David Gemmell: The King Beyond the Gate

'No!' he screamed and fell forward on his face. With one blow Tenaka severed the head. Gripping it by the hair, he walked out into the open and mounted his horse. Kicking the steed into a gallop, he rode to the wall where the Legion waited. On the plain every Legion soldier had been slain and the Nadir massed behind the Khan waiting for the order to attack.

Tenaka lifted the bloody head.

'This is your emperor! Lay down your arms and not one man will be slain.'

A burly officer leaned on the wall. 'Why should we trust your word, Nadir?'

'Because it is the word of Tenaka Khan. If there are any Joinings alive beyond that wall, kill them. Do it now if you want to live.'

Within the hospital building Rayvan, Lake and Valtaya struggled to break the lance pinning Ananais to the dead Joining. Thorn limped into the room, bleeding from a wound in the side.

'Get out of the way,' he said, taking up a fallen axe. With one blow he smashed the shaft. 'Now pull him off it.' With great care they eased Ananais from the spear and carried him to a bed where Valtaya plugged the wounds in his chest and back.

'Live, Ananais,' said Rayvan. 'Please live\'

Lake exchanged glances with Thorn.

Valtaya sat down beside Ananais and held his hand. The warrior's eyes opened and he whispered something, but no one could make out the words. Tears formed in Ananais' eyes, and he seemed to be staring beyond them. He made an effort to sit, but sagged back. Rayvan turned.

Tenaka Khan stood in the doorway. He came to the bed and leaned over the warrior, placing the mask carefully over his face. Rayvan moved aside as Ananais tried to speak and Tenaka leaned in close.

'Knew. . you. . would. . come.'

'Yes, my brother. I came.'

'All. . finished. . now.'

'Ceska is dead. The land is free. You won, Ani! You held. As I knew you would hold. In the spring I will take you to visit the Steppes. I will show you some sights: Ulric's tomb, the Valley of Angels. Anything you would like.'

'No. No… lies.'

'No,' said Tenaka helplessly. 'No lies. Why, Ani? Why do you have to die on me?'

'Better. . dead. No bitterness. No anger. Not much… of a hero now.'

Tenaka's throat seemed to swell and tears fell freely, splashing on the ruined leather mask. Ananais closed his eyes.

'Ani!'

Valtaya lifted his arm, feeling for a pulse. She shook her head. Tenaka stood, his face a mask of fury.

'You!' he stormed, pointing at Rayvan, his arm sweeping to take in the others. 'You miserable scum! He was worth a thousand of you.'

'Maybe he was, general,' agreed Rayvan. 'And where does that leave you?'

'In control,' he said, striding from the room.

Outside Gitasi, Subodai and Ingis waited with more than a thousand Nadir warriors. The Legion had been disarmed.

Suddenly a bugle sounded from the west and all heads turned. The warrior Turs and five hundred Skoda men came marching into the valley, followed by ten thousand Legion warriors, heavily armed and marching in fighting formation. Rayvan pushed past the Khan and ran to Turs.

'What happened?' she asked.

Turs grinned. 'The Legion mutinied and joined us. We came as fast as we could.' The young warrior looked around at the bodies littering the ramparts and the ground beyond.

'I see Tenaka was true to his word.'

'I hope so,' said Rayvan. Drawing herself upright, she walked back to Tenaka.

'My thanks, general, for your assistance,' she said formally. 'I want you to know that the entire Drenai nation will echo my words. I would like to offer you the hospitality of Dros Delnoch for a little while. While you are there, I shall journey to Drenan to gather a token of our appreciation. How many men did you bring?'

'Forty thousand, Rayvan,' he answered, smiling bleakly.

'Would ten gold Raq a head be acceptable as a token of our thanks?'

'It would indeed!'

'Walk with me a little way,' she said, and led him into the woods beyond the walls.

'Can I still trust you, Tenaka?' she asked.

He gazed about him. 'What is to stop me taking this land?'

'Ananais,' she said simply.

He nodded solemnly. 'You are right — it would be a betrayal at this time. Send the gold to Delnoch and I will leave for the north. But I will be back, Rayvan. The Nadir also have a destiny to fulfil.'

He turned to leave.

Tenaka?'

'Yes?'

'Thank you for all you have done. I mean that.'

He smiled and a flash of the old Tenaka returned. 'Go back to your farm, Rayvan. Enjoy life — you have earned it.'

'You don't think politics would suit me?'

'It would suit you too well — I just don't want you for an enemy.'

'Time will tell,' she said.

She watched him return to his men.

Alone now, Rayvan bowed her head.

And wept for the dead.

Rayvan's rule was a popular one and the Drenai soon forgot the years of Ceska's terror. The machines at Graven were destroyed. Lake re-formed the Dragon, proving himself a skilled and charismatic general. Scaler married Ravenna, Rayvan's daughter, and took up his position as Earl of Dros Delnoch, Warden of the North.

Tenaka Khan fought many civil wars, absorbing each defeated tribe into his own army. Renya bore him three sons.

Ten years to the month after Ceska's defeat, Renya died in childbirth. Tenaka Khan gathered his army around him and rode south to Dros Delnoch.

Scaler, Lake and Ray van were waiting for him.

And the gates were closed.