A cerepan arrived and whispered something to Brahl. ‘Excuse me,’ said the gerent. ‘I have much to see to. Bel, we can decide about this later.’
Left standing alone with Battu, once again Bel found himself curious, not just about the man himself, but because Battu knew Losara better than anyone else Bel had met.
He gestured at the fireside. ‘Will you join me?’
Battu glanced at the flames with unease.
‘Or maybe a walk to the river?’ suggested Bel.
Battu stared at the troops sprawling in the direction of the river and looked even more uncomfortable. ‘I will sit by the fire, if that is what you wish. Better than strolling amongst your horde.’ He lowered himself onto the rock furthest from the heat. Bel took one also.
‘Really,’ Bel said jovially, ‘I should kill you.’
Battu grunted. ‘You have reasons enough.’
‘And a very strong reason not to, I suppose.’
Battu shrugged with mock exaggeration. ‘I suppose.’
‘You are not scared of me – is that what you intimate?’
Battu considered him for a moment. ‘Perhaps. You have more pluck than Losara, I’ll say that for you. He never could master intimidation.’
‘No?’ said Bel. He tried not to let his eagerness to learn more about his counterpart show too obviously.
‘Perhaps I would have had better luck with the type who sits down to make casual death threats.’
‘I never would have served you, Battu.’
‘Not in this unravelling. But if it had been you I retrieved from Whisperwood instead of Losara, you would have been brought up with shadow ways and never known different. And then,’ he rested his large head on his fist, ‘since you have no magic I would not have lost my throne to you.’
Bel scowled. ‘You don’t know that. You don’t know what paths fate would have shown me in such a circumstance. And if you had stood in my way as you must have done Losara’s, I would not have been so sloppy as to let you live.’
Battu grinned. ‘So the greatest exception is taken not to whether you would have served the shadow, but to being told you couldn’t defeat me? Ha! Spirit then, a fighter’s heart …why could I not have been delivered this one?’ He cast an imploring look at the universe.
‘You did not get along with Losara?’ said Bel, trying to bring the conversation back where he wanted it.
‘You and I,’ said Battu, ignoring the question, ‘are not without our commonalities, Blade Bel. I am a fighter too, you know. In fact, I disobeyed orders from the Dark Gods themselves because of my quarrelsome nature, when I marched upon the Shining Mines …where I met your father, as I’m sure you’re aware.’
‘I obey my god,’ said Bel darkly.
‘Yes, yes. But it’s the desire I draw on to make my comparison, to prove oneself through strength.’
‘And the example you provide,’ said Bel, ‘goes to show that a warrior can threaten the life of an almighty Shadowdreamer.’
‘And yes,’ smiled Battu, ‘here is another divide between you and your counterpart. You argue that you could have overthrown me just as he did, indeed you persist with the topic when I consider it already dealt with, whereas such a competitive thought would never enter Losara’s mind.’
‘What do you mean?’
Battu shrugged, a real one this time. ‘I suppose he does not measure his deeds against those of others.’
Bel shook his head. Why were they even talking about this? What did it matter whether Bel would have bested Battu or not, had he been raised in Losara’s place?
‘Enough,’ he said. ‘This has nothing to do with anything. I wish to know about Losara.’
‘I thought that’s what I was telling you.’
‘Be more direct. Come, you have a vested interest in our victory tomorrow. Here is a chance for you to help secure it.’
‘What do you want to know?’
‘Is Losara weak? Is he slight of character?’
‘Ah,’ said Battu, a glimmer in his eye, ‘I see. You are fearful of the change, and who wouldn’t be? In which case I will tell you – I have ever found Losara a disappointment. Oh, he has power enough, yet he is weak in its wielding. As you can see,’ he gestured at himself, ‘he allowed me to escape, before which he was even reluctant to fight back. During our battle, he had the opportunity to kill my guards, yet he did not take it. He did not finish Roma when they fought, though the man sought to steal from him the title of Apprentice and would gladly have murdered him where he stood. But it isn’t just that type of thing. When he was a child, he was difficult to stir. Whether I was meting out punishment or praise, he’d stare at me as if he never understood anything. He’d wander about the castle endlessly by himself, not doing much of anything, not laughing and running or causing mischief, just drifting about. His only friend was as insubstantial as he, a demented ghost. And he never,’ Battu screwed up his face, ‘took pleasure in fine food. The Dark Gods bless him because they have no other choice, yet he is nothing but torn skin in their grasp.’
Bel found Battu’s words, and obvious disdain, extremely encouraging. ‘Then it will be as Arkus promised,’ he murmured. ‘I will remain, and Losara will disappear.’
‘Let us pray to Arkus that it will be so,’ said Battu, wearing a twisted expression.
He needs to believe it as much as you do , whispered a voice in the back of Bel’s mind, so he tells you what you both need to hear.
Be gone, little niggle , he replied. You will have company enough soon, in what-used-to-be-Losara, and he will be as easily suppressed as you.
‘Suppose I should try to get some sleep,’ he said, rising.
He left Battu and returned to his camp. Querrus was nowhere to be seen – maybe Fahren had summoned him, for he had spoken of needing each and every mage.
Hang watching the mander , he thought. I’m going to bed.
•
Jaya lay awake, staring at the roof of the tent, nervous about tomorrow’s charge. Perhaps she was no soldier, but neither were plenty of others who would fight. Still, she preferred night and subtlety to open sky and clashing swords. One could not sneak through a battlefield.
If it weren’t for Bel, she would not even be here.
The tent flap pulled back and he crawled into the tent. ‘Still awake?’ he said, lying down and slipping an arm around her. She rolled into his embrace and grunted an affirmative.
He took a deep breath. ‘I’m worried about you tomorrow.’
‘Why?’
He paused, and she guessed he was choosing his words carefully. ‘I know you want to fight, Jaya, and …well, I do not doubt your ability, let that be plain. But I will need to concentrate, more than I ever have in my entire life. I worry that knowing you’re somewhere in that fray will distract me.’
‘I can look after myself,’ she said, trying to sound stubborn.
‘I know you can, but don’t you see what I mean? My mind will be on you constantly, wondering where you are and if you’re all right. It is no,’ he gave her a squeeze, ‘slight on your skill.’
‘And what about you?’ she said. ‘You think I won’t worry about you?’
Here it was, then, the moment she’d been waiting for. Pride dictated that she argue, though she wanted nothing more than to agree with him. She couldn’t let him know that, however.
‘There is no backing out for me,’ he said. ‘Jaya, you know I have to go.’
How to make her acceptance seem reluctant?
‘Remember the trolls we fought at the Arkus Heights?’ she said.
‘Of course.’
‘Afterwards you asked me to fight at your back. That way you don’t have to watch out for me so much if you’re taken by the frenzy, and we can protect each other.’
‘That was different. Those stupid trolls didn’t know who I was, but tomorrow I’ll have the largest of targets on me. Standing at my back is probably the least safe place to be.’ He rested a hand on her bare stomach. ‘Jaya, please understand …my effectiveness tomorrow is of paramount importance, even if it comes at the cost of insulting you. If I lose focus for a split second at the wrong moment, it could spell disaster for all Kainordas. Can’t you please, for once, see the grander scheme of things?’