David Gemmell - Dark Moon

'What has this to do with the Daroth?' asked Vint.

'One day a mouse killed the snake.'

'I don't believe it!'

'Neither did my father; he accused me of poisoning it. But it was true. I freed the mouse. I hope she had a long life, and gave rise to many legends among her kind.'

Heeling Warain into a run, Karis circled the column and galloped back along the line of refugees where she swung into place between Tarantio and Brune. 'You fought well, my friend,' she said with a smile. 'You will become a legend. The Daroth Slayer, they will call you.'

'Their Duke was right,' said Tarantio. 'We will not stop them in the spring. Shemak's Balls, Karis, they are tough to kill! I cannot see how men can defeat them. Their skin is like toughened leather, their bones stronger than teak.'

'Yet you killed one.'

Tarantio smiled. 'There are not many like me,' he said. 'For which I have - up to now - always been grateful.' When Karis told him of Barin's warning, Tarantio ordered Brune to ride to the crest of a nearby hill and watch for signs of pursuit.

By late afternoon the refugees were exhausted, and the line was stretched out over several hundred yards.

Brune had returned with good news, that the pursuing Daroth had headed off into the north. So far the ruse had worked. But they were still several miles from the pass, and Karis was loath to allow a rest stop. Forin and Vint gave up their horses to two old men and the convoy moved on, ever more slowly.

At dusk they came to the foothills of the mountains, where Karis allowed the refugees to rest. Dismounting she walked among them. 'I want you all to listen to me,' she said. 'The Daroth are following us and they are intent on slaughter. Ahead of us is a long climb, but it is a climb to life. I know you are all tired, but let fear add strength to your limbs.'

The fear was there; she could see it in their eyes. One by one they pushed themselves to their feet, and moved out onto the slopes. Brune galloped his horse from the hills. 'They are three - maybe four - miles away,' he said. 'There are twenty of them.'

Hearing this, the refugees began to run.

Karis rode ahead of them, Tarantio, Brune and Pooris with her. At the top of the steepest part of the rise, she reined in and scanned the shadow-haunted pass. For the first 200 yards it rose gently, but then inclined sharply for another 200. Then the walls narrowed to less than fifteen feet apart. She rode Warain up the sharp incline, then dismounted. Huge boulders were strewn across the trail. Glancing up, she saw there were scores more precariously balanced on both walls of rock. With more time she could have set up an avalanche. But was there time?

The first of the refugees staggered by her. Karis called out to them to help, then put her shoulder to a massive boulder some seven feet in diameter. Ten men sprang to help her, and slowly the huge stone began to move. 'Carefully now,' said Karis. 'We do not want to send it down on our own people.'

Slowly they rolled the boulder to the edge of the rise. The refugees were streaming up the narrow incline; behind them, less than half a mile distant, came the Daroth.

More than two-thirds of the refugees were behind her now, but around twenty were still struggling up the slope. Tarantio, Vint and Forin ran down to help the stragglers. Brune rode his horse down and lifted one old man across his saddle, galloping him back to safety.

Bunched tightly, the Daroth charged. Eight people had still not reached the incline, as the Daroth bore down on them. A spear smashed through the back of the last man, tearing out his lungs. Karis swore. The surviving seven were doomed, and if she did not act swiftly the Daroth would reach the crest.

'Now!' she cried, and the men beside her threw their weight against the boulder. For a moment only it refused to move, then it slowly rolled clear. Gathering speed, the enormous stone crashed against the right hand wall of the pass, careering off to thunder down the slope.

The first to die was a refugee, his body crushed to pulp. Half-way up the slope, the Daroth saw the threat and tried to turn - but close-packed as they were, there was no escape. The boulder crashed into their ranks, smashing bones and killing horses and riders. Then it hammered against the wall of the pass, dislodging yet more rocks and stones which showered down on the Daroth below. A section of cliff sheared away, plunging down to block the pass. A cloud of dust billowed up, obscuring the carnage.

One refugee came out of the dust, scrambling up the incline to fall at Karis's feet. The man had a gash to his head, and a broken arm. Friends helped him to stand and supported him.

In the dying light of the sun the refugees watched as the dust cleared. Not one Daroth could be seen.

'Let's go home,' said Karis.

Karis led the refugees back to their ruined villages, where the ninety-three survivors picked their way through the debris, seeking what possessions they could find. There was little food, for the Daroth had stripped the storehouse and driven away all the cattle. Tarantio, Forin and Brune rode off into the valley to hunt. Karis, Vint and Pooris remained behind. The small politician had said little since their departure from Daroth One, and he sat with shoulders slumped, his back against the wall of the plundered storehouse.

Karis sat down before him. 'What is troubling you, councillor?'

He gave a weak smile. 'Look at all their faces,' he said, waving in the direction of the refugees as they searched through the wreckage. 'They are lost. Ruined. Not because their village has been attacked -

such is the lot of farmers, I am afraid. They are lost because they have seen the enemy, and they know their world is gone for ever.'

'They have not beaten us yet,' she said, but Pooris said nothing and Karis returned to where Vint sat by an open fire.

'You did take a chance, lady,' he told her, with a grin. 'Supposing Tarantio had failed.'

'Then we would be dead. But it wasn't that great a risk. As I told you before, I have seen him fight.

Now you have too.'

'He is a madman, Karis. I saw that, right enough. God's teeth, I would swear his eyes changed colour.

It was like watching a different man.'

'Still think you could take him?'

He laughed aloud. 'Of course. I am invincible, dear lady.' Karis looked into his eyes, amazed to see that he meant what he said. She shook her head.

'When we get back, if you will take my advice, you should go to the tavern where the incident took place and learn for yourself the truth of the matter. It would be folly to fight Tarantio for the wrong reason.'

'I shall do as you say.'

Four days later the farmer, Barin, was led into the library rooms of the Duke's private quarters. Karis and Vint were already seated there, as was the councillor Pooris. Barin had seen the Duke once before, leading a parade through Corduin, but never had he been this close to royalty. Albreck was an imposing man, with shrewd deep-set eyes and a hawk beak of a nose. Barin made a clumsy bow. 'Be at your ease, man,' said Albreck. The Duke turned to a servant standing beside him. 'Bring him a goblet of wine.'

The servant did so and Barin stood staring at the goblet, which was fashioned from silver and inset with grey moonstones. Gold wire had been set into the silver in an elaborate swirl, making the letter A . The goblet, Barin realized, was worth more than he could earn in a year from his fields. He sipped the wine, and his spirits were lifted by the fact that it was thin and a little sour. Old Eris made better wine back in the village!

'Now,' said the Duke, 'tell us all you can of the Daroth. It is of vital importance.'

'I hardly know where to begin, sire. You already know they are powerful beyond belief.'