The warning horn
sounded deep in the night, when even those who were stuck with
guard duty were at their most sluggish. But the man on horn duty
was married to his job. He kept blowing and blowing. In minutes our
entire encampment was seething. And I was out there with my heart
in my throat, striding along, making sure the chaos was only
apparent, not real. Everyone remained calm and focused. There was
no panic. I was pleased. Even a little training and discipline are
better than none.
I ducked into Goblin’s tent. Sahra and Tobo were there
already and not at one another’s throats. I must have gotten
through to the kid. I should keep after them both. In my copious
free time. I bent close to the mist projector. “What’s
the word?”
Murgen whispered, “Soulcatcher is airborne and moving
south. She plans to arrive shortly after sunrise. She has a good
idea where you are. During her rest time she sent a shadow down to
scout your position. She didn’t learn a lot more. The shadow
didn’t dare get close enough to eavesdrop. She plans to don
one of her disguises and infiltrate your camp so she can find out
what you’re really up to. From the beginning, she’s
operated under the assumption that we’re dead out here. Even
though she didn’t kill us directly when she trapped us. She
flew out of there believing we’d be dead in just a few days.
I expect learning that Croaker and Lady are still alive is going to
be the kind of shock that ruins her whole century.”
“How fast is she moving? Strike that. You said she’d
get here just after sunrise. Is Mogaba with her?” That would
make a big difference in how fresh she would be when when she
arrived. Which would determine the shape of what I started doing
now.
“No. If she manages to get in among you and unearths all
the answers to the questions she has, she’ll smash you,
scatter you, grab the Key, then go back for the Great
General.” Murgen sneered when he used Mogaba’s title.
The fact that we never beat him once, heads up, during the Kiaulune
wars, did nothing to ease our contempt for him as a deserter and
traitor.
“Warn me if she does anything unexpected. Sahra, have you
checked on your mother?”
“Briefly. Doj and JoJo are helping her and One-Eye. I
think she was a little delirious. She kept muttering about a noose
and a land of unknown shadows and calling the heaven and earth and
the day and the night.”
“All evil dies there an endless death.”
“That, too. What is it?”
“I don’t know. A phrase I picked up somewhere. It
has to do with the plain but I don’t know what. Doj might be
able to tell you. He promised to be cooperative and forthcoming but
since I passed on his offer to make me his apprentice, that
hasn’t materialized. My fault as much as his, probably.
I haven’t taken time to press him. I have work to
do.” I ducked out.
The excitement had become more rigorously organized. There were
torches and lanterns to light the road to the Shadowgate. A band of
our bravest were up near the gate already, arranging more lighting
and fine-tuning the colored powders used as road marks. Loaded
animals were beginning to line up. Likewise a train of carts.
Babies cried, children whined, a dog barked without pause. Sounds
of men slipping through the darkness beyond the light came from all
around. Prisoners who had been sure we meant to drag them onto the
plain to become human sacrifices were being chivied toward the New
Town. Some of the harder men had wanted to use them as bearers
instead of the animals, disposing of them as their usefulness
ended. I had demurred. They would become obstinate and obstreperous
after the first few died and we would not be able to eat them after
we ate up the consumables they carried. Not that the majority of us
would eat flesh anyway. But those who could would from the
beginning.
I spied Willow Swan strolling through the mob. He spun off
orders like a drill instructor. I approached him. “Gone
nostalgic for the good old days when you were the boss
Grey?”
“A true genius, whose name we won’t bring up in
present company, sent all the master sergeants to make preparations
at the Shadowgate. She didn’t detail anybody to keep things
moving down here.”
The unnamed genius had to admit that he was right. River,
Runmust, Spiff, all the men I had known the longest and trusted the
most, were up there or somewhere out in the darkness. I guess I
just assumed Sahra and I could handle everything else. Forgetting
that I would be sprinting around making decisions for everyone who
could not make up their minds for themselves. “Thanks. If I
don’t get a better offer by my fortieth birthday, I’ll
marry you yet.”
Swan made a halfhearted effort to click his heels. “So.
How old are you today?”
“Seventeen.”
“That’s about what I guessed. With maybe another
twenty years of experience, plus wear and tear.”
“It’s tough being a teenager today. Just ask Tobo.
Nobody’s ever had it as awful as he does.”
He chuckled. “Speaking of kids, who’s handling the
Daughter of Night? Which I don’t want to be me.”
“Darn! I figured Goblin and Doj for that. But
Goblin’s tied up helping keep track of Soulcatcher, and Doj
has Gota and One-Eye to worry about. Thanks for reminding
me.” I headed back toward Goblin’s tent. “Hey,
Short Wart! Leave it to Tobo and Sahra a while. We got to get the
Daughter of Night loaded up.”
Goblin came out muttering, surveyed the excitement, grumbled,
“All right. Let’s get at it. Only, how come the fuck we
never gave her a name? So what if she don’t want one. She
don’t want to live in no cage, either. Even Booboo would be
easier than calling her Daughter of Night all the time. Whoa! What
the fuck is that?” He stared past me, downhill.
I turned, saw a pair of red eyes bobbing in the darkness, coming
closer fast. I grabbed for my sword. Then I frowned as I heard the
hoofbeats. Then I said, “Hey, buddy! Is that you? What the
heck are you doing here? I thought you had yourself a job working
for the traitor.”
The old black stallion stepped close, lowered its head to nuzzle
the hair beside my right ear. I hugged it around the neck. We had
been friends once upon a time but I had not thought we were so
close that it would desert Mogaba and track me down over hundreds
of miles once it discovered that I was still alive. The creatures
had been created to serve the Lady of the Tower but were supposed
to be used to passing from one secondary master to another. This
one had been Murgen’s before it had become mine, then I had
lost it.
“You ought to get out of here,” I told it.
“Your timing’s really lousy. Soulcatcher is going to be
all over us in just a few hours. If we’re not already up
there on that plain.”
The horse surveyed my companions and what it could see of the
Company, shuddered. Then, turning its gaze on Swan, the stallion
managed a very human snort.
I patted its neck. “I’m not sure I don’t agree
with you, but Willow does have his redeeming qualities. He just
keeps them well hidden. Go ahead and tag along if you want.
I’m not riding. Not without a saddle.”
Swan chuckled. “So much for the conquering Vehdna horsemen
whose pride disdained both saddles and stirrups.”
“Admitting no shortcomings of my own, I still have to
observe that most of those proud horsemen were over six feet
tall.”
“I’ll find you a ladder. And promise never to say a
word about how those proud conquerors fared as soon as they ran
into cavalry who did favor saddles and stirrups.”
“Bite him, buddy.”
To my amazement, the stallion snorted and nipped at
Willow’s shoulder. Swan leaped back. “You always did
have a temper and bad manners, half-ass.”
“Might be the company.”
“Far be it from me to interfere with your sparking,
Crowhunter,” Goblin said, “but I thought you had a
notion to do something with Booboo.”
“Sarcastic, eavesdropping mudsucker. I did, didn’t
I? And I overlooked our old pal Khusavir Pete, too. I haven’t
checked in on him lately, either. Is he still healthy?” The
horse nuzzled me again. I patted its neck. Maybe it felt more
nostalgic about our good old days than I did.
“I can check. You definitely overlooked him in your master
plan.”
“Oh, no, I didn’t. Not a bit. I have a very special
mission cooked up specially for Khusavir Pete. And if he pulls it
off, not only will he get to stay alive, I’ll forgive
everything he did at Kushkhoshi.”
Somebody shouted. A scarlet fireball blistered across the night.
It missed its target. It did not miss a tent, however. Then another
tent after that, then the crude wooden barracks the men had built
while they were waiting for me to arrive. All three began to
smolder.
“That was Narayan Singh,” Willow Swan said, stating
what two-score people had seen during the carmine instant.
“And he had Booboo—”
“Can it, Swan.” I started yelling at everyone
nearby, trying to organize a pursuit.
Goblin told me, “Calm down, Sleepy. All we need to do is
wait till she starts screaming, then go pick her up.”
I had forgotten the incredible array of control spells attached
to the Daughter of Night. Her pain would increase geometrically as
she moved farther away from her cage. Then at some distance known
only to Goblin and One-Eye, choke spells would kick in and tighten
rapidly. Narayan could take her away from us but only at the cost
of killing her. Unless . . .
I asked.
“The spells have to be taken off from outside. She could
be her mother and sister, the Shadowmasters and the Ten Who Were
Taken all rolled into one and she’d still have to have
somebody else help her get loose.”
“All right. Then we’ll wait for the
screams.”
There were no screams. Not then or ever.
Murgen looked hard. He could find no sign. Kina was dreaming
strongly, protecting her own. Goblin remained adamant that they
had to be close by, that there was no way the Daughter of Night had
shed her connection to her cage.
I told Swan, “Then you gather up some men and drag that
cage up to the Shadowgate. We’ll make her follow
us.”
The warning horn sounded again. Soulcatcher had crossed the
summit. She was on our side of the Dandha Presh. There were hints
of light in the east.
It was time to leave.
The warning horn
sounded deep in the night, when even those who were stuck with
guard duty were at their most sluggish. But the man on horn duty
was married to his job. He kept blowing and blowing. In minutes our
entire encampment was seething. And I was out there with my heart
in my throat, striding along, making sure the chaos was only
apparent, not real. Everyone remained calm and focused. There was
no panic. I was pleased. Even a little training and discipline are
better than none.
I ducked into Goblin’s tent. Sahra and Tobo were there
already and not at one another’s throats. I must have gotten
through to the kid. I should keep after them both. In my copious
free time. I bent close to the mist projector. “What’s
the word?”
Murgen whispered, “Soulcatcher is airborne and moving
south. She plans to arrive shortly after sunrise. She has a good
idea where you are. During her rest time she sent a shadow down to
scout your position. She didn’t learn a lot more. The shadow
didn’t dare get close enough to eavesdrop. She plans to don
one of her disguises and infiltrate your camp so she can find out
what you’re really up to. From the beginning, she’s
operated under the assumption that we’re dead out here. Even
though she didn’t kill us directly when she trapped us. She
flew out of there believing we’d be dead in just a few days.
I expect learning that Croaker and Lady are still alive is going to
be the kind of shock that ruins her whole century.”
“How fast is she moving? Strike that. You said she’d
get here just after sunrise. Is Mogaba with her?” That would
make a big difference in how fresh she would be when when she
arrived. Which would determine the shape of what I started doing
now.
“No. If she manages to get in among you and unearths all
the answers to the questions she has, she’ll smash you,
scatter you, grab the Key, then go back for the Great
General.” Murgen sneered when he used Mogaba’s title.
The fact that we never beat him once, heads up, during the Kiaulune
wars, did nothing to ease our contempt for him as a deserter and
traitor.
“Warn me if she does anything unexpected. Sahra, have you
checked on your mother?”
“Briefly. Doj and JoJo are helping her and One-Eye. I
think she was a little delirious. She kept muttering about a noose
and a land of unknown shadows and calling the heaven and earth and
the day and the night.”
“All evil dies there an endless death.”
“That, too. What is it?”
“I don’t know. A phrase I picked up somewhere. It
has to do with the plain but I don’t know what. Doj might be
able to tell you. He promised to be cooperative and forthcoming but
since I passed on his offer to make me his apprentice, that
hasn’t materialized. My fault as much as his, probably.
I haven’t taken time to press him. I have work to
do.” I ducked out.
The excitement had become more rigorously organized. There were
torches and lanterns to light the road to the Shadowgate. A band of
our bravest were up near the gate already, arranging more lighting
and fine-tuning the colored powders used as road marks. Loaded
animals were beginning to line up. Likewise a train of carts.
Babies cried, children whined, a dog barked without pause. Sounds
of men slipping through the darkness beyond the light came from all
around. Prisoners who had been sure we meant to drag them onto the
plain to become human sacrifices were being chivied toward the New
Town. Some of the harder men had wanted to use them as bearers
instead of the animals, disposing of them as their usefulness
ended. I had demurred. They would become obstinate and obstreperous
after the first few died and we would not be able to eat them after
we ate up the consumables they carried. Not that the majority of us
would eat flesh anyway. But those who could would from the
beginning.
I spied Willow Swan strolling through the mob. He spun off
orders like a drill instructor. I approached him. “Gone
nostalgic for the good old days when you were the boss
Grey?”
“A true genius, whose name we won’t bring up in
present company, sent all the master sergeants to make preparations
at the Shadowgate. She didn’t detail anybody to keep things
moving down here.”
The unnamed genius had to admit that he was right. River,
Runmust, Spiff, all the men I had known the longest and trusted the
most, were up there or somewhere out in the darkness. I guess I
just assumed Sahra and I could handle everything else. Forgetting
that I would be sprinting around making decisions for everyone who
could not make up their minds for themselves. “Thanks. If I
don’t get a better offer by my fortieth birthday, I’ll
marry you yet.”
Swan made a halfhearted effort to click his heels. “So.
How old are you today?”
“Seventeen.”
“That’s about what I guessed. With maybe another
twenty years of experience, plus wear and tear.”
“It’s tough being a teenager today. Just ask Tobo.
Nobody’s ever had it as awful as he does.”
He chuckled. “Speaking of kids, who’s handling the
Daughter of Night? Which I don’t want to be me.”
“Darn! I figured Goblin and Doj for that. But
Goblin’s tied up helping keep track of Soulcatcher, and Doj
has Gota and One-Eye to worry about. Thanks for reminding
me.” I headed back toward Goblin’s tent. “Hey,
Short Wart! Leave it to Tobo and Sahra a while. We got to get the
Daughter of Night loaded up.”
Goblin came out muttering, surveyed the excitement, grumbled,
“All right. Let’s get at it. Only, how come the fuck we
never gave her a name? So what if she don’t want one. She
don’t want to live in no cage, either. Even Booboo would be
easier than calling her Daughter of Night all the time. Whoa! What
the fuck is that?” He stared past me, downhill.
I turned, saw a pair of red eyes bobbing in the darkness, coming
closer fast. I grabbed for my sword. Then I frowned as I heard the
hoofbeats. Then I said, “Hey, buddy! Is that you? What the
heck are you doing here? I thought you had yourself a job working
for the traitor.”
The old black stallion stepped close, lowered its head to nuzzle
the hair beside my right ear. I hugged it around the neck. We had
been friends once upon a time but I had not thought we were so
close that it would desert Mogaba and track me down over hundreds
of miles once it discovered that I was still alive. The creatures
had been created to serve the Lady of the Tower but were supposed
to be used to passing from one secondary master to another. This
one had been Murgen’s before it had become mine, then I had
lost it.
“You ought to get out of here,” I told it.
“Your timing’s really lousy. Soulcatcher is going to be
all over us in just a few hours. If we’re not already up
there on that plain.”
The horse surveyed my companions and what it could see of the
Company, shuddered. Then, turning its gaze on Swan, the stallion
managed a very human snort.
I patted its neck. “I’m not sure I don’t agree
with you, but Willow does have his redeeming qualities. He just
keeps them well hidden. Go ahead and tag along if you want.
I’m not riding. Not without a saddle.”
Swan chuckled. “So much for the conquering Vehdna horsemen
whose pride disdained both saddles and stirrups.”
“Admitting no shortcomings of my own, I still have to
observe that most of those proud horsemen were over six feet
tall.”
“I’ll find you a ladder. And promise never to say a
word about how those proud conquerors fared as soon as they ran
into cavalry who did favor saddles and stirrups.”
“Bite him, buddy.”
To my amazement, the stallion snorted and nipped at
Willow’s shoulder. Swan leaped back. “You always did
have a temper and bad manners, half-ass.”
“Might be the company.”
“Far be it from me to interfere with your sparking,
Crowhunter,” Goblin said, “but I thought you had a
notion to do something with Booboo.”
“Sarcastic, eavesdropping mudsucker. I did, didn’t
I? And I overlooked our old pal Khusavir Pete, too. I haven’t
checked in on him lately, either. Is he still healthy?” The
horse nuzzled me again. I patted its neck. Maybe it felt more
nostalgic about our good old days than I did.
“I can check. You definitely overlooked him in your master
plan.”
“Oh, no, I didn’t. Not a bit. I have a very special
mission cooked up specially for Khusavir Pete. And if he pulls it
off, not only will he get to stay alive, I’ll forgive
everything he did at Kushkhoshi.”
Somebody shouted. A scarlet fireball blistered across the night.
It missed its target. It did not miss a tent, however. Then another
tent after that, then the crude wooden barracks the men had built
while they were waiting for me to arrive. All three began to
smolder.
“That was Narayan Singh,” Willow Swan said, stating
what two-score people had seen during the carmine instant.
“And he had Booboo—”
“Can it, Swan.” I started yelling at everyone
nearby, trying to organize a pursuit.
Goblin told me, “Calm down, Sleepy. All we need to do is
wait till she starts screaming, then go pick her up.”
I had forgotten the incredible array of control spells attached
to the Daughter of Night. Her pain would increase geometrically as
she moved farther away from her cage. Then at some distance known
only to Goblin and One-Eye, choke spells would kick in and tighten
rapidly. Narayan could take her away from us but only at the cost
of killing her. Unless . . .
I asked.
“The spells have to be taken off from outside. She could
be her mother and sister, the Shadowmasters and the Ten Who Were
Taken all rolled into one and she’d still have to have
somebody else help her get loose.”
“All right. Then we’ll wait for the
screams.”
There were no screams. Not then or ever.
Murgen looked hard. He could find no sign. Kina was dreaming
strongly, protecting her own. Goblin remained adamant that they
had to be close by, that there was no way the Daughter of Night had
shed her connection to her cage.
I told Swan, “Then you gather up some men and drag that
cage up to the Shadowgate. We’ll make her follow
us.”
The warning horn sounded again. Soulcatcher had crossed the
summit. She was on our side of the Dandha Presh. There were hints
of light in the east.
It was time to leave.