Nightchild

'Not well, Hirad. Find him quickly.'

'D-' There was movement on the ship. A door opened and a figure emerged. Denser. 'Get down here now.'

'What's up?' Denser surveyed the docks, the scattered cavalry and the Protectors who chased them, and raised his eyebrows.

'Gods, you must have cloth in your ears. It's The Unknown, he's hurt. Ilkar needs you.' Hirad pointed to where the elf knelt over the prone form, his face white in the firelight. 'Quickly.'

Denser nodded, cast, and flew from the ship on ShadowWings. Hirad watched him fly through the smoke that blew overhead like low cloud over Arlen. He began to trot back towards the Big Man, not pausing to wonder why Denser was aboard, or where Darrick was. For the moment, it didn't really matter.

The fighting had all but finished on the dockside but he could hear the sounds of violence further back into the town as the Protectors sought the last of the Dordovans. Hirad could see what were probably some of Arlen's guards, wandering aimlessly around the bodies or staring at the fires that heated the chill of the night. The rain hadn't eased at all and the wind howled its force onshore.

Hirad felt drained. It was a long time since he'd run and fought like that and, though the battle had been quick, it had been intense. But more, he'd seen The Unknown cut down and he could see by

Ilkar's urgent gestures as Denser landed that the injury was bad. Probably fatal if spells couldn't help him.

Hirad sheathed his sword and slowed to a walk.

'Hirad!' It was Aeb. The Protector was striding towards him, weapons on his back mounts.

'What is it?'

'Come with me.'

Hirad glanced over at Ilkar and Denser, both men still, concentrating as they cast. There was nothing he could do. He shrugged. 'Lead on.'

Aeb turned on his heel. As he approached a smouldering mass of black, two other Protectors rose from next to it and withdrew.

Hirad frowned and looked harder, quickening his pace, the smoking bodies resolving themselves as wolves, rain hissing on seared flesh.

'I don't believe it,' he muttered but Aeb restrained him with a hand.

'You can do nothing for them. But you can for the shapechanger.'

Hirad stared into Aeb's blank mask.

'Say that again?'

'The shapechanger.' Aeb pointed to a form which Hirad had assumed was just another body, white face staring at the sky.

'Gods falling.' Hirad ran, sliding to a stop and dropping to his knees, heedless as he splashed down into blood and water.

Beneath the cloak, the figure was hunched in foetal position. Protectors had lain another cloak beneath him and had tucked the loose edges in to keep the chill from his body.

A mass of brown-flecked blond hair flowed from the exposed head and the face was covered in a fine fur perhaps half an inch long, with only his nose and closed eyes hairless. His skin seemed old, somehow, his ears long and more elven than human. Hirad laid a hand on the quivering body and bowed his head. Thraun.

'Never thought we'd see you again, old friend,' he whispered. 'Gods, how you must be suffering.'

The barbarian considered for a moment and looked up to Aeb, who was staring over at The Unknown, his Protector's stillness broken by an uncharacteristic repetitive clenching and unclenching of a fist.

'If anyone can save him, it's Denser and Ilkar,' said Hirad.

'We have failed him.'

Hirad nodded, a sweep of guilt washing through him. 'We all have.'

Yet again Hirad scanned the dockside, its cranes smashed, its warehouses gutted and its walkways and paths swathed in death. It was not a place for sick men.

'We need to move them both,' he said.

'Arlen has medical facilities.'

'And they'll be full if they aren't destroyed,' said Hirad. 'No. Thraun can't be cured like that and besides, they're both Raven. I won't leave them here.'

'I understand.'

The barbarian looked at the ship. It was still quiet. Unnaturally so. What had Denser done? And then, of course, it clicked.

'Help me with Thraun and bring your brothers. It's time to get aboard that ship.'

Aeb said nothing, just nodded and crouched. He picked up the cloak-wrapped Thraun and set him gently over his right shoulder, standing with the slightest hint of effort.

'Are you all right with him?'

Aeb nodded and began walking.

'Are you sure?' Thraun was a big man.

'Yes,' agreed Aeb. 'Xye will help carry Sol.'

Hirad trotted over to Ilkar and Denser, vaguely registering the sound of horses' hoofs which still echoed through the town above the noise of the gale and fires.

'Can you…?' He gestured uselessly at the prone form, seeing for the first time the horrible injury just below The Unknown's waist, where the Dordovan axe had smashed his hip.

'He'll live,' said Denser, his breathing deep as if he'd run ten miles. 'But I doubt he'll walk again.'

'But he can't be-' He broke off, cocking his head. There were hoofs getting louder, much louder and quickly. He turned towards the sound and out of a pall of smoke between two ruined warehouses charged a single rider, Dordovan. He was heading for the Caiman Sun but swung around when he saw Aeb, yelled in anger and rode for the Protector instead.

Hirad started to run but it was obvious he wasn't going to make it in time and that Aeb was stranded, Thraun quite literally a dead weight. Other Protectors were running too but they would all arrive after the event. Aeb stopped, knelt carefully and slid his charge to the ground, cushioning his head, though he must have known the action would cost him his life. But then, Hirad realised, perhaps death was a release for his soul.

Closing in, the rider raised his blade, straightened suddenly and clutched at a crossbow bolt in his neck before pitching from the saddle. With no direction, the horse veered sideways, avoiding the kneeling Protector and galloping straight on along the dock. Aeb looked briefly at his_ erstwhile attacker, hefted Thraun again and walked on, other Protectors now around him.

Hirad turned on his way to the downed Dordovan. 'Ilkar, this place isn't safe. We need to get him on board.'

'On board?' Ilkar's weary voice wafted back.

Hirad heard Denser say something he couldn't catch.

'Oh,' said Ilkar. 'All right, we're coming.'

Hirad smiled. Xye was standing by them and the barbarian turned his attention to the cavalryman. He was twitching as he died, his blood pumping sluggishly over the stone. The bolt had taken him a couple of inches below his ear.

The barbarian nodded and looked back along the likely angle of fire.

'Show yourself,' he called, not expecting anything.

Immediately, a figure emerged from the shadows, arms wide, the crossbow dropping to the ground. The elf moved fluidly, the grace identifying the race well before Hirad could make out the shape of the face and ears.

'It was a good shot.' Hirad raised a hand and the elf stopped.

T was aiming for his eye,' said the elf, the voice female. 'Damn Black Wing crossbow. Badly calibrated.'

'Thank you for missing so well, in that case,' said Hirad. T need your name and what you're doing here. You're not Arlen's, are you?'

'No.' The elf smiled but there was no humour. 'I am Ren'erei. I am of the Guild Of Drech and I've just lost Erienne to my worst

enemy. We came looking for you, Hirad Coldheart. You, Denser and The Raven.'

Hirad stepped forward and offered a hand which Ren'erei took.

T think you'd better come and meet the others.'

It was like someone had thrown a lever and it was all over. One moment, the cursed Protectors were running amok in his town, hunting and slaughtering cavalrymen from Dordover and the next, they had reformed into an orderly line and trotted out of the town, leaving their dead maskless, their mages not turning their heads once at the devastation they had left behind.