‘Got any good news?’
‘We should be free of magical attack or defence.’ Talan half smiled.
Hirad brightened, seeing a glimmer of light.
‘We can Rage then,’ he said.
‘Exactly,’ said Richmond.
‘Interesting. So?’
Richmond shrugged. ‘So much depends on our getting into the house undetected, not just the grounds. If we do, a Rage might work. Neither of us has more than seen the place from a distance and it’s set in open land, as you’d expect.
‘If this cloud cover keeps low, we should be able to make the walls unseen. There is, or was, a stable block and a large kitchen garden at the back. Whatever, we’re walking into the unknown, Hirad.’
‘I only wish we were. Another blade, particularly his, and I’d be confident.’
‘We’ll do it, Hirad,’ said Talan, rising and stretching. ‘Or we’ll take as many of those bastards with us as possible.’
Hirad nodded. ‘Right,’ he said. ‘Right.’ He too stood, a rush of energy hitting him. The cat moved in his cloak, making him start. He’d forgotten the animal was there. It poked its head into the open and Hirad scratched its ears, surprised to find that it was shivering and distinctly cool to the touch. They locked eyes but the cat’s had lost their strength - dulled by distance from its Master.
‘This thing isn’t well,’ said Hirad. ‘We need to get it to Denser quickly. C’mon, let’s not waste any more time.’
The pace for the next hour was fast. Trade trails were well worn in the area and Richmond asserted that they were on a more or less straight line right to Travers’ front door.
‘Time?’ asked Hirad as they slackened speed to a gentle lope to save themselves a little.
‘I’m guessing, but about four hours to dawn,’ replied Talan.
‘And the castle?’
‘One and a half, maybe two hours. No more.’
‘Excellent.’
They walked through terrain that eased noticeably, flattening and firming underfoot. The dark gave them little help, though their night-accustomed eyes allowed them to see the shapes of low hills, stands of trees and bushes mixing with shrubland and long grass.
The cat had ceased any movement in Hirad’s cloak, and though he thought it still alive, he could all but feel it weakening with every passing minute.
Perhaps an hour from the castle, and on a wide track which only went to one place, Talan brought them to an abrupt halt. The cloud had lifted ever so slightly and a brighter patch above them betrayed the position of a moon.
‘What’s up?’ asked Hirad, looking about him and loosening the sword in his scabbard. The wind was dying now, gusting and picking at his damp armour and clothes. He began to feel cold again.
‘Something’s not right. Spread left and right, you two, off to the sides, there are some odd marks on the path.’
Hirad nodded and motioned Richmond to the right. He took up station left, scouring the black and near-black outlines that made up their immediate position.
Behind him, Talan crouched to the ground, brushing a gloveless hand over it and putting his fingers to his nose. He edged forward, inch by inch, looking both immediately in front of him and perhaps two paces ahead.
‘I think there’s—’ he began.
‘Whatever it is, don’t say it,’ said a voice from the left, a good twenty paces distant by the sound. It was a man’s voice, low and gruff, as if its owner spent a good deal of time whispering. The Raven froze but the cat, suddenly very much alive, dropped to the ground and darted away into the dark.
‘Please don’t move,’ continued the voice. ‘My friend here has an itchy nose and if he were to scratch it, his arrow would fly.’
Hirad couldn’t believe it. His body tensed as he tried to decide what to do. Movement was out. If there was a bowman, he could take down two of them before they found his position. Calm and talk seemed the only option.
‘What do you want?’ he asked.
‘You have something of ours and we want it back.’
‘I doubt it,’ said Hirad. ‘And if it’s money you’re after, I’m afraid—’
‘We don’t want your money.’ The voice betrayed disgust. ‘You are holding my good friend’s wife and we want her back. Now.’
‘You’re mistaken,’ began Talan.
‘Hardly,’ said the voice. ‘Your bastard Master, Travers, is interrogating her right now. And worse, I expect. Start moving over here and do it slowly.’
The Raven stayed put.
‘Gods, Hirad, they think we’re . . .’ said Richmond.
‘We are not Black Wings,’ growled Hirad.
The man laughed, and there was another sound, higher-pitched, confirming that there were indeed two men away in the dark.
‘Of course not,’ said the voice. ‘After all, all sorts walk this path in the early hours of the morning. Please move together and take your hands from your swords.’
The trio did as they were ordered.
‘We are not Black Wings,’ repeated Hirad.
‘So you said—’
‘We are The Raven.’
A short silence was ended by hurried whispering, then a snigger.
‘Not many of you, are there?’
‘No.’ Hirad barely kept himself in check.
‘Walk forward. There’s someone here reckons he’s seen you.’
The Raven looked at one another, raised eyebrows and walked forwards.
‘Stop,’ ordered the other voice. It had a gentler tone, less aggressive. There was another silence.
‘It’s been a lot of years, but you’re Hirad Coldheart, no doubt about it.’
‘That’s right, now can we stop—’
‘Where is Ilkar?’
‘You know him?’ returned Talan.
‘I’m from Julatsa. Where is he?’
‘Travers has got him,’ said Hirad. ‘He’s in the Black Wings’ castle, that’s why we’re going there. You’re holding us up and it’s pissing me off!’
The first man laughed, relieved.
‘Come on in and join us. We have a stove and you look as if you could do with a hot drink.’
‘Any reason we should?’ asked Talan.
‘Well, I happen to think we could be of great help to each other. Let’s face it, it can’t hurt to find out.’
Erienne was still shaking. She had no doubt that what the Captain had shown her was Septern’s amulet. How could it be anything else?
The lore in three College languages. The Dordovan code that revealed the location of Septern’s workshop.
That the Captain held the amulet set her in the grip of fear, and she had been able to do nothing but confirm what he thought he already knew. That indeed there was a search for Dawnthief, that it was advanced and that he had, in all probability, managed to capture the Xeteskian mage, Denser.
Her skin crawled and for the first time she began to believe that the Captain was not just a man whose dreams matched her nightmares. There was now the possibility that he might actually be able to assemble the catalysts and control the spell. And if he could, the Colleges would tear each other apart to get it. There would be another war and she was very much afraid that Xetesk would win it.
‘You see, I really am determined to find out all you know about Dawnthief, and I will hurt you if I have to.’
Ilkar raised his freshly bleeding face to Travers but said nothing. After Denser’s departure, they had manacled his wrists to a wall and beaten his body with the flat of a shovel before leaving him on the wall for what had to be the best part of an hour. Then another, shorter beating, during which one wild swipe had caught his face, splitting his nose and lips. The pain was intense but he could handle that. What he was scared of was internal rupture. In his state, he didn’t think he would be able to hold that type of wound at bay. Certainly not if he was drugged. Another thing he knew was that he couldn’t buy any more time by keeping his silence.