‘Trust him, on this,’ said Hirad, feeling Sha-Kaan’s short patience wearing thin. ‘I’ve no idea what he’s talking about but I’m sure he’s right.’ Ilkar nodded but Denser spoke up.
‘One question, Sha-Kaan, if I may?’
Sha-Kaan’s head moved smartly to spear Denser with his cold blue eyes.
‘Ah,’ he said, and Hirad could taste his disdain. ‘The one who stole from me. You should feel fortunate that I have not chosen to take your life in return. But as we say, when the Skies blacken with the wings of your enemies, you will chew even the rotten stalks to fuel your fire. Remember that and ask, thief.’
Hirad glanced behind him at Denser who had gone quite pale. His eyes, though, didn’t waver or flick downwards.
‘Dawnthief was our only hope of survival—’
‘Do not test my temper, thief, your reasons are not important. That you stole was. Speak.’
Hirad sighed. Denser took a deep breath.
‘I would ask how you know so much, how—’
‘How can I be so sure? Because one of my strongest young Kaan lies on the edge of death after encountering the Arakhe in a place where they should not have been. They overwhelmed him in his own melde-corridor. And before you ask, yes that should be impossible. ’
‘What can be done, Great Kaan?’ asked Hirad, fearing the answer.
‘We have one chance and for that, I need your human strength and magic. And your souls.’
‘We’re bait,’ muttered The Unknown.
Sha-Kaan favoured the Big Man’s response with a chuckle, a dry rattling sound deep in his throat.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘But bait laced with poison.’
The Raven looked at each other, a general shifting unease broke their stillness.
‘I will explain what you must do.’ Hirad looked into the Great Kaan’s eyes. He saw and felt no intent to harm, only a desire to survive and to win. He nodded his head and listened.
Thraun moved warily to the opening from which the scent of the animal flowed. He knew what he saw was wrong and the thought worried at his mind as he approached. He could see into the opening, saw the lights flickering there, but looking past it, could see nothing but the land. He growled but the growl became a whine of deep-seated fear. The opening led to man-packbrother; it also led to the animal whose power so scared the wolf. But it led to nowhere - it was not the forest, it was not the open space, it was not the water or the sky.
Thraun sniffed at the base of the opening, seeing the grass become stone and tasting the odours that came from within. There was wood and oil, there was man and elf, all of which comforted him. But lying deep over the scents he knew, were alien taints he could link to nothing. He picked up his head and looked inside, seeing the lights and the stone. The trail of man-packbrother, a trail tinged by fear but not terror, was clear as were those of the other men and the elf.
He glanced behind him, heart hammering in his chest, saw the places where they had rested, all empty, took one last fill of the lights in the sky and padded carefully into the opening.
Chapter 21
Hirad regarded the face of each of The Raven with great solemnity. Sha-Kaan’s words still rolled around his head, the dual dangers of which they spoke difficult to comprehend. As usual, the Great Kaan had given them a choice while giving them no option whatsoever.
They could trust that the Julatsan Council had the power to snuff out the demon threat but if they hadn’t, Balaia would be deluged by demons flooding every corner on a wave of pure mana. It was the air they breathed but would kill every man, woman and child it touched; its concentration would drive the air from lungs and, worse, leave souls at the mercy of the demons, the Arakhe as Sha-Kaan called them. Balaia would become an extension of their dimension and the Kaan would lose their melde and ultimately their lives.
Or, there was a way that might threaten the Arakhe enough to deflect them from their apparent goal. But the description of the task and the risks it posed to them all, dragon and Raven, simply took the breath away. The rewards, however, were great indeed. An end to the current demon threat and a way past the Wesmen army into the College of Julatsa.
And so, Hirad studied them all. For some, the answer was easy. Ilkar just nodded and The Unknown Warrior held Hirad’s gaze as if to challenge the fact that he had to be asked at all. For himself, Hirad would do the Great Kaan’s bidding so long as The Raven agreed. All of them.
Will was scared. Gods in the sky, they all were. But he had suffered already from the sight of a demon and the thought of facing an untold number took the colour from his face and brought a quiver to his limbs.
‘We may not have to fight them,’ said Hirad.
‘But we will have to see them,’ said Will.
‘We’ll protect you.’
‘Only Thraun can do that.’
Hirad had forgotten about the wolf. Still presumably outside, he knew that the shapechanger had to be with them, or Will would not be. And The Raven never fought apart. Never.
‘And if Thraun is here?’
‘Then I will stand by you,’ said Will. Hirad nodded and turned to Erienne and Denser, standing close together.
‘We can’t do it without you,’ said Hirad. ‘Mainly because you’re Raven but we need you to help Ilkar with the mana shield or whatever it is.’ He was addressing himself principally to Denser but it was Erienne who spoke.
‘This is a tall order but we can do it. I don’t think we really have a choice,’ she said. She placed a hand on her belly and anxiety clouded her face for a second.
‘There is always a choice,’ muttered Denser.
‘What, similar to the one you offered us with Dawnthief?’ Hirad growled. ‘Your turn now.’
‘I didn’t say I wouldn’t go.’
‘But if you do, you have to be there,’ said Hirad. ‘All there, all the time.’
Sha-Kaan, who had remained quiet throughout the exchange, brought his huge head forward on his long neck and spoke over Hirad’s shoulder.
‘He speaks correctly, thief. Your skill is undoubted but if you are anything less than attuned, you will be a hindrance and a risk to us all. What do you say?’
Denser bridled at Sha-Kaan’s choice of words but Hirad’s frown stayed him. Instead, he managed what passed for the briefest of smiles.
‘I have nothing more pressing,’ he said.
Sha-Kaan looked at Hirad, neck in a ‘u’ to face him, head and muzzle alone almost as tall as the barbarian.
‘Well?’ he asked.
Hirad grinned. ‘Take it as a yes, Great Kaan.’
‘Excellent.’ The head withdrew. ‘Strike your camp. We will not return here.’
‘What about Thraun?’ asked Will.
‘Thraun?’ Sha-Kaan looked for clarification.
‘The shapechanger,’ said Hirad. ‘The wolf.’
‘Ah.’ A pulse of forest images and blood filled Hirad’s mind. ‘I have touched consciousness with him. He is here in the corridor somewhere. He will come. His bond with you, little human Will, is very strong. Like a dragon with his Dragonene.’
The tension on Will’s face broke and he nodded and looked round.
‘Go and find him, Will,’ said Hirad. ‘The rest of us will clear the camp.’
‘Hurry,’ said Sha-Kaan. ‘The Council will act soon.’