‘Dath didn’t mean anything by what he said.’
‘I know,’ Brina snapped. ‘He’s an idiot. He can’t help that.’
She poured the hot water into two cups.
‘You miss Heb.’ It was more statement than question.
Brina scowled at him, a spark of anger in her eyes. She spooned some honey into Corban’s tea, knowing how he liked it, and stirred ferociously. She sighed. ‘Corban, I know you mean well, but I cannot talk about Heb . . .’ She trailed off, blinked hard. ‘It is a raw wound. You understand?’
He nodded. She passed Corban his tea, then sat beside him.
‘During the battle in the glade,’ Corban said, unsure if he should speak of Heb. Brina remained silent so he continued. ‘The giant put Heb’s burning branch out, with the earth power.’
‘Aye, he did. But Heb relit the branch. Not that it did him much good.’
‘No, I lit the branch.’
‘Did you?’ There was a hint of genuine interest in Brina’s voice. ‘How did that happen, then?’
‘I don’t know. I saw the flame go out, was terrified for Heb, and just . . . did it.’
‘Well, there you are then. Sometimes it’s better not to think – especially those of us that lean towards the cynical.’
‘Are we going to continue, with the book? Learning?’
‘I don’t know, Ban. Truth be told, I don’t want to do much of anything. Things were different when . . .’ She trailed off again.
When Heb was here, he finished for her. Awkwardly, scared that she might shout at him, or hit him, he reached out and put a hand over hers, gently squeezed.
He felt a tremor pass through her as tears spilt down her cheeks.
They sat there like that for a long time. The only sounds were the crackle of flames in the fire-pit, the occasional slurp of tea.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
VERADIS
Veradis paused in his climb up the mountain path. He was sweating beneath his clothes, but as soon as he stopped he felt the bite of the wind. It was cold in these mountains, colder than Veradis had ever felt. He had traded his leather kilt and iron-shod sandals over a moon ago for woollen breeches and boots, and his cloak was lined with fur, but still he was cold.
‘Stop shivering. Keep walking,’ Alcyon said to him as the giant reached him.
That’s helpful.
They were part of a scouting party sent into the mountains that separated Cambren from Domhain. The bulk of the warband was camped a few leagues east, where a road cut a deep crevice through the mountains. Scouts had confirmed that King Eremon had massed a sizeable force further along the road, where it spilt into Domhain. The battle for Domhain would most likely take place there.
The giant Uthas led their group, he was showing a handful of Rhin’s scouts the route he had taken through the mountains. Veradis had asked to come along because he wanted to see the site of this battle that had become almost legend, between Rhin’s warriors, those they had been tracking and a wolven pack. For some unknown reason Alcyon had decided to come too, even though it was clear to Veradis that he did not like the company of Uthas or the other two giants that had joined them.
They had stopped up ahead, Uthas and his giant companions outlined at the ravine’s head. Veradis pulled his cloak tight and marched on.
Snow sprinkled a wide dell that the narrow path opened up into. Tiered cliffs curled around it, wind-beaten trees growing on ledges. Veradis could only stare and wonder at what had occurred here.
There were bodies everywhere, or what was left of them. A mound of half-eaten corpses was piled close to the dell’s entrance, arrows and broken bones evidencing the violence that had sent them across the bridge of swords. They weren’t just human. Wolven scattered the ground, wide rib-cages picked clean of flesh, as well as other animal carcasses – horses, Veradis realized. Parts of the dell bore the signs of a great fire, even trees and boulders blackened and charred.
Some at least survived, were victorious even. The ones that Uthas and his band met further along the road.
Alcyon was inspecting the twisted trunk of a burned-out tree. He rubbed his fingers against the blackened bark, sniffed them, touched them to his tongue.
‘What is it?’ Veradis asked him.
‘The fire.’ Alcyon frowned. ‘It was not natural.’
‘You mean, sorcery?’
‘Elementals.’
‘But how? Who?’
Alcyon shrugged. ‘Your enemies are resourceful.’
‘Our enemies,’ Veradis corrected.
Alcyon showed him his teeth, what passed for a humourless smile.
They searched a while longer, but the scene yielded little more information.
Veradis had brought the lad from Ardan, Rafe, thinking that he might be useful, but the bodies were too decomposed or gnawed upon to be recognizable. Uthas and his two giant companions – one with a great axe, the other female – stood to one side, watching.
‘This is not where I met these people. That place is further on,’ Uthas said to Veradis.