The Raven trio walked slowly back to the courtyard at the front of the house. At the door, which faced the open gates, Talan stopped them.
‘Look,’ he said. ‘There’s no easy way to say this, but I can’t go any further. I’m leaving The Raven.’
Ilkar and Hirad weighed his words in silence. He carried on.
‘We were very close, me, Ras and Richmond. Joining and fighting for The Raven was the pinnacle for us. But two corners of the triangle are gone now and next time, it’ll be me. It hit me when I found Richmond . . . he died alone.’ He sighed and scratched his head. ‘I’m sorry, I’m not explaining this very well. I don’t know . . . inside me the desire isn’t there suddenly. The fire has gone out. Richmond’s was a Vigil too far and I’m not prepared to bury another member of The Raven.’
Hirad said nothing, only nodded. Ilkar’s face clouded, his eyes narrowing as his frown deepened.
‘Do you understand?’ Talan asked. ‘Say something, one of you.’
‘Yes, I do,’ said Hirad. ‘When I was alone with Sirendor, just looking at his dead face, I was ready to break my blade. I chose not to and I’m only sorry you can’t do the same.’ Hirad lowered himself to the steps, Ilkar reflexively offering a helping hand.
‘Is that all you’re going to say?’ demanded the Julatsan.
Hirad shrugged. ‘What else is there? If his heart isn’t with us then he’s a liability and we’re better off without him. He knows it, I know it and so do you, Ilkar.’
‘Under normal circumstances, yes, but in case it’s slipped your attention, we are not involved in just any old job. And I have to say that he will be much more of a liability away from us than with us.’
‘I hardly think so—’ began Talan.
‘They know you!’ snapped Ilkar. ‘They know what you look like, where you come from and they’ll be after what you know. Gods, Talan, you have information any Wytch Lord servant would die for. Not only do you know what the Dawnthief catalysts are, you know where to find them. And if you walk away now, we’ll never know if you’re safe or whether you are telling them everything.’
‘I would die first, you know that.’
‘Yes, but you can only do it if you have the choice.’ Ilkar paused, saw the anger in Talan’s face. ‘Look, I am not questioning your loyalty or your faith. I’m just saying that choosing to die may not be possible. You’re not a mage. You can’t just stop your own heart.’
Talan nodded slowly. ‘Nevertheless. How will they find me if they don’t know I’ve even left you? If they don’t know where I’ve gone?’
Ilkar gave a short laugh. ‘There’s only one safe place for you, Talan, and that’s the Mount of Xetesk; and somehow I don’t think they’d welcome you with open arms.’ Ilkar sighed. ‘You must change your mind. Or at least think it through.’
‘What do you think I’ve been doing these last few days, working on my life story?’
‘You are walking out on the fight for Balaia.’
Talan leaned forward and jabbed a finger at Ilkar. ‘Let me tell you something, Ilkar. I don’t need you to tell me what I’m doing. I know, and I feel bad enough without you pushing my face in it.’ Talan threw his arms in the air. ‘I want your understanding, not your consent. I’m leaving. It’s over.’ He stalked off towards the gate.
‘We can’t let him go,’ said Ilkar.
‘Neither can we stop him,’ said Hirad.
‘Denser won’t like this.’
‘Well, Denser knows what he can do with it. This is Raven business.’
‘Hirad, I really think . . .’
‘It’s Raven business.’
‘Oh, I give up!’ Ilkar turned a small circle in frustration. ‘Haven’t either of you grasped what’s going on here? This is bigger than The Raven. It’s bigger than everything. We can’t afford to fail this job and we need all the help we can get.’
‘Nothing is bigger than The Raven,’ said Hirad evenly. ‘The Raven is the only reason we got this far in the first place and The Raven is the only reason we’ll win. And that’s because we always do.’
Ilkar stared at Hirad, his hard, open-mouthed expression slowly softening.
‘There just is no answer to that, is there?’
‘No.’
‘Blind faith is a wonderful thing.’
‘It’s not blind faith, my dear elf, it’s fact. You name me a job we’ve failed.’
‘You know I can’t.’
Hirad shrugged.
‘Ilkar?’ Talan called.
‘What do you want?’
‘Your eyes. Over here.’
Something in Talan’s tone stayed Ilkar’s next remark and instead he hurried over. Hirad levered himself painfully to his feet, hugged the wall for support until the nausea passed, then walked after him.
‘What is it?’ said Ilkar at Talan’s shoulder.
Talan pointed. ‘Straight ahead. I thought I saw movement.’
Ilkar nodded. ‘Yes. A rider. Coming this way and at a tan gallop by the looks. He’s a big bastard too.’
‘Jandyr! Thraun! Front gate!’ shouted Talan. ‘If there’s trouble, Hirad,’ he continued, hearing the barbarian shuffle up behind him, ‘you keep out of it.’
‘Sod off.’
‘Thought you might say that.’
‘Why did you say it then?’
‘Old times’ sake?’ He caught Hirad’s eye and the two men smiled.
‘Come back any time,’ said Hirad.
‘You never know.’ Talan fixed his gaze out of the front gate once again.
By the time Jandyr and Thraun had joined them, they could hear the hoofbeats and see the rider in the distance.
Dark cloak billowing behind him, he came on astride a huge grey. As he neared, they drew their blades, Ilkar readying to cast. But perhaps thirty yards away he reined in and trotted to the gates, one hand out in a gesture of peaceful intent. He was wearing a full face mask but no helmet.
‘That’s far enough,’ growled Talan. ‘What’s your business?’
‘You can put up your swords,’ said Denser, walking to the cluster around the gate. ‘He’s on our side.’
‘Oh, yeah? And who is he?’ asked Hirad. Ilkar already knew the answer.
‘His name is Sol. He’s a Protector. And let’s face it,’ Denser stood squarely in front of Talan, ‘as I overheard someone say just now, we need all the help we can get.’
‘You don’t think you might have at least mentioned you’d requested a Protector?’ asked Ilkar. He had kept his silence on the subject throughout a rather tense afternoon, preferring to let Hirad believe it was part of a plan agreed while the barbarian was still comatose. But now Hirad was asleep, resting under Erienne’s final WarmHeal, and the sun had disappeared behind night.
Ilkar and Denser were sitting alone on the front steps of the castle, taking in the warm late evening air. The Xeteskian’s pipe was, as ever, between his teeth. The cat was nowhere to be seen.
‘Would it have made any difference?’
‘Courtesy is such a simple thing to observe,’ said Ilkar testily.
‘Then I apologise. But I did not request the Protector. Xetesk believes he is necessary to my security.’
‘I bet.’
‘Why must you always take the negative view?’ Denser refilled the bowl of his pipe and tamped down the tobacco. ‘This has nothing to do with the ultimate return of Dawnthief to Xetesk.’ He lit the pipe, blew a smoke ring. ‘It would be easier for us all if it was.’
‘And how do you come by that conclusion?’
‘Well, things are getting more complex out in the big wide world we seem to have left behind.’
‘Complex.’ Ilkar was immediately worried. Denser had a habit for understatement. ‘Things’ were possibly very bad.