StarMan (36 page)

Ignoring the others who crowded the dormitory chambers, StarDrifter touched Azhure's face, his fingers lingering on her cheek. "Where did WolfStar take you? What . . . what has happened to you?"

She was different, and StarDrifter could not quite understand what it was. It was not only her renewed health and vigour; something about her had been fundamentally altered.

Azhure smiled, but she did not answer.

Power, StarDrifter thought. He could see power dancing in the depths of her eyes, and yet he did not recognise it.

"I am well, StarDrifter. I can say no more than that."

And she was at peace with herself, StarDrifter suddenly realised. He had never seen Azhure truly at peace with herself before. As well as power, serenity shone forth from her gaze.

"Ysgryff." Azhure turned from StarDrifter to her uncle. "I have no time to waste. Are the Icarii scouts close?"

Ysgryff nodded, then indicated to one of the Icarii crowding the door of the chamber to fetch them.

"Azhure -" he began, but she waved him into silence.

"I have to rejoin Axis," she said. "Fast. Ysgryff, I need to get to Carlon. Can you have the
Seal Hope
prepared for boarding in the morning?"

He nodded, his blue eyes thoughtful.

"Good. You and I shall leave within two hours for Pirates' Town. Axis is hurt, crippled, and needs me."

There were gasps of horror from those assembled in the room, and Azhure realised that StarDrifter had told no-one about WolfStar's visit or the information he had brought. She stared levelly at StarDrifter.

Should we tell them about WolfStar?

No.StarDrifter shook his head imperceptibly.
Best not.

"A battle," Azhure said briefly to the others, "at the mouth of the Azle, and. Axis lies crippled although he managed to drive back the Skraelings." She spread her hands apologetically. "It is all I know. I'm sorry."

"Can you help him?" FreeFall asked, slipping his arm about EvenSong's waist. Both looked appalled.

Azhure smiled. "Yes, I know I can. Ah, here are the farflight scouts."

Somehow three of the scouts managed to cram into the already crowded chamber. Azhure took a deep breath and spoke to the first. "How fast can you get to the north of Aldeni?"

The birdman shrugged. "It depends on the weather above the Western Ranges, Enchantress. Days, many days, at best."

"Well, do the best you can. I want this message to get through."

"And that message is...?"

"To Axis, or to Belial. Whichever is capable of understanding it." Azhure paused, her eyes steady on the birdman's face. "Tell them that I am coming, and not to commit to any course of action until I reach them."

The scout nodded, and slipped from the room. Azhure turned to the other two. "This is the more important task," she said, her tone low and intense. "This message
must
succeed. Fly to Talon Spike. Tell RavenCrest to evacuate
now. I
want every Icarii male, female and child out of that mountain as soon as it can be accomplished, either into the Avarinheim or even further

south. Listen to me, for this is important. Those who can't fly must not go down the ice paths by the Nordra into the Avarinheim. They will have to go down to the waterways and beg, bribe or coerce the Ferryman to take them souih. Have you got that? Then repeat it."

Azhure waited as the two scouts repeated the message. Stars, she thought dismally, it might take them weeks to get as far as Talon Spike. Weeks.

"Azhure?" FreeFalPs voice cut across her thoughts. "What's going on?"

"Axis' injury is not the only bad news, FreeFall. Gorgrael has Gryphon ..."

EvenSong paled and shuddered. She would never forget the horror of the Gryphon attack on her Wing.

Azhure glanced at EvenSong but continued. "Many more than we thought." Briefly she explained how the Gryphon bred. "The remade dead, fat with child, will birth abomination,",she quoted from the Prophecy, her mouth twisting, "and I fear that Gorgrael will not be able to resist throwing them at Talon Spike."

"The mountain is almost defenceless," EvenSong whispered, and Azhure nodded.

"It is too open, too vulnerable."

FreeFall blanched. As yet the majority of the Icarii were still in Talon Spike. "Pray they get out in time," he said. "Can we do nothing?" asked EvenSong. "Not at the moment," Azhure replied. "Nothing but pray. Once I have got to the north, well, then we'll see." She glanced at the scouts, still waiting by the doorway, their eyes horrified by what they had heard. "Go," she said. "F/y!" and in a heartbeat the scouts had squeezed out the door.
Fly\
StarDrifter stepped forward and touched Azhure's arm. He desperately wanted to speak to her alone and only barely restrained himself from shouting at the others to leave the room. "Azhure, what can I do?"

Azhure turned and hugged him. "You have already done more than you realise, StarDrifter. Stay here.

Ensure that the Temple continues to shine forth. Revere the gods."

Azhure...

I know, StarDrifter. Later. We will speak later.

"And now," she said softly, her eyes shifting to the closed door that led to her private chambers. "I must speak to my children."

The room was quiet and still, and Azhure threw her cloak to one side as she crossed to Caelum asleep on a cot under the window. His eyes were screwed shut as if concentrating on a particularly appealing dream, one fat fist tangled in his black curls, the other lying relaxed and open across his coverlet.

"Caelum," she whispered, and bent down to pick him up.

Mama? Mama! You are well!

Better than I've ever been, Caelum.

Fully awake now, Caelum switched to his speaking voice. "Papa?" he whispered, remembering the events of the previous day.

Azhure laughed, the sound rich and startling in the still chamber. "Papa
lives,
my darling! And your brother and sister have joined us." She glanced over to the twin cribs set carefully to one side of the fire, but she did not move for the moment.

Caelum's eyes widened and he turned his head. "Where?"

Azhure smiled and stroked his cheek, putting off the moment when she would have to walk over to the cribs. "It has been a long night, my love. Your mother has seen and heard many strange things."

Caelum's head twisted back to Azhure and he stared into her eyes. Carefully he raised one hand, although he did not touch her.
Strange things shine in your eyes, Mama.

"And one day," she whispered against his cheek, "I may tell you about them. Now, shall we welcome your brother and sister into the House of the Stars?"

Slowly she walked over to the cribs. She could feel that both babies were awake and waiting. She took a deep angry breath, remembering the pain -
agony —
both had caused her. She had not given birth; they had torn themselves from her.

But she was well now, and perhaps neither expected that. And she was more than just Azhure now, and
certainly
neither would expect that.

She halted by the first crib and looked down, her face expressionless, her eyes composed.

The baby lay on her back. She had kicked back the coverlet and was waving both arms and legs about. She stilled as soon as she saw her mother.

Her daughter, Azhure had always wanted a daughter, hoping to somehow recreate with her the relationship she'd shared with her own mother. But that would never be possible with this baby. Never.

She shifted Caelum to one hip and reached down and touched the baby's cheek softly.

The baby's violet eyes followed her mother's hand; almost twelve hours old, her Icarii eyes could focus in sharp detail, and Azhure knew her mind was as sharp as her eyes.

Despite herself Azhure smiled. The baby's skin was softer than down, the crown of her head covered with tiny golden curls. She had EvenSong's colouring, Azhure saw, and her fingers ran back through her daughter's fine hair.

The baby twisted her head away and Azhure's eyes hardened. She took another deep breath, composed herself, touched her fingers to her own lips, and then laid them on the baby's brow.

"Welcome, RiverStar SunSoar, into the House of the Stars. My name is Azhure, and I am your mother." Azhure halted, biting down the harsh words that threatened. "And I hope that one day we can learn to love each other." There was not much else to say.

RiverStar. StarDrifter had chosen a beautiful name, and a peculiarly peaceful name, for a child who had caused her

parents so much distress. Perhaps he had felt something in the child that was as yet hidden from Azhure. "I hope you will grow into your name, RiverStar," she said briefly, then lowered Caelum so that he could touch his sister's face in greeting.

"Come," she said as she lifted him back into her arms. "There is still your brother."

Azhure had to steady herself before she looked down into the second crib. It was the boy who had generated much of the hostility, who had forced the birth, who had begun the horror and then encouraged his sister in it. She did not know if she could even regard him with equanimity. Even now she could feel resentment rising like a thick cloud from the crib.

Caelum pressed closer into her body, and Azhure smiled briefly at him, loving him for the comfort he gave her.

Then she looked down.

Her second son had WolfStar's colouring. A profusion of dark copper curls covered his head, and his eyes, wide and hostile, were the deepest violet Azhure had yet seen in an Icarii.

DragonStar. Azhure had been rocked by the name StarDrifter had chosen, although, gazing at the boy she knew why. He was powerful, very powerful, and would come into more power. Yet DragonStar was a name that boded only ill.

Caelum trembled, and Azhure hugged him closer. Slowly she lowered her hand into the crib but before she could touch the boy's face he grabbed her forefinger with his own fingers.

Azhure took a quick breath. The boy's fingers squeezed painfully around her own, and his eyes narrowed.

Suddenly Azhure's temper snapped. She had fought long and hard to keep these babies, and if she chose to love Axis despite the wrong he had done her, then that was her business and no-one else's.

"Wretch," she muttered, and sent a wave of stinging rebuke coursing towards the baby.

He let her finger go with a squeak of surprise and, Azhure hoped, a modicum of discomfiture. She placed her fingers on his

brow. "Welcome, DragonStar SunSoar, into the House of Stars. My name is Azhure, and I am your mother...and I am far more than I think you have bargained on. I hope that we may learn to respect and live with each other."

DragonStar stared at her unblinking, and Azhure lifted her fingers. "Caelum?"

Reluctantly Caelum let himself be lowered down to greet his brother, but Azhure could feel his relief as she lifted him back into her arms.

My
poor Caelum, to have such a younger brother to torment you. But you are your father's
heir, and he will have bequeathed you the power to cope with him.

Brothers, she thought, have given Axis nothing but pain and grief, and I hope DragonStar will bring you more joy. She smiled mirthlessly. I hope.

Relieved that her maternal duty was over, Azhure stepped back from the cribs. "Tomorrow we sail for Carlon, Caelum, and from there I will rejoin your father."

Axis. Azhure sat in an easy chair by the fire and thought about Axis as she nursed her son. The GateKeeper had said that Axis had begged and wept to be allowed through the Gate, to be allowed to die. Only his vow made at their marriage, made with the Enchantress' ring - the Circle of Stars - had kept him from the death he craved. Stars! she thought dismally, his injuries must be horrific if they had driven him to the Gate.

And if he yet lives, then how does he manage to bear such death-dealing injuries? Such pain?

Axis!her mind called, but there was nothing.

CommandAxis?" Belial bent down and touched the man's shoulder, then leapt back as Axis started violently. "I'm sorry. I did not realise you were asleep."

Mother, he thought, how can he sleep through such pain?

"Drifting," Axis muttered. "I was just drifting."

Belial sat back on his stool and glanced at Magariz. Arne stood by the closed tent flap, shifting from foot to foot.

No-one knew what to do. How to help. He should be dead, but somehow he would not die. And only in death lay relief from his agony.

Belial rubbed his eyes, still unable to believe what had happened. As the Gryphon had fallen from the sky he had managed to rally those commanders left alive to get their units back in formation and moving back to the east. Arne and Magariz between them had lifted and dragged what they believed to be Axis'

dead body over to Belaguez, hoisted it over the horse's saddle, and joined in the retreat.

Now, some two leagues south-east of the Azle, they had made their camp, expecting attack at any moment. But somehow this had never materialised.

A movement at the tent flap caught Belial's eye and he looked up. Ho'Demi, Sa'Kuya and SpikeFeather TrueSong pushed their way in. He nodded at them, relieved beyond measure to see Sa'Kuya, then spoke to Axis.

"Axis, our supply column has caught up with us and Sa'Kuya is here. Let her tend you."

None had known what to do for Axis beyond bathe his injuries in ice-water, and now Belial hoped that Sa'Kuya could somehow relieve Axis of some of his distress. She slipped quietly to his side.

"StarMan," she said. "I have salve and analgesic tea. Here, drink this first."

Arne helped support Axis' shoulders while Sa'Kuya raised a small cup to his lips. He grimaced, but managed to gulp down some of the tea.

"Good," Sa'Kuya said. "Now, let me rub some of this salve into your burns."

Axis' body jerked as she rubbed the salve as gently as she could over his face, and he could not help but moan.

With each of his muffled cries both Magariz and Belial shuddered in sympathy, and Magariz had to wipe tears away from his eyes. Gods, he prayed, please let him die, for how can I bring home this twisted husk to either Azhure or Rivkah?