David Gemmell - The Swords of Night and Day

Longbear did not speak to her. He snatched the ham, and moved away from the pair. Squatting down he tore at the meat, then gnawed at the bone beneath. It only partially sated his hunger.

The old man approached him. ‘Time for you to rest, my old friend,’ he said. Gently he laid his hand upon the jewel in Longbear’s temple. The familiar vibration began, soothing, warming. Longbear yawned and lay down. ‘Sleep, Longbear. Dream no dreams.’

Peace settled on the Jiamad, and he passed into darkness.

Charis sat very quietly with her back to a rock, staring at the sleeping Jiamad. The deep scratches in her side were stinging, and there was blood on the left side of her cream shirt. The night grew colder, and she drew her rust-coloured, hooded cloak around her shoulders. The shivering started then, but it was not caused just by the cold. The long day had been terrifying.

It seemed somehow inconceivable to her that only the previous evening she had been singing a song in the palace kitchens, as she and four other servants prepared the next day’s food packages for the loggers in the woods. The day had been bright and clear, a soft breeze blowing down from the mountains. Charis had been happy then. Life was good.

Then she had been sent to Landis Kan’s apartments with a tray of food, and a jug of wine. As she reached the apartment she realized there was no goblet upon the tray. Annoyed with herself, she had swung round to return to the kitchen. Then she remembered that there were several crystal goblets in the guest rooms close by. Moving to an empty apartment she opened the door and stepped inside, laying her tray on a table by the wall. She heard footfalls in the corridor outside, and peered round the half-open door. One of Landis Kan’s guests had returned, the dark-haired man with the cold eyes. Probably need two goblets now, she thought.

Decado entered Landis Kan’s apartment. Then Charis heard voices. She would never forget the words spoken.

‘ You said you would not kill me,’ she heard Landis Kan say, his voice trembling with fear.

‘ And I shall not,’ came the voice of a woman. ‘He will. Not a trace of flesh or bone to be left. I do not want him reborn.’

‘ As you order, so shall it be,’ she heard Decado reply.

‘ Do not make him suffer, Decado. Kill him swiftly, for he was once dear to me. Then find the blind man and kill him too.’

‘ The nephew, beloved. He insulted me. I want him too.’

‘ Kill him, my dear,’ said the woman’s voice. ‘But no-one else. Our troops will be here by morning. Try to remember that we will still need people to till the fields, and I would like servants to remain in the palace ready for my arrival. I do not want blind terror causing havoc here.’

Charis stood frozen to the spot. Then she heard a gurgling scream come from Landis Kan. Fleeing the room she raced along the corridor to the stairs leading to Gamal’s apartment. She did not wait to knock, but ran inside, finding the blind man sitting on his balcony. Swiftly she told him what had transpired, her words tumbling out almost incoherently.

‘I feared it would come to this,’ said the blind man, with a sigh. ‘Fetch me my cloak, Charis, and a stout pair of shoes. Get yourself a cloak also. You shall lead me into the hills. There is someone I must find.’

Now, following a night of terror and a day of death and bloodshed, Charis was sitting once more in the darkness, a terrible beast close by. The shivering worsened. Gamal came alongside her, placing his arm round her shoulder.

‘I am sorry, my dear, for all that you have suffered. But I could not have made it this far without you.’

Charis felt close to tears. Not this time through fear. The kindness and compassion in his voice created a shocking contrast to the horrors of the day. ‘Are we safe now?’ she whispered.

She saw his head tilt towards the sleeping beast, and noted the concern that showed on his weary face. He took a deep breath. ‘No, my dear, we are not safe. Longbear was once a friend of mine, but little of that man is left in the creature. We must be careful around him. Try not to react fearfully, and do not look directly into his eyes. All animals see that as a challenge or a threat. If we can find a food source I believe there will be less cause for concern.’

‘Where are we going, lord? There is nothing out here, save an old fortress and a few settlements.’

‘I need to find the young man who was at the palace recently.’

‘The one with the paintings on his skin?’

‘Yes.’

‘He is with Harad.’ Thoughts of Harad calmed her. She wished he was here now. The beast they travelled with would seem far less daunting if Harad was close by. ‘How will we find them?’

‘Tomorrow I shall ask Longbear to seek his scent. They met a few days ago. Now forgive me, child, but I am bone weary and must rest. You should try to do the same. Longbear will sleep at least until dawn.’ Gamal lay down, his head resting on his arm. His breathing deepened.

Once he was asleep it occurred to Charis that she could simply stand up and walk quietly away into the night. The deadly woman who had ordered the lord’s death had made it clear that no-one was to be needlessly killed. She had said something about ensuring that the palace servants continued their duties.

Surely all danger would be over now? It was an inviting thought. Charis gazed down at the sleeping man.

He is old and blind, she told herself. What can he do without help? How will he find Harad and the tattooed man? The beast will do it for him, argued an insistent voice in her mind. He said they were friends once. Leave him. Save yourself!

The thought was more than tempting. It was right!

Slowly she rose, so as not to disturb him. The moon emerged from behind a cloud, and in its harsh light she saw the frailty of the sleeping man. His eyes were sunken, his face seamed with wrinkles so deep they appeared as scars.

He will die out here without me, she realized, with cold certainty.

In the near distance she could hear the sound of running water. Another thought came to her then, and she quietly slipped away from the campsite. The stream was close by, bubbling over rocks, and tiny waterfalls. Slowly she followed its path until she came to a wider pool, some thirty feet across. She sat by it for a while, then stood and removed all her clothes. Shivering, she stepped into the water and carefully waded out towards a deeper section, surrounded by rocks. Then she stood, statue still, her hands beneath the surface. After a while she saw the sleek form of a fish swim by, then another. Charis did not move. For what seemed an age no fish swam close enough. But then a long, fat fish glided over her hands. In a flash Charis swept it up and hurled it out onto the bank, where it flopped and twisted. Then she froze once more, waiting patiently. She failed in several more attempts, then succeeded, landing a second large fish. After several hours, her teeth chattering with the cold, she waded back to the bank.

Drying herself with her shirt she climbed into her long green skirt and threw her cloak around her shoulders. There were six fat fish on the bank. Charis smiled. Her father — who had taught her this technique when she was a child — would have been proud of her skill. Using her shirt as a makeshift pack, she carried the fish back to the campsite. Gamal and the beast were still sleeping. Charis lay down alongside the old man and slept dreamlessly.

She awoke with the dawn. Gamal slept on. She glanced at the beast, who began to stir. It rolled to its feet, sniffing the air. Charis took a calming breath and rose.

‘I have food for you, Longbear,’ she said, her voice firm. ‘Do you eat fish?’