The Raven Collection

‘Stay here,’ he ordered. ‘They will not see me.’ Stylia

There were no obvious signs of build-up at the entrance to the pass but a guard of eight or so sat around a fire just outside. Stylia

He continued walking slowly forward, coming to within a dozen paces of the guards where he crouched behind a slide of rock caused by the spell his own mages, organised by Dystran, had cast to massacre so many Wesmen. The scent of death would remain in the pass forever.

None of the guard was facing into the pass, which Stylia

Understone was quiet. The Wesmen slept while above the sky was clear and the air was still and cool. He wouldn’t get a better opportunity. Stylia

Understone’s night was uneasy. Tessaya stalked the quiet streets, for once unsure of himself. Kessarin was among the best, the duty Captain had assured him of this. He would find the guard and report back but, if he had to travel the entire pass, he would not return until early morning, shortly before dawn.

But the situation was patently wrong. How could the delay be so great that Stylia

The Lord of the Paleon Tribes looked to the sky for inspiration but found none. The air was still, silent and cool. He had come to a standstill close to the i

What should he do? He walked back up the main street to the gates of the town, climbing up the watch-tower that controlled them. The two guards bowed their heads at his appearance.

‘Keep watching,’ he said. They turned again to look at the empty black that was the entrance to the pass, illuminated to the right by the fire of the pass watch. ‘Has there been no sign?’

‘No, my Lord,’ replied one, unsure whether to turn or not and ending up awkwardly half faced towards Tessaya. ‘They have seen nothing down there and the paths to the north and south are both empty.’

‘What in all the hells has happened to them?’ demanded Tessaya.

Still unsure, the guard ventured a reply. ‘He is a mage, my Lord. Not to be trusted.’

Tessaya opened his mouth to slap down the guard, whose response was not required, but found himself in total agreement. Instead of barking, he nodded and relaxed just a little.

‘Yes. Why should I be surprised, eh? I’m glad to see you understand who we are expecting.’ He turned to go. ‘Be very vigilant. I ca

And then the entrance to the pass was engulfed in sudden violence.

Masked warriors surged into the night, scattering the watch-fire and slaughtering the guards, who plainly hadn’t seen them coming. The shouts of alarm were cut off so quickly. Without a pause, the warriors continued at a dead run and in their midst, a lone man on horseback, riding at a canter. The dread force surrounded him completely, the warriors moving easily at speed. There was no fuss, no struggle and no doubt. Only a frightening efficiency of pace and stride and a total focus. Not one glanced towards Understone as the whole turned north and ran up the trail, the bemused stares of the watch-tower guards following them as they ran quickly away.

Tessaya swore to break the hypnotism of the moment, slamming his fists down so hard on the tower rail that it shuddered beneath him, one timber cracking under the strain.

‘Wake the tribes!’ he yelled. ‘I want every man from his bed. I want this town empty and I want it now. Every warrior. I want those bastards caught and slaughtered. Move!’

Alarm bells rang out all round Understone. Tessaya stared after Stylia

‘By the spirits of the Paleon dead, I will drink your blood, Stylia

But as the clamour of the waking army engulfed his ears, he thought he heard laughter echoing from the mountains in the still night air.

And so it was for the next three days. The Council of Julatsa made the awful pilgrimage to the North Gate to see Senedai and the Wesmen murdering i

On the third day, that unrest had shifted within the walls of the College and with the sacrifice of one hundred and fifty older women at noon, the Council turned from the gate ramparts to find themselves facing an angry mob held at bay by Kard and a line of College Guards. Behind the steel defence, mages stood ready to cast ForceCones to fragment the crowd if necessary.

At the front of the crowd of perhaps two hundred were their appointed spokesmen and the soldier whom Kard had reprimanded at the first sacrifice. The General had succeeded in quieting them but the silence had a menacing quality, every eye on the Council. Kerela nodded.

‘Well, I suppose we had to expect this.’

‘This is hardly the time to talk to them,’ said Seldane.

‘There will be no right time,’ said Kerela. ‘Though I had hoped Kard’s talks would have a longer-lasting effect.’

‘I suspect those that listened to them are praying rather than demonstrating,’ said Barras. ‘We were never going to convince everyone. ’

‘What do they hope to achieve?’ asked Endorr. The junior Council member sca

‘Well, let’s go and ask them, shall we?’ Kerela led the way down the stairs inside the gatehouse. As they emerged into the courtyard, a whisper went around the crowd. Kerela strode across the space and waved Kard and his soldiers aside. She stood, Barras at her left shoulder and the remainder of the Council grouped behind them, and looked solemnly into the faces of the frightened angry city folk whose friends were dying in increasing numbers outside the relative sanctuary of the walls.