Once back on firm ground Qin Chong headed south-east, climbing ever higher until they reached a small cave created by a sheet of overhanging rock. Here he sat, breathing heavily. Kysumu squatted down alongside him. Blood was still seeping from a shallow wound high on Qin Chong's chest.
'The pria-shath was right,' said Qin Chong. 'You do know how to use your blade. It was fortunate, however, that your opponent was panicked and frightened.'
'I have never seen warriors who can move at such speed,' admitted Kysumu.
'The advantages of the meld,' Qin Chong told him.
'How was it that you could make Yu Yu's body match them?'
'In all animals muscles work in rhythmic harmony, sharing the load. A man lifts a cup to his lips. He does not use all his strength to do this. Only a few of the muscles in his arm will be needed. If he lifts a rock he will use more. Imagine a muscle as being, say, twenty men. If you have to raise the rock ten times then the first time two of the men will do it, the second time two more, and so on. But it is possible - though not wise - to engage all of the men at once. This is what I did, though Yu Yu will not thank me when he wakes.' He smiled. 'Ah, but I have enjoyed this last moment of the flesh, the scent of the forest, the feeling of cool air in my lungs.'
'You will feel it again, surely, when we find the Men of Clay? You will return to aid us.'
'I will not return, Kysumu. These are my last moments in the world.'
'There is so much I want to ask you.'
'There is only one question that burns in your heart, swordsman. Why were you not chosen to be the pria-shath?'
'Can you tell me?'
'Better for you to discover the truth yourself,' said Qin Chong. 'Farewell, Kysumu.' With that he closed his eyes, and was gone.
Niallad was dreaming about his father. They were hawking in the high country close to the castle. His father's bird, the legendary Eera, had brought down three hares. Nial-lad's bird, young and newly trained, had flown to a nearby tree and would not come down at his call.
'You must have patience,' said his father, as they sat together. 'Bird and man never form a friendship. It is a partnership. As long as you feed him he will stay with you. He will not, however, offer you loyalty or friendship.'
'I thought he liked me. He dances whenever I come close.'
'We shall see.'
They had waited for some hours, and then the hawk had flown away, never to return.
Niallad awoke. For a heartbeat he felt warm and secure in his father's love. Then, with terrible ferocity, reality smote him and he groaned aloud. He sat up, his heart breaking. Emrin was asleep on the ground close by. The Grey Man was seated upon a rock close to the horses. He did not look round. His figure was silhouetted by the bright moon and Niallad guessed he was staring back over the moonlit plain, seeking signs of pursuit. He had rejoined them some hours before, leading them to this high, lonely place, bordering the trees. The Grey Man had said little to him.
The young man rose from his blanket and strolled to where the Grey Man sat. 'May I join you?' he asked. The Grey Man nodded. Niallad sat alongside him on the flat rock. 'I am sorry for my words earlier. It was ungrateful of me. Without you I would have been killed by a man I trusted. And Emrin would be dead.'
'You were not wrong,' said the Grey Man. 'I am a killer. Did you have a bad dream?'
'No, a good one.'
'Ah, yes. They can hurt worse than fire on the soul.'
'I cannot believe my father is dead,' said Niallad. 'I thought he would either live for ever or die swinging his great sword and cleaving his enemies.'
'When it comes, death is usually sudden,' said the Grey Man.
They sat in silence for a while. Niallad found himself calmed by the Grey Man's presence. 'I trusted Gaspir,' said the boy at last. 'He had the ability to make me lose my fear. He seemed so strong. So loyal. I shall never trust anyone again.'
'Do not even think that,' warned the Grey Man. 'There are people who are worthy of trust. If you become suspicious of everyone you will never have true friends.'
'Do you have friends?'
The Grey Man looked at him and smiled. 'No. Therefore I speak from experience.'
'What do you think will happen now?'
They'll be more careful who they send after us. Tough men, trackers, foresters.'
'Demons?' asked the boy, trying to disguise his fear.
'Aye, and demons,' agreed the Grey Man.
'We are beaten, aren't we? Panagyn and Aric have thousands of men. I have nothing. If I was to make it back to the capital I wouldn't know where to go.'
'The armies mean nothing without men to lead them,' said the Grey Man. 'When I have you in a place of safety I shall return. Then we will see.'
'You would go back to Carlis? Why?'
The Grey Man did not answer, but pointed down to the plain below. In the distance Niallad could see a line of riders. 'Wake Emrin,' ordered the Grey Man. 'It is time to be moving.'
Yu Yu groaned as he awoke. He felt as if a herd of oxen had spent the night walking across his body. With a grunt of pain he struggled up. Kysumu was at the mouth of the cave, his sword in his lap. 'I don't want to be a hero,' grumbled Yu Yu.
'You have been asleep for hours,' said Kysumu wearily. The little Rajnee rose and padded away from the cave. Yu Yu pushed himself to his knees and groaned again. Glancing down, he saw the fresh stitches in the new wound to his shoulder. 'Every time I fight I get hurt,' he said, though Kysumu was nowhere in sight. 'Every time. And when a great hero takes over my body he gets hurt. I'm tired of my body getting hurt. Once we find the Men of Clay I'm going home. I'm going to dig ditches.' He thought about it for a moment, remembering the threat to his life. 'No, first I'm going to sneak into Shi Da's house and cut his throat. Then I'll dig ditches.'
'You are talking to yourself,' said Kysumu, returning to the cave with a double handful of dark berries. He offered them to Yu Yu, who sat down and ate gratefully. They did no more than dent the edge of his appetite.
'Qin Chong came to me,' said Kysumu.
'I know. I was there. Here. Whatever! He was very complimentary about my strength and speed. We fought well, hey? Cut his bastard head off.'
'You fought well,' agreed Kysumu. 'But now there are six more Kriaz-nor closing in on us.'
'Six? That's a lot,' said Yu Yu. 'Don't know if I could kill six.'
'Yow couldn't kill one,' said Kysumu, an edge of irritation in his voice.
'I know why you are angry. Qin Chong wouldn't tell you why you weren't the pria-shath.'
Kysumu sighed. 'You are correct, Yu Yu. All my life I have struggled to be the perfect Rajnee, to be worthy of the name, and to uphold the standards set by men like Qin Chong. I could have been rich, the owner of a palace, the lord of a province. I could have wed the Star Lily.'
'The Star Lily?' queried Yu Yu.
'It is not important. I have eschewed all riches and remained a humble swordsman. What more could I have done to be worthy?'
'I don't know,' said Yu Yu. 'I haven't done any of these things. But, then, I didn't want to be the pria-shath.' He wandered out of the cave, seeking more berries and finding a bush some sixty paces away. They were not quite ripe, but they tasted heavenly. Yu Yu had no idea why Kysumu longed to be the pria-shath. What was so great about being hunted and hungry, with killers on your trail? As far as Yu Yu was concerned he wished Kysumu had been the pria-shath. Having stripped the bush Yu Yu turned - and stopped in his tracks. The cave was set into the side of a domed hill. Yu Yu stared at it, remembering his spirit journeys with Qin Chong. As fast as his bruised limbs would carry him he hurried back to the cave. 'We are here,' he told Kysumu. 'This is it! This is the hill of the Men of Clay.'
'You are sure?'
'Certain.'
The two men moved to the open air, scanning the hillside. 'How do we enter?' asked Kysumu.
'I don't know.'
Slowly they traversed the base. No trees grew upon the hillside, and there were no open
ings of any kind, save for the cave in which they had rested. Kysumu climbed to the top, scanning the surrounding ground. Then he returned to where Yu Yu waited.
'I can see no sign of an entrance,' said Kysumu.
They walked back to the cave and Kysumu began to examine the grey walls. They were seamless. Yu Yu waited outside. He, too, was mystified. In his dream he had seen the Riaj-nor walking to this hillside and vanishing inside. He did not recall there being a cave, nor indeed an overhang like the one above, jutting from the hillside like a lean-to roof.
He walked back to the berry bush and stared at the overhang and the land below it. He had been a ditch-digger and a builder for most of his adult life, and he knew a little about the movement of soil. It seemed to him then that the area around the cave mouth could have eroded, exposing the cave. Kysumu joined him. 'I can find nothing,' he said.
Yu Yu ignored him, and walked to the rock face, just to the left of the cave mouth. His body was still aching, but he reached up, found a handhold and slowly began to climb. Had he not been so bruised and weary the climb would have been easy. As it was he was grunting as he hauled himself over the lip of the overhang. 'Up here!' he called, beckoning Kysumu to follow him. The little Rajnee scaled the face swiftly. There was a slab of stone, some six feet high and four feet wide, set vertically into the hillside.
'It looks like a door,' said Kysumu, pushing at it. It did not budge.
Yu Yu did not answer. He was staring towards the tree line, where six warriors had emerged.
Kysumu saw them too. 'At least they don't have bows,' he muttered. 'Perhaps I can kill them as they climb.'
Yu Yu stepped towards the rock door, extending his hand. As his fingers touched the stone it shimmered. Just like a pebble falling into a pond. Tiny waves rippled out. Yu Yu stared at the ripples, then he reached out. His hand passed through the door as if through a cold fog. He gestured to Kysumu, who was watching the advancing Kriaz-nor. 'I have found the way in,' he said, pointing to the cold stone.
'What are you talking about?'
Yu Yu swung back - to see that the entrance was solid stone once more.
'Take my hand,' said Yu Yu.
'We have you now, little men!' shouted a Kriaz-nor, running forward and scrambling up towards them. Ky-sumu's blade swept into the air.
Yu Yu touched the stone once more, and, as the ripples began, grabbed Kysumu's arm and dragged him through the fog.
On the other side they stood in pitch darkness.
'Oh, this is wonderful!' said Yu Yu. 'What now?' Immediately a score of lanterns flared. Kysumu narrowed his eyes against the sudden glare. As his vision acclimatized he saw that they were standing in a short tunnel, leading to a vast domed hall. Releasing Yu Yu's hand, Kysumu moved to the end of the tunnel. Within the hall, standing in ranks, were several hundred dazzlingly white, full-sized clay figures. Each of the figures was of a Riaj-nor swordsman. They were magnificently cast and sculpted. Towards the front of the silent army three of the figures lay broken. A section of rock had fallen from the roof, shattering them. Kysumu picked up a section of a fragmented head and examined it. He had never seen such quality of workmanship. Reverently replacing it on the ground he moved through the ghostly ranks, gazing upon their faces. Such nobility. Such humanity. Kysumu was awestruck. He felt he could see modest heroism in every face. These were the great ones, who had fought a colossal evil for the benefit of mankind. Kysumu's heart swelled. He felt immensely privileged merely to gaze upon their features.
Yu Yu sat down, leaning his back against the wall and closing his eyes.
After a while Kysumu came back and sat alongside him. 'What do we do now?' he asked.
'You do as you please,' said Yu Yu. 'I need to rest.' Stretching out, he laid his head on his arm and fell asleep.
Kysumu rose. He could not take his eyes from the grim Men of Clay. Every face was different, though each wore the same armour, ornate helms that flared out to protect the neck, torso protectors that seemed to have been created from coins, perfectly round and held together by small rings. Each of the warriors was also clothed in a full-length tunic, split to the waist at front and back. Their swords were like his own, long and slightly curved. Kysumu strolled through the ranks again, wondering which of these men was Qin Chong.
The lanterns burned brightly. Kysumu examined one, and saw that it carried no oil, no fuel of any kind. A globe of glass sat upon a small cup, white light radiating from its centre.
Slowly he walked around the domed hall. On one side he found hundreds of small golden items laid on a wide rocky shelf. Some were rings, others brooches or wrist bangles, scattered and piled one upon another. There were pendants, ornaments and tiny good-luck figures shaped in the form of animals, dogs, cats, even the head of a bear. Mystified, Kysumu returned to where Yu Yu slept. He did not try to wake him. Yu Yu was exhausted.
A dull thumping sound echoed through the hall. Kysu-mu guessed that the Kriaz-nor had climbed to the overhang and were seeking a way through. They will not move that rock, he thought. But sooner or later he and Yu Yu would have to leave this place and face them.
He stared once more at the Men of Clay. 'Well, we have found you, my brothers,' he said. 'But what happens now?'
Matze Chai sat quietly, waiting for the interrogation to begin. He had heard of the massacre at the Winter Palace, and knew that Waylander was now, once more, a hunted man. What he did not know was why he had been summoned to the Oak Room of Waylander's home.
The captain of his guard, young Liu, was standing at his master's right-hand side. Opposite sat the magicker Eldicar Manushan, and two men who had been introduced as Lords Aric and Panagyn. Matze instantly found himself disliking both of them. Aric had the look of a contented weasel, while Panagyn's face was flat and brutal. A slender blond-haired little boy stood beside the magicker. Despite himself Matze found himself warming to the little lad, which was most strange since he loathed children.
The silence grew. Finally Eldicar Manushan spoke. 'It is my understanding that the individual known as the Grey Man is one of your clients.'
Matze said nothing, but he held the magicker's gaze, and maintained an expression of icy disdain.
'Is it your intention to answer none of my questions?' asked the magicker.
'I was not aware that it was a question,' said Matze. 'It seemed to me a statement of fact. There is no secret concerning my visit. I organize the financial dealings of the Grey Man, as you call him, within the lands of the Chiatze.'
'My apologies, Matze Chai,' said Eldicar, with a thin smile. 'By what name do you know this man?'
'I know him as Dakeyras.'
'Where is he from?'
'Some land in the far south-west. Drenan or Vagria. It is not my business to enquire too deeply into the background of my clients. I am retained to make their finances grow. That is my talent.'
'Are you aware that your client and a vile sorceress caused the death of more than a hundred people, including the Duke and .his lady?'
'If you say so,' answered Matze, pulling a perfumed handkerchief from his red silk sleeve. Delicately he dabbed it to his nose.
'We do say it, you slant-eyed horse turd,' snapped Lord Panagyn.
Matze did not look at the man, but kept his gaze firmly on the face of the magicker.
'Your client has also kidnapped the heir to the Duchy, dragged him from the palace amid the slaughter.'
'An amazingly gifted man, obviously,' said Matze. 'And yet, apparently, not very intelligent.'
'Why is that?' asked Eldicar.
'He summons demons to wipe out the Duke and all his followers, yet somehow fails to kill the two most powerful lords. Instead of slaying them - a feat he could accomplish with ease - he decides to kidnap the Duke's son and, thus burdened, rushes off into the night, leaving his enemies alive and in possession of his castle, his lands and a great deal of his wealth. Hard to imagine what he thought he was achieving. Remarkably stupid.'
'What are you insinuating?
' snarled Aric.
'I would have thought that was obvious,' said Matze. 'My client, as you well know, was not responsible for the murders. He had no reason to kill the Duke, and certainly would not resort to summoning demons if he could. So stop playing stupid games. I do not care who rules this realm, or who summoned the demons. I am supremely uninterested in such matters. I am a merchant. My interests lie in commerce.'
'Very well, Matze Chai,' said Eldicar smoothly. 'Let us put aside questions of guilt and innocence. We need to find the Grey Man, and we need you to tell us all you know about him.'
'My clients require from me a great deal of discretion,' Matze told him. 'I do not gossip about their affairs.'
'I am not sure that you realize the peril of your predicament, sir,' said Eldicar, his voice hardening. 'The Grey Man is our enemy, and must be found. The more we know about him the easier the task. It would be better for you to speak freely than to have the words wrung from you. And, believe me, I have the power to tear the words from you in between screams of agony.' Eldicar smiled and leant back in his chair. 'However, let us put aside such thoughts for a moment and examine ways in which you might reconsider your position and become my friend.'
'Friendship is always welcome,' said Matze.
'You are an old man, close to death. Would you like to be young again?'
'Who would not?'
'A small demonstration then - as a gesture of good faith.' Eldicar lifted his hand. A fist-sized globe of shimmering blue smoke appeared. It sped from his fingers, flowing into the nostrils and mouth of the startled Liu. The Chiatze guard fell to his knees, choking. Blue smoke exploded from his lungs and he gasped, taking in great gulps of air. The smoke flowed around Matze Chai. The merchant tried to hold his breath, but the smoke clung to his face. At the last he inhaled. A tingling sensation seeped through his limbs. He felt his heart beat faster, his muscles swelling with new life. Energy roared within him. He felt strong again. His vision cleared, and he found he could see with greater clarity than he had for years. He turned to Liu. The young captain had regained his feet. Matze's expression hardened as he saw Liu's dark hair was showing grey at the temples.
Gemmell, David - Drenai 09 - Hero In The Shadows Page 30
