The Eternal Champion

'What exactly are the Outer Islands? Why are they so strategic,' I asked him. 'And why haven't they been mentioned before in our plans?'

'Ah,' said Count Roldero. 'Ah, it is because of our reluctance, particularly when at home, to discuss the Ghost Worlds…'

I made a sign of mock despair. 'The Ghost Worlds again!'

'The Outer Islands lie in the Gateway to the Ghost Worlds,' Roldero said seriously. 'From there the Eldren can summon their ghoulish allies. Perhaps, now Paphanaal is taken, we should concentrate on smashing their strength in the west-at World's Edge.'

Had I been wrong to be so sceptical? Or was Roldero overestimating the power of the Ghost World denizens. 'Roldero-have you ever seen these halflings?' I asked him.

'Oh yes, my friend,' he replied. 'You are wrong if you believe them legendary beings. They are, in one sense, real enough.'

I became more convinced. I trusted Roldero's opinions more than most.

'Then perhaps we should alter our strategy slightly,' I said. 'We can leave the main army here to wait for Arjavh to march against the city and waste his strength trying to take it from the land side. We return to Noonos with the large portion of the fleet, add any new ships that are ready to our force, take fresh warriors aboard-and sail against the Outer Islands while, if we are right, Arjavh expends his own force trying to retake Paphanaal.'

Roldero nodded. 'It seems a wise plan to me, Erekose. But what of the girl-our hostage? How shall we use her to our best advantage?'

I frowned. I did not like the idea of using her at all. I wondered where she would be safest.

'I suppose we should keep her as far away from here as possible,' I said. 'Necranal would be best. There is little chance of her people being able to rescue her and she would have a difficult time getting back if she managed to escape. What do you think?'

Roldero nodded. 'I think you are right. That's sensible.'

'We must discuss all this with the king, of course,' I said gravely.

'Of course,' said Roldero, and winked.

'And Katorn,' I added.

'And Katorn,' he agreed. 'Especially Katorn.'

It was well after noon before we had a chance to speak with Katorn or the king. Both were palefaced and were quick to agree with our suggestions as if they would agreed to anything so long as they were left alone.

'We'll establish our position here,' I told the king, 'and set sail back to Noonos within the week. We should waste no time. Now that we have gained Paphanaal, we can expect savage counter-attacks from the Eldren…'

'Aye,' muttered Katorn. He was red eyed. 'And you are right to try to block off Arjavh's summoning of his frightful Ghost Armies.'

'I am glad you approve of my plan, Lord Katorn,' I said.

His smile was twisted. 'You're beginning to prove yourself, my lord, I'll say that for you. Still a little soft towards our enemies, but you're beginning to realise what they're like…'

'I wonder,' I said.

There were minor details of the plan to discuss and, while the victorious warriors continued to pleasure themselves on Eldren spoils, we talked of these matters until they were completely settled.

It was a good plan.

It would work if the Eldren reacted as we expected And we were sure that they would.

We agreed that I and King Rigenos would return with the fleet, leaving Katorn to command the army at Paphanaal. Roldero also elected to return with us. The bulk of the warriors would remain behind. We had to hope that the Eldren did not have another fleet in the vicinity, for we would be sailing back with just the minimum crews and would be hard-pressed to defend ourselves if attacked at sea.

But there were risks to all the different possibilities and we had to decide which actions the Eldren were most likely to take and act accordingly.

The next few days were spent in preparation for the voyage back and soon we were ready to sail.

We sailed out of Paphanaal on a dawn tide, our ships moving sluggishly through the water, for they groaned with captured Eldren treasure.

Begrudgingly the king had agreed to giving Ermizhad decent quarters next to mine. His attitude towards me seemed to have changed since the first drunken night in Paphanaal. He was reserved, almost embarrassed by my presence. Doubtless he remembered vaguely that he had made some sort of fool of himself. Perhaps he remembered my own refusal to celebrate the victory, perhaps the glory that I had won for him made him jealous, though the gods knew I wanted nothing of that tainted glory.

Or perhaps he sensed my own disgust with the war I had agreed to fight for him and was nervous that I might suddenly refuse to be the Champion he felt he so desperately needed?

I had no opportunity to discuss this with him and Count Roldero could offer no explanation save to say, in the king's favour, that the slaughter might have wearied the king just as it had wearied me.

I was not sure of this, for the king seemed to hate the Eldren even more than before, as was made evident by his treatment of Ermizhad.

Ermizhad still refused to speak. She hardly ate and she rarely left her cabin. But one evening, as I strolled on deck, I saw her standing at the rail and staring down into the sea as if she contemplated hurling herself into its depths.

I increased my pace so that I should be near if she did attempt to throw herself overboard. She half turned as I approached and then looked away again.

At this point the king emerged on the poop-deck and called down to me.

'I see you've taken pains to make sure the wind's behind you when you get near to the Eldren bitch, Lord Erekose.'

I stopped and looked up. At first I hardly understood the reference. I glanced at Ermizhad who pretended not to have heard the king's insult. I, too, pretended I had not understood the significance of the remark and gave a slight, polite bow.

Then, deliberately, I walked past Ermizhad and paused near the rail, staring out to sea.

'Perhaps you have no sense of smell, Lord Erekose,' the king called. Again, I ignored the remark.

'It seems a pity that we must tolerate vermin on our ship when we took such pains to scrub our decks free of their tainted blood,' the king went on.

At last, furious, I turned round, but he had left the poop-deck. I looked at Ermizhad, She continued to stare down into the dark waters as they were pierced by our oars. She seemed almost mesmerised by the rhythm. I wondered if she really had not heard the insults.

There were several more occasions of that kind on board the flagship lolinda as we sailed on for Noonos.

Whenever King Rigenos got the opportunity, he would speak of Ermizhad in her presence as if she were not there; spoke disdainfully of her and his disgust for all her kind.

Increasingly, I found it harder to control my anger, but control it I did and Ermizhad, for her part, showed no sign that she was offended by the king's crude references to her and her race.

I saw less of Ermizhad than I wished but, in spite of the king's warnings, came to like her. She was certainly the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her beauty was different from the cool beauty of lolinda, my betrothed.

What is love? Even now, now that the whole pattern of my particular destiny seems to have been fulfilled, I do not know. Oh yes, I still loved lolinda, but I think that, while I did not know it, I was falling in love with Ermizhad, too.

I refused to believe in the stories told about her and held affection for her though, at that time, I had no thought of letting this affect my attitude towards her. That attitude had to be of a gaoler for his prisoner-an important prisoner, at that. A prisoner who could help decide the war against the Eldren in our favour.

I did pause, once or twice, to wonder about the logic of keeping her as a hostage. If, as King Rigenos insisted, the Eldren were cold-hearted and unhuman, then why should Arjavh care if his sister were murdered by us?