He felt his legs turn to water, had to hold on to the timber struts of the wall to keep himself upright.
But of course it can be. Look at what I’ve just seen in those cages, twisted by Elyon knows what foul magic and dark practices. Oh, Da, you were right. There’s nowhere left to run from this.
Drem leaped over the wall, weightless for a moment before he fell crunching into a bank of snow and scrambled to his feet. Then he was running for the trees.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
BLEDA
Bleda stood in Drassil’s courtyard, stamping his feet against the cold.
‘Why are we here?’ he said to Jin, who was standing beside him, somehow managing to look far less cold than he felt.
‘I don’t know.’ She shrugged. ‘Kol asked me to be here by highsun, and he asked that I bring you.’
‘Kol. You friendly with Ben-Elim, all of a sudden?’ Bleda asked her.
‘Not as friendly as you are with the Lord Protector,’ she shot back at him. It was said harmlessly enough, but Bleda knew there was an edge to Jin’s words. A confusion, and a suspicion.
I understand that, because I am confused about it myself.
It had been two days since he had been summoned to Israfil’s room, since he had been commended for making a stand, for fighting the Kadoshim. He could not lie, it had felt good to be praised like that. And there was much truth in it. He had chosen to fight the Kadoshim, rather than watch them and the Ben-Elim kill one another.
And I am still not completely sure why.
A good part of it had been seeing the Kadoshim. Never had he imagined such malice made flesh. Politics, border disputes, even blood feuds he understood. But at the sight of the Kadoshim all of that had faded.
It was evil. I saw evil, poured into a form of blood and bone. That’s why I fought.
But was that the only reason?
And being commended by Israfil had felt wrong, not just because he had come to see Israfil as the personification of all that he stood against, the empire that would subjugate his people, had subjugated his people.
And now he is proclaiming me as a hero of the Faithful.
‘I’m not friendly with Israfil,’ he muttered.
‘Then tell me what he said to you,’ Jin said.
Bleda just looked at her, could see in her eyes the desire to understand him, wanting him to allay her suspicions.
‘He thanked me for what I did in the attack.’ Bleda shrugged, looking away.
Jin nodded, but her eyes still watched him closely.
‘Your hair is longer,’ she said, brushing a strand from his face.
‘It is,’ he agreed. He’d been growing it since the day his mother had visited, when he’d felt shame at what she must think of his appearance. It had grown to the point that he needed to tie it back, now, into a knot, but it was not long enough that all of his hair was cooperative enough to stay where he put it. It was annoying.
Figures marched into the courtyard, giants riding upon bears. Bleda was glad of the distraction. Ethlinn was at their head, a cloak of white fur draped about her shoulders, dark warrior braid coiled about one shoulder. A spear was couched in a saddle holster, resting loosely in the crook of her arm. Balur One-Eye strode at her side, white hair spilling over a black cloak, the opposite of his daughter and queen. A war-hammer was slung across his shoulder, body wrapped in leather, a breastplate and shoulder-guard of steel. Other giants followed, a score, two score, three score, all mounted. Bleda saw Alcyon amongst their ranks; the giant saw him and nodded a greeting, a broad grin splitting his face.
That giant is uncommonly good-humoured, Bleda thought, dipping his head in answer. Alcyon had saved his life, after all, and Bleda was keenly aware of that debt.
Ethlinn led them out through the gates of Drassil, the column turning north and disappearing from view.
There was a beating of wings and Bleda looked up to see a Ben-Elim alighting beside them: Kol with his golden hair and his easy smile.
‘We have come as you asked,’ Jin said to him.
‘My thanks,’ Kol said, stepping close to her and resting a hand upon her shoulder. Bleda was surprised that she did not pull away.
‘Though if it was to watch giants riding off into the distance,’ Bleda said, eyes still fixed on Kol’s hand upon Jin’s shoulder, ‘I’d rather have heard about it while sat beside a fire-pit.’
‘Them? No, I did not ask you here to watch Ethlinn ride out,’ Kol said, finally stepping away from Jin. ‘Better to watch tar dry, I think.’ He grinned, and Jin half laughed.
‘Where are they going, though?’ Bleda said. ‘That must be every last giant in Drassil.’
‘Do not fear for your safety, you are well guarded by my Ben-Elim and White-Wings,’ Kol said, his tone and smile softening the insult in his words, but Bleda still bridled.
‘I am not afraid,’ he managed to say through the thin line of his lips.
‘Of course you aren’t,’ Kol said. ‘A poor jest, I apologize. To answer your question, they are going to Dun Seren. These are dark times, and the enemies of the Kadoshim must unite against them. Ethlinn and Balur have a better relationship with the Order of the Bright Star than we Ben-Elim do, and so they are better placed to speak with them, to share information and come away with an agreed plan of attack against the Kadoshim.’
‘We will attack the Kadoshim, then?’ Bleda asked. A shiver of fear ran through him at that prospect, but a fresh understanding of its importance, as well.
‘Oh, aye, if we can find them,’ Kol said, no smile now, just a cold hatred radiating from his eyes. ‘When we find them.’
The sound of a horn echoed down from the battlements over the gates.
‘Ah, here they are,’ Kol said, smiling again, emotions shifting like the breeze.
‘Here who are?’ Bleda asked.
A rumble, low and distant, quickly growing. Jin heard it, too, cocking her head.
‘Hooves. Many riders,’ Bleda said.
‘Aye,’ Kol agreed easily. ‘About two hundred, I think.’
The rumble grew to a roar and then riders were pouring through Drassil’s gates, and Bleda’s heart was soaring, because he saw the banner of a white horse upon a green field above them, Sirak warriors in their deels of grey pouring through the gates, heads shaved, warrior braids tugged by the wind, and behind them more riders, a blue banner with a stooping hawk upon it.
‘Our honour guard,’ Jin breathed, a grin slipping through her control, a hand reaching out to squeeze Bleda’s.