He had enjoyed the day. But now he was back, summoned to a meeting with Nathair and Owain, the King of Narvon. Back to the politicking. I’d rather leave that to Nathair and Calidus. Lykos had already left, the Vin Thalun sailing with the dawn tide, taking his ships and his Vin Thalun warriors with him. That had been Calidus’ idea, and a sensible one – Lykos had looked set to drink Dun Carreg dry if something had not been found for him to do. He had taken half the fleet, only the shallow-draughted attack galleys. The troop carriers would not be able to travel where Lykos was going.
As if Veradis’ thoughts had summoned them, Calidus and Alcyon walked through the hall’s doors. Dark looks and murmurs spread about them, suspicious eyes watching Alcyon as he passed. Veradis felt a stab of anger at these people, at their ignorance, but understood their distrust. Once upon a time he would have felt the same, but Alcyon had saved his life once and – more than that – Veradis had glimpsed his humanity. And it came as a surprise to him that he liked Alcyon, had almost come to consider him a friend.
Calidus saw Veradis and beckoned him to follow. The three of them marched through the keep’s high-arched corridors to Nathair’s chambers. Veradis noticed more of the Jehar warriors spread about the keep, standing unobtrusively in alcoves and shadows; more of them materialized the closer they came to Nathair. It gave him a sense of security. No one will come close to Nathair without their permission, and if anyone is more fanatical about Nathair’s safety than me, it is these men.
Nathair barely acknowledged them as they entered; he had been withdrawn for some time, since they had questioned the girl in the dead of night. Veradis had felt uncomfortable about that, so many of them breaking into her house, probably terrifying her half to death. The conversation with her had clearly affected Nathair, and not only him. Calidus had been uncharacteristically short tempered. You should not have let the boy escape, he had said. It was the closest Veradis had heard anyone come to reprimanding Nathair.
‘Sit down,’ Nathair said, waving a hand. ‘Owain has asked me to meet with him soon; things are gathering pace here. A confrontation with Rhin is not far away.’
‘Owain will want to know where your allegiances lie,’ Calidus said. ‘You have a lot of men about you. Enough men to decide a battle.’
‘I do. More than enough, when over two thousand are Jehar warriors and a thousand of my eagle-guard are trained in the shield wall,’ Nathair said. He smiled grimly at Veradis.
‘We must still be cautious,’ said Calidus. ‘You may be guarded by the Jehar, but even their skill can be overwhelmed by weight of numbers, and you sleep in the heart of Owain’s lair. Things are balanced on a knife-edge here. Dun Carreg, Ardan, the west – it is volatile and likely to change at any given time. The maps are being rewritten.’
‘I know.’ Nathair grinned. ‘It is exciting. The new age we have heard so much about, spoken about, it is being formed around us. Right now.’
‘Yes, it is,’ Calidus said. ‘And you are certain of your path?’
‘Yes, and so I must play my part here, to make that happen.’
‘What of Evnis?’ Veradis asked. ‘You have given him an important part in all of this. Can he be trusted?’
‘Yes,’ Calidus said emphatically.
Veradis looked at him but the silver-haired counsellor said no more.
‘Do not worry about Evnis,’ Nathair said. ‘I have his measure. And, besides, even if he were to disappoint me, it wouldn’t be disastrous. Not with you watching him.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes. I want you to watch Evnis, keep him alive. I think he will prove to be useful. And, as you will be watching him closely, you will soon know if he means to betray me.’
‘Aye.’ Veradis frowned. ‘But I am not best suited to that kind of task.’
‘There is one other that must be watched,’ Calidus said, ignoring his protest. ‘The girl, Cywen. Her brother may return for her. We must find that boy.’
‘I know,’ Nathair said, scowling into his cup. ‘I should not have let him escape.’
‘What’s done is done,’ said Calidus. ‘And there was much happening, at the time. But we must do all in our power to right the mistake.’
‘What is it about the girl’s brother?’ Veradis asked.
Nathair looked at him, his gaze dark. ‘Calidus thinks we have uncovered Asroth’s Black Sun.’
‘You giants made good roads,’ Veradis said to Alcyon.
‘All the better to speed us to our enemies,’ Alcyon said. ‘That is the giant clans – always rushing to their deaths.’
They were marching along the giantsway, Dun Carreg a faint shadow on the horizon behind them. Warriors in their thousands marched before them, the bull of Narvon on banners everywhere. Owain had decided that marching out to meet Rhin in open battle was the best thing to do.
‘I will not cower behind stone walls,’ Owain had said when he had summoned Nathair to his chambers. ‘I have had reports of her numbers, and know that I have more men than she. And she will not expect us to ride out and meet her on the open field.’
Nathair had questioned the wisdom of such a move, but Owain’s will was set.