unit>s formation was unbroken, and his shortsword was designed for thrusting. 6ittle

more than eighteen inches long, it was deadly in the hands of a well3trained veteran.%f eEual, if less spectacular, importance, the 'mpire>s Euartermasters and military

engineers were the finest in the world. 0ndeed, the A(emen>s single weakness was their lack of cavalry. The oyal and 0mperial "ounted 0nfantry were ust that@mounted in*antry

whose horses Gor mulesH provided them with greater mobility, but who fought on foot. Theywere not cavalry, although they were trained to fight mounted Gafter a fashionH in cases of

dire necessity. There was some light and medium A(eman cavalry, but it accounted for less

than ten percent of the 'mpire>s total standing army.

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C:A&T' -0-'

$ahBell formed only fleeting impressions of A(e :allow that night. :e had a sense of

spaciousness, of wide avenues whose ruler3straight broadness contrasted sharply with

$elhadan>s more intimate streets, and bits and pieces stood out with startling clarity@like themagnificent statuary group which loomed suddenly out of the whirling whiteness as they

reached a maor intersection, or the snow3covered fountains Gturned off for the winterH which

seemed to stretch endlessly across an immense, paved sEuare. $ut the visibility was too lowGand he was too froBenH for anything more. 0t wasn>t that he didn>t realiBe he was walking

through the greatest city in the known worldK he simply had too much on his mind and toomuch snow in his eyes to appreciate the scenery properly.

$ut that changed abruptly when they reached #encit>s destination.The wiBard drew rein, halting them in another sEuare, even larger than any through which

they had already passed. Twin rows of street lamps marched off through the snow, continuingthe line of the avenue by which they had entered until they met with two more rows which

crossed them at right angles. The wicks in the glass lanterns burned steadily, despite the

wind, and still more street lamps stretched out to either hand, outlining the entire sEuare inlight. !espite that, its far side was invisible, but the building directly before them stood outlike a cliff of marble, and glorious color spangled the snow as more light streamed through

huge stained glass windows. 7rail3looking flying buttresses arced through the night,

gossamer as moth wings as the street lamps and windows turned the airborne snow about

them into a mysterious, glowing fog, and $ahBell could ust make out the graceful, indistinct blurs of the towers and domes looming high above him.

hallow steps stretched the full width of the magnificent portico which fronted the building, and the columns supporting the portico>s roof wore the shape of the war god>s

mace, with the weapon>s flanged head for a capital. The lintel of the doorway which centeredthe facade, carved in the shape of two enormous crossed swords, was at least forty feet

across, and the door below it was closed by panels of hammered steel. 'ven through thesnow, he could make out the bas relief frescoes of warriors locked in mortal combat with

demons, devils, and other creatures of the !ark which adorned those massive doors, and themaestic, stern3eyed face of TomanMk himself looked out from above it, flanked on either side

by the immense stained glass windows, shaped like point3down swords, which spilled their glory into the night.

The two smaller entrances to either side of the main portal were scarcely less magnificent,

and fully armed warriors in the green and gold of the %rder of Toman k stood watch before

all of them. They were motionless as statues despite the night>s flaying cold, and $ahBell felt

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a foot taller than Qarantha. he also moved like a hunting dire cat, yet even though $ahBellhad never seen her before, he couldn>t shake off the eerie sensation that he knew her. 0t was if

he had met her in some other place and time, even though he knew with absolute certaintythat he never had.

The welcoming party reached the bottom of the steps, and the chestnut3bearded man strode

forward, still accompanied by the woman, to where $ahBell stood froBen with more than the

cold. :e smiled and nodded up at #encit, but his gray eyes never left $ahBell, and he heldout his right hand.

#elcome, $ahBell $ahnaksonFD The resonant baritone, lighter than $ahBell>s but deeper than most humans>, carried with the clarity of a voice accustomed to the field of battle. 0 am

ir Terrian, Nnight3?eneral of the %rder of TomanMk , and 0 bid you welcome indeed in the#ar ?od>s name.D

$ahBell clasped the proffered arm, and Terrian grinned almost impishly.#e were warned you were on your way, and Naeritha and 0@D he twitched his head

sideways at the woman @were concerned when the weather closed in. #e were about toassemble a party to go looking for you when #encit Jhappened by> and offered to find you

for us. ;nder the circumstances, we decided to stay home by the fire and let him amaBe us

afresh with his accomplishments.D!id you nowID $ahBell returned Terrian>s grin, pushed back the hood of his poncho with

his free hand, and twitched his ears in amusement. :e felt an instant, powerful liking for

Terrian@even more than he had for ir Charrow@and he gave the knight3general>s armanother sEueeBe before he released his grip. 0>m thinking 0>d>ve chosen the same, like

enough,D he allowed. $esides, #encit>s Euite a way with finding folk in the middle of bliBBards.D

o 0>ve heard,D Terrian replied dryly. Then he shook himself and indicated the armoredwoman beside him. $ut allow me to complete the introductions, $ahBell. This is !ame

Naeritha eldansdaughter.D The woman held out her ar m in turn, and $ahBell>s eyebrowsrose at the strength of her clasp. 6ike yourself, Naeritha is a Champion of TomanMk ,D

Terrian continued, and chuckled at the flicker of surprise $ahBell couldn>t Euite keep fromshowing. 0 imagine you and she should have Euite a few notes to compare,D the knight3

general added. 0 believe her elevation to champion status was greeted with almost as muchconsternation as your own.D

:e looked up at the mounted members of the party, and his gaBe located ir orhus with

unerring accuracy. The $elhadan knight3commander flushed, twitching his shoulders

uncomfortably, but made himself meet the eyes of the commander of his %rder withcommendable steadiness.

$ahBell hardly noticed, for he>d suddenly realiBed why Naeritha felt so familiar to him,and it wasn>t any imagined resemblance to Qarantha. There was something inside her, like an

echo of TomanMk , which called to a matching echo deep within ah!ell . :e hadn>t realiBedthat tiny bit of the god>s presence was there until he saw its twin in Naeritha, but he

recogniBed it now, and his eyes softened as he gaBed into her face.#ell met, sword brother,D she said, and her soprano voice cut even more cleanly through

the storm than Terrian>s had. :e told me :e>d found me a new brother 0>d like.D!id he nowID $ahBell smiled at her, and his grip on her arm tightened as he savored the

accuracy of her greeting. :e was her brother, and she was his sister, more surely than if theyhad been born of the same parents. :e>d never before e(perienced anything like that moment

of instant awareness, of complete certainty in the capacity and fidelity of another, yet there

was no room at all for doubt. #ell, 0 wish himself had been after thinking to warn me about

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no true knight would ever do,D Naeritha replied in a devilishly demure tone.$ahBell chuckled, and she smiled back at him. 0n the better light of the office, $ahBell

could see the pale line of a scar, thin but obviously the legacy of a deep wound, which randown her oval face from the top of her right cheek to the side of her throat. Another ran from

her forehead back and up across her hairline, and a streak of startling white traced its course

further back into her hair. !espite its scars, hers was a face well suited to the smile it wore,

but then her e(pression grew more sober.;nlike some of the other chivalric orders, ours has always been open to women,D she said

seriously. That>s caused some problems in places like the 'mpire of the pear, where thevery notion of a woman choosing to train at arms is anathema, but TomanMk was rather firm

about it when he ordained the %rder>s e(istence.Dhe paused, and $ahBell nodded, once again reminded of Qarantha. 0t was fortunate !uke

OashRn had chosen to give his heir, daughter or no, the sort of training which would havehorrified his peers. #ithout it, she would have possessed neither the dagger which had helped

keep her alive the night she and $ahBell met nor the skill to use it, nor would she have knownhow to use Tothas> bow against the dog brothers in the 6aughing ?od 0nn. $ut Naeritha was

right2 the mere notion of a woman warrior, much less a belted knight, would strike most

pearmen nobles as an abomination.!espite TomanMk>s decree, however, relatively few women actually oin us,D Naeritha

continued. 0>d be surprised if more than one or two percent of our members have been

women.D he glanced at Terrian, as if for confirmation, and the knight3general flicked onehand.

0 haven>t checked the numbers, but 0>d imagine you>re right. 0n fact, you>re probablyover estimating the numbers,D he said, and looked at $ahBell. 0t>s not because we discourage

women from taking our vows, you understand@though 0 suspect some of our brethren do sounofficially. elatively few women ever e(press a desire to take up the sword, and we have

our own share of men who think none of them should. $ut the main reason the numbers areso low is that most of the women who do seek admission to one of the militant orders turn to

either the isterhood of 6illinara or to the A(es of 0svaria.D:e cocked an eyebrow at Naeritha almost challengingly, and she shrugged.

True enough. 0n fact, my first thought was for the isterhood. 0 suppose it>s only naturalfor a woman to feel drawn to the service of a goddess, and both the isterhood and the A(es

are at least as good in the field as our %rder is, now aren>t theyID

he held Terrian>s eyes with a bland challenge of her own, and he laughed.

0f they aren>t, I'm certainly not brave enough to say soFDThat>s because the %rder chooses its knights3general for wisdom as well as skill, "ilord,D

Naeritha said, and grinned as he chuckled. $ut then she turned back to $ahBell, and her smilefaded.

As 0 say, 0 was strongly drawn to the isterhood in the beginning. 0 come from "oretB peasant stock, $ahBell, and my life had been . . . unpleasant.D :er blue eyes went even

darker, but her voice was calm. "y father was an 'sganian, actually, but he had a way withhorses, and he was a drover for a :ildarth merchant for many years. 0 don>t remember him

well. 0 think he was a good man, but he was killed by brigands when 0 was three or four, andmy mother@D he paused, then twitched her head. "y mother had left her own village

when she married him. he had no family near the one we lived in when he died, and she . . .did whatever a Jforeign> woman with three children and no man had to do to survive. 0 loved

her, and 0 never stopped loving her, but it was hard for a child to understand the decisions she

had to make. There are things 0 thought@things 0 actually said to her@which 0 would give

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most othSii@men and women alike@privately considered them beyond the pale. Theyweren>t truly womenD at all, for every one of them had renounced the ties of blood and

family in order to become war maids, and that acutely unnatural act could never have beencommitted by any properly reared woman. The fact that the windriders regarded the war

maids as invaluable allies and their only true peers meant little against that sort of bone3deep

preudice, and a female knight of TomanMk would be only marginally more welcome than a

:orse tealer invasion. -ot to mention the fact that $ahBell>s father might be less thanthrilled by the notion of having one of his son>s companions wander off to hobnob with the

:orse tealers> most implacabale foes.$ut as he looked into !ame Naeritha eldansdaughter>s eyes, he knew she was completely

serious. %ne might almost have said dead serious, he reflected, and shuddered at the thought.

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C:A&T' T'-

ir orhus wasn>t with them when they left A(e :allow two days later. omewhat to

$ahBell>s surprise@he still hadn>t Euite come to terms with the authority a champion wielded

@Terrian hadn>t even Euestioned his decision to send orhus south. 0n fact, the knight3general had seemed downright relieved by the notion.

0f you think this Tothas has a chance to get through orhus> skull, then of course we

should send orhus to find him,D Terrian had said firmly.'ven though pearmen aren>t so very fond of A(emen as all thatID

7irst of all, the pearmen>s dislike for A(emen@and vice versa@is more a tradition thana burning hatred,D Terrian had replied. 0t>s not like, oh, the way the &urple 6ords feel about

us. econd, the %rder has Euite a strong presence in the 'mpire of the pear. #e may beheadEuartered in A(e :allow, and our charter may have been confirmed originally by

Normak 0, but our loyalty is to TomanMk @who, you may recall, is also JOudge of &rinces.>That means we don>t take sides in wars unless one party or the other has clearly violated

TomanMk>s Code. And@D he smiled faintly @since everyone knows that, most reasonably

sane rulers go to considerable lengths to avoid open violations. $ut the point is that pearmendon>t automatically think of us as an A(eman organiBation or of our knights as spies for theNing3'mperor.D

;m.D $ahBell had leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin, ears half3flattened.

Terrian was probably right, he reflected. The 'mpire of the pear>s hostility towards A(emen

sprang from the fact that the 'mpire of the A(e was the true bar to the pearmen>s unbridlede(pansion. They resented the fact that the A(emen>s matchless power was committed to

blocking all efforts to push their borders further north. till, they understood that the Ning3'mperor had treaty obligations to protect the $order Ningdoms> sovereignty, and they also

knew the A(emen had no obection to their e(panding into the vast, unclaimed lands east of the pear iver. $esides, as Terrian had said, the %rder of TomanMk was neutral in the

empires> rivalry . . . and its role as administrator of TomanMk>s ustice served the rulers of both well.

$esides,D Terrian had gone on while the :orse tealer pondered, whatever his other failings, orhus is as energetic, competent, and determined a field commander as you>re ever

likely to find. As a matter of fact, he>s much too valuable for us to make a desk man out of or demote to subordinate duties unless we absolutely have to. The problem is keeping him away

from positions in which his particular brand of piety might shape the %rder>s policies . . . or

convince those outside the %rder that it has. That means that sending him to OashRn will let us

kill two birds with one stone, as it were.D

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And how would that happen to beIDAs 0>m sure you know even better than 0 do, Qarantha of OashRn is in the process of

establishing the first pearman mage academy under her father>s protection.D Terrian>s tonehad made the statement half a Euestion, and $ahBell had nodded back. #ell, there>s been

some fairly noisy resistance from a handful of pearman reactionaries. The fact that "istress

Qarantha>s a woman is enough to make some of them recalcitrantK the fact that she was

educated in A(e :allow only makes it worse, and some of them are rattling a few swords. 0don>t think they>d care to face !uke OashRn in open conflict, especially since their 'mperor

would certainly support the !uke, but they wouldn>t be above encouraging a littleJbrigandage> which ust happened to run over "istress Qarantha. 'ven more ominously, they

have some very peculiar allies for conservative pearman nobles.D$ahBell had pricked his ears Euestioningly, and Terrian had shrugged. There would appear

to be a good bit of &urple 6ord pressure being brought to bear, including what looks like the 3 beginning of an effort@unofficially, at this time@to embargo OashRn>s trade through

$ortalik.DThe &urple 6ords, is it nowID $ahBell had murmured, and Terrian had nodded.

0ndeed, "ilord, and that was enough to make us look very closely at the situation,

especially in light of what you and #encit have told us of !uke OashRn>s and "istressQarantha>s suspicions about the &urple 6ords. -o doubt many of the city3states would oppose

the notion of pearman magi simply because anything that contributes to the 'mpire>s

independence from the &urple 6ords threatens their profits, but 0 believe !uke OashRn iscorrect in believing there>s more to it than that. And given that the magi and the %rder of

emkirk are our best counters to the activities of dark wiBards, we have an unhappy suspicionof what that something more is.

#hich,D the knight3general had gone on, is why the %rder of emkirk has asked us for aid. They have a solid core of mishuki, but they aren>t a true military order, as we are, and

asking us to take a hand makes sense. OashRn needs help, and it would be best if that helpcame from a third party. 0f the !uke can step back from his role as the primary protector of

"istress Qarantha>s new academy and assume a more Jneutral> role, it should help ease the purely political and economic tensions in the area.D

And you>re thinking as how using the %rder>s troops to protect Qarantha would be after letting him do that.D

&recisely. #e don>t envision it as a permanent responsibility. Any established mage

academy is Euite capable of looking after itself, thank you, and once "istress Qarantha has

her academy properly organiBed, we should be able to withdraw our people with a clear conscience. $ut that will take several years, and in the meantime, we>ll need a good field

commander to handle the situation.DAnd if that should ust happen to be taking orhus into Tothas> neck of the woods . . . ID

&recisely,D Terrian had said again, and smiled. $est of all, if we don>t tell orhus thatTothas is supposed to be straightening him out for us, he won>t have any reason to get his

defenses up the way he does whenever one of us tries to talk to him. And from what 0>veheard of "istress Qarantha, she>ll probably do as much to get through to him as your friend

Tothas.DAye, she would thatFD $ahBell had chuckled, and nodded. All right, then, ir Terrian.

"ind you, 0>ve a few reservations yet about this notion of sending people off on a whim, and0>ll want to send Tothas a letter of my own, warning him what we>re about to drop on him.

#hatever your lot may think, Tothas is no member of the %rder, and he>s no reason at all but

friendship to be doing as 0 ask. $ut 0>m thinking he>ll do his best for me still, and you>re right

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%nce they worked their way free of the A(e $lades, the high road straightened out againand the long, steep slopes eased. They also left the deepest accumulations of snow behind,

and the going was almost as good as it had been on the road from $elhadan to the capital.The party Euickly settled back into much the same routine as in the earlier stage of its

ourney, e(cept that #encit and Naeritha oined the morning training bouts.

The wiBard claimed it was simply a way to stay warm, since a man of his advanced years

had no business using a sword with serious intent, but $ahBell doubted his disclaimer fooledanyone. And the :orse tealer knew it didn>t fool anyone who>d ever had the dubious

pleasure of crossing blades with the old man,D whether it was merely for practice or not. Thee(pression on $randark>s face when #encit disarmed him three times in five minutes had

been priceless, and although $ahBell himself managed to hold his own against the wiBard, itwas a very near thing. 0n fact, #encit managed to killD him almost as often as the :orse

tealer managed to killD the wiBard. $ahBell would have liked to think it was because#encit>s sword was enchanted, which@as anyone who>d ever seen him confront dark

wiBards knew@it most certainly was. ;nfortunately, the hradani couldn>t Euite convincehimself that magic e(plained what #encit could make that sword do. 7or all his vast age, the

wild wiBard remained hard3muscled and supple Gno doubt the wild magic had a little

something to do with thatH, and he>d had over twelve centuries to pick up tricks of swordplay$ahBell hadn>t even heard of yet.

$ut much as $ahBell enoyed sparring with #encit and adding some of those same tricks

to his own repertoire, his bouts with Naeritha gave him even greater pleasure. :is respect notonly for her but for her teachers was enormous. he was more than a foot and a half shorter

than he, and she might weigh a third as much as he did when she was wringing wet. "ost of his weight advantage was muscle and hard bone, as well, and there was no way she should be

able to stand up to him in one3on3one combat.et no one had ever told her that, and if he was far stronger, with a much longer reach, she

compensated for those disadvantages with speed, skill, and raw aggressiveness. A blow froma sword the siBe of $ahBell>s, even if it was a blunted training weapon, could break bone,

mail or no, but that didn>t faBe Naeritha. he dove straight in at him with an apparentdisregard for possible inury which turned his blood cold the first time he saw it@especially

when he considered what would happen to her if she did the same thing against edged weapons. $ut even as he was thinking that, her toe hooked behind his right ankle, she heaved,

and he went down in the snow to find the tip of her sword pressed firmly against his gorget.

%r, rather, the tip of one of her swords, for she used a techniEue he>d never before

confronted, although he>d heard something like it described by :orse tealers who>d facedothSii war maids. ather than one sword, or even a sword and a dagger, she fought with a

sword in each hand. They were light blades which he suspected she>d designed herself,somewhere between the eighteen inches of the oyal and 0mperial 0nfantry>s shortsword and

the three feet of =aion>s longsword, but she wielded them with a speed and de(terity whichhad to be seen to be believed. he couldn>t use a shield with them, but $ahBell Euickly

discovered that her techniEue more than compensated for the lack of one. 'ven moreimpressive, she seemed to use either hand with absolute impartiality, and she could shift the

emphasis of her attack between them with devastating speed. 0t was rather like fighting awhirlwind, and once she got inside an opponent>s sword, her victim usually ended up wishing

a whirlwind was all he>d been fighting.he was eEually skilled with the Euarterstaff she carried upright in her stirrup as another

knight might have carried a lance. he was the only person $ahBell had ever met who

actually used a staff from horseback, and she spent at least twenty minutes practicing with it

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every day. $randark, who had never had the misfortune to encounter a Euarterstaff in skilledhands and so tended to look down upon the weapon, made the mistake of chuckling over her

antics with it one morning. 7ortunately for the $loody word, she decided to treat hisamusement as the product of ignorance, not an insult, so instead of cracking him smartly over

the head, she made him a wager. he bet him that she could strike a doBen eggs out of the air

as Euickly as he could throw them at her, and then, for an encore, cracked@not broke, but

simply cracked @a half3doBen more with overhead strikes while they lay neatly lined up on awagon tongue. The wager cost $randark two gold kormaks, but it also cured him of any

misplaced contempt for her chosen weapon.$ahBell, on the other hand, who had never felt any particular temptation to laugh at staff

play, found that it took him several days to adust to her style. And despite the difference intheir siBes, he was the one who had to adopt the more defensive stance until he began to get a

feel for it, for her speed and skill offset much of his advantage in reach and raw strength. hewas like a terrier worrying an elk hound, charging in and pressing an attack so fast and

furious he had no choice but to defend himself. $ut her techniEue also reEuired her to parryevery attack he could launch with one of her primary weapons, since she used no shield, and

if he could hold off her initial, all3out assault, his longer reach, stronger muscles, and heavier

blade came into their own once more.0n most ways, the time he spent sparring with #encit@or, for that matter, $randark or the

male knights and lay3brothers of the %rder@was more valuable to him. :e was never going

to adopt Naeritha>s style, and he>d probably never run into an enemy who used the sametechniEue. Certainly he was unlikely to encounter anyone who used it as furiously as she didF

:e was much more likely to pick up some new move to add to his own style from the moreconventional swordplay of one of the other male members of the party, and he knew it, but

the sheer pleasure of seeing her in action made all that irrelevant. :er sleek, deadly speedwas a oy to watch, and for all the apparent fury of her techniEue, it was actually wrapped

around a core of lethal precision. -o doubt he should have e(pected that from someone who>d been chosen as one of

TomanMk>s champions on the very day of her knighting, but that made it no less impressive.'ven more to the point, perhaps, that sense of kinship he>d felt from the start grew stronger

with each day. he settled effortlessly into place in the party, slipping into a friendship notsimply with $ahBell but with $randark, as well, which was as deep as it was inevitable. 0n

fact, the one complaint $ahBell had was that, like Qarantha, Naeritha actually encouraged the

$loody word>s efforts to improve upon $he 4ay o* ah!ell loody+Hand , and she had a

dismayingly good singing voice which she insisted upon using to help him along. he>d goneinto whoops of hysterical laughter the first time $randark played it for her, and he could get

her to start giggling simply by humming it. :earing an anointed champion of TomanMk whocould easily have cut almost anyone else in the party into dog meat giggle would have been

unnerving under any circumstances, but to have her take such unmitigated glee in suggestingfresh rhymes to $randark was the outside of enough. 'ven worse, she soon discovered that

=aion had a splendid tenor singing voice, and when she got Wencit into the act as well . . .They made very good time from A(e :allow to 6ordenfel, but somehow the spritely notes

of a balalaika and the tuneful trio singing along with it managed to make the trip seem very,very long.

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$ahBell had thought 'sgfalas a large city when he first saw it, but he>d learned better since. -ow, to his more e(perienced eyes, 6ordenfel looked like a sleepy, provincial town, despite

its walls and battlements. #inter probably contributed to its sleepiness, but the energy of its people and economy would never approach those of $elhadan. et the 6ordenfel Chapter of

the %rder was almost twice the siBe of the $elhadan Chapter. That struck $ahBell as odd, at

first, but ir "aehryk e(plained it simply enough.

es, we>re larger than the $elhadan Chapter, "ilord Champion,D he agreed. :e wasabout ir Charrow>s age, but his dignified@stuffyD was the word which actually sprang to

$ahBell>s mind@manner made him seem older. :e also had a pronounced tendency tolecture, and $ahBell felt vaguely betrayed by how Naeritha had abandoned him to "aehryk>s

undivided attention. :e wouldn>t have minded her eagerness to visit with her younger brother if he hadn>t been pretty sure she knew "aehryk of old and had deliberately used the novelty

of a brand new hradani champion to distract the chapter master from her own disappearance.$ut big as we are,D "aehryk went on now, less than half our people are here at any

given moment. As 0>m sure you>ll notice when you move on into 6andfressa, towns andvillages are few and far between from here to the mountains. The soil>s good enough, but the

growing season is short, and most of our country folk are herdsmen of one sort or another. 0>d

guess that as many as half the villages in 6andfressa shut down entirely in the winter whenthe cattle and sheep move south, and that leaves us with two problems.D

:e paused, one eyebrow raised, like a tutor waiting to see if his student knew the answer,

and $ahBell snorted.#ilderness breeds brigands@or hiding places for >em, at least,D he said shortly, and

without city guards or local militias to root >em out, then it>s up to the army . . . or someoneelse.D

'(actly,D "aehryk agreed. And that>s especially true here. %nce winter closes the'sfresia3!olmach high road, anything shipped out of !warvenhame has to follow the

southern route through 6ordenfel and A(e :allow to $elhadan. There may not be muchtraffic compared to what passes through during the summer, but the pickings are still rich

enough to draw bandits. o we lend a hand to keep the roads open. 0n fact@D he paused,frowning while he stroked his short, gray beard @we>ve been busier than usual this year.

The stretch ust the other side of the border into 6andfressa>s been particularly bad. oumight want to watch yourselves when you get to it, "ilord Champion.D

#e>ll do that.D $ahBell managed to keep from sounding short@again@but it was hard,

and he felt a twinge of guilt. "aehryk was a conscientious man, or he would never have been

chosen for this post, far less left in it for going on eight years. $ut he was obsessively formaland had about as much liveliness as a salted cod, and $ahBell simply couldn>t warm to him as

he had to Charrow or ir Terrian.:e started to say something more, but the sound of the dinner bell interrupted him, and he

rose with a bit more haste than was strictly courteous. :e tried not to feel grateful for the 3reprieve@or glad they would be spending only a single night in 6ordenfel@and ordered

himself to be pleasant over supper as "aehryk led him to the dining hall.

ir 6ynoth was waiting in the morning to escort them on their way once more. $ahBell andhis friends had risen early, eager to make as much distance as the short winter daylight

permitted, but 6ynoth and most of the rest of the chapter house clearly had already been upfor Euite some time. #hatever had roused them had upset ir "aehryk, too, and there

seemed to be Euite a few uniformed members of the City ?uard about. The prim and proper

chapter master could scarcely be accused of discourtesy, but he was plainly preoccupied and

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0 see.D $ahBell shook his head. ure and it>s a sad shame to know anyone might so muchas think a fine, upstanding sergeant of the ?uard would be having truck with such as that,D he

said piously.To be sure,D 6ynoth said dryly, and his mouth Euirked in a fresh smile. ir "aehryk felt

much the same as you, "ilord Champion. And despite certain, um, rumors which reached his

ears, he also felt very strongly that it was not the %rder>s business to interfere in the internal

affairs of the City ?uard.DAnd very properly, too,D $randark put in. #hy, what would the world come to if ust

everyone went about poking his nose into other people>s businessID he added, stroking hisown prominent nose for emphasis.

-o doubt you>re right, 6ord $randark. $ut apparently someone decided to poke his nose @or, rather their noses @into it last night.D

:ow soID Naeritha asked.#ell, 0>ve only heard bits and pieces of it so far, and 0>m fairly sure it>s grown in the

telling,D her brother said, and paused to give her a sharp look. he returned it blandly, and hegrinned. 0 can only hope that someday the individuals involved will give us the details,D he

went on, but from what ?osanth is claiming, at least two doBen masked brigands appeared

out of nowhere and set upon him and his valiant sEuad with clubs.D-oF Two doBenI #ith clubsD Naeritha shook her head, and 6ynoth shrugged.

That>s his story, and he>s sticking to it. As a matter of fact, 0 think 0 did hear someone else

say something about Euarter staffs,D he said, glancing at the staff braced upright in Naeritha>sright stirrup. And there was something else about giants summoned up by spells,D he went

on, glancing in turn at $ahBell, who looked back with an air of total innocence. Andsomeone else said something about hearing music coming from the guardhouse,D 6ynoth

added with a glance for $randark>s balalaika.?oodness gracious,D Naeritha said comfortably. #hat a dreadful e(perience it must have

been, to be sure.D#ell.D 6ynoth gave a lurking smile. 7rom all accounts, the really dread*ul part didn>t

begin until whoever was playing the music started trying to sing.D%h, it didn>t, heyID $randark growled. $ahBell>s innocent e(pression seemed to crack

momentarily, but he had it under control by the time 6ynoth glanced back his way.o what were these mysterious brigands after doingID he asked. 0>m hoping no one was

hurt too badlyID

%h, hardly at all, "ilord. Aside from a few bruises and one or two contusions, the

Jbrigands> seem to have been very careful not to, ah, damage anyone. $ut whoever they were,they appear to have walked in while some of that mislaid property 0 mentioned was in the

process of walking out, because it was all piled in a heap in the center of the guardroom when?osanth>s relief turned up. And the relief also found ?osanth>s entire detail@plus si(

burglars and a fence the ?uard>s been hunting for months@wrapped up in rope like moths inso many cocoons and hanging from the rafters.D

"y goodnessFD his sister murmured. $ut why was ir "aehryk so perturbedID#ell, 0>m sure most of it was no more than a perfectly understandable state of shock that

members of the ?uard could possibly be involved in criminal activity,D 6ynoth said gravely.$ut 0 suppose part of it could be the fact that someone chalked the word and "ace on all

the stolen property. That, of course, suggests the %rder was somehow involved@which, aswe all know, couldn>t possibly be the case without ir "aehryk>s knowledge. And you saw

the lieutenant who was with him this morningID Naeritha nodded, and 6ynoth shrugged.

That was ergeant ?osanth>s platoon commander. 0 gather his superiors are none too happy

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with him, but he comes from a very prominent family, and he seems determined to nag ir "aehryk into confessing that the %rder was behind the whole thing and that he had nothing

to do with ?osanth>s . . . activities. $ut since the %rder didn't have anything to do with it,there>s nothing ir "aehryk can confess to@or say to clear the lieutenant. %nly the

lieutenant doesn>t want to accept that, and ir "aehryk>s too polite to have him tossed out of

the chapter house by force.D

!ear, dear, dear,D Naeritha sighed, and shook her head sorrowfully. 0 do hope they get tothe bottom of it . . . eventually.D

%h, 0>m sure they will . . . eventually,D her brother agreed. The two of them grinnedimpishly at one another, but then 6ynoth looked up and his grin faded. -orth ?ate lay before

them, with traffic flowing smoothly in and out in the chill morning sunlight. The corner of hismouth Euirked again as he observed the industry with which the ?uard detail attended to its

duties. -o doubt the two lieutenants, one captain, and the maor looking over its sergeant>sshoulder had something to do with that.

0t looks like the rest of the ?uard>s heard about ?osanth>s adventure,D he observed. !oyou suppose that was what whoever it was had in mindID

-ow how would such as us be knowing a thing about the twisted minds of those as could

treat poor ?osanth in such a wayID $ahBell demanded.7orgive me, "ilord Champion. ou couldn>t possibly understand how such depraved

individuals must think,D 6ynoth apologiBed.

And don>t you forget it, -uisanceFD Naeritha admonished, then urged her horse alongsidehis to throw an arm around him. he hugged him tight, then released him and waved a finger

under his nose. And don>t forget to write eldan and "ara, either, you ungrateful whelpFD0 won>t, 0 won>tFD he promised, and drew rein. The rest of the party flowed past him to

pass through the gate under the ?uard detail>s eagle eye, but $ahBell paused to clasp armswith him.

6ook after yourself, youngster,D the hradani advised him. And don>t go making toomuch mock of ir "aehryk,D he added in a sterner tone, lowering his voice so that no one

else could hear. 0>ve no doubt he>s an old stick3in3the3mud at times, but he>s also the head of your chapter. 0t>ll do him no harm to be shaken up from time to time if he>s getting too stuffy,

but it>s not the place of a knight to undercut his commander>s authority without better causethan stuffiness.D

%f course, "ilord. 0 didn>t mean@D 6ynoth began with a dark blush, then cut himself off,

and $ahBell smiled at the youngster>s refusal to try to wiggle out of the implicit rebuke.

0 wasn>t thinking you meant aught by it, lad, and 0>d not give two coppers for a youngster as didn>t want to see his elders brought down a peg or two once in a while. $ut it>s not

something as sits well in a chain of command.D-o, "ilord. 0 can see that.D 6ynoth nodded soberly, and $ahBell reached out to sEueeBe

his shoulder.?oodF And now, if you>ll forgive it, your sister and 0 have a ways to go yet.D

es, "ilord. "ay TomanMk ride with you.DAnd with you, ir 6ynoth.D The massive :orse tealer nodded once, turned, and walked

away after his friends. Then he paused in the gateway and looked back with a grin. And 0>llsee to it she's after writing to eldan and "ara, tooFD he promised.

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C:A&T' T#'6='

$ahBell was no city boy. 0n fact, he preferred wilderness to towns, yet he found the sheer

emptiness of northeastern 6andria depressing, especially since the stretch from 6ordenfel to

'sfresia was the longest leg of their ourney across the 'mpire. $oth 6andria and 6andfressawere populated primarily by freeholders and the herdsmen "aehryk had mentioned, so there

were few of the large estates found in other provinces. There were occasional large family

farms whose owners stayed put year round, but they were rare, with fortresslike homes andoutbuildings, fierce and well3trained dogs, and inhabitants who were less than happy to see

strangers. -ot that the towns were any better. 0n fact, they were worse. The travelers were barely

thirty miles outside 6ordenfel when they passed the first village whose inhabitants hadheaded south for the winter. 0t was a small place which no doubt housed a relatively small

total population even in summer, and its few permanent residences all clustered around thetown sEuare, thick3walled and built very solidly of stone or brick. "ost were at least two

stories tall, with no windows on the ground floor, and several were enclosed within sturdy

outwalls, as well. They might have been home to eight or ten families, but no more than thatcould possibly have been crammed into them, and it was clear people who chose to stay thewinter out in these parts were used to looking after themselves.

The lack of local year3round populations also e(plained the harder going the travelers

began to encounter. #ith towns so much further apart and so denuded of people, there were

simply too few warm bodies available for snow clearance. The high road remained ust asimpressive as a feat of engineering, but the terrain in this region tended to be flat, with only

occasional patches of forest. There were few landmarks, and there were many places wherefresh snowfalls would have left the roadway impossible to pick out without the rows of firs

which marched along on either flank. The wagoneers had stopped two days out from6ordenfel to replace their wagons> wheels with the sled runners. They made much better time

over the snow3covered road that way, and when they hit one of the rare patches of bare pavement, they simply moved onto the turfed sections and kept right on going.

$ahBell and $randark were northern3bred and no strangers to snow country, although thecity3raised $randark had less e(perience with cross3country travel in winter. et not even

$ahBell had ever e(perienced such open, lonely, emptiness in what was supposed to be aninhabited land. 0n an odd sort of way, the e(istence of the high road actually made the

emptiness worse. 0ts straight line, nailed down by its rows of windbreak treesK the occasional

stretches of bare paving, rising up through the snow like whales surfacing to breatheK the

stone bridges which appeared suddenly to leap across streams winter had turned into sheets

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of iceK and, most of all, the villages whose inhabitants had disappeared bag, baggage, andfamily . . . all of those things were like relics of a vanished people. They had been abandoned

to the armies of winter, and there seemed no hope spring would ever drive those armies back.The air was so cold it ached, and when they woke in the blessed warmth of their down3lined

=onderland sleeping sacks each morning, they found the outsides of those sacks coated in

frost. There was something almost sentient about the implacable power of winter here, and

the sEueak of fresh snow under $ahBell>s boots and the ingle of harness or thud of hooves or occasional snatch of conversation were lost and tiny in the vast stillness.

0 never imagined anyplace this . . . empty, "ilord,D =aion said Euietly one morning. :ehad abandoned his showy cloak for the thick, wooly warmth of the othSii3style poncho most

of the others wore, and he pounded his gloved hands together as he swept his eyes over thewhite, sterile landscape. 0t>s hard to imagine anyone lives here even in the summerFD

And you from 7radoniaFD Naeritha teased. The young knight turned to her with a grin theold =aion would never have shown an e(3peasant whose mother had been no more than a

common whore, champion or no, and she shook her head at him. !idn>t you say your familyhad holdings in =onderland, as wellID

#e do, "ilady. $ut villages tend to stay put in =onderland. They certainly don>t up and

move away when the snows comeFD-o, but their people also tend to be foresters, farmers, trappers, and fishermen, not

herdsmen,D Naeritha replied, and the population density is much lower in 6andria and

6andfressa. %ver half those who do live here are herders whose herds and flocks simply can>twinter successfully in these conditions, which means they have to move, and they don>t want

to leave their families behind when they take the herds south. 0f you could be in two places atonce, you>d be amaBed by how many people seem to have suddenly migrated to northeastern

ustum and the -orth "arch about now. $ut that>s not where the maority of them havegone.D

'(cuse meID =aion looked puBBled. 0 thought you ust said they were herders andfollowed the herds.D

-o, 0 said they were herders who didn>t want to leave their families behind when theycan>t be with them. That>s why it>s been customary up here for@oh, the last four or five

centuries, since the !warvenhame Tunnel was cut@for those families to move in with thedwarves for the winter. They pay their way with beef, mutton, and venison, and they also

provide an annual influ( of hands for the dwarves> manufactories. #eather may make it

difficult for them to get their products to market until spring, but winter>s always been one of

the dwarves> most productive times of year.D0 didn>t realiBe that,D $randark put in. That the dwarves use other sources of labor during

the winter, 0 mean.DThose in !warvenhame didn>t, before the Tunnel went in.D Naeritha shrugged. 7rom

what 0>ve been told, all the dwarves in Nontovar refused to share their secrets withnondwarves, and the !warvenhame clans followed that same tradition for si( hundred years.

$ut once the A(emen e(panded up to their borders and they saw what good use their cousinsin the 'mpire made of nondwarvish additions to their work forces, they couldn>t afford not to

follow suit. $y now, the humans in eastern 6andfressa are as much part of !warvenhame>sindustry as the dwarves are. ou>ll see what 0 mean when we get closer to the Tunnel. -one

of the towns up there close down for the winter.D;m.D $ahBell nodded, then cocked an eyebrow at her. 7rom what ir "aehryk was

saying, 0>d understood as how half or more of his chapter>s troop strength was up here.D he

nodded, and he waved a hand at the emptiness about them. That being the case and all,

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the ambushers didn>t get that moment of consternation, the advantage shifted instantly in theother direction.

0t took veteran troops to ride into a trap without any indication they realiBed they weredoing so, but he>d come to know these men well, and he>d been impressed by their Euality.

#hich, he supposed, he shouldn>t have been, considering whose %rder they belonged to.

:ere and there the loose column closed up a little, but so slowly and casually not even he

would have suspected why it was happening. The two e(tra drivers on each wagon haddisappeared back under their vehicles> felted covers, and he had no doubt they were stringing

bows for themselves and the men left at the reins, as well. The si( lay3brothers who>d beenriding on the south side of the wagons had also strung their short horsebows, using the

wagons for cover, and he nodded in satisfaction. 0f an attack did come@ =aion and :arkon came abreast of the forest>s nearest approach, and movement flickered

under the trees. 6esser eyes than $ahBell $ahnakson>s might not have seen it, but his had,and his arbalest was already moving up to his shoulder even before he realiBed they had. 0t

steadied, the string snapped, and the crossbowman who>d been taking aim at =aion screamedas the Euarrel nailed his shoulder to a tree.

omeone shouted, and a doBen more crossbows fired from the trees. The knight riding

directly behind =aion pitched out of his saddle without a sound, the lay3brother beside himcursed and clapped a hand to the short, stubby shaft suddenly standing out of his left thigh,

and yet another Euarrel struck =aion himself in the chest. 7ortunately, it came in at an

obliEue angle and skipped off his mail, ripping a huge tear in his poncho without inflictingany other damage. :arkon was less lucky, for his horse went down, shrieking as a Euarrel

drove home ust behind its left foreleg. $ut at least the knight3commander had knownsomething was coming, and he kicked out of the stirrups. :e landed rolling and came upright,

his sword already in his hand, ust as another horse reared in agony and collapsed, spilling yetanother lay3brother from the saddle. $ut that was all the damage the crossbowmen managed

to inflict, and someone else shouted under the trees@this time in consternation@as the entireunpreparedD column wheeled sharply to its left and charged.

The woods loomed before them, motionless and menacing for several moments, and thenfigures began to spill out of the trees. They came in dribs and drabs, like water spurting

through leaks in a dike, their surprise obvious in their lack of formation. These were menwho had e(pected to emerge from cover only to confront victims who>d already lost men to

crossbow fire and whose survivors were half3broken by the surprise of ambush, and $ahBell

shook his head in disgust as he spanned the arbalest once more.

0f he'd been in command over there, he would have broken off and fled the instant it wasapparent surprise had been lost, or at least stayed put in the trees. The ambushers> only

missile weapons appeared to be crossbows, which were notoriously slow3firing in most people>s hands. &rince $ahnak>s :orse tealers had adopted weapons like $ahBell>s own

arbalest, but they had the strength of arm to span them like light crossbows, which let themmaintain a rate of fire no one else could match. till, even human crossbowmen could have

gotten off at least one more shot each while their attackers came at them and, at the veryleast, they could have forced their enemies to come into the trees after them, where mounted

troops would be at a severe disadvantage. Coming out into the open, especially without eventaking time to shake down into coherent formation, was stupid.

till, he allowed as he raised the arbalest and sent another deadly bolt through the throat of an attacker, the brigands did have a marked advantage in numbers. There must be forty or

fifty of them, and their decision to leave the sanctuary of the trees might not be Euite so

addlepated as it first seemed.

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"ost of the %rder of TomanMk>s knights were medium or heavy horse who fought withlance, sword, battlea(e, or mace. There were e(ceptions@those who, like $ahBell or, for that

matter, Naeritha, preferred to fight on foot@but almost all of the %rder>s warriors werehorsemen. At the moment, that was a disadvantage, for the greatest weapon of a mounted

man was normally his horse>s momentum. $ut the snow off the high road was more than

horse belly3deep in places, and however willing their mounts, that snow slowed them as they

floundered towards their enemies. 0t was a problem for anyone on foot, as well, of course, butless of one, relatively speaking.

7ortunately, however, TomanMk>s %rder reected the nose3lifted disdain some chivalricorders felt for missile weapons. ;nlike those orders@whose members, as far as $ahBell

could figure, regarded war as some sort of game in which an arrow was a rank breach of etiEuette@TomanMk>s followers used whatever weapon served best, and the %rder>s lay3

brothers were mounted archers. 7ew of them carried the heavy othSii horsebows whichmade the windriders so deadly, but the lighter version they did use was lethally effective in

e(pert hands, and they were e(perts. -ow the wagoneers and the lay3brothers who>d strung their bows while concealed behind

the wagons@a full doBen of them in all@laid down a deadly fire that did to the ambushers

what the brigands> abortive crossbow volley had failed to do to the head of the column. "enscreamed and fell, thrashing in the snow as needle3pointed pile arrows slammed into them.

$lood spattered the snow, shocking in its redness, and $ahBell dropped his arbalest, drew his

sword, and went racing after Naeritha>s mount.The snow was an impediment to him, as well, but not nearly as much a one as it would

have been to another footman, and he drew even with Naeritha ust before she reached theenemy. he might prefer to fight on foot, and a Euarterstaff might not be a typical mounted

weapon, but that didn>t seem to faBe her. he dropped her reins, guiding her horse solely withknee and heel, and the staff blurred as she sent it hissing through the air in a two3hand stroke.

he took her first victim sEuarely in the forehead with a perfectly timed strike, and bloodsprayed as the impact shattered his skull.

$ahBell had little time to notice. The snow and heavy going had deprived his own peopleof any sort of formation, as well, and what had been intended as a nice, neat ambush turned

into an ugly, sprawling melee. Nnots of combat coalesced out of the confusion as two or threemen on each side came together, and the :orse tealer>s lips drew back and his ears flattened

as he met his first foe head3on.

The brigand in Euestion slithered and skidded in the snow, trying to stop himself as he

realiBed what he faced, but it was too late for that, and $ahBell>s sword came down two3handed. aBor3edged steel slammed into the angle of neck and shoulder, and the bandit didn>t

even have time to scream as it sheared clear down through his torso to emerge below theopposite armpit. The mangled corpse flew aside, blood steaming in the cold, and $ahBell

turned as three more brigands came at him.$oman%k 1D he bellowed, and a soprano voice shouted the same name beside him. A

Euarterstaff licked out, striking with deadly precision, and one of his three opponents fellheadlong, temple crushed. :e took the second man himself, blade flashing in a long, blood3

spattering arc to send his victim>s head flying, and Naeritha@who had parted company withher horse somewhere along the way@blocked the last man>s desperate cut with her staff. he

drove the brigand>s blade to the side, then brought the lower end of the staff up in a strike tohis face. :e saw it coming and leapt back to avoid it, but he lost his footing in the snow and

fell, and she smashed the staff>s butt down in a short, savage arc that sent splinters of his

shattered forehead deep into his brain.

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he and $ahBell whirled, backs to one another as if they had fought together for years, asstill more brigands came at them. $ahBell caught a fleeting impression of $randark and

=aion, converging to fight side by side, driving hard to reach him and Naeritha, and another of #encit of Lm, forbidden the use of sorcery against nonwiBards by the trictures of

%ttovar, carving bandits into bloody ruin with deadly efficiency. $ut there were even more 3

attackers than he>d thoughtVand, for some reason, he and Naeritha seemed to draw them like

lodestones. -one of them so much as tried to get at the wagonsK instead, thirty of them droveat the two champions in a wave while the others foamed forward to prevent anyone else from

aiding them.$ahBell had no time to worry about why it was happening, and he snarled as he reached

out and deliberately gave himself to the age.7or twelve hundred years, the age had been the darkest, most terrible curse of the

hradani. The sorcery the 6ords of Carnadosa had used to compel them to fight under the !ark ?ods> banner in Nontovar had sunk into their blood and bone, marking them with a

berserker>s fury which could strike anywhere, anytime, without warning. As it still couldtoday. $ut as TomanMk had told $ahBell one terrible evening in the 'mpire of the pear, the

age had changed over the centuries, and when a hradani deliberately summoned that new

age to himself, it became his servant, not his master.And so $ahBell called it now, as he had refused to call it for his duel with =aion, and felt it

e(plode through him, crackling in his muscles as all restraint, all doubt vanished. &ure,

elemental purpose filled him, and the deep3throated bellow of his war cry rose like thunder ashe went to meet his enemies.

Naeritha came with him, and the icy clear precision of his mind knew e(actly where shewas at every moment. There was no berserker in him. There was only that focused purpose,

as pitiless as winter itself, and he went into the bandits like an avalanche, huge swordcrunching through chain and leather armor with eEual disdain, cleaving flesh and hurling

aside bodies. :e didn>t worry about his flanks or rear. Naeritha was there, as dependable ashis own arms or legs and ust as deadly, and the two of them went through the brigands like a

dwarf3designed killing machine of steel and wire.The ambushers> headlong drive towards the champions slowed as the men who>d led it

disintegrated in broken wreckage. -one of them had ever faced a hradani in the grip of theage, and very few men had ever seen two champions of TomanMk fight side by side. 7ewer

still had survived the e(perience of *acing two champions, and these men lost all stomach for

the chance to confront them. Those nearest $ahBell or Naeritha were too terrified to turn their

backs yet desperate to get out of reach, and they began to slip and stagger backwards as theytried to disengage. Those further away took advantage of the distance to turn and run, but the

champions> companions had their own ideas about that.The furious combat redoubled as the knights and lay3brothers of the %rder closed in on the

knot of bodies which had congealed around $ahBell and Naeritha, and the way thoseattackers had clumped to attack the champions proved their undoing. The %rder>s horsemen

had managed to envelop them, and $randark and =aion launched one prong of a drivingattack, riding shoulder to shoulder as their horses trampled their victims. ir :arkon and

#encit led the other prong, hooking in from the far side, and war cries cut through the uglysounds of steel in flesh and the shrieks of dying men as the early winter afternoon fell apart in

slaughter.And then, suddenly, it was over. The handful of surviving bandits threw down their

weapons@many of them screaming %ath to TomanMk F 5ath to $oman%k 1D as they begged

for Euarter@and $ahBell drew himself up with a snarl. A flash of terrible disappointment

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C:A&T' T:0T''-

o none of them have the least idea who hired them, ehID Naeritha sounded as skeptical as

$ahBell felt, and the :orse tealer snorted.

0f they do, none of >em>s minded to be telling us, at least,D he rumbled, and turned hishead to spit into the snow in disgust. "ind you, if it wasn>t for that J%ath to TomanMk >

nonsense, $randark and 0>d soon have the truth out of them.D

0t>s not Jnonsense,> $ahBell,D Naeritha said, her tone mild but firm.%ne knight@ir 'rek@and four lay3brothers had been killed, and si( more had been

wounded, two severely. ?iven the odds they>d faced, that was a low casualty list, but thatmade neither the deaths less painful nor the suffering of the wounded easier. -ow the two

champions sat apart from the others, wrapped in blankets while they recovered from thee(haustion of healing those wounded men. 0t wasn>t simply physical weariness, but a

champion>s ability to heal depended on three things2 his faith, the strength of his own will,and his ability to directly channel the power of his deity. As oyous as that was, it was also as

strenuous, in its own way, as any battle. The focused will and faith, the ability to see the

wounded man whole as he ought to be, produced the e(haustion, but the direct communionwith their god produced its own sense of . . . bemusement and almost dreamy wonder. till,they>d had time to recover from the stronger aftereffects, and Naeritha gave the hradani a

moderately stern glance.

$ahBell grimaced, but he also nodded. There was no Euestion that he commanded their

party@which, after all, had been assembled to get him home to deal with harnM>s meddlingin -avahk@but Naeritha had been a champion for almost eight years. 0t was hard to

remember sometimes that she was senior to him, for despite her formidable height Gfor ahuman womanH, she was of less than average height and delicate compared to hradani

women, and she was almost ten years younger than he. et senior she was . . . and no onewho had seen her in action this afternoon would ever think of her as a fragile flower of

sheltered femininity.Aye, 0 know,D he agreed after a moment, but if the boot were on the other foot, these

bastards wouldn>t be caring less what our lot might have sworn. And if they hadn>t been after swearing it, and if all our people weren>t after being in the %rder>s colors, then $randark and

0 could convince them easy enough . . . and without laying a finger on >em, either.D Naeritharaised an eyebrow, and he grinned evilly. #e>re hradani, Nerry, and all the world knows as

how hradani would sooner slit a man>s throat than look at him. Trust me. 0f these lads weren>t

after knowing as how calling on TomanMk protects them from us, we>d scare >em into

loosening their tongues Euick enough.D

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possible, then, that he>s not told his lot ust why he>s wanting us dead. Come to that, the waythese fumble wits went about it may mean as how he>s not even told them who we are. 0>m

thinking this lot had no notion they were about to cross swords with the %rder of TomanMk until they saw our colors.D

0>d say you>re right about that last bit, at least, "ilord,D :arkon said. The scum who

follow harnM have never cared to meet us in battle, and certainly not in anything like eEual

numbers. They only outnumbered us by three to two here, and if they>d known what we were,they would have bought a lot more swords to help them out.D

They>ve certainly avoided this sort of thing in the past,D Naeritha agreed.Aye, and harnM>s not e(actly noted for keeping faith with anyone,D $ahBell pointed out.

:e>ll send his own worshipers to their deaths and laugh unless there>s after being somethingof special value for him in keeping >em alive, from all 0>ve heard. 6ike as not the notion of

setting them on us without warning them would actually amuse him.D$ut that doesn>t mean he doesn>t really want to stop us@or you, or the two of you, or

even the three of you, counting #encit,D $randark said. The $loody word rubbed the tip of his truncated ear for a moment, then grimaced. &hrobusF 0f I were harnM, 0>d want the

whole lot of you as far away from my plots as 0 could keep you.D

#hich only emphasiBes the importance of our not letting him get away with delaying us,D#encit put in, and $ahBell nodded.

"y very own thought. $ut what to do with this lot in the meantimeID

:e twitched his head at the miserable prisoners. The fact that TomanMk>s Code protectedthem from abuse by their captors didn>t seem to have made them feel a great deal better, and

he didn>t blame them. The code wasn>t binding on the oyal and 0mperial courts, and brigandage was a hanging offense.

0 don>t see any option, "ilord,D :arkon said almost apologetically. #e>ll have to takethem along at least until we meet one of ir "aehryk>s patrols. 0 don>t think they>ll slow us,

though. #e only lost three horses, and our scouts rounded up all of theirs from their camp toreplace the losses. "aybe the local magistrate can get more about their employers out of

them. %nce they>re face to face with the courts@and the hangman@they may decide tostrike a deal and turn Ning3'mperor>s evidence.D

0>m afraid :arkon>s right about taking them along,D Naeritha said. $ut we might be ableto get ust a tad more information out of them. #hile 0 would never encourage anyone to

violate the Code, this@D she held up the scorpion @puts a different color on things.D

$ahBell looked at her EuiBBically, and she shrugged. $hey don>t necessarily know that

working for harnM doesn>t change their status. As servants of TomanMk it would never do for us to actually lie about that, but if they ust happened to get the notion that the Code doesn>t

protect those who give their allegiance to the !ark ?ods, well@Dhe shrugged again, and $ahBell gave an evil laugh. =aion and :arkon looked at her as if

they weren>t certain they>d heard correctly, and #encit only shook his head, but $randark sighed. The others looked at him, and he raised one hand to wag an inde( finger under

Naeritha>s nose.$ahBell is clearly a bad influence on you,D he told her severely. The very idea of a

champion of TomanMk suggesting such a subterfugeF 0>m shocked@ shocked1 @that youcould so much as think such a thingFD

%hID Naeritha>s dark blue eyes glinted challengingly. !oes that mean you disapproveID%f course 0 don>t disapprove@0>m a hradani, NerryF 0 ust can>t help wondering how

$oman%k is going to react to this.D

%h, 0>ve a notion he>ll grow accustomed,D $ahBell said, reclaiming the scorpion and

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dangling it in front of him while he considered it once more from all angles, then he grinned.-ow what do you suppose would be the best way to beginID he mused almost dreamily.

hould we let $randark be showing this little bauble to them one by one while he plays withhis knife, or should old #encit be after making sure they>ve seen his eyes and then give them

all a lecture at onceID

Naeritha>s plan worked to perfection. ;nfortunately, the surviving hired swords trulydidn>t know much about the people who>d hired them. -o brigand in his right mind would

have admitted he>d known he was working for harnM, yet $ahBell was inclined to believetheir protestations of ignorance. omewhat to his surprise, Naeritha agreed, for their anger@

and fear@when they discovered the truth seemed completely genuine. Any mercy they mighthave anticipated from the courts would evaporate instantly if they were proven to have

knowingly served the !ark, and they appeared desperate to offer any information they couldin an effort to buy some sort of clemency.

%nly they didn>t actually have any true information. The few who weren>t regular out3and3out brigands were mercenaries of the sort TomanMk did not approve of, and none had asked

many Euestions when they hired on with their now deceased employer. -or had they been

told they were waiting for a single, specific target. They>d thought they were going to pillageanyone who happened along, and they hadn>t even realiBed the travelers were in TomanMk>s

colors until the first crossbow bolts were fired. The only thing all of them agreed on was that

the man who>d hired them had been accompanied by an inner cadre of ten others, all of whom had appeared to be seasoned fighters . . . and none of whom had survived.

0t wasn>t much. 0n fact, it was worse than nothing in many ways, for it simply confirmedthat harnM was involved without providing a single additional hard fact. $ut at least they

knew now that their enemies knew enough about their plans to attempt to stop them, and thatlent a new urgency to their ourney. They decided to press on as Euickly as possible in hopes

of reaching !warvenhame before harnM could organiBe something more effective than a botched ambush. And while none of the attackers they>d killed or captured had borne the dog

brothers> telltale scorpion tattoo, they couldn>t be positive the assassins wouldn>t be called in.?iven that fact, Naeritha agreed with $ahBell that it would be wise to avoid any town or city.

0t was easier to watch one>s back in the wilderness than among an entire town worth of people one didn>t know from :irahim>s house cat and, as $ahBell had demonstrated,

sneaking up on a :orse tealer hradani in the open was a difficult task, at best.

The champions transferred their prisoners to one of ir "aehryk>s detachments at the first

good3siBed, permanent village they passed, but they barely even slowed down to turn themover. The detachment>s senior knight seemed a bit miffed by their haste, but none of their

own companions so much as complained, despite their longing to spend at least one nightunder a snug roof. There were a few wistful sighs when they circled 'sfresia itself without

even entering the provincial capital, however, especially when the clear, cold weather whichhad accompanied them from 6ordenfel decided to disappear. There were no fresh bliBBards,

but the sun vanished. The temperature actually rose a bit, but the rising humidity which camewith it only made the damp cold bite even deeper, road conditions were miserable, and they

were plagued by dense fog and freEuent flurries of wet, soggy snow for days on end.Their pace slowed once they>d passed 'sfresia, and not simply because the roads were

worse. The ambush had inspired ir :arkon to put out scouts, and the wretched visibilityrestricted the distance at which those scouts could stay in visual contact with the rest of the

party. A part of $ahBell longed to overrule the knight3commander, but he couldn>t. -ot only

was :arkon right about the need to have someone sweep for enemies, he was also the senior

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member of the $elhadan chapter still present, and $ahBell was not about to undercut hisauthority simply because he wanted to move a little faster.

The trip from 'sfresia to the !warvenhame Tunnel was the shortest leg of their ourney sofar, little more than thirty3seven leagues, but it seemed much, much longer. The terrain

changed once more as the land began to climb towards the eastern mountains, and the high

road passed through forest as dense as anything in =onderland. Trees pressed in on either

hand, further aggravating the scouts> problems, and the first few leagues east of 'sfresia were particularly hard going as the horses pushed through the deep snow. 0t took them the better

part of three full days to cover barely thirty miles, and $ahBell began to despair of reaching:urgrum before midsummer.

7ortunately, conditions began to change on the fourth day. The deserted villages withwhich they had become all too familiar disappeared, and they saw little of the abandoned

pasture lands which had stretched across 6andria and southern 6andfressa. There were morefarms, with stout, winter3tight barns and brick silos, but it was clear that most of those living

in the towns they passed now had other things on their minds than farming. The high roadwas clearer than it had been since 6ordenfel, and teams of woodsmen were busy in the forest

through which it passed. %(3drawn sledges laden with trimmed tree trunks moved steadily

along beside the road, all headed east, and Naeritha smiled when $ahBell wondered aloud atseeing so much industry in such bitter weather.

Think about it,D she suggested. #hat>s the one thing folk who live underground have the

least ofIDAhID $ahBell scratched an ear, then nodded. Trees,D he said.

'(actly. !warvenhame is as greedy for forest products as &urple 6ords are for gold, andthese people make an e(cellent living supplying them. And not ust with lumber or pitch or

turpentine, either. !warves have a deep craving for fine woodwork, but it>s not somethingthey>re particularly skilled at producing. And this is a good time for these people to do their

timbering. There>s less need for farm labor, and without rivers big enough to float logs down,winter actually makes it easier to move them. Timber sleds move much better over snow.D

$ahBell nodded again, though he remained bemused by the shouts echoing through theforests from the labor gangs. The occasional crashing thunder as trees came down and the

cheerful profanity bellowed by drovers as o( teams leaned into their harnesses were a far cryfrom the icy, deserted silence he>d seen further south, yet he still felt taken aback initially

when the locals called out cheery greetings as he and his companions passed. 0t was good to

once more find themselves among people who felt secure enough to greet them, yet after

their earlier e(periences, and especially after the botched ambush, it seemed unnatural for these people to view any large, armed band with anything other than wariness, regardless of

whose colors they wore.$ut a little thought helped e(plain the difference between the atti tudes of these industrious

foresters and the inhabitants of the largely deserted towns and villages. 6andfressa>sforesters, like those of =onderland, were a hardy and independent lot, and most were hunters

as well as loggers. There were undoubtedly doBens of bows in their work camps, and giventhe probable skill of those bows> owners@not to mention the fact that woodcutters were

inevitably accompanied by e(tremely sharp a(es@only fools would offer them violence.$esides, however valuable timber might be in !warvenhame, it wasn>t e(actly something

brigands could seiBe and ride off with. -ot that there weren>t plenty of other temptations to lure potential raiders, for Naeritha had

been right about the relationship between 6andfressa>s humans and the dwarves of !warven3

hame. #inter might have froBen them for now, but in warmer weather doBens of brawling

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mountain streams ran down to the northernmost tributaries of the ?reenleaf iver. They weretoo shallow to be used for transport, but every town the travelers passed boasted its own

holding ponds, as if an army of beavers had descended upon the land, and $ahBell and$randark marveled at the scores of waterwheels those ponds served. "any were idle now, but

some still turned, and it didn>t need a hradani>s ears to hear the sounds of hammers, saws,

chisels, and other tools coming from the large brick buildings clustered about them. Among

hradani, waterwheels were used only to drive the grinding stones of grist mills, but these people obviously used water to power a whole host of other tools, as well, and $ahBell

watched in fascination as they passed an open3sided structure where a water3driven saw astall as many men slabbed enormous tree trunks neatly into planks and timbers. -either he nor

$randark had ever imagined such an improvement on the slow, laborious saw pits their own people used, yet the fact that the locals seemed totally unaware that winter was supposed to

be a time when the pace of life slowed until the spring thaw was almost more bemusing tothem.

The humans in their party seemed to take that in stride, but then, with the possiblee(ception of #encit@who, as a wild wiBard, might or might not be properly classed as a

humanD to begin with@they were all citiBens of the 'mpire. $ahBell and $randark were not,

yet the comments their companions let drop told them that busy as all this seemed to them, itwas commonplace to the others. 0ndeed, compared to the more populous provinces further

south, all of this bustle and industriousness, however impressive to two barbarian hradani,

was downright rustic.That was an almost frightening thought for $ahBell. :is father had worked for years to

build a place where merchants and artisans could survive and prosper, and the result had beento make :urgrum crushingly superior to her foes. $y hradani standards, $ahnak>s realm was

incredibly prosperous, able not only to feed and clothe its people but to arm them and eEuipthem for war with weapons of their own manufacture. 0t had been an enormous achievement,

one which had played a decisive role in $ahnak>s rise to the threshold of empire, yet the prosperity and productivity of this area which $ahBell>s human friends clearly regarded as a

backwater dwarfed all his father had achieved. 0t put the wealth and power of the 'mpire of the A(e into stark perspective . . . and made him realiBe how incredibly far his own people

still had to go.%r, rather, those busy, productive towns made him begin to realiBe the length of the

ourney to which &rince $ahnak had committed his :orse tealers. 0t took their arrival at the

western end of the !warvenhame Tunnel to make the realiBation complete.

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C:A&T' 7%;T''-

&hrobusFD

$randark>s soft3voiced curse, rich with wonder, e(pressed $ahBell>s own feelings almost

perfectly. The :orse tealer glanced at his friend, but only briefly, for the sight before themwouldn>t let him look away for long.

The stonework of $elhadan and the 'mpire>s roads had been marvel enough, but this was

the first time the hradani had seen the work of dwarvish engineers untouched by the influenceof any of the other aces of "an, and they knew it. -o one could have looked at the western

face of the !warvenhame Tunnel and not known it, for no one but a dwarf could haveconceived and e(ecuted such a proect.

The entire face of a mountain had been sliced away to create a sheer, vertical wall of smooth rock eight hundred feet high at the least. There was something merciless about the

perfection of that sweep of stone, a purity of line and plane which nature could never have produced. 0t had been imposed by a hand and eye which thought in straight lines and the

consummation of function, and it loomed above the puny mites at its feet with a maestic

severity too intense for beauty.The mouth of the tunnel itself was a black dot against that vast backdrop. %nly as they

approached its portcullis3fringed maw and the flanking bastions carved from the rock to

either side of it did its siBe truly become apparent. Those bastions were garrisoned, as was the

battlemented traverse work cut to overhang the full width of the gate. entries looked down

on the travelers from embrasures, murder holes for heated oil and banefire, and arrow slits, but the duty officer must have been warned they were coming, for the stocky dwarf only

raised his a(e to $ahBell in salute and waved them past.Truth to tell, $ahBell had paid the guards little heed, for his attention was riveted to the

tunnel itself, and he felt a fresh sense of awe as hooves clattered on the hard3paved approachand he strode under its massive vault. As a rule, he disliked underground spaces. :e wasn>t

e(actly claustrophobicK it was ust that most caves and tunnels made someone his siBe feelhemmed in. $ut the !warvenhame Tunnel was fifty yards across, with a stony roof so high

above the roadway that it seemed to float suspended rather than press down upon him, and areassuring breeBe flowed through ventilation shafts on silent feet of chill, fresh air. The light

within was dim compared to the daylight without, but it was much brighter than he wouldhave e(pected. #all3mounted lanterns burned every twenty yards, and even though they

lacked the reflectors he>d seen in places like the $elhadan chapter>s training salle, they threw

powerful spills of illumination along the tunnel. 0t took him several minutes to realiBe why,

and then he inhaled sharply.

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They didn>t reEuire reflectors because the walls themselves served as reflectors. The stonewasn>t simply smoothK it was polished almost to the Euality of a mirror, without a single tool

mark to mar its surface, and he shook his head in baffled wonder.#hatID #encit asked Euietly from beside him, and $ahBell turned his head. The wild

wiBard>s eldrich eyes looked eerier than ever in the subdued lighting, floating like twin pools

of witchfire under his brows. Their shifting glow was so bright $ahBell thought he could

almost have read by it, yet not even that unnatural sight could distract him from the odd sensethat the tunnel didn>t truly e(ist. That it couldn't e(ist.

The walls,D he said after a moment, his voice soft, almost hushed, as if he felt somecompulsion to speak without the tunnel>s creators overhearing him. There>s not a tool mark

on >em.D-o, there isn>t,D #encit agreed, turning to cock his head and consider the walls himself.

:e studied them almost critically, then shrugged. Actually, 0 think this may be even better than some of the work 0 saw in Nontovar,D he mused. %f course, it>s been a while. 0 suppose

my memory could be playing tricks on me.D$ahBell swallowed, arred by the casualness of the wiBard>s tone. :e could forget #encit>s

age and reputation for days on end@or no, not *orget so much as set them aside or fool

himself into thinking he>d come to grips with them@and then some offhand remark woulddrive the old man>s sheer antiEuity home like an arbalest bolt. 6ike now. -o one else in the

world could possibly refer to twelve hundred tumultuous years as a while,D yet to #encit of

Lm, that was precisely what they had been.7or an instant, $ahBell was terrifyingly aware of the age and knowledge@and power@

riding peacefully along at his side. This was the man who had strafed Nontovar. #ho hadfought the 6ord of Carnadosa himself, and all his inner council, to a standstill in the first,

desperate days of the war which had doomed the 'mpire of %ttovar. #hose protection had prevented the !ark 6ords from pursuing Nontovar>s refugees to -orfressa to make an end of

them. $ahBell $ahnakson was not a man who felt awe easily, but there was not@could not be @a more perilous being in all the world, and for ust that instant, a fear3touched awe was

precisely what echoed through $ahBell>s bones.$ut the moment passed. -ot because the :orse tealer felt any less respect, but because

#encit had chosen for it to pass. 0t would have been impossible for $ahBell to imagineanything less like the dark and terrible wiBard lords of the ancient tales than the plainly

clothed old man on the horse beside him. -o one who ever met #encit of m could

mistake the steel at his core, but the wiBard had never sought wealth or pomp. :is was a Euiet

authority which came from who he was and what he had done, not from the sort of mailedfist which could impose obedience. :e was a wanderer, moving about on missions of his

own, often inscrutable and mysterious to those about him, who turned up une(pectedly andthen disappeared as une(pectedly as he>d come. :e was as comfortable with barbarian

hradani as at the Ning3'mperor>s own court, and for twelve hundred years he had been a lawunto himself.

-ow he looked at $ahBell, raising one snowy eyebrow, and smiled. 0t was an oddlyintimate little smile, as if he knew what the hradani had been thinking and found it amusing,

yet there was a wry twist to it, as well. &erhaps, $ahBell thought, the real reason #encit hadnever built himself the sort of wiBard>s tower the old tales described or established himself in

lu(urious wealth and authority in A(e :allow or "idrancimb or othfalas was far simpler than most people had ever imagined.

:e was lonely. Could it truly be that simple, the :orse tealer wonderedI And yet, how

could it not beI This man>s flame3cored eyes had witnessed the fall of the greatest empire in

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history. :e>d seen the wreckage of that empire washed up on -orfressa>s shore, watched over and guarded it as it painfully and laboriously set about putting its pieces back together. And

aside from some of the elves of aramantha in their self3imposed seclusion, he was the onlyone who had. :ow many people@how many friends@had he known across that vast sweep

of yearsI :ow many times had death washed them away and left him alone once more to

pursue his lonely task as a continent>s guardianI The grief of so much loss must eat at a

man>s soul, yet the only way to avoid that sorrow would be to isolate one>s self asaramantha had@to erect barricades and defenses against feeling@and that, $ahBell

somehow knew, was something #encit simply could not do. And so he took people as he metthem. #ll people, on their own terms, accepting them for who and what they were, for he

needed them to remind him of who he was . . . and why he had given and sacrificed so muchto protect them for so long.

ou were commenting on the wallsID The old man>s voice prodded $ahBell with unusual patience, and the :orse tealer shook himself, then grinned.

Aye, so 0 was,D he replied, grateful to #encit for breaking the train of his thoughts. 0>dnot>ve thought anyone would spend the effort to polish them this way. TomanMk F 0>d>ve said

no one could do itFD

Ah, but they didn>t@polish them, 0 mean,D #encit said. $ahBell looked at him for amoment, then flicked his eyes back to the glass3smooth stone.

And ust how would you describe whatever they were after doing, thenID he asked

politely.%h, the stone>s smooth enough,D #encit agreed, but they didn>t have to Jpolish> it. This

@D he flicked a hand to indicate the entire wide sweep of the tunnel which surrounded them@is sarthnasik work.D

SarthnasikD $ahBell repeated carefully. The word was obviously dwarvish, though itseemed overly short for their language, but he>d never heard it before.

0t translates@roughly, you understand@as Jstoneherd,> D #encit told him.!oes it, nowI And what might a stoneherd beID $ahBell felt $randark urging his horse up

behind him and sensed the $loody word leaning towards #encit with his ears cocked.=aion wasn>t far behind, and Naeritha smiled crookedly as she moved her own mount to the

side to make room for the young knight3probationer. Clearly she was already familiar withthe term, but $ahBell wasn>t, and he eyed the wiBard intently.

A stoneherd is a dwarf who practices sarthnasikarmanthar ,D #encit e(plained. That>s

the traditional dwarvish discipline@or art, perhaps@which allows them to command stone.D

(ommand stoneID $randark repeated, sounding as dubious as $ahBell felt, and the wiBardchuckled.

That>s the simplest way to put it,D he said dryly. 0 can give you a more technicale(planation if you really want one, but 0 doubt it would mean a great deal to you.D The

$loody word raised an eyebrow, and #encit shrugged. !o you remember the night 0 triedto e(plain how wiBardry worksID

es.D $randark rubbed his nose. ou said something about the entire universe beingcomposed solely of energy, however solid it may look.D

&recisely. And if you>ll recall, 0 also said that all wiBardry consisted of was a set of toolsor techniEues with which to manipulate that energyID 0t was #encit>s turn to cock an

eyebrow, like a professor checking to see if his students followed him.%h, aye. #e recall it, right enough,D $ahBell assured him. #hich isn>t to be saying

we>re after understanding it, of course, but we do recall it.D

?ood. $ecause sarthnasikarmanthar is simply a specialiBed version of the same thing@

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one which applies only to stone and which only the dwarves have developed. A sarthnasik doesn>t Jdig> or Jcut> a tunnel. :e visualiBes it in his mind@much as 0 suppose you or Nerry

visualiBe the mending of a wound when you call on TomanMk for healing@and then imposesthat vision on the energy other people see as Jsolid stone.> D

#encit shrugged, as if what he>d said was self3e(planatory and as simple as baking a cake,

and $ahBell stared at him, appalled by the implications.

!>you mean to be telling me,D he said very slowly after a moment, that a dwarf cansimply wish something like this@D he waved at the tunnel again @into beingID

:ardlyFD #encit snorted. 0t takes a great deal of concentration and imposes atremendous drain on the life energy of a stoneherd. omething like this tunnel or some of the

other tunnels and cuts sarthnasiks have produced for the 'mpire aren>t anything they docasually, $ahBell. $ut the ability is undoubtedly the real reason dwarves seem so much more

comfortable underground.DAnd they still do it todayID $randark sounded uneasy, and #encit turned to look at him.

0 mean, there>s no #hite Council@hasn>t been one for twelve hundred years.D #encitcocked his head, and the $loody word frowned. 0 don>t think 0 like knowing that a bunch

of wiBards have been running around unsupervised all that timeFD

They>re not wiBards,D #encit said, and sighed at $randark>s e(pression of disbelief.Sarthnasikarmanthar is no more wiBardry than the elves> long life spans are, $randark.

ock is the only thing a stoneherd can impose his will on, though most sarthnasiks do seem

to have a greater affinity for metal work than even other dwarves do. 0 think it has somethingwith their sensitivity to the ores in their raw state. $ut a stoneherd could no more JvisualiBe> a

hole through you than =aion here could.Dounds like wiBardry to me,D $randark said stubbornly, and #encit shook his head.

0 suppose that@in a very specialiBed sense@you can define it that way if you absolutelyinsist,D he said, but no wiBard would. 0t>s a natural talent no one can learn to duplicate

without the same inborn talent. 0n fact, most wiBards would agree with the historians that sarthnasikarmanthar was the very first cleft point for the aces of "an.D

JCleft point>ID $ahBell repeated. #encit nodded, and the :orse tealer rubbed his aw.And what would a cleft point beID

A cleft point@D #encit began, then paused. :e rode in silence for a few seconds,scratching his own beard thoughtfully, then looked around at his audience. :ow many of

you are familiar with the works of anahir of TrSfrSlanthaID he asked.

$randark started slightly, but the others only looked blank. The $loody word waited to

see if anyone else would speak, then shrugged. 0>ve come across the name,D he saidcautiously. 0>ve never seen any of his actual writings, but 0>ve seen some older works cite

him as a secondary source. :e>s supposed to have been a historian and philosopher from thetime of the 7irst #iBard #ars, isn>t heI 7rankly, 0 always thought he was a myth.D

:e wasn>t,D #encit assured him. And you>re right about when he lived. 0n fact, he wascourt historian for %ttovar the ?reat and ?wynytha the #ise.D

$randark>s weren>t the only eyes that went wide and round at that. %ttovar the ?reat hadlived over ten thousand years ago, and the wiBard smiled wryly as he saw the unvoiced

thought behind their eyes.-o, 0 wasn't around at the time,D he told them in a dry tone. 0 did, however, have the

opportunity to read his works before the 7all. The 0mperial 6ibrary in TrSfrSlantha had analmost complete collection.D :e paused again, meditatively, and his voice was thoughtful

when he continued. ou know, 0 haven>t thought about anahir in centuries. 0>d forgotten

that no one in -orfressa ever had the chance to read him.D :e shook his head again. "aybe

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0 should find the time to sit down and ot down what 0 remember. 0t certainly couldn>thurt . . . and it might do Euite a bit of good, now that 0 think about it.D

:is voice trailed off, and he gaBed into space, looking at something no one else could see.The others glanced at one another, waiting for him to resume, but over a full minute dragged

past without his saying another word, and $ahBell cleared his throat.

0>m sure that>s all very well, #encit, but would you be so very kind as to be getting on

with whatever it was you were telling us before you came all over historicalIDThe wiBard twitched, then grinned at the hradani>s acerbic tone.

7orgive me, $ahBell. #hen you have as many memories as 0 do, you sometimes get a bitlost sorting through them. As for what 0 was about to say, anahir was a wiBard himself, as

well as a historian, and he was fascinated by the aces of "an. %f course, there were onlythree then2 humans, dwarves, and hradani.D

ThreeID $randark looked up sharply. #hat about the elvesID%h, they didn>t even e(ist until after the 7irst #iBard #ars,D #encit told him. 0n fact, it

was watching them come into e(istence that started anahir wondering about the originalthree races.D

The elves Jcame into e)istence> after the #iBard #arsID $randark sounded stunned, and

#encit nodded.%f course. %ttovar and ?wynytha created them.D

WhatD $ahBell stared at the wiBard in disbelief, and #encit sighed.

0 see 0 do have to get as much of anahir>s history written back down as 0 can.D :e turnedhis glowing eyes on Naeritha. 0 know "istress herath gave you a good, solid grounding in

history, Naeritha. !idn>t she ever mention anahir or the Cleaving to youID-ot that 0 can remember,D Naeritha said after several seconds of frowning thought. he

did describe sarthnasikarmanthar to us, but 0 think that was because some magi have stone3working talents which could be mistaken for it by people who don>t know the difference and

she wanted to be certain we did. he certainly never mentioned anything about Jcleft points,>though. And she didn>t say anything about the elves having been Jcreated> either. %f course

@D she twitched a shrug and grinned @"istress herath tended to concentrate on Nor*ressan history, #encit. That>s Euite ancient enough for most people, you know.D

%h, dear.D #encit rubbed a hand over his eyes, and as their glow disappeared behind hishand, he looked every year of his unthinkable age for ust an instant. Then he lowered his

hand and smiled crookedly. 6et this be a lesson to you, my friends. -ever assume that ust

because something was once common knowledge it must be still.D

0>m thinking it>s likely you>re after having a bit more opportunity for that than such as wedo,D $ahBell said dryly, and #encit chuckled.

-o doubt,D he agreed, then shook himself. All right. $asically, anahir was curiousabout how the different aces of "an came into e(istence@or, to be more precise, about

how the differences between them arose@and he decided to find out.D$ut weren>t they always differentID =aion asked, brow creased in confusion.

-o.D #encit shook his head firmly. 0>m not privy to all of the techniEues anahir used inhis investigations. emember, he>d studied directly under %ttovar, and many of his

techniEues had been lost long before even the 7all. 0 do know some wiBards are actuallycapable of traveling through time, though there aren>t many who can do it, thank %rr. And

only a madman would do so willingly, given that one can only travel backwards, not forward,and that a careless act on the wiBard>s part would be entirely capable of . . . um, uncreating

the time from which he came.D :e grimaced. $ut anahir had developed some of the best

scrying spells of his time to assist %ttovar in the 7irst #iBard #ars. :e might have used some

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;nfortunately, it was much more difficult to police warlocks than wand wiBards, which posed a problem for %ttovar and ?wynytha>s trictures. 0t wasn>t impossible, but it wouldn>t

have been easy, and, frankly, the use of their abilities came too easily to them. 0t was highlyunlikely that they could have renounced their use even if they>d wanted to, but %ttovar and

?wynytha hadn>t spent centuries fighting to impose some sort of restraint on the unbridled

use of the art ust to see that restraint destroyed within a generation or two. o they made a

bargain with the warlocks. They created a spell@according to anahir, it was ?wynytha>swork, and it must have been an incredible feat@which changed the warlocks> talent into

something very like your own people>s link to the magic field. The warlocks gave upsorcery . . . and in return, they received immortality.D :e smiled@a wry, bitter twist of the

lips. 0 don>t think it was a bargain 0 would have made. 0mmortality would give me too longto remember what 0>d given up to get it.D

$ut you>re already@D =aion blurted, then clamped his aw shut. #encit looked at him,then smiled more naturally.

0mmortal, =aionID :e laughed. %h, no. #ild wiBards live a long, long time, but we>renot immortal. And the elves truly are, you know. They can be killed, and they do die, but

unless they>re murdered or die in battle or of a disease or in an accident they truly can live

forever. -ot that they do. 0n time, even immortality can become a curse, and eventually mostof them choose to die.

$ut@D he shook himself @that>s how the elves became the fourth ace of "an. 0 don>t

suppose@D his smile became a grin @that 0 have to e(plain where the hal* 3elves camefrom, do 0ID

-o, 0>m thinking we>ve all a fair enough grasp of how that>s after working,D $ahBellassured him dryly.

?ood. As for the halflings, they>re obviously a true fifth race, but 0 have to admit that 0>mnot entirely certain what constitutes their Jcleft point.> 0>m inclined to think it was simply the

amount of raw wiBardry their ancestors were e(posed to. &eople too close to unshieldedworkings of the art can be . . . changed, and the Carnadosans often ignored their

responsibility to shield others from the emanations of their spells. "y best guess is that thehalflings are descended from the servants and slaves of dark wiBards who were sloppy about

shielding . . . and 0>d also guess that>s where the magi come from, as well.D;m.D $randark nodded slowly, eyes half closed as he considered all he>d ust learned.

That>s Euite a lump of information, #encit,D he said finally, not all of it e(actly pleasant.

$ut it does e(plain a few things 0>ve wondered about in the past.D

$ut not the &urple 6ords,D Naeritha put in. The others looked at her, and she shrugged.:alf3elves breed true, and they>ve e(isted almost as long as the elves themselves. #hy

aren>t they considered the fifth race instead of the halflingsI And why don>t any other crossings between the races breed trueID

Actually, half3elves only Jbreed true> with elves or other half3elves,D #encit told her. 0sometimes think that>s one reason the &urple 6ords are so arrogant. Their ancestors

deliberately chose to breed a new ace of "an, but none of the others have ever acknowledged them as such. $hey certainly think they should have been known as the Jfifth

ace of "an,> but if they truly constitute a race at all, it>s an artificial one. 0f they were tointerbreed with humans or dwarves, they>d Euickly disappear once more.D

They wouldID Naeritha sounded surprised, and he nodded.Certainly. Any of the aces of "an can interbreed with any of the others, Nerry. 0t

happens more in -orfressa than it did in Nontovar@the 'mpire of the A(e is proof of that@

but it happened even there upon occasion. %f course, there could be problems. 7or e(ample,

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crosses between dwarves and elves tend to be very short3lived, and the offspring of humanand hradani parents are sterile. 7or that matter, so are the children of elvish and hradani or

elvish and dwarvish parents.Dterile, is itID $ahBell rumbled.

0>m afraid so,D #encit confirmed. And where the human3hradani crossing is concerned,

it may be ust as well for the rest of the aces of "anFD $ahBell glanced at him EuiBBically,

and #encit laughed. 0f they weren't sterile, $ahBell, they>d probably end up ruling theworld.D

#hatID $randark pricked up his ears. And why would that happenIDOust for starters, they live even longer than half3elves,D #encit said dryly, and they

normally inherit the best of both their parent stocks.D JThe best>ID Naeritha repeated.

#ell, 0 think so,D #encit said. They get the strength and toughness of their hradani parent, along with the hradani link to the magic field, but some of them also get the one thing

which sets humans apart from all the other aces of "an.D#hich isID $randark asked.

#iBardry, $randark,D #encit said softly. 'ver since the days of %ttovar the ?reat, there

hasn>t been a single dwarvish, elvish, or hradani wiBard. 'very single one of us has beenhuman . . . or at least half3human.D :e smiled again, sadly. o you see, we're the ones to

blame for the 7all, aren>t weID

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anywhere but at the :orse tealer, but $randark only cocked his head, ears pitched forwardin innocent attentiveness, as he listened to the melody of $he 4ay o* ah!ell loody Hand .

The glare $ahBell shot him should have reduced him to cinders on the spot, but he returned itwith the bland smile of a man in whose mouth butter would refuse to melt.

0t is you, isn>t itID ;thmar demanded happily at last, and $ahBell gritted his teeth. $ut

then he made himself smile and nodded.

Aye, in a manner of speaking. -ot but what you>d not want to be believing all you hear.D:e shot another glance at $randark. 6ike as not the sot who wrote it all down was drunk as

a lord,D he added.%h, 0 don>t care about that ,D ;thmar assured him, waving one hand airily. :eavens, it>s

actually a pretty silly song, don>t you thinkID :e sniffed. The lines of the third stanBa don>tscan at all well, and that forced rhyme in the *i*th31D

:e rolled his eyes, and $ahBell>s ears flicked straight upright. :is lips twitched for aninstant, and then he laughed out loud.

%h, aye, a very silly song,D he agreed enthusiastically, grinning wickedly at a $randark whose studied innocence had ust become a thing of the past.

es, well, but the point was,D ;thmar said, that ilver Cavern sent word you>d likely be

coming this way, and Clan :arkanath specifically said you>ve a line of credit.D!id they nowID $ahBell watched the dwarf cautiously. :e was only slightly surprised to

hear Nilthan had sent word up the tunnel that he and $randark were on the way, for "aster

Nresco had promised to pass that information on to the ilver Cavern dwarves via the relays.$ut he was a little surprised Nilthan had mentioned anything about lines of credit.

%h, they didn>t tell ust anyone,D ;thmar assured him, but my sanitharlahnahk @D :e paused and frowned. ;m, that would be my wife>s sister3in3law>s second cousin on her

father>s side the way you>d say it, 0 think. 0s that right, NerryID :e looked Euestioningly atNaeritha, and she shrugged.

;thmar, you know no one but a dwarf can possibly keep your clan and familyrelationships straight. 0f you say it>s your wife>s sister3in3law>s second cousin, then that>s

what it is.D%h dear.D ;thmar frowned for another moment, then shrugged. At any rate, my

sanitharlahnahk is married to Nilthandahknarthas> sanhanikmah.D :e looked at $ahBell as if that should mean something to him. The :orse tealer glanced at Naeritha, who shrugged

again@helplessly@and then looked back down at ;thmar.

AndID he said encouragingly.

#hy, that makes us almost brothersFD ;thmar e(claimed, waving both hands in the air.That>s why he asked me to take special care of you@and your friends, of course@if you

should happen to stop off in Tunnel>s 'nd.DTake care of us, is itI And ust what were you having in mind in that regardID $ahBell

asked politely.#ell, it>s plain enough you>re not in need of armor. -ot@D ;thmar sniffed @that 0

couldn>t have fi(ed you up with some much superior to old Nara@ $ut that>s neither here nor thereF ou>ve adeEuate armor, and 0>ll assume you have weapons as wellID :e looked

e(pectantly up at the towering hradani, who nodded in confirmation. 0 thought so. 0 thoughtsoF $ut 0>ll wager there>s one thing you don't have, "ilord Champion, and that>s a first3rate

watchFDA watchID $ahBell blinked. And what in TomanMk>s name would such as 0 be needing

with a watchID

Everyone needs a good watch, "ilordFD ;thmar asserted. 0f you>ve never had one, you

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sort of limit was he after putting on itID:e didn>t,D ;thmar said with a wicked little smile of his own. 0 can>t imagine how he

came to be so forgetful. $ut, there@he is getting on a bit in years, you know. till, he>s also akinsman. !on>t you think 0 owe it to him to teach him not to be guilty of such oversights in

the futureID

-o doubt you do, no doubt you do,D $ahBell murmured. :e looked back up at Naeritha,

then glanced across at $randark and grinned. -ow, then, ;thmar,D he said, ust e(actlyhow much were you saying these watches of yours were costingID

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character and architecture.;nlike its sister cities, "ountain :eart spilled well out beyond the mountain into which it

was cut. 0ts permanent human population was more addicted to seeing the sky, and sturdystone houses e(tended for several miles in all directions from the half3doBen entryways cut

into the base of the #hite :orn. et as $ahBell emerged from the tunnel and started down the

ramp which led up to it, he noticed something very odd about the open3air portion of the city.

The first oddity was almost instantly obvious, for "ountain :eart>s outer fortifications werealmost rudimentary. -o doubt they were adeEuate for routine security, and they could

probably be held for at least a short time even against a serious attack, yet they offered far toolittle depth to permit any long3term defense against an enemy who meant business.

$ut the logic behind their design was apparent once he thought about it, especially after henoticed the second oddity. The outside portion of "ountain :eart contained only homes, with

market sEuares, parks, and a few shops scattered here and there among them. There werenone of the workshops and warehouses which were the heart of the city>s economy, for all of

those@along with at least three3Euarters of its population@were buried deep inside the#hite :orn. And unlike the light fortifications covering the aboveground portion of the city,

the gates and towers and bastions, the portcullises, dry moats, and loopholed galleries

protecting any of the entries to that part of "ountain :eart were all but impenetrable. %nly adesperate man would even consider voluntarily fighting dwarves underground, and assuming

anyone were mad enough to try it here, he would pay a dreadful price ust to break the outer

defenses. $ahBell still didn>t much care for the notion of living underground himself, butthere certainly were some advantages to it.

Nilthandahknarthas> courier was GinevitablyH a kinsman of his, although not even Naerithacould figure out e(actly how he and the young man, who introduced himself as

Tharanalalknarthas, were related. 0t had something to do with three marriages, a stepson, anda pair of uncles, as nearly as $ahBell could sort it out, but it didn>t really matter. !warves

were used to foreigners> inability to grasp those fine distinctions, and the term kinsmanD wasconsidered a perfectly polite alternative.

#hatever his relationship to Nilthan, Tharanal bore a marked family likeness to his clanhead, and it seemed obvious he had deliberately chosen to pattern his own personality on

Nilthan>s. !espite his youth, he was already beginning to lose his hair, which only heightenedthe resemblance, and $ahBell and $randark Euickly became comfortable with him. 0t was

also evident that he was very much in Nilthan>s confidence, and he was able to bring them

speedily up to date on the latest news. -othing important ever happened in -orfressa without

Nilthandahknarthas learning of it@usually sooner rather than later@but $ahBell was stillimpressed by Tharanal>s knowledge, especially about relations between :urgrum and

-avahk.They>ve been going steadily into the chamber pot for the last si( months,D Tharanal said,

sEuinting up at the clouds as his pony trotted along beside $randark>s horse. !warvenhame>sroads were even better than those of the rest of the 'mpire, and despite the cold, damp

afternoon>s promise of fresh snow, they were clear, at least for the moment, which allowedthe travelers to make e(cellent time.

0n fact,D Tharanal continued, turning his head to smile grimly at $ahBell, you couldalmost say they started heading that way about the time you and your friend decided to go

traveling, &rince $ahBell.DThe two hradani glanced at one another, and their mouths tightened. 0t was one thing to

know war between their clans was inevitable, or even to anticipate it as the only way in

which their people>s lot could be improved. 0t was something very different to hear

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himself off in mid3word as Naeritha shot him a sudden glance. Tharanal>s ears perked upalmost visibly at the interrupted remark, and he glanced speculatively at =aion, but no one

offered further e(planation, and he was far too courteous to press. -onetheless, $ahBell feltcertain Nilthan would hear about it as soon as his younger kinsman reported.

$ut that was all right with him. :e>d intended to bring Nilthan fully up to date on his plans

@such as they were@from the outset. Nilthan was no hradani, and he had no direct dealings

with the :orse tealers, but he was a canny man who had sources and contacts in the mostunlikely places. 0f anyone outside :urgrum itself could give $ahBell good advice, it was

certainly Nilthan, and $ahBell was only too well aware of how much advice he needed. -owhe withdrew into his own thoughts, listening to $randark shift the conversation to other

topics, and frowned as he pondered what Tharanal had already said.0t contained few surprises@e(cept for Arvahl>s sudden shift in allegiance. There had been

occasional instances in the past in which this or that :orse tealer or $loody word leader allied with his traditional enemies for momentary advantage, but they were rare. "ore to the

point, ever since it became obvious $ahnak intended to bring the incessant bickering andwarfare between the two clan groups to an end once and for all, there had been absolutely no

sign of any wavering among the $loody word princes and clan lords. As $randark had

succinctly if unkindly implied, hradani could persist with unbelievable stubbornness even inactions which they knew were ultimately doomed. 0t wasn>t simple stupidity, though there

were times $ahBell found himself unable to call it by any other name, so much as a sort of

elemental intractability. %n the plus side, that same stubbornness meant that once a hradaniswore loyalty to someone, he tended to honor that oath. As $ahBell himself had told

Toman k one cold, windy night in the 'mpire of the pear, when a hradani gave his word, it

meant something, and the very fact that any hradani had survived the 7all and the flight to

-orfressa was probably due to the same dogged refusal to yield, however impossible theodds, that kept ChurnaBh>s allies loyal. $ut it did make for messy politics, since the only way

most hradani chieftains could admit defeat was with the point of a sword pressed firmly totheir throats. That was why it had been obvious from the outset that the only way the northern

hradani would ever be united was by force.And now it looked as if that force was about to be employed. $ahBell glanced at $randark

and saw an echo of his own introspection in his friend>s eyes even as the $loody wordlistened with apparent concentration to Tharanal>s description of the market in gemstones.

$ahBell>s faith in their friendship was absolute, yet he knew that friendship would be harshly

tested when the inevitable happened. $randark>s father and both his brothers were trapped on

ChurnaBh>s side, and so was almost everyone else he>d ever known. :e himself would begreeted with a hefty degree of suspicion by $ahBell>s fellow :orse tealers, some of whom

would regard him as a turncoat and traitor, and if he actually found himself forced to take uparms against other $loody words@

$ahBell shook his head. %ne thing at a time, he reminded himself. They had to deal withharn first. That, at least, should pose no conflict of loyalties, and the revelation that

harn had established a foothold in ChurnaBh>s domain@and, for that matter, that

ChurnaBh>s late, unlamented heir had been a party to it@might ust bring the approaching

war to a much more rapid conclusion. 0f Arvahl of ondur could change sides over :arnak>srape of a servant girl, ChurnaBh>s alliances were likely to start leaking like a sieve when the

full story came out. -ot even hradani stubbornness would keep his allies loyal if they believed there was even a remote possibility that he>d known about harn >s activities in his

realm. And even some of those who decided he hadn>t known were likely to switch

allegiances on the basis that any prince worthy of his crown should have known about

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them . . . and dealt with them.$ahBell hoped so. :e didn>t want to see his friend caught between loyalties, and deep

inside, he knew he didn>t want to see the sort of war this one was likely to be.0t was going to be bloody, whatever happened, and the outcome would be of intense

interest to all of their neighbors, as well. -either the :orse tealers nor the $loody words

were all that numerous compared to the populations of the human3dominated lands which

bordered their own, but any army of hradani had an impact out of all proportion to its meresiBe. Anyone who had ever had the misfortune to encounter one knew that, and $ahBell was

Euite certain that no one outside the hradani homelands was going to be pleased by the prospect of any one ruler bringing all of them under one banner. 0f $ahBell were a othSii or

an 'sganian, he certainly wouldn>t have been happy over it. -o, this promised to be a fundamental shift in the power and politics of northern -orfressa

@one whose like was seen only once or twice in generations. 7or good or ill, the northernhradani were about to emerge as a single, unified entity unless someone@or something@

from the outside prevented it. #as that harn >s true purpose in -avahkI To prevent that

unity and keep the clans at one another>s throats foreverI %r did he want the unification to

succeed . . . under (hurna!h and his heirs rather than $ahnakI And if harn succeeded in

insinuating his pincers deeper and deeper into a united hradani empire, what would that meanfor the hradani>s neighborsI %r, ultimately, for all hradani everywhereI Toman k knew

enough people among the other aces of "an were ready enough already to remember tales

of the 7all and automatically associate all hradani with the !ark ?ods. 0f harn was able to

blow the embers of that distrust and fear back into a blaBe, even briefly, he might ust manage

to provoke the outside attacks which could finally destroy $ahBell>s people.7rom what $ahBell knew of him, harnM would probably find that almost as enoyable as

e(erting control through :arnak would have been. At the very least, !emon $reath wouldseiBe any opportunity to destroy $ahnak and all he stood for. That made it personal, and

$ahBell felt his lips trying to curl up and bare his teeth at the thought. -o doubt a championof TomanMk shouldn>t think in such terms, but he rather doubted his deity would hold it

against him ust this once.And however TomanMk might feel, it was time and past time for harnM &hrofro to

discover that there were easier targets@and far safer prey@than :orse tealer hradani.

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C:A&T' '='-T''-

6et>s take a walk, 6ongshanks.D

$ahBell looked up from his book and Euirked an eyebrow. Nilthandahknarthas

dihna>:arkanath stood in the doorway of the comfortable Gif low3ceilingedH room the :orsetealer had been assigned and propped his fists impatiently upon his hips.

#ell, come alongFD

AhID $ahBell closed his book on the inde( finger of his left hand and used his right to tugat the fob dangling from his breeches pocket. :e pressed the crown of the handsome@and

e(pensive@watch attached to the fob and sEuinted at the golden hands sweeping about its painted ivory face. #hy, it>s naught but eleven of the morning,D he remarked. ure and you

seem in a tearing rush about something, Nilthan. Are you sure it can>t be waiting while 0>mafter finishing my chapterID

-o, it can>t,D the dwarf said tartly. :is topaB eyes twinkled wryly as they rested on thewatch, but then he shook himself and glared at his towering guest. And we don>t have all

day, you know.D

And why notID $ahBell asked pleasantly. 7rom all accounts, it>s snowing fit to bury amountain whole outside. That being so, 0>m not so all3fired eager as all that to be on my way,and 0>ve naught else planned for the day e(cept this book. And truth to tell, 0>ve not found it

all that enthralling.D

?oodF 0n that case you won>t mind coming with me. And 0>m still waiting.D

The dwarf was barely half $ahBell>s height but with shoulders as broad as he was tall. :ewas also bald as a polished brown egg, with brilliant eyes under bushy tufts of eyebrows, and

a magnificent forked beard streamed down over his belt buckle. 7rom conversations withsome of the other members of Clan :arkanath, $ahBell had discovered that Nilthan was

considerably older than he>d first assumed. 0n fact, the clan lord merchant3prince was wellinto his third century, although the massive muscles characteristic of his race were only now

beginning to lose the hard suppleness of his youth. !espite the difference in their heights,$ahBell would not have been eager to face Nilthandahknarthas in battle even today, much less

in his prime.$ut for the last century and a half Nilthan>s most deadly weapons had been trade wagons,

merchant ships, letters of credit, and investment funds, not battle a(es. :e favored plainclothing@well tailored and of good, serviceable fabric, but without the silks or velvets or the

ewels or gold bullion embroidery others might choose@and he scarcely looked the part of

one of -orfressa>s wealthiest men. 0n fact, he looked more like an irascible tutor, standing

there with his fists on his hips. $ut that was only true until you saw his eyes. Those strange,

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The city proper sprawled over half a doBen main levels, and an entire host of secondaryand tertiary ones meandered off on their own. $ahBell was privately certain no one had the

least idea where all the tunnels, passages, and chambers went, and one e(cavation had runinto a series of immense natural caverns. The cave system ran for scores of miles, and even

now, forty years after its discovery, had yet to be fully e(plored. #ide avenues and sEuares

were interspersed with the large, underground villas and palaces of ilver Cavern>s nobility

and wealthy over the city>s first two or three levels. 7rom there, housing ran downward@ both in elevation and Euality@through the well3to3do to the middle3class and skilled artisans,

to the poorest laborers.%ddly enough, those laborers seemed to cherish little resentment of the wealthy compared

to other places $ahBell had visited since leaving :urgrum. -ot that dwarves weren>tambitious, for very few people were more ambitious. -o doubt there was a great deal of not3

too3deeply3buried envy in the stereotype of the greedy, avaricious dwarf cherished by manymembers of the other aces of "an. 6ike most stereotypes, it was a gross e(aggeration in

many respects, yet a remarkable percentage of the world>s wealth did end up in dwarvishhands somehow. $y the standards of peasants in places like -avahk or the 6and of the &urple

6ords, even the poorest of ilver Cavern>s dwarves were unbelievably rich, but they didn>t

compare themselves to outlanders. They compared themselves to their own wealthy, andevery single one of them aspired to amass the fortune which would let him move to the :igh

<uarter.

$ut that was the point@and, no doubt, the reason for much of their reputed avarice. Theywanted to acEuire wealth and the things that went with it, and they both believed they could

and were completely willing to work like a lake full of beavers to attain that goal. #henothers talked of how dwarves were eternally on the lookout for opportunities to sEueeBe

another kormak out of someone, they were absolutely accurate. There were e(ceptions, of course, as there were in all things, but the average dwarf was constantly working, thinking,

and looking for opportunities. As a people, they didn>t waste time sitting around envyingothersK they got on with improving their own lots, or those of their children, at least, and they

had two3 or three3hundred3year life spans in which to do it.mall wonder there was a sense of bustling energy about ilver Cavern, even in the winter,

$ahBell mused, and at least there was always room for upward mobility@in every sense of the word.

The underground city was liberally supplied with spiral ramps and staircases between

levels, and some busier, heavily traveled sections also boasted moving cars which Nilthan

called elevatorsD to move people even more efficiently. -ow the dwarf led $ahBell andianthus down one of the more secluded stairs, winding steadily deeper and deeper into the

living rock of the mountains. The stairwell was on the cramped side for $ahBell, and therisers> height had been planned for people with legs much shorter than his. :is calves began

to complain in fairly short order, but he told them sternly to leave him alone and concentratedon following his guide. 0f a man two centuries older than he could make this hike, then no

power in the universe could have made $ahBell $ahnakson beg for a rest breakF:e kept a careful eye on his surroundings, as much to take his attention off those

increasingly insistent calf muscles as anything else. 6ike "ountain :eart and, to a lesser e(tent, Tunnel>s 'nd, ilver Cavern>s walls and doorways and windows were as much

e(cuses for artwork as functional. The dwarves> passion for stone and rock crystal showed inthe loving e(ecution of leaf patterns, birds, stars and moons, tiny gargoyle faces, and clouds

which adorned walls and ceilings. !oor posts were carved in the shapes of tree trunks,

e(ecuted with such fidelity $ahBell could identify them from their bark, and window frames

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"arkhos, but we can>t be certain of that. And whatever Tellian may do, some of his districtlords and minor lords are looking to their own flanks. %ur information>s become more spotty

since winter closed the roads, but a good many of the #est iding>s younger knights seem to be at least listening to "athian edhelm, the 6ord #arden of ?lanharrow, and he's an anti3

hradani hothead if ever there was one. All of which means that if we were to intervene openly

in -avahk, for any reason, and tilt the balance suddenly in your father>s favor@D The dwarf

shrugged.ou>re thinking they might be seeing no option but to nip in Euick and nasty, before

7ather>s gotten his feet under him, as it were,D $ahBell said Euietly.That>s certainly one possibility. And another one is that someone like "athian of

?lanharrow might decide to act on his own and end up dragging the rest of the Ningdom withhim, whatever "arkhos and Tellian want. %n the other hand, most of us@and 0>m speaking

now for !warvenhame in particular, not the 'mpire as a whole@feel your father>s successwould be in our interest, as well as his own. ;ltimately, we think it would even be in the

othSii>s interest, although we don>t e(pect all of them to see it that way immediately. ouremember the first day we met, when 0 said your father sounded like a man who understood

the business of ruling, not ust lootingID

$ahBell nodded once more, and Nilthan flicked a hand in the air.#ell, 0 still think that, and a man who understands ruling, and who can teach those who>ll

follow him to understand it, makes a *ar better neighbor than a snakepit of warring chieftains.

-ot only that, but anyone who knows anything at all about $ahnak knows he would never@ ever@tolerate the worship of such as harnM in his domain. And that being the case, we want

to support him.D$ut not openly,D $ahBell said slowly.

-ot openly. -ot at once,D Nilthan agreed. $ut 0 can make arrangements through myfactor in !aranfel to slip some shipments over the border to !urghaBh come spring.D

hipments of whatID $ahBell>s voice was flat, and Nilthan waved at the seething activity beyond the control room window.

Armor. &ikes. :alberds. A(es and swords and arbalests.DAnd in returnID

0n return, you and he will root out harnM>s activities in -avahk and wherever else youmay find them in your lands. :e>ll pay us for the weapons when and as he can, and 0 assure

you our price will be below the current market value of our wares. 0n addition, once he>s

defeated ChurnaBh, he will sign binding peace treaties with his neighbors@including the

othSii. ome people might not place much faith in his wordK 0 do, and so do my fellows onthe !warvenhame Council. And in return for those treaties, !warvenhame will undertake, by

eEually formal treaty, to e(tend the same trade relationships to him as e(ist between us andother citiBens of the 'mpire.D

$ahBell inhaled sharply. That was a better offer than even the $order Ningdoms enoyed. 0tamounted to the ability to trade with A(eman merchants without import or e(port duties of

any sort. &rince $ahnak would not only have access to all the wonders $ahBell had seen sinceleaving home but also have that access at a considerably lower price than anyone else outside

the 'mpireFThat>s a mighty tasty carrot, Nilthan,D he said finally. peaking for myself alone, 0>ve no

choice but to call it a very tempting offer, but 0>ve no authority to be speaking for anyoneelse.D

#e realiBe that. #e also realiBe that at this particular moment, your duty as a champion of

TomanMk takes precedence even over your duty to your father. #e have no intention of

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grimaced and handed the cup back to $ahBell. ou>re certain your people drink this all thetime, "ilordID

#hatI 2y folkID $ahBell gave a long, rumbling chuckle. 6ad, there>s not a hradani bornwould drink something like that@D he erked his head at the pot still steaming on their small

fire @if he was having any choice at all, at allFD

$ut you said@D =aion began indignantly, only to be interrupted by $randark.

#hat he said , =aion, was that 'ast #all mountaineers, reindeer hunters, and skiers drink it to rela( muscle cramps. :e never said hradani drink it.D

0 see.D =aion gave his superior a rather grim look, but the corners of his mouth twitched,and there was the hint of a twinkle in his eyes.

#ell, 0 had to be getting it down you somehow,D $ahBell told him. And it worked, didn>titID

emind me not to buy any horses or land from you, "ilord,D =aion replied, and pushedhimself to his feet with a stifled groan. :e stood for a moment, then tried an e(perimental

deep knee bend.ou>ll need a bit longer than that for the tea to be helping,D $ahBell said as he abandoned

the e(periment with a groan which wasn>t at all stifled. Oust move about a bit. ?ive those

muscles a chance to be loosening up while the rest of us strike camp.D0 can help,D =aion protested.

!on>t be silly,D Naeritha said. 0t>s not as if you were still laBing around in your sleep

sack, =aionF 0n fact, we can probably do the ob faster without you, at least until you startmoving better than you are now.D

=aion grimaced, but he also nodded in agreement. :e began pacing up and down in theshallower snow in the lee of the fir trees, very slowly at first, and $ahBell, $randark, and

Naeritha went about the task of breaking camp with practiced efficiency.They were several days south of !warvenhame, almost into !aranfel. Their party was

much smaller, for $ahBell had left the $elhadan chapter>s men in !warvenhame as he>d toldir Charrow he would, and #encit had left them to continue on across the #ind &lain on

business of his own. $ahBell had been surprised by the wiBard>s departure, since he>dassumed #encit intended to help deal with harnM, but he hadn>t argued. #encit of Lm

went where he chose, when he chose, and he knew his own business best. $esides, this was$ahBell>s responsibility, and given the trictures of %ttovar>s ban on #encit>s use of wiBardry

on an enemy unless that enemy first used wiBardry against him, he would have been little

more than a welcome adviser.

The one thing $ahBell truly regretted about leaving the others behind was that he>d had toleave the wagons with them. :e wasn>t about to admit to his companions that he>d grown

accustomed to all the little lu(uries tucked away within those wagons@especially not when aloudly complaining $randark had been forced to leave his precious books with Nilthan, as

well@but he was willing to confess the truth to himself. They were still far better providedfor than he and $randark had been when they fled -avahk, for they>d brought one light sled

along, loaded with provisions, emergency fuel and tools, one large tent, and their sleepingsacks. :e and $randark took turns towing the sled, and although Naeritha and =aion had

protested that they should take their turns, as well, they>d stopped obecting by the secondday. -either could begin to match a hradani>s endurance@a fact they were forced to admit as

they watched $ahBell and $randark slog along with the sled for hour after hour.They>d made only fair time by hradani standards@they could have been even further south

by now if =aion had been an e(perienced skier@but $ahBell was content. They>d crossed

the entire !uchy of $arandir lengthwise since leaving ilver Cavern, and they should reach

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C:A&T' -0-'T''-

:urgrum was smaller than $ahBell remembered.

:e>d e(pected that, but even so he was surprised by how much smaller it seemed. 0t was

half again the siBe of -avahk, and &rince $ahnak and his father had raBed its worst slums anddone their best to straighten out the street grid. They>d installed a rudimentary sewer system

Gwhich put :urgrum ahead of most hradani towns, not ust -avahkHK imposed bloodthirsty

regulations to prevent fires, discourage the construction of fresh slums, and govern thedisposal of garbageK and reEuired all new construction to be of brick or stone, not the

ramshackle wooden structures which burned in winter with dreary regularity. $y any hradanistandard, :urgrum was a thriving metropolisK by the standards of the lands $ahBell had seen

since leaving home, it was no more than a largish provincial town. All of its citiBens and allthe inhabitants of the surrounding territory over which it held sway added together would

scarcely have matched the population of anything worthy of being called a cityD in the'mpire of the A(e.

et even through his surprise, $ahBell felt nothing but respect for his father. #hatever its

shortcomings, :urgrum looked like a town @and a civiliBed one@because it was. $ahBell>sfather and grandfather had accomplished that much, and it had been a monumental task for people so little removed from barbarism. And looking upon the fruits of their efforts, $ahBell

$ahnakson had no doubt at all his father would complete the other task at which he had

labored so long and bring the incessant feuds and small3scale wars of the northern hradani to

an end at last.:e paused atop the hill, gaBing down at the city in which he had been born, and the rest of

his enlarged party halted with him. The day was almost balmy, with a temperature severaldegrees above freeBing and the familiar wet, melting scent of an early@ very early@northern

spring. :e was too accustomed to his homeland>s weather to be fooled, of course. There wereweeks of snow left, but not so many as there had been, and for now he savored the wind that

plucked at his hair and ears like playful hands. There was a vitality in that breeBe, the promiseof life stirring drowsily beneath its blanket of snow, rousing to check the time and then

settling back with a comfortable sigh to enoy one last, short nap.:e glanced to his left and smiled as he watched Naeritha push back the hood of her

poncho and raise her face to the late morning sun. The honor guard which &rince :Wralk of !urghaBh had assigned to see him and his companions safely to :urgrum also watched her,

and $ahBell>s lips twitched as he noted the uneasiness in their eyes. :Wralk was the lord of

Clan $roken pear, but though the $roken pears were :orse tealers, they were

considerably more traditionalD than Clan 0ron A(e. They were also more (enophobic, seeing

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the last twelve hundred years, and virtually any hradani would have hooted with laughter atthe very thought that any deity might choose to do one for them now.

The fact that $ahBell had sworn word %ath to TomanMk was bad enough, but at least hewas hradani. &resumably he>d looked before he leapt, and even if he hadn>t, his common

sense would probably come to his rescue before he did anything too foolish in the name of

religion. $ut how could anyone trust a human to show the same restraintI 'specially one as

young as =aionI There was no way to predict how someone with his brain softened byreligion might react under the wrong circumstances, and so despite the fact that they rather

liked him, :Wralk>s guards kept a wary eye on him, as well.0n fact, $ahBell thought with a snort of inner laughter, the escort had been so busy

keeping an eyeD on his companions that none of them had had any time left over to passmore than a handful of words with him during the entire ourney. $ut that ourney was almost

over now, and he felt his spirits rise with every step as he churned back into motion throughthe muddy, slushy snow.

:mpfF Took you long enough to be making it home, didn>t it ustI And not a letter did

your mother and 0 have in all that time, eitherF Can you be giving me one good reason 0

shouldn>t be coming down off this throne to kick your hairy backside for youID$ahnak Narathson, &rince of :urgrum and 6ord of Clan 0ron A(e of the :orse tealer

hradani, had a voice even deeper than his son>s. :e was three inches shorter than $ahBell, but

his words rumbled up out of an enormous chest, and his mobile ears pressed close to hisgray3streaked hair as he glowered down at his offspring from the dais on which his throne sat.

$ahBell and his companions stood in the ?reat :all of $ahnak>s palace. The ?reat :allwould have been appropriate enough as a town hall in most cities of the 'mpire, but few of

those would have been illuminated with the traditional, barbaric spill of torchlight or hadsuch huge, heavily armed guardsmen lounging against the walls and grinning as they watched

their prince greet his wandering son>s return.-ot a reason in the world,D $ahBell admitted cheerfully. Then he paused and cocked his

head thoughtfully. %ther than to be pointing out my hairy backside is wearing armor asmight be a bit hard on your toe, that is.D

%h, might it, nowID $ahnak glared, but the corner of his mouth twitched. And whilewe>re speaking of armor, could you be so very kind as to be telling me what you think you>re

doing in those colorsI 0t was bad enough to hear as how you>d been after fooling about with

wiBards@even a Jwhite> oneF@but it was in my mind that 0>d at least taught you better than

to be mi(ing in the business of gods and demons and suchFDAye, you did that,D $ahBell agreed. $ut what>s a man to do when a god decides as how

he wants himI 0 tried not listening, and that didn>t work. Then 0 tried outrunning him, andthat didn>t work. And in the end, a demon tried to eat me and then himself was after turning

up in the flesh to bid me oin up, as it were, and not a bit of good at all did it do to be tellinghim no then. $esides, 0>d asked his aid, and he>d given it, so what else was 0 to doID

:mpfF -ot much, 0 suppose, if you>d asked such of him in the first place,D his father growled. And now 0 think on it, no one as knew you>s ever said you were smart, now have

theyID $ahBell grinned as $randark smothered a laugh behind him. And stupid or no, 0>mthinking the color becomes you,D $ahnak went on with a slow smile of his own. Contrasts

with your eyes, it does.DThank you, 7ather,D $ahBell said with e(Euisite politeness. 0t>s pleased 0 am that you

approve.D

0>ll not go Euite that far@not yet,D $ahnak replied, and the hint of steel in the words

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o that>s the way of it, heyID

A huge fire crackled on the immense hearth at one end of the drafty dining room as &rince

$ahnak leaned back in his chair at the head of the table. There had been a time when $ahBellwould have noticed neither the drafts nor the thin wisps of smoke which escaped the chimney

to add their tiny contributions to the soot blackening the overhead beams, but he>d met rather

more efficient means of heating since then. -ot that such small considerations as cold fingersand toes or a little smoke mattered in the least beside the opportunity to see his father once

again raising an enormous tankard of ale to gaBe thoughtfully at him over the rim.$ahBell>s oldest brother, $arodahn, sat to $ahnak>s left, facing $ahBell across the table.

$arodahn was a bare half3inch shorter than $ahBell and twenty3five years older. !espite thedifference in their ages, they had always been close, but $arodahn was a taciturn sort.

Although he shared their father>s aspirations to drag their people out of barbarism and hadalways taken greater pleasure than $ahBell in scholarly pursuits, he was far more like the

:orse tealer ideal, outwardly at least. A long3ago sword had left him with a scarred, grim3

looking visage, and he had to feel very close to someone before he decided to open hismouth. 'ven then, he seldom used two words if one would suffice, but he was their father>ssenior field commander, and when he gave an order, the hardiest warrior umped to obey.

$ahBell>s other brothers were absent@carrying their father>s instructions to some of his

allies, no doubt@and three of his sisters sat with his mother Gmuch closer to the fireH chatting

with his companions.:is mother had her embroidery frame before her, taking advantage of the light to set

beautiful stitches, and warm memories flowed over $ahBell as he watched her skillful hands.:is grandfather, &rince Narath, had been appalled when his heir chose Arthanal

7arlachsdaughter as his bride. he was a :orse tealer, true, and a first cousin of the &rinceof "aBgau, but Clan 0ron A(e and her own #ar :ammer Clan were scarcely friends, and she

was a slender, delicate young woman Gfor a hradaniH. Narath and his own wife had producedonly three children in an eighty3si(3year marriage, and he>d nursed serious doubts over how

many grandchildren a frail young thing like Arthanal could be e(pected to bear. #orse, she had a reputation as a shy girl who was actually bookish @not e(actly the sort

of consort who would be a political asset to a ruling prince>s efforts to unite a warrior people.Narath had done his utmost to prevent such a clearly unsuitable union, but for the first time in

Narath>s memory, his son>s intransigence had matched his own. $ahnak had been attentive,

polite, and willing to admit at least some of his father>s pointsK he>d also been as unyielding

as granite, and, against his better udgment, Narath had accepted that an estrangement from

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his heir would be even more disastrous than a sickly #ar :ammer daughter3in3law.$ut &rince $ahnak>s lady had made liars of her father3in3law>s fears. True, she chose to

remain in the background, but her apparent shyness actually stemmed from a calm self3assurance which knew her strengths lay in less public areas and saw no need to thrust herself

forward. he was an astute observer and analyst, and if she was bookish,D it was only

because she shared the same thirst for learning that filled $ahnak, although in her case it was

the love of knowledge for its own sake while $ahnak hungered for it as the one thing whichcould raise his people from barbarism. !espite his initial reservations, &rince Narath soon

found himself listening very carefully to her advice, and however fragile she might look , shewas far, far from frail. The arrival of his first sturdy, noisy grandson put that particular

concern to rest Euite nicely, and the way the marriage also turned her #ar :ammer kinsmenfrom enemies into allies also dawned Euickly on him. The old man was never noted for

changing his mind easily, but Arthanal was a special case. :e soon came to dote upon her,and his son>s willingness to defy his own wishes to wed such a treasure only strengthened his

faith in $ahnak>s udgment.'ven today, few people realiBed how heavily $ahnak depended upon her. he was not only

his collaborator, analyst, and closest strategic adviser, but also his balance wheel, the

steadying influence which helped restrain his occasional bursts of e(cessive enthusiasm for agiven proect or stratagem, as well as the center about which his entire family orbited. And if

she still chose to remain in the background, she had encouraged her daughters to follow their

hearts and make their own decisions. :alah and Adalah, the youngest of them, were madevery much in her mold, but "arglyth and "aritha, the two older girls, had thrown themselves

into $ahnak>s proects as boldly as any of her sons.harkah, $ahBell>s middle sister, was the odd one out, for she had no taste for politics and

less for scholarship. #hat she was interested in was the martial arts, and she>d fastened onNaeritha like a limpet. $ahBell had little doubt Naeritha>s e(ample was going to be the final

straw that broke the back of his father>s insistence that political considerations made itimpossible for harkah to pursue a warrior>s vocation. -ot that his insistence wouldn>t have

crumpled eventually, given his wife>s calm assumption that her daughter@as herself@woulddo whatever she chose to do.

At the moment, "arglyth and "aritha were elsewhere@no doubt, $ahBell thought,analyBing the initial response to his own return@but harkah, :alah, and Adalah helped

Arthanal entertain his friends while he and his father talked and $arodahn listened.

#e>d 7armah>s and Tala>s word for the first bit of your . . . um, disagreement with

:arnak, of course,D $ahnak went on, flicking his ears to where the girl $ahBell had rescuedfrom :arnak sat with harkah, talking very shyly to =aion while $ahBell>s sister chattered

nonstop at Naeritha, and we>ve heard the song for the rest.DongID $ahBell let his own tankard clunk back onto the table and looked at his father

suspiciously. And what song would that have beenID0 think they>re after calling it $he 4ay o* ah!ell loody+Hand or some such foolishness,D

his father said, with a glance at $arodahn for confirmation. $ahBell>s brother nodded, and$ahnak looked back at him. #hyI 0 thought it a bit pompous, myself, and the third verse

doesn>t scan at all, but it>s not so bad a song as all that. 0n fact, most folk seem to find it a bitcatchy. 0 can have old Thorfa sing it for you if you>ve not heard it,D he offered.

:e started to raise his hand to catch his court bard>s eye, but $ahBell caught his wrist witha bit more haste than courtesy, and he looked at his son in surprise.

0t>s a kindly thought, !a,D $ahBell said through gritted teeth, but 0>m thinking 0 have

heard the one you mean a time or two. And if it>s all the same to you, 0>d sooner not be

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right of it, son. $ut the point, $ahBell@D he looked back at his younger son and his eyesnarrowed @is that though you>ve always had a way of leaping into the deep end of anything

that comes your way, more often than not you>ve your priorities straight before you do. 0>llnot say you>ve reasoned them out, e(actly, and it may be those of us watching from the bank

don>t know you have them straight, but in the end you>re after coming out on top of the water,

not blowing bubbles from the riverbed.D

:e reached forward to recover his tankard, then leaned back in his chair once more, eyesstill on his son.

0>ve never met a demon, or a wiBard, or a god,D he said Euietly, and 0>m not wishful to.$ut you have met >em, and for all 0 may twit you, and for all you>re still not so old as all that

for one of our folk, 0>ve a lively faith in your udgment in most things. 0t cuts against thegrain to be having aught to do with such unchancy things, but if TomanMk is after being a

good enough captain for you to be swearing loyalty to, then that>s good enough for me. Andif you@and your friends@D a nod of his head indicated =aion, $randark, and Naeritha @

are having business with harnM in ChurnaBh>s back pasture, well, maybe there are somethings important enough to be risking my own plans over.D

Then you>ll not stand in our wayID

tand in your wayI -o, 0>ll not do that. And 0>ve no doubt at all, at all, that you>ll befinding Euite a few of the younger lads ready enough to be going with you.D

:urthang, for one,D $arodahn said. $ahnak glanced at him, then nodded.

Aye, he>s one,D the prince allowed, and twitched his ears at the far end of the table. :e>sasked for 7armah>s hand, for all she>s more than a bit young for that yet, and she>s accepted,D

he e(plained to $ahBell. And since you were after being so hasty as to take :arnak>s head before :urthang could see to taking his privates with a dull blade, 0>ve no doubt he>ll be

e(pecting you to be letting him have some of harnM>s other scum for forfeit. And 0>d think ?harnal would be another, being as how it>ll offer a chance to be killing $loody words. $ut

they>ll not be alone, and I'll not be trying to stop them, either.D :e grinned suddenly. Cometo that, 0 might ust egg >em on a bit. 0t wouldn>t hurt a thing for your friend Nilthan to be

knowing as 0 did, now would itI And truth to tell, whatever 0 may think of the Jgood> gods,0>m not so feeble3witted yet that 0>ll stomach such as harnM.D

0>d thought you>d see it that way, !a,D $ahBell said, but it>s a weight off my mind tohear you say it, and it>s grateful 0 am.D

Ah, don>t be thanking meFD $ahnak waved his left hand. 0>ve nasty, selfish motives of

my own. $esides, it>s naught but the river all over. ay what 0 will, you>ll be going, for

you>ve always been that way. And these days 0>ve no right to be telling you nay, for you>re aman grown, and you>ve sworn your sword to another>s service.D

A flicker of hurt leapt into $ahBell>s eyes, but his father shook his head Euickly.-o, lad,D he said gently, reaching out to sEueeBe his son>s shoulder. 0 meant no

complaint, and 0 know your heart will be here with us, always. $ut you>ve taken on a man>sduties, and if the choice you made might not have been mine, why, 0 wasn>t there, and you

were. ou>ll always be my son, and you>ll always have my love, and my sword will always be here to help and guard you at need. $ut your sword is TomanMk>s to command now, not

mine, and 0 know it.DThank you for understanding that, 7ather,D $ahBell said very Euietly. Thank you very

much.D:mpfFD $ahnak snorted, then leaned back once more and grinned at both his sons as he

raised his tankard in laBy salute to his youngest. 0 was young once myself, boyF %r were you

thinking a man as wasn>t soft3headed with youth, or feeble3witted, or craBy, or maybe a bit of

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all three, would be daft enough to take on the chore of uniting hradaniD

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The huge map room in which they had met had been designed as a place for $ahnak andhis senior officers to confer while planning strategy, which meant it had been built to scale

for :orse tealers and had been intended to house fairly large numbers of them, but it stillseemed unreasonably packed. %n the other hand, few of the people in it cared very much.

This was the first time all of them had been gathered in one spot, and, as a security measure,

$ahBell had refused to brief anyone until all were assembled. 0t wasn>t that he was especially

distrustful of anyone in his father>s court, but harnM was the patron of assassins and deceit aswell as demons, and his minions> ability to ferret out secrets was renowned. $ut the

volunteers were all here now, and every eye was intent as $randark tapped the map with thetip of a dagger.

There,D he said, using the dagger to trace a rough triangle in the heavily wooded hillssouthwest of -avahk. This section down here@right on the border with Arthnar. 0>ve never

been near the area myself, but this is the general direction the rumors say :arnak liked to Jgohunting> in.D

:unting, heyID ?harnal rumbled. :e gaBed at the map, then raised his eyes to $ahBell. 0can>t say as how rumors about hunting trips fill me with confidence, $ahBell.D

Can>t you, thenID $ahBell sat back, propping his crossed forearms on the table before

him, and looked at ?harnal thoughtfully. ?harnal ;thmRgson was his and "arglyth>s foster brother, and the three of them had been the closest of friends from childhood. ;nlike

:urthang, who was his fourth cousin, ?harnal was about as distantly related to $ahBell Gby

bloodH as a man could be and remain a member of the same clan, but he>d been raised as$ahnak>s son after his own father was killed in a border clash with -avahk. At barely si( feet

ten, he was short for a :orse tealer, but he compensated with a barrel3like chest andenormous shoulders and arms, and he>d distinguished himself in :urgrum>s last war against

the $loody words. ;nfortunately, one reason he>d done so was the age3like passion of hishatred for $loody words in general and Talon Claws in particular, and $ahBell knew he>d

managed to tolerate $randark>s presence with a sheathed sword@so far@only because the -avahkan was $ahBell>s sword brother.

-o, 0 can>t,D ?harnal replied without so much as a glance at $randark. #e>re after speaking of sending nigh on three3score warriors into $loody word territory in the middle of

winter. Aye, and when we>re still officially at peace with the bast@scumFD :e glanced at"arglyth and Naeritha and hastily substituted another word for the one he>d started to use,

but then he went on with undiminished forcefulness. 0f it>s all the same to you, 0>m wishful

to be having something ust a mite more certain than rumors of hunting trips to guide >em by

when we do.D$randark started to speak but closed his mouth when $ahBell stepped on his toe under the

table. The $loody word had e(hibited unusually diplomatic behavior during the si( days ithad taken for $ahnak to pass the word that $ahBell needed volunteers and for those

volunteers to assemble. 0t didn>t come naturally to him, and he>d managed it only because theiron rules of hradani hospitality cut both ways. Oust as ?harnal could not offer him open

discourtesy while he was $ahBell>s guest, so it was incumbent upon $randark to refrain from provoking his hosts by openly insulting them. $ut that was more easily said than done, and

$ahBell knew his friend>s temper was growing dangerously short. :e opened his own mouth, but :urthang spoke before he could.

:isht, now, ?harnalFD At a mere seven3two, :urthang was, if possible, even stronger than$ahBell. :is weapon of choice was a battlea(e2 a two3hand, daggered great3a(e, the weapon

from which Clan 0ron A(e had taken its name centuries ago. imilar to the dwarvish a(es still

used by the oyal and 0mperial Army>s elite $rothers of the A(e, :urthang carried it slung

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across his back even now. $ut whereas the A(e $rothers used it two3handed, :urthang usedit with one, and he could do things with it which no dwarf had ever even dreamed of.

-ow he looked at ?harnal with a crooked smile and shook his head. 0f his voice was lessdeep and rumbling than ?harnal>s it was still stronger and more resonant than any human

voice, and he had at least as much reason to hate -avahk as ?harnal did. :e hadn>t lost a

father, but he had lost two brothers . . . which didn>t even mention what :arnak had done to

7armah. 0n some lands, 7armah would have been considered forever soiled, as if what:arnak had done were somehow her fault. :radani didn>t see things that way, but they did

believe in ustice and vengeance, and :urthang wanted those things for his betrothed. :ewanted them badly, and with :arnak dead, the only place he could get them was from

:arnak>s kin. That was the reason he>d hurried to answer $ahBell>s call, and everyone knewit. #hich meant that when he was prepared to accept that there were other, eEually important

considerations, even ?harnal had to listen. :e was also four years older than $ahBell and oneof $arodahn>s unior captains, with an easy air of authority. And he wasn't ?harnal>s foster

brother. :owever much ?harnal might accept $ahBell>s authority, that childhood relationshipcolored their thoughts and reactions. That meant that in many ways :urthang could speak

much more pointedly to ?harnal than $ahBell or "arglyth without raising the specter of

inured feelings and potential friction.;nless you>ve some better clue to guide us,D he went on, then 0>m thinking you should

be keeping your mouth shut@or busy with an ale mugF@till we>ve had the hearing of

whatever it is $randark here has to say.DThe grin which accompanied his words defused their sting, helped by the rumbling

chuckles from the men standing around the table. 7or an instant it looked as if ?harnal mighttake umbrage anyway, but then he shook his head with an unwilling chuckle of his own. :e

still didn>t look at $randark, but he flicked his ears in assent.Aye, you>ve the right of it,D he told :urthang, and glanced at $ahBell. 0>ll ust be taking

:urthang>s advice,D he said in obliEue apology, reaching for his mug, and $ahBell nodded back, then made a small gesture for $randark to continue.

As 0 say,D the $loody word began afresh, tapping the map once more and speaking@ almost@as if no one had interrupted, this is one area where the rumors say :arnak liked to

hunt. $ut he never took any other members of ChurnaBh>s court@e(cept for 6ord arthag,who>s as sick a bastard as ever :arnak was@with him. And unlike the other areas in which

he sometimes hunted, he did take a picked group of his own guard with him. They were

always the same ones, and every one of them was a clanless man loyal only to him.D :e

looked up at $ahBell. 0 recogniBed two of them when he and his men caught up with usdown south,D he added Euietly.

Ah.D $ahBell folded his ears close in understanding and heard a soft rustle go through the:orse tealers at $randark>s indirect reminder that, unlike any of them, he had been there

when $ahBell fought a living avatar of harnM sword3to3sword. 'ven ?harnal nodded, hisdistaste for $randark at least temporarily muted.

#ould there be anything more Jrumor> could be telling usID $ahBell asked after amoment, and $randark shrugged.

0 don>t know, really. :arnak liked to tell stories about taking enemies off into the woodsto Jplay> with, and 0 know for a fact that he often did take people from his father>s dungeons

@or sometimes right off the street@and come back without them. And he was always certainthey were unarmed and bound before he went anywhere with them.D

$randark>s lip curled, and the :orse tealers growled contemptuously. Any one of them

would have agreed that the only truly good enemy was a dead one, but they had nothing but

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disdain for a so3called warrior who tortured helpless foes for pleasure.#e>ve been hearing the same rumors,D "arglyth put in, her rich contralto voice

thoughtful. he reached out and rubbed the tip of her own finger over the area $randark hadindicated. 0>d not heard where it was he took them, though@or that arthag was after going

with him, 6ord $randark@but now that you>ve said it, 0>m thinking a few things have ust

come clear for me.D

uch asID $ahBell asked.#ell@D :is sister frowned, right hand caressing the small golden balance scale she wore

on a chain about her neck to mark her usticiar>s office. This arthag is after being one of ChurnaBh>s favorites, and from all accounts, he and :arnak were close as close before

:arnak>s . . . difficulties.D he smiled at $ahBell. $ut the thing we>d never been able to puBBle out was ust where he>d come from. 0t was as if he>d sprung up out of the ground one

day, with no one at all, at all, knowing who he was or why ChurnaBh should be showing himsuch favor.

The best we could be making out was that arthag had been ChurnaBh>s spy@aye, andmaybe a bit of an assassin@in the old prince>s household.D $ahBell>s eyes narrowed and his

ears flattened at the word assassin,D and she nodded. #hatever it was he>d done, ChurnaBh

was after rewarding him well enough, for he stripped the old :ouse of :arkand>s head of hislordship and bestowed it on arthag.D

0 remember 7ather talking about that when he was among people he trusted,D $randark

confirmed. The other old families didn>t much care for it, but that was before you peopletook ChurnaBh down a peg. At that point, he could still ride roughshod over opposition, and

anyone who complained openly about what happened to :arkand@or about arthag>ssudden precedence@tended to lose his head.D

True enough,D "arglyth agreed. $ut the thing that>s stuck in my mind about him, andespecially since :arnak>s fall, is how good the man>s proved himself at shifting sides without

losing his head. Apparently he was after betraying the old prince to ChurnaBh, and after that,he spent his time sucking up to :arnak. 0t>s common knowledge he>d made his choice to

back :arnak against the rest of ChurnaBh>s sons, and all our sources agreed as how he andChalghaB were at dagger3drawing over it.D

$ahBell nodded. ChalghaB had been :arnak>s ne(t younger brother, which had made themrivals for their father>s favor . . . and his crown. That could all too easily have led to fatalities,

under the rules of -avahkan politics, but with :arnak dead, ChalghaB was his father>s

undisputed heir. 7or now, at least. Arsham ChurnaBhson was ne(t in line, but he was also

illegitimate. Nnown as the $astard,D he was popular with the army, yet few of his father>scourtiers would have supported him. Although he was no paragon of virtue, he came far

closer to it than his father or brothers, and he chose to spend as much time as possible in thefield rather than watching his relatives> abuse of power in -avahk. As for Chalak, ChurnaBh>s

fourth son, only desperation could make him an acceptable candidate for the throne. Nnown behind his back as Tallow $rain,D Chalak was a plotter whose intrigues were both endless

and boundlessly inept.$ut now that :arnak>s gone,D "arglyth went on, arthag>s changed his tune. As nearly

as 0 can be telling, he>s grown as close to ChalghaB as ever he was to :arnak, and in recordtime.D

he paused, looking at her brother with one ear cocked, and $ahBell nodded. 0t had to have been record time, given that ChalghaB had been the peace hostage ChurnaBh had e(changed

with $ahnak for $ahBell himself. The -avahkan princeling had been sent home when

$ahBell violatedD his hostage bond, but that still meant arthag had been given no more than

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five or si( months to suck up to him since his return.0>d been wondering how it was a man as could shift and dodge so well wasn>t after being

prince himself by now,D "arglyth continued after a moment, but if harnM>s poked a finger into -avahk>s pie, it>s in my mind that the answer>s plain enough.D

ou>re probably right,D Naeritha put in. harnM>s followers always prefer to work from

behind the throne. &eople have a tendency to look much more carefully at princes and kings

than at faceless advisers, and that e(tra layer of insulation makes it easier to hide their connections to the corpion.D

6ike as not you and "arglyth have the right of it,D $ahBell mused. till and all, 0>d liketo be hearing the rest of what $randark has to tell.D

0 don>t know that 0 have much more,D the $loody word replied. As "arglyth says,there>s always gossip about scum like :arnak. $ut there were rumors@whispers, really@that

he did more than ust kill the people he took into the woods with him. -o one wanted to saye(actly what he did do, you understand, and 0 always assumed they were hinting at torture

and such. $ut given that we know he was involved with harnM>s church, it could ust be thattorture was the least of what his victims had to worry about.D

That>s true enough,D Naeritha said grimly, and ?harnal turned his head to cock a

Euestioning eyebrow@and both ears@at her. -ot that torture wouldn>t be bad enough,given the sort of Jgames> harnM and his filth enoy,D she told $ahBell>s foster brother in a

voice of froBen steel. 0>ve seen what they leave behind. They like flaying knives, and they

know how to use them. They can keep a victim alive for hours@even days@as part of their demon summonings, and their high Jholy days> involve ceremonial cannibalism. &referably

raw, while the Jmeal> is still alive . . . and while harnM himself devours its soul.D he gave adeath>s3head smile. They call it JThe 7east of haring.> D

$ahBell heard someone gag behind him, and ?harnal blanched. oung or not, all hisvolunteers had seen the agony and butchery of war, but what Naeritha had described went far

beyond that. -ot that any of them doubted her. 0n an odd sort of way, she>d found theEuickest acceptance of any of $ahBell>s companions once the :orse tealers saw her working

out. othSii war maids didn>t wear armor, and her two3sword techniEue wasn>t identical tothe one they employed, but it was close enough to make :orse tealers who>d actually run up

against war maids wince in memory. That had sufficed to erase most of the doubts over the propriety of teaching women to be warriors, and her cheerful willingness to take on any one

of them on the practice field had done the rest. As she had discovered sparring with $ahBell,

she lacked the stature to meet a hradani@and especially a Horse Stealer hradani@on truly

eEual terms, despite her formidable siBe and strength for a human woman. $ut as ah!ell haddiscovered in those same sparring bouts, any hradani who approached her with anything but

the utmost respect Gand warinessH soon found himself flat on his back with her sword at histhroat. Aside from :urthang, not a single one of them had been able to best her in his initial

bout with her, and that despite having watched her trounce his fellows ahead of him. Thingschanged once they grew used to her style, but even then she faced the bruises, sprains, and

potential broken limbs of training against warriors twenty percent taller than she withabsolute fearlessness . . . and still gave as good as she got despite her smaller siBe. The fact

that Gshort ears asideH she was e(tremely good looking hadn>t hurt either, $ahBell suspected,though none of the men who>d oined him would ever be rash enough to say so where she

could hear them. And their innate respect for women was undoubtedly another factor.$randark, of course, suffered from the stigma of being a $loody word, but at least he was

a hradani. The :orse tealers had a good notion of who he was and what his motives were@

even the ones like ?harnal who hated him. $ut =aion was decidedly the odd man out. :e

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was neither fish nor fowl2 a stranger who was neither a hradani nor a woman, who had so far mastered only an e(tremely limited hradani vocabulary, and whose accent and mannerisms

struck his hosts as . . . effete. :is devotion to $ahBell was a point in his favor, and $ahBellwas devoutly thankful his kinsmen had never met the old =aion, but they still regarded him

with wariness. And, $ahBell suspected, with a certain hidden contempt. Tall and powerful as

=aion was for a human, he looked like a callow stripling among :orse tealers, which only

emphasiBed his e(treme youth, and the edge of surprise that a woman could trounce them@ which had shocked them into accepting Naeritha@didn>t apply in his case.

7ortunately, =aion seemed to be handling it well@better, for e(ample, than $randark was.0t was almost as though the young knight3probationer had decided his hosts> derision was

another aspect of his penance for his own earlier contempt for the notion of a hradanichampion of TomanMk . #hich was fine, as far as it went, but $ahBell fervently hoped no one

got around to pushing him too far. =aion might be reformed in many ways, but there werelimits, and once someone stepped beyond them . . .

The :orse tealer decided@again@not to think about that. %r about $randark>s losing histemper. 0t seemed TomanMk had neglected to mention more aspects of this champion business

than he>d realiBed, and keeping the peace among this group ranked high on the list.

All right, then,D he said now, shaking loose from his thoughts, it sounds to me as if the place we>re hunting is after being somewhere in here.D :e tapped the same area $randark

had indicated. All that>s needful now is to go in and find it.D

And ust how were you thinking to do thatID :urthang asked EuiBBically. 0t>s a smallenough space on a map, $ahBell, but 0>m thinking you might be finding it ust a mite bigger

than that slogging about in snow and avoiding ChurnaBh>s patrolsFDAye, it is,D $ahBell agreed, but 0>ve a notion that 0 need only get close enough to the spot

to be feeling it up here.D This time he tapped his temple, and :urthang>s ears flickedskeptically.

7eel it, is itI 0>d not like to sound like a man as doubts your word, $ahBell, but that>s oneJnotion> as 0>d like a bit more e(planation of.D

0>ll not blame you for that, but it>s not something as 0 can truly e(plain.D $ahBell frowned,rubbing his chin with one hand. 0t>s something that>s come on me since 0 swore word %ath

to himself,D he went on after a moment. 6ike the sword here.D:e touched the huge sword leaning up against the table beside him, and one or two hands

twitched as if their owners wanted to make signs of warding. :e>d demonstrated his ability to

summon the sword to prove his champion status. "ost of his volunteers had been impressed,

but many had remained skeptical, so he>d laid the blade down and invited any who wished totry to pick it up. everal of them@including :urthang@had accepted the challenge . . . and

almost ruptured themselves straining to lift it. #hen he>d picked it up effortlessly ande(tended it to Naeritha, who took it from him easily, even the most doubtful had been forced

to conclude that he truly was a champion of Toman k.

#hat they still didn>t know was why, after twelve centuries, Toman k should suddenly

decide he gave a copper kormak for what happened to hradani, but that was less important for the moment than the news that harn was at work among the -avah kans. #hatever

Toman k might or might not want of them, they knew only too well what Sharn desired,and they had no intention of letting him have it. 7or his part, $ahBell knew there was one

other point he had not as yet mentioned that would be much more important to them thaneven harn >s plans . . . once he got around to telling them about it. $ut he hadn>t found

Euite the right time to bring it up. 0t was as though something@or, he thought darkly,

someone @was holding him back until e(actly the right moment.

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heard someone curse as a boot heel came down on an unsuspecting toe, but he didn>t eventurn to look. :e simply reached down for his sword, the symbol of his champion>s status, and

held it up, hilt uppermost, and the crowd parted before him like water before a ship>s prow ashe made his way to the hearth. :e put his back to the mantle, feeling the fire>s heat on his

back and calves, and faced them all, still holding his sword before him.

0 do be hearing you, ChavRk,D he said then, addressing the young warrior who had spoken

as formally as a chieftain in a clan>s great conclave, and you>ve my respect for speakingyour mind plain and unvarnished. Aye, and so far as that goes, it wasn>t so very long ago

0>d>ve been saying the selfsame things. Come to that, 0 did say >em, and a mite louder thanyou ust have, when himself and 0 first stood face3to3face.D

And how did he answer youID ChavRk asked.:e didn>t,D $ahBell said simply. -ot then, for he>d seen plain enough as how it would

take something stronger than words to be changing a hradani>s mind.D :e smiled faintly.#e>ve a way of being on the stubborn side, from time to time, or so 0>ve heard tell.D

:e twitched his ears, and several members of his audience chuckled. $ut then his ownsmile faded, and he went on Euietly.

#ell, he found something stronger. 6eastways, 0>m thinking as how most folk might be

seeing a demon in that wise. $ut there was a bribe he could have been offering me long before that, a secret he might>ve told, if it so happened he>d been minded to buy my oath. $ut

himself wouldn>t bribe me, ChavRk. :e won>t be bribing you either, come to that, yet 0>m

thinking there>s something you should know@something himself gave me as a gift, withneither price nor strings attached@that all hradani should be knowing, :orse tealer and

$loody word alike.D:e smiled briefly at $randark, surrounded by his hereditary enemies as he sat still by the

map table, and then drew a deep breath.ou see, lads, there was a reason himself was after choosing a hradani champion after

twelve hundred mortal long years. Come to that, 0>ve no doubt there are more things than oneas he has it in mind for me to do, but telling you what himself told me is the task as will mean

the most to all our folk, for it>s about the age.Dudden silence slammed down. The tiniest crackle of the hearth fire and the sigh of wind

across the roof carried clearly in the stillness, and $ahBell smiled crookedly in bitter understanding.

#e>re all knowing who we>ve to thank for the age,D he told them, his deep voice

sweeping over them like a Euiet sea, but there>s something we none of us ever knew until

himself told $randark and me the truth. #hen the dark wiBards in Nontovar set the age onus to make us fight and die for them, their spell went into the bone and blood of us. 7or

twelve long centuries we>ve passed it, father to son to grandson to great3grandson, and it>sthe age as truly makes the other aces of "an hate and fear us. $ut the age we have now,

it>s not the one as the scum who gave it to us meant us to have.Dtill no one spoke, but he saw ears rising and foreheads furrowing as his audience

wondered where he meant to go, and he raised his sword higher.0 swear this to you upon this sword,D he said, and he didn>t raise his voice, yet it carried

like thunder to them all, and his eyes flashed. The old age e(ists yet, and will for years tocome, but it>s after changing at last. #hen we call the age to us@when we summon it

rather than let it be taking us against our will@then we control it .D"ost of the others looked confused, but he saw the start of understanding@and a wild,

burning fire of hope@on some of the faces gaBing back at him, and he nodded.

TomanMk himself has said it. The age can take and master us against our will only if we

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C:A&T' T#'-T3T#%

omehow, 0 don>t think your father Euite had it in mind for you to swear in an entire

chapter of the %rder,D $randark said with a lurking smile. :e spoke Euietly, in small puffs of

breath steam, as he and $ahBell lay under the low branches of a fir thicket. 7ifty3four other hradani@and two humans@lay hidden about them, but any observer might have been

e(cused for not realiBing it. 'ven $randark had been unsettled by the discovery of how easily

half a hundred huge :orse tealers had simply disappeared into the snow3struck woods.?ranted, the foggy morning>s gloomy overcast helped, yet it still seemed impossible. $ut,

then, he>d never been part of a :orse tealer raiding party on the #ind &lain, either.0>d not be so very sure of that, little man,D $ahBell murmured back absently, eyes

scanning the silent trees. :e>s a canny one, my da, and it>s in my mind he>d>ve seen itcoming before ever he gave me leave to ask for volunteers. $esides, this way he>s after

getting credit as the first Jpatron> of the %rder amongst hradani if things go well, withoutrisking the blame if it should happen they work out badly. Come to that, he>s seen it set up so

the %rder won>t be being Jhis,> and that>s no small thing if 0>m to get the rest of our folk to

believe himself is neutral and the %rder>s more than ust a tool of :urgrum.DeallyID $randark reached under the hood of the white smock which he, like every other

member of the raiding party wore, to rub his truncated ear, then grimaced. ou>re probably

right,D he acknowledged. :e>s a deep one, your father, and somehow 0>ve got the feeling he

never does anything for a single reason.D

#hich is the very reason he>ll soon be after sitting on ChurnaBh>s throne,D $ahBell agreedeEuably. $ut@D

:e chopped off abruptly, and $randark reached for his sword as he sEuirmed around tolook in the same direction. $ut it was only ;rach, :urthang>s chosen scout, skiing Euickly

and Euietly back towards them out of the fog. :e looked around searchingly, and $ahBellraised one hand in a small wave. Tiny as it was, the gesture caught ;rach>s attention, and he

moved Euickly towards $ahBell and $randark.#ellID $ahBell asked Euietly, and ;rach grimaced.

0t>s as 6ord $randark said, $ahB@ "ilord. There>s a road of some sort up ahead. 0t>s notafter being much of one@more of a trail, really@but there>s tracks enough to mark its course

plain. -ot many. 0>m thinking it>s naught but a pair of horses@not more than three, at themost@and they were only after going the one way. They>ve not come back yet. And as for

the trail itself, it winds off to the north a bit, and it>s twisty as a $loody word>s mind. Ah, no

offense, 6ord $randarkFD

-one taken,D $randark said dryly. ;rach eyed him doubtfully, then ducked his head with

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a grin.Any road, "ilord, it>s after creeping about like a snake with the ague, and it clings to low

ground like a leech. 0>ve not scouted much along it, but if you were to be asking me, 0>d have to say ashow whoever planned it wasn>t wishful for anyone to be seeing him use it.D

;m.D $ahBell rubbed his chin, then nodded. #ell enough, ;rach@and well done, too.

0t>s grateful 0>d be if you>d tell the same to :urthang@he>s over yonder, by that dead oak@

and fetch him back to me here when you>ve done.DAye, "ilordFD ;rach hastened off, and $randark cocked a sardonic eyebrow.

J$ahB@ 2ilord >, is itI "yF #hat formality for a batch of unwashed :orse tealersF!oes TomanMk know about this sudden elevation of yoursID

0>m wondering how you>d look with your mouth stuffed full of snowID $ahBellmurmured thoughtfully. 6ike as not you>d be /uieter , anyway.D

"y, my, my. #e are feeling touchy, aren>t weID $randark needled, but $ahBell onlygrinned.

0t>s in my mind they>ll get over it soon enough, little man. $ut ust this minute, they>restill not that all3fired sure ust what it is they>ve let themselves in for. o if it makes a lad like

;rach feel a bit more proper to be calling me J"ilord> for a bit, 0>m thinking 0 can stand the

embarrassment.D-o doubt. $ut you do realiBe you>ve made me even more of the odd man out, don>t youID

$randark demanded. $ahBell eyed him EuiBBically, and he sighed. 0 was already a $loody

word@which, if you>ll recall, isn>t e(actly the safest thing to be around a murderous lot of :orse tealers@but at least 0 had company, since =aion and Nerry weren>t what you might

call :orse tealers themselves. $ut then you had to go and swear the lot of them into the%rder of TomanMk , which =aion and Nerry are members of. #hich ust happens to leave me

as the sole participant in this little e(pedition who isn't one of cale $alancer>s heartyminions.D

!>you know, 0 believe you>ve a point there. $ut don>t let it be bothering you. Oust you bekeeping close, and we>ll look after you right and tight anyway. #hy, you>ll be safer than if

you were after lying in your mother>s arms.D$randark opened his mouth to reply, then shut it with a click as :urthang slid under the

firs beside them and erked his head back the way ;rach had come.Tracks, heyID he said softly. -ow what would you be thinking could bring honest folk

out into the middle of these godsforsaken woods this time of year, $ahBellID

#hatI -ot J"ilord>ID $randark ibed. :urthang darted him a Euick look, then chuckled

and reached across $ahBell to punch the $loody word on the shoulder.0 can see why himself here is after being so attached to you, little man. ou>re enough to

be keeping any man humble, aren>t you ustID0 try,D $randark admitted. 0t>s a hard task, mind you, but someone has to do it. And at

least $ahBell gives me plenty of material to work with.D-ow that>ll be enough out of the both of you,D $ahBell said austerely as :urthang

smothered a laugh. #e>ve more important things to be thinking on here.DAye, that>s true enough,D :urthang agreed. $ut given the rumors $randark was after

sharing with us, 0>ve little doubt as how ;rach>s trail will be taking us where it is we>rewishful to go.D :e narrowed his eyes at $ahBell. :ave you felt anything yetID

-o, not yet. %r, that>s to say 0 don>t think 0>ve felt aught@other than a bit of nervousflutter, as you might say. till and all, 0>m thinking you>re right enough, and it>s grateful 0>ll

be if you>ll take your section up ahead there. 0>ll follow along on your heels, and ?harnal>s

lot can watch our backs.D

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7air enough.D :urthang nodded and sEuirmed back out into the open, waving for theother thirteen men of his section to oin him. #hite3smocked :orse tealers appeared

suddenly, blending out of the most improbable bits and pieces of concealment, and allfourteen of them pushed off in a Euiet hiss of skis.

$ahBell let them get perhaps fifty yards ahead, then crawled out of his own cover.

$randark followed, and =aion and Naeritha oined them in short order. The humans looked

weary, but they>d managed to keep up, and $ahBell knew they>d earned the admiration of his:orse tealers in the process. :is people took their own endurance for granted, but they

knew other races didn>t share it . . . and that however tired =aion or Naeritha might have 3 become@however hard they>d panted, or however soaked with sweat their faces had been@

the humans had matched them league for league.7ortunately, $ahBell had slowed the pace once they reached the wooded area $randark had

identified as their likely hunting ground. :aste was the enemy of stealth, and at the momentcaution was more important than speed could ever have been. The peace treaty between

:orse tealers and $loody words still held@technically, at least. $ut even though hradanitended to be surprisingly proper sticklers for things like formal declarations of war, they were

also masters of the occasional preemptive raid, and unlike many people, they had no

obection to launching those raids in winter. #hich meant ChurnaBh had to be keeping acloser watch than usual for :orse tealer trespassers in his realm . . . and that didn>t even

consider anything harnM>s lot might be up to. The fact that slowing down had allowed his

human friends to catch their breath was a useful bonus, but $ahBell>s real purpose had beento avoid blundering into some sentry or trap his enemies might have set.

The rest of his section oined him, and he waved them forward, he and his friends movingoff on :urthang>s heels at the center of their loose formation. $ehind them, ?harnal began

beckoning for his own people to form up, and $ahBell let automatic, trained reactions carryhim along while he half3closed his eyes and concentrated.

:e hadn>t been entirely honest with :urthang. %r, more precisely, he>d understated hisown speculations to be on the cautious side. &rivately, he was convinced he was picking up a

faint, unpleasant sensation, almost like something stirring in the dark, from the north. -owhis head turned, nostrils flaring as if to scent the air, and his lips drew back from his teeth in a

snarl he wasn>t even aware of, for the sensation was stronger than it had been, andstrengthening by the moment.

!>you think as how harn >s lot can be sensing us as well as we can sense themID he

asked Naeritha Euietly, and she shrugged.

0 don>t know. 0 suppose !emon $reath has the eEuivalent of his own champions, but 0>veno idea at all what capabilities they might have.D he frowned, arcing away from $ahBell to

pass on the far side of a tree and then coming back, and shrugged. 0 know our championshave wandered into ambushes from time to time. 0t doesn>t happen often, but it does happen.

As far as 0 know, though, it>s usually when they don>t e(pect trouble.D he grimaced. 0suppose no one could be ambushed in the proper sense of the word if they were Je(pecting

trouble,> of course, but that wasn>t what 0 meant.D#hat you were meaning was that the champions in Euestion weren>t after trying to sense

their enemies because they>d been given no other reason to think as how they might bethere,D $ahBell said, and she nodded.

'(actly. And that being the case, 0>ve always assumed we can do the same thing to theother side under similar conditions. %f course, harnM may well have told them we were

coming. :e did try to ambush us in the 'mpire, after all.D

Aye.D 0t was $ahBell>s turn to grimace. #ell, the best we can do is all we can be doing,

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through him like a knife the instant his cousin mentioned a hillside. There>s no way aroundthat hill, :urthang. The bastards are after being inside it.D

0nsideID :urthang sounded dubious, and $ahBell nodded.Aye. Nilthan had the right of it when he said as how harnM>s lot hide themselves

underground, and 0 can be feeling some kind of trickery even from here.D

Wi!ardryD :urthang hissed, but $ahBell shook his head Euickly.

-o, not that, but like it. 0>m thinking it>s a bit of harnM himself, spread out so as to betricking minds and eyes to keep us from seeing what>s really there. And 0>d not be surprised if

it>s the real reason the place is after looking Jugly> to you, too. :e>d not want to encouragefolk to come right in on his . . . people.D

Then ust how is it we>re supposed to be getting at themID#ell, as to that, it>s surprised 0>ll be if Nerry and 0 betwi(t us can>t convince that little bit

of harnM to be moving aside,D $ahBell replied, and bared his teeth in a vicious grin. %ld!emon $reath>s scared to death of himself, and 0>m thinking that when a pair of champions

come calling all unannounced, and bring himself along with >em when they knock on thedoor, that door will be after opening.D

:urthang looked less than totally convinced, but he nodded and waved his men into

concealment to wait while $ahBell went back for Naeritha and the rest of the party. Then thetwo champions, accompanied only by =aion, $randark, and :urthang, moved to the very

edge of the woods and peered out into the foggy late morning light.

As :urthang had said, the woods gave way to a narrow valley between brooding hills. Thetracks they>d followed this far snaked out into that valley, looking somehow furtive and lost,

and seemed to vanish straight into a rough, almost vertical hillside. $ut the scene didn>t look Euite the same to all of them, and $ahBell heard Naeritha@and =aion@suck in sharp breaths

even as the hillside began to waver like wind3struck water to his own vision. !etails werehard to make out, but his aw clenched as he caught the likeness of a huge scorpion carved

out of the rock above an arched opening that was somehow . . . wrong. :e couldn>t put hisfinger on e(actly what made that arch look subtly perverted and diseased. After all, how

could a simple opening in the stone look pervertedDI The concept made no sense, and yetthat was the only word which fitted that obscene, waiting mouth under the protective claws of

the scorpion.#hat is itID :urthang asked Euickly as he caught his cousin>s e(pression.

#hat we came for,D $ahBell replied grimly. :e tore his eyes from the rippling hillside to

scan the other slopes, looking for any sign of guard posts or sentries. There were none, and he

supposed that made sense. 'ven knowing e(actly what they sought, neither :urthang nor $randark could see a thing but blank stone. Coupled with the sense of aversion :urthang had

felt for the entire valley@and which $ahBell felt, as well, when he let himself@that offeredharnM>s followers almost perfect concealment, and posting sentries would actually be more

likely to attract attention, not less.$ut $ahBell knew what was hidden there, and his belly tightened as he sensed a dark,

malevolent presence inside that hill. -ot harnM himself, though there was a trace of the dark god present. -o one who>d ever sensed him could mistake that skin3crawling shudder of pure

evil for anything else. $ut there was something more, another presence, infinitely weaker than harnM>s potential power but enormously stronger than any mortal creature. :e glanced

at Naeritha and =aion, and their e(pressions showed they sensed it, too. $ut they looked perple(ed, uncertain as to ust what it was they felt, for unlike him, they had never faced one

of harnM>s greater demons.

:e drew a deep breath, then sank back into the cover of the forest edge and waved his

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C:A&T' T#'-T3T:''

&rince ChalghaB, heir apparent to the throne of -avahk, tried to hide the crawling terror

which simmered somewhere deep down inside his pulsing e(citement. ;ntil last autumn, he

had never so much as suspected this buried sanctuary e(isted@and if he had known, hewould have been as eager as anyone else to see it rooted out and destroyed. $ut not now.

-ow his fate had become ine(tricably bound up with its survival, and he still didn>t

understand e(actly how that had happened.0t was arthag>s doing. :e was certain of that much, and he wondered if arthag had . . .

done something to him to bring it about. 0t was certainly possible, and neither arthag nor Tharnatus, the human priest who presided over this enclave, would have hesitated a moment

to use any tool at their disposal. et in his moments of self3honesty Gof which he subectedhimself to as few as possibleH, ChalghaB knew it wouldn>t have taken much, for harnM>s

support offered him so many things he desperately craved.The sensual pleasures of the !emon 6ord>s unspeakable worship appealed strongly to the

debauched part of him, of course. #here was the point in possessing power if it did not

permit a man to do as he wishedI That was a lesson his father had taught him well, althoughthe things ChalghaB enoyed were best kept hidden@especially among hradani@however much power he held. $ut a man had to have companions Gwhich was ever so much nicer a

word than procurersDH in the pursuit of passion, and it was that need which had given

arthag>s influence its first toehold with ChalghaB, especially after the endless months he>d

spent at $ahnak>s disgustingly respectable court. :e>d plunged deep into the enoyment of the flesh as soon as he was released from that bondage, and arthag had always seemed to be

there, guiding him and constantly introducing him to new and different drugs or more . . .sophisticated delights. 0n a sense, he supposed, it had been only a small step from those

pleasures to these.et heady as they were, and deeply as the dark and twisted parts of him reoiced in the

blood3sweet rites of harnM, it was the corpion>s power he valued most. As harnM hadsupported :arnak, now :e supported ChalghaB, and for the same reasons. ChalghaB knew

Tharnatus saw him only as one of harnM>s pincers, sunk deep into the heart of -avahk andthus into all $loody words, and that bothered him no more than it had bothered his brother.

#hatever harnM desired of him in return for the throne and power, ChalghaB would givewillingly, for his secret deity would protect and shield him against all enemies, even that

bastard $ahnak and his cursed armies.

%f course, there were moments when he remembered how harnM had not protected

:arnak against $ahnak>s son, but Tharnatus had e(plained that. :arnak had displeased the

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grief3filled rage to accuse $ahnak of sending that creature of darkness to smite his foes, whowould Euestion itI And so ahnak would be labeled a secret worshiper of harnM, and the

very people@:orse tealer, as well as $loody word@who would have turned uponChalghaB would turn upon $ahnak, instead.

And yet . . . There was something else at work here. ChalghaB didn>t know what, yet he

was oddly certain that Tharnatus and arthag had another reason to send the demon forth. 0t

was almost as if they faced some time pressure about which they had told him nothing, as if there were some reason they had to unleash the demon and brand $ahnak with responsibility

for it now. :e couldn>t obect to moving Euickly, since it would only put his own backside onthe throne sooner, but the uncomfortable sense of not knowing everything his allies intended

gnawed at the back of his brain like rats at a sack of grain while he watched Tharnatus kneelto press his forehead against the altar.

Then the priest rose, spreading his arms in benediction as he looked out over hiscongregation. "ost of the eighty3odd people in the chapel never left the sanctuary, for its

hidden secrecy was its true defense, and the comings and goings of so many might well have been remarked. That was true at all times, but especially now, when tracks showed so

damnably clearly in the snow that covered everything. 0t was also the reason ChalghaB,

arthag, and Thulghar alahkson, the head of arthag>s personal guard and the only man hetruly trusted, were the only outsiders present. $ut as he had for the actual summoning of the

demon who waited, hissing and snarling in the warded chamber beyond the chapel, ChalghaB

had to be here today, for this was the service which would actually loose the demon to do itswork of slaughter.

"y brothers,D Tharnatus intoned, his voice deep and resonant for a human>s, thecorpion welcomes you, for this day we take a momentous step and set one of :is own upon

the throne of -avahkF And from -avahk, our brother ChalghaB shall reach out to rule all the$loody word clans, and the :orse tealers, as well, and he shall forge of them a weapon

which will sweep beyond his present borders with fire and the sword. -ot in twelve hundredyears has this world seen the power of the massed clans of the hradani, and no one will stand

against them when our brother strikes, for the corpion shall ride with him, and his enemieswill be as straw in the furnace before himFD

A rumble of dark agreement went up from the gathered worshipers, almost all of themhradani. They had not forgotten the dark and terrible things their enslaved people had done in

the 7all of Nontovar, but unlike the vast maority of their folk, they didn>t care. -o, that was

wrong. They did care . . . but only because they hungered to do the same dark, terrible things

themselves, and the fact that doing them would confirm all the hatred the other aces of "anfelt for their people meant less than nothing to them.

=ery well,D Tharnatus said, and nodded to the four burly hradani who waited by the sidedoor. They bowed to him, opened the door, and slipped through it, and ChalghaB felt his

nerves tighten with hungry anticipation as he heard the hopeless, sobbing pleas of thesacrificial victim echoing through the doorway. "etal rang as the cell door beyond it was

unlocked and thrown wide, and the pleas became louder and more frantic as the sacrifice wasdragged down the short passageway. And then@

$52#N#81ChalghaB erked as if an arbalest bolt had struck him sEuarely in the back as the sudden,

basso rumble of that hated name beat in on him. -o voice, not even a hradani>s, couldthunder soF 0t wasn>t a voiceK it was an earthEuake, an avalanche crunching over everything

in its path, and he wheeled towards the sanctuary>s entrance in shock.

TomanMk F $oman%k 1 %ther voices screamed the same terrifying war cry, and ChalghaB

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them were oining the fray, but it was also clear they were merely slowing the attackers, notstopping them. 7ortunately, whoever was assaulting the sanctuary was too unfamiliar with its

serpentine architecture to pick the shortest path to the chapel . . . not that they didn>t seem to be doing ust fine with the longer way around. %n the other hand, their unfamiliarity might

offer him a chance to escape with his life. 0f he could fade away, slip past them down the side

passages@

?et your arms, $rothersFD Tharnatus cried to the rest of the congregation. The corpionis with us yet, but 0 must have timeF $uy me only a few moments, and we shall drink our

enemies> blood stillFDChalghaB stared at the priest, then stabbed a glance at arthag. The -avahkan lord was

pale, his ears plastered tight to his skull, but understanding flashed in his eyes as they metTharnatus>, as if he, at least, knew what the priest was talking about. "ore importantly, as if

he believed Tharnatus spoke the truth.That was the deciding factor, and ChalghaB abandoned his plan to creep away and drew his

own sword.ou heard, TharnatusFD he bellowed. o come on, you whoresonsFD

The warren of tunnels and side passages hampered $ahBell>s advance badly. -ot because itwas confining@it had been built for $loody word hradani, which meant the tunnels had

almost enough headroom even for :orse tealers@but because he had no idea of its layout.

:e knew the direction he must go to reach the core of corruption which lurked at the heart of this lair, but none of the tunnels led straight towards it.

And there were other problems@like far more guards than he had e(pected to meet. -otall were $loody words, either, and human and dwarvish blood, as well as that of other

hradani, steamed on his blade as he cut his way forward. At least the tunnels limited thenumber of foes who could face him at any one time, but the side passages gave opportunities

for enemies to slip around his peoples> flanks and hit them from the sides. :e heard the crashof steel behind him, but he also heard the thunder of his warriors> war cries as they bellowed

TomanMk>s name and hewed their foes into ruin. :e knew too much of battle to think only theenemy were falling in this brutal, close3Euarters fight, but his people had two enormous

advantages. They served the ?od of #ar, whose strength supported them . . . and they knewthe truth about the age.

'very one of the :orse tealers@and $randark@had given himself to the age,

summoning its e(altation and strength and deadly concentration. "ost hradani feared the

age, and many fought desperately to keep it from taking control in battle. $ahBell>s :orsetealers did not, and unlike the handful of $loody words who they met after the age had

taken them, the :orse tealers were completely in control of themselves. They used the age @they rode the age@and it carried them forward in a storm of gory steel.

And at the very head of them, the spear point thrusting into the sanctuary>s vitals, was$ahBell $ahnakson, with =aion of Almerhas, Naeritha eldansdaughter, and $randark

$randarkson advancing at his side and covering his flanks.Naeritha was unable to tap the power of the age, and she seemed little more than a

schoolgirl against her towering enemies, but she glittered like blue ice in the light of TomanMk , and her twin swords were scythes. he was splashed with other peoples> blood to

the elbows, and a cut on her cheek bled freely, yet she spun through her foes like a tornadoedged in tempered steel.

=aion was taller, bigger, stronger@only a human, perhaps, but nearly a match for a

$loody word in siBe and strength. :is longsword was the same gem3encrusted weapon he

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0t was impossible. -o one could possibly have pinned that multi3ton carcass even for asecond. $ut $ahBell $ahnakson did it, with the strength of his own age and the power of his

god as it snapped and crackled within him. -ot even he could hold it for more than an instant, but an instant was all he needed, for in that brief flicker of time, =aion of Almerhas struck

like the very word of the #ar ?od. The full length of his blade drove through the demon>s

thinner, weaker ventral armor, and it shrieked like a soul in hell. 7or one more fraction of a

second it froBe, and then its head snapped up with a bone3breaking violence not even a god3touched :orse tealer hradani could resist.

$ahBell and =aion flew away like discarded toys, bouncing in opposite directions, and thehowling fury of the demon>s agony hammered a doBen more warriors to their knees. 0t

screamed again and again, battering its head back and forth, shattering the stone of the passage>s walls and roof even as it splintered its own armor against them. 0chor splashed and

steamed, and $ahBell shook his head groggily and heaved himself back to his knees as themonster>s own death struggle completed what =aion had begun.

0t took over five minutes for the thing to die, and $ahBell left it to it and crawled over to=aion. The young knight lay unconscious, and unless $ahBell was badly mistaken, his right

arm was broken again@this time in at least three places. $ut he was alive, and $ahBell

gathered his head into his lap and leaned back against the tunnel wall, feeling every aching, battered muscle of his own body complain, to watch the demon sag slowly down in death.

'ven then unnatural vitality sent Euivers and twitches through its enormous body, but they

were only the last flickers of a life which was already fled.$y the time it stopped thrashing madly, the last of harnM>s guardsmen had been killed or

battered into surrender. ?harnal>s bloody left arm hung limp at his side, and :urthang hadlost the little finger off his right hand, but the two of them were still going concerns, and,

together with $randark, they saw to it that none of harnM>s worshipers who were still breathing got their throats cut. -ot because any of them had given oath to TomanMk , but

because live witnesses would be far more useful than a few more lopped3off heads whichcouldn>t confirm what had happened here.

At least eight :orse tealers lay scattered among the dead. %thers were wounded, and$ahBell knew there must be still more of them@dead and wounded alike@strewn along the

tunnels down which they>d fought. $ut they>d accomplished what they>d come for, hethought, and looked up as young ChavRk, the warrior who>d seen no reason to replaceD

harnM with TomanMk , came striding up a side passage. Two more :orse tealers trotted

along behind him, and all three of them bore minor wounds to go with their bloody weapons.

$ut ChavRk bore something else, as wellK an unconscious body in richly embroidered, bloodsodden robes.

0 was thinking as how you might be wanting this one alive,D he grunted, and dumped his burden at $ahBell>s feet.

$ahBell stretched out his right leg without rising or disturbing =aion>s head in his lap, anddug a toe under the body>s shoulder. :e erked his foot up, flipping it over onto its back, and

a cold, hungry light flickered in his eyes as he recogniBed the amulet of a high priest of harnM on the chain about its neck.

Aye,D he said softly, one hand resting on =aion>s forehead, and looked up at his youngkinsman. %h, aye, ChavRk, 0 do that.D

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C:A&T' T#'-T37%;

The last of the captured guardsmen were dragged in under :urthang>s watchful eye, searched

for weapons, and securely bound. There weren>t many, and those who survived were beaten

men in every sense of the word. They knew the penalty which awaited those who lentthemselves to the service of the !ark ?ods, especially among hradani, and they sat white3

faced and silent. The only good thing about their situation was that $ahnak disliked torture

even when the law prescribed it. That wouldn>t save them from the full rigor of the punishment prescribed by hradani law, but at least the &rince of :urgrum wouldn>t make

their deaths still worse out of personal vengeance.$ahBell had no choice but to leave the details to :urthang, for he himself had the wounded

to care for. :e wasn>t happy about Naeritha, for the blow her helmet had turned had left her stunned and unfocused. he seemed a bit vague about where she was or who $ahBell might

be, but aside from that she appeared unhurt. And however concerned he might be, there waslittle he could do for her@or, for that matter, =aion@immediately, in light of how many

others had taken life3threatening wounds. :e was forced to turn his healing ability to those

most in need of it, and he had little time in which to do it. They couldn>t be certain none of harnM>s worshipers had escaped, and if a $loody word hradani informed one of &rinceChurnaBh>s army posts that a company of :orse tealers was wandering about in his territory

it was unlikely any Euestions would be asked until after the invaders had been dealt with.

hould any of $ahBell>s kinsmen survive the e(perience, the $loody word who>d called in

the army would probably face some rather pointed inEuiries of his own, but it was unlikelythere would be any survivors. #hich meant $ahBell couldn>t afford the daBed, disoriented

euphoria which healing all of their inured people would have plunged him into, so walkingwounded would simply have to look after themselves until he could be certain they>d made a

clean getaway.And then there were the warriors not even a champion of TomanMk could heal. %f the fifty3

four :orse tealers who>d sworn word %ath and followed $ahBell on the raid, seventeenhad died. -ine more who would have oined them would live because of $ahBell>s aid, but

seventeen, all of them kinsmen, remained a grievous total.:urthang also saw to organiBing their withdrawal while $ahBell dealt with the wounded,

but he was aided by $randark and ?harnal. -one of these :orse tealers would ever againlook upon $randark with suspicion, not even ?harnal ;thmRgson. %r, perhaps, especially not

?harnal ;thmRgson. ?harnal had watched $randark deal with Crown &rince ChalghaB, and it

was ?harnal who found him a sack to put ChalghaB>s head in afterward. :e offered it without

a word of apology for his earlier distrust, but $randark understood the gesture . . . and the warrior>s arm clasp

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and ?harnal.6et>s be going home, word $rothers,D he said Euietly.

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C:A&T' T#'-T370='

The trip back to :urgrum took several more days than the outward ourney had. The need to

transport their wounded Gand their deadH would have slowed them anyway, but the real

problem was their prisoners. There were only thirteen of them, including Tharnatus, butevery one of them knew he was a dead man when he finally reached :urgrum. The :orse

tealers kept them bound at all times and still had to guard each of them like hawks. 'ven so,

one of them managed to saw through the ropes binding his legs with a sharp3edged stone he>dacEuired somewhere and made a break for it late on the second day. The light was none too

good, but he made less than seventy3five yards before an arbalest bolt tore through him.;nlike their own dead, the :orse tealers let him lie where he had fallen for the scavengers,

and none of his erstwhile companions uttered a word of complaint.%nce $ahBell was certain he and his followers had gotten away cleanly, he took time out to

see to =aion and Naeritha properly. %n e(amination, it was obvious Naeritha was recoveringon her own. Aside from an atrocious headache, a few fresh cuts, including one which was

going to leave yet another scar on her cheek, and some spectacular bruises, her only lingering

difficulty was her right eye>s reluctance to focus properly, and she waved off $ahBell>s offer to heal her.

0>m not so fragile as all thatF $esides, TomanMk would get irritated if 0 ran around asking

:im to take care of every little ache and pain for me.D

0f you>re certain about it, then,D $ahBell said, and she nodded, then winced and pressed a

hand to her temple.0>m certain. "ind you, 0 won>t complain if you order me to ride in the sled for another

day or two.Do that>s the way of itF ou>re thinking as how you>ve an e(cuse to lie about like a lady to

the manor born while we>re towing your laBy carcass back to :urgrum, heyID%f course,D she replied smugly, and curled up like a cat under the thick rug covering the

sled. #ake me when we get there,D she said with an elaborate yawn, and he laughed, pattedher shoulder, and turned his attention to =aion.

:e found the knight3probationer sitting up and practicing his :urgrumese with the three:orse tealers who had been taking it in turns to tow his sled. :is accent was still atrocious,

and the hradani were teasing him unmercifully about it. The old =aion would no doubt havefelt mortally insulted@especially when his accent turned the :urgrumese for mudD into

something much more organic@but the new one only laughed along with them, and $ahBell

watched appreciatively for several seconds before he interrupted.

0t>s sorry 0 am to be breaking in on this serious3minded language lesson,D he said finally,

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but 0>m thinking as how the youngster here might be wishful to have his arm healed. ;nless,of course, he>s some obection to my Jwasting> healing on such minor bumps and sprains like

her ladyship yonderID:e twitched his head at Naeritha as he spoke, and the lump under the rug stirred.

0 heard thatFD it warned him. And you>ll pay for it the ne(t time 0 get your hairy backside

in a training salle, "ilord ChampionFD

=aion laughed and shook his head.0>ve no obection at all, "ilord. 0 hope this isn>t going to get too habit forming, though.

omehow you always seem to be patching up broken arms for me.D!o 0, thenID $ahBell said with a smile, dropping down to sit beside him and ease the

splinted arm out of its sling. #ell, 0>m thinking 0 might ust be done with such as that, lad,for it>s in my mind you won>t be after needing any more of >em broken.D :e paused and

looked =aion sEuarely in the eye. And speaking of arms, and in case 0 wasn>t after saying itat the time, ir =aion,D he said Euietly, it>s grateful 0 am for your aid and the strength of

your arm. ou did well, and your courage was all that ir Charrow@aye, or TomanMk himself @could have been asking of you.D

=aion blushed fiery red, but the hradani who>d teased him earlier murmured agreement

and approval. The young man blushed even darker and looked around as if searchingfrantically for some other topic of discussion, and $ahBell took pity on him.

-ow let>s be looking at this arm of yours,D he said briskly. And as you>re a special friend

and all, 0>ll not be charging you more than half my normal surgeon>s bill.D

$ahBell sent ?harnal ahead with a complete report for his father while the rest of his partywas still a full day out of :urgrum. :e wasn>t at all surprised when messengers from &rince

$ahnak appeared early the ne(t day with a reEuest which stopped ust short of an order to beas inconspicuous as possible when they entered the city. #ith that in mind, he timed their

travel so that night had fallen by the time they reached :urgrum. The weather had turned bitterly cold again in one of the sudden, seesaw weather shifts which usually marked the end

of winter in that part of -orfressa, and the plunging temperatures had driven virtuallyeveryone inside with the sunset, so their late arrival allowed them to reach the palace without

attracting any attention.$ahnak himself, with $arodahn and Thankhar, $ahBell>s ne(t older brother, awaited them,

and the prince threw his arms around his youngest son in a crushing hug.

0>d not guessed all you were off to face when 0 bid you farewell, boy,D he said Euietly,

and it>s glad 0 am to see you home hale and whole.D :e broke the hug, then stood back andeyed $ahBell critically. ?harnal was after giving me all the uicy details you>d seen fit to be

leaving out of your own letter. 7or e(ample, you>d not mentioned a word at all, at all, aboutfighting demons in your report.D

#ell, as to that, it was =aion did the thing in,D $ahBell replied with a shrug.Aye, ?harnal said as much. $ut it>s ust as happy 0>d be if you could see your way to

avoiding such little affairs in the future. -ot@D $ahnak raised a deprecatory hand @that0>m after complaining , mind, and 0>m sure you>ll know your own business best. $ut like as

not your mother>ll be ust a mite upset if demons or devils or such were to be biting piecesout of you after all the time she spent bearing and raising you. "others are like that, you

know, and 0>d sooner she wasn>t after taking it out on me.D0>ll be bearing that in mind,D $ahBell assured him with a grin. $ut then the grin faded, and

he turned back to the door through which he>d entered. :is companions were Euietly carrying

in stiff, blanket3wrapped bodies, and he shook his head.

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0 was after losing the best part of a third of my men, 7ather,D he said Euietly.7rom all ?harnal said, it>s lucky you were to lose so few,D $ahnak said, eEually Euietly,

and $arodahn and Thankhar nodded agreement. 0>ve not told their families yet,D the princewent on after a moment. 0>d no idea how you and your brothers@D he nodded to the rest of

the raiding party, not his other sons @would be feeling such should be handled. And, truth

to tell, 0>d a few other motives of my own.D :e waited until $ahBell turned to look at him

once more, then smiled humorlessly.#hat you>ve done needed doing, and no mistake, but 0>m thinking it>s likely to be like

kicking a hornets> nest when word of it>s after getting out. And it will get out. Come to that, 0suppose it should be gotten out, and the sooner the better, but the other princes will all be

having their own reasons to think the worst of my involvement@especially when they hear as how ChalghaB was after getting caught up in it. And since all that>s the case, 0>d take it

kindly if you and :urthang and perhaps your friends Naeritha and $randark would be sittingdown with "arglyth and me to thrash out ust how we>d best go about letting that word out.D

umors of the raiders> return began circulating with the dawn, and they grew more

e(treme with each generation of whispers. -o one outside $ahnak>s immediate family and

the warriors who>d actually carried out the raid knew that $ahBell>s volunteers, to the man,had sworn their swords to TomanMk>s service. As far as that was concerned, only a handful of

people had the least idea what the raid itself had been about.

The least fantastic e(planation bandied about was that $ahnak had dispatched a party to burn several -avahkan frontier posts without issuing a formal declaration of war. -o one was

Euite certain why he should have done such a thing, although the darker tales suggested it had been intended as the first step in a comple( strategy designed to push ChurnaBh into

counterattacking. The idea, apparently, was that $ahnak would deny his men had ever setfoot in -avahk and brand ChurnaBh>s claims as lies intended to ustify (hurna!h's

unprovokedD aggression against him. That was bad enough, but there were even rumors the prince had ordered a sneak attack on -avahk itself, guided by $ahBell Gwho>d put the

knowledge of the city he>d gained while a hostage there to good effectH, for the e(press purpose of murdering ChurnaBh and his sons in their beds. '(actly how less than three score

:orse tealers could have carried out such a mission in an entire city full of $loody wordswas left to the imagination of the audience.

0n many respects, the rumors> possibility or impossibility meant very little. #hile many

:urgrumese were shocked by the notion that their prince might have so violated custom as to

open hostilities without first declaring his intention to, they were delighted by the reports thathe>d done so success*ully. %n the other hand, most of the ambassadors to his court could

scarcely have cared less whether or not the attack@whatever it had been@had succeeded.Those who served ChurnaBh and his allies were furious that $ahnak had violated their peace

treaties without first bidding ChurnaBh proper defiance, and those of $ahnak>s allies wereeEually furious that he should have done so without first warning them. After all, such actions

could well drag their princes into a war right alongside him, and he hadn>t even discussed itwith them. That sort of high3handed action would not sit well with any hradani warlord, and

the arrogance of it might very well destroy his newborn union of :orse tealers at the veryoutset.

Claims, protests, rumors and counterrumors flew that morning as friendly and hostileenvoys alike worked themselves into something very like a frenBy. $ut what not one of those

ambassadors suspected was that $ahnak himself had taken great care to ensure that they

heard the uiciest possible versions of events from his own agents.

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$ahBell had looked at his father in disbelief when he admitted responsibility for spreadingthe tales, but $ahnak had only smiled crookedly.

#ell, of course 0 did, boy@and a great help "arglyth was, too.D$ut why, 7atherID

The word was bound to be getting out, whatever we did or didn>t do,D $ahBell>s sister

e(plained patiently, and there>s going to be some as aren>t likely to accept the truth whatever

happens. ome will have reasons of their own not to be taking 7ather>s word o**icially, nomatter what they might be thinking in their own minds, for they>re after serving ChurnaBh

and his allies.Dhe paused until $ahBell nodded his understanding, then shrugged.

o when 7ather and 0 discussed it, it came to me that the greater the difference betwi(twhat they were thinking had happened and what they later learned had truly happened, the

better all >round. The more accusations@aye, and the wilder@ChurnaBh>s lot can be suckedinto making, the sharper the truth will bite them back when it>s after coming out. And the

greater the shock when 7ather proves !emon $reath>s doings in -avahk, the more likely it isthe most of the ambassadors will be believing him.D

$ahBell turned to give his father a very hard look indeed, and $ahnak shrugged.

Aye, aye. 0 know what you>re after thinking, boy. :ere>s the old man again, dipping hisfinger into the pie and scheming how best he can make use of it. $ut politics are politics, and

whether you>ll have it or no, this %rder of TomanMk you>re after creating>s such as to

pitchfork you right out amongst >em. 0>ll not deny it>s in my own mind to wring everyadvantage 0 can from the affair, but ust you be thinking about it from your own side. ou say

you>ve no mind to see your %rder made political or to have any of our folk@:orse tealer or $loody word@thinking as how your swords are after being in my pocket. #ell, 0>ll not say

your wrong. 0n fact, 0>ll say you>ve my total agreement, and the politics of it are the leastimportant reason why. $ut if you>re meaning to convince the other princes of your %rder>s

independence, then you>d best be starting down that path right now. That mean>s you>ve nochoice but to be hitting >em sEuare betwi(t the eyes with it, and it may be you>ve noticed as

how it takes a heavy hammer to drive any notion through a hradani>s skullFD0 see.D $ahBell rubbed his chin, then shook his head. 0t>s thankful 0 am for your

consideration, !a,D he said with e(Euisite propriety, and grateful you>re after being soconcerned for the %rder>s future. $ut it>s in my mind himself will be finding his own road to

make our status clear.D

-o doubt, no doubt,D his father said, patting him on the shoulder with another smile. $ut

it>s a father>s duty to be looking out for his son and helping him on in any way he can, andit>s glad 0 am this little opportunity was falling in my way, as it were.D

$ahBell regarded him for another long, thoughtful moment, then sighed deeply and looked back at his sister.

And did you manage that other thing 0 was asking forID0 did,D she replied. 0 can>t tell you for certain sure that no one else will be throwing his

name out, mind, but 0>ve seen to it as how $randark>s not been mentioned at all, at all, in anyof our Jrumors.> D

?ood,D $ahBell said softly, and hugged her briefly in thanks. The members of hisfledgling chapter knew the importance of $randark>s part in their mission, but they also knew

how vital it was that ChurnaBh not learn of it. $randark>s father and his allies among the oldfamilies of -avahk were too powerful for ChurnaBh to risk alienating when he stood on the

brink of a war for survival, but if the -avahkan learned $randark had not only helped the

raiders locate harnM>s sanctuary but personally killed the heir to the throne, he would have

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no choice but to move against $randark the 'lder anyway.All right, then,D his father said much more seriously. Are you and your lads ready,

$ahBellID#e are that,D $ahBell said grimly, and $ahnak nodded.

0n that case, boy, let>s be about it.D

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the white staff chamberlains carried in most -orfressan courts, and its iron3shod heel ranglike a hammered anvil as he thumped it on the floor.

:ail :is :ighness &rince $ahnakFD he intoned in a voice trained on a hundred battlefields. 6et those who seek ustice and udgment draw nighFD

There was a moment of silence, and then a short Gfor a hradaniH, richly clad, barrel3chested

man shouldered through the crowd. "utters of anger followed his rude progress, but he

ignored them to plant his fists on his hips and glare at $ahnak.&hrobus take Justice and udgment>FD he snapped. 0 want to know what in 7iendark>s

name you mean by attacking my prince>s territoryFDOahnkah swelled with rage, but $ahnak raised one hand in an almost bored gesture before

the chamberlain could speak. Then he returned his raised hand languidly to its companion,clasped across his middle, and looked down his nose at the belligerent figure before him.

Alone among the princes of the northern hradani, ChurnaBh of -avahk was representede(clusively by male ambassadors. There were several reasons for that, not the least being that

his personal habits meant very few women would willingly have served him in any capacity,much less as his ambassador. Almost as importantly, however, he trusted no one from outside

his inner circle for sensitive missions. :alRshu hakurson had been chosen as his envoy to

:urgrum because that was the single most important diplomatic post ChurnaBh had to fill,and :alRshu had been one of his closest lieutenants from the day then3?eneral ChurnaBh

slaughtered his way to -avahk>s throne.

%ver the years, :alRshu had served his master Bealously but with limited results. 0t wasn>tentirely his fault. Almost anyone would have been over3matched by $ahnak Narathson and

his daughter "arglythK the fact that :alRshu was of less than stellar intelligence only madethe match even more uneEual. till worse, from his viewpoint, ChurnaBh eEuated strength

with repression. :alRshu was no genius, but neither was he an outright fool, and he>d realiBedearly on that $ahnak was a dangerous opponent. ChurnaBh, however@constitutionally

incapable of recogniBing the strength of anyone less brutal than himself@had brushed off :alRshu>s warnings until it was too late.

-ow that ChurnaBh>s decision to ignore those warnings had landed him in a disastrous position, it was :alRshu>s unenviable duty to buy as much time as he could before the

inevitable final war. That had been a hard enough task even before the clash between $ahBelland :arnak, but it had become far worse since. :arnak>s idiocy Gand the patently false

version of the affair which ChurnaBh had concocted as -avahk>s official positionH had put

:alRshu in an intolerable diplomatic bind, and he>d grown more and more short3tempered as

the winter dragged by. -ow he hovered on the very brink of the age, and the armsmen of the envoys nearest to him kept hands close to their hilts.

Attack your prince>s territory, is itID $ahnak rumbled at last in mild surprise. And whatwould be causing you to think 0>d done any such thing, 6ord :alRshuID

!on>t play games with me, $ahnakFD :alRshu waved an angry hand at the crowded hall.'veryone knows your son $ahBell is back in :urgrumF And everyone also knows that, not

content with assaulting and half3killing Crown &rince :arnak in violation of his hostage bond, he>s led a raid by your men on -avahkan territory in clear violation of the treaties

between you and my princeF 0>ll leave it to your allies to decide whether or not they want tofollow anyone who authoriBes such aggression without even consulting them, but your son>s

actions are another matter. This new outrage makes him twice an outlaw, and on behalf of &rince ChurnaBh of -avahk, 0 demand he be surrendered to face our usticeFD

#ell, now. That>s after being Euite a mouthful so early in the morning, isn>t it ustID

$ahnak replied, and looked at "arglyth. #ould you be knowing of any treaties we>ve had

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the breaking ofID he shook her head with a small smile, and he glanced at $arodahn. Andyou, $arodahn. ou wouldn>t>ve been authoriBing any raids on those bast@0 mean on our

esteemed -avahkan neighbors without asking me, would you nowID $arodahn shook hishead in turn, and $ahnak turned back to the purple3faced :alRshu and shrugged. #ell, there

you have it, "ilord Ambassador. 0>m afraid you>re after being misinformed. #as there

something else 0 could be doing for you this morningID

Damn youFD :alRshu hissed. %ne hand dropped to his dagger, and he started to stepforward, only to stop as Thankhar took a single stride to his left and faced him. 6ike all

$ahnak>s sons, Thankhar towered well over seven feet in height. <nlike :alRshu, he woremail, and his right hand rested lightly on the hilt of his sword. 7or ust an instant it looked as

if :alRshu>s age would take him forward anyway, but it didn>t. 0nstead, he stood absolutelymotionless for several fulminating seconds, and then made his fingers unclench from the

dagger. :e inhaled deeply and glared at $ahnak.ou can play all the word games you like,D he grated, but everyone in this room has

heard the same stories 0 have. ou and your murdering son have played fast and loose withour treaties since they day they were signed, and you>ve gotten away with it so far only

because your son is as cowardly as he is treacherousF 0f he hadn>t run for his life like a

mongrel cur, we would have proven it was he who raped that girl and half3killed &rince:arnak for trying to stop himF $ut he>s back now, and up to his old tricks@no doubt cutting

the throats of our sentries while they sleep in time of peaceF #ell, this time he>s gone too far

@and so have youFDaped@ID $ahnak began in a puBBled voice. Then his e(pression cleared. %hF ou>re

meaning those foolish lies you and ChurnaBh were after spreading after $ahBell sent 7armahto me for safetyF #ell, it>s sorry 0 am to have to tell you this, :alRshu, but 7armah herself is

ready enough to tell what happened to her, and 0>m thinking her tale won>t be so very close toyours.D

%f course notF -o doubt you>ve paid the wench enoughFD :alRshu shot back, but hisvoice was weaker, despite his anger. :e>d had no choice but to parrot the line ChurnaBh had

adopted, ridiculous as everyone knew it to be, but he had no desire at all to hear 7armah tellher side of what had really happened.

Aye, no doubt 0 have,D $ahnak agreed soothingly, like a man humoring a lunatic. $ut thenhe smiled. %n the other hand, and speaking of sons and all, 0 was wondering if you could be

telling us ust where Crown &rince :arnak has taken himself toI 0t>s been some months now

since 0>ve heard a thing at all about him.D :is smile vanished suddenly, and all levity

disappeared. 0>m hoping his health hasn>t been taking a turn for the worse,D he finished in avoice of cold iron, and :alRshu flinched.

:e licked his lips and darted nervous eyes around the room, but not even the other $loodyword envoys would return his look. -o one in -avahk had received any official word of

:arnak>s fate . . . but they knew, for $he 4ay o* ah!ell loody+Hand was highly popular incertain circles. -o one was foolish enough to sing it where ChurnaBh might hear of it, but it

had been enough to get ChalghaB named crown prince in :arnak>s place.:alRshu opened his mouth once more, but $ahnak had toyed with him long enough. The

-avahkan had been trapped by his own untenable position into making e(actly theaccusations $ahnak had wanted someone to make. -ow the &rince of :urgrum came to his

feet, uncoiling from his false pose of rela(ation like a serpent, and glared at the haplessambassador.

o my son>s a coward and a murderer, is heID :is voice rumbled and echoed in the hall.

To his credit, :alRshu stood his ground, but his ears pressed tight to his head and his

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shoulders tightened. -o doubt that>s the tale (hurna!h would be wanting told,D $ahnak went on witheringly, but the truth>s after being ust a bit different, isn>t it nowID

:e looked away from :alRshu, sweeping all the envoys with his eyes, and this time it washe who propped his fists on his hips.

There you stand, every one of you, half ready to be believing the lies scum like this is

after telling,D he said, erking his head contemptuously at :alRshu. :ow many of you are

thinking his tales about $ahBell and :arnak have any truth at all, at all, in themID hedemanded. -o one spoke, and he snorted. Aye, so 0 thought. et let the same lying pile of

hog dung tell you as how 0>ve sent men to attack ChurnaBh in time of peace, and it>s another tale, is itID till no one spoke, and he raised his voice. Is itD he barked.

#ith all due respect, our :ighness, it is,D someone said. The crowd parted, and another ambassador stepped to the front. ilver3haired 6ady 'ntarath of :alk was a $loody word,

and her city3state was allied to -avahk, but she eyed :alRshu with undisguised contempt before she turned back to $ahnak.

The matter of your son and Crown &rince :arnak lies solely between you and &rinceChurnaBh,D she told him calmly. &rince $ahBell was outlawed by ChurnaBh for breaking

hostage bond. ;nder the letter of our law and traditions, that means his life is forfeit to

ChurnaBh. et as you are Euite well aware, given the . . . dispute concerning his actions, myown prince, and those of the other cities allied to him, have declined to support ChurnaBh>s

demands that &rince $ahBell be surrendered to him. $ut be that as it may, our :ighness, the

reports of :orse tealer attacks on -avahkan territory do not come from 6ord :alRshu alone."y own sources report the same thing to me, and they, too, insist that &rince $ahBell led the

attack in your name.DThe hall was still and Euiet. 6ady 'ntarath was a very different proposition from :alRshu.

:alk was allied with -avahk because it was a $loody word city, not because its people heldany love for ChurnaBh, and 'ntarath had served as ambassador to :urgrum for &rince

Thalahk, her present prince>s father, for decades. he was a senior member of the hradanidiplomatic corps and widely respected, even among :orse tealers, and her calm, deliberate

tone carried far more weight than :alRshu>s half3hysterical posturing.$ecause those reports are so wide spread,D she went on, 0 now ask you formally, in the

name of &rince anthar of :alk, whether or not they are true. :ave you in fact attacked -avahk without declaration of warI %r is it possible such an attack was made without your

authoriBationI And if so, was that attack led by &rince $ahBellID

$ahnak gaBed down at her, then looked out across the hall once more. :e let the silence

linger for a long, tingling moment, then returned his gaBe to 'ntarath.0n answer to your Euestion, "ilady,D he said with grave courtesy, neither 0, nor any

warrior under my command, nor yet any warrior of mine acting without my leave or let, hasattacked the army or people of -avahk.D

A rippling sigh of relief went up from half the envoys, to be answered by a buBB of disbelief from the other half, but $ahnak raised his hand.

-onetheless,D he went on, :orse tealer warriors were after crossing into -avahk lastweek . . . and my son $ahBell was at their head.D

hocked silence fell at the admission. 0t lay upon the hall like a fog bank for endlessseconds, and then :alRshu broke it.

$ut you said@FD he began furiously.0 said as how no warrior under my command was after attacking that scum3eating,

fornicating, base3born bastard you call princeFD $ahnak snapped And no more did theyF -or

was it me who had the sending of them into -avahkFD

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:e nodded curtly to a guard, and the man reopened the door through which he and hischildren had entered the hall. The movement drew every eye, and a chorus of gasps echoed as

$ahBell walked through it, followed by his cousin :urthang, his foster brother ?harnal, andhalf a doBen other :orse tealers. 'very one of them wore a green surcoat over a chain or

scale hauberk, and the seamstresses of $ahnak>s household had stayed up late embroidering

the sword and mace of TomanMk onto each of them. That should have been enough to make

any one of the envoys gasp in surprise, but it hardly even registered at first, for two humans @one a golden3haired young man and the other a raven3haired woman@in the same surcoats

accompanied them . . . and so did perhaps a doBen prisoners, most of whom were clearly$loody words.

$ahBell led the way, hands tucked unthreateningly into his belt, but the envoys andarmsmen in his path began backing away the instant they saw his eyes. 'ven :alRshu stepped

back, swallowing hard, as he found himself face3to3face with the man he>d ust finishedaccusing of rape, cowardice, and treachery. %nly 6ady 'ntarath and her armsman stood their

ground, and $ahBell nodded courteously to her as his followers and their prisoners flowedforward into the space his mere presence had cleared for them.

These are the men@some of them, at least@as you>ve heard so many tales about,D &rince

$ahnak said Euietly, seating himself once more upon his throne. And though it>s proud 0 amto call them :orse tealers, aye, and warriors of Clan 0ron A(e, they>re no longer mine to

command, for they>ve sworn their swords to another . . . as my son has.D :e turned to look at

:alRshu with an e(pression of withering contempt. 0>ve no doubt at all, at all, you>llrecogniBe the symbols of TomanMk , "ilord Ambassador. o perhaps you>d be so very kind

as to be repeating now the tale you and your Jprince> have been after telling for nigh on si(monthsI 0t>s interested 0>ll be to hear you accuse a champion of TomanMk of rape and murder

and cowardice to his faceFD(hampionD The word came out of :alRshu half3strangled, and the same ripple of shock

ran through everyone else. Are you@ !>you mean to stand there and claim your son is achampion o* $oman%k D

:e does that,D $ahBell rumbled. :alRshu>s eyes erked back to him, and $ahnak>syoungest son smiled thinly. And would you care to be telling me ust what it is you>ve been

saying of meID he invited.0@D :alRshu swallowed, then shook himself. #hat 0>ve said or your father>s said about

that doesn>t matter,D he shot back gamely. #hat does matter is that he>s ust admitted he sent

you to attack -avahk after telling everyone he>d done no such thingFD

ou>ve the ears of a hradani,D $ahBell replied in tones of profound disgust, but it>s clear they>ve done you no good at all, at all, for if you>d used them, you>d know he>d Jadmitted>

nothing of the sort. 7ather wasn>t after sending us anywhere, you stupid bugger. $oman%k sent us, as members of his %rder, and not to be attacking -avahk.D

:e nodded to :urthang, and his cousin erked a prisoner roughly forward. Tharnatus stillwore the blood3soaked robe in which he had been captured, and he cried out as :urthang

shoved him to his knees. $ut the :orse tealer ignored his cry and gripped his hair, erkinghis head up, and then ripped the throat of his robe wide to show the gleaming, gem3studded

scorpion he wore about his neck.:alf a doBen voices cried out in horror, and 6ady 'ntarath stepped back at last. :er right

hand signed the crescent moon of 6illinara, and her lips worked as if to spit upon the floor.he erked her eyes from Tharnatus to $ahBell, and the :orse tealer nodded in grave answer

to the Euestion he saw in them. he stared at him a moment longer, and then she bent her

head@not in submission, but in recognition@and touched her armsman>s mailed sleeve. The

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word, 0>m after knowing as well as you that most of your folk are decent enough, and fewamong >em would wallow in such filth as that. -ot even ChurnaBh, if only because he>s after

knowing e(actly how his allies would turn on him if ever he did.Deveral envoys murmured agreement, and :alRshu>s aw clenched as the small opinion

swing in his favor swung back the other way. $ahBell>s refusal to accuse ChurnaBh of sharing

his sons> perversions was a telling blow. 0f all this had been some ploy by $ahnak to discredit

his enemy, $ahBell would have done e(actly the opposite, and :alRshu knew it. $ut he alsoknew the :orse tealers didn>t have to accuse ChurnaBh personally. The mere fact that

harnM had gained a hold in -avahk@and upon two successive heirs to the throne, at thatF@ would shake the $loody word alliances to their foundations. :e felt a sick, sinking certainty

that $ahBell was telling the truth, or a part of it, at least, yet he dared not admit it.:ow kind of you to omit &rince ChurnaBh from your liesFD he sneered instead. %f

course, you didn>t accuse either of his sons until after they were safely dead, either, now didyouI 0t>s hard for a dead man to defend himself, isn>t it, ,rince $ahBellID

o it is,D $ahBell agreed. %f course, it>s also a mite hard to be taking a man alive whenhe>s been given a cursed sword as opens a gate to harnM himself, now isn>t it, "ilord

AmbassadorID

o you sayFD :alRshu spat. $ut why should we believe youI ou say you>re a championof $oman%k , too, don>t youID :e turned to the assembled envoys and threw up his arms in

appeal. A champion of TomanMk I A hradani championI 0 ask you all, my lords and ladies@

why in the names of all the gods should we believe that %h, 0>ll admit it>s a bold strokeF#hat better way to discredit my prince than to murder his sons and then accuse them of

having worshiped the !emon 6ordI And who better to make the accusation than a Jchampionof TomanMk >I $ut there hasn>t been a hradani champion in over twelve centuries1 #ho

among us would be fool enough to claim someone like ah!ell ahnakson as suchID I would,D a voice like a mountain avalanche said. 0t shook the entire hall, and :alRshu

spun about and his mouth dropped open as he saw the speaker.TomanMk %rfro stood beside $ahBell. 0t was impossible, of course. There was no room in

that crowded hall for a ten3foot3tall deity, and yet there was. 0n some way every person thereknew he or she would never be able to e(plain, &rince $ahnak>s hall remained e(actly the

same siBe and yet e(panded enormously. There was room in it for anything , and the god>s presence swept through it like a storm. The prisoners his %rder had brought back from

-avahk wailed in terror, thrashing wildly against their bonds as the !ark ?ods> most deadly

foe appeared before them. The guards tightened their grips upon them, but before they could

do more TomanMk glanced once at the captives, and their wails were cut off as if by an a(e.They stood petrified, eyes bulging in horror, and the smile he gave them was colder than the

steel of his blade.Then he looked away from them. :is gaBe@no longer crushing and silencing, but no less

potent@swept the envoys and, throughout the hall, men fell to their knees and women sank in deep curtseys before the power which had appeared among them.

$ut not everyone knelt. :alRshu of -avahk stood almost like the prisoners, too froBen tomove and, as the others knelt, $ahnak himself rose once more from his throne. :e stood with

his daughter at his side and his older sons behind him, and TomanMk glanced at $ahBell witha smile.

0t runs in the family, 0 see,D he said wryly, and eyes brightened throughout the hall at thelaughter which flickered in his voice.

Aye, 0 suppose it does,D $ahBell agreed. #e>re after being a mite on the stubborn side,

the lot of us.D

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come for you to stand once more in the 6ight, and you will find that the terrible years your people have spent in the shadows have given you strengths and abilities the other aces will

someday need sorely.D$ut@D

The single word came out of :alRshu, and TomanMk looked at the -avahkan once more.

There was no udgment or condemnation in the god>s eyes, yet they cut :alRshu off like a

knife blade, and sweat beaded the envoy>s face as all the endless times he and his prince hadviolated TomanMk>s code flickered in his brain.

$ut you wonder if my choice of $ahBell@and his willingness to accept the burden of serving as my champion@mean 0 have chosen sides between -avahk and :urgrumID the god

asked Euietly, and somehow :alRshu found the strength to nod.0 am the Oudge of &rinces, :alRshu of -avahk, and my courtroom is the field of battle.

"y decision will be rendered there, not here. 0 did not appear before you for that purpose,and neither my %rder nor my champions will take part in any fighting between your prince

and :urgrum>s.D The god gaBed out at all the envoys. "ore, 0 here confirm what $ahBell hastold you2 ChurnaBh of -avahk had no knowledge of his sons> actions or of harn >s

presence in his realm. 0f you would oppose him, oppose him for reasons other than that. 0f

you would support him, then do not hold the crimes of others against him. ou are not slaves,and we of the 6ight do not seek such. ou must make your own decisions in this, as you must

decide what god@if any@you will follow.D

:alRshu nodded again, a bit more naturally, and TomanMk looked at $ahBell.0 know how stubborn you can be. #ill you obey my wishes in this respectID

Aye,D $ahBell replied. 0>ll not say 0 like it, but 0>ll do as you wish. $esides@D he grinnedsuddenly @it>s not as if there aren>t after being :orse tealers enough to deal with the likes

of -avahk without meFD0 suppose that>s the most gracious promise 0 can hope for.D TomanMk sighed so

mournfully that, once again, the envoys surprised themselves with a ripple of laughter. Thegod smiled at them, then glanced at Naeritha and beckoned her forward.

!id you think 0 would forget to greet you, NerryID he asked teasingly.-o.D he smiled. 0 ust assumed you needed to concentrate on $ahBell first. 0>ve noticed

that getting ideas through to him reEuires a certain amount of effort.D'ven from a god,D TomanMk agreed. Ask him someday to tell you about how long 0 had

to pester him before he even realiBed who was trying to get his attention.D

0 will,D she promised.

?ood. 7or now, though, and in answer to the Euestion in your mind, yes. ou>re doinge(actly what you ought to be doing.D

0 amID he blinked. #ell, that>s reassuring. -ow if I only knew what 0>m doing,everything would be perfect.D

!on>t worry. 0t will come to you. And now@D the god turned to where the members of the newest chapter of his %rder knelt @there>s only one more detail to be dealt with. Come

here, =aion.DThe golden haired knight3probationer erked as if somehow had ust touched a particularly

sensitive portion of his anatomy with a well3heated poker. :is head flew up, his e(pressionone of mingled delight and fear, and he rose. :e walked across the floor through a hush that

was once more total to stand between $ahBell and Naeritha, gaBing up at his deity>s face, andTomanMk smiled.

0 have something of yours,D he told him. =aion>s eyebrows rose in surprise, and then the

god reached out a hand and plucked a sword out of the air as casually as a mortal might have

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reached into a pocket. :e held it up, turning it so that the gems set into its hilt and guardglittered, and astonished recognition flickered in =aion>s eyes.

0 believe you left this in a demon,D TomanMk said.0@D =aion looked up at him, then nodded. 0 suppose 0 did,D he said.

A pretty toy,D TomanMk observed, but the steel is sound enough under all the fancywork.

%ne simply has to look close enough to see it, wouldn>t you say, =aionID The young man

nodded slowly, never looking away from the god>s face. 'very person in the hall knew thewords meant far more than they seemed to, but only $ahBell and =aion knew what that

something more was.es,D TomanMk went on udiciously, 0 think you understand that now. Oust as you

understand that a blade that looks a bit rough and unpolished@D he flicked a grin at $ahBell@can bite deeper and truer than the most beautiful one ever forged. And ust as you>ve

learned to understand that@D he returned his eyes to =aion @0>ve tested the steel in you,=aion of Almerhas. 0t took a while to see past the gems and decoration, but there>s a fine

blade underneath all that gaudiness . . . one 0 would be pleased to call my own.D:e reached down and handed =aion>s sword not to him, but to Naeritha. =aion>s eyes

flickered in confusion for a moment, but then TomanMk reached back over his shoulder to

draw his own sword and e(tend the hilt to him.#ill you swear word %ath to me as my champion, =aionID he asked, and =aion sucked

in deeply. :is eyes clung to that plain, wire3bound hilt, and he started to shake his head@not

in reection, but with a profound sense of his unworthiness. $ut a hand on his shoulder stopped him, and he turned his head to see $ahBell>s smile.

0t>s not a thing as any man feels worthy of, lad,D he said softly.-o, it>s not,D TomanMk confirmed, and the more worthy of it he is, the less worthy he

*eels. $ut you are worthy, =aion. #ill you serve meID0 will,D =aion whispered, and laid his hand upon the hilt of his god>s sword.

$lue light crackled about his fingers as he touched it, and prominences of the same lightran up his arm to dance and seethe about his head like a crown of fire. The same blue

radiance danced above $ahBell and Naeritha, flickering in a web of power that linked bothchampions to the champion to be and to their deity, and TomanMk>s deep voice echoed in the

silence of &rince $ahnak>s hall.!o you, =aion of Almerhas, swear fealty to meID

0 do.D =aion>s voice had taken on an echo of the #ar ?od>s, and there was no more

doubt, no more hesitation in it.

#ill you honor and keep my CodeI #ill you bear true service to the &owers of 6ight,heeding the commands of your own heart and mind and striving always against the !ark as

they reEuire, even unto deathID0 will.D

!o you swear by my word and your own to render compassion to those in need, usticeto those you may be set to command, loyalty to those you choose to serve, and punishment to

those who knowingly serve the !arkID0 do.D

Then 0 accept your oath, =aion of Almerhas, and bid you take up your blade once more.$ear it well in the cause to which you have been called.D

There was a moment, like a pause in the breath of infinity@one $ahBell remembered wellfrom a windy night in the hipwood when he had sworn that oath@and then TomanMk drew

back his sword and =aion blinked like a man awaking from sleep. :e drew a deep, lung3

filling breath and smiled up at his god, and Naeritha stepped up beside him and e(tended the

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sword TomanMk had handed her. :e took it from her and, as he touched it, $ahBell saw thesame spark in him he had seen in Naeritha from the first@the flicker of TomanMk>s reflected

presence burning like some secret coal at the young man>s heart. :e reached out, embracingthe #ar ?od>s newest champion, and TomanMk smiled down at them all.

emarkable,D he said, drawing his champions> eyes back to him. :e shook his head. 0t

isn>t often one of my champions has the opportunity to swear word %ath with even one

other champion present, and here 0 am with three. And the three of you,D he told them, areEuite possibly the stubbornest trio of mortals 0>ve come across in millennia. 0f you think you

had a hard time with =aion, $ahBell, you should hunt up !ame Chaerwyn and let her tell youwhat she went through with NerryFD

0 wasn>t that bad, "ilordFD Naeritha protested. #as 0ID#orse,D TomanMk assured her. 2uch worse. $ut the best ones usually are.D

Are they, nowID $ahBell asked.%f course there are, $ahBell,D TomanMk said. That>s why 0 feel confident 0>ll be finding

lots of them among your folk in the future.DAnd he vanished.

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C:A&T' T#'-T3'='-

$randark $randarkson leaned back on the weathered wooden bench with a mug of beer and

basked in the first real sunlight in almost a week. The cold, wet rains of a northern spring

were no stranger to him, but that didn>t mean he enoyed them, and he savored the clean,mellow taste of the beer as he soaked up the warmth. :is bench was in an angle of the wall

around the e(ercise field of the fortified manor &rince $ahnak had deeded to the fledgling

:urgrum Chapter of the %rder of TomanMk . The sharp bend shielded him from the breeBe@ still unpleasantly biting@while he enoyed the sun and the first, shy flowers of spring poking

through the muddy grass, and his balalaika lay beside him, weighting down the pad on whichhe>d been otting potential lyrics.

:e took another long swallow. The chill damp in the air only contrasted with the sun>swarmth and made it even more welcome, and he lu(uriated in sensual enoyment. et his oy

was less than complete, for the same sun had cleared most of the snow from the roads. Theshort northern campaigning season was almost upon them@would be, as soon as the mud

dried a bit and the spring planting was in@and he felt time passing like the ticking of his

pocket watch in the back of his brain while he watched the members of the newest chapter of the %rder of TomanMk at drill.

There were more of them than there had been. 7resh recruits had trickled in steadily@most

:orse tealers, but with a prickly, defensive $loody word tucked away among them here

and there@ever since the dramatic scene in $ahnak>s hall. The word that TomanMk :imself

had appeared had spread like wildfire, and the response had been astounding, especially for hradani. Their centuries3long distrust of all gods should have made them react as young

ChavRk had2 with suspicion and doubt. And if the truth was known, $randark suspected,many had reacted in e(actly that fashion. $ut a significant number had not, and even

ChurnaBh had been forced to give his blessings to the creation of the new chapter. :e hadn>twanted to. The grudging wording of his proclamation made that perfectly plainF et he>d had

no choice but to grant any of his warriors who wished to oin it leave to do so@not after the%rder>s very first act had been to rescue his own realm from the influence of the !ark ?ods.

And especially not after $ahBell had proclaimed TomanMk>s news about the age. -ow over eighty warriors were out in the e(ercise field, sEuelching around the brown,

sodden turf while wooden training weapons whacked and thwacked with bruisingenthusiasm. 'ven from here he could hear occasional grunts of anguish as blows got through

on practice armor, and =aion had two or three of the younger members off to one side,

demonstrating a pass they>d never seen before. !espite his foreboding over the rapidly

approaching war, $randark smiled into his beer as he noted how intently the youngsters

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listened. 0t was amaBing how having the #ar ?od :imself turn up to declare a man achampion could raise his stock, he thought wryly.

omeone walked around the corner into his sheltered nook and he turned his head, thenrose with a smile, flourishing his beer as he bowed gracefully to "arglyth.

?ood morning, "ilady,D he said, and she smiled back at him.

And good morning to you, 6ord $randark.D he dropped a tiny curtsey in response to his

bow. And now you can ust sit back down before 0>m after kicking you somewhere as youwouldn>t like,D she suggested, and he laughed.

Ah, you :orse tealers are so . . . uncomplicated ,D he said, waving her down to sit besidehim, and it was her turn to laugh.

0 suppose we are that,D she agreed. $ut then her smile faded as she turned her head towatch the field. :er sister harkah was out there, working with Naeritha, and "arglyth>s eyes

were worried as she watched them. Naeritha wasn>t teaching harkah her own style. ;nlike"arglyth, who was as close to petite as any :orse tealer was ever likely to come, harkah

favored her father and brothers. he stood close to seven feet tall, and if she was built onslimmer lines, without her male siblings> massive thews, she was also faster. Naeritha had her

training with a bastard sword, and her progress was so e(cellent that "arglyth felt certain

harkah had convinced one of their brothers@probably Thankar@to give her a littlesurreptitious training even before $ahnak rela(ed his edict. Naeritha had not yet moved

beyond the most basic moves while she worked to build up the girl>s muscle mass, and

harkah was still awkward. $ut she was much less awkward than any of her brothers had been at the same o**icial stage in their training, and her determination was almost frightening.

#orried, "arglythID $randark asked gently. he glanced Euickly at him, e(pressionguarded, then rela(ed as she saw the understanding in his eyes.

0 am that. "ind, it>s not because 0>ve any obection to her doing as she chooses. Come tothat, 0>ve been telling !a for two years now that he>d be wiser to see to her training himself

before she was after sneaking off to learn it on her own. 0t>s only that she>s so . . . focused.0>ve this dream comes to me these nights that she>s like to be running off half3trained to do

something truly stupid when once the war ever starts.Dhe does rather remind you of her youngest brother, doesn>t sheID $randark murmured,

and "arglyth chuckled.Aye, she does. And as you>ll be knowing as well as 0, there was never a day in his life

$ahBell $ahnakson looked before he leaptFD

Actually, 0 don>t think 0 can agree with that@not really,D $randark said much more

seriously, and "arglyth raised an eyebrow. :e>s not a patient man, your brother, but 0 don>treally think of him as hasty. 0t>s more a matter of knowing his own mind. %r knowing

himsel* , maybe.D The $loody word frowned, trying to find e(actly the right words. 0t>s notthat he doesn>t think about the conseEuences of what he does, "arglythK it>s ust that he

accepts those conseEuences, whatever they may be, if that sense of responsibility tells him heshould do it anyway.D :e shook his head.

$ahBell is probably the least complicated man 0 know, once you figure out what>s trulyimportant to him, but he>s also the stubbornest. 0t>s like this business about the age.

TomanMk told him to tell all hradani, and damn me if he didn>t@right on the brink of aflaming warFD $randark shook his head again, gaBing out across the field at his friend.

omehow 0 suspect your father would have preferred for him to wait to tell ChurnaBh andhis lot about that until after the fighting was over.D

:e would that,D "arglyth agreed. $ut $ahBell was after insisting it had to be now,

before the fighting. :e said TomanMk hadn>t told him to be doing it at the most convenient

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time for us. 0 was thinking !a was like to burst a blood vessel, but then he ust threw up hishands and went stalking out of the room.D he chuckled. Truth to tell, 0>m thinking he was a

mite pleased about it, once his temper>d cooled.D:e would be,D $randark said dryly. $ut that>s my point. $ahBell loves his father dearly,

but even if he>d e(pected &rince $ahnak to be furious@and to stay that way@he still would

have done e(actly the same thing because it was his "ob to do it. 0 may not accuse him of

being very smart, but he is a bit on the determined side.DAye, and harkah>s another chip from the same boneheaded boulderFD "arglyth said

tartly, then sighed. 0 could wish as how she>d be ust a bit less mulish than he. After all,she>s the better part of ten years> advantage on him, and she could have been learning some

discretion in that longF $ut it>s useless telling myself there>s hope she>ll change this late inthe day.D

&robably not. %n the other hand, Nerry>s as well aware of that as you are, and she gaveher as stern a lecture as 0>ve ever heard before she agreed to train her.D $randark laughed

again. The funny thing is, harkah is a good fifteen years older than Nerry is, but in terms of e(perience@FD :e shrugged, and "arglyth nodded.

Aye. 0t>s hard to remind myself sometimes that humans are only like to live seventy or

eighty years. 0t must give them a dreadful need to be out and doing early.D0 don>t think they really see it that way,D $randark said thoughtfully. That they>re shorter

on time than we are, 0 mean. All other things being eEual, they>re inclined to let their children

grow up faster than we let ours, 0 think, but then, they have more of them than we do. 0f Nerry>s childhood had been less ugly, she>d probably have stayed in her home village and

had at least four or five children by now. &robably more.D#hatID "arglyth blinked at her. $ut if harkah>s being@D he broke off and did some

rapid math. #hy, she>s not a day past thirty3twoFD she said in half3shocked tones, for ahradani girl seldom married before her late twenties and it was e(tremely rare for her to bear

her *irst child before thirty.-o, she isn>t.D $randark took another swallow of beer and nodded towards the practice

field. he>s little more than a girl, by our standards, but do you see her deferring to any of the lads out thereID "arglyth shook her head, and he shrugged. That>s what 0 mean about

them growing up faster. That Jgirl> has been a belted knight of TomanMk @and a champion@ since she was twenty3four. #hat were you doing at that ageID

"ooning after my favorite tutor,D "arglyth admitted with a smile.

And harkahID

#voiding my favorite tutor. 0n fact, she was after avoiding every tutor, if the truth be told.0 did mention as how she was ust a mite like $ahBell, didn>t 0ID

es, 0 believe you did. $ut that difference in the rate at which we e(pect our children togrow up is why she listens to every word Nerry says.D :e shrugged. 0 doubt it even crosses

her mind to think about Nerry>s age, because what she>s hearing is Nerry>s e)perience. owhen Nerry delivered her lecture, harkah listened, believe me.D

And what would that lecture have been aboutIDThe most important part was a solemn promise from harkah that she>ll stay home and

tend to her training until 8erry decides she>s ready. 0t was a precondition of Nerry>s agreeingto train her at all, and then $ahBell came along and made her swear to obey all the %rder>s

trainers.DAre you saying he>s admitted her to the %rderID "arglyth blinked in surprise, but

$randark shook his head.

-o. -ot that he>d tell her no if she wanted to oin it. $ut even if she did, he wouldn>t let

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$loody word, and when the fighting starts, my father and my brothers and my cousins will be on the other side. 0 can>t fight for a bastard like ChurnaBh, but they haven>t got a choice.

o the only way to avoid the risk of finding myself facing one of them across a sword is tonot fight against ChurnaBh, either. et 0 can>t ust walk away. 0 have to be here, to know

what>s happening. o the only place 0 truly have is with the %rder, because TomanMk :imself

has ordered them to remain neutral. $ut afterwardID

:e took his gaBe from the e(ercise field and looked at her levelly.0 love your brother, "arglyth,D he said in a Euiet voice. 0 won>t tell him that, but 0

imagine he knows. And 0 respect and admire your father. 0 agree with what he wants for our people@all our people, not ust you :orse tealers@and he>s the only alternative 0 see to an

unending succession of ChurnaBhes. $ut if &rince $ahnak wins the war, then my people haveto lose it, and however ustified 0 was not to fight alongside them, some of them will never

forget@or forgive@the fact that 0 didn>t. And 0 don>t think 0 can stay here if that>s the case.As much as 0 hate what ChurnaBh has made of my clan and my city, 0>m still aven Talon,

and 0>m still -avahkan, and 0 don>t think 0 can handle being this close to them and . . .estranged. !o you understand thatID

Aye, $randark.D he reached out and laid a hand gently on his elbow, and her eyes were

soft. Aye, 0 can be seeing that, and so will $ahBell, 0>m thinking. $ut do you beremembering this, $randark $randarkson. aven Talon you may be, and $loody word, aye,

and even -avahkan, but you>re ours now, too, and you>ve brothers and sisters here in

:urgrum. ou go on, if you>ve a need to, but never be forgetting us, for we>ll not forget you,whatever chances.D

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C:A&T' T#'-T3'0?:T

And 0>m after telling you that it won>t workFD

:urthang Tharakson slammed a massive fist on the table and glared at his cousin. %ther

conversations paused as the tankards on the table danced and clattered, and the other members of the chapter broke off their own discussions and turned to watch :urthang and

$ahBell match glares. They sat across from each other in the main hall of the :urgrum

chapter>s new chapter house, and their e(pressions were not cheerful.And a useless thing it is to be telling me it won>t, too, and no mistake,D $ahBell rumbled

back in only slightly milder tones. There>s too much :orse tealer and not enough TomanMk in your head yet, :urthangF 0t>s not a matter of will it or won>t it, but how best to be making

it workFDou>re daft, manF tark, staring madF ou>re talking $loody words@and aven Talons

to bootFD :urthang snapped, then had the grace to look embarrassed. :e glanced around the big room Euickly and heaved a sigh of relief. -one of the novice members were present, and

&rince $ahnak had asked $randark to oin him to discuss "arglyth>s spies> latest information

from -avahk. #hich was undoubtedly ust as well, he reflected, only to have his attentiondrawn back to $ahBell as his cousin snorted magnificently.

7iendark seiBe me, but the man>s been after figuring out a part of it, anywayF Aye, it is

$loody words 0>m talking of right enough, you rock3pated lump of gristle, and not ust

aven TalonsF There>s !ire Claws and tone !aggers@aye, and $one 7ists, tooF And if

you>re thinking I'm daft, then 0 can>t but wonder where you>d left those hairy ears of yourswhen himself was amongst usFD

:urthang glowered. $ahBell>s last sentence had hit home, but it was clear he didn>t want itto have, and he was $ahBell>s cousin, with a determination to match. :e gathered himself

once more, shoulders hunching, and leaned forward into the argument once more.$ut@D he began, only to be cut off by a mild tenor.

ou>re not going to win, :urthang,D it remarked, and he turned his head sharply. =aiongave him a crooked smile and shrugged. ou>re a stubborn man, but not as stubborn as

$ahBell,D TomanMk>s newest champion told him. No one else is that hardheaded. $esides,this time he>s right. The %rder must be open to any who feel the call to serve the #ar ?od . . .

wherever they come from.D$ut@D :urthang tried again, and =aion laughed.

?ive it up,D he advised, not unkindly. :is :urgrumese had gotten much better, but he still

had to revert to A(eman to make his points most clearly, and here and there other members of

the fledgling chapter leaned towards friends to translate.

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Trust me,D he went on, it>ll be easier that way. TomanMk has a way of making :is points,especially to people who only continue to argue out of sheer bloody3mindedness. And the

stubborner you get, the more . . . interesting the lesson is when it finally arrives. $elieve me, 0speak from painful personal e(perience. ou can>t possibly be more upset by this than 0 was

at the notion of accepting any hradani as a member of the %rder, and look where I wound

upFD

:e waved a hand at the hall about them, and a rumble of laughter answered the gesture.:urthang glowered at him for another instant, but the wicked smile =aion gave him was too

much to resist, and his own lips Euirked as the worst of his fury faded.Aye, well, it>s all very well to be making us laugh, =aion,D he said much more calmly,

but you>ve yet to answer my worries. 0>ve no doubt at all, at all, that :imself means for us to be doing ust as you say@aye, and $ahBell, too, even if he is stubborn as a pasture full of

mulesF $ut there>s a war coming, and it>s coming on fast. And whatever you may be thinking,or me@or even $ahBellF@there no way to be knowing as how everyone as says he>s been

called by the word ?od truly has. !>you think for a moment the likes of ChurnaBh or :alRshu would be turning up their noses at the thought of slipping their spies inside ;ncle

$ahnak>s court by pretending to oin the %rderID

0 don>t know,D =aion admitted. :e walked across to sit at the same table, and $ahBellleaned back comfortably, content to leave the main burden of the argument to the human. %f

course, right this minute 0 don>t believe we>re talking about any Jspies,> either,D =aion went

on thoughtfully, lifting the beer pitcher to pour a mug of his own. ou>ve met all of the$loody word recruits, :urthang. !> you think any of them are lying about their desire to oin

the %rderIDAs to that, no,D :urthang admitted grudgingly. $ut they>re naught but the first wave, 0>m

thinking. Aye, and we>ve not let any of >em swear word %ath, yet, either.D=aion shook his head, conceding the point. %f course, they hadn>t yet sworn any of the

other Horse Stealer recruits to full membership in the %rder, either. 0rregular as $ahBell>sattitude towards rules might be in most respects, he was determined to get the :urgrum

chapter properly organiBed. 0n part, =aion suspected, that was because he e(pected it to begreeted with profound reservations, even by its sister chapters Gwhen they discovered its

e(istenceH, and so he wanted to be certain every procedural concern had been covered. "oreimportantly, however, he was determined to be as certain as possible that all of its members

had true vocations for the %rder, and so he had insisted each new member must serve a

minimum of a three3month novice period before he@or she@would be permitted to swear

word %ath and become a probationer of the %rder.;nfortunately, that same delay had given some of the original :orse tealer members@

particularly ?harnal@time for some of the awe of TomanMk>s visitation to work its waythrough their system. 0t wasn>t that they felt any less reverence, but as they got further away

in time from the direct impact of :is presence, the old :orse tealer3$loody word rivalryhad reasserted itself. 0n less than two months, the first $loody word recruits would have

completed their novitiates and be eligible to swear word %ath, and :urthang wasn>t the only:orse tealer who worried about what would happen then.

-o, we haven>t let them swear word %ath.D =aion spoke evenly, holding :urthang>seyes with his own. $ut 0 was under the impression that that was to give them time to be

certain of their vocations, not as a way to show our distrust of them.D:urthang flushed darkly, and his ears folded halfway down against his skull. :e opened

his mouth Euickly, then shut it again and grabbed up his beer, instead. :e took a long, deep

pull, and =aion went on in a more soothing tone.

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0t>s not that 0 don>t understand your concerns, :urthang. 0 do. $ut $ahBell is right aboutwho the %rder must accept, and 0>d be inclined to think anyone would hesitate to offer word

%ath if they meant to break it, given that TomanMk appeared in person to acknowledge us as:is own. 0 mean, :alRshu, at least, knows that>s e(actly what happened, and if he>s managed

to convince ChurnaBh of the truth, then 0>d think neither of them would want to risk angering

the ?od. They>ve got enough problems already, the way this war is shaping up, without

turning :is favor against them. And whatever they might want, 0>d think finding someonewho would come here at their orders and personally foreswear himself would be even

harder.D;mph.D 0t was :urthang>s turn to lean back, and he rubbed his aw. Aye,D he admitted at

last, grudgingly, it could be there>s something in that. TomanMk knows you>re like as notright about :alRshu, any road. $ut ChurnaBh, now . . . ChurnaBh is after being another pot of

stew. :e>s one as might ust decide he>s in so deep he>s naught to worry about in making itdeeper, if you take my meaning.D

o 0>ve gatheredK that>s why 0 said 0 didn>t know what he might do.D =aion sipped beer,then lowered the mug and looked :urthang in the eye once more. $ut 0 do know it>s awfully

hard to lie to a champion of TomanMk . . . and that I wouldn>t want to be the one who swore

word %ath falselyFDA rustle of agreement ran around the hall, and :urthang>s ears cocked. :e darted a glance

at $ahBell, but $ahBell only smiled and flicked the fingers of a raised hand at =aion,

e(plicitly resigning the conversation to him. :urthang>s eyes narrowed, but then he noddedslightly. 'ver since TomanMk had taken =aion>s oath, $ahBell had persistently if

unobtrusively thrown the young man deeper and deeper into the organiBation of the newchapter. And it was taking some throwing, :urthang reflected. The fact that all of its original

members had actually seen their deity accept =aion>s champion>s oath lent his opinions aweight he himself had not yet recogniBed, but it was obvious he was uncomfortable at putting

himself forward. -ot unsure about his responsibilities or his own relationship to TomanMk , but cautious lest anyone think he was taking too much upon himself@especially as one of the

only two humans in :urgrum.o you>re saying we should be having them swear word %ath as soon as ever they ask to

oin us hereID :urthang asked finally.-o. $ahBell>s right about that, too, especially since this is the first hradani chapter. Any

recruits have to be given time to train with us and see all that>s involved@and be certain of

their own minds@before they make binding commitments. $ut 0 think we>d certainly be

ustified in asking them to state all of their reasons for coming here before the chapter>s full brethren . . . and under oath of truth to TomanMk .D

%ath to TomanMk , is itID :urthang murmured, and it was his turn to smile crookedly.'ven those with the least use for the ?ods of 6ight hesitated to swear falsely by TomanMk>s

name. The #ar ?od didn>t like people who did that, and rumor credited him with a tendencyto let them get killed the ne(t time the opportunity arose.

That>s not such a bad idea at all, :urthang,D $ahBell put in after a moment. Though itmight be best all >round if it wasn>t me as took their oaths.D :urthang looked at him, and he

shrugged. Come what may, 0>m still 7ather>s son, and if it should happen as we did havesomeone ChurnaBh wanted put in amongst us as a spy, why, 0>ve no doubt at all he>d feel all

over ustified lying to me about it, oath or no.D0 suppose,D :urthang grumbled, and then turned a baleful look back on =aion. $ahBell>s

the right of it there,D he told the young human. ay what we will, there>s some as would

never believe we weren>t after being ;ncle $ahnak>s men if $ahBell were taking their oaths.

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$ut that means it would have to be you.D"eID =aion sat up straighter, eyebrows arching, and :urthang shrugged.

#e>re talking of hradani here, =aion, and a good fourth part of >em $loody words,D hee(plained with e(aggerated patience. And we>ve ust allowed as how $ahBell can>t be

swearing them in. #ell, no more can 0, for 0>m close enough kin to him to make me suspect,

as well, and the same for ?harnal@assuming he could be keeping his sword sheathed long

enough for a $loody word as wasn>t already a member of the %rder to be saying two wordsin a row to himF And that, my lad, is leaving us you and Nerry, and would you be so very

kind as to tell me ust how you think a $loody word would be after reacting to a womanwarrior as wants his oathID

0 don>t really see the problem,D =aion said after a few seconds> thought. This time:urthang>s eyebrows went up in surprise, and =aion shrugged. 0>m sure they>d have

reservations about her as a warrior , but as you ust pointed out yourself, we are talking abouthradani. And ust who do you people use to administer most of your oaths or udge cases at

lawIDou>re right enough there, lad,D $ahBell said before his cousin could reply, but 0>m

thinking you>ve missed :urthang>s point. %ur women are after being udges and lawyers,

aye, and ambassadors and councilors, as well. $ut they>ve never been war leaders@not evenamongst us 0ron A(es@and there>s likely not a doBen $loody words in all the world as

would even consider giving %ath to TomanMk to such.D

Then they>d better not tell me about it,D =aion said ominously. 0f Nerry>s not goodenough for them, then@D

ou>ve been amongst hradani too long, =aionFD :urthang interrupted with a laugh.There>s ways to settle things without swords, and 0>m sure that once you>ve done e(plaining

matters to >em all right and proper there>s not a one of >em would Euestion Nerry>s right to behere. Aye, and if they were to be so inclined, she>d not need the likes of you@or meF@to be

trimming out their ears for coin purses her own self.D =aion blushed, then grinned, and:urthang shrugged. $ut the point is, until they>ve met her, there>s not a one of them would

be realiBing what she truly is@or believing it, any road. o unless you>re minded to cut >eminto collops and be done with it, you>d best make allowances for their preudices when you>re

after asking them to swear that first oath.D0t doesn>t have to be you or $ahBell,D =aion protested. 0t could be :arkhar or Aerich or

halach or@D

?ood lads, all of them, and all of >em hradani,D $ahBell agreed for :urthang. $ut not a

one of them a champion, and that>s after leaving us with only one choice . . . "ilordChampion.D

=aion closed the mouth he>d ust reopened and glared at $ahBell. Then he sighed.All right,D he agreed. 0>ll do it.D

&rince $ahnak Narathson opened the waterproof leather tube the mud3spattered courier

had handed him and removed the message inside it. :is senior officers stepped back to givehim room, and the mutter of conversation died into a respectful silence. As $ahnak, most of

them had recogniBed the signet of his third son, Tormach, in the wa( sealing the tube, and theletter itself was written in Tormach>s hand, as if he>d been unwilling to trust it to a secretary.

And as $ahnak ran his eye down the neatly written lines, he could see why that was.:e finished the message and let it roll back up again, then held it in his right hand, tapping

it against his left palm as he gaBed down at the map. :e felt the officers behind him, their

eyes on his back, and he could almost taste their tension. All of them were :orse tealers,

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and half were his own 0ron A(es. $ut the others were from every maor :orse tealer clan,and they>d had less time to learn his ways than his own :urgrumese and their closest allies.

%n the other hand, every one of them knew his methods had produced smashing victories inthe last war. 'ven if the traditionalists among them might cherish private doubts about those 3

methods, no one was going to disparage them openly.

:e smiled crookedly at the thought, remembering days when he>d been forced to bellow at

the top of his formidable lungs to get even his own clan to listen to his radicalD ideas. :ecould still recall the first time his father had introduced the concept of maps as weapons of

war and the way the conservatives had howled, and his own tactical and command structureinnovations had been far more sweeping than that . . . in the sense of being visible to all, at

least. Actually, he>d always believed Narath>s use of maps and his insistence on detailed, prebattle planning had been the turning point, even though it had been too subtle for most of

his warriors to recogniBe it as such.:is eyes found the city of !urghaBh to :urgrum>s north. Tormach>s dispatch confirmed,

among other things, that the last clandestine supply train had come in from !aranfel, and$ahnak wondered once again ust how Nilthandahknarthas had managed to bribe :araldahn

0= of !aranfel to let his shipments through. Oust getting them there must have been bad

enough, given spring mud and the state of the roads in most of the $order Ningdoms. 0ndeed,there were no roads across the !aranfel frontier to !urghaB, and Tormach had been forced to

break the heavy wagon loads down into something mules could pack for that nightmare

ourney. $ut like most lands with hradani neighbors, !aranfel was far from fond of them. Thethought of shipping anything , especially weapons, to $ahnak, should have thrown the entire

!aranfel court into a tiBBy.Assuming, of course, that Ning :araldahn knew anything about it, $ahnak thought once

more. The !aranfelian monarch actively disliked and distrusted hradani@not, unfortunately,without reason. 7rom all accounts, he disliked :orse tealers less than he disliked $loody

words, but he made no great distinction between them, and few merchants would risk alienating the ruling monarch of even a small country. %n the other hand, Nilthan of ilver

Cavern wasn>t ust any merchant . . . and no doubt things would be much simpler all aroundif he>d simply forgotten to mention his activities to :araldahn. 7or that matter, :araldahn

himself might have wanted it that wayF$ut the e(act means by which Nilthan had achieved delivery meant less at the moment

than the fact that he>d succeeded in doing it. The forges of ilver Cavern had provided

$ahnak with armor, halberds, swords, and a(es enough to completely reeEuip his entire clan>s

warriors@the better part of ten thousand men. And as they were issued their dwarf3forgedsteel breastplates and chain haubergeons they had been able to pass their scale and splint

armor on to their allies. There might have been some muttering among the other contingentsat making doD with hand me downs,D but any which might have arisen was muted, for all

of them knew that Clan 0ron A(e>s warriors would bear the brunt of the fighting. $esides, thehand me downsD were far superior to anything most of the other clans had been able to

provide their own people in the first place.They were as ready as they were going to get, $ahnak thought while his mind turned over

the rest of Tormach>s message. A courier from one of "arglyth>s -avahkan spies hadstaggered into !urghaB, half dead of e(haustion, with word that ChurnaBh had ust e(ecuted

:alRshu and two more of his closest advisers. That message should have been delivereddirectly to "arglyth here, but ChurnaBh had decided to smother the countryside between

-avahk and :urgrum with patrols. 0ndeed, from all accounts, the courier to Tormach must

have needed -orfram>s own luck ust to reach !urghaB. $ut even though it had been delayed,

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the report suggested several interesting possibilities."ost obviously, ChurnaBh was in even more trouble than $ahnak had yet allowed himself

to believe. Toman k>s appearance in :urgrum and the creation of the first chapter of his

%rder@again in :urgrum@under the leadership of one of $ahnak>s sons had been enough to

rock ChurnaBh>s alliances. Confirmation that harnM had managed to gain a toehold in

-avahk had been another shock and, even with Toman k>s personal assurance that

ChurnaBh himself had known nothing about it, had dealt those alliances yet another blow.And $ahBell>s insistence on announcing the truth about the age to all hradani@despite,

$ahnak thought with a mental grimace, his father>s strenuous obections@had left allhradani, :orse tealer and $loody word alike, enormously in Toman k>s debt . . . and

bestowed tremendous prestige upon :is %rder. And despite $ahnak>s reservations about thetiming of the announcement, it had also redounded to his own credit as the prince in whose

lands the %rder had first established itself. All of which had left ChurnaBh>s position severely battered.

-or had the erosion of the -avahkan>s power base stopped there. "ost observers had longsince decided -avahk was totally outclassed by its :urgrumese opponents, and the rumors

that someone from outside the lands of the hradani was providing $ahnak with arms and

armor had only underscored the difference in their capabilities. Arvahl of ondur had beenthe first to change sides, but there were rumbles of disaffection coming from many of

ChurnaBh>s other allies. %ne or two had actually gotten as far as opening clandestine contact

with "arglyth. 0ndeed, a part of $ahnak was tempted to sit back and wait to see how manymore of -avahk>s allies would fall into his lap without a fight, and the e(ecution of a man

like :alRshu, who>d been with ChurnaBh for so many years, only strengthened thetemptation. Always assuming the report was accurate.

$ahnak rather suspected it was. :alRshu wasn>t@hadn>t been@a genius, but unlikeChurnaBh, he>d seen TomanMk with his own eyes, actually spoken to :im. ;nder the

circumstances, it was entirely possible he>d decided it would be suicidal for -avahk to fight:urgrum. 'ven if the gods weren>t o**icially on $ahnak>s side, they obviously liked him

more than they cared for ChurnaBh. #hether :alRshu had simply made the mistake of urgingthat view too strongly or gone the fatal step further into fomenting some sort of coup hardly

mattered compared to the fact that ChurnaBh had felt compelled to make an e(ample of oneof his oldest lieutenants.

$ut however great the temptation to let ChurnaBh self3destruct, $ahnak dared not give in

to it. The $loody words were off3balance now, divided and led by a ruler who had been

grievously weakened. $ut if $ahnak gave them long enough, someone would get a dagger into ChurnaBh>s back, and he couldn>t have that. :owever neatly it might solve one set of

problems, it was all too likely to leave him with another, worse set, because whoever 3replaced ChurnaBh would almost have to be in a stronger position than the current &rince of

-avahk. :e could hardly be in a weaker one, after allF -o, $ahnak couldn>t stand by and wait for someone else to topple ChurnaBh. :e had to

move now if he meant to end the eternal, bickering warfare between $loody word and:orse tealer once and for all. And, he admitted to himself, if he wanted to put a true crown

on his own head and his sons> heads.The roads, ?urlahnID he asked without looking up. :e hadn>t raised his voice, but it

sounded thunderous as it broke the waiting silence, and ?urlahn Narathson, his only living brother, cleared his throat.

Clear, at last report,D he replied. ?urlahn had lost his left leg at the knee fifteen years

before. ;nable to take the field effectively thereafter, he>d become his brother>s chief of staff,

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and he flipped through a pad of notes.There>s no snow left,D he said. The scouts are after reporting the direct road from

:urgrum to -avahk is still naught but water and mud, but the plain between ?orchcan andondur is better. #e>ll not make wonderful speed however we go about it, but at least we>ve

no cavalry to be worrying with.D

;m.D $ahnak nodded, still gaBing at the map. And the 'scarpmentID

ome of his officers looked at one another at that, but ?urlahn showed no surprise. The'scarpment@the stupendous stone wall where the #ind &lain heaved its mass up from the

lowlands@was the traditional barrier between the othSii and the :orse tealers. 0t wasnearly vertical along its vast length, and close to a thousand feet high. There were very few

routes by which cavalry could ascend or descend the 'scarpment, and the upper ends of mostof them had been heavily fortified by the othSii. ufficiently determined infantry could

make the climb in Euite a few more places, and over the centuries, the :orse tealers hadfound virtually all of them.

7rom all accounts, the spring thaw>s ust now getting started atop the #ind &lain,D?urlahn said. The most of the routes up and down the 'scarpment are after being pretty well

neck3deep in run3off the now, and should be for some weeks to come.D

;m,D $ahnak grunted again. :e sensed the speculation his Euestion had stirred, but heignored it. #hatever his officers might think, he had absolutely no interest in climbing the

'scarpment to attack the othSii. There hadn>t been a large3scale :orse tealer attack on the

#ind &lain in the better part of twenty years, and he had disallowed even small raids by hisown 0ron A(es for the past ten. ;nfortunately, he>d been less successful at convincing his

fellow :orse tealer clan lords to share his restraint. $ahnak himself wanted only peacefulrelations with the othSii, for he had worries enough amongst his own people, but he couldn>t

be positive the othSii realiBed that. till, as long as the 'scarpment remained impassable, hecould feel fairly confident about the security of his own rear while he dealt with ChurnaBh.

:e hoped.$ut that consideration added still more point to his urge to move Euickly, and ?urlahn>s

report on the state of the roads promised him at least a short term advantage if he could seiBeit. ;nlike :orse tealers, $loody words were close enough to human3siBed to make decent

heavy cavalry, and they tried to use their mounted men to offset the larger stature and greater strength of the :orse tealer infantry. $ut :orse tealers on foot would be more mobile in

mud conditions than cavalry mounts.

All right, then,D he said, and drew a deep breath as he turned to look at $arodahn and

Tharak "orchanson, his two senior field commanders. $arodahn, 0>ll want you and your lads on the road to ?orchcan by dawn. ou know what needs doing from there.D

Aye, !a,D $arodahn agreed gravely, and $ahnak turned to :urthang>s father.0>ve another ob for you, Tharak. %ne without so much glory@to be starting out, maybe

@but ust as important. 0>ll want your lads to start wading through the mud straight for -avahk. 7rom all reports@D he waved at the pins stuck into the map @old ChurnaBh has

his main force massed against a direct attack, likely enough because that>s what we were after doing to him last time. :e>s a flank guard out against ondur, but he looks to be e(pecting

the main attack from here, and it>s your ob to keep him thinking that. :it him hard, and drivehim if you>ve the chance, but so long as you>re keeping him looking your way and not

peeping over his right shoulder at $arry, you>ve done your part.DAye, "ilord.D Tharak nodded, and $ahnak smiled with sudden warmth, for there was no

resentment in Tharak>s level reply. 6ike the other officers in this room@even the ones from

clans other than 0ron A(e@Tharak knew victory was what truly mattered. :e would play his

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role and play it well, even if the glory was going to go to someone else>s flanking movement,and how many hradani princes could e(pect that of their captainsI

0t>s long enough we>ve been waiting on this, lads,D he said simply, his eyes sweeping over all of his officers. "y father@aye, and most of your fathers, too, come to that@worked

their whole lives for this day. -ow it>s come >round at last, and 0 know there>s not a one of

you as isn>t feeling it. $ut remember this, all of you. $loody words or no, it>s our own kind

we>re fighting, and 0>ll have no massacres.D :e gave ;ralahk ?ahrnason a particularly sternlook, for the &lains $ear Clan general from ?orchcan had something of a reputation for

transforming bothersome prisoners into good enemies, but ;ralahk only nodded withoutreservation.

ChurnaBh 0 want alive, if we can be taking him so, though 0>ll settle for his head at need,D$ahnak went on, and his surviving sons, as well. The same is after holding for any of the

other princes, too, and 0>ll have the head myself of any man who>s not after letting 6ord$randark of -avahk or any of his kin surrender, should it happen they so choose. And 0>ll be

e(pecting you to take prisoners amongst ChurnaBh>s regulars, as well, for it>s not by their own choice the most of >em are fighting us in the first place. $ut see to it that all your men

are after knowing the colors and emblems of his personal guard. They>re every one of >em

where they chose to be, and you>ll know as well as 0 what he and they have been after doingto their own folk all these years. #e>ll give Euarter where it>s asked for by any decent

fighting man, but for those as served that dung3eating, black3hearted bastard of their own will

@D:e held out one hand, palm down before him, and slowly clenched it into a fist. 0t was the

same gesture a udge used in a hradani court to pronounce sentence of death, and a soft,hungry snarl rippled around the room as he smiled coldly.

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C:A&T' T#'-T3-0-'

Are you certain of your informationID

ir "athian edhelm, 6ord #arden of ?lanharrow, leaned forward in his chair, and his

haBel eyes were hard as he gaBed at his guest.D "athian was of only moderate height for his people, with shoulders whose narrowness his tailors tried manfully, if not with great success,

to hide. :e was young for a man in his position, having inherited the lordship of ?lanharrow

only seven years before after his father>s une(pected death. :e looked a great deal like thelate ir ?ardian, and, like his sire, he had Euickly established a reputation as a lord of great

energy. $ut, also like his father, he was given to impulse and improvisation."ost othSii were at least a little on the impulsive side, if the truth be known, but ir

?ardian had been more so than most. :e>d been known for generosity and freEuent acts of kindness, but also for having 7iendark>s own temper. The punishments he levied on those

brought before his udgment on his bad days had been legendary, and his tendency to makesnap decisions would have brought anyone with less vigor Euickly to ruin. $ut ?ardian had

always thrown himself body and soul into all he did, and his fierce energy and enthusiasm

had allowed him to recover from most of his mistakes relatively unscathed. :e>d wasted atremendous amount of effort battering through problems a little forethought might haveavoided along the way, but that had been his style.

And it had also been what killed him when he went galloping off after a party of hradani

raiders with only si( knights in attendance. 0n his defense, the hradani in Euestion had made

off with five of his priBed studs and a doBen brood mares, and among the othSii horse lordsthefts of that severity were not only a heavy economic loss but insults which could be washed

out only by blood. et for all that, ?ardian had been a seasoned warrior who should haveknown better than to let fury lure him into such a fatal mistake.

The fact that he hadn>t had made ir "athian 6ord #arden of ?lanharrow at only nineteenyears of age. That, unfortunately, was ust old enough for him to assume his titles in his own

name, without a regent to hold him in check, and he was his father all over again . . . but withfar less e(perience. #orse, ir ?ardian>s death had left him with a towering hatred for all

hradani. 'ven he knew it was temper and lack of forethought which had led his father to hisdeath, but if the accursed hradani hadn>t raided ?lanharrow>s herds, none of that would have

mattered. othSii distrust and hatred for hradani ran deep after centuries of mutual raidingand bursts of bitter, merciless war, but "athian>s burned hotter and much, much deeper than

most. Things had been remarkably peaceful along the 'scarpment for the past five or si(

years, but he didn>t care, and he had Euietly gathered Euite a following among some of the

other young knights.

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"ilord,D 7estian began, before we do anything, wouldn>t it be wise to@D0>m thinking , 7estianFD "athian said, and the older knight clamped his aw once more,

wishing@not for the first time@that ir ?ardian hadn>t gotten himself killed so idiotically. -o one had ever accused ?ardian of thinking things through, but at least he>d occasionally

been known to listen to advice if someone shouted it loudly enoughF

:ow many men could we assembleID "athian went on after a moment, directing the

Euestion at :aladhan.0>m not certain,D his cousin said. :e scratched the tip of his nose. 0 suppose it would

depend on the condition of the roads. 0t>s still a mess out there, especially@D he darted asharp glance at "athian @north of ?lanharrow.D

True enough,D "athian grunted. #e>ll ust have to see how many of the minor lords wecan get messengers to.D

0 think@D :aladhan began, but 7estian interrupted him.7orgive me, "ilord,D he said very firmly, but should 0 understand that you actually

contemplate moving against the hradani on the basis of this spy>s informationIDAnd why should 0 notID "athian demanded, looking down his nose at the older knight.

ecause we've had peace with them *or over *ive years and you're about to change that-

you young idiot1 7estian thought. #nd "ust because you>ve been *ortunate enough never to *ight a real war against them doesn't mean that those o* us who have *ought them are looking

*orward to it1 $ut he couldn>t say that, of course.

"ilord, you are 6ord #arden of ?lanharrow,D he said instead, and 0 am your swornman, as 0 was your father>s. $ut this is a very serious step you contemplate. At the very least,

you should discuss it with ir Nelthys. And $aron Tellian must be informed.D%f course 0 shall inform $aron TellianFD "athian said sharply. $ut as you yourself say, 0

am 6ord #arden here. As such, 0 have every right in the absence of direct orders from $aronTellian to call up the levies of ?lanharrow on my own authority in time of emergency, do 0

notID:e glared at 7estian, obviously waiting for an answer, and the older knight sighed.

ou are, and you do, "ilord,D he said. 5* course- =emergency is supposed to mean that someone else has launched an unprovoked attack upon you, you *ool. ut you do have the

right . . . and I don>t have the authority to *orbid it. ?oodFD "athian snorted, but then he went on in a slightly less sharp tone. As for ir

Nelthys, however, you>re Euite right. &lease dispatch a messenger to ask him to oin us here

as Euickly as possible.D

:e nodded dismissal, and 7estian rose, fighting another surge of anger. :e was no page to be sent scurrying about on errands, and he suspected that one reason he was being dispatched

was to let "athian and :aladhan put their heads together unhampered by his presence. etthere was no courteous way to avoid obeying, and so he only bowed sharply and left.

:e stalked down the castle hall, and those he met took one look at his face and steppedEuickly aside. :e knew they were doing it, but he didn>t really care@not when those two

young idiots were bent on what could only lead to disaster. "athian had spent his life payingfar too much attention to ballads and not enough to serious history. :is mind was full of

banners and gallant charges, and he>d managed to forget that :orse tealers under the current&rince of :urgrum>s grandfather had sacked ?lanharrow Castle itself and burned it to the

ground. $ut at least he>d agreed to talk it over with Nelthys first. 7estian tried to cling to that,for it was the sole positive aspect of the evening so far.

ir Nelthys 6ancebearer was a second cousin of $aron Tellian. $orn a third son, he>d been

a landless man, but one whose skill at arms@both in personal combat and as a strategist@

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had won great renown. :e>d spent fifteen years commanding othSii cavalry forces attachedto the oyal and 0mperial Army, and he>d returned to the Ningdom a wealthy man. #hen

$aron Tellian suggestedD "athian bestow the manor of !eep #ater upon Nelthys, the 6ord#arden of ?lanharrow had had little choice but to agree. And in fairness to the $aron, the

transaction had worked out Euite well.

!eep #ater wasn>t the largest of ?lanharrow>s holdings, and the manor had fallen into

decay under its previous master. ;nder ir Nelthys> careful husbandry, however, it had onceagain become a prosperous and productive steading whose rents enriched "athian>s coffers,

and few lords of "athian>s rank had ever been blessed with a vassal with Nelthys> e(perienceand skill. 0ndeed, 7estian rather suspected Tellian had pushed the arrangement e(pressly to

insure that "athian had an older and wiser head to ride herd upon him. et 7estian was also positive a certain rancor lurked under the surface pleasantries of "athian>s relations with

Nelthys. &art of it was understandable enough. ?iven "athian>s comparative youth and lack of military e(perience, the younger man was bound to feel uncomfortable under the eye of a

subordinate who was a proven veteran. $ut there was more to it than that, more even thanNelthys> relationship to $aron Tellian, for Nelthys was also a wind rider . . . and "athian was

not.

7estian knew how that rankled the younger man. The gods knew he had always longed to be a wind rider, but the coursers chose whom they would, and no power on earth could make

them accept any rider against their will. "athian knew that as well as anyone, yet that didn>t

keep him from resenting his vassal>s good fortune.$ut at least he>d agreed to summon Nelthys. #hatever his other feelings, he had to know

how valuable Nelthys> advice and opinions could be, and 7estian prayed silently to any godwho might be listening that "athian would have the wit to listen to them.

"arglyth $ahnaksdaughter tied the sash on her robe and tried to ignore the big, empty bed

behind her as she dragged a brush ruthlessly through her hair. :er husband OarthWhl was awaywith the army, commanding a battalion under her brother $arodahn in the flank attack curling

up from ondur to close on -avahk like a steel trap. The southern $loody words had beendriven back and held there by one wing of &rince $ahnak>s army, commanded by ;ralahk of

?orchcan, but ChurnaBh had managed to concentrate almost two thirds of his total fighting power to face the decisive thrust. :e and his senior officers were battling desperately, only

too well aware of what awaited them if they lost, and this time they had avoided their worst

mistakes of the last war. ather than charge out to fling themselves headlong upon their foes

as they had then, they>d chosen to mount stubborn defensive actions, fighting for every ridgeline and runoff3swollen stream. They were still losing ground steadily, but they>d slowed

their attackers> progress to a crawl. $ahnak>s advance was at least two weeks behind hisoriginal timetable, and his casualties had been higher than he>d hoped. 6ower than he had

*eared , perhaps, but heavy enough to bring pain and loss to all too many :orse tealer families.

$ut ust this moment, her fear was not for OarthWhl>s safety, or her father>s, or any of her brothers>. 0t was for their absence, and it cut deep into her. OarthWhl had always taken a Euiet

pride in the way she stood second in authority only to her father in :urgrum. %ver the years,she>d grown accustomed to using him as a sounding board@much as her father often used

her@when decisions had to be made, and he had always been there, Euiet but supportive,when she needed him. -ow he wasn>t, and she felt his absence like a wound. 7or the first

time in many years, she felt frail and alone in the face of responsibility, and she longed for

the comforting embrace of his arms.

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he yanked the brush through her hair one last time, then tossed it onto the dressing tablewith a clatter. That would have to do, she told herself, and rose, then looked at the servant

hovering in the doorway.0t>s grateful 0>d be if you>d tell the courier 0>ll see him in the Council Chamber,D she said,

and no one would have guessed from her voice how frightened she was.

&rincess Arthanal was already waiting in the Council Chamber when "arglyth arrived.Arthanal had no official role on the Council, yet "arglyth knew how often her advice had

been pivotal to $ahnak>s important decisions, and a tiny part of the weight crushing down onher own shoulders seemed to ease under her mother>s encouraging smile. he walked around

the table to sit in her proper place as 7irst Councilor, then looked up, heart suddenly racing,as the door opened once more. $ut it wasn>t the courier@not yet@and her pulse eased

slightly once more as the guards passed $ahBell and :urthang into the chamber.Thank you for coming,D she said, softly but from the heart. $ahBell only shrugged, then

hugged her and stepped back against the wall behind her chair like an armsman behind hislord, and :urthang oined him. Technically, the two of them had no more business here than

Arthanal did, but "arglyth knew she would need advice, and it would have been impossible

for her to summon a regular meeting of the Council in time. 'ven if it hadn>t been the middleof the night, almost all of the Council>s male members were at the front with $ahnak, and the

other female members were scattered about :urgrum trying to see to their absent fellows>

duties as well as their own. $esides, this was one of the burdens that came with acting as7irst Councilor. 0n her father>s absence, it was "arglyth>s ob to govern :urgrum . . . and

until she knew the full message the courier carried, there was no point in trying to assemble aEuorum, anyway.

omeone else rapped on the door, and she made herself sit back in her chair as ane(hausted, mud3spattered :orse tealer was ushered in. :e went down on one knee between

the open ends of the ;3shaped table, and she swallowed.!on>t be crawling around on your knees, manFD she said tartly. ?et yourself up and say

your say.DAye, "ilady.D The courier stood and reached into his pouch. The hastiness with which he

had been dispatched was obvious, for the grubby piece of paper he produced hadn>t been putinto a message tube for safekeeping. 0n fact, it hadn>t even been properly sealed, only folded

into a screw. :e held it out to "arglyth, and she was pleased to see that her hands didn>t even

Euiver as she took it.

Thank you,D she said courteously, and straightened the tightly folded paper. The hand inwhich it was written was difficult to read, but not difficult enough, and she felt her ears fold

tight to her head as she ran her eyes down the scrawled message.#ould you be knowing what this saysID she asked, raising her eyes to the courier, and he

nodded.Aye, "ilady. Captain ?aruth feared it might be lost, seeing as how he>d no time to seal it

up proper. :e was wishful to be sure 0>d be able to be answer any Euestions should thathappen.D

0 see.D he gaBed at him for another long moment. And your own estimate of thenumbers would beID she asked finally.

Captain ?aruth>s the right of it, "ilady. There>s after being a thousand of them in thevanguard alone if there>s one, and likely more following on behind.D

0 see,D she repeated. Then she drew a deep breath and nodded to him. ou>ve my thanks

once again. 0t>s grateful 0>d be if you>d leave us to think on this@D she twitched the written

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note slightly @for a bit. Tell the guards 0>m wishful to have you wrap yourself around agood, hot meal.D

The courier nodded, bowed, and withdrew, and "arglyth turned to her family. :er carefully calm e(pression wavered for ust a moment as the door closed behind the

messenger, but she forced it back under control.

?aruth,D :urthang said softly. :e>s after commanding the picket watching the ?ullet if 0

recall aright.Dou do that,D "arglyth confirmed grimly. he crushed the note in her fist and looked

straight at $ahBell. The othSii are coming,D she said simply.TomanMk FD :urthang muttered, but $ahBell said nothing. :e only looked back at his

sister, and in the back of his brain he heard Nilthan>s voice once more, describing theothSii>s fear of a unified hradani realm. #ell, if they wanted to prevent that, they>d chosen

the right moment, he thought grimly. $ahnak had left five hundred men@a single battalion@ to garrison :urgrum itself, backed up by a half3strength City ?uard. The other :orse tealer

cities were similarly vulnerable, for every warrior the massed clans had been able to scrapeup had been thrown at ChurnaBh. :is father had wanted to smash ChurnaBh as Euickly as

possible@partly in the hope that his allies, seeing how utterly he had been crushed, would

surrender without further combat, and partly in order to free up the troops to guard his flank against ust such an attack. $ut the othSii had managed to assemble their strength more

rapidly than $ahnak had thought possible.

They>re coming down the ?ulletID he asked finally, and "arglyth nodded. #ell, thatmade sense, too. #inter hung on late atop the #ind &lain, and the snow in its northern

reaches and up near :ope>s $ane ?lacier was only now melting. The mighty pear iver wasin full flood, but so were all the other, smaller streams which tumbled down the 'scarpment,

which meant most of the traditional routes from the high plateau to the lowlands remainedflooded and impassable.

$ut not the ?ullet. That long, narrow, tortuously winding crack stretched clear up the sideof the plateau. 6ittle wider than fifty paces in places, most of its length was protected from

heavy snow accumulations. %nce it had been the bed of the northernmost tributary of the:angnysti iver, but some long ago cataclysm had twisted and buckled the western edge of

the #ind &lain, diverting the river further north and heaving up a steep shoulder of tilted rock to form an effective wall across the upper end of the ?ullet and divert even the spring floods

from it. The ?ullet had never been flooded out in living memory, but it was also a difficult

path. "ost people>s cavalry would have found it utterly impassable, and even the oth ii>s

war horses and coursers would reEuire over two days to make the descent. That was the mainreason it had been used far more often by hradani raiding parties, and even now he couldn>t

completely shake off a sense of surprise that the oth ii had chosen to attempt it.

;nfortunately, they had . . . and the ?ullet>s lower end was less than twenty3five leagues

from :urgrum>s walls. 0f a othSii column debouched from it, it could sweep right throughthe heart of &rince $ahnak>s realm@and there would be no warriors to stop it. othSii armies

had penetrated that far before, if not in the last two or three generations, and each time thedevastation had been terrible. 'ven as he smashed ChurnaBh>s army to bits, $ahnak might

find his own lands being put to fire and the sword behind him.:ow far into the ?ullet have they comeID Arthanal asked in her Euiet voice.

They haven>t@not before ?aruth was after getting his message off,D "arglyth replied.:e>d stationed watchers ten leagues out across the #ind &lain to spy out threats. As of this

morning, they>d not started down. 0n fact, they>d not yet reached within five leagues of his

main position.D

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getting hurt themselves, and they>ll not do it all in a minute, either. 0t>s surprised indeed 0>d be if we couldn>t be buying at least two or three more days> time, and it>s possible whoever>s

in command on the other side will take it into his head to be taking his horsemen home if wecan. :e>ll not know how the battle is going against ChurnaBh, so he>ll have no idea how soon

7ather can be shifting troops around to be hitting him. And it>s mortal early in the year,

:urthang. 0>ve no notion of ust what conditions may be up atop the #ind &lain, but 0>ll lay

odds as how they>re worse up yonder than they are down here. Aye, and come to that, 0>mthinking ?aruth may have been overestimating the odds ust a bit, as well. 0>ve no doubt at

all, at all, he was after seeing the numbers he reported, but like as not there>s not nearly somany behind them as he was thinking.D

And ust how might you be figuring that outID :urthang asked skeptically.These lads will all be out of the #est iding, and most likely from the local garrisons, at

that,D $ahBell said positively, remembering what Nilthan had told him about the oth ii

kingdom>s divisions over how to react to the hradani threat.D

There>s not been time for more to be mobiliBed@or to>ve been reaching the ?ullet if theyhad@with the roads being what they must up yonder,D he went on. o whoever the fellow in

command may be, he>ll know as well as we do as how he>s operating on a boot lace. :e>ll

not want to be meeting four or five thousand 0ron A(es and as many more warriors from eachof the other clans in the open. -o,D $ahBell shook his head. :is whole notion is to be getting

in and out Euick, and maybe to be holding the bottom of the ?ullet until reinforcements can

be reaching him.D"ph.D 0t was :urthang>s turn to rub his chin. :e considered $ahBell >s argument

carefully, but then, reluctantly, shook his head.0>ll not fault your logic about mobiliBations and what t>other side>s after thinking,

$ahBell, but that>s mostly because it>s damned 0>ll be if 0 can see a single reason why hisnotion shouldn>t be working. 0>ll grant you we can like as not hold >em for a day or two, but

threeID :e shook his head again. :ard enough for two, ladK three would be taking miracleworkers, not warriorsF And even if we>re after managing three@aye, or even four@it won>t

be enough. They>ll ride right over us, throw out scouts to be certain sure there aren>t any of our armies anywhere near >em, then fan out, and they>ll take their torches with >em, curse itFD

0>m thinking :urthang is right, $ahBell,D "arglyth said with Euiet hopelessness. Allyou>d be doing would be to throw your own men away alongside ?aruth>s.D

"aybe so,D $ahBell said stubbornly, but there>s one point you and :urthang are both

after missing@one thing about our lads as is different from ?aruth and his picket.D

:is cousin and his sister looked at him blankly, but he saw his mother nodding slowly.Arthanal>s e(pression was still worried, but there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes, and he

nodded back to her.?aruth is after fighting under the colors of :urgrum,D he said Euietly. 5ur lads will be

under a different banner, :urthang. -ow, it may be the man commanding those horsemenwon>t be minded to see it so, but there>s a whole world>s difference between riding down

bloodthirsty hradani raiders and slaughtering a chapter of the %rder of Toman k as only

wants to protect women and children and old folk. 0>ve no doubt they picked a man as won>t

shed any tears at all for the killing of hradani, but angering the entire %rder of Toman k@

now that's a horse of another color, :urthangFD

Assuming as how they>re minded to believe we>re a chapter of the %rder, it may beyou>ve a point,D his cousin admitted. $ut what if they>re notID

Then we>ll be no deader in the ?ullet than we would be in the ruins of :urgrum,D $ahBell

told him grimly.

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C:A&T' T:0T

WellD ir "athian spat the one3word Euestion at 7estian.

0 warned you this route was more difficult than it looked on a map, "ilord,D 7estian

replied in a tart, stinging tone. The scout commander>s eyes flashed, but he had himself under control. #hich didn>t mean he intended to suffer "athian>s tantrums. -ot in the field, where

"athian>s so far negligible e(ploits certainly hadn>t earned him the right to tongue3lash a

man who>d served his own apprenticeship under &argan the ?reat."athian>s face darkened, but then he made himself draw a deep breath as the older

knight>s reply fanned his ill temper afresh. The fact that 7estian had, in fact, argued againstthe e(pedition@and specifically against sending it down the ?ullet@from the first didn>t

help . . . and neither did the fact that "athian knew he needed the scout commander. ;nlike"athian, 7estian had fought in the ?ullet before. $ut 7iendark take it, this was the only way

"athian could get at the &hrobus3damned hradani, and if he meant to attack at all, it had to benow, while that bastard $ahnak had all his troops off slaughtering his fellow barbarians

elsewhere.

=ery well. ou warned me,D he said. et however well taken your warning may have been, we>re here now. And that being the case, 0 need your report on what we face.D

As you say, "ilord.D 7estian removed his open3faced cavalry helm and tucked it into the

crook of his left arm. 6ike "athian and :aladhan, he wore a steel cuirass over boiled leather

armor, not the chain or plate knights would have worn in other lands. Aside from the wind

riders, almost all othSii cavalry, nobles and armsmen alike, were light or medium horsewhose forte was mobility and speed. 0n open terrain, their fast, slashing attacks and lethal

skill with the horsebow made them deadly foes, but the ?ullet would deny them virtually alltheir normal advantages. They couldn>t fight on horseback in its cramped confines, and their

light armor would be of limited value against :orse tealer hradani on foot. -ot that "athianseemed aware of it.

7estian took a moment to survey the e(pedition>s commander, and a mental lip curled.!espite his inherited position as #arden of the ?lanharrow !istrict, this was the first

opportunity "athian had found actually to command any siBable body of troops in the field,and if there were two mistakes he hadn>t made, 7estian couldn>t think of what they might be.

He always was a pain in the arse- he thought. No wonder the coursers wouldn't take him1 Now i* only there were some way 0 could be rid o* him1

$ut there wasn>t. And so 7estian was out here, a third of the way down the 'scarpment,

with his weary horse mud to the belly, under the orders of a vengeance3driven fool who>d

never grown up . . . and thought he was Torren word Arm reborn.

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himself listen as Nelthys responded to "athian>s Euestion with one of his own.o far your scouts haven>t actually seen a single hradani, have they, ir 7estianID

-o, "ilord,D 7estian replied, with none of the rancor he felt when "athian or :aladhanthrew out one of their arrogant Euestions, and Nelthys nodded.

That sounds remarkably unlike them,D he pointed out to "athian. As ir 7estian says,

the ?ullet is always a difficult passage, especially for horsemen, and the hradani know that as

well as we do. ;nder the circumstances, 0 would e(pect them to pick one of the moredefensible positions and hold it against us. et if our lead scouts are a third of the way down

the trail, then they>ve already passed at least two places were a protracted stand might have been made.D :e shrugged. Coupled with their efforts to block the trail, that would seem to

me to indicate that they lack the strength to mount a credible defense even with theadvantages the ?ullet offers them. %f course, it also means we must be alert to the possibility

of more . . . energetic blocking efforts on their part. 0f memory serves me, there are several places where a properly contrived mud or rock slide could easily bury half a mounted troop.D

;m.D "athian sounded struck by Nelthys> analysis, and :aladhan beamed as if he>dthought it up on his own. 7estian merely looked thoughtful, but behind the mask of his

e(pression, he had to admit he could find no fault in Nelthys> reasoning.

ou may well be right, "ilord,D he said, and 0 hope you are@about the numbers, atleast. $ut you>re also right about the possibility of their using slides against us, especially as

we get closer to the halfway point. The ground>s worst of all in that stretch, and even without

help from the hradani we>d have to be on the watch for slides this time of year. #hich onlyreinforces what 0 said before, "ilord "athian,D he added. 0f it>s as ir Nelthys says, we may

have to go even slower, which means it could take us as much as *our days to get our leadelements down.D

:e looked at Nelthys, not "athian, as he spoke, and the other knight nodded ever soslightly back to him. ;nfortunately, the 6ord #arden had made his determination to drive

this attack home@and his refusal to listen to obections@abundantly clear.0f it takes four days, then it takes four days,D he said now, and gave 7estian a cool look.

-o doubt your men reEuire your guidance, ir 7estian. !on>t let us detain you.D%f course not, "ilord,D 7estian replied through gritted teeth, and turned his horse back

down the ?ullet.P P P

hod hooves clattered on bare stone, but $ahBell $ahnakson hardly noticed. :is attention

was on the banner@a crimson a(e on a field of black@that still flew above the crude fort

called Charhan>s !espair. 7or all his confident words in :urgrum, he had been far fromcertain ?aruth would be able to obey his orders. -ow, as a doBen hradani ogged towards him

from the rough3piled stone walls, he knew the :orse tealer captain had.:e handed the lead rope of his own mule to one of ?aruth>s men, then stood back,

breathing deeply. :is calf and thigh muscles seemed to Euiver, as though his feet still roseand fell in the ground3devouring lope of the :orse tealers, and he sEuatted in a series of

deep knee bends to ease the sensation as he watched the rest of the column move past him.The chapter>s twenty novice $loody words staggered drunkenly as they covered the last few

yards. They were far more e(hausted than their :orse tealer brethren@although, he notedwith a certain smugness, even the other :orse tealers looked tireder than his fellow 0ron

A(es@but that was understandable enough. The $loody words might have the sameinherent endurance, but they lacked the training . They were small enough to ride horses, and

so their muscles hadn>t been built up by a lifetime spent learning to outrun cavalry on their

own two feet. The twenty3odd leagues from :urgrum to the foot of the ?ullet had been a

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brutal ordeal for them . . . and not a lot better for the :orse tealers, $ahBell admitted privately. 0t would have been bad enough under ideal conditionsK with the rudimentary roads

covered in mud and the need to cut cross3country in several places, it had been infinitelyworse.

At least they>d been able to make things a bit easier on themselves. -ot even :orse

tealers wanted to run si(ty miles in armor if they could help it, and so they had loaded their

personal eEuipment on mules. 'ach hradani had started out with two of them. $y now their gear was on the second and the poor beasts drooped with e(haustion, but they raised their

heads as they realiBed the pounding ourney was drawing to a close at last. ome of $ahBell>swarriors were already unfastening packs to get at their armor and weapons. %thers had

sagged down to rest, but :urthang was chivvying them back to their feet and pointing themat their own mules. $ahBell was relieved to see him handling the $loody words e(actly as if

they were :orse tealers. Apparently running si(ty miles with him in eleven hours and thenclimbing halfway up the ?ullet in si( more was enough to erase even the stigma of being

born a $loody word."ore hooves clattered, and he looked up as $randark, Naeritha, and =aion rode up the

last, steep bit of the trail. The two humans looked wan and drawn, and hardened riders though

they might be, all three of them undoubtedly felt as if someone had beaten them with flails.=aion had looked a little doubtful, as if he thought he was being made the butt of someone>s

oke, when $ahBell insisted that each of them start with a string of four horses. -ow he knew

better, and he bit back a groan as he slid down from the saddle. Naeritha and $randark stayedwhere they were, and $ahBell grinned. 7rom Naeritha>s e(pression, she had no intention of

ungluing herself from that saddle until she knew she was someplace where she wouldn>t haveto climb back into it again.

Are we hereID =aion croaked.#e are that,D $ahBell agreed, and erked a thumb at the crudely built fortifications.

Charhan>s !espair,D he said.#hy is it called thatID Naeritha asked.

According to the tales, Charhan was a :orse tealer clan lord when first the othSiiwandered into these parts. They weren>t so very fond of our folk even then, 0 reckon, for they

were after doing their level best to kill us all, but they>d much the same problems as now, for there weren>t so many ways we could be getting at one another. #ell, to be making a long

story short, the othSii threw an attack down the ?ullet. There were too many for Charhan to

be stopping them in the open, so it was here he made his stand. ou should ask old Thorfa to

sing you the tale if you>re wishful to hear it. 0t>s chock full of all manner of heroic deeds, buteven Thorfa will tell you as how they>re all made up by them as wasn>t there to see.D

:e fell silent, watching the last of the column come up, and =aion frowned.$ut why is it called JCharhan>s Despair >ID he asked.

;mID $ahBell turned back to him, ears cocked0 asked why it>s called JCharhan>s Despair ,> D he repeated, and this time $ahBell smiled

grimly.0 said it was here he made his stand, =aion,D he said Euietly. 0 never said as how he

stopped >em, for he didn>t. They rode right over him, and over all his men, and when they>dreached the bottom of the ?ullet, why they rode right over the rest of his clan, as well. That>s

why it>s naught but a legend amongst us, you see, for there wasn>t a one of his people at all,at all, as lived to tell what truly happened.D

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All right. Neep an eye on them, and 0>ll send a few more men down to watch your back and act as runners. !on>t go getting yourself into any fights, but if those bastards do anything

@anything at all e(cept sit right where they are@you get word back up the ?ullet fast.ightID

es, ir.D

?oodFD 7estian patted the scout>s shoulder and turned to scramble back up the trail.

The %rder of TomanMk I our man>s mad@or drunkFD ir "athian declared.

:e>s neither, "ilord,D 7estian said tightly, and 0 saw the banner myself@with these.D :eindicated his own eyes with a sharp, angry gesture. #hoever or whatever is under it, that>s

TomanMk>s banner down thereFD"athian recoiled as he finally recogniBed the fury boiling behind 7estian>s mask3like

e(pression. The two of them stood face to face under an awning one of "athian>s aides hadmanaged to rig between two boulders while clouds of gnats swarmed in the humid afternoon

sunlight. A nice, cool breeBe blew across the ?ullet at right angles, but the steep walls keptany breath of it from reaching them. The barren crevice was like a steamy oven, ust the sort

of place to e(act the ma(imum discomfort from a man>s armor, and the 6ord #arden>s red

face was soaked with sweat.All right, 7estian. 0 believe you, of course,D he said, much more placatingly than he>d

intended to. $ut it ust seems so . . . so impossible.D

0ndeed, "ilord,D :aladhan put in. %ne would have thought even hradani would hesitateto profane the symbols of TomanMk . urely even they wouldn>t willingly risk turning the

#ar ?od>s favor against them in their ne(t battleFD&ahFD "athian spat on the ground. :radani are animalsF 0 doubt even the gods know

what they would or wouldn>t do. #e should ride right over the scum, not waste timeworrying over what savages like them think1D :e spat again, then added, I* they think@

which 0 doubtFD7estian opened his mouth, his eyes bleak, but ir Nelthys> raised hand stopped him before

he spoke. 0t was ust as well, he reflected a moment later. :e himself might not like hradani, but he>d fought enough of them to respect them. They had guts and skill, and, by their own

lights, they fought with honor. 0ndeed, at this particular moment, he would much rather beunder the command of a hradani than what he actually had.

our pardon, "ilord,D Nelthys said in his Euiet way.

es, ir NelthysID

0 believe ir :aladhan has made a valid point, "ilord. #hatever else they may be,hradani are warriors. And while it has been my own observation that they show no great

reverence for any god, whether of the 6ight or the !ark, neither do they go out of their wayto antagoni!e the gods. 'specially not the word ?od.D

Are you actually suggesting that the %rder of TomanMk is waiting for us down thereID"athian couldn>t keep the incredulity out of his voice, but Nelthys only shrugged instead of

taking offense.All 0>m suggesting is that we face something unusual. 0t>s always possible this is, indeed,

no more than another ploy to delay us. %n the other hand, there ust might be something moreto it. ;nder the circumstances, 0 believe we should determine what we actually face before

acting hastily. 0f 0 recall correctly, that position can hold no more than two hundred men.!oes that sound about correct, ir 7estianID

Aye. ou might get as many as three hundred in there if you pounded >em in with a

hammer, but they>d be dead meat for high3angle archery. 0t>s no more than a wall of piled up

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rocks, with no overhead cover.DAs 0 thought,D Nelthys murmured, and turned back to "athian. #e have the better part

of four thousand men, "ilord, all of them as well trained as archers as for melee. 0f we>reforced to fight for that position, our losses will be heavy, but the enemy can>t hold for long

against our numbers. That being so, 0 see no harm in sending forward a messenger under a

flag of truce to discover what the presence of TomanMk>s banner actually means. 'ven if it is

only a ploy, the e(tra time we e(pend will be minimal.D0 suppose there>s something to that,D "athian agreed finally, although his e(pression

remained manifestly unhappy. :e glared at the ground for a moment, then beckoned to hiscousin. Come with me, :aladhan. 0 want to consider any message we might send those

bastards very carefully.D:aladhan nodded, and the two of them stumped off. 7or a moment, 7estian thought

Nelthys was going to follow them, but the wind rider only watched them go with a faintsmile. Then he looked back at 7estian, and the scout commander realiBed that it was the first

time the two of them had actually been alone together.Tell me, ir 7estian,D Nelthys> e(pression remained as pleasant as ever, but his Euiet

voice bit like a lash, ust what the hell you thought you were doing letting that idiot run off

to war without even telling $aron Tellian about itID7estian flinched from the anger in the wind rider>s voice, but then he shook his head

sharply.

:e did send word, "ilord. :e@D :e broke off at the look in Nelthys> eyes. !o youmean he didn't $ut he told me himself he was going toF urely not even@D

:e cut himself off again, abruptly, before he said something one of "athian>s householdknights had no business saying, and Nelthys sighed.

0>m afraid he would, 7estian,D he said, the anger vanished from his voice.$ut how do you know he didn>tID

7estian, 7estianF !id you think my cousin ust happened to decide one afternoon that itwould be nice to have me at !eep #ater so 0 could visit regularly for picnicsI :e>s worried

about "athian ever since ir ?ardian>s death, and he wanted me to keep an eye on him.#hich 0 have for the last two years. And for which service@D he grimaced @the good

$aron #arden of the #est iding owes me a monumental return favor.D7estian simply stared at him, and the wind rider chuckled as if against his will at the scout

commander>s e(pression. Then he stepped closer to 7estian, coincidentallyD hiding 7estian>s

face from anyone else until the older knight got it back under control and keeping his own

e(pression casual as he spoke with Euiet urgency.0t>s been obvious for at least ten years that the :orse tealers and $loody words were

going to settle their disputes one way or another at last. Tellian has sent regular dispatches toothfalas to keep Ning "arkhos and his ministers apprised of the situation, and the court has

been sharply divided on how to proceed. %ne faction wants to stand back and let events taketheir course, hoping $ahnak truly will manage to civiliBe the barbarians. Another faction

shares ir "athian>s viewK it wants to strike now, while the hradani are busy with oneanother, and burn them out root and branch. et another wants us to aid $ahnak>s opponent ,

in order to keep the pot boiling and the hradani fighting amongst themselves, rather than bothering us, for as long as possible. And a fourth is stuck out in the middle between the

e(tremes, with no clear idea of what we ought to do. Are you with me so farID:e darted a sharp look at 7estian, and the knight nodded.

?ood. #ell, Tellian>s been worried about "athian for some time, and when he discovered

that he and :aladhan had been Euietly discussing certain Jcontingencies> with the younger

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C:A&T' T:0T3T#%

$ahBell stood atop the wall and watched the small group of men emerge from the boulder

field that choked the sharp bend in the ?ullet and start down the trail on foot. A white flag

hung limp from a lance shaft above them, but from the way they moved, they were none toosure anyone in Charhan>s !espair knew what a white flag meant.

:e smiled grimly at the thought. The sun was moving steadily farther into the west, and

shadows were beginning to envelop the ?ullet. The sinuous passage was narrow and deep,and the narrower switchbacks and bottlenecks were already in twilight, while the wider spots

were like golden beads of light strung on a chain of shade. 6ike the shade which covered the boulders behind the truce party . . . and hid the archers he had no doubt at all were lurking

there.#ell, that was all right with him. :e>d sent ?aruth and his picket on down the ?ullet in

order to make this purely a matter of the %rder and the othSii, but he still had over ahundred heavy crossbows and arbalests of his own tucked away inside the rough fort. :e

could get no more than forty of them onto the front wall at any one time, perhaps, but that

would be more than enough to skewer the othSii messengers the instant anyone put anarrow into him.

-ot that he had any particular desire to see anyone skewered.

:e glanced at his companions. :urthang stood at his left, wearing the surcoat of the %rder

and carrying its banner while =aion stood at his right. :radani being hradani, there had been

some fairly heated debate over precisely who should accompany him. ?harnal, in particular,had argued that :urthang had no business out there, since, as the chapter>s second in

command, it would be up to him to take over if something happened to $ahBell. Naeritha had been scarcely less vociferous in her insistence that she should go with him instead of =aion.

'veryone had been able to see the value of including a human in any truce party which hopedto convince the othSii they truly were the %rder of TomanMk , but she was the senior

champion present. As such, it was she who should take the risk beside $ahBell.0>ve no doubt you>ve the right of it and all,D $ahBell had told her finally, but we>re

talking of Soth>ii here, NerryF 0>ve troubles enough without trying to be cramming a beltedknight as is also a woman down their crawsFD

he>d subsided at that, and her acEuiescence had left ?harnal with little choice but to dothe same, yet $ahBell wasn>t fooled. Assuming they all lived through this, both of them

would find their own ways to get even with him, probably sooner rather than later.

:e smiled again, less grimly, at the thought, and nodded to his companions.

6et>s be going,D he said Euietly, and started down to meet the enemy.

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0ods- that's the biggest hradani I've ever seen in my li*e1 ir 7estian sEuinted into the

westering sun and managed not to stare at the giant advancing towards him, but it was hard.:e had to be at least seven and a half feet tall, and he looked like a mountain in armor. 0n

very good armor, 7estian noted suddenly@better than he>d ever seen on a hradani . . . or, for

that matter, on most othSii nobles. And it had clearly been made specifically to fit its wearer,

not cobbled together or looted from someone else.:e was still turning that over in his mind when :aladhan hissed beside him.

ToraganF That>s a man over thereFD ir "athian>s cousin gasped.7or an instant, the significance of the remark failed to register, but then 7estian>s eyes

snapped around to look where :aladhan was pointing. 6ike the 6ord #arden, :aladhanrefused to apply the word manD to anyone other than another human, although he might

make a few grudging e(ceptions for certain dwarves. 7estian considered that pointlesslystupid, but his own astonishment overwhelmed the familiar flash of disgust as he saw the

richly dressed, golden3haired young human with the elaborately plumed helm.Well , he thought wryly, whatever 2athian might have thought be*ore he sent us out here-

this certainly isn't your typical bunch o* hradani1

The othSii were close enough for $ahBell to see their faces now. There were si( of them,

although four were obviously armsmen, not knights or nobles, and his impassive e(pression

hid a mental smile of glee as he saw them trying not to stare at =aion. At his insistence,=aion had brought along the pick of his wardrobe, and while that might now be only a

shadow of what it once had been, it remained impressive. :is embroidered surcoat glittered,sunlight flashing off its gold and silver bullion threadK the tall plumes of his helmet nodded as

he walkedK and the gems adorning his sword hilt seemed to flame with an inner light all their own.

(ome to think on it- it "ust might be they do have a light o* their own- a corner of his mindreflected. It is a*ter being a champion's blade- now isn't it "ust

That thought carried him the last few paces forward, and he stopped three yards short of the burly young man in the center of the othSii delegation. The hard3eyed youngster was

unusually heavy3set and broad for his people, but like most othSii men, he stood only a littleover si( feet tall, a few inches shorter than =aion and much shorter than $ahBell or

:urthang. :e had the fair comple(ion common to most of his people, although his hair was

dark, not the more usual blond or red, and his face was set in rigid lines of contempt as he

surveyed $ahBell and his companions.And a good afternoon to you,D $ahBell rumbled, breaking the silence before it could

stretch out too far.0 am ir :aladhan !eepcrag, cousin and "arshal of "athian edhelm, 6ord #arden of

?lanharrow,D the burly young knight declared haughtily. :is voice was abrupt and harsh,with a cutting edge which made the fingers of $ahBell>s sword hand tingle. #ho are you,

and by what right do you block our pathIDThe older knight standing to :aladhan>s left winced visibly. $ahBell glanced at him, then

tilted his head, ears cocked, to consider :aladhan as he might have e(amined some newspecies of bug. :e let the silence drag out once more, watching the young othSii>s flush

darken, then replied in deliberately calm tones.#hy, as to that, ir :aladhan !eepcrag, 0>m called $ahBell $ahnakson, and if we>re to

speak of blocked paths, it>s in my mind to be wondering ust why it is you and your lot seem

so all3fired an(ious to be creeping down the ?ullet in the first place.D :e showed strong,

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going . #e mean to end it, once and for allFDAhID $ahBell cocked his head, eyes cold. o this is what the othSii are after coming to,

is it nowI A pack of cowards and murderers@brave enough to be burning down farms andtowns and butchering them as can>t fight back, but only when those as might have protected

them are safe out of their wayFD

:ow dare you talk to@D :aladhan began furiously, but $ahBell slashed a hand through

the air, cutting him short.0t>s not after sounding so pretty put that way, is it nowID he asked softly. 0t may be you>d

not thought of it in ust those words, ir :aladhan !eepcrag, but ust you be thinking onthem now, for that>s the truth of it. ou may not believe me a champion of TomanMk , but be

that how it may, ust you be asking yourself what TomanMk would be saying to such as youand your precious 6ord #arden are having in mind to do here.D

0@D :aladhan stopped himself, glaring at $ahBell, then spat on the ground. $hat for you @and for TomanMk , tooFD he snarled. J#omen and children,> is itI #ell, nits make lice,

hradani, and we>ve suffered your kind too long as it isFD0 see.D $ahBell gaBed down at the furious young knight, then swept his companions with

his eyes. :ear me now, all of you,D he said finally, his deep voice flat, for 0>ll say this only

the once. The lot of you can be turning around and marching back up the ?ullet, and no harmdone. %r you can be staying right where you are, and again, no harm done. $ut you>ll not go

another furlong down this trail without you come through us, and whether you>re minded to

admit it or no, we are the %rder of TomanMk . 0>ve no doubt you can kill us all, for we>re buthis servants, and mortal enough, the lot of us. $ut you>ll not find it so easy as you may be

thinking, and himself@and the rest of the %rder@won>t be so very pleased to hear as howyou>ve done it. ?o back and show you>ve the sense to turn around, ir :aladhan . . . or come

ahead and see how many of your own will be dying with us.D:e turned and stalked back to Charhan>s !espair without another word.

#ell that was a masterpiece of diplomacy,D $randark remarked as $ahBell climbed down

the inside of the wall. The :orse tealer cocked an ear at him, and he shrugged. our voicedoes tend to carry, $ahBell. Tell me, do you think there was any incentive to slaughter us that

you didn't give himIDAs to that, 0 doubt he>d any need of incentive I might have been giving him,D $ahBell

replied. And it was plain enough he>d no interest at all, at all, in talking his way to anything

else. $ut he>s not after being the commander of those lads, either, and he wasn>t alone. 0>m

thinking as how that older fellow will be one as makes sure whoever is in command is after getting the whole tale. $ut if they>re so set on slaughtering hradani they>re minded to take on

the %rder to do it, then there>s not an argument in all the world that 0 could be making aswould stop them, now is thereID

0 suppose not,D $randark admitted. :e stood gaBing out over the wall, rubbing the tip of his cropped ear while the sun sank still lower and the shadows deepened. 0 do wish 0 could

hear how their commander reacts to your version of diplomacy when he hears it, though,D hesaid finally.

Those bastards1 Those thieving, murderous, lying, &hrobus+damned bastardsFD ir

"athian slammed his gauntleted fist against the hilt of his sabre, and his face was twistedwith rage. :ow dare they threaten me@usFD

ir 7estian glanced sideways at ir Nelthys. The facts in :aladhan>s version of the parley

had been accurate enough, but the marshal had allowed contempt and hatred to color his

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report. 0n his turn, 7estian had tried to soften the more vitriolic of :aladhan>s remarks. :e>dhad to proceed carefully, though, and while he was confident he>d recounted the entire

conversation accurately, he hadn>t been at all sure "athian had bothered to listen to him. -ow he was sure the 6ord #arden hadn>t. :e knew the signs, and his stomach tightened as

he watched "athian working himself up into a towering fury.

0>ll kill them allFD he shouted. 0>ll kill every murderous one of the bastards, and then 0>ll

burn their stinking towns to the groundF 0>ll@DA moment, "ilord.D Nelthys> voice was so calm that "athian>s mouth snapped shut in

astonishment. :e wheeled to face the wind rider, interrupted in mid3tirade, and Nelthysshrugged. 0 understand your anger, "ilord, ust as 0 understand why you wish to insure the

hradani are never able to threaten the Ningdom. $ut even so, 0 think it behooves us to at leastconsider the possibility that this $ahBell is telling the truth.D

The truth ou think a hradani could be telling the truth when he claims to be a championof $oman%k D

0 think all things are possible@theoretically, at least, "ilord,D Nelthys said serenely. The priests and philosophers would have us believe so, at any rate. ome are more probable than

others, no doubt, and 0 must confess that, as you, 0 find the thought of a hradani champion

less likely than most. $ut 0 also doubt that many men would make such a claim falsely. 0f Toman k failed to punish them directly for it, no doubt :is %rder would do so as soon as it

heard.D

The whorseon is lying to stop us from hitting his gods3damned kind while their warriorsare away,D "athian said flatly. &hrobus, NelthysF :e>s got no more than two hundred

warriors down there. :e knows he can>t stop us from killing all of them any time we chooseto, so o* course he>s lyingF 0t>s a bluff, and nothing moreFD

#ith all due respect, "ilord, 0 don>t think it is,D Nelthys said, and now his voice was flat .. . and loud enough for the other officers clustered around to hear. 0 believe we should at

least consider the possibility that he>s telling us the truth. At the very least, we should not risk arousing the ustified anger of the %rder of TomanMk @to which, 0 remind you, the Ning>s

own brother urokhas has sworn word %ath@without first consulting with $aron Tellian, inwhose name we are acting.D

"athian stared at the wind rider, his face bone white, and 7estian held his breath. The 6ord#arden of ?lanharrow ground his teeth, and then he spat on the ground.

0 thought you a man, NelthysFD he snarled.

At least 0 am not a boy driven by his own unheeding passion,D Nelthys replied, and his

own tone was like a slap in the face. "athian>s hand darted to his sabre, and steel scraped, but 7estian>s hand snapped out and caught his wrist before he could draw it.

Calmly, "ilordF (almly1D he said urgently. This is neither the time nor the place for usto begin killing our ownFD

age Euivered in every sinew of "athian>s body, and muscles ridged like iron lumps alonghis awline as he glared at the wind rider.

=ery well, Nelthys,D he ground out finally. ou>ve given your advice. -ow stand aside.Those of us who aren>t puling cowards have work to do.D

0 think not, "ilord,D Nelthys said softly, and watched "athian>s eyes flare. ou are our 6ord #arden. 0n time of emergency and in defense of the realm, you may command us to do

your will, and any disobedience on our part is high treason. $ut, "ilord, there is no threat tothe realm. #e stand not upon its borders, but halfway down the 'scarpment. Toman k or

no, the hradani who face us cannot possibly fight their way through us to invade the #ind

&lain, and if it is treason for us to disobey you in time of invasion, it is also treason for you to

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use the forces which you command solely by right of the fealty you have sworn to $aronTellian and, through him, to the Ning himself, to invade another realm.D

TreasonID "athian whispered. ou dare to accuse me of treasonD-ot yet, "ilord,D Nelthys replied gravely. :owever, if you@or any of these other lords

who follow you@continue on this course, then, yes. Treason is an ugly word, but the only

one which will apply.D

(urse youFD "athian snapped, and whirled to :aladhan. 0 want his head for mutiny inthe face of the enemyFD he screamed.

"ilord, 0@D :aladhan began, and then stopped as a sabre whispered from its sheath. :eturned to Nelthys, hand dropping to his own hilt, but it was not the wind rider who had

drawn. %ne of the lords from the Tharkonswald !istrict had stepped in front of Nelthys andstood facing "athian with the back edge of his naked blade resting on his right shoulder.

Another sabre was drawn, and another. 0n the space of less than a minute, almost half theminor lords who>d followed "athian had formed a circle around Nelthys with weapons

ready. -o one said a word, but there was no need to."athian stared at them, seeing his plan crumble, and something worse than rage boiled

within him.

o,D he said, his voice cold and empty. There are that many traitors among you, arethereI =ery well. ?o. ?o, all of youF 0o1D :is voice was no longer cold or empty, and he spat

again. Take this other cursed traitor with you, and may Nrahana lick his bonesF 0>ll deal with

him@and all of you@laterF $ut for now, 0 command those of you who still know your dutyto summon your menF #e>ve got a nest of hradani to killFD

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after shooting uphill and into shadow if you fire the instant you>re seeing a target,D hereminded them. o ust you be patient, and wait for the word. #e>ll be letting them reach the

flat, where you>ll have good light, and start up to us. ightID:eads nodded, and he checked the Euarrel on the string of his own arbalest. ;nlike most of

their companions, he and =aion stood upright, gaBing out over the wall. As the defenders>

commander, $ahBell needed to see what was happening, and he and =aion had the best

armor of anyone in the fort. 'ven a wind rider>s great bow would have a difficult timedriving a shaft through it, and the wall itself offered them fair protection. Chest3high on

$ahBell, it was tall enough that only =aion>s plumed helm showed above it, and the humancocked his head as bugles began to sound.

ir 7estian swore a long and bitter oath in the privacy of his own mind as he followed

"athian and :aladhan down the shadow3choked ?ullet. 7or a moment, he>d thought ir Nelthys> defiance might actually stop the 6ord #arden, but it was clear now that nothing

short of armed force could have deterred "athian. And even if Nelthys had shaken half of "athian>s adherents into holding their own men back, there>d never been any hope he could

convince them actually to turn upon the 6ord #arden of ?lanharrow.

#nd i* the young bastard is determined to do this gods+damned- stupid thing- then 0 haveno choice but to *ollow him- ,hrobus *ly away with him1 Whatever else he may be- he is my

sworn liege.

All right,D "athian snapped to the men about him. They looked uncomfortabledismounted, as if they didn>t know Euite how infantry formations were put together. "ost

had left their lances behind, but a few souls, more inventive than others, had cut their lanceshafts short to make them into light spears, which at least gave them a bit more reach than

their sabres would.

$his isn't their kind o* *ight , "athian thought, but that hardly matters. Not with the

numbers we've got. :is lip curled as he looked once more at the hradani fort.D It's nothing but a heap o* rocks- like something a gang o* children might make playing at siege engineer+

ing1 6et the bastards think it'll save them1They>re only hradani, lads,D he went on. The archers>ll keep their heads down till we

reach their &hrobus3damned rock pile, and then we>ll swarm >emF The bastards may be big, but we outnumber them ten to one, so remember@ don't go for one of them by yourselfF Take

>em two or three to one, and we>ll be done in time for dinnerFD

A few cheers answered his ringing declaration, but only a few, and most of those from

younger men who had never fought hradani. The others simply waited, e(pressions grim,determined enough, but also aware of what they faced, and 7estian gritted his teeth with the

rest of them. ad enough to *ight the buggers *rom the back o* a horse- but this31

The thought was still flickering through his mind when the bugles sounded and the firstflight of arrows hissed into the air.

:eads downFD $ahBell shouted as a storm of arrows soared upward. They rose from the

boulder field, now all but invisible in the shadows, but their lethal tips flashed golden as theyarced into the sunlight and came driving down upon the fort like black death fletched in

crimson and green. The sound of their flight was like nothing else on earth@a rustling,whistling hiss of a sound, like a million enraged serpents@and then they struck. teel

arrowheads rattled like driven sleet as they thudded home, burying themselves in shields or

skipping off helmets or stone in showers of sparks. :ere and there one of them licked past a

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shield and drove through chain or scale mail, and men cursed or shouted in pain. $ut only avery few of them actually struck flesh.

7our hit $ahBell, ricocheting from his breastplate and the fine3knit links of his dwarvishmail, and he bared his teeth in a hungry grin as the bugles sounded a second time. The deep3

throated bellow of male voices rose like thunder in the confines of the ?ullet, and the first

othSii warriors charged out of the shadows behind their war cries. "ore arrows slashed

down, deluging the fort to cover the charge, but the archers couldn>t arc their fire steeplyenough to drop it into the dead Bone directly behind the wall, and he glanced one last time at

the other crossbowmen.eady, ladsFD he bellowed, and leveled his arbalest across the uneven parapet as the

others rose to their feet on the firing step with him.

"athian of ?lanharrow knew better than to lead the attack in person. That wasn>t acommander in chief>s task, and so he>d let :aladhan take the lead. $ut he had reected the

argument that he should stay in the rear. :e>d let himself be talked into taking a place in theeighth rank, with ir 7estian at his right hand and his banner bearer at his left, but that was as

far as he would go, for this was a battle he refused to be denied.

And so it was that he burst into the sunlight, screaming his own war cry and waving hissabre like a madman as the fourth arrow flight screamed overhead. :e saw the shafts sleet

down across the fort, and his heart reoiced, for surely nothing could live under the merciless

beating of that steel3pointed bliBBardF$ut something could, and his eyes went wide as two score and more of hradani rose

behind the wall. They moved almost calmly, without hurry, ignoring the arrows screaming past them, and every one of them leveled a steel3bowed arbalest across the parapet. "athian>s

front ranks were on the up3slope to the fort now, their charge slowing, and there wassomething dreadful about the deliberation with which the hradani took aim. :e saw one of

them go down, an arrow sticking out of what had been his right eye, but only their heads andshoulders were e(posed to his own archers. #orse, the sunlight lanced directly into his men>s

eyes. They could see well enough for unaimed plunging fire, but picking out a specific targetwas all but impossible. And then a voice like thunder bellowed a command he heard clearly

even through his warriors> battle cries.6ooseFD

Whhhhunnnng1

7orty3two steel bow staves, the lightest of them easily a four hundred3pound pull,

straightened as one. The heavy bolts were short and stubby compared to the arrows rainingdown on the fort from above, but they smashed out in flat, ruler3straight lines, and the range

was barely fifty yards. They drove through cuirasses with contemptuous ease, and the lightothSii shields were useless against them. hrieks of agony broke the deep3sea surge of war

cries, and men went down in heaps. "any simply fell over others who>d gone down in frontof them, but at such short range a single Euarrel could drive clean through two or even three

men, and they wreaked terrible havoc.And then the first batch of hradani stepped back and a second row took their place. 7orty3

one more arbalests came down, and "athian heard the terror in his own voice as he screamedthe ?lanharrow war cry. $ut there was nowhere to go. The rush of his own men carried him

forward, and he felt his testicles trying to crawl up into his body as he ran straight ahead.Whhhhunnnng1

At least two hundred men were down@dead, wounded, or simply fallen over someone

who>d been hit in front of them@and their formation, loose to start with compared to the

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tight intervals they would have kept mounted, came apart. They were no longer an armyK theywere a mob, and their own archers had to cease fire as they neared the enemy. $ut they were

still charging forward, and there were still almost two thousand of them, and the only obsta3cle in their path was that ragged heap of rocks across the ?ullet.

The second group of crossbowmen stepped back, and $ahBell tossed his arbalest to one of

them. :is blade snapped out of its scabbard, and the first group of bowmen, arbalestse(changed for swords and a(es, leapt back up onto the step their fellows had abandoned. The

front of the othSii attack was barely thirty feet away, and he felt the e(altation of the agetake him like a lover, dancing down his nerves like lightning.

TomanMk F $oman%k 1D:e bellowed his war cry, and it came back like braBen thunder from si( score throats.

"athian>s face went white as he heard the fierce, snarling rumble of the hradani>s battle

cries. TomanMk F They were calling on $oman%k 1 #as it possible they truly were @I -oF 0t was obscene even to think that, and he threw the thought aside as his men foamed

up against the wall like the sea.

A othSii hurled himself at the wall, scrabbling up it on the run. The crude fort truly was

little more than a heap of rocks, and its outer face was far from sheer. "en could scramble up

it easily enough . . . but they were off3balance when they reached its top, and $ahBell$ahnakson>s eyes were froBen brown flint as his huge blade hissed.

!espite the confusion, despite the noise, despite even his terror and e(citement and need to

concentrate on his footing, ir :aladhan !eepcrag recogniBed the giant hradani from the parley. :e saw the huge shape loom up, silhouetted against the sunset like a titan. 7ive feet of

sword hissed in a sun3silvered flash, and then the first othSii to set foot on the wall flew backwards in an e(plosion of blood and viscera with his body cut cleanly in half.

0t was impossibleF 0t couldn>t happen1 et it had happened, and then :aladhan wasstumbling up the wall himself while men shouted in rage and shrieked in pain and the

ghastly, wet sounds of steel in flesh were all the world.

The first othSii rush slammed up the rock wall like storm3driven surf, but the :urgrum

Chapter of the %rder of TomanMk met it with another, deadlier wall, this one of steel.

Attackers shrieked and died, or fell writhing in agony, their bodies slithering back down totrip and encumber their fellows, and even over their own war cries, the hradani heard the

thunderous voice of $ahBell $ahnakson.:e leapt upward, driving his feet into the rear face of the wall to get more height, and his

sword hissed with dreadful, rhythmic precision. The othSii were like wheat before one of !warvenhame>s horse3drawn reapers, spilling away from him in a writhing wedge of severed

limbs and lopped3off heads, and despite "athian>s earlier e(hortations, they were unable touse their numbers effectively. There was only so much frontage, and $ahBell and his men had

a(es and swords enough to cover it all. The othSii were forced to meet them at little better than one3to3one odds, and it seemed impossible that any of them could possibly break

through.$ut they could. 0ndividually overmatched or no, they swarmed forward, and here and there

a hradani went down. %ther members of the %rder stepped forward to take their places, but a

few othSii managed to wedge into the openings they>d made. "ost died seconds later, but

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men to get their shields back up behind him.$ut no fresh arrow storm came. The fight atop the wall had only seemed to last forever, but

it had lasted long enough for the light to go. 'ven as the othSii fell back, the sun sank beyond the western cliffs at last, and darkness fell like an a(e blow. The othSii archers no

longer had light to shoot by, and $ahBell breathed a prayer of gratitude.

:e looked out into the dimness, and a carpet of pain writhed before him. At least three

hundred othSii lay out there, most dead but many wounded, and he bared his teeth. The6ord #arden of ?lanharrow wouldn>t be so Euick to launch a second assault, he thought

grimly.$ut then he turned to survey the interior of the fort, and his aw tightened. Twenty or thirty

othSii had actually made it over the wallK all of them lay dead or wounded . . . but so did atleast that many of his own. 0t looked as if half or more of the %rder>s casualties had been

inflicted by the preliminary arrow fire, however. -ow that darkness had taken the othSii>s bows effectively out of play, their losses would be enormously higher than the %rder>s in any

fresh attacks.#hich didn>t mean they couldn>t still take Charhan>s !espair away from him in the end.

$ut at least they>d wait until dawn to try if they had a shred of sense.

:e drew a deep breath, then straightened his shoulders. "any of his men already kneltover the wounded, hradani and human alike, and he and Naeritha and =aion would have

plenty to keep them busy in the meantime.

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ir "athian thrust the surgeon roughly away and heaved himself up off the camp stool. The

world swooped about him, but at least this time he managed to stay upright, and he lurched to

the tied3back flap of the tent someone had managed to erect beside the field surgery. Chaosalmost as wild as that inside his head swirled under the torches outside the tent, and he clung

doggedly to a tent pole while he made his brain sort the confusion into some sort of order.

0t wasn>t actually as bad as it looked, he realiBed slowly. The surgery had been set up inone of the few wider stretches of the ?ullet, but there was little room to spare. :is men were

packed tightly together in what space there was, and the crowd seemed to seethe and flow asmessengers and stragglers trying to get back to their units pushed their way through the press.

The unsteady light of the torches only made it look even more confused, and he clung to the pole as vertigo washed through him.

"ilord, you must sit back downFD the surgeon protested. At the very least, you have aconcussion, and there may@D

$e silentFD "athian rasped. :e closed his eyes, and his head pounded as if a doBen

dwarves with picka(es were trapped inside and trying to get out. The force of his commandto the surgeon didn>t help the pain one bit, but at least the man shut his mouth. That wassomething, the 6ord #arden thought, and opened his eyes once more.

ou@guardFD he called to one of the sentries outside the tent. :e didn>t recogniBe the

man, but the guard turned at his summons.

es, "ilordIDend ir :aladhan to me at onceFD

0@D The guard hesitated, glancing at his fellow, then cleared his throat. 0 can>t, "ilord.ir :aladhan . . . didn>t return from the attack.D

"athian clung even more tightly to the tent pole, staring at the guard, and his eyes burned.:aladhanI Dead 0t couldn>t be. The gods wouldn>t permit itF $ut as he stared out into the

torchlight and the chorus of scream3shot moans from the surgery washed over him, he knewthe gods would permit it. !eep inside, part of him recogniBed that the attack on the hradani>s

fort had been no more than a skirmish compared to the slaughter of a maor battle. $ut thatrecognition meant nothing at this moment. 0t had been "athian>s first taste of real combat,

and the brutality and savagery of it had turned all his dreams of triumphant glory andvengeance for his father into cruel mockeries. :e had never before known such terror, never

imagined such horror, and now he>d lost :aladhan, as well.

ut he may not be dead . He may still be alive out there . . . and is that any better

:e shuddered, picturing his cousin writhing on the rocky floor of the ?ullet, sobbing while

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thinking you>ve the right of it, :urthang. #e>ll be keeping a sharp eye on them, but if they>vea brain in their heads, they>ll wait on light for their archers to be seeing by.D

#e should attack again now, while they>re still licking their woundsFD "athian insisted,

and 7estian turned from where he>d stood watching the surgeons through the tent doorway.

:is broken arm throbbed@he>d almost passed out twice while the bonesetter splinted it@and

he felt as if the sobs of the wounded were a dark and restless sea on which he drifted.#e hurt the bastards@0 know we did@and there were fewer of them to begin with,D

"athian went on. And we>ve our own wounded to think about, lying out there where those butchers can get at them. #e have to rescue them. And@D

"ilord, shut up.DThe older knight spoke with cold, bitter precision, and the three words cut "athian off like

a sabre blow. The 6ord #arden stared at the man who>d become his senior officer with:aladhan>s disappearance, and his mouth worked like a beached carp>s. The combination of

his concussion and the open contempt in 7estian>s voice left him momentarily bereft of words, and the scout commander forged ahead into his silence.

0f there>s a single thing you haven>t done wrong, "ilord, 0 can>t think what it might be,D

the older man told him in a flat, biting voice that hurt far worse than any shoutedimprecations. 'ven leaving aside whether or not you>ve acted within the law, or whether or

not you>ve set us all on a direct course for the %rder of TomanMk to invoke the word ?od>s

edict against us, you and that other young fool have managed to commit us to an attack under the worst circumstances you could possibly have arranged. 0 warned you not to come down

the ?ullet, but you wouldn>t listen. 0 warned ir :aladhan that there was a reason the hradanidecided to fight here, but the two of you had to charge ahead@ on *oot1 @and find out how

defensible that position is the hard way.D$ut@D "athian tried to interrupt, but 7estian cut him off with a savage chop of his good

hand. -o doubt the shock of his own inury had something to do with his tirade, but gods itfelt good to finally speak his mind to this foolF

0 haven>t finished, "ilord,D he went on with that same, cutting levelness. As 0 was aboutto say, i* you insist on pressing this attack at all, then for TomanMk>s sake@D his eyes glinted

as "athian flinched visibly at that name @wait for daylightF The :orse tealers areinfantryK we>re not. They>re armed and armored to fight on footK we aren>t. 0f we try to take

that pile of rocks away from them with head3on assaults, they>ll massacre us, because we>ll

be fighting their kind of fight, not ours. %h, we can do it, "ilord, but you>ve already lost

upwards of four hundred in dead, wounded, and@maybe@prisoners. #e>ll find that hardenough to e(plain to $aron Tellian without doubling or trebling the butcher>s bill. And the

only way to avoid doing that is to use our bows. 0f you insist on continuing this attack, thenfor the gods> sake at least stand off and lace them with arrows for an hour or twoF "ount a

few false attacks to pull them up onto the wall, then fall back and let the archers shoot themin the face. !o whatever you have to, but don't send in another harnM3damned charge

without whittling them down firstFD"athian bit his lip as fury mi(ed with the pain throbbing through the bones of his skull.

:ow dared 7estian speak to him with such cold contemptI et under the anger and the painwas the cold knowledge that 7estian was the least of his worries. 'ven the minor lords who>d

stayed loyal to him when Nelthys split his forces had to be shocked by their losses. "anywere no older or e(perienced than he himself had been. They>d e(pected him to lead them to

a Euick, sharp victory@ust as he had e(pected to do@and their failure to crush the hradani

with their first rush must have stunned them almost as badly as their casualties had. -o doubt

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to reason at all, then surely@D:e broke off, wheeling suddenly to stare up the ?ullet as a confused welter of bugle calls

spiraled into the darkness.

@and the archers will open fire on ir 7estian>s signal,D "athian told his vassals. ome

of the faces looking back at him in the torchlight wore doubtful e(pressions, and he deepened

his voice deliberately, trying to ignore the pain still throbbing through his skull.#e>ll let them work on the bastards for twenty minutes or so,D he went on, and then

we>ll launch a false attack. That should draw them out of any cover they may have found, andthe archers will@D

The sudden, silver notes of a bugle cut him off in midsentence. 0t came from the east, fromfurther up the ?ullet, and his belly seemed to fall right out of him as he whirled towards the

sound. 0t couldn>t beF$ut it was, and ir "athian edhelm, 6ord #arden of ?lanharrow, felt his last chance to

retrieve his fortunes crumble as the bugle sounded the personal call of $aron Tellian of $althar, #arden of the #est iding, yet again.

%ther bugles were sounding, and he heard the confused roar of voices as he stepped out of

the tent and stared up the steep slope above his crowded encampment. There were moretorches up there than there had been, and he clenched his aw as a tightly clustered knot of

them forged down the slope. $oots sounded behind him, and he looked over his shoulder as

7estian came out of the tent to gaBe up the ?ullet himself. The older knight met his eyes for ust a moment, then he looked away, and "athian felt the last, shattered fragments of his

glorious dream fall uselessly from his fingers.

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#hat d>you suppose is keeping themID

$randark>s elaborately casual tone fooled none of his listeners. :e stood atop their rough

rampart with $ahBell, Naeritha, =aion, and :urthang, gaBing up the ?ullet, and bright, coolsunlight flooded down over them. 0f anyone up there decided to fire a sudden flight of

arrows, he could do enormous damage to the defenders> command structure. $ut somehow

none of them e(pected that to happen, not after all the confused shouting and general bedlamwhich had followed those predawn bugle calls. %f course, they had no idea what was about to

happen.0 suppose they might have overslept after all the hubbub,D =aion said udiciously, striving

to match the $loody word>s tone, and :urthang chuckled.o they might, but 0>d not bet money on it. till and all, something must have been after

changing their plans, for 0>ve not doubt at all that they were minded to be taking our ears.D-o more have 0,D $ahBell told him, and@D

:e broke off suddenly, and the others stiffened beside him as they saw movement up the

?ullet. A group of figures emerged from the boulder field, and =aion smothered somethingthat sounded remarkably like a curse.

TomanMk F :ow in the name of all the gods did they get a horse that siBe through thereID

They didn>t, lad,D $ahBell said softly. =aion glanced at him oddly, and he grinned as yet

another rider picked his cautious way clear of the boulder field. Those are coursers, =aion.D

$ut@D =aion began to protest, then stopped as the sheer siBe of the horsesD registered.There were dismounted men with them, and the head of the tallest man out there didn>t reach

the shoulder of the smallest of the half3doBen coursers. And then a seventh rider came aroundthe boulder field, on a much smaller mount, and $ahBell laughed.

#ell, nowF 0t seems 0 may>ve been being ust a mite hasty. That fellow trailing along behind is on a horse, and one 0>m thinking 0 know.D

ou do, heyID :urthang looked at him skeptically, then shrugged. o what are youthinking to do nowID

#hy, if they>re minded to call on us all sociable like, we ought to be meeting them,D$ahBell replied, and strode down the rough wall with long, swinging strides.

The others followed, all but :urthang scrambling down with considerably greater difficulty, and he walked down to the foot of the slope atop which Charhan>s !espair sat.

Then he stopped and waited, arms folded, for the othSii to reach him.

0t didn>t take them long. =aion and $randark, neither of whom had ever seen a courser

before, stared at the huge creatures. 0t was impossible for anything that siBe to be

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simultaneously graceful and delicate, yet somehow the coursers managed it, and neither of them could figure out how. $ahBell, however, was focused on other concerns@like the tall,

red3haired man in silver3washed plate armor mounted on the chestnut stallion at the head of the othSii party. The rider nodded to =aion and $randark gravely, as if acknowledging a

reaction he>d seen many times, but his eyes were on $ahBell.

?ood morning,D he said. A neatly trimmed beard and mustache showed in his open3faced

helm, and his voice was surprisingly light for such a big man, but it had the rap of someoneaccustomed to being obeyed. ou must be $ahnak>s son,D he went on, looking $ahBell

straight in the face.Aye, 0 am that,D $ahBell agreed, and glanced past him at the single man mounted on a

regular war horse. And a good morning to you, too, #encit,D he said.The same to you,D the wiBard replied calmly, wildfire eyes glowing. Then he smiled. 0

told you 0 had an errand of my own to run on the #ind &lain, didn>t 0IDo you did,D $ahBell said, then returned his gaBe to the man on the chestnut courser.

And who might you be, if 0 might be askingID he inEuired politely.Tellian, $aron and #arden of the #est iding,D the wind rider said simply. %ne of

$ahBell>s friends inhaled sharply, but he only nodded, as if he>d e(pected that answer.

And would it happen it was you as was sending these lads@D he twitched his head at the bodies littering the slope @down the ?ulletID he asked mildly.

0t was not,D Tellian said shortly. Then he showed ust a flash of white teeth under his

mustache. 0f it had been, 0 assure you the affair would have been better managed.D#ould it, thenID $ahBell cocked his head, then snorted. Aye, like enough it would. till

and all, you>re after being here now, aren>t you ustID0 am.D

Tellian nodded, and it was his turn to let his eyes sweep the dead men. :is e(pression wasgrim, but he said nothing for several seconds, and $ahBell waited silently. The Ningdom of

the othSii was uniEue in that its highest noble rank after the king himself was that of baron.6egend said that was because the original othSii settlers had been led to the #ind &lain by a

single baron who had escaped the 7all of Nontovar. According to the tales, he had refused to promote himself to count or duke as so many other refugee leaders had done, and that had set

a tradition which the othSii still declined to break. $ahBell had no idea if the story wasaccurate, but whatever the reason, the man before him was one of the four greatest nobles of

the othSii, with a baronyD anyone else would have called a kingdom in its own right.

0 was not aware of what 6ord ?lanharrow intended.D Tellian>s sudden statement snatched

$ahBell back to the surface of his own thoughts. :ad 0 been, 0 would have commanded himto abandon his plans. 0n which case@D

:e stopped again and shook his head.-o, that>s not Euite true,D he said in the voice of a man scrupulously intent on getting his

facts straight. 0 did learn what he intended, but not until #encit arrived to tell me. And 0regret to say 0 didn>t believe him at first. -ot entirely.D :is face darkened. 0 made my own

preparations, but 0 had my own agents keeping watch on ?lanharrow, and 0 thought 0 was better served by their reports than by whatever #encit might have heard from afar. #hat 0

didn>t realiBe was that with one e(ception@D he turned his head and smiled briefly at another wind rider, this one on a courser of midnight black @my agents had come to share 6ord

?lanharrow>s intentions. And so, this@D:e waved one hand at the bodies, and $ahBell nodded once more. $ut the :orse tealer>s

eyes were hard, and he twitched his own head back towards the fort behind him.

Aye, and so this . . . and so the thirty3seven lads of mine dead back yonder, as well,D he

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said grimly. Tellian>s head snapped up, and his eyes flashed angrily, but then he clenched his aw and chopped his head in a nod of his own.

That, also,D he acknowledged, and silence fell once more.o would you be telling me ust what it is you>re minded to do now you are hereID

$ahBell asked after a moment.

0 don>t know,D Tellian admitted. 0 never intended for this to happen, yet it has. #hoever

began it, both you and we have dead to mourn, and here 0 am, halfway down the ?ullet withan army at my back. ;nder the circumstances, many at Court@and in other districts of my

own iding@would say the rational thing to do is to press on. The war has been started, andwe hold the advantage at the moment. And if we secure control of the ?ullet so that we can

pass men freely up and down it, we>ll continue to hold it.DAye, 0 can be seeing that,D $ahBell conceded levelly. 0t>s in your mind as how my father

isn>t one to be looking lightly at this, come what may and whoever was starting it. 0t might ust be he>d be minded to be hitting back at the #est iding for it, but he>s his hands full with

ChurnaBh the now. o if you were to keep right on going, why, you might put paid to all his plans@even bring him down for ChurnaBh@and then you>d not have to worry at all, at all,

about what he might or might not have been after doing. #ould that be about the siBe of itID

0t would,D Tellian agreed with a grim smile.#ell, 0 can>t say as how 0>m surprised,D $ahBell said frankly, for it might be 0>d think

much the same in your boots. $ut it>s not so simple as all that. 0 told your 6ord ?lanharrow

as how we wouldn>t be moving for him, and no more will we stand aside for you. Andwhatever he may have been thinking, we are the %rder of TomanMk . o you be thinking long

and hard before you>re deciding to press on.D%ne or two of the men with Tellian stirred angrily, but the baron only shrugged.

#hatever 0 may decide, "ilord Champion, 0, for one, have no doubt at all that you andyour companions serve the #ar ?od,D he said. %ne of the dismounted othSii made a sound

of disbelief, but Tellian Euelled any outburst with an icy frown. #hen #encit of Lmvouches for someone>s truthfulness, I have no intention of Euestioning it. $ut that still leaves

us with a problem. ou may belong to the %rder of TomanMk , but you are also all hradani.D=aion stirred beside $ahBell, and Tellian paused. Then, for the first time, he smiled with a

trace of true humor. #ell, most of you are,D he corrected himself.And your point is, $aronID Naeritha>s Euestion was sharp, and Tellian turned to face her.

"y point, "ilady, is that while you and 0 might be inclined to see this matter as a case in

which the %rder of TomanMk intervened, precisely as it ought, to prevent an unprovoked

massacre of those unable to defend themselves, others might not. 0 feel Euite certain therewill be some at Court who will see it only as a clash between hradani and othSii and be

furious if 0 do anything but continue the attack. And there will be others who will fear,legitimately perhaps, that &rince $ahBell>s people will see it that way, as well, and demand

vengeance. That, after all, is the way of border warfare, is it notI $oth sides can always ustify present atrocities on the basis of past wrongs done to their fathers, or their

grandfathers . . . or their great3great3 great 3grandfathers.Do they can,D #encit put in dryly, and especially if they>re hradani or othSii.D $ahBell

and Tellian frowned at him almost in unison, and he laughed. 0 rest my caseFD he declared,and human and hradani darted looks at one another, then looked away Euickly.

-o doubt the wiBard is correct enough about that, "ilord $aron,D another wind rider putin, but for myself, 0>ll trust a hradani@and especially a Horse Stealer hradani@no further

than the end of my own lance.D $ahBell>s face tightened, but several others, especially among

the dismounted oth ii, muttered in agreement.

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&erhaps not, :athan,D Tellian said in a flat, discouraging voice, but I am the one whomust decide what happens here today, not youFD

#ith all due respect, #ind $rother,D :athan said in an oddly formal tone, the decisionyou make may affect all othSii. And we are both wind borne, you and 0. 0f 0 may not speak

my mind to you, then who mayID

Tellian flushed and opened his mouth as if to snap back an answer, then paused and closed

it. :e glowered at the other for a moment, then nodded grudgingly and waved a hand at$ahBell, as if resigning the conversation with him to :athan. The other wind rider made a

soft sound, and his courser flicked its ears and stepped daintily forward until it stood directly before $ahBell. ;nlike any of the othSii, the hradani seemed almost properly siBed for the

huge creature, and he stood motionless, arms once again crossed, and met :athan>s gaBelevelly.

ou claim to be a champion of TomanMk ,D :athan said finally, speaking to $ahBell as if no one else were present, and "ilord $aron and #encit of Lm both accept your word. =ery

well, so will 0, hradani. et you might be ten times a champion, and still you would behradani, and a :orse tealer, and the son of the ruler of the :orse tealers.D :urthang and

=aion both stirred angrily, but :athan ignored them, his unflinching gray eyes locked to

$ahBell>s. "y wind brother has said memories are long in border war. o they are, and 0 tellyou this, $ahBell $ahnakson2 the othSii will never forget that your people have raided ours

from the first day ever we set foot upon the #ind &lain. -or will we forget the very name in

which you glory2 :orse Stealers, the barbarians who raid our herds, who steal the horses welove almost as our own children and devour them like beasts of preyF #hat say you to that ,

Champion of TomanMk IDayID $ahBell cocked his head, and his brown eyes were ust as hard as :athan>s gray

ones. 0>ll say as how 0 Jclaim> to be himself>s champion because 0 am. $ut, aye, you>ve theright of it when you call me hradani and :orse tealer. And #encit has the right of it when

he>s calling hradani nigh as stubborn and long in the memory as you othSii. True enough allof that is, true as death, but you>ve set the cart before the horse for the rest of it, #ind ider.

Aye, we>re after calling ourselves J:orse tealers,> and proud of the name, too, for never another name in all -orfressa was harder earned. $ut let>s be telling the whole tale, shall weI

Aye, we were after raiding your herds, and stealing your horses@yes, and eating them, too@ for we>d no choice at all, at all . . . but it wasn>t my folk as began the raiding.D :athan shifted

in the saddle, and many of the other othSii muttered angrily, but $ahBell ignored them and

glared straight into :athan>s eyes.

"y folk were here before ever yours came ne(t or nigh the #ind &lain, #ind ider, for none of the other aces of "an would have us. #arrior, woman, and child, we were driven

off wherever we>d managed to fight our way ashore after the 7all, and if we were after dyingin the wilderness, so much the better. And so we ended here, at the foot of the #ind &lain, on

land no one else was wanting and too far from the JciviliBed> folk for their warriors to becreeping up on us at night and burning our roofs over our heads while our children sleptFD

The anger in his deep voice dwarfed the othSii>s mutterings, and his brown eyes blaBedlike iron fresh from the forge.

And what came of us here, "ilord #ind iderI #hat happened when first your folk brought their herds and horses to the #ind &lainI 2y folk remember, if yours are after

forgetting. #e remember the tarving Time, when your warriors came down off the #ind&lain like a pestilence. #hen the barns burned, and the harvests with them, and our babes

starved at their mother>s breasts. Aye, we remember it, :athan of the othSii, and we>re after

taking our name from what your kind forced upon us, for we>d no choice but to raid your

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herds for foodF 0t was that or be watching our children starve, and 0>m thinking your ownchoice would>ve been no different from oursFD

-onsenseFD :athan shot back. The earliest tales make it perfectly plain that it was your kind who raided us1 And@D

'(cuse me, :athan.D #encit didn>t raise his voice, but something in it snapped all eyes to

him. :e paused a moment, as if waiting to be certain he had the attention of all of them, and

then he shrugged. 0>m afraid $ahBell>s version is the more accurate, :athan,D the wildwiBard said almost gently. %h, his ancestors were no saints, but it was yours who began the

war between you.D$ut@D :athan paused, mouth froBen in the open position. Then he shook his head. $ut

that>s not possible,D he protested. All of our tales, all our histories@DAre wrong,D #encit said with that same note of gentle regret. All the othSii, even

Tellian, stared at him in disbelief, and he sighed. ;nlike any of the rest of you, I was here atthe time,D he told them. 0 warned $aron "arkhos of the presence of $ahBell>s ancestors

when he set out for the #ind &lain, and 0 urged him to keep clear of them@to leave them in peace so long as they left him in peace. $ut he didn>t. 6ike almost all the refugees, he hated

the hradani for what they>d done in the Carnadosans> service. 0t didn>t matter to him that

they>d had no choice. 0t was simpler to hate than to understand them, and so when his scoutsreported the locations of the :orse tealers> ancestors, he waited until winter was near and

the harvests were in, and then@e(actly as $ahBell says@he ordered their barns burned to

starve them out.DTotal silence ruled the ?ullet when he paused. The othSii sat or stood froBen in shock,

and he sighed.0t was an ugly time, my friends,D he said sadly. An ugly time for all of us. $ut 0 tell you

this, :athan hieldarm2 of all the aces of "an, the hradani>s suffering at the hands of theCarnadosans was the cruelest. They were enslaved, driven and goaded by spells you cannot

imagine, used and discarded and broken into slavering beasts which remembered being morethan beasts yet could not fight the sorcery locked upon them. And then, when a handful of

them escaped to -orfressa against all but impossible odds, the other aces of "an fell uponthem and slaughtered them like animals, too filled with hate for what the Carnadosans had

forced them to do to heed me, or !uke Normak, or 'rnos of aramantha when we told themthe hradani had had no choice.

o, yes, they raided your herds, for your ancestors had left them nothing else to eat. And,

yes, they slaughtered and ate your horses, as well as your cattle. 0ndeed, they pre*erred

horsemeat to beef, for they knew how much you loved your horses, and they treasuredanything they could do@ anything at all @to strike back at the warriors who>d tried to

e(terminate them. 0t was your people who first called them J:orse tealer,> :athan, but therewas no name in all the world they would have preferred, for they, too, knew how to hate, and,

oh but your ancestors gave them cause to.D:e fell silent, and, one by one, the othSii turned away from him, looking at one another in

shock and confusion. 0t never occurred to them to doubt #encit>s word, even though it turnedeverything they had ever been taught on its head, for he was #encit of Lm. And, as he said,

unlike any of them he had been there.$ahBell shared their shock, though in a different way. :radani and othSii had each known

for centuries how the other>s version of history had differed from their own, yet none of themhad ever e(pected the differences to be so suddenly resolved or to have the truth disclosed

with such brutal directness, for it had never occurred to either of them to simply ask the one

person who>d been there at the time. And now that the truth had been revealed, $ahBell had

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no idea what to do with it. 0t was almost worse than the bitter denials and denunciations his people and the othSii had hurled at one another for so many endless years, as if the proof

that the :orse tealers had been right all along was somehow almost immaterial. As if insome strange way the hatred and distrust between them and the othSii had been the only

thing they truly shared , so that the destruction of its basis left them all bereft of rudder or

compass.

$ut then, at last, Tellian stirred. :e shook his head as if to clear it and looked at $ahBellonce more.

0 don>t@D :e paused and cleared his throat. 0t will take me some time to come to gripswith what #encit has ust revealed to us, "ilord Champion,D he said finally. And in many

ways, 0 suppose which of us first offended the other matters far less than the history we have built between us since . . . and what we must build now.D :e smiled suddenly@a smile tart as

alum, yet a smile nonetheless@and chuckled mirthlessly. 0f 0 was prepared to believe thatwhen 0 thought your ancestors had attacked mine without provocation, then 0 see no reason to

change my mind now that 0 know it was my folk who were to blame. et 0 think those of my people who are not here today, who did not hear the truth from #encit>s own lips, will find it

difficult to believe. #orse, some of them will re*use to believe, for to do so would reEuire

them to give up too much of the hatred in which they have invested their lives. And so, 0 fear,#encit>s history lesson, however accurate or well3taken, offers no simple solution to our

dilemma.D

Aye, 0>m thinking you>ve the right of it there,D $ahBell rumbled. $ut a solution we need,nonetheless.D

Agreed. ;nfortunately, 0 see only one which my people could possibly accept.DAhID $ahBell cocked his head. And should 0 be taking it from your tone that you>re

thinking as how it>s one my people couldn't be acceptingIDThat,D Tellian admitted, is indeed what 0 fear.D

#ell, spit it out, man,D $ahBell said impatiently when the baron paused once more.=ery well, "ilord Champion.D Tellian drew a deep breath. The only answer 0 can see is

for us to end this right here, today, before it can escalate further. And the only way 0 can seeto end it is with one side surrendering to the other. And since there are less than two hundred

of you and over four thousand of us@D:e shrugged almost apologetically, and $ahBell heard :urthang>s teeth grind beside him.

:e himself said nothing for a full thirty seconds, and when he did speak again, it was in a

very careful tone.

6et me be certain as 0>ve understood this, "ilord. ou>re saying as how the only way wecan be resolving this mess without a war is for us@the ones as were attacked without reason

or declaration@to be surrendering to you- as were the ones doing the attackingID&ut that way, it certainly sounds . . . less than ust,D Tellian admitted. et it>s the only

solution 0 can see. 0 have to end this somehow, either with a victory won by force of arms or with a formal settlement to which my own honor is pledged. 0f 0 don>t, the Court factions

which most hate and fear your people may well force Ning "arkhos to order me to take stillstronger action. $ut if you surrender to me, then 0 will be honor bound to protect you as the

terms of your surrender provide, and not even 'rthan of outh iding will want to push toohard in that case.D

o you>d ask the %rder of TomanMk to surrender so as to be letting you Jprotect> us, is itID$ahBell rumbled in a dangerous voice. #ell let me be telling you this, Tellian of #est

idingF The %rder>s no need of your Jprotection,> and the one thing 0>ve never learned at all,

at all, is how to be yielding my sword to anotherF o if that>s after being the only Jsolution>

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you can see, you>d best be calling up your dogs and finding out how many of them can diewith usFD

Tension crackled, and then, to the amaBement of every man present, :athan hieldarmlaughed. -ot scornfully or bitterly, but with a deep, rolling belly laugh of pure amusement.

All eyes swung to him, and he bent over his saddle bow, laughing still harder. 0t took several

seconds for him to drag himself back under control, and when he did, he leaned forward and

murmured something to his courser, then dismounted gracefully, despite the courser>s height.:e stood for a moment, raised left hand resting lovingly on the courser>s shoulder, and then

walked around to face $ahBell. :e was a foot and more shorter than the hradani, and hecraned his neck to look up at him.

#ell, $ahBell $ahnakson,D he said, with a bubble of laughter still lurking in his voice, if it>s only a matter of your never having learned to do it, perhaps 0 can demonstrate how it>s

doneFD :is own companions watched him as if he>d run stark mad, but he only grinned anddrew his sabre, then flipped it up to catch it by the blade and e(tend its hilt to $ahBell over

his left forearm. "ilord Champion, 0 yield to you a sword which has never known dishonor,and with it myself, as your prisoner.D

0t was $ahBell>s turn to stare, and then he heard Tellian roar with laughter as delighted as

:athan>s own.%f courseFD the baron e(claimed. All 0 need is a formal agreement@it doesn>t matter

who surrenders to whomFD :e drew his own sword and leaned low from the saddle with a

sweeping bow. "ilord Champion, 0 yield, and my men with meFD:ere nowFD $ahBell looked back and forth between :athan and Tellian with a flustered

confusion the prospect of a battle to the death had been unable to evoke. :ere nowFD he protested again, and #encit oined the laughter.

0 don>t see the problem, $ahBell,D the wiBard told him between guffaws. As Tellian says,what matters is that someone surrenders. And think what a glorious triumph it will be for the

%rderF 6ess than eighty of you taking four thousand trained othSii warriors prisonerFD-ow ust you be waiting one &hrobus3damned minuteFD $ahBell snapped. 0>ll not have

the %rder@ 0 mean, it>s not fitting that@ 7iendark seiBe you, $randark, will you stop thatlaughing before 0>m after breaking your worthless neckFD

-o one seemed to pay him the least attention, and, finally, the glare faded from his eyesand he began to chuckle as well. :e shook his head helplessly, then waved both hands at

:athan and Tellian.

%h, put up your swords, the both of youF 0f you>re so all3fired eager to be surrendering

yourselves, then 0 suppose the least 0 can be doing is grant you paroleFDThank you, "ilord,D Tellian said with becoming seriousness. ;pon what terms will you

grant itID#ell, 0 suppose we should be thrashing that out, now shouldn>t we ustID $ahBell agreed.

0t>s honored 0>d be to invite you into my tent to discuss it, "ilord $aron@if 0 was after

having a tent, that is.D

0t ust happens that 0 have Euite a nice one which the former 6ord #arden of ?lanharrow brought with him,D Tellian replied. 0f you and your companions would consent to oin me

there, 0>m sure we can work out the terms of my army>s surrender@and parole@to our mutual satisfaction.D

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'&06%?;'

Are you sure about this, $ahBellID =aion asked Euietly.

The two of them stood outside the tent in which $ahBell and Tellian had haggled out the

details of the othSii>s paroleD while what had been ir "athian>s army struck camp aboutthem. The men of that army were in a strange mood, one whose like $ahBell had never seen

before. The most common emotion seemed to be sheer, unadulterated shock@the stunned

disbelief of men whose world has ust been turned upside down. =ery few of them knew what#encit had revealed about the early history of the hradani3othSii wars, but they did know

their liege lord had ust surrendered all of them to an enemy they outnumbered by fifty toone. And that they were about to struggle homeward up the ?ullet, apparently in total defeat,

from a foe who could face them with less than seventy swords.$ut there was more to it than shock. There was hatred in all too many of the eyes which

flicked constantly over $ahBell or darted to where :urthang and $randark stood talkingEuietly with Naeritha and #encit. Too many centuries of mutual slaughter lay between their

people and $ahBell>s for it to be any other way, and for many of them, the shame of their own

defeatD only made the hate burn hotter. ancor and consternation held one another in uneasy balance at the moment, yet their hate also emphasiBed what Tellian had said earlier. Too manyof the oth ii feared what the united :orse tealers and $loody words might represent,

and the fragile edifice the $aron of #est iding had patched together with $ahBell could still

crumble into renewed and bitter warfare all too easily.

Aye, 0>m sure,D he said after a moment, then grinned. %r as nigh to it as any man could beFD

#ell, I'm not,D =aion told him frankly. :e looked away from $ahBell to glare at aoth ii armsman who>d let too much hate show in his e(pression as he looked at the

hradani. The armsman felt =aion>s eyes and glanced in his direction, then turned Euicklyaway, and =aion snorted. ou>re going to wake up one night soon with a knife in your back

if you go with these people,D he warned $ahBell, and 0 don>t like the way they look at therest of our lads, eitherFD

J%ur lads,> is it nowID $ahBell teased gently. :e clapped =aion on the shoulder, and thehuman looked up at him with a sudden flash of laughter as he realiBed what he>d ust said.

$ut then the humor faded.es, our lads, and not ust because they belong to the %rder, $ahBell. They>re good men,

all of them. ome of the finest 0>ve ever met, and 0>m proud that they think of me as being

one of theirs.D

Aye, well, 0>ll not argue there,D $ahBell said softly, and sEueeBed his friend>s@no, his

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brother's @shoulder gently.$ut we>re wandering away from the point,D =aion told him.

#hich isID#hich is,D =aion said with a glare, that you can>t ust go wandering off with this Tellian

all by yourselfF And before you say anything else, think about your father and mother. :ow

d>you think they're going to react@or, worse, "arglythF@when 0 come home and ust

casually announce that you>ve gone home to $althar with your people>s worst enemiesID#hy, as to that, 0>m thinking they>ll be carrying on for a bit about idiots and fools and

children as never look before they leap. And then 7ather will be having a bit to say about boulders and skulls, and 0>ve no doubt at all that "arglyth will help him say it. $ut after that

they>ll both be stepping back and drawing a deep breath, and when they>re after doing that ,=aion, why, they>ll realiBe as this may be the best thing that>s ever happened yet betwi(t us

and Tellian>s folk.D!o you really e(pect me to believe that>s going to happenID =aion said skeptically, and

$ahBell laughed.ou ust be watching my da, now, =aion of AlmerhasF :e>s one as has more wit than

hair, when all>s said, and he>ll see 0>m after being right.D =aion still looked unconvinced, and

$ahBell sighed. 6ook you, =aion. 7or twelve centuries, othSii and :orse tealer have beenslaughtering one another over this or that, and not a step closer to ending it have we ever

come. #ell, it>s in my mind@aye, and in Tellian>s, too, 0>m thinking@as how we>ve a

chance to change that at last.Dou don>t think anyone else is going to take the surrender of four thousand men to less

than seventy seriously, do youID =aion demanded.-o,D $ahBell said. $ut if $ellian and 0 are treating it seriously, why there>s no one at all,

at all, can obect without he>s offered insult to Tellian>s honor, on the one hand, or to the%rder>s, on the other. And that , word $rother, is why 0>ve no choice but to be going with

him, for if he and 0 aren't after acting like we mean it, then we>ve no prete(t to be holding theothers in check.D

$ut@D-o,D $ahBell said again, gently. Think it out, =aion. Think it out, and you>ll see as 0>m

right. And the fact that 0>m champion of TomanMk , and :orse tealer, and son to the :orsetealer as is probably collecting ChurnaBh>s ears ust about now, is the one thing as might ust

be making this work. #ho better to speak for my folk among the othSii than a championI

And what othSii is like to be challenging the word %ath of a championI $ut 0>m after

being my father>s son, as well, and that>s after making me a right fair choice as ambassador and envoy, as well. And don>t you be forgetting that hradani and othSii both understand the

giving of hostages in peace settlements, =aionF -o, lad. #ith me in $althar as Tellian>sJguest> to see to enforcing the terms of his Jparole,> we>ve a chance at last to be ending the

constant fighting betwi(t us, and himself wouldn>t be so happy at all, at all, if one of hischampions was turning his back on such as that, now would heID

0 suppose not,D =aion sighed. $ut 0 hate thinking of you all alone among them.D:isht nowF And who said 0>d be after being alone amongst >emID

#hatI $ut 0 thought@ID#ell, that fool $loody word yonder says as how he>s always wanted to see a othSii city

and spend some time comparing notes with their bards. And Nerry>s been after reminding meas how her original business out here was with the othSii, anyway. o the two of them will

be coming with me, and 0>ve no doubt 7ather and "other will be sending a few lads up the

'scarpment to be giving me a bit of a guard to call my own.D

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eallyI #ell, that>s better than 0 thought. At least@D =aion broke off suddenly andfrowned. #ait. #ait ust one minuteF ou said Nerry is going with you, tooID $ahBell

nodded, a slight twinkle dancing in his eyes, and =aion>s frown deepened. 0 don>t think that>s a good idea, $ahBell. 0 mean, there>s the chapter still to be organiBed, and if some of

your :orse tealers have had trouble accepting $loody words now, think how much worse

it will be when $loody words who actually fought on the other side in the current war try to

oin usF &ou could probably talk them into it@or knock their heads together hard enough if talking doesn>t work. And Nerry probably could, too. $ut without either of you@D

#ithout either of us, they>ll still be having one champion to be knocking heads together at need,D $ahBell told him. And,D he added udiciously, you>ll probably be finding yourself

doing that Euite a bit, the first year or so.D#hatID 0t didn>t seem to have registered for ust a moment, and then =aion>s eyes flew

wide. What ou e(pect me @ ou think I @FD :e stared at $ahBell in disbelief edged withterror. $ahBell, you can>t be serious1D

And why can>t 0 ustID$ecause@ $ecause 0>m too youngF And because . . . because@D

:isht, nowFD $ahBell said again, and this time there was an edge of sternness under the

amusement in his voice. =aion slithered to a stop, and $ahBell looked down at him with eyeswhich were deadly serious.

=aion of Almerhas,D he said sternly, you were after being a right pain in the arse when

first you set eyes on me, but you>ve come along nicely since. "ind, you>ve a few flaws yet, but then 0 suppose even I'm after having a few of those. And, aye, you>re young. And human.

$ut you>re also a champion of TomanMk , and one who>s earned the respect of all our lads, aswell. And a champion of TomanMk , my lad, is one as does whatever it>s needful to be doing.

o it>s back to :urgrum you>ll go, you and :urthang and ?harnal, and it>s the three of you,not me, as will be building the %rder amongst my folk. 7or 0>ve no doubt at all, at all, that it

was for that very task himself was after sending you all this way with me.D0ndeed it was,D a deep voice rumbled in the backs of both their brains, and 0>m pleased

you finally figured it out. urprised, mind you, for 0>d almost given up hope you would, but pleased.D

=aion had opened his mouth in fresh protest. -ow it closed with a snap. :e and $ahBellstood motionless for several seconds, waiting for that silent voice to speak again, but it

seemed to have said all it had to say, and $ahBell smiled crookedly.

#ell, ladI Are you ready to be arguing with him 7or if you are, 0 can tell you of my own

e(perience that you>ll be after losing in the end.DAh, no,D =aion said finally, and drew a deep breath. -o,D he said udiciously, 0 don>t

believe 0 will argue with :im. $ut you owe me for this, $ahBell $ahnakson. ou owe meEuite a debt, and one of these days, 0 intend to collect it.D

%h, and how would you be figuring as how I'm owing you a debtID0>m astonished you can even ask thatFD =aion said, and raised his hands, counting off

points on his fingers as he made them. 7irst, you turn up in $elhadan and let me make a foolout of myself in front of an entire waterfront full of idlers. Then you let me drag you home to

ir Charrow and make an absolute ass out of myself in front of him and the entire chapter.$hen you break both my arms, haul me off across half of -orfressa in ice and snow, fling me

into the midst of a batch of barbarian hradani@the shortest of whom is taller than 0 am, 0might add@hurl me into an attack on a temple of harnM where 0 wind up fighting demons

and get my arm broken all over again, and now this1 %h, no, $ahBellF Trust me, you>ll be

years paying off all you owe meFD

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%h no 0 won>t,D $ahBell told him, slapping him on his back with a laugh, and erked thethumb of his other hand to where $randark, :urthang, and Naeritha were walking towards

them. %h, 0>ve no doubt you might be feeling ust a mite miffed over all those other complaints, =aion, but there>s one favor 0>m about to be doing for you as you>ll be thanking

me for for the the rest of your days.D

%hI And what would that beID

#hy, 0>m after taking $randark with me,D $ahBell said wickedly, and ust you bethinking what that meansFD

ou mean@ID =aion glanced at the $loody word and began to grin himself.'(actly. 0>ve no doubt at all, at all, that you>ll be finding your own set of problems, but

ust you remember when you do that you>ll not be hearing some cursed song about =aionthe 7airD or =aion the -obleD or some such foolishness. And that, my lad, puts paid to any

debt 0 might be owing youFD

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Appendices

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T:' ?%! %7 -%7'A

T:' ?%! %7 60?:T

5rr #ll+;ather

%ften called The CreatorD or The 'stablisher,D %rr is considered the creator of theuniverse and the king and udge of gods. :e is the father or creator of all but one of the ?ods

of 6ight and the most powerful of all the gods, whether of 6ight or !ark. :is symbol is a

blue starburst.

8onti*rio

The "other of #omenD is %rr>s wife and the goddess of home, family, and the harvest.

According to -orfressan theology, Nontifrio was %rr>s second creation Gafter %rfressa, therest of the universeH, and she is the most nurturing of the gods and the mother of all %rr>s

children e(cept %rfressa herself. :er hatred for hXgL is implacable. :er symbol is a sheaf of

wheat tied with a grape vine.

(hemalka 5r*ressaThe 6ady of the tormD is the si(th child of %rr and Nontifrio. he is the goddess of

weather, good and bad, and has little to do with mortals. :er symbol is the sun seen throughclouds.

(hesmirsa 5r*ressa

The inger of 6ightD is the fourth child of %rr and Nontifrio and the younger twin sister

of TomanMk , the war god. Chesmirsa is the goddess of bards, poetry, music and art. he isvery fond of mortals and has a mischievous sense of humor. :er symbol is the harp.

Hirahim 4ight*oot

Nnown as The 6aughing ?odD and The ?reat educer,D :irahim is something of a

rogue element among the ?ods of 6ight. :e is the only one of them who is not related to %rr Gno one seems certain where he came from, though he acknowledges %rr>s authority . . . as

much as he does anyone>sH and he is the true prankster of the gods. :e is the god of mer3

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chants, thieves, and dancers, but he is also known as the god of seductions, as he has aterrible weakness for attractive female mortals Gor goddessesH. :is symbol is a silver flute.

Isvaria 5r*ressa

The 6ady of emembranceD Galso called The layerDH is the first child of %rr and

Nontifrio. he is the goddess of needful death and the completion of life and rules the :ouse

of the !ead, where she keeps the croll of the !ead. omewhat to her mother>s dismay, sheis also :irahim>s lover. The third most powerful of the ?ods of 6ight, she is the special

enemy of Nrahana, and her symbol is a scroll with skull winding knobs.

8hali*rio 5r*ressaThe 6ady of the 6ightningD is %rr and Nontifrio>s second child and the goddess of

elemental destruction. he is considered a ?oddess of 6ight despite her penchant for destructiveness, but she has very little to do with mortals Gand mortals are ust as happy about

it, thank youH. :er symbol is a forked lightning bolt.

8orthrala 5r*ro

Called ea pumeD and 7oam $eard,D Northrala is the fifth child of %rr and Nontifrio.:e is the god of the sea but also of love, hate, and passion. :e is a very powerful god, if not

over3blessed with wisdom, and is very fond of mortals. :is symbol is the net and trident.

4illinara 5r*ressa

Nnown as 7riend of #omenD and The ilver 6ady,D 6illinara is %rr and Nontifrio>seleventh child, the goddess of the moon and women. he is one of the more comple( deities,

and e(tremely focused. he is appealed to by young women and maidens in her persona asthe "aid and by mature women and mothers in her persona as the "other. As avenger, she

manifests as the Crone, who also comforts the dying. he dislikes :irahim 6ightfoot in3tensely, but she hates hXgL Gas the essential perversion of all womankindH with every fiber of

her being. :er symbol is the moon.

Nor*ram 5r*roThe 6ord of ChanceD is %rr and NontifrioYs ninth child and the god of fortune, good and

bad. :is symbol is the infinity sign.

5r*ressaAccording to -orfressan theology, %rfressa is not a god but the universe herself, created

by %rr even before Nontifrio, and she is not truly awake.D %r, rather, she is seldom aware of anything as ephemeral as mortals. %n the very rare occasions when she does take notice of

mortal affairs, terrible things tend to happen, and even %rr can restrain her wrath only withdifficulty. 0t should be noted that among -orfressans, %rfressaD is used as the name of their

world, as well as to refer to the universe at large.

Semkirk 5r*roNnown as The #atcher,D emkirk is the tenth child of %rr and Nontifrio. :e is the god of

wisdom and mental and physical discipline and, before The 7all of Nontovar, was the god of white wiBardry. ince The 7all, he has become the special patron of the psionic magi, who

conduct a merciless war against evil wiBards. :e is a particularly deadly enemy of

Carnadosa, the goddess of black wiBardry. :is symbol is a golden scepter.

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Silendros 5r*ressa

The fourteenth and final child of %rr and Nontifrio, ilendros Gcalled Oewel of the:eavensDH is the goddess of stars and the night. he is greatly reverenced by ewel smiths,

who see their art as an attempt to capture the beauty of her heavens in the work of their

hands, but generally has little to do with mortals. :er symbol is a silver star.

Sorbus 8onti*ra

Nnown as 0ron $ender,D orbus is the smith of the gods. :e is also the product of history>s greatest seduction Gthat of Nontifrio by :irahim@a prankD Nontifrio has never

Euite forgivenH, yet he is the most stolid and dependable of all the gods, and %rr accepts himas his own son. :is symbol is an anvil.

$olomos 5r*ro

The Torch $earerD is the twelfth child of %rr and Nontifrio. :e is the god of light and thesun and the patron of all those who work with heat. :is symbol is a golden flame.

$oman%k 5r*roTomanMk , the third child of %rr and Nontifrio, is Chesmirsa>s older twin brother and

second only to %rr himself in power. :e is known by many names@word of 6ight,D

cale $alancer,D 6ord of $attle,D and Oudge of &rincesD to list but four@and has beenentrusted by his father with the task of overseeing the balance of the cales of %rr. :e is also

captain general of the ?ods of 6ight and the foremost enemy of all the !ark ?ods Gindeed, itwas he who cast &hrobus down when &hrobus first rebelled against his fatherH. :is symbols

are a sword andZor a spiked mace.

$or*ramos 5r*roNnown as tone $eardD and 6ord of 'arthEuakes,D Torframos is the eighth child of %rr

and Nontifrio. :e is the lord of the 'arth, the keeper of the deep places and special patron of engineers and those who delve, and is especially revered by dwarves. :is symbol is the

miner>s pick.

$oragan 5r*ro

The :untsman,D also called #oodhelm,D is the thirteenth child of %rr and Nontifrio and

the god of nature. 7orests are especially sacred to him, and he has a reputation for punishingthose who hunt needlessly or cruelly. :is symbol is an oak tree.

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T:' !AN ?%!

,hrobus 5r*roCalled 7ather of 'vilD and 6ord of !eceit,D &hrobus is the seventh child of %rr and

Nontifrio, which e(plains why seven is considered the unlucky number in -orfressa. -o one

recalls his original nameK &hrobusD GTruth $enderDH was given to him by TomanMk when he

cast &hrobus down for his treacherous attempt to wrest rulership from %rr. 7ollowing thatdefeat, &hrobus turned openly to the !ark and became, in fact, the opening wedge by which

evil first entered %rfressa. :e is the most powerful of the gods of 6ight or !ark after TomanMk , and the hatred between him and TomanMk is unthinkably bitter, but &hrobus fears

his brother worse than death itself. :is symbol is a flame3eyed skull.

Sh?g@Called The Twisted %ne,D <ueen of :ell,D and "other of "adness,D hXgL is the wife

of &hrobus. -o one knows e(actly where she came from, but most believe she was, in fact, a powerful demoness raised to godhood by &hrobus when he sought a mate to breed up his own

pantheon to oppose that of his father. :er power is deep but subtle, her cruelty and malice are bottomless, and her favored weapon is madness. he is even more hated, loathed, and feared

by mortals than &hrobus, and her worship is punishable by death in all -orfressan realms.

:er symbol is a flaming spider.

(arnadosa ,hro*ressa

The 6ady of #iBardryD is the fifth child of &hrobus and hXgL. he has become thegoddess of black wiBardry, but she herself might he considered totally amoral rather than evil

for evil>s sake. he enshrines the concept of power sought by any means and at any cost to

others. :er symbol is a wiBard>s wand.

;iendark ,hro*ro

The first3born child of &hrobus and hXgL, 7iendark is known as 6ord of the 7uries.D :eis cast very much in his father>s image Gthough, fortunately, he is considerably less powerfulH

and all evil creatures owe him allegiance as &hrobus>s deputy. ;nlike &hrobus, who seeksalways to pervert or conEuer, however, 7iendark also delights in destruction for destruction>s

sake. :is symbols are a flaming sword or flame3shot cloud of smoke.

8rahana ,hro*ressaThe 6ady of the !amnedD is the fourth child of &hrobus and hXgL and, in most ways, the

most loathsome of them all. he is noted for her hideous beauty and holds dominion over theundead Gwhich makes her 0svaria>s most hated foeH and rules the hells to which the souls of

those who have sold themselves to evil spend eternity. :er symbol is a splintered coffin.

8rashnark ,hro*roThe second son of &hrobus and hXgL, Nrashnark is something of a disappointment to his

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parents. The most powerful of &hrobus> children, Nrashnark Gknown as !evil "asterDH is thegod of devils and ambitious war. :e is ruthless, merciless, and cruel, but personally

courageous and possessed of a strong, personal code of honor, which makes him the only!ark ?od TomanMk actually respects. :e is, unfortunately, loyal to his father, and his power

and sense of honor have made him the enforcerD of the !ark ?ods. :is symbol is a flaming

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