StarMan (68 page)

"A rout," Axis said softly. "Ah, here's SpikeFeather and Ho'Demi. My friends, today Azhure fights with us and whatever victory we glean will be at her hands. Azhure, will you speak?"

Azhure smiled at him, then turned to the other commanders. "Gentlemen, there are only two tasks to be accomplished today - to rid the skies of Gryphon, and to rid the land of Gorgrael's ice creatures, the Skraelings foremost among them. Simple."

"Simple, Enchantress?" SpikeFeather raised his eyebrows. He was an imposing sight in the early light, his wings again dyed black, his dark red hair and feathers slicked back down his neck, his black eyes snapping with determination. "Simple? There are hundreds of thousands of Skraelings who wait for us.

And the Gryphon, well, we do not even know where the cursed Gryphon are."

"SpikeFeather." Azhure's voice was heavy with sorrow, and she stepped forward to rest a hand on his arm. "Even now the Gryphon are massing on the rocks of Gorken Pass. They flew in during the night.

. . from Talon Spike."

SpikeFeather gave a low cry and turned away. When he had composed himself, he looked Azhure in the face again. "Enchantress, this I swear," he said. "Every member of the Strike Force will kill two of the creatures before we die ourselves. For RavenCrest's and BrightFeather's deaths, as all those of their fellows
and
of so many of the Strike Force, I pledge to you the Strike Force will do you proud today!"

"Oh," Azhure said, "I
know
you will do me proud. Here."

She lifted the quiver of arrows from her back, pressing it into SpikeFeather's hands. "SpikeFeather, do you remember these arrows?"

Puzzled, SpikeFeather nevertheless smiled with the memory. "Yes, Enchantress, I do. I did not believe you would be able to use the Wolven, which I had flaunted before you, and I wagered ownership of the bow itself and a quiverful of arrows fashioned with my own hands and fletched with feathers from my own wings if you managed to use it."

"And I demanded that you dye the feathers as blue as my eyes," Azhure laughed. "Well, all know the result, and now you hold the quiverful of arrows that you fashioned so long ago. SpikeFeather, tell the members of the Strike Force that they will not need their weapons today. Instead, take this quiver and distribute an arrow to each member."

"But there aren't enough for more than three Wings -"

Azhure placed her hands over his. "SpikeFeather, I think you will find there are exactly enough arrows in this quiver for all the members of the Strike Force, and one left for me."

Captured by the expression in her eyes and the warmth of her hands, SpikeFeather nodded. "As you order, Enchantress."

"And when we step out onto the field of battle, SpikeFeather," she said, "the Icarii will have some measure of revenge for the hurt the Gryphon have done your people."

SpikeFeather took a deep breath. "Good."

Axis, shifting Caelum to one hip, motioned at the fire. "Will someone stoke that fire for me? I have not yet breakfasted, and I not want to do so before cold ashes."

"But, Axis," Magariz began, then suddenly found himself encumbered with Caelum.

"Here, Magariz, your task today will be to play nursemaid, for Azhure and I wish that our son ride at the forefront of the

force. Besides, Magariz, you shall shortly have your own son to bounce on your knee, and you need the practice."

"Axis!" Belial said. "
Will
you tell us what it is that you and Azhure have planned?"

Axis' smile died. "We are teasing you, my friend, and for that I apologise. Come, sit here with me, and divest yourself of some of that armour. Spread the word. I want my men to enjoy a hearty breakfast, for we will not be rushing the field before mid-morning, I think, and I want them to wear only enough armour to make a decent glint under the sun."

Then, as his companions sat down about the fire, Axis spoke.

They rode past the ruins of Gorkenfort and town in the hour before noon, holding tight formation, the Strike Force wheeling above and slightly behind them. Axis shivered as he thought of all the men he had lost there, but he winked at Caelum, riding at the front of Magariz's saddle. As requested, Magariz had divested himself of most of his armour, wearing only a breastplate to gleam under the strengthening sun, and there was plenty of room in the saddle for both man and boy. Caelum was patently excited at being allowed to ride into battle. His cheeks were red and his eyes bright, and he was bundled into a suit of blue-tipped white fur that kept the cold winds from his skin.

Axis turned to his other side. There rode Azhure, the hounds restrained at her side, and beyond her Belial. Belial had recovered his good temper, and had spent much of the ride thus far chatting with Azhure about which oils were best added to the fires used to temper the metal of arrow heads.

From Gorkenfort, Axis swung his column northward, delighting in the sound of the hooves, the jingle of gear and weapons, and the melodious chime of Ravensbund bells behind him. His army was a fine sight, he knew, and he hoped that Timozel would have a moment's doubt when they rode down the pass.

"Gorken Pass," he said under his breath, and urged Belaguez into a long-striding canter.

Timozel sat in his cave and watched them approach...and laughed.

"Foolish, prideful man," he chortled, sharing the view with his master. "See how he rides so exposed at the head of his pitiful force. They ride straight for us, and they ride directly to their death. Look! They have left their greaves at home, and their helmets remain unlaced!"

Then make sure you do them death, Timozel. I am tired of the games he and she play.

She? But Timozel dismissed the thought. Gorgrael seemed concerned about this black-haired woman

- and, yes, Timozel could see her riding by Axis' side - but Timozel was not worried if Axis' harlot chose to ride into battle with him. She could die as easily as any other.

Then he sat forward, bewildered.

Any good commander would have ranged his force into units to attack those that Timozel had ranged before him
(and
for a league back into the Pass, Timozel gloated). But Axis...Axis was dividing his force in two and, even stranger, was directing them so that each half lined the sides of the Pass, leaving the centre ground bare. Was he manoeuvring for a battlefield...or a parade ground? The Strike Force, evil, feathered things, were landing on the snow behind the forward group of commanders, and Timozel was unable to believe what he saw.

Each carried only one arrow, and no bows.

Timozel's hand tightened about the ruff of the Gryphon who lay by his side. The Gryphon had finally arrived during the night, and now they lay secreted among the rocks of the Alps, ready to launch themselves upon Axis' army.

Timozel gasped in surprise...was that a
child
one of the forward commanders carried? He grinned.

Axis had gone mad after his brush with death. Now he brought babes to fight for him. Or was it only that he brought his family to share his fate? Timozel laughed again.

Axis was waving his commanders away now, until only he and the woman and the Strike Force remained. They exchanged some brief words, then Axis wheeled his mount away to the line of soldiers by the river. The woman dismounted, gestured to the pack of dogs that surrounded her to sit behind Axis, and strode forward until she was some two hundred paces from the first of the Skraeling ranks.

Timozel had to admit she was very beautiful. The Gryphon by his side grunted, and Timozel glanced at her. What was going through her mind?

Slowly, the raven-haired woman turned her eyes to the rocks.

She could feel if not see the Gryphon. They were there, waiting, and Azhure wagered that each and every one of them had her eyes on Azhure. She smiled, and reached with both hand and power, and called softly. "Lover?"

Instantly, every single one of the Gryphon fell back into her dream.

Azhure only wanted the Gryphon to dream, and she directed her power carefully. But she could feel its effect almost immediately, and there was a great collective sigh as each of the creatures closed her eyes and dreamed.

Timozel stared at the Gryphon beside him. She had rolled over onto her side, her eyes closed, and now she twitched and moaned, as if on heat.

He was so surprised he forgot to share the sight with Gorgrael, and his master paced his chamber in frustration, wondering what was happening.

Azhure smiled and extended both arms now, the power flowing from her eyes and beckoning fingers.

"Lover? Are you there?"

An agkated movement came from amongst the rocks. Gryphon shifted painfully, caught fast by their desires, caught fast by the dream.

"Lover? Come to me. Come."

The soft voice echoed through their minds and inflamed them still further.

"I wait for you, here in the snow," she said. "Come, join with me."

Suddenly a Gryphon burst from her hiding place among the rocks and plunged down the cliff face.

In his Ice Fortress, Gorgrael stirred at the moaning and wailing that arose from the corridors. He flung open the door of his chamber and stared outside. Half-matured Gryphon, their bellies already bulging with the young they carried, writhed and twisted along the floors of the corridor, and a great moaning filled the entire Ice Fortress. Among the masses and spaces of the fortress lay well over sixty-five thousand of the Gryphon, and all were caught by the dream.

Lover? Lover?

Gorgrael stared at them, excluded this time from the pleasure of the dream, and wondered what was going on. Did they all have colic?

"Pretty, pretty," Azhure murmured, and the Gryphon crawled through the snow towards her. "Come to me, Lover. I will give you the fulfilment you crave."

Another Gryphon plummeted from rocks to snow, and then another, and another, and soon the rock face was furred with descending Gryphon and a wave of the creatures undulated across the snow towards her.

"Lover? Lover? Come to me...come."

"What?" Timozel muttered, appalled and confused by what he witnessed, and then the Gryphon by his side abruptly leaped out

into the swirling air and fell to the snow to crawl weeping and grunting with her sisters towards the woman.

"Sorceress!" Timozel barked, and jumped to his feet.

Soon the snow was thick with Gryphon. They rippled before Azhure, a seven-thousand-strong tide of feathers, tawny fur, tufted tails and eagles' heads weaving back and forth. She rubbed the head of the first Gryphon soothingly, and a great muttering arose from the ranks of the Gryphon behind it.

As Azhure stroked the head of the first Gryphon, so all experienced the ecstasy, and as one they bobbed their heads in time to the movement of her hand.

As one they closed their minds to anything and everything else.

With her free hand behind her back, Azhure motioned the Strike Force forward.

Timozel finally collected himself enough to share his thoughts and the view with Gorgrael.

Bitch!Gorgrael screamed in his mind.
The bitch will betray them as she did me! Gryphon! My pets,
heed me only!

But the Gryphon did not. There was only the Lover, and she stood before each of them, and each of them felt her fingers stroke their heads and their bodies and each of them sighed and moaned and rolled over so that the Lover could rub her hand along their bellies...oh! Ah, yes! There! And there!

Listen to me!Gorgrael capered about his chamber, fists clenched, wings outstretched.
Listen to ME!

Azhure's 'smile broadened as she felt SpikeFeather at her shoulder. He stared at the sight before him, and thought that no-one who could not see this for themselves would believe it.

Azhure touched only the front Gryphon, but as she moaned, so all the Gryphon moaned, and as she rolled and jerked, so all Gryphon rolled and jerked. Now their pale

underbellies were exposed to the sun, their bodies twitching, their eyes rolling back in their heads.

Azhure stared at him and SpikeFeather jumped, remembering what she had asked him to do. He held out her quiver, and, as she had told him, there was one arrow left. She took it with one hand, the other still rubbing the Gryphon's belly, and then motioned with her head.

SpikeFeather nodded, and waved the Strike Force forward. Each of them stood ready with an arrow grasped in his or her hand.

"Lover," Azhure whispered, "the moment of final fulfilment is upon you."

As one the Gryphon cried and moaned.

No!Gorgrael screamed in his Ice Fortress as Azhure raised the arrow. No.'

Azhure smiled at the sound of his voice reverberating in her mind, then she plunged the arrow into the Gryphon's vulnerable belly.

The Gryphon shrieked, and shrieked again, screaming for more, more,
morel
And so Azhure obliged, wrenching the arrow from her belly and plunging it down again and again.

Even as the Gryphon disintegrated she continued to shriek and howl, begging for more.

And in the Ice Fortress, the Gryphon's nine pups shrieked in equal ecstasy . . . and died, their bodies disintegrating into thin air. They left no trace behind.

Among the writhing mass of Gryphon stepped the members of the Strike Force, plunging their arrows time and time again, and every time their arrows pierced the belly of a Gryphon, her pups writhing in the corridors of Gorgrael's Ice Fortress shrieked and died and disintegrated along with their mother.

Gorgrael screamed into Timozel's mind.
Put a halt to this NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW!

Writhing himself, but with the agony of GorgraePs shrieks rather than the ecstasy of the dying Gryphon, Timozel ordered the Skraelings forward.

But as they began their march towards the manlings, the snow erupted before them and great sheets of ice speared into the sky. They screamed and backed away. The sight of their comrades plunging through the shattered ice of the Azle was still fresh in their minds, and they had no intention of suffering the same fate themselves. Even the SkraeBolds, wheeling above the Skraelings, neglected to force them forwards, horrified by the death of the Gryphon and the ice spears lunging for the sky.