On the third morning, as the sky cleared, Errin gazed up at the rising sun.
‘Which way are we heading today?’ he asked Ubadai, as the tribesman rolled his blankets and strapped them to the saddle of his horse. Ubadai pointed to a trail through the trees.
‘But that’s east, isn’t it?’ asked Errin. Ubadai nodded, but said nothing. ‘Oh, come on, Ubadai, speak to me. Why are we heading east?’
The tribesman grunted something inaudible, then turned to face Errin. ‘No tracks, yes? Everywhere fresh snow. No chance to find woman. We go back.’
‘We ought to search a little longer — we’ve only been here two days.’
‘This is search. Two choices. The men either good or bad, yes. If good they walk through near Royal Road, to the south. If bad they swing back. Wait till Cartain is gone, deliver woman to Pertia Port when fleet comes in, yes? If they are good men, we have lost them. If bad, I think they come this way.’
‘That’s just a guess,’ said Errin.
‘Yes. But I am tracker, not wizard. They travel eastwards on first day — not very good reason for that.’
‘How do you know that?’
‘The cave yesterday where we rested? There were remains of two fires, and tracks to show three people — one with small feet but long stride. Only three people? Then why two fires? Woman sits apart.’
Errin shrugged. It was little to go on, but Ubadai was the masier in this venture. ‘You do not want to be here, do you?’ he said as he climbed into the saddle.
Ubadai mounted his horse and gave a sour grin, gesturing to the ice-covered trail. ‘You want to be here?’
‘That’s not what I meant; it is a duty for me. But why did you agree to come? Why did you come back for me in Mactha?’
‘Plenty stupid, maybe,’ muttered Ubadai, edging his mount forward.
For two hours they rode until they slithered down a steep slope towards a small grove of pine trees. Ubadai drew his mount to a halt and slipped his bow from under his saddlebags. He strung it, then blew on his fingers to warm them.
‘What is it?’ asked Errin, coming alongside. ‘Smell the air,’ ordered Ubadai and Errin lifted his head but could detect little, save perhaps a hint of woodsmoke and a subtle, faintly unpleasant odour reminiscent of the farmyard.
‘What do you make of it?’ asked Errin. ‘Death,’ whispered Ubadai. ‘And something else. Animal — wolf, maybe.’
‘Why are we whispering?’
‘We are downwind. It will not know we are here. Better ride back, maybe.’
‘If it is a wolf pack, we will scare them away. It might be Sheera… in trouble,’ he added swiftly.
‘I do not like the feel of this,’ said Ubadai. ‘My skin crawls. I have good skin and it knows where it wants to be… and it doesn’t want to go in there.’
Errin grinned. ‘You’ve hunted wolves before. And bears — even a lion, if I recall. We’re both fine archers.’ An eerie howling came from the grove, the sound magnified beyond any wolf call Errin had ever heard. ‘On the other hand,’ he said, ‘you might be right. I think this is a case for discretion.’ But just as he was about to wheel his horse back to the slope, another sound broke the silence — a woman’s scream.
Errin cursed and spurred his horse into the trees. ‘You have no bow!’ shouted Ubadai, galloping after him.
Errin’s mount thundered into the clearing, saw the giant wolf creature with its sabre talons and huge snarling jaws and desperately tried to swerve. But the ice under its hooves offered no purchase and it slid to its haunches. Errin hurled himself from the saddle as the stallion cannoned into the beast and both animals went down, the beast slashing its talons through the horse’s neck. Blood fountained over the monster’s grey-white fur. The dying horse lashed out with its hooves, hurling the beast to the snow. The stallion struggled to rise, but the beast was upon it once more, rending and slashing. Errin climbed to his feet and drew the curved short sword given to him by Cartain; it was razor-sharp and beautifully made, but it seemed like a child’s toy now, as he stared at the enraged beast. Errin swung his head — Sheera stood nearby, white-faced, holding a smouldering branch. He ran to her. The beast looked up from the dead stallion and climbed slowly across its carcass, staggering and almost falling. Rising to its hind legs, it moved towards the man and woman. Errin stepped in front of Sheera, placed his hand over his buckle and whispered, ‘Ollathair.’
Instantly the advance of the beast seemed to slow. Errin waited until the creature was almost upon him, then ducked under a slowly moving sweep of the taloned arm and rammed his sword into the beast’s belly.
Sheera appeared alongside him, thrusting the branch into the creature’s mouth. In that instant Errin could see the talons moving towards the girl and he let go of his sword and dived at her, dragging her clear.
Behind them Ubadai leapt from the saddle, notched an arrow to his bow, dre\V and loosed his shaft which sped through the air to punch into the beast’s neck. The creature staggered and fell on all fours; then it rolled to its side and died.
Errin climbed to his feet, his eyes scanning the clearing for any further monsters. To his right there was a human leg and across the clearing lay the grisly remains of another victim. Satisfied there were no other beasts, he once more touched the buckle of his belt and turned to Sheera.
‘Are you all right?’
‘Yes, I…’ Recognition showed in her eyes and she stepped back from him.
‘Errin? What are you doing here?’
‘I was looking for you. Cartain was worried; he said the men you were with were probably in the employ of Okessa.’
‘I think they were. But of all the men to rescue me — why did it have to be you?’
He shrugged. ‘It is pleasant, lady, to have succeeded in something.’
Her face darkened. ‘Do not think it absolves you from blame over my sister’s murder. It does not! Nothing ever will.’
‘I loved Dianu and I would have done anything to save her. But I did not ask her to stay for me, nor did I know she was in danger. I do not much care whether you believe that; it is immaterial to me.’ He moved to the beast and dragged his sword clear, wiping it clean of blood on the creature’s fur. Reversing the sword, he pushed it at Sheera. ‘You want to kill me, lady? Do it! Go on, take the sword and push it home.’
She turned away. ‘I was angry when I told Cartain I wanted you dead. I do not desire that — but neither do I desire your company.’
‘You have little choice in that, Sheera. I am here to escort you to Pertia Port and then to Cithaeron. Once there you can do as you please.’
‘I am not going to Cithaeron. I will find Okessa and see him dead. And if there was any sense of honour in you, you would do the same. You say you loved Dianu? What a way to prove it — running to Cithaeron.’
Errin took a deep breath, pushing back his anger.
‘In Cithaeron we can raise an army. Here we can do little save run around a winter forest hoping we do not get lost, which may be all right for spoilt little girls but it doesn’t suit me. Now gather your things.’ As he turned away from her she grabbed his arm to swing him round and her fist cracked into his jaw. Ubadai winced as he watched the blow crash home. Most women did not know how to punch, but he had to admire the smooth swing and the explosive contact. Errin was unconscious before he hit the snow.