David Gemmell - The Swords of Night and Day

It might come again.

Skilgannon strolled towards the campfires. As he did so Stavut and a group of Joinings emerged from the woods some little way to the west. The grazing horses picked up the scent of the Jiamads and immediately began to run. Legend Riders surged up and rushed out into the meadow, seeking to calm them.

In the confusion that followed three Legend Riders approached Stavut, and a heated argument broke out. Skilgannon moved swiftly towards them, as other riders gathered. ‘Are you a complete idiot?’

shouted one of them. ‘Your vermin scare horses. How could you be so stupid?’ He leaned in towards Stavut, his manner threatening. A huge beast snarled and rushed at him, hurling the man from his feet. A great roar went up from the Jiamads. Legend Riders grabbed their bows. Others drew swords and rushed forward.

Skilgannon raced in. ‘Stand fast!’ he yelled.

The moment was tense. Many of the riders now had their bows bent. Skilgannon walked out to stand between them and the beasts. ‘This has gone far enough,’ he said, his voice ringing out. ‘And I am becoming sick of the stupidity around me. Yes, Stavut should have known better than to bring his pack so close to the horses. But you,’ he said, pointing to the man hurled to the ground, ‘demonstrated even greater stupidity. Worse, it showed a complete lack of judgement. How dare you use the word vermin?

Stavut’s pack chose to come on this quest. You understand the meaning of the word? Choice? He told them to stay behind, because this was not their fight. They chose to support you, to fight alongside you.

To die in your war. And this is how you repay them? Calling them vermin? You should be ashamed of yourself.’ One by one the bows were put down, the arrows returned to their quivers. ‘I’ll tell you something else. I lived during the time you are all so desperate to bring back. I walked with Druss the Legend. I fought alongside him. At a citadel, full of Nadir warriors and renegade Naashanites. There were not many of us. There were two brothers, a Drenai warrior named Diagoras, and a woman with a crossbow. There was Druss. There was me. And there was a Jiamad. We all fought together. Druss the Legend did not call the Jiamad vermin. He did not shy away from him. He did not look at him with disgust. Druss judged all creatures by their deeds. If he was here when the word vermin was used it would have been Druss who downed the idiot who spoke the word.’ He paused for a moment and looked at the still angry men. ‘I don’t want to hear how many of your friends have been killed by Jiamads, or how your grandfathers made blood oaths to keep them from the sacred lands of the Drenai.

This world is ancient. It has always had its share of evil. Evil, I think, was born in the heart of the first man. You don’t find evil in a leopard, or a bear, or a sparrow, or a hawk. We carry it. Men carry it. Out there,’ he said, gesturing towards the north, ‘is a place of magic. If we can find it, and locate the source of it, we can prevent the Eternal — or anyone else — from ever creating another man-beast. That is what we need to focus upon.’ He could see from their faces that his words had failed to sway them. And there was nothing more to say.

Alahir walked out from his riders and approached the towering Shakul. ‘I am Alahir, of the Legend Riders,’ he said. Shakul’s head swayed from side to side.

‘This is my friend, Shakul,’ said Stavut. The beasts milled around, uncertain and nervous. Stavut took Alahir to one side and spoke to him in a low whisper. Alahir suddenly laughed and turned to his men.

‘Follow our lead,’ he said. Then he and Stavut began to stamp their feet rhythmically on the ground.

With looks of bemusement, the Legend Riders copied the movement. Then Alahir called out: ‘We are pack! All of you say it! Together now!’

The response was at first weak and sporadic. ‘Louder, you whoresons!’ shouted Alahir, laughing as he gave the order.

‘We are pack! We are pack!’ The chant boomed out over the meadows.

‘Shakul!’ yelled Stavut. ‘What are we?’

Shakul began to stamp his foot. One by one the beasts copied him. ‘We are pack!’ roared Shakul, then let out a ferocious howl. The Jiamads raised their heads and howled with him.

‘Let’s hear some Drenai howls!’ shouted Alahir. Cupping his hands over his mouth he let out a piercing wolf call. Laughing now, the Legend Riders began to whoop and yell. The horses scattered once more, but no-one seemed to care.

Skilgannon looked round and smiled. For the first time in days he felt the tension ease from his body.

As Skilgannon walked back to where the barges were moored Alahir joined him. ‘What you said back there, was it true?’ he asked.

‘I do not lie, Alahir.’

‘Druss fought alongside a Jiamad?’

‘We called them Joinings back then, but they were the same. A Nadir shaman had performed a melding on one of Druss’s oldest friends, a man named Orastes.’

‘Ah well,’ said Alahir, ‘that is different then.’

‘What is?’

‘The Jiamad was once a man Druss knew.’

Skilgannon took a deep, calming breath. ‘Where is the difference, Alahir? Shakul was once a man. All of them were.’

‘Aye,’ agreed Alahir, ‘but criminals and such like. Theirs is a punishment for crimes committed.’

Skilgannon paused. He had no wish to insult the man, and he was grateful for the action he had taken.

He looked at the young warrior. ‘I know you are not a stupid man, Alahir. But what you just said shows a remarkable naivete. Do you believe the Eternal is evil?’

‘Of course. Her actions prove it.’

‘Exactly. Why then do you suppose that an evil leader would use only criminals for melding? Shakul was melded for the Eternal’s army. Yes, he might have been a thief, or a murderer. Or simply a good man who spoke against the Eternal.’

‘I see where you are going. Yes, forgive me, Skilgannon. I am a stupid man.’

Skilgannon laughed. ‘When you consider this venture, I think we both qualify for an award in stupidity.

Do not be so hard on yourself. We all get locked into prejudices. In my time and my country the Drenai were considered to be arrogant, selfish conquerors, who needed to be taught a lesson in humility. Had I been a little older I too might have been part of Gorben’s army, taking on the Drenai at Skein Pass. You look at the beasts, their awesome power and their ferocious ugliness, and you wonder just what they could have done to deserve such a fate. For surely, if there is a Source watching us all, they must have done something. I don’t doubt the first Jiamads might have been criminals. After that, with the need for more and more to fill her armies, I expect they were mostly peasants, rounded up in villages. I tell you, Alahir, I was moved when I saw the pack volunteer to travel with Stavut. It made me think there just may be a chance for humanity to change one day. That a group of beasts could show such loyalty and affection inspired me.’

‘Ah well, everybody likes Stavut. He has a rare gift for comradeship.’

Once back at the barges Skilgannon bade Alahir goodnight, and wandered down to the last barge. He found Harad sitting at the stern, Snaga in his hands. He looked up as Skilgannon climbed to the deck.

‘You should have told me,’ said Harad, tossing the axe to the deck. The points of the butterfly blades bit into the wood and the haft stood upright, quivering with the impact.

‘What difference would it have made?’ said Skilgannon, sensing what he spoke of. ‘She died in an earthquake. She died instantly.’

‘Aye, but by my axe!’ The anguish in his words was painful to hear.

‘I knew a man once who was killed by a pebble, flicked up from the hoof of a passing horse. The man was a tough warrior, who had survived a dozen battles. The stone struck him in the temple.’