The TaiGethen spoke a few words, stepped aside and bowed his head. The panther padded up to Yron's back, placed her paws on his shoulders and bit down into his neck, breaking it and killing him instantly.
'We have our own rituals to observe,' said The Unknown.
He, Hirad and Thraun joined Rebraal at Ilkar's body.
There was precious little left of him. His clothes were burned away and his body twisted and scorched. But when Rebraal turned him over they could see his features, saved because he had landed face-down in the slightly damp mud under the parapet. He looked peaceful enough; his oval eyes were closed and his cheekbones still carried a hint of redness though his lips were drained of colour.
'Oh, Ilkar,' said Hirad, reaching out to stroke his face. 'Saved us, didn't he? I just wish he knew it. What am I going to do without you?'
Hirad tried to picture Ilkar alive and a startling vision of the elf's beaming face as they talked entered his mind. He started and sucked in a quick breath.
'We should prepare for the Vigil,' he said. 'There must be a shovel here somewhere. We'll bury him out in the countryside somewhere. I'm not having him left where Selik has been.' He took another look at his friend. 'Goodbye, Ilks. Oh, no.'
And he started to cry. He couldn't help himself. He shook his head as the tears came and he backed away, standing and facing The Unknown.
'What are we going to do, Unknown?'
'All the things we promised. Raise the Heart of Julatsa, free the Protectors, send the Kaan home. He wanted that as much as any of us.' The Unknown put his bloodstained hands on Hirad's shoulders. 'Come on, stop the tears. You know he'd only have laughed at you for it.'
Hirad spluttered and rubbed a bloodied hand across his eyes. 'Yeah, he would at that. Tell you what, Unknown, I'm absolutely knackered. And I could do with a bandage.'
'That's more like it.' Avesh couldn't move anything. Every breath was shallow, his mouth blowing bloodied bubbles. He lay on his back, life pumping from the wound in his side to puddle beneath him. He'd been staring at the sky while they fought around him, watching the billows of smoke blow across the dawning blue. It was going to be a very pleasant day. He'd so love to have shared it with Ellin.
Two of them were near him. He couldn't see but he could hear them.
'This is all so wrong, Unknown,' said one. Avesh had recognised him. Hirad Coldheart. A man he admired as he did all of The Raven. He had been so disappointed to see them ranged against the Black Wings. He thought they'd have seen the light. The righteous path, Selik had called it. But then one of them had borne the child who started it all so perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised. It was so confusing. He couldn't get his mind to work properly.
'I know,' replied the other, The Unknown Warrior, a giant in folklore and no less in reality.
'Look at them. All these dead farmers. Our fight was never with them. What happened to them all?'
'Selik is a very persuasive man,' said The Unknown.
'Was,' replied Hirad. 'His head bouncing off the floor is the only good memory I'll take from here.'
Avesh coughed and the pain surged through his body. He convulsed.
'Gods, there's one still alive here!' Hirad again.
Avesh heard quick paces and the barbarian himself leaned over him. He felt a hand tracing down the side of his neck.
'He's no Black Wing,' said Hirad. 'Can we save him?'
Hope quickened Avesh's heart and his severed nerves howled in protest.
'No,' said The Unknown, moving through the periphery of his vision. 'Look at that wound. I'm amazed he's still alive.'
Hirad knelt by his head and Avesh felt a hand gently smooth down his hair. He tried to speak but all he succeeded in doing was coughing more blood onto the soaked earth on which he lay.
'Shh,' said Hirad. 'Don't talk. Lie still.'
'C'mon, Hirad,' said The Unknown Warrior.
'No,' said Hirad. 'The least we can do is be with him. It won't be long.' The barbarian appeared in his vision again, a frown on his weathered face, eyes betraying grief barely held in check. 'Why did you do it?' he said. 'You were fighting the people trying to help you. If magic dies, this land dies. Didn't you understand? All we want is Balaia returned to peace with its magic a force for the good of all. Has so much really changed in so few years? How was your memory so short?'
Avesh opened his mouth but the words wouldn't come.
'I'm sorry for your pain but I couldn't let you get in my way,' said Hirad. 'You're a fool, you know that? Blinded from the truth by a madman.'
Avesh felt tears in his eyes. He nodded. At the last he understood. It was all so simple. If only The Raven had ridden into the camp and not the Black Wings he'd be with Ellin still. Ellin. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.
'You're a good man,' said Hirad. 'It's in your eyes. I hope you have people waiting for you.'
Avesh smiled and nodded again. Atyo. He'd be seeing Atyo. In fact, he thought he could hear his son calling him. Hirad let The Unknown drag him to his feet and the two men stood over the dead man for a moment.
'That was good of you, Hirad.'
'I killed him, Unknown. He never stood a chance. He was just a farmer.'
Hirad let his gaze rove over the compound again. The elves stood in silent respect; Denser, Erienne and Darrick were sharing a water skin and the Protectors had picked up Aeb's mask and were mustered near the door.
'What about them, Unknown?'
'I'll speak to them before they go but what they'll face I just don't know. They're so vulnerable but the scale of their rebellion might even save them for now. Dystran can't afford to kill them all. He'd lose the war.'
War. Hirad raised his eyebrows. He'd forgotten there was one. And just now he didn't care who won. All he knew was that The Raven had lost too much for one day. For any day.
'I'll see you back at the campsite,' he said to The Unknown. 'Come on, Thraun, there's Raven we need to carry to the Vigil.' It was night and the TaiGethen had begun their walk back to Blackthorne and the Calaian Sun. Rebraal had stayed with The Raven. They'd found candles in Understone and four stood about the freshly turned earth of each grave, representing the points of the compass. It was time for the Vigil, one that Hirad had never thought he'd face.
The Unknown stood by Aeb, Erienne by Ren and Hirad by Ilkar. The barbarian nodded to the big man and he spoke for all of them.
'By north, by east, by south, by west. Though you are gone, you will always be Raven and we shall always remember. The Gods will smile on your souls. Farewell in whatever faces you now and ever. The Raven will ride together again one day.'
As he spoke each point, candles were snuffed until darkness covered them all.
The Raven did not move from the graves until dawn cracked the sky, but after the silence they talked, though Darrick and Thraun contributed little. They recalled battles and arguments. They cried and laughed together, they speculated on who would be next. It lightened their hearts and their spirits just a little.
'You never really got on with Ren, did you, Hirad?' said Erienne.
'Ilkar loved her and that was enough for me,' said Hirad. 'Let's face it, we'd none of us ever seen him so happy.'
'Evasion, surely?' accused Denser. 'You can do better than that.'
'All right, all right.' Hirad held up his hands. 'I'll admit she had her faults as far as The Raven was concerned. She was a brilliant archer, the best we ever had, but she was so impetuous. Look what she did at the temple.' He paused. 'And look what she did yesterday. '
The Unknown nodded. 'But we'd have taught her. And what she did was extraordinary. Proved she was Raven. Prepared to give her life for one of us without question. That's why I honour her.'