Fire Bringer (22 page)

After just a few suns new antlers began to rise again on the stags’ heads, furred with soft, downy velvet. On the royals they grew like stunted twigs, their points rounded at first, and then, as the moons turned, the branches arced and the tines became sharper and sharper as they flowered above them. This was the time when the stags would normally have begun to box playfully, not being able to test the strength in their antlers. But the deer’s natural exuberance found no outlet, except in the training camps of the Draila and their endless forced marches. The flowers grew too and the deer began to moult, their coats turning back to a fine, fiery red. The calving began and the herd was blessed with new life, if a blessing you could call it, for many of the hinds hated their Draila mates and feared for their fawns.

As the sun burnt down the stags came out of velvet and their antlers began to peel so that, for several suns, many a stag walked through the valley with bloody tatters of torn velvet hanging like ribbons from their heads. They rubbed their tines on trees and branches and soon the strong new spikes were clean again. All the while, Sgorr seemed to be waiting for something. It was a burning hot day when a stranger appeared in the valley. The stag asked to see Sgorr and Sgorr had obviously been expecting him for the Draila immediately escorted him into his presence.

Narl was sitting down, ruminating thoughtfully by the stream after a tiring morning lecturing to the Drailing, when a Draila brought word that Sgorr had summoned him to the Home Oak. When he arrived he found Sgorr with Drail and Eloin.

‘Ah, Narl, good. I wanted you here,’ said Sgorr as the stag arrived. ‘There is much to do.’

Narl’s master had grown in confidence and authority in front of Drail and Narl suddenly thought that Drail looked terribly old and fragile.

‘What is it now, Sgorr?’ said Drail almost disinterestedly, gazing across the valley.

‘Splendid news, Lord. From the north.’ Drail stirred and looked up slowly.

‘Well then, tell me. I could do with some good news.’

‘Tharn,’ said Sgorr, ‘the Lord above the Loch. He’s been overthrown. He died on the antlers of his own Outriders.’

‘Overthrown. But how?’

‘By the deer who I have had dealings with. His name is Colquhar.’

‘Will he do homage?’ asked Drail, suddenly more interested.

‘Indeed.’ Sgorr nodded, looking away.

‘Then where is he?’

Sgorr paused and measured his words.

‘He’s agreed to meet you, Lord, but not here. He would make the whole journey,’ Sgorr went on slyly, ‘but he is fearful of leaving his own herd for too long, in case of a revolt. So I took the liberty of arranging a meeting place.’

‘Where?’ said Drail almost angrily.

‘By the gully where the Draila lost Rannoch and the others.’

Sgorr was delighted that the mention of Rannoch made

Drail drop his eyes. The lord shook his antlers.

‘But that means. . .’ said Drail fearfully, looking beyond the hills, ‘that means going out there.’

‘Don’t worry, Lord,’ said Sgorr, smiling as he came close to Drail.’Narl and I will make sure you are well protected.’

Drail looked about him helplessly.

‘But I can’t leave Eloin and the herd,’ he said weakly.

‘Eloin will come with us, won’t you, my dear?’ said Sgorr, swinging round to face the hind. ’To look after your lord.’

‘But he is out there,’ said Drail suddenly and his voice was almost pleading, ‘somewhere.’

‘Yes. But he is still young and can do nothing to harm you. Just think of it. When Colquhar pays you homage, you will truly be Lord of Herds, for then none can oppose you in the Low Lands. All the Herla shall be yours, prophecy or no prophecy.’

Drail looked up meekly at Eloin.

‘I suppose you are right,’ he muttered. ‘But if we are to go we must hurry. And I want your best Draila with me at all times. Do you understand me? At all times.’

‘Yes, Lord, of course,’ said Sgorr, looking towards Narl. His single eye was glittering furiously.

The party set off the very next morning. Drail, Eloin, Sgorr and Narl were escorted by ten Draila stags that Sgorr had picked especially for the purpose. They travelled as quickly as they could, allowing for their leader’s limping gait. Once they left the protection of the home valley Drail became very nervous and Sgorr made a point of mentioning the Prophecy at every turn. So when, after five suns, they reached the wood where Rannoch had first met Crak, Drail was at his nerves’ end.

Evening was coming in as they began to rise towards the gully, the gathering twilight casting gloomy shadows through the trees. Drail was especially jumpy now and at every unfamiliar sound, a broken twig or a bird breaking from the undergrowth, the old stag started nervously. All the while Drail wanted to hang back to browse but Sgorr kept insisting they should hurry to meet Colquhar. After a while the deer heard a low, booming grumble. It was the river and now Sgorr pulled up the Draila.

‘I think it’s best we leave the escort here to protect our backs,’ he said quietly, ‘while we four go on ahead. You, me, Narl and Eloin.’

Drail looked fearfully at Sgorr but in the state he was in he would have done almost anything Sgorr told him.

‘Colquhar is proud,’ Sgorr went on, ‘and he will not thank you for forcing him to do homage in front of so many stags.’ They pushed on through the trees, leaving the Draila stags on guard behind them. Drail’s heart was pounding as they broke the cover of the trees and the great ravine plunged before them towards the craggy river. They were standing on the very spot where Crak had told Rannoch about the bridge and, as Drail stepped towards the ravine, he looked around nervously, expecting to see other stags at any moment. But to his surprise there was no one there. No one at all. Just the bare earth and the thundering chasm.

‘Well,’ he said as he looked down into the void, his voice wrestling with the sound of water, ‘where is he?’

‘Colquhar?’ Sgorr smiled coldly, stepping up behind Drail as he stood by the drop. ’Colquhar is not coming, Drail.’

‘What?’ cried Drail, wheeling round. ‘What do you mean not coming?’

‘Exactly what I say.’

Eloin and Narl looked quizzically at each other.

‘But what of his homage?’

‘He will do homage,’ said Sgorr slowly, ‘all in good time. But first, in order to get him to. . . to abandon Tharn, I had to let him believe that he could keep his herd much as it is, with the Outriders still in place. He is probably with them now.’

‘With the Outriders still in place?’ said Drail. ’Then why have you brought me here? I don’t understand.’

‘No, Drail, you never have,’ said Sgorr. ’But rest assured that one day Colquhar will submit.’

‘So when may I expect his homage?’

‘Not to you, Drail,’ snorted Sgorr contemptuously, ‘but to me and to the Sgorrla.’

Drail looked at Sgorr with horror as he began to understand what Sgorr was saying.

‘Sgorr!’ he cried.’Traitor. . .’

‘Don’t think of it as a betrayal,’ sneered Sgorr.’Think of it more as breaking ranks. How could you ever expect a deer like myself to remain loyal to a vain, foolish, superstitious soft-foot like you? You must admit it would be the height of stupidity. To follow a deer who is frightened of a prophecy.’

‘But the Prophecy,’ whispered Drail.’You believe in the Prophecy?’

‘No, Drail, I have never believed in the Prophecy. Nor in Herne. I thought I could work with you when I found a deer who wanted to drive out Anlach and the spirit of Herne. But that’s the difference between you and me. I wanted to drive Herne away because I do not believe in him. I believe that the Herla must serve intelligence and reason. Serve me in fact. Across the Great Land. But you would change the old laws because you believe them and fear them. You are a fool, Drail.’

‘Swine,’ spat Drail furiously. For the first time anger and something of his old courage were rising in him.

‘Incidentally,’ said Sgorr calmly, ‘since you are so interested in the Prophecy, there is more news from the herd above the Loch. Rannoch and the hinds arrived there the winter before last.’

Eloin, who had been listening in horrified amazement, began to shake violently but Drail stood stock-still. His mind was suddenly on fire. The monumental nature of Sgorr’s betrayal and the sudden talk of the Prophecy made his head reel, but the image of a fawn’s face had just leapt into his mind.

‘The mark,’ he whispered in a strangled voice.’The mark.’

‘Still a victim of your own fears,’ said Sgorr contemptuously.

‘I’ll go away,’ muttered Drail. ’Yes. Go far away and hide myself in the High Land. Hide from His wrath.’

‘And getting it wrong to the last.’

Drail looked up. His eyes were misty with confusion but now he saw the hate in Sgorr’s eye and with it he spied his own fate.

‘Yes, Drail,’ cried Sgorr, his words echoing through the wide ravine. ‘I am here to free the Herla from lies.’

Sgorr suddenly leapt forward. He gave Drail a violent buffet to his flank and the old deer was hurled backwards. Drail’s hoofs scrambled on the edge of the ravine but found no foothold. They touched air, and with one last bellow of confusion, Drail fell into the void, his body and his antlers spinning above the spray, falling past the grey stone, crashing onto the rocks below.

The three deer stood there silently in the thickening dark, looking down on the broken stag as the air howled around their heads. At last Sgorr spoke again, calmly and with a ring of amusement.

‘Now that’s finished, Narl, we can get to work.’

Narl looked at him in bewilderment.’You will work for

Colquhar’s submission?’ he muttered.

‘Narl,’ said Sgorr, smiling, ‘you really must learn to be more imaginative, more ambitious.’

‘But what is more ambitious than to be Lord of Herds?’

‘To be Lord of all the Great Land, of course. To subdue both the Low and the High Land. To bring all the herds together, not in homage, but as one, serving my will. To unite the Herla. To bring even the Clovar under my dominion.’

Sgorr’s voice seemed to have grown in power and strength as his words echoed back and forth across the ancient ravine. Narl looked back at him in amazed admiration.

‘Then we will see,’ cried Sgorr triumphantly, ‘when the Great Herd is mine and order is brought to the Herla. When they are taught to serve reason. To break free from their instincts which make them nothing but weaklings.’

Narl feared to speak.

‘But go, Narl,’ said Sgorr suddenly, coming out of his reverie. ‘Tell the Drai. . . No, tell the Sgorrla that we are coming. When you get back to the herd you will have much work.’

‘In the herd?’

‘Yes, Narl. There were those two calves last summer for a start. Then there are many others.’

Narl and Eloin both blinked at Sgorr.

‘That’s right, Narl, you must get to work removing the last traces of Drail’s bloodline. Now, leave me. I want to talk to Eloin.’

Narl nodded and turned away, but Sgorr pulled him up again.

‘Narl, there is just one other thing,’ he whispered. ‘We can also expect visitors. Colquhar is not quite won over to our cause, but he did agree to one concession, in return for my support. He has agreed to hand back our hinds and their calves. We must prepare them a special welcome.’

As Eloin heard this and Narl backed away, she spoke for the first time, her voice shaking with anger and fear.

‘You won’t harm him, Sgorr,’ she hissed, ‘or any of them.’

‘Is that a threat, my dear?’ said Sgorr, pleased that this last piece of news had had exactly the effect he had anticipated.

‘Yes, Sgorr, it’s a threat,’ said Eloin, ‘by Herne and by all the strength in my blood.’

Even Sgorr shivered a little at her tone, though the sensation gave him a strange pleasure.

‘Well, that is up to you, my dear, isn’t it?’ he said, ‘and how much you do to please me. And it’s right you should talk of blood, for soon our bloodline will be flowing through the herd.’

Eloin’s bold eyes flashed.

‘Is there nothing you won’t do, Sgorr? Nothing you fear?’

‘Nothing,’ answered Sgorr coldly, ‘except stupidity.’

‘Then it is you that is the fool, Sgorr. And one day you shall learn that. When the Prophecy is fulfilled.’

‘Not you as well,’ said Sgorr, almost yawning and shaking his head. ‘I had expected better from you.’

‘Why won’t you believe it?’ said Eloin. ’On his brow a leaf of oaken, changeling child shall be his fate.’

‘Yes, yes, I know all that,’ cried Sgorr irritably, ‘and no doubt one day Herne himself will come down, carrying Starbuck in his antlers, to tell us all we’ve been naughty little Herla.’

‘You can mock, Sgorr,’ spat Eloin, ‘but don’t you see? It’s all coming true.’

‘I admit that parts of it have provided some useful coincidences, very useful indeed. But anyway, it doesn’t matter now. Because I know the rest of it isn’t true.’

Eloin suddenly lifted her head to Sgorr’s eye. The certainty in his voice had struck a warning note.

‘You know?’ she whispered.

‘Oh yes. You see there is just one minor thing that I neglected to tell you about Colquhar’s news. Rannoch can never do me any harm, fawn mark or no.’

Eloin’s voice was faint above the sound of water, her words as strangled as Drail’s had been.

‘Why not?’ she said, trembling.

‘Because, my dear,’ said Sgorr, gazing out over the fearful abyss, ‘Rannoch was torn to shreds by dogs above the loch. He is dead, Eloin, dead.’

9 Escape

‘Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful.’ Alfred Lord Tennyson, ‘The Coming of Arthur’

‘Call yourself an Outrider?’ cried Alyth furiously as the stag beside her gave her another buffet with his antlers. ‘You’re nothing but Draila filth.’

‘It’s orders, that’s all,’ answered the stag a little guiltily.

‘Anyway they’re called the Sgorrla now and I’ve nothing to do with those scum. Be quiet and keep moving.’

Alyth glared at the stag but it was clear he was in no mood to argue and the hind ran on towards her friends. Shira, Canisp, Fern and Bracken were ahead of her now, flanked by ten Outriders. The hinds were both nervous and tired for they hadn’t rested in several suns, and the stags, ashamed of what Colquhar had asked them to do but too proud to admit they were in the wrong, had been foul-tempered ever since the party had set off from the loch. They had taken out their resentment on their charges.