David Gemmell - Morningstar

‘Sweet Heaven!’ I whispered. ‘You can’t be in love with Mace!’

‘I did not say I was in love,’ she snapped. ‘Why is it that men always reduce things to the carnal?’ But her face was flushed and I believed then, and believe now, that my arrow was close to the mark. For some reason the knowledge depressed me. Why was it, I wondered, that so many women fell for the charm of rogues, offering their love to men who would drink it like wine and then cast them aside like empty bottles?

‘He is a powerful man,’ she said at last, her voice low.

‘Yes,’ I agreed, ‘and the world is filled with men of such power. They cheat, they wound, they lust and they kill. We are sitting in this desolate place because of men of power, and we are being hunted by men of power.’

My voice was harsh, the bitterness spilling like acid. Astiana said no more and backed away from me, returning to the fire.

The rain began to ease and the moon shone bright through broken clouds. I sat alone through the night, lost in memories, walking the gardens of vanished dreams.

As a child I had so wanted to be like my father — another man of power, tall and strong, a fearless knight. It was not in me, for I never learned to like causing pain, and gained no pleasure from success in competition. When I was thirteen — just before my fourteenth birthday, in fact — I remember Aubertain responding to a challenge at a tournament. In full armour, with sword and mace, he fought his opponent, hacking and hammering until the man’s helm had burst its rivets. Then the bloody mace had crashed through the skull and the knight had fallen. Aubertain raised his mace and sent forth a scream of victory that clawed into my heart with talons of fire. I felt his surging exhilaration, sensed the ecstasy that certain men gain from combat. My dreams of being a knight died on that day and I saw other things. I saw the knight’s widow being helped from the viewing dais. I saw her ashen face and her wide, disbelieving eyes. And I watched his sons run to the broken body, passing through the shadow of the triumphant Aubertain.

I was glad that my father was alive, but I never, ever desired to be a warrior after that.

The rain came again just before dawn, then faded away, leaving the forest washed clean and ready for the new sun. Mace awoke with the first rays of morning and moved across to me. ‘Good man. We needed our sleep,’ he said, patting my shoulder. ‘We may have to fight today.’

‘Will you challenge Kaygan?’

‘God, no! If I see him I’ll send a shaft through his back. You stay here. Wulf and I will scout around for a while.’

Armed with their longbows they set off through the forest — Mace tall and powerful, Wulf shorter and stockier, yet both men moving with animal grace, entirely at home in their surroundings.

A short time later Piercollo decided to explore for herbs and wild onions. His eye was still paining him and he rarely spoke. His presence, once so vibrant with love of life, was now brooding and dangerously quiet.

‘Be careful,’ I said. ‘There may be enemies close by.’

‘Good for them if they don’t find me,’ he grunted.

I boiled some oats and shared them with Ilka and Astiana. The two women sat close together and, every once in a while, Astiana would look at Ilka and nod or shake her head. For some minutes I watched.

‘You are communicating,’ I said at last. Astiana waved me to silence and the two of them sat staring at one another, the breakfast forgotten. Suddenly Ilka nodded and smiled, reaching out to take Astiana’s hands in hers.

‘Yes,’ said Astiana, ‘I hear you.’

Tears welled in Ilka’s eyes and the two women embraced.

‘You are a mystic,’ I said, moving in close.

Astiana shrugged. ‘I have a gift from God. It is not the same.’

‘What does she say?’

‘Be patient, Owen,’ she advised me. ‘We are almost there.’

‘I wandered away from them to sit by the ruined wall. It was there that I caught sight of armed men moving from the undergrowth and my heart began to beat faster. Three of the men carried longbows, the remaining two wielded barbed spears. I stood and waited as they approached. One of the spearmen grinned as he saw me. He was a handsome, golden-haired fellow, with eyes the colour of a winter sky, blue and chilling.

‘God’s greeting, brother,’ he said, his voice mellow.

‘And to you,’ I responded. I saw them relax as they neared. The golden-haired stranger let fall a canvas sack from his shoulder and thrust his spear into the earth beside it. Stepping into the shelter, he saw Astiana and bowed low.

‘Well, this is pleasant,’ he said, turning to me. ‘Two lovely women and a young man together in the forest. How sweet! How inviting!’

There was an edge to his voice that left me tense and apprehensive. I glanced at his companions; they were hard-faced men, grim and tough, and I saw that their gaze lingered upon the women. All colour fled from Ilka’s face and her eyes were wide and fearful. She had lived this scene once before, the horror of it never leaving her. Now she was facing her nightmare again. Astiana smoothly rose to her feet, her expression serene.

‘Who might you be, sir?’ I asked the leader, though I knew the answer, having seen the curved sabre at his side. But I wanted to divert him, to take his attention from the women.

‘I am Kaygan,’ he said.

‘Not the great swordsman, the champion of Azrek?’

‘You have heard of me?’

‘Who has not, sir?’ I said, hoping that flattery would win him over. ‘It is an honour and a privilege to meet you. Why, only a few days ago we heard of a display you gave in the town of Willow. Men were still talking of it.’

‘How gratifying,’ he said. ‘And you, what is your name?’

‘Graeme,’ I lied. ‘Graeme of Ebracum. I am a bard, sir, and would welcome an opportunity to talk with you of your exploits. Perhaps I could compose a saga-poem based upon them.’

‘You seem right friendly, master Graeme. But we have other thoughts on our minds — do we not, lads? Last night we lost two of our men, but we captured and killed our enemy. So today we are in the mood to celebrate our victory. What better way is known to man than to enjoy the soft bodies of women? You, sister, remove your garments, if you please. It has been a long time since I’ve heard a nun screaming with pleasure.’

‘I doubt it was pleasure,’ Astiana told him.

‘Surely a hero would not stoop to actions so base?’ I said swiftly.

He laughed and shook his head. ‘Base? There is nothing base in rutting with women. It is what they were created for — to pleasure men. Now, sister, the garments. I wish to see those hidden breasts.’

‘Ilka scrambled to her feet, drawing her sabre. Kaygan stepped back, his smile in place. ‘Such spirit!’ he whispered. ‘Perhaps I should have you first, my pretty! Cheos, you and Symen take the nun! This one wishes to see my skill with a sabre.’

‘Two of the bowmen put down their weapons and advanced on Astiana. ‘Never had a nun,’ said the first, a thin bearded woodsman in brown leather leggings and a deerskin jerkin.

‘Then it’s time you widened your education, Cheos,’ said Kaygan. ‘You will find the experience most satisfying.’ He drew his own weapon and extended the point, tapping it against Ilka’s blade.

‘No!’ I shouted, drawing my dagger.

‘Oh, and kill the bard,’ he said, not even looking at me.

I am not quick to anger, but the contempt with which he treated me fired my blood. One of the men drew his own knife and advanced upon me. So great was my fury that, instead of retreating or begging for life, I threw myself at him. His eyes widened in shock and he tried to stab at me. With my left hand I thrust aside his arm, my own dagger slicing into his belly and up into the lungs above. He sagged against me and gave out with a low groan. Wrenching the blade clear, I let him fall. Kaygan turned and gazed at me with new eyes. ‘You will die slowly for that,’ he promised.