“Take me to him.”
Neathy led Althak’s horse between the tents to the one that had Menish’s standard flying over it. It was ripped and torn from the battle where it had been trampled underfoot by horses and Gashans. Drinagish and Vorish were outside the tent. Althak had never seen Vorish look weary, but now he looked thin and ill. There were lines on his face Althak did not remember seeing before, and grey in his hair, though that might have been dust. Drinagish looked older, more responsible. His arm was in a sling.
Vorish was not normally given to display but when he saw Althak new tears brimmed in his eyes and these two, who had been like brothers as children, embraced. There were no words to be said until Althak had entered the tent and looked upon Menish.
He was dressed in a new battle jerkin, his curved sword in one hand and his shield strapped to his other wrist. His head was bare and his hair was neatly combed into the ponytail clasped with gold. There was no sign of any wound, his face was peaceful, although pale. His eyes were closed as if asleep.
“Vorish and Adhara stayed by his side until the very end,” said Neathy behind him. “Before he died he told Adhara she had to look after Drinagish, and Anthor. We could all see she wanted to follow him when he went. But she didn't. She's taken it badly though. You might be able to cheer her a little.”
For a long time Althak sat beside the body. He refused food and all comfort until well after the lamps were lit. Adhara came in and the sight of Althak made her break down with fresh grief.
“If you had only stayed,” she said. “But then the dragons would not have come and all would have been lost. As it is we only lose our dearest and our best.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“We went into battle. There were not so many of them, we would have won if they had been just what they seemed. But they had fire, so much fire. So many riders never struck a blow before they were burned up. It was worse for the ones further back. They threw the fire into the midst of us, and the leading edge mostly escaped it. Vorish lost many of his cavalry too.
“For those of us in the front… I can't describe it. It was, for a moment, as if we wanted to die there. We wanted the Gashans to hack us to pieces. I felt it and,” she placed a hand on Menish's body. “He felt it too, he told me afterwards. He said it was the Eye.
“Then it passed. The sky was suddenly filled with dragons. They swept across the Gashan ranks and incinerated them. But by that time Menish had already been wounded. We thought it was not too bad, he seemed able to travel. Whether he took ill suddenly or he wouldn't speak of his pain I don't know. He didn't have much pain at the end, anyway. One of the Vorthenki priestesses who came with Vorish gave him something to drink to make it easier.
“He left a message for you, though he didn't think you'd return.”
“No one has ever returned from Kishalkuz,” said Althak, “until now.”
“He wanted to tell you and Azkun that you were right. You fought them the best way, and you won the battle. He said that Azkun’s dragons have proved themselves gods after all.”
“Of course,” said Althak. “He would think that.”