David Gemmell - The Swords of Night and Day

An hour passed. Unwallis began to doze. Then something caused him to wake suddenly. His eyes flared open.

He found himself looking into the grey face of a Shadow, looming over the bed. A knife blade pricked the skin of his shoulder, and he fell back. The paralysis came swiftly. Two other Shadows moved alongside. He saw Jianna jerk and try to swing her legs from the covers. With a swiftness the eye could not follow they were upon her.

Unwallis, paralysed, could do nothing to help her. He could not even close his eyes when he saw a cold, grey dagger blade plunge into Jianna’s heart. Her body fell back to the sheet, her dead eyes staring into Unwallis’s frozen orbs. Then the Shadows dragged the Queen’s corpse from her bed.

Unwallis did not see them take her from the tent. He lay, his unclosed eyes becoming dry and painful, for several agonizing hours. Finally he was lifted up by Agrippon. A surgeon was beside the bed.

Together they lifted Unwallis into a sitting position. Slowly the feeling came back to his arms, and with it a terrible pounding pain in his skull.

When at last he could speak he uttered a single word. ‘Jianna.’

‘Shadows struck down the guards,’ said Agrippon. ‘We can find no trace of her.’

‘She was killed,’ said Unwallis. ‘Stabbed through the heart. They took her body away.’

Alahir stretched out on the rocky ground at the water’s edge and removed his helm and hauberk. The sun was warm, but there was a breeze whispering through the rocks, cooled as it passed over the pool.

All around him the Legend Riders, save for the men scouting the eastern roads, were relaxing. Beyond them the horses, watered now, were tethered in the shade of the western rock face.

Gilden joined him. The veteran had doffed his armour, and was dressed only in a simple grey knee-length tunic. He did not look like a soldier now, more like a grim-faced teacher. ‘That tunic has seen better days,’ observed Alahir.

Gilden glanced down. ‘It was once green, I think,’ he said. Then he sat down, reached into the water and splashed his face. Leaning over he gazed into the depths. ‘I wonder how deep it is.’

‘Amazing that it is here at all,’ said Alahir. ‘Is it just trapped rainfall, do you think?’

‘Hard to say,’ Gilden told him. ‘Desert tanks like these can be connected to perpendicular wells -

even underground lakes. I think that’s why the ancients angled the road so close to the cliffs here. It would have made a fine resting place on the journey from the sea to the interior. Merchants could water their horses and rest, before the long haul to Gulgothir or Gassima.’ He glanced across to the other side of the pool, some thirty feet away, where Askari was sitting alongside the brooding Harad. ‘Beautiful girl.

That Stavut is a lucky man.’

‘I am not sure how lucky any of us are,’ said Alahir. ‘We are about to face the Eternal Guard, and a few hundred Jems.’

Gilden did not reply. He cast his eyes around the area. ‘Where is Stavut?’

‘The pack went off with Skilgannon and Decado. They are scouting the other passes, trying to see whether the Guard can find a way round us.’

Gilden laughed. ‘A part of me hopes they miss us completely.’

‘I know the feeling,’ agreed Alahir. ‘But then what would we do, my friend? Ride home and die facing yet another regiment — or two, or ten?’

‘There is that.’

Askari rose and walked round to sit with them. ‘The water is cool and yet no-one is swimming,’ she said. ‘Why is that?’

Gilden laughed aloud, and looked at Alahir. ‘We are not, er, great swimmers,’ Alahir told her, his face reddening.

Askari glanced at Gilden. ‘Am I missing something here?’

‘Indeed you are, lass.’

‘Oh, shut up, Gil!’ snapped Alahir.

‘Ours is a society of ancient values, some of which, to be frank, are startlingly stupid,’ said Gilden gleefully. ‘Women come in three groups, angelic maidens, wives, and whores. The first two groups are revered, the third enjoyed. Of course when I say enjoyed, it should be understood that this enjoyment comes with a sack of guilt.’

‘And this has something to do with swimming?’ asked Askari.

‘At any time the enemy may come in sight. You don’t want to be fighting in wet clothes. Therefore we would swim naked. And the Drenai cannot do that while you are here, you angelic maiden you.’ His laughter boomed out.

‘But you do not share this. . shyness?’ she said sweetly.

‘I have spent some time in the south, across the Delnoch mountains, so I have greater experience of other cultures.’

‘Good, then doff that threadbare tunic and show your comrades how well you swim.’

Now it was Alahir whose laughter rang out. Gilden reddened. ‘Ah, well,’ he temporized, ‘having said that, I never did quite throw off the shackles of my early training.’

Askari smiled. ‘So, the Legend Riders are really just shy boys, frightened of being seen naked?’ She swung to Alahir. ‘Are you shy, Earl of Bronze?’

‘Yes,’ he admitted. ‘But I would really like to swim.’ Pushing himself to his feet he stripped off his shirt and leggings and dived into the water, sending up a mighty splash. All around the pool the Legend Riders hooted and clapped. Several other men stripped off and joined him.

The water was wonderfully cool and Alahir swam to the far side of the pool, where he rested his elbows on a rock and glanced up at Harad. He was sitting quietly, the great axe in his lap. ‘Join us, my friend,’ said Alahir.

‘I cannot swim,’ said Harad.

‘It is easy. Put aside the axe and come in. I will teach you in a matter of moments.’

Harad suddenly grinned. ‘Aye, that would be good,’ he said. Throwing off his clothes he waded into the water. ‘What do I do?’

‘Take a deep breath and lie back. The air in your lungs will keep you afloat.’

Harad leaned back. As his head touched the water he tried to stand. His foot slipped and he sank beneath the surface, coming up spluttering. Alahir was beside him in an instant. ‘Trust me,’ said Alahir. T

will support your back. Now breathe in deeply and we will get you to float.’

Askari watched the two men, and swung to Gilden. ‘You are old to be a soldier,’ she said.

‘Thank you for sharing that observation,’ he said sourly.

‘I meant no disrespect. Far from it. To have survived this long you must be very skilled.’

‘Lucky is all.’

‘You have family? Children?’

He chuckled. ‘I have these shy boys,’ he said. ‘They are my family. One day they will take my armour and bury me. Then they will sing songs over my grave. It is enough for me.’

‘The sky is too blue to be talking about graves and death,’ she pointed out. Rising to her feet she stripped off her clothes. ‘Come, Gilden, swim with me,’ she said, holding out her hand. He hesitated for a moment, then sighed and stood. Pulling his tunic over his head he displayed a body with many scars, across his chest and shoulders, and upper thighs. Askari took his hand, and drew him into the water.

Just then Skilgannon and Decado rode through the gap in the rocks that ringed the pool and dismounted. Alahir saw them, left Harad happily floating, and waded to the bank. Decado moved away from them, stripping off his clothes and diving into the water. Skilgannon looked tired. His eyes were red-rimmed, his face gaunt. ‘Perhaps you should get in too,’ offered Alahir.

‘We found three other passes that could be used to get behind us,’ said Skilgannon, ‘and we don’t have enough men to adequately defend them all. There may be even more that I couldn’t find. Once down into the low canyons it is like a warren. Stavut is still checking them.’