Enchanter (77 page)

"I'm sorry," he said vaguely, and he was not sure if he addressed the apology to Faraday or to Axis, or to both of them.

"I'm sorry," he said again, and then turned on his heel and walked out of the chamber, closing the door quietly behind him.

He walked down to the courtyard, mounted the first saddled horse he could find, then rode through Carlon, tears streaking his face.

All who saw him stood back and let him pass.

Once he was past the gates of Carlon, Timozel turned his horse's head north, for already he could feel Gorgrael's grip tightening.

Neither Axis nor Faraday would see Timozel again for a very, very long time.

Tencendor on the Shores of Grail

LakeEight days after killing Borneheld, Axis proclaimed Tencendor in a grand and emotionally charged ceremony on the shores of Grail Lake. It was later than Axis had wanted, but he had underestimated the time that he — that everyone — would need to heal after the war between himself and Borneheld.

Virtually the entire population of Carlon moved to the fields that abutted the eastern shores of the Lake for the ceremony and the celebrations. Mingling with the people of Carlon (and the thousands of other Acharites who had journeyed to the city to see for themselves) were the individual members of Axis' army: Ravensbund men and women, Acharites and Icarii. Most of the Carlonese, never strong followers of the Seneschal, had accepted the presence of the Icarii with little trouble; indeed, they had welcomed the birdmen and women into their markets. Other Acharites - especially those from the rural areas - hung back, unsure, some even sullen, but overall there was surprisingly little fuss made about the presence of the Icarii.

Embeth, feeling slightly lost and overwhelmed by the events surrounding her, and missing Judith (who had elected to remain behind in Tare), had succumbed to StarDrifter's eyes

and insistence and now shared an apartment in the palace with him. Embeth knew their affair would fade and die in the days or weeks ahead, but she desperately needed something, someone, to cling to. Soon, perhaps, she would move back to Tare. There was nothing left for her here. Her two youngest children were now married and lived far to the west; and Timozel... Timozel had vanished. Embeth turned her back on the excited crowd and slowly began to walk back to Carlon.

On the night of the duel, Azhure spent the entire time pacing the eastern shore of Grail Lake, watching the dawn gather, waiting, waiting, waiting. When the golden standard was finally run up the flagpole above the palace, Azhure had broken down and wept, both with relief and with wretchedness, because she knew she had finally lost Axis to Faraday.

Azhure was more than a little bit nervous about today's ceremony. She had not seen Axis since he had rowed off into the night to face Borneheld, although she had heard most of what had happened from Belial. Today she would see him

-and Faraday. She had heard that the woman had spent the past eight days laughing with joy - and why shouldn't she? She had spent those eight days with Axis.

And the problem of her pregnancy increased Azhure's nervousness. Axis had sent word that he wanted Azhure richly dressed today — and in a gown he'd had made for her. Azhure was now moving into her fifth month of pregnancy, and even though Icarii babies were small, this one bulged more than Caelum had at the same stage. Well, Azhure smiled a little bitterly, a gown it would be. She would no longer hide her growing pregnancy behind the armour of tunic and mail.

The rich, dark red material of the gown set off Azhure's pale complexion and blue eyes perfectly, and Imibe threaded tiny seed pearls through Azhure s hair to match the pearls that
had been stitched into the gown. It was a noblewoman's gown, and Azhure stared at her reflection for a long time once Imibe had finished dressing her hair.

She heard a step, and a rose- and gold-brocaded Ysgryff entered to escort Azhure to the ceremony. Over the past eight days no-one had spent more time with Azhure than YsgryfT. He had spent his evenings with her, making her laugh, despite her sad-heartedness, with his stories of life among the Nors capital of Ysbadd and his early years spent sailing with the pirate ships of Pirates' Nest. In those hours when he sensed that Azhure simply needed companionship, Ysgryff would sit quietly, watching the fire crackle, perhaps scratching the head of one of the Alaunt.

Ysgryff complimented Azhure on her appearance, then stared at her belly for a long moment. "If you need anything, Azhure, anything, then ask me," he said, taking her elbow. "Axis is a fool ten-times over that he does not take you for his wife."

"Faraday is so powerful, so magical," Azhure began, but Ysgryff took her by the shoulders and shook her slightly. "There is no-one who can compare to you, Azhure! Axis risks losing his soul if he lets you fade away!"

It was a very strange thing for Ysgryff to say, and Azhure stared at him until Ysgryff's handsome face relaxed into a smile, and he patted her cheek playfully.

"Come, lovely lady," he said lightly. "Great happenings await us at Spiredore."

It was a twenty-minute walk to Spiredore, and Azhure, Caelum in her arms, moved slowly through the throng, Baron Ysgryff at her side. Axis had reserved seats for them at the very front of the crowd. People smiled and ducked their heads as Ysgryff and Azhure moved past them. Both were richly dressed and obviously noble, and the child in the woman's arms radiated such an aura of greatness that many gasped in wonder.

A dais had been erected at the foot of the tower of Spiredore and to its right a group of chairs were set up. Belial, Cazna, Magariz and Rivkah were already there, and they rose to greet Azhure andYsgryff as they approached.

"You look splendid," Rivkah whispered in Azhure s ear.

"I look pregnant," she grumbled back quietly.

Belial kissed her cheek softly in greeting and glanced at her stomach, saying nothing, yet Azhure saw the flash of pain in his eyes.

Ho'Demi and Sa'Kuya arrived, both wrapped in snow-white icebear furs, the very tips of the fur tinted sky blue. Their hair was freshly plaited and greased, and more chips of blue and green glass and bright brass chimes hung among their braids than ever before. They looked splendidly savage with their blue tattooed faces and blood-red suns blazing at all from the centre of their foreheads and they kissed their friends and comrades enthusiastically. All the Ravensbund people had been looking forward to this day for a very long time.

The Sentinels, five now and content, sat to the left of the dais. Jack sat very close to Zeherah, and, although no-one had ever seen them touch, few had any doubts that their relationship was closer than that shared by any of the other Sentinels.

"My friends," called a voice slightly, and then StarDrifter alighted on the grass, followed immediately by EvenSong, FreeFall and FarSight CutSpur. Azhure had heard the tale of how FreeFall had been brought back from the dead in the Chamber of the Moons. EvenSong, shy but obviously excited, had brought FreeFall to talk with Azhure one evening, and Azhure had delighted in the birdman's company. He had been quiet and amusing, and had carried with him an air of such haunting beauty that most who found themselves in his company simply wanted to sit and watch him. Azhure had been no exception.

FreeFall had been so altered by death and reincarnation that the air of mysticism which most Icarii wore was strengthened tenfold in him. He remembered nothing of his time in the Halls of the Dead, and had only the vaguest memory of flying as an eagle. Axis, apparently, had refused to tell anyone of the mysteries he had concluded in the UnderWorld that had seen both FreeFall and Zeherah restored to the living world.

RavenCrest, still in Talon Spike, had received the joyous news of his son's return from the dead several days ago. He had not been able to fly south for the ceremonies to reforge Tencendor, but Azhure hoped that RavenCrest would re-meet his son again as soon as possible.

Azhure turned from regarding FreeFall and EvenSong and looked straight into StarDrifter's level eyes. She stilled at what she saw there. He stepped forward and embraced her, but with a shock Azhure felt his hand suddenly press hard against her belly and felt the light touch of power throb through her for an instant. She drew back silently; this was not the time or the place to make a fuss. And Azhure did not want for a moment to admit to herself the slight thrill of pleasure that both his touch and his power had given her.

"Azhure!" StarDrifter whispered so that only she could hear. "You are a wondrous gift to the SunSoar family! You carry not one but two babes within you. A son, and a daughter. Both will be Enchanters. Ah, Azhure, you are an enchanted woman yourself!" In the entire history of the Icarii race, only twice before had an Icarii woman given birth to twins.

Azhure s eyes widened. Twins! "Thank you, StarDrifter," she murmured and sat down in the chair behind her. What he had done to her was an undoubted intrusion, but both his touch and his words had comforted and strengthened Azhure at a time when she desperately needed both comfort and strength.

StarDrifter sat down beside her, Ysgryff hurrying to take the seat on her other side, and Azhure smiled as she settled Caelum comfortably on her lap. The boy was dressed in a suit of dark red velvet that matched her dress and, with his mop of black curls and blue eyes, looked every bit as striking as his mother.

Another son and a daughter, Azhure thought. Can she do that for him?

She? Caelum's thought intruded into her mind. She? Who is this 'she' who you have thought about so much recently? Is it Faraday?

Pay attention, Caelum. Your father will be here soon.

StarDrifter had caught the exchange and was so stunned he literally rocked on his chair. He stared at Azhure. How did she do that? How? The ability to speak with the mind voice was one shared only by the most powerful of Enchanters -many of the lesser Icarii Enchanters never mastered the ability.

"Axis," Azhure said softly, breaking StarDrifter's thoughts.

A boat had drawn up to the shore and Axis and Faraday were stepping out.

Azhure took a deep breath when she saw Faraday. She looked as wondrous as she had appeared in the vision Azhure had seen at Yuletide when StarDrifter had summoned Faraday to awaken the Earth Tree with him. She was dressed in a cream silk gown, heavily brocaded, its square neckline emphasising her pale breasts and neck. Oh Stars, thought Azhure in despair, she is so beautiful!

Faraday's face, indeed, her whole carriage, exuded happiness and contentment. She walked by Axis, touching his arm now and then, the dress swaying out from her hips slighdy as she walked. Every smile she gave Axis, every step she took by his side, shouted her love for the man.

Axis looked fit and relaxed. He wore the golden tunic, the blood-red sun blazing in the centre of his chest, over the red breeches — now cleaned of any trace of blood. A golden sword swung by his side, and his hair and beard had been trimmed and brushed so that they caught the afternoon sun and glinted almost as gold as the material of his tunic.

The murmur of the tens of thousands gathered behind them grew to a swell of sound as Axis and Faraday approached the dais, and Azhure felt tears spring into her eyes. Faraday was so much the Queen that Azhure suddenly felt small and insignificant.

StarDrifter took her hand. "You are SunSoar as much if not more than Rivkah," he said. "You will always find a home and a welcome among us should you need it."

At the edge of the dais Faraday relinquished Axis' arm as he mounted the platform, moving to sit with the Sentinels.

"Why does she not stand with him?" Azhure asked. She moved Caelum closer to her stomach, delaying the moment when Axis would see her pregnancy.

"Borneheld is only a week dead," Ysgryff answered. "His bones are still to be completely picked clean on the refuse heap."

Beside him Azhure shuddered. As Axis had requested, Borneheld's body had been thrown to rot on the refuse heap and, as dusk fell on the day of his death, Gautier had joined him. Gautier had paid dearly and long for the crucifixion of the three Ravensbundmen in Jervois Landing.

"So it is better that Faraday sit apart from him rather than at his side.

Otherwise people might talk," YsgryfF concluded.

Faraday smiled at the Sentinels as she sat down among them. Then her eyes drifted about the front row of chairs. She caught Rivkah's eye and smiled and nodded. She had enjoyed getting to know Rivkah very much. Both, as former Duchesses of Ichtar, had much in common and many memories to share.

Faraday glanced at StarDrifter. Ah, his knowing eyes were enough to make any woman blush. And who was that striking Nors woman sitting by his side? She held a beautiful child, a boy, in her lap, and she smiled and chatted with Baron Ysgryff and StarDrifter. Faraday frowned a little. Was this the courageous Azhure who she had heard some gossip about? None of the gossip had mentioned a son

- or how beautiful the woman was. A flash of gold at the corner of her vision caught Faraday's attention and all thoughts of the raven-haired woman faded from her mind.

Axis strode to the front of the dais and the crowd hushed. He bowed in the traditional Icarii greeting, turning to include all present. As he turned to the right he looked down at the row of chairs holding his closest friends and allies and smiled. His eyes caught Azhure's and she held her breath, her hands tightening about Caelum.

Axis straightened and faced the crowd. He slowly lifted a hand, his fingers beckoning.

Azhure gasped, as she heard Rivkah do so some few chairs further down.

Both women recognised the gesture instantly. StarDrifter had used it to Rivkah and Azhure in his efforts to seduce both of them, and Axis had used it to Azhure, both at Beltide in the groves and on the rooftop of Sigholt after he had returned from the UnderWorld.

But now Axis was intent on seducing an entire nation, and from the intakes of breath that Azhure could hear behind her, she guessed he was doing a reasonable job of it.

"My people," he said simply, and his voice carried over the mass of people that stretched almost the entire way around the eastern and southern shores of Grail Lake. Enchantments Axis might have used to make his voice, and perhaps even the sight of him, carry about the crowd, but StarDrifter realised that those were the only enchantments that Axis was using. As with his success in the Icarii Assembly, Axis intended to reforge Tencendor using the sheer force of his personality.