Gemmell, David - Drenai 09 - Hero In The Shadows

by David Gemmell

  That was the day when Yu Yu decided upon an outlaw's life in the mountains.

  Now, in a foreign land, he had made more enemies. And he still did not know why. With a little more time to work on the translation Yu Yu realized that the man had called him a slant-eyed pig, and that the problem was, in fact, not about theft, but about making love to the blonde woman. It seemed peculiar to Yu Yu that the shape of his Chiatze eyes, or the golden colour of his skin, should preclude him from forming friendships with Kydor women. And why would he want to stick with his own kind? It was a mystery. Yu Yu had been a ditch-digger for nine years and had never met another ditch-digger he found remotely attractive.

  Except for Pan Jian.

  She was the only female ditch-digger he had ever known. A monstrous woman with huge arms and a flat round face that boasted several chins, two of which sported large, matching warts. One evening, when drunk and broke, he had propositioned her.

  'Pay me a compliment,' she told him, 'and I'll think about it.'

  Yu Yu stared at her through bleary eyes, searching for some evidence of femininity. 'You have nice ears,' he said at last.

  Pan Jian had laughed. 'That will do,' she told him, and they had rutted in a ditch.

  She had been dismissed two days later for arguing with the foreman. It was a short argument. He pointed out he had seen cows with smaller and more attractive arses than hers, and she had broken his jaw.

  As Yu Yu climbed the stairs to the upper level he found himself remembering her fondly. Although making love to her was like clinging to the back of a greased hippo, the ride had been enjoyable, and he had discovered in Pan Jian an unexpected tenderness. Afterwards she had talked of her life, and her hopes and her dreams. It had been a gentle night, of balmy soft breezes and a bright hunter's moon. Pan Jian had spoken of finding a small place near the Great River and starting a business, cutting rushes and weaving hats and baskets. Her hands were as big as shovels and Yu Yu had great difficulty picturing her creating delicate articles from straw. But he said nothing. 'And I'd like a dog,' she said. 'One of those small dogs that the magistrate has with him. A white one.'

  'They are very expensive,' said Yu Yu.

  'But they are so pretty.' Her voice was wistful, and suddenly in the moonlight her face did not seem ugly to him at all.

  'Have you ever had a dog?' he asked.

  'Yes. It was a mongrel. Very friendly. Followed me everywhere. She was a lovely dog. Big brown eyes.'

  'She died?'

  'Yes. You remember that awful winter four years ago? The famine?'

  Yu Yu had shivered. He remembered, all right. Thousands had died of starvation.

  'I had to eat her,' said Pan Jian.

  Yu Yu nodded sympathetically. 'How did she taste?'

  'Pretty good,' said Pan Jian. 'But a bit stringy.' Lifting one enormous leg, she pointed down at her fur-edged boot. 'This was her,' she said, stroking the fur. 'I made them so I wouldn't forget her.'

  Yu Yu smiled as he recalled the moment. That was always the way with women, he thought. No matter how tough they seemed they were cursed with sentimentality.

  Emerging into the entrance hallway, Yu Yu saw the Grey Man and Kysumu walking out into the sunshine. He hurried across to join them. 'Are we going somewhere?' he asked.

  'Do you ride?' asked the Grey Man.

  'I am a great rider,' said Yu Yu.

  Kysumu stepped in. 'Have you ever ridden a horse?'

  'No.'

  The Grey Man laughed, but there was no mockery in the sound. 'I have a grey mare famous for her gentle and patient nature. She will teach you how to ride.'

  'Where are we going?' asked Yu Yu.

  'We are hunting demons,' said Kysumu.

  'My day is complete,' said Yu Yu Liang.

  They rode for some hours. Initially Yu Yu felt comfortable in the deep saddle. It was exhilarating being so high above the ground. Until, that is, they reached small inclines or depressions where the horses picked up the pace. Yu Yu was bounced painfully around on the saddle.

  The Grey Man dropped back and dismounted, adjusting Yu Yu's stirrups, which were, he said, a little high. 'It is not easy to find the rhythms of the trot,' he said, 'but it will come.'

  It could not come soon enough for Yu Yu. After two hours of riding his buttocks were bruised and painful.

  Instead of moving directly to the ruins the Grey Man led them along a ridge of high ground overlooking the Eiden Plain. From here an observer could make out the original lines of Kuan-Hador, depressions in the land, showing where mighty walls once stood. From this height the lines of streets could also be seen, linking the edges of ruined buildings. Further to the east, where the city had once abutted the granite cliffs, there were the remains of two round towers, one seeming to have snapped across the middle, huge stones littering the ground for two hundred feet.

  The ruins covered a vast area, vanishing into the distance. 'This was once a huge city,' said Kysumu. 'I have never seen the like.'

  'It was called Kuan-Hador,' said the Grey Man. 'According to some historians, more than two hundred thousand people lived here.'

  'What happened to them?' asked Yu Yu, drawing alongside.

  'No one knows,' the Grey Man told him. 'Many of the ruins show signs of fire damage, so I would guess it fell during a war.'

  Kysumu half drew his sword. The steel shone in the sunlight, but not with the glittering blue radiance it had displayed during the demonic attack.

  'It looks peaceful now,' said Yu Yu Liang.

  The Grey Man heeled the steeldust forward and rode out on to the slope. The horses placed their hoofs warily on the scree-covered trail, moving with care. At the rear Yu Yu was growing hot, and undid the brass clasp of his wolfskin cloak, intending to place it over his saddle pommel. The wolfskin fluttered up, alarming the grey mare, who reared and leapt from the trail directly on to the steep slope below. Immediately she began to slide, dropping her haunches. 'Keep her head up!' yelled the Grey Man.

  Yu Yu did his best - and the descent continued at breakneck speed. The mare fought for balance on the sliding scree, righted herself then, still panicked, began to run. Yu Yu clung on in frightened desperation as the descent continued in a cloud of dust. He was almost unseated twice as the mare lurched. Dropping the reins, Yu Yu grabbed the saddle pommel.

  The grey mare slowed and stood on trembling legs, steam snorting from her nostrils. Gingerly Yu Yu patted her neck, then gathered up the reins. As the dust cleared he saw they had reached the plain. Turning in the saddle he saw the Grey Man and Kysumu high above, still picking their way down the slope. Yu Yu's heart was thudding in his chest, and he felt light-headed.

  Some minutes later the Grey Man rode up. 'You should step down now and let the mare rest,' he said.

  Yu Yu nodded, tried to move, and let out a grunt. 'I can't,' he said. 'My legs won't work. They seem to be stuck to saddle.'

  'The muscles of your inner thigh have been overstretched,' said the Grey Man. 'It is a common problem for new riders.' He dismounted then moved alongside Yu Yu. 'Just topple and I will catch you.'

  With another grunt Yu Yu leant to his left. The Grey Man took hold of his arm and eased him down. Once on flat ground Yu Yu felt a little better, but it was difficult to walk. Rubbing his tortured muscles he grinned up at the Grey Man. 'My cloak frightened her,' he said.

  'She is none the worse for it,' said the Grey Man. 'But this must be a lucky day for you. If she had fallen and rolled that pommel would have ruptured your spleen.'

  Kysumu rode up, carrying Yu Yu's cloak. 'Did you see my ride?' asked Yu Yu.

  The grey-garbed Rajnee nodded. 'It was very impressive,' he said, stepping from the saddle. He half drew his sword again, gazing at the blade. It remained silver steel, with not a hint of unearthly radiance.

  'Maybe they have gone,' said Yu Yu hopefully.

  'We shall see,' answered Kysumu.

  Having tethered the horses the Grey Man and Kysumu began to scout the ruins. Yu Yu, his t
highs still throbbing, wandered to the remains of what had once been a large house, and sat down upon a ruined wall. It was hot here, and the events of the day - the love-making, the fight, and the wild ride down the slope - had sapped his energy. He yawned and glanced around for the others. The Grey Man was some way to the east, climbing over a pile of ruins. Yu Yu could not see Kysumu.

  Removing his sword-belt he lay down in the shade, rolled his cloak for a pillow, and dozed.

  He awoke with a start as Kysumu climbed over the low wall.

  Yu Yu felt curiously disorientated. Rising to his feet he stared around the ruins. 'Where is he?' he asked.

  'The Grey Man has ridden further to the east to scout the woods.'

  'No, not him. The man with the golden robe.' Yu Yu walked to the wall and peered out over the plain.

  'You were dreaming,' said Kysumu.

  'I suppose I must have been,' agreed Yu Yu. 'He was asking me questions and I had no answers.'

  Kysumu pulled the stopper from a leather water-bag and drank sparingly. Then he passed it to Yu Yu.

  'No demons, then?' said Yu Yu happily.

  'No, but there is something here. I can feel it.'

  'Something . . . evil?' asked Yu Yu nervously.

  'I cannot tell. It is like a whisper in my soul.'

  Kysumu sat quietly, eyes closed. Yu Yu drank more water, then glanced up at the fading sun. It would be dusk soon, and he had no wish to be in these ruins once night had fallen.

  'Why do you want to find these demons anyway?' he asked the Rajnee.

  Kysumu's face twitched. His dark eyes opened. 'Do not disturb me when I am meditating,' he said, without anger. 'It is painful.'

  Yu Yu apologized, feeling foolish.

  'You were not to know,' said Kysumu. 'But to answer your question I do not want to find demons. I am Rajnee. I swore an oath to stand against evil wherever I found it. This is the way of the Rajnee. What we experienced in the camp of Matze Chai was evil. Of that there is no doubt. And that is why my sword brought me here.' He looked closely at Yu Yu. 'It is why you are here too.'

  'I don't want to fight evil,' said Yu Yu. 'I want to be rich and happy.'

  'I thought you wanted to strut through marketplaces with people pointing at you and saying your name with pride.'

  'That too.'

  'Such respect has to be earned, Yu Yu. Were you a good ditch-digger?'

  'I was a great—'

  'Yes, yes,' interrupted Kysumu. 'Now think about the question, and answer it with seriousness.'

  'I was good,' said Yu Yu. 'I worked hard. My foreman praised me. When times were tough I would always be employed ahead of other men. I was not lazy.'

  'You were respected as a ditch-digger?'

  'I was. But I was also paid for being a ditch-digger. Who will pay me for being a hero and fighting demons?'

  'The payment is greater than a mountain of gold, Yu Yu. And more beautiful than the richest gems. Yet you cannot touch it, or hold it. It swells the heart and feeds the soul.'

  'It doesn't feed the body, though, does it?' said Yu Yu.

  'No, it does not,' agreed Kysumu. 'But think back to how you felt when we fought the demons in the camp of Matze Chai, when the sun came up and the mist departed. You recall how your heart swelled with pride, because you had stood your ground and survived?'

  'That was good,' agreed Yu Yu. 'Almost as good as making love to Norda.'

  Kysumu sighed.

  Yu Yu walked to the edge of the broken wall. 'I cannot see the Grey Man. Why did he go off on his own?'

  'He is a solitary man,' said Kysumu. 'He works better alone.'

  The sun dipped below the western ridges. 'Well, I hope he gets back soon. I do not want to spend a night here.' Yu Yu picked up his cloak and shook it out, then swirled it around his shoulders. 'What is a pria-shath?' he asked.

  Kysumu's face registered shock. 'Where did you hear that word?'

  'The golden man in my dream. He asked if I was a pria-shath.'

  'And you have never heard it before?'

  Yu Yu shrugged. 'I don't think so.'

  'What else did he ask?'

  'I don't remember. It is all very hazy now.'

  'Try to think,' said Kysumu.

  Yu Yu sat down and scratched his beard. 'He asked me a lot of questions, and I didn't know the answers to any of them. There was something about the stars, but I don't recall exactly. Oh . . . and he told me his name . . . Qin someone . . .'

  'Qin Chong?'

  'Yes. How did you know?'

  'Later. Keep thinking of the dream.'

  'I told him I was a ditch-digger, and I didn't know what he was talking about. Then he said, "You are the pria-shath." That was when you woke me. What is a pria-shath?'

  'A Lantern Bearer,' said Kysumu. 'He was seeking me. That must be why the sword brought me here. I shall contact this spirit myself. It means going into a trance. You must stand guard over me.'

  'Guard? What happens if the demons come? You will wake, yes?'

  'It depends on how deep the trance. Now do not speak again.' With that Kysumu dipped his head and closed his eyes.

  The last of the sunlight blazed up from behind the mountains, then darkness descended upon the Eiden Plain.

  Yu Yu sat miserably upon a broken wall, and longed for a return to the lands of the Chiatze, with a good shovel in his hands and a deep ditch waiting to be dug. He wished in that moment he had never found the Rajnee sword, and had stayed on to face the wrath of the giant, Shi Da.

  'You have brought me nothing but trouble,' he said, glancing down at the sword in his lap.

  Then he swore.

  A soft blue light began to glow along the length of the blade.

  Chapter Six

  Leaving the steeldust tethered close to the lake, Waylander moved cautiously among the abandoned wagons, examining the tracks. The wagons had come over the pass and been drawn up here to rest the horses. Some of the footprints in the mud were of small feet, and several had run to the water's edge. A pair of shoes and a yellow shirt had been laid on a rock, indicating that at least one youngster had been preparing for a swim. The ground was too churned for Waylander to be exactly sure of what had happened next, save that the adults had herded together, pulling back towards the lake. Blood splashes to nearby trees and large stains upon the dead grass showed what happened next. They had been slaughtered - killed by huge creatures whose taloned feet left deep impressions in the earth.

  The grass itself might have proved a mystery, had Kysumu not already told him of the immense cold that accompanied the coming of the mist. It was frost-damaged by temperatures far below freezing.

  Waylander moved warily across the killing ground, examining the hoofprints of riders who had come upon the scene later. Twenty, maybe thirty riders had entered the wood, and left in the same dkection. All around the site were the bodies of scores of birds. He found a dead fox in the bushes to the north of the wagons. There were no marks upon it.

  Venturing deeper into the woods he followed the trail of dead birds and ice-scorched grass, coming at last to what he believed to be the point of origin. It was a perfect circle, some thirty feet in diameter. Waylander walked around it, picturing as best he could what must have happened here. An icy mist had formed in the spot, then rolled towards the west as if driven by a fierce breeze. Everything in its path had died, including the wagoners and their families.

  But where then were the remains of the bodies, the discarded bones, the shredded clothing?

  Backtracking towards the wagons, he stopped and examined an area where bushes had been crushed, or torn from the ground. Blood had seeped into the earth. This was where one of the dead horses had been dragged. Waylander found more deep imprints of taloned feet close by. One creature had killed the horse and torn it from its traces, pulling it deeper into the woods. The blood trail stopped suddenly. Waylander squatted down, his fingers tracing the indented earth. The horse had been dragged to this point, and then had lost all bodyweig
ht. Yet it had not been devoured here. Even if the demon had been ten feet tall it could not have consumed an entire horse. And there were no signs that others of the creatures had gathered around to share in a feast. There were no split and discarded bones, no guts or offal.

  Waylander rose and re-examined the surrounding area. The tracks of taloned feet just beyond this point were all heading in one direction, towards the lake. The demons, having slaughtered the wagoners and their horses, had returned to where he now stood - and vanished. As incredible as it seemed, there was no other explanation.

  They had returned from wherever they had come, taking the bodies with them.

  The light was beginning to fail. Waylander returned to the steeldust and stepped into the saddle.

  What had caused the demons to materialize in the first place? Surely it could not have been chance that they had happened upon a convoy. As far as he knew, there had been two attacks, one upon Matze Chai and his men, the second upon these unfortunate wagoners. Both parties contained large numbers of men and horses.

  Or, looked at from another viewpoint, a great deal of food.

  Waylander headed the steeldust away from the woods, and began the long ride around the lake. In the years he had dwelt in Kydor there had been no such attacks. Why now?

  The sun was setting behind the mountains as he skirted the lake. A feeling of unease grew within him as he headed towards the distant ruins. Lifting his crossbow he slid two bolts into place.

  When the sword began to shine Yu Yu Liang had been frightened. Now, an hour later, he would give anything he possessed to be merely frightened. Clouds had obscured the moon and stars and the only light came from the blade in his hands. From beyond the ruined walls, and all around him, he could hear stealthy sounds. Sweat dripped into Yu Yu's eyes as he strained to see beyond the jagged stonework. Twice he had tried to wake Kysumu, the second time shaking him roughly. It was like trying to rouse the dead.

  Yu Yu's mouth was dry. He heard a scratching upon the stony ground to his left and swung towards it, raising his sword high. As the light shone he saw a dark shadow disappear behind the rocks. A low growl came from somewhere close by, the sound echoing in the night air. Yu Yu was petrified now. His hands began to tremble, and he was gripping the sword hilt so powerfully that he could hardly feel his fingers. They are just wild dogs, he told himself. Scavenging for scraps. Nothing to fear.