The King Beyond the Gate

'Why did they seek to burn you?' he asked, laying his hand on hers and enjoying the warmth of her skin.

She shrugged: 'I deal in herbs and medicines. And I always speak the truth.'

'That accounts for witchcraft and sedition. What about theft?'

'I borrowed a horse. Tell me about you.'

'Little to tell. I am a warrior in search of a war.'

'Is that why you came back to Drenai?'

'Who knows?'

'Do you really have an army?'

'A force of two. But it's a beginning.'

'It's optimistic anyway. Does your friend fight as well as you?'

'Better. He's Tenaka Khan.'

'The Nadir prince. The Khan of Shadows.'

'You know your history.'

'I was raised at Dros Delnoch,' she said, sipping her wine. 'I thought he would be dead with the rest of the Dragon.'

'Men like Tenaka do not die easily.'

'Then you must be Ananais. The Golden One?'

'I once had that honour.'

'There are legends surrounding you both. The two of you routed twenty Vagrian raiders a hundred miles west of Sousa. And later you surrounded, and destroyed a large group of slavers near Purdol in the east.'

'There were not twenty raiders, only seven — and one was sick with fever. And we outnumbered the slavers two to one.'

'And did you not rescue a Lentrian princess from Nadir tribesmen, travelling hundreds of leagues to the north?'

'No, but I often wondered how that story came about. All this happened before you were born — how do you know so much about it?'

'I listen to Scaler; he tells wonderful stories. Why did you save me today?'

'What kind of question is that? Am I not the man who travelled hundreds of leagues to rescue a Lentrian princess?'

'I am not a princess.'

'And I am no hero.'

'You took on a Joining.'

'Yes. But then from my first blow he was dying. I have poison spikes in my gauntlets.'

'Even so, not many men would have faced it.'

'Tenaka would have killed it without the gauntlets. He's the second fastest man I've ever known.'

'The second?'

'You mean you have never heard of Decado?'

* * *

Tenaka built up the fire and then knelt beside the sleeping Renya. She was breathing evenly. He touched her face gently with one ringer, stroking the skin of her cheek. Then he left her and walked to the top of a nearby rise to stare out over the rolling hills and plains to the south as the dawn sun crested the Skein mountains.

Forests, rivers and long meadows swept on into a distant blue haze, as if the sky had melted and linked with the land. To the south-west the defiant Skoda mountains pierced the clouds like dagger points, red as blood and shining proud.

Tenaka shivered and pulled his cloak about him. Void of human life, the land was beautiful.

His thoughts drifted aimlessly, but always Renya's face returned to his mind's eye.

Did he love her? Could love be born with such speed, or was it just the passion of a lonely man for a child of sorrow?

She needed him.

But did he need her?

Especially now, with all that lay before him?

You fool, he told himself, as he pictured life with Renya in his Ventrian palace — it is too late for that. You are the man who stepped off the mountain.

He sat down on a flat rock and rubbed his eyes.

What is the sense to this hopeless mission, he asked himself, an edge of bitterness washing over him. He could kill Ceska — of that there was no doubt. But what would be the point? Would the world change with the death of one despot?

Possibly not. But the course was set.

'What are you thinking about?' asked Renya, moving up to sit beside him and curling her arm around his waist. He opened his cloak, lifting it around her shoulders.

'I was just dawn-dreaming,' he said. 'And admiring the view.'

'It is beautiful here.'

'Yes. And now it is perfect.'

'When will your friend be back?'

'Soon.'

'Are you worried about him?'

'How did you know?'

'The way you told him to stay out of trouble.'

'I always worry about Ananais. He has an instinct for the dramatic and a sublime belief in his physical talents. He would tackle an army, convinced he could win. He probably could too — a small army anyway.'

'You like him a great deal, don't you?'

'I love him.'

'Not many men can say that,' said Renya. 'They feel the need to add "like a brother". It's nice. Have you known him long?'

'Since I was seventeen. I joined the Dragon as a cadet and we became friends soon after.'

'Why did he want to fight you?'

'He didn't really. But life has dealt harshly with him and he blamed me for it — at least in part. A long time ago, he wanted to depose Ceska. He could have done it. Instead I helped to stop him.'

'Not an easy thing to forgive,' she said.

'With hindsight, I agree.'

'Do you still mean to kill Ceska?'

'Yes.'

'Even if it means your own death?'

'Even then!'

'Then where do we go from here? To Drenan?'

He turned to her, lifting her chin with his hand.

'You still wish to travel with me?'

'Of course.'

'It's selfish, but I am glad,' he told her.

A man's scream broke the dawn silence and flocks of birds rose from the trees screeching in panic. Tenaka leapt to his feet.

'It came from over there,' shouted Renya, pointing north-east. Tenaka's sword flashed into the sunlight and he began to run, Renya only yards behind him.

A bestial howling mingled now with the screams and Tenaka slowed his run.

'It's a Joining,' he said, as Renya caught up.

'What shall we do?'

'Damn!' he said. 'Wait here.'

He ran forward, over a small rise and into a narrow clearing ringed by snow-covered oak. At the centre a man was crouching at the base of a tree, his tunic covered with blood and his leg hideously slashed. Before him stood a huge Joining.

Tenaka shouted as the creature lunged for the man and the beast twisted, its blood-red eyes turning on the warrior. He knew he was looking into the eyes of Death, for no man could stand against this beast and live. Renya ran to his side, her dagger held before her.

'Get back!' order Tenaka.

She ignored him. 'What now?' she asked coolly.

The beast reared up to a full nine feet tall and spread its taloned paws wide. It was obviously part bear.

'Run!' shouted the wounded man. 'Please leave me!'

'Good advice,' said Renya.

Tenaka said nothing and the beast charged, sending a blood-chilling roar echoing through the trees. He crouched, his violet eyes fixed on the awesome creature bearing down upon him.

As its shadow fell across him he leapt forward, screaming a Nadir war-cry.

And the beast vanished.

Tenaka fell to the snow, dropping his sword. He rolled to his feet instantly to face the wounded man, who was standing now, and smiling. There was no trace of wounds upon his blue tunic or his body.

'What the devil is happening here?' demanded Tenaka.

The man shimmered and vanished. Tenaka swung to Renya, who was standing wide-eyed and staring at the tree.

'Someone played us for fools,' said Tenaka, brushing snow from his tunic.

'But why?' asked the girl.

'I don't know. Let us away — the forest has lost its magic.'

'They were so real,' said Renya. 'I thought we were finished. Were they ghosts, do you think?'

'Who knows? Whatever they were they left no tracks, and I have little time for such mysteries.'

'But there must have been a reason,' she persisted. 'Was it done just for us?'

He shrugged, then helped her up the steep incline back to their camp.

* * *