David Gemmell - The King Beyond the Gate

'I felt you would understand.'

'Well, I do not. You were always so sure — you radiated harmony, tranquility. You had stars in your hair and your words were wisdom. Was it all a fagade? Are these doubts so sudden?'

'I once accused you of hiding in your garden. Well, I also hid. It was easy to suppress doubts when the monastery walls were firm around us. I had my books and I had my pupils; it seemed then a grand project of the Light. But now men are dead and the reality is different. Those fifty men who sought to capture Rayvan: they were frightened and they wanted to live, but we marched them from the city and out on to the plain to be slaughtered. We did not let them say farewell to their wives and children. We just led them like cattle to the slaughterhouse.'

'Now I understand,' said Decado. 'You saw us as White Templars marching against evil, cheered by the crowds: a small band of heroes in silver armour and white cloaks. Well, it could never be like that, Abaddon. Evil lives in a pit. If you want to fight it — you must climb down in the slime to do so. White cloaks show the dirt more than black, and silver tarnishes. Now leave me and commune with your God — He has more answers than I.'

'Will you pray for me, Decado?' pleaded the Abbot.

'Why should the Source listen to me if he does not want to listen to you? Pray for yourself, man!'

'Please! Do this for me.'

'All right. But go and rest now.'

Decado watched the old man move away into the darkness. Then he lay back and gazed up at the lightening sky.

As the dawn sun rose in blood, Tenaka Khan stood on the high ground overlooking the plain. With him were one hundred men armed with bows, swords and axes. Only about thirty of them had shields, and these warriors Tenaka placed in the open ground facing the dip into the plain. Mountains towered on either side of the small force, while behind them the Demon's Smile widened on both sides, becoming wood-covered hills.

The men were becoming restless now and Tenaka had no words for them. They moved warily around the Nadir warrior, casting suspicious glances at him; they would fight alongside him, but only because Rayvan had asked it of them.

Tenaka raised a hand to shield his eyes and saw that the Legion were moving. He could make out the sunlight glittering on their spear-points and flashing from their polished breastplates.

After the Dragon, the Legion were the finest fighting men among the Drenai. Tenaka drew his sword and tested the edge with his thumb. Taking a small whetstone, he honed the blade once more.

Galand moved alongside him. 'Good luck, general!' he said.

Tenaka grinned and cast his eyes over his small force. Their faces were set, determined; there was no give in them. For countless centuries men like these had held the Drenai empire together, turning back the greatest armies in the world: the hordes of Ulric, the Immortals of Gorben and the ferocious raiders from Vagria in the Chaos Wars.

Now they stood again to face impossible odds.

The rolling thunder of hooves on the dry plain floated into the mountains, echoing like the drums of doom. To the left of the men with shields Ray-van's son, Lucas, notched an arrow to his bow. Swallowing hard, he wiped a sleeve across his brow; he was sweating heavily — strange how so much moisture could form on his face, while his mouth was so dry. He glanced back at the Nadir general to see him standing calmly with sword in hand, his violet eyes fixed on the charging horsemen. There was no trace of sweat on his brow.

Bastard, thought Lucas. Inhuman bastard!

The horsemen had reached the slope before the Smile and their charge slowed fractionally.

A single arrow soared out to meet them, falling short of the riders by thirty paces.

'Wait until you hear the order,' bellowed Galand, switching his gaze to the impassive Tenaka.

The riders thundered on, lances levelled.

'Now?' asked Galand, as the leading horsemen passed the mark made by the first arrow, Tenaka shook his head.

'Face front!' shouted Galand, as nervous archers craned their necks to see the command given.

The Legion were riding fifty abreast in twenty-five ranks. Tenaka gauged the gap between each rank as around six lengths. It was a well-disciplined charge.

'Now!' he said.

'Give them Hell!' screamed Galand and a hundred arrows flashed into the sunlight. The first line of horsemen disappeared as the shafts hammered home into their mounts. Men were hurled headlong on to the rocks as screaming horses reared and fell. The second line faltered, but the gap between ranks allowed the riders to adjust in time to leap the fallen. But they leapt into a second volley of arrows that killed, crippled or maimed their mounts. As the dazed riders rose to their feet, more shafts flashed death to them, slicing into exposed flesh. But still the charge continued and the horsemen were almost upon them.

With one shaft left, Lucas rose from his knees. A lancer broke the line and Lucas loosed the shaft without aiming. It bounced from the horse's skull, causing the beast to rear in pain, but the rider clung on. Lucas dropped his bow and ran forward, dragging his hunting knife into his hand. He leapt to the beast's back and struck the rider in the chest, but the man threw himself to the right and the combined weight of the two warriors toppled the horse. Lucas landed atop the rider, the fall combining with his weight to bury the blade to the hilt. The man groaned and died; Lucas strained to drag the knife clear, but it was buried too deep. Drawing his sword, he ran at a second lancer.

Tenaka ducked under a stabbing thrust and then leapt at the rider, dragging him from the saddle. A backhand cut to the throat left the man choking on his own blood.

Tenaka clambered into the saddle. The archers had dropped back from the mouth of the pass and were peppering the Legion as they breasted the rise. Men and horses jammed the mouth of the valley. All was chaos. Here and there riders had forced their way through and Skoda warriors armed with swords and axes hacked and hammered at them from the ground.

'Galand!' shouted Tenaka. The black-bearded warrior, fighting alongside his brother, despatched his opponent and turned to the call. Tenaka pointed forward at the mass and Galand waved his sword in acknowledgement.

'To me, Skoda!' he bellowed. 'To me!' With his brother and about twenty warriors, he charged the milling men. The riders dropped their lances, scrabbling for swords as the fighting wedge struck them. Tenaka heeled his horse and charged in to fight alongside them.

For several bloody minutes the battle continued, then a bugle sounded from the plain and the Legion wheeled their mounts and rode from the carnage.

Galand, scalp bleeding from a shallow cut, ran to Tenaka. "They will turn immediately for another charge,' he said. 'We'll not hold them.' Tenaka sheathed his sword. He had lost almost half his force.

Lucas ran alongside. 'Let us get the wounded back,' he pleaded.

'No time!' said Tenaka. 'Take positions — but be ready to run when I give the word.' Kicking his horse forward, he rode to the rise. The Legion had turned at the foot of the slope and were re-forming into lines fifty abreast.

Behind him the Skoda archers were desperately gathering shafts, pulling them clear of bodies. Tenaka lifted his arm, calling them forward, and they obeyed without hesitation.

The bugle sounded once more and the black-cloaked riders surged forward. No lances this time, bright swords shone in their hands. Once more the thunder of charging hooves echoed in the mountains.

At thirty paces Tenaka lifted his arm. 'Now!' he yelled. Hundreds of shafts thudded home. 'Away!' he screamed.

The Skoda warriors turned and ran, sprinting for the transient security of the wooded hills.