A Time of Dread (Of Blood and Bone #1) - John Gwynne Page 0,157

of no other way to get word to Byrne.

‘You’re sure you gave the parchment to the right woman?’ Sig asked.

‘Hildith, Hildith,’ Rab squawked.

‘What did she look like?’ Drem asked.

‘Stern. Big men with her. Smelled of mead.’

‘That’s her,’ said Drem.

‘Good enough.’ Sig nodded. ‘Well done, Rab.’

Rab bobbed his head and puffed his feathers out.

Welcome,’ he croaked.

‘Now, would you fly ahead and have a look at this mine for us?’ Sig asked.

‘Course,’ Rab squawked and then he was flapping away.

Drem led them on.

‘How did my mam die?’ a voice said. Sig looked down to see Drem walking beside her, leading his horse by its reins. Hammer was following at her own pace, treading her own path at the edge of Sig’s vision.

‘She was slain by a Kadoshim, at the Battle of Varan’s Fall,’ Sig said, a rush of memory flooding her mind. Of trees and Kadoshim and blood.

‘I know that,’ Drem said. ‘I have the Kadoshim’s tooth.’ He drew his sword and showed Sig the hilt of his father’s blade.

‘I remember,’ Sig said. ‘I helped your father hunt the beast. Moloch was its name. It was the Kadoshim that struck your mam down. Olin made it scream when finally we brought it to bay. It was not a quick death.’

Drem nodded, looked as if he was storing that piece of knowledge deep inside.

‘Varan’s Fall?’ Drem said. ‘My da said it was an ambush.’

‘Aye. In the north of Forn Forest. We were after the Kadoshim’s captain, second only to Asroth. His name is Gulla. But we were over-confident, did not scout ahead properly. Dead Kadoshim were heaped around your mam in piles that day. She and your da fought back to back, but were cut off from the rest of us for a while. Many of our sword-kin fell that day. Gunil,’ she whispered, then fell silent, remembering the others who had been cut off and slain. Brave, noble Varan. And his brother …

Gunil. How I miss you. A memory of his smile filled her mind, the way it would start in his eyes.

‘Gunil?’ Drem said.

His ears are good.

‘A giant,’ Sig said. ‘A friend.’

More than a friend.

‘You were close?’

‘Aye,’ Sig sighed.

I have never spoken of Gunil to anyone before. There is something about this lad, a goodness in him.

‘Death and heartache are all about,’ Drem said quietly. He looked up at Sig. ‘So, Gulla was responsible for my mam’s death, then. He did not strike the blow, but he led the attack.’

‘Aye, you could say that.’ Sig nodded.

‘And responsible for your Gunil’s death, too.’

Sig regarded him a long moment.

‘Aye,’ she growled.

Rab flapped and threaded through a gap in the canopy above.

‘It’s close,’ the crow squawked. ‘Buildings, torches burning.’

‘There it is,’ Drem said, though the place hardly needed pointing out.

They were standing to the north of the mine, behind a cluster of boulders and hawthorn, Drem having led them in a wide circle around the encampment, all of them of the opinion that any watch would be focused more to the west and the road to Kergard. It was sunset, the sky above a dull orange, shifting towards pinks and purples.

‘Looks quiet,’ Cullen observed.

‘Aye, it does,’ Keld agreed. ‘Could be an ambush.’

‘I hope it’s an ambush,’ Cullen said, his fingertips brushing his sword hilt.

Sig sighed.

‘Is he always like this?’ Drem asked.

‘Like what?’ Cullen frowned.

‘So keen for bloodshed.’

‘Yes,’ Sig and Keld said together.

Rab flapped down and landed on a hawthorn branch.

‘Only a few on walls. Something happening inside. A meeting. Bad smell.’

‘What’s the plan, chief?’ Keld asked her.

Are we to storm a fortified position with unknown numbers of our enemy inside, with just the four of us, and a bear, a hound and a crow?

Keld is right, we need solid information to take back to Byrne.

But townsfolk from Kergard are in there, Drem’s friend amongst them. More innocents likely to be slaughtered by the Kadoshim scum.

She thought of the Order’s oath, to protect the weak, to fight for them. Looked at her palm, the scar a silver line where she had sealed it with her own blood.

She knew they should already be on their way back to Dun Seren.

But if I leave now, innocents will die. And what of this Starstone Sword? Can I just walk away and leave it in the hands of the Kadoshim, to do Elyon knows what kind of evil. If we can get that, I’m guessing we’ll stop a world of hurt from happening.

Sig looked at the sky.

‘We’ll wait for twilight,’ she said, feeling her blood stir, a snarl twitching