Enchanter (61 page)

"Perhaps some eight thousand, maybe nine thousand, in strength ..."

"Mounted men," the other scout broke in. "Fully armoured, both riders and horses. Equipped with lances, pikes, swords. They stand like a wall of steel, waiting for you to emerge from the Barrows." "Who?" Axis asked sharply.

The two scouts described the pennants that the army flew, and Axis glanced at Belial and Magariz to his side.

"Barons Ysgryff of Nor and Greville of Tarantaise," Magariz said. "Borneheld must have positioned them there to delay our passage across Tarantaise and the Plains of Tare."

Axis nodded and sat back in his saddle. Nine thousand men? Axis' force now numbered over twenty-two thousand, but a heavily armoured force of nine thousand would be more than a nuisance. This time, he thought bleakly, I'll have no choice but to use the Icarii Strike Force.

"Most of the men must be from Nor," Magariz continued. "Greville's Tarantaise is so sparsely populated he would struggle to raise a hunting party, let alone an army. Nor, on the other hand ..."

"Is one of the most densely populated regions of Achar," Axis said slowly, continuing Magariz's train of thought. "Ysgryff has decided to put aside his dancing boys, it seems, and take up the arts of war." Well, at least he had finally come to Borneheld's aid, Axis thought sourly. Borneheld could have used those men a lot sooner.

Azhure had ridden up to the group as Magariz and Axis had been talking. An army of Nors men awaiting the other side of the Ancient Barrows? They would be her mother's people, the people who had bequeathed Azhure her exotic face and hair. She felt suddenly queasy.

"We camp a half a league out of the Barrows," Axis said quietly, "and prepare for batde on the morrow."

But on the morrow, as they advanced towards the Barrows, Axis called the column to a halt, surprised. A single horseman rode slowly out of the Barrows, and as the figure drew closer Axis could see that it was not a man at all, but a woman, riding graceful side-saddle.

"By all the gods," Axis muttered, stunned, as the woman drew closer. It was Embeth, Lady of Tare.

She reined her horse in a few paces away and she and Axis stared at each other. They'd been lovers once, and friends for longer. As he stared at her, Axis realised how close he was to a final confrontation with Borneheld. Carlon lay just weeks away...beyond the army on the other side of the Barrows. Embeth finally smiled. It had been almost two years since she'd seen Axis. Two years, she thought, and look what changes those years have wrought.

The horse was the same, and the blond hair and the beard, but so much else seemed to have changed. His eyes were colder, harder, older. The black of the BattleAxe was gone, as were the twin crossed axes. Now he dressed in a fawn tunic and breeches, a blood-red sun blazing across his chest, a cloak of the same shade draped about his shoulders. He had ridden out of her life across Tarantaise, and now he would ride back into it from out of the dawning sun.

Her smile faltered slightly. The sight of Axis reawoke many emotions she had thought dead. "Axis. It is good to see you." Axis nodded, his eyes boring into Embeth's deep blue ones. "And good to see you, Embeth. But a surprise."

"Nor and Tarantaise await beyond the Barrows," Embeth said, her voice, gratefully, remaining steady and cool.

"I know."

"Yes. We saw your, ah ..." How was she to refer to the strange and hauntingly lovely creatures she had seen in the sky yesterday?

"They are Icarii, Embeth. You saw some of the Icarii farflight scouts yesterday."

Embeth considered that for a moment. Faraday had told her much about Axis' heritage, but until now it had never really sunk in. "Yes," she repeated. "We saw some of your Icarii farflight scouts yesterday."

"We?" Axis said softly. "Do you ride with Nor and Tarantaise against me?"

Embeth sensed the danger seeping across the space between them. "I ride with Nor and Tarantaise, Axis, but we ride to join you, not oppose you."

Axis was so stunned his mouth hung open until he recovered and closed it with a snap.

"Of course," Embeth continued, her voice deep with amusement, "both Baron Ysgryff and Baron Greville have some conditions."

Axis' mouth twisted wryly. "Why am I not surprised to hear that?"

"I rode out alone because we felt that you were less likely to send an arrow through me than if either Ysgryff or Greville rode out. Will you meet with them?"

"Belial, Magariz, what do you think?" Axis asked. "Should meet with these two Barons, or should I decide that it's a trap and attack anyway?"

"I would not trap you," Embeth retorted. "We have meant too much to each other for me to do that."

A black-haired Nors woman suddenly rode up, accompanied by the most extraordinary man Embeth had ever seen. He had blue lines tattooed across his face, a red blazing sun in the centre of his forehead, and rode the ugliest horse this side of the gates of the AfterLife. Embeth glanced again at the
woman. Only the fact that she carried a bow slung across her shoulder made her reconsider her first thought that she must be one of the Nors whores who inevitably attached themselves to wandering armies.

"We have no choice," Belial said after a pause. What would those two women find to say to each other? "We parley. I admit I'm tempted by the thought of nine thousand heavily armoured horsemen."

Axis nodded. "Magariz?"

"I concur," Magariz replied. "I find myself grateful that Nor and Tarantaise wait to talk rather than fight." As with most of Axis' army, he had spent an unsettled night, tossing and turning in his sleeping roll. Magariz was a trained man of war, but even so, he disliked the idea of fighting against men he had once called friends. He knew that many within Axis' force felt the same. They would fight, but it would be hard and dispiriting.

Axis nodded. "Ho'Demi?"

Embeth swung her eyes to the blue-lined savage. Was he a Ravensbundman?

"I will brew and serve the Tekawai tea myself," he said solemnly. "Tekawai is a sacred drink vital to the success of any parley."

"I shall look forward to sipping Tekawai with you and with my potential allies," Axis replied, and looked at Azhure. "Well, Azhure-heart? Do you agree with your fellow commanders?"

The use of the endearment surprised everyone present. Axis' personal relationship with Azhure normally never intruded upon their relationship as army commander and subordinate. Axis used the endearment deliberately to inform Embeth of the relationship between Azhure and himself, and to let all know that he was not going to hide his love for Azhure. She would stand by his side, both as a respected commander in her own right and as his Lover.

Embeth was stunned. Lover and commander in his army? Axis turned his cold stare back her way, watching her reaction. Drawing on all her experience as a lady of court, Embeth calmed her face and squared her shoulders. Damn him!

What about Faraday?

"I have no desire to fight if I do not have to," Azhure said, hiding the turmoil in her own heart. He had acknowledged her in front of this woman and her fellow commanders! "I say we parley."

"Then we parley," Axis said to Embeth. He straightened in the saddle. "We meet in the cleared space of the Ancient Barrows."

"They already await you there," Embeth replied, her eyes drifting back to the woman. She had not thought Axis' tastes to run to Nors women, at least not to the extent that he would publicly acknowledge this one. Well, Embeth had heard tales of the abilities of Nors women and she supposed this one must be better than most. Without another word she swung her horse around and dug her heel into its flank.

They met that afternoon within the semicircle of Icarii tombs. The waiting army had erected a huge tent in the centre of the space, a gaudy arrangement of multicoloured layers and silken tassels. A typical piece of Nors finery, Axis thought as he reined Belaguez to a halt before it, but he heard Ho'Demi sigh in admiration. He had brought a number of both Acharite and Ravensbundmen with him and, as he dismounted, StarDrifter, FarSight CutSpur and EvenSong lifted down from the sky, to the astonished whispers of the Nors and Tarantaise men present.

"We will save your Tekawai for later," Axis murmured to the Ravensbund chief as they entered the tent. "Perhaps we can celebrate a new alliance with it this evening."

The interior of the tent was cool and dim, and Axis had to blink several times to adjust his vision. YsgryfF, dark and handsome and some fifteen years older than Axis, stood to one side in a silken brocade tunic and breeches. Well, at least he's not dressed for war, Axis thought as he bowed slightly. Greville stood by YsgryfF's left hand, a man approaching old age, paunchy and sallow-skinned, but with clear blue eyes that missed nothing. He matched Axis' bow with exactly the same degree of coolness Axis had afforded him. Embeth stood a little further into the tent, together with what Axis guessed by their attire to be several of the Barons' military commanders.

As Axis stepped further in a woman emerged from the shadows at the back of the tent. She was frail and ethereal, with light golden hair and porcelain skin.

She wore a gown stiff and black with mourning.

"Judith!" Axis bowed with a little more respect this time. Were Nor and Tarantaise the two whom Judith had intimated in her letter would turn to Axis'

cause?

"Axis." She smiled coolly, inclining her head.

Baron YsgryfF stepped forward. Ye gods, but Axis looked the part, he thought, noting the tunic and cloak admiringly. His eyes caught those of the dark-haired woman at Axis' back and YsgryfF smiled and winked at her. Well!

The man had taste. His countrywoman, no less! YsgryfF stared at her a moment longer. Why did her face seem familiar? Why did her eyes recall so many memories of his childhood? So much laughter?

"Axis," he said smoothly, turning away from the Nors woman and running his eyes curiously over the Icarii. He had never thought to see the Icarii before he died - and one of them an Enchanter! "Please, be seated." YsgryfF waved at cushions spread about the canvas floor of the tent, and the group spent a minute or two settling themselves comfortably.

"So," Axis finally said. "You have come to join with my cause."

"Well," YsgryfF said. "Perhaps that is taking it a little too far, Axis. We have come to, ah, negotiate. Let me be frank

with you. Greville and I have no wish to back the loser in this conflict between you and your brother. Judith has persuaded us that yours is the cause not only most just, but most likely to succeed."

There lay the nub of the matter, Axis thought wryly. Justness had little to do with it. Ysgryff merely wanted to make sure he backed the winner.

"So," Ysgryff continued. "I wonder what you could offer Greville and myself should we decide to ally ourselves with your cause."

Axis stared at him coldly. "Apart from your lives?" Ysgryff rocked back, angered by Axis' words. "Our lives? You go too far, Axis!"

"Perhaps you have not heard of Earl Burdel's fate, Ysgryff. Burdel thought to oppose me. This is what happened to him." Axis waved his hand, and an image formed in the space between them of Burdel, his sons to either side of him, hung naked and dying on the cross outside Arcen.

Ysgryff paled, not only at the sight of Burdel's death, but also at the evidence of Axis' power.

"Think not that I conjure lies, Ysgryff," Axis said softly. "I am sure you have contacts who can confirm the truth of what you have just witnessed."

"You broke Arcen?" Ysgryff asked. His fingers toyed with the tassels of his cushion. Axis was stronger than he had realised. Well, that was nothing but good. He, as so many others, had waited a long, long time for this moment and this man.

"Arcen ceded itself to me without a fight, Ysgryff. Skarabost and Arcness are mine. If you force me to ride through your shiny soldiers behind you then I will do it. You may delay me a few days, but that is all you will do." Axis' tone hardened. "I have not come here to bargain with you, Ysgryff, Greville. I have come simply to accept your aid. It is your decision whether to ride with me or against me."

Ysgryff dropped his eyes, but Greville stared at Axis. He had expected Axis to fall over himself with gratitude that he andYsgryff had offered to parley with him. He had expected to wring considerable concessions out of the man —

perhaps trade concessions, perhaps even more territory for the two of them to divide between themselves. They had not counted on the self-confidence of the man, nor on his undoubted power. Already Icarii and Ravensbund rode with him.

And if Axis could seize Skarabost and Arcness then he would undoubtedly be able to seize both Tarantaise and Nor.

"Gentlemen," Judith said softly into the silence as Greville joinedYsgryff in dropping his eyes to the floor. "I have some information that may make the decision easier." She and Embeth had not yet told anyone save Faraday of Priam's death-bed wish, nor, indeed, had they told anyone of what they suspected about his death. "I have no proof, but I believe Priam was murdered, probably by Borneheld in concert with the Seneschal."

Eyes about the room widened and breathing stilled. Borneheld had murdered his uncle? Axis was the least surprised. He had seen Borneheld murder FreeFall.

"As he died, Axis," Judith took a breath, "Priam named you his heir. Axis, you have a rightful claim to the throne of Achar, and I will be prepared to swear to the truth of that statement on any sacred relic presented to me."

"Axis," said Embeth. "You are the rightful King of Achar. It is Borneheld who is the pretender. Not only pretender, but murderer. The present Queen, Faraday, will also be prepared to swear that Borneheld murdered Priam."

If Judith had thought Axis would be gratified that Priam had finally recognised him, she was as disillusioned as Greville.

"Priam refused to acknowledge me for thirty years," Axis said harshly. "He left it late indeed to acknowledge my worth and my blood. And for that he paid the price."

Judith bowed her head. Axis had a right to be bitter.

"Nevertheless," Axis continued in a softer tone. "I thank you for your words and for your support here today. I grieve for you that you had to lose your husband in such a cruel manner." Axis knew that Priam and Judith had loved each other, and now was no time to tell Judith that Axis would have as cheerfully waged war on Priam if he had obstructed his purpose as he was now doing on Borneheld.