Waylander II: In The Realm of the Wolf

The other knights stood transfixed.

'It killed the master!' yelled Waylander. 'Use your swords!'

But the knights turned and fled. The beast leapt at Waylander. Ducking under the sweep of its talons the assassin sent a slashing cut to the creature's belly, but the blade merely sliced the surface of the skin. Waylander dived and rolled to his feet.

Karnak, with one last effort, snapped the right-hand chain, then turned and used both hands to rip loose the left. Spi

A great howl went up – and a taloned arm flashed down, opening the flesh of Waylander's shoulder. He fell back. Karnak dragged back on the chain, which tightened around the beast's throat. It tried to turn and rend its attacker but Karnak, despite his great bulk, moved nimbly, keeping the chain taut. Waylander ran to the fallen knight, retrieving the man's sword. Holding the blade double-handed, the assassin advanced once more, lifting the sword high and cleaving it down on the elongated skull. The blade bounced clear on the first stroke, but twice more Waylander struck. The bone of the skull parted on the third blow, the sword wedging deep into the beast's cranium. It sank to all fours, blood gushing from its mouth, talons scratching at the stone.

And died.

The smoke-demon was silent for a moment. 'You offer me good sport, Waylander,' he said softly. 'But then you always have. I think you always will.'

The smoke billowed and faded – and the demon vanished.

Karnak unwound the chain from the dead beast's throat and crossed to Waylander. 'Good to see you, old lad,' he said, with a wide smile.

'The men you sent are all dead,' said Waylander coldly. 'Now only you remain.'

Karnak nodded. 'I was trying to protect my son. No excuses. He's. . . dead. You're alive. Let that be an end to it.'

'I choose my own endings,' said Waylander, moving past the giant Drenai to where the Emperor stood, still chained to the wall. 'It has always been said that you are a man of honour,' Waylander told him.

'It is a source of pride to me,' said the Emperor.

'Good. You see I have two choices, Majesty. I can kill you, or I can let you go. But there is a price for the latter.'

'Name it, and if it is within my power you may have it.'

'I want the attack on the Nadir Wolves stopped; the army ordered back.'

'What are the Nadir to you?'

'Less than nothing. But my daughter is with them.'

The Emperor nodded. 'It will be as you say, Waylander. Is there nothing you want for yourself?'

The assassin smiled wearily. 'Nothing any man can give me,' he said.

Angel pushed the table on to the stairs, up-ending it to block the view of the enemy archers on the landing above, then sank to his haunches and stared around the hall.

The Gothir had forced the portcullis gate on the eleventh day of the siege, the defenders falling back to the transient safety of the keep. The older women and children hid in the lower levels of the fortress while, as Angel had predicted, the younger women now joined the men in the defence of the citadel.

Only eighty-five men remained, and these were des­perately tired as the siege reached the thirteenth day. The barricades at the keep-gate were holding, but the Gothir had scaled the outside walls, climbing in through un­defended windows, and were now in control of all the upper levels, occasionally attacking down the narrow stairwells, but more often merely loosing shafts into the packed hall below.

An arrow thudded into the upturned table. 'I know you're there, arse-face!' yelled Angel.

Miriel joined him. She had lost weight, the skin of her face taut and fleshless, her eyes gleaming u

'We're finished here,' she said. 'The barricade will not hold them for long.'

He shrugged. There was no need to reply. The point was all too obviously correct, and Angel could sense the mood of grim resignation among the Nadir. Miriel sat beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. He curled his arm around her. 'I loved him, Angel,' she said, her voice barely above a whisper. 'I should have told him, but I didn't know until he was gone.'

'That makes you feel guilty? That you didn't say the words?'

'Yes. He deserved more. And it's so hard to accept that he's . . .' She swallowed hard, unable to give sound to the word. Forcing a smile she brightened, briefly. 'He had such a zest for life, didn't he? And always so witty. Nothing grey about Senta, was there?'

'Nothing grey,' he agreed. 'He lived his life to the full. He fought, loved . . .'

'. . . and died.' She said it swiftly, and fought to hold back the tears.

'Yes, he died. Shemak's balls, we all die.' Angel sighed, then smiled. 'For myself I've no regrets. I've had a full life. But it grieves me to know that . . . you're here with me now. Everything is ahead of you – or it should be.'

She took his hand. 'We'll be together in the Void. Who knows what adventures await. And maybe he's there . . . waiting!'

Another arrow thudded into the table, then Angel heard the sound of boots upon the stairs. Surging to his feet he drew his sword. As the Gothir swarmed down Angel wrenched the table aside and leapt to meet them, Miriel just behind him.

Angel killed two, Miriel a third and the Gothir fell back. An archer loomed at the top of the stairs. Miriel hurled a knife which lanced into his shoulder, and he dived from sight. Angel backed away and wedged the table across the stairwell. 'Well,' he said, with a wide grin, 'we're not finished yet.'

Striding across the hall he saw the priest Ekodas, kneeling beside the stricken Dardalion. The Abbot was still sleeping and Angel paused. 'How is he?' he asked.

'Dying,' replied Ekodas.

'I thought you had healed the wound.'

'I did, but his heart has given out. It is almost ruptured and the valves are thi

'It was the crystal,' put in Angel, swiftly. 'I know. It had a similar effect on me.'

'Yet you destroyed it.'

'I never had it in my hands. Don't torture yourself, priest.'

'Priest no longer. I am not worthy.'

'I'm no judge, Ekodas, but we all have weaknesses. We're made that way.'

The slender priest shook his head. 'That is generous of you. But I watched as your friend died – and I made a pact with evil. Zhu Chao came to me in that chamber. He seemed like . . . like a brother of the soul. And for that short time I had such vile dreams. I never realised there was so much . . . darkness inside me. I will walk another path now.' He shrugged. The crystal didn't change me, you see. It merely opened my eyes to what I am.'

Dardalion stirred. 'Ekodas!' The young priest knelt by the Abbot, taking his hand. Angel moved away towards the barricade.

'I am here, my friend,' said Ekodas.

'It… was all… done in faith, my son. And I can feel the others waiting for me. Summon the living for me.'

'There is only Vishna.'

'Ah. Fetch him then.'

'Dardalion, I. . .'

'You wish to be … released from your vows. I know. The woman, Shia.' Dardalion's eyes closed and a spasm of pain twisted his features. 'You are free, Ekodas. Free to wed, free to live . . . free to be.'