‘And what about him?’ demanded Hirad. ‘How are we supposed to deal with him?’
‘He won’t harm you,’ said Jandyr. ‘Please let him be.’
‘You can’t just . . .’ began Hirad. Sol strode past him. ‘Unknown, please!’ Sol didn’t falter. ‘Will someone tell me what is going on!’ Hirad shouted.
‘Later,’ said Ilkar.
‘Now.’
‘No, Hirad, we can’t stay here. The Dordovans will be back. We’ve got to find a place to hide.’ Ilkar jabbed a finger at Denser. ‘This may not be your doing but have you any idea what Xetesk has just uncorked? I cannot believe that even they could be so stupid!’ He shook his head.
‘Neither can I,’ said Denser. Hirad saw him look at Sol, close his eyes and rub a hand over his face. ‘Neither can I.’
Hirad stood it for half an hour as they rode hard away from Dordover, heading for the Blackthorne Mountains. And when he could take it no more, he drove them off the trail and into some low hills, stopping in the lee of a crag, completely hidden by the road.
He watched in silence as Sol helped the now conscious Will off his horse. The thief sat down, looking at no one, taking in nothing, staring inside of himself. Jandyr walked across and sat next to him, trying to get through, but there was no reaction. Sol walked away a few paces and sat down himself, stroking the Familiar, while Erienne moved to Denser. Thraun trotted away into the gloom and disappeared.
‘First things first,’ said Hirad. ‘The Unknown.’
‘Is it him?’ asked Denser. He was filling his pipe, standing in between Ilkar and Hirad.
‘Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?’ asked Ilkar.
‘I don’t know.’
‘It’s him. Tell me how it’s him, how he’s not dead and tell me why there’s a problem, because you two obviously think there is.’ Hirad looked across at Sol again. ‘Gods, I don’t know why there should be. The Unknown coming back could make all the difference. ’ He smiled briefly. ‘Well?’
Denser breathed deep. ‘I may as well tell you. I knew The Unknown was a Protector. That night after we’d buried him, I was on watch. I heard the demons taking his soul.’
‘And you didn’t see fit to let us know?’ Ilkar was stunned.
‘What would have been the point?’ snapped Denser. ‘You were in bad enough shape as it was. All I’d have done was ruin your memory of him by claiming him as a native Xeteskian who’d denied his lineage. I mean, do you think you would have believed me?’
‘No, probably not,’ said Hirad after a time. ‘But if you knew . . .’
‘Never in my wildest dreams did I think he’d be assigned to me. If I’d thought so for one moment I’d never have accepted him.’
‘Not good enough, eh?’
‘Hirad!’ warned Ilkar.
‘What does it matter anyway?’ asked Hirad, moving away a little and gesturing at Sol. ‘Let’s get that ridiculous mask off and get on with it.’ Silence. ‘What?’
‘Hirad, I can’t take the mask off him,’ said Denser.
‘Well, I’ll do it then.’
‘No!’ Denser voice rose to a shout. He quietened it instantly. ‘No. You don’t understand. If the mask comes off, he’ll be destroyed. Eternally.’ He chewed nervously at his unlit pipe and took it back out of his mouth. ‘If you say that The Unknown’s mind is in Sol’s body, then I believe you. But you must realise that he is no longer The Unknown Warrior. He’s changed. He’s a Protector, he’s Sol. There’s nothing I can do.’
‘You can change him back, that’s what you can do.’ Hirad’s face was stone.
‘He can’t, Hirad,’ said Ilkar. ‘That’s not The Unknown, not any more.’
‘No? He recognised me, Ilkar. Didn’t you see?’
‘He what?’ Ilkar leaned forward.
‘He knew me. I called him and he knew me.’ Hirad shook his head. ‘He tapped his blade before he fought. No one else does that.’ Hirad’s voice was edged with desperation. ‘It’s him. It can’t be anyone else.’
Ilkar turned on Denser. ‘Got an explanation for that? I understood that all life memories were blanked.’ Denser stared at the ground. ‘Tell me that’s true,’ demanded the elf. ‘Tell me.’ Denser looked up and held his gaze, his eyes moist. He shook his head. ‘Oh, no,’ breathed Ilkar. He fell back a pace and turned to where Sol - The Unknown Warrior - sat, his mask facing them. He could all but taste the big man’s desolation. ‘Gods, Unknown. I am so sorry.’
‘Ilkar, please?’ Hirad put a hand on his shoulder.
‘He remembers everything,’ said Ilkar. ‘Don’t you see? He remembers The Raven, The Rookery, all our fights, all those years. His whole life! And he can’t ever speak of it or acknowledge it. Ever.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘He’s in thrall, Hirad. His soul is held by the Mount of Xetesk. If he steps out of line, they will make what he’s going through now seem like a Raven party. He’ll be dying for eternity.’
Hirad let what Ilkar had said sink in. He walked slowly over to The Unknown and squatted in front of him, gazing deep into his eyes. And there he could see the lifetime of pain and loneliness that lay ahead. Mapped out in those orbs was all that had gone before. Everything. But it was locked away. Lost behind a mask of Xeteskian domination.
‘I’m going to get you out of there, Unknown.’ Hirad stood up and stalked back to Denser, not seeing the single shake of the masked head behind him.
‘Never mind that it’s The Unknown,’ spat Ilkar. ‘You knew what he was going through by the mere fact that he was a Protector.’
‘I know! I can’t reverse three thousand years of calling. Do you think I want this?’ Denser gestured at The Unknown and searched the faces of Hirad and Ilkar. ‘I can’t begin to make you understand how sorry I am. Please understand that I never wanted this.’
‘You know, I’m tired of your apologies, Denser.’ Hirad moved in, menacing. ‘Everything bad that’s happened to The Raven has happened because of you. And not just all my friends who have died on your behalf. All those times when you—’ he prodded Denser in the chest - ‘you could have killed the rest of us. It’s all down to you, this mess, and I’ve had it. Until you help The Unknown, I’m no longer with you, can you understand that?’
Denser removed his pipe from his mouth ‘I realise this is difficult, but I really . . .’
‘But nothing, Denser!’ Hirad pushed Denser away, the mage stumbling backwards but keeping his footing. ‘Through the rip, you risked everything because you were curious. You were going to kill Talan because he couldn’t handle it - make The Unknown kill him. With Sha-Kaan, you risked my life without even blinking, and just now you chanced the lives of four people because your precious cat was in trouble, not to mention mine and Ilkar’s in your haste to get away.’
‘I don’t think you’re being quite fair.’
‘Quite fair? It’s all down to your mistakes, your haste and your pig-headed arrogance that we’re this deep in trouble. I told you to leave it to The Raven but you always had to do it your own way. I told you we survived by being a team but you wouldn’t listen. And now,’ Hirad moved in again, his nose right at Denser’s, ‘now the final insult. Him.’ He pointed behind him at The Unknown. ‘You’re telling us you have to leave him in hell and yet you still expect us to ride with you?’
‘There’s nothing I can do.’ Denser shrugged.
Hirad snapped, grabbed him by the collar and hauled him almost off his feet. ‘I’ll tell you what you can do, Xetesk man. You can commune with your masters and you can tell them that until they release my friend from thrall it’s all over. No Dawnthief, no victory. Reckon you can tell them that?’
‘Let me go, Hirad.’
‘Reckon you can tell them that?’ Hirad repeated, barking his words, spittle flying into Denser’s face.