“If you think Hweilan is a fly, then you are a fool.”
The silence lasted long enough that Menduarthis began to hope he had finally stirred the demon to wrath. But no. When Jagun Ghen spoke again, there was no hint of anger in his voice. If anything, he seemed … curious.
“You don’t seem afraid.”
“You don’t seem very frightening.”
Jagun Ghen laughed. “You are a vain thing. Were I to slice open your throat, I suspect you’d use your last breath to spit in my face. But I know the truth.”
“And what-” Menduarthis’s throat constricted, and he had to swallow hard before he could continue. “What is that?”
“You are not afraid because you think you have nothing left to lose. I named you true. You are a fool.”
The shadow surged toward him. Just for a moment, Menduarthis saw what lived inside that shape, and he screamed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The wind turned from cold to frigid, and the sky took on the thicker blue cast of late afternoon by the time Hweilan heard Rhan return. She was ready.
She stood and turned to face him. He held a long spear in both hands and lifted it for display. “This will do?”
The shaft had not come from the mountain ash and pine of the Giantspires. The wood was pale but strong. Some westerner’s weapon, where trees grew under a warmer sun. Taken in a raid, most likely.
“A fine weapon,” she said. “Thank you.”
Uncle let out a warning yip, then padded to her side. Footsteps approached quickly, obviously trying to keep quiet and not doing a very good job of it. She looked over Rhan’s shoulder and saw Darric peeking from around the stone where the broken rim of the Cauldron met the path. “Why are you here?” she called to him. Rhan turned as Darric, Valsun, and Jaden stepped into view. Darric and Valsun had a rock in each hand and Jaden held a stout branch in his shaking left hand.
“We heard him”-Jaden pointed at Rhan-“and Darric thought you might be in trouble.”
Hweilan looked at Rhan. “Why would they think that?”
Rhan said, “Nuurgen did not wish to part with his spear.”
“We heard him,” said Darric as he approached warily, “say he needed the spear ‘for Hweilan.’ And when that other hobgoblin wouldn’t hand it over, this one here smashed his face, took the spear, and walked off. We thought …”
“Thought he meant the spear for me?” One side of Hweilan’s mouth twisted up in a half-grin.
“Does he?” said Darric, looking up at the champion.
“And your plan was to stop him with a stick and some stones?” Hweilan took the proffered spear and turned her back on them. “Idiots.”
She walked over to the rim of the Cauldron and set the spear so that its steel point rested on the ground and the haft lay against the stone wall. Looking at it, she decided the angle was fine, then brought her right boot down in the center of the shaft. It bent, just for an instant, before snapping like a bone. She picked up the butt end and left the point in the dirt.
“What’s she doing?” said Jaden. He called to Hweilan, “Why ruin a perfectly good weapon?”
She ignored him, sat beside her mother’s corpse, and took out her knife. Then she set to work carving runes into the wood and did not look up as she spoke.
“I’m burning her,” she said. “My mother. I gave her funeral rites once before.”
Her voice caught at the memory. It had been after the fall of Highwatch, when she had first met Lendri. The day they burned Scith’s body. Lendri had been the first to teach her the funeral rites of her people, though since then she had seen it a thousand times in the visions of Kesh Naan. Lendri had added all the names of Hweilan’s friends and family to the litany, including her mother’s. But there had been no body to burn that day. Hweilan had seen her mother’s spirit and believed she had passed on to her reward. But even so, Hweilan needed this.
“But now,” she said, “I can do it right. Please go.”
“I want to stay,” said Darric.
She looked at him, wanting to ask why but not trusting herself to speak.
“I knew her, too, Hweilan, if only for a short time.” Darric stood tall, working his jaw, his gaze daring her to defy him. “And in that time … I came to admire her. I would like to pay my respects.”
Valsun nodded in agreement. “We would all be honored, lady. I never knew your mother, save by reputation, but if she was half the woman you are, it would be a sin not to honor her memory.”
Jaden was still eyeing Rhan warily and keeping a death grip on the makeshift cudgel in his hand, but when he caught Hweilan looking at him, he blinked, swallowed and said, “Yes. Me, too. Would be most honored, my lady.”
Hweilan returned her attention to carving her mother’s name in the ghost stick. “You may stay. But don’t interfere.”
With the tension seemingly broken, the three Damarans seemed unsure what to do. Jaden looked to each of his companions, Hweilan, and Rhan. His eyes widened and he took a step back when he caught Rhan staring back at him.
“What?”
“Get rid of the stick and stones. You dishonor the Cauldron of the Slain.”
Valsun dropped the stones he was holding.
“Not here,” said Rhan. “Take them back to the path. This is holy ground.”
Valsun nodded, picked up the rocks, and motioned Jaden back to the path. Darric handed the stones he was carrying to Valsun. “If you would, please.”
Nodding, Valsun cradled the four stones in his arm. “Come, Jaden.”
As they walked back to the path, Hweilan heard Jaden grumbling. “Bastard’s got that black sword big as a log strapped to his back and I have to toss my tiny stick? What’s-”
“Be silent, Jaden,” said Valsun. “For once in your miserable life, just … stop talking.”
Darric sighed, and said, “Torm save us.”
Hweilan smiled but didn’t look up. “He babbles to mask his fear. The same reason you go all silent and broody. You make a fine pair. Once you return to your father’s house, you could do worse than keep him as your counsel.”
“Or court jester,” said Darric.
She’d hoped the mention of his father’s house might prompt him to speak of his intentions. He’d sworn to help her, and Hweilan had no reason to think his intentions had changed.
“What are you doing?” he said.
“Uskeche tet,” she said. “It means ‘ghost stick.’ I am carving my mother’s name in the wood so that her name may burn in her fire. In our tongue, uskeche is the word for both ‘fire’ and ‘ghost.’ ”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing.” Hweilan heard the unspoken accusation in his voice. This was no rite of Torm. Not a proper rite for a Damaran House.
“My mother was not Damaran.” She finished the R rune, and cleaned out the groove with her thumb. “And neither am I.”
“Your father-”
“Deeds, not blood,” said Hweilan. “That belief is the heart of every Damaran house, is it not?”
“It is,” said Darric.
Hweilan began carving the A rune. “Truth be told, Darric, I never … fit in with my father’s people. I loved them, but I was always more comfortable out on the steppe with the Nar. You insulted your father and ran off, hoping to find a court lady in need of saving. I’m sorry I am less than you expected.”
“Less?” Darric snorted. “Hweilan, you’re-”
“My lord!”
Hweilan looked up to see Valsun and Jaden returning. Jaden still had his stick in hand and his eyes were wide and shining as a priest’s new medallions.
Darric said, “What is it?”
“Hobgoblins, my lord,” said Valsun.
“Hundreds of them,” said Jaden.
Valsun scowled at him, then said, “Dozens perhaps. But they’re headed this way.”
“I’ll see what this is,” said Rhan. He swiped the stick out of Jaden’s hand and marched back toward the path.
“Are they armed?” Darric asked Valsun.
“Have you seen anyone in this stinking place that isn’t armed?” said Jaden.