Soon, far ahead she made out the glow of the city lanterns. Tali clung onto Rannilt, who was still sleeping, clenched her teeth, and prayed.
‘How far to the gates now?’ said Tali.
‘Two miles.’
‘How long?’
‘Less than four minutes.’
‘So fast,’ she marvelled.
‘Rix has never lost a race on Leather.’
‘I can see lights to the left. Ahead of us.’
‘Yes.’
‘They seem to be cutting across to this road.’
‘They are.’
‘Will they catch us?’
‘They’ll certainly come within bowshot.’
Skyrocket flares shot up from the left, one, two and then a third, hanging high in the air and burning with a brilliant yellow light that illuminated everything for half a mile around. Rannilt cried out in her sleep. Tali clutched her protectively, blinking against the brightness.
‘Where are they, Tobry? I can’t see them.’
‘Everywhere,’ Tobry said grimly. ‘They’re everywhere. Thousands of the devils.’
He had one hand over his eyes and was peering through his slitted fingers. Tali did the same, and started. The Cythonians had extinguished their lights and were running in a vast horde, the black cloaks swirling out around them making them difficult to pick out of the darkness.
Leather careered past the one-mile post. The Cythonians were curving around towards the road now, racing to cut them off. Ahead, Tali could see lanterns on the city gates, and guards moving restlessly there.
‘The gates don’t seem to be open.’
‘They never are, at night,’ said Tobry.
‘Will the guards open them for us?’
‘Depends how close the enemy is.’
‘You mean we could reach the gates and be trapped up against them?’
‘More than likely.’
Something shot past Leather’s nose — a streak of silver accompanied by a hackle-raising screech. The great horse tossed her head and whinnied, but kept on.
‘What the blazes was that?’ said Tobry.
‘I’ve heard talk of shriek-arrows,’ said Tali.
‘If they’re intended to frighten us, they’re succeeding.’
A shriek-arrow passed low overhead. Leather’s eyes were rolling now. Tobry patted her and spoke soothing words. Another arrow shot by, trailing a fine wire that caught fire in the air and burned with the brilliance of the flares, though it was gone in an instant.
Leather let out a screaming whinny, leapt five feet high and seemed to double the speed of her precipitous dash. This time, Tobry had to reach forwards and place his elbrot on her neck, and even that did not fully calm her.
‘What was that weapon?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Tali.
She did not see the next missile which, judging by its effect, had been hurled from a small catapult. It went off with a thudding explosion a little short of the road and spun in spirals, gushing white smoke that hung low to the ground and was carried towards them by the breeze.
‘Half a mile,’ said Tobry. ‘One last effort, Leather old friend, for all our lives. Tali, wake Rannilt and be ready to run … whatever happens.’
Tali shook Rannilt awake, which took an effort. Despite their headlong pace, despite the howls and blasts and shrieks, she clung to sleep as if it were a lost friend.
‘Wha-?’ Rannilt said.
‘We’re nearly to Caulderon but they’re after us again. Hold my hand.’
More arrows were falling around them, ordinary ones this time, though only one came close. It thumped into the saddle horn in front of Tali and stuck there, quivering.
‘I’m surprised they’re not better shots,’ she said. ‘They shoot at targets all the time, in Cython.’
‘Not easy to hit a racing target when you’re running flat out,’ said Tobry. ‘You can’t train for that underground.’
They were hurtling towards the gates, which remained closed. ‘Tobry?’ Tali was afraid they were going to break their necks.
‘It’s all or nothing now.’ He stood up in the stirrups, waving furiously. ‘Recognise me, you bastards. Or at least, recognise Leather.’
A hundred yards to go. The enemy was flooding in from either side. More burning-wire arrows threaded the sky, then from the corner of her eye Tali saw three Cythonians stop and raise their bows. They were only a hundred and fifty yards away and Leather made a huge target.
Forty yards. Thirty.
‘Jump!’ said Tobry.
As they fired Leather soared high, as though jumping a gate, and the arrows passed beneath her belly.
They were down to twenty yards when a small gate opened to the right side of the main gates. It was low and narrow, though. Would they fit?
‘Heads down!’
Tali and Rannilt ducked, Leather lowered her long neck and they shot through the gate, tearing off the saddlebags and twisting the saddle so badly that Tali thought they were going to be flung to the ground. The gate banged shut behind them and dozens of arrows thudded into it.
Leather skidded to a halt on a broad avenue surfaced in yellow brick-work, blowing hard and covered in streaks of foam. Something went boom outside the gates, shaking them to their foundations, then all the pain Tali had been holding back for the past hours went off at once and she surrendered to it.
CHAPTER 59
Tali had no idea how much time had passed. It was still dark and someone was pounding on a door, every thump sending a throb through her head.
‘Will you stop that,’ she said dully.
‘Quiet,’ whispered Tobry. ‘We’re here.’
‘Where — here?’
‘The abbey.’
She felt a spasm of panic. The past hours and perils had welded Rannilt and Tobry to her like brother and sister — or something stronger. The thought of being separated from them was unbearable.
‘Don’t want to be left with strangers,’ said Tali. ‘Take me with you.’
‘You need a healer and you’ve got to disappear. After our spectacular arrival, all Caulderon will be wondering who you are.’
Tali slumped; she was beyond anything save enduring.
‘I can look after her,’ said Rannilt. ‘Please, Lord Tobry.’
‘Tali needs the best healer there is,’ said Tobry. ‘I’ll send her to you when she’s better.’
‘I can heal her,’ Rannilt said desperately. ‘Please don’t make me leave her.’
‘I’m sorry, Rannilt. If anyone speaks to you while I’m gone, pretend you’re dumb.’
‘What’s dumb?’
‘It means you can’t speak. And you’re not a Pale, right?’
‘Why not?’ squeaked Rannilt.
‘If the chancellor hears about you, he’ll be after you too. You’re only safe if no one knows who you are.’
‘Who am I?’
‘You’re a servant girl from Nitterlay, on the other side of the Crowbung Range — ’
‘Who’s there?’ said a woman’s voice, old and quavery.
‘Tobry Lagger. Let me in.’
‘Come back in the morning.’
‘I must see the abbess. I bear news of great value — and an injured girl who needs her special healing gift.’
‘Wait!’
‘Hush,’ whispered Tobry to Rannilt. ‘Pretend you’re asleep.’
‘You’ll look after Tali, won’t you?’ Tears washed tracks down Rannilt’s grubby face.
He gave her a quick hug. ‘Yes, and you too.’
‘Where are you taking her?’ said Tali. Tobry had told her but she could not remember.
‘To old Luzia. She was my nurse when I was little, and Rix’s nurse after that. She’ll look after her.’
‘She’d better,’ Tali said feebly.
The bolts were drawn back and the reinforced doors drawn open. Tobry took Tali in his arms.
‘Who’s that?’ said the woman.
She was broad and stooped, her back so bent by a dowager’s hump that she could barely raise her head above the horizontal, and her old face was covered with a crisscrossing network of wrinkles. Had she been on all-fours, she would have greatly resembled a tortoise.
‘For Hildy’s eyes only,’ said Tobry.