killed him, Unknown. He never stood a chance. He was just a farmer.’
Hirad let his gaze rove over the compound again. The elves stood in silent respect; Denser, Erienne and Darrick were sharing a water skin and the Protectors had picked up Aeb’s mask and were mustered near the door.
‘What about them, Unknown?’
‘I’ll speak to them before they go but what they’ll face I just don’t know. They’re so vulnerable but the scale of their rebellion might even save them for now. Dystran can’t afford to kill them all. He’d lose the war.’
War. Hirad raised his eyebrows. He’d forgotten there was one. And just now he didn’t care who won. All he knew was that The Raven had lost too much for one day. For any day.
‘I’ll see you back at the campsite,’ he said to The Unknown. ‘Come on, Thraun, there’s Raven we need to carry to the Vigil.’
It was night and the TaiGethen had begun their walk back to Blackthorne and the Calaian Sun. Rebraal had stayed with The Raven. They’d found candles in Understone and four stood about the freshly turned earth of each grave, representing the points of the compass. It was time for the Vigil, one that Hirad had never thought he’d face.
The Unknown stood by Aeb, Erienne by Ren and Hirad by Ilkar. The barbarian nodded to the big man and he spoke for all of them.
‘By north, by east, by south, by west. Though you are gone, you will always be Raven and we shall always remember. The Gods will smile on your souls. Farewell in whatever faces you now and ever. The Raven will ride together again one day.’
As he spoke each point, candles were snuffed until darkness covered them all.
The Raven did not move from the graves until dawn cracked the sky, but after the silence they talked, though Darrick and Thraun contributed little. They recalled battles and arguments. They cried and laughed together, they speculated on who would be next. It lightened their hearts and their spirits just a little.
‘You never really got on with Ren, did you, Hirad?’ said Erienne.
‘Ilkar loved her and that was enough for me,’ said Hirad. ‘Let’s face it, we’d none of us ever seen him so happy.’
‘Evasion, surely?’ accused Denser. ‘You can do better than that.’
‘All right, all right.’ Hirad held up his hands. ‘I’ll admit she had her faults as far as The Raven was concerned. She was a brilliant archer, the best we ever had, but she was so impetuous. Look what she did at the temple.’ He paused. ‘And look what she did yesterday. ’
The Unknown nodded. ‘But we’d have taught her. And what she did was extraordinary. Proved she was Raven. Prepared to give her life for one of us without question. That’s why I honour her.’
‘I’ll drink to that,’ said Hirad. ‘As soon as we get to Blackthorne, anyway.’
‘I’ll miss the arguments, you know,’ said Denser. ‘I loved listening to you two.’
‘You’re not so bad at it yourself,’ said Hirad. ‘And don’t worry, I’ll switch to you now. Got to have someone to poke fun at.’
‘You mean you haven’t started yet?’ asked Denser.
‘Oh, my dear Denser,’ said The Unknown. ‘There were ten years before you even joined. You don’t know the half of it. He hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface.’
The sky was lightening. The new day was coming. It would be a day without Ilkar, and for Hirad that was something awful to contemplate. But in his death he’d given hope to every living elf, and that was something that burned in Hirad’s heart with an intensity that would never wane.
He stood up, brushed himself down and turned to The Raven.
‘Come on, it’s getting light. Time to leave our friends to rest a while.’ He knelt and patted the earth of Ilkar’s grave. ‘See you, Ilks, but got to go.
‘It’s a long way to Calaius and we’ve got work to do.’
Epilogue
Erienne knelt before the statue of Yniss and its shattered hand that the Al-Arynaar had reattached but did not have the magic to bind.
Are you there? she asked.
Yes, Erienne, said Cleress. Before we start, tell us how you felt in the stockade at Understone. You used the One.
Were you with me?
Of course, but only to help you should you falter. We cannot afford to lose you. But you learned the essence of it all. Casting reflects desire. You wanted The Raven to have time to talk, and you gave it to them. You will be able to