CHAPTER 22

A Fatal Encounter

 

A FEW DAYS later, Irvana stared out at the pine forest surrounding Bernea while the trees of another forest, miles away, swayed in the wind.

A light shower of leaves rained down on Mikal and he brushed them off. How much longer did they have to wait?

“Someone’s coming.”

The whispered warning ran down the line of concealed men until it reached Lenad who was standing with the tethered horses. His grip tightened on the warrant he was holding.

“Is it him?” Mikal shivered.

“We must wait for confirmation.” Lenad stroked the nose of his horse. “There’s no need to be scared. You’ll be safe if you stay here.”

“I’m just cold.” This far south, there was no sign of snow yet, but the late autumn air was chilly and damp. That’s why Mikal was shivering. He wasn’t scared. But as the moment of confrontation drew closer, he wasn’t so sure that was true.

“There’s the signal.”

A flash of blue came from the depths of a bush on the opposite side of the gorge. Their quarry had been sighted.

“I must go.” Lenad started to walk away.

Mikal followed.

Lenad whirled round. “I told you, Mikal, you have to stay here. It’ll be far too dangerous. Don’t leave the horses.” He headed down the path again.

Mikal sighed, but stayed put. It wasn’t fair. He wanted to see what happened, deserved to. Terenz had been his guardian. Instead, all he got to do was look after the horses, and the animals obviously didn’t need him.

What if he went just a bit further down the path . . . ?

Lenad would be disappointed in him, a voice inside Mikal’s head said.

I just want to get a bit closer, he argued with himself. To find somewhere I can see without being seen. Where’s the harm in that? Lenad will never know . . .

Mikal crept down the path towards a large rhododendron bush. He wormed his way into its middle and peered through the gaps in the leaves.

The path continued to slope down until it met a narrow wood-and-rope bridge stretched across a ravine. The river at the bottom of the gorge ran swift and deep. Lenad had called the site a perfect trap.

Mikal heard the sound of hooves and a horse burst into view from the trees on the opposite side of the gorge.

The black stallion pulled up sharply and pawed at the ground, his flanks heaving and sweating, his black-clothed rider sitting comfortably in the saddle. Even from this distance, Mikal had no difficulty in recognising Terenz.

Mikal shivered again. This time it was most definitely not because he was cold.

Terenz’s dark hair was windswept from the ride. He flicked it out of his eyes as half-a-dozen mounted soldiers caught up with him at the bridge.

“Look on the bright side.” Robat’s voice carried clearly to Mikal’s hiding place. “Jeram refuses to be persuaded, but you still have many others who will stand behind you.”

“How can he so easily dismiss all that I’ve given to Koltarn?” Terenz replied.

Mikal recognised that tone of voice. Terenz’s brows would be knitted together in a scowl.

“How can he possibly continue to support the beet girl? She may well have a golden Mark now, but by all accounts it is Eran who handles the city’s business. The girl is a mere puppet. Gah!” Terenz persuaded his stallion onto the swaying bridge, followed by a couple of the soldiers and their mounts.

“’Tis glad I am, that this is our last trip before the winter truly catches up with us,” Robat called as he waited for his turn to cross. “I must be getting old. My bones never used to feel the cold like this. I remember campaigns where we slept in the snow and thought only that it would toughen us up. Now, I long for the fire and a warm bed.” He roared with laughter and several of the soldiers laughed with him.

Terenz urged his horse about two thirds of the way over the gorge and then stopped. Why? Mikal shifted position until he saw the lone figure blocking the exit from the bridge: Lenad.

“Make way. Allow me off the bridge,” Terenz shouted, his voice echoing off the walls of the ravine. 

“That, I cannot agree to,” Lenad called back. “I have a warrant for your arrest, filing charges of treason against the StarMark of Koltarn.”

“What?” Terenz snorted. “You appear very confident, Lenad. You are one, and we are many. Do you think you will succeed, considering the odds?”

“I think we can move things a little in my favour.” Lenad raised his hand.

At his signal, there was a rustling from the undergrowth and twenty or more archers emerged from their hiding places on both sides of the canyon. Every man’s arrow was notched firmly in place, pointing at the men still waiting to cross and at Terenz, now trapped on the bridge. Robat cursed loudly.

“I suggest that in the face of such overwhelming odds,” Lenad shouted, “you advise your men to drop their weapons and surrender. You will be treated as prisoners of state until such time as we return to Bernea.”

With a sound like a sigh, Terenz’s sword slid smoothly out of its scabbard, the blade flashing silver against his dark jacket. “My men may surrender if they wish, but I have no intention of giving up so easily. For the Black Star!” Brandishing the weapon above his head, Terenz spurred his horse onwards, ignoring the shouts of his men and the bridge swinging wildly under him. He reached solid ground and kicked his horse towards Lenad.

They were going to fight—his guardian and his master! Mikal fought his way out of the bush, scratching face and arms in his haste. He scrambled and slid down the path towards the nearest archer.

“What are you waiting for?” he yelled. “Fire!”

“They’re too close together. Keep back, boy, out of the way.” The soldier shoved Mikal away from him.

Lenad and Terenz were fighting near the edge of the ravine. The Black Star had the advantage of being on horseback and Lenad was being hard pressed. A blow sent Lenad sprawling. Terenz leapt from the saddle and advanced towards him.

“He’ll kill him!” Mikal yelled. He bolted down the path and threw himself onto Terenz’s back, clinging tight, hammering at Terenz’s unprotected head. “Stop it! Stop!” 

Terenz gave a mighty heave of his broad shoulders and flung Mikal off sideways. He landed with a thud.

“Ooof!”

Terenz snarled and spun round. His eyes flashed with recognition when he looked down. “Mikal?”

“You don’t have to do this,” Mikal gasped. “Irvana wants your help, you can still be involved in Koltarn. You—”

An arrow thudded into Terenz’s shoulder. He yelled and stumbled, dangerously close to the edge of the gorge.

Lenad struggled to his feet and staggered forward, sword slashing wildly. Terenz caught sight of him and tried to twist away, but Lenad’s blade snagged in the black jacket.

Terenz’s stallion gave a scream of pain and reared up, an arrow buried deep in its flank.

Terenz cowered beneath flailing hooves, which crashed to the ground a hands-breadth away from him. The stallion reared up a second time, its eyes rolling madly. The deadly hooves descended again, caught Terenz a glancing blow, and knocked him off balance. 

With a cry, he fell into the ravine.

“No!” Mikal crawled to the edge of the gorge and stared down into the waters below. Where was he? There—a hand—reaching out of the water, a flash of silver visible before it was sucked back under. A dark shape was tossed and whirled about, carried away in the speeding river.

“We have to help him!” Mikal leaned out as far as he dared, trying not to lose sight of Terenz. He tipped forward, stones and earth tumbling down as the cliff crumbled beneath him. A fierce tug on his jacket jerked him back onto solid ground. Mikal scrambled to his feet, ready to run, but someone kept hold of his arm.

“We can’t help,” Lenad snapped. “No one can get down there fast enough. We’ll look for him further downstream.”

Mikal pointed at a black speck in the water, almost out of sight. “The rapids! He’ll be bashed to pieces against the rocks.” Feeling sick, he tore his arm free. 

“I know. I didn’t wish that for him,” Lenad muttered, his face drawn. He grabbed Mikal’s arm again and shook him violently. “What were you thinking, jumping on Terenz like that? He could have killed you. You were unarmed and disobeyed a direct order. How stupid can you get?”

“I thought I could stop you from killing him.” Mortified to find that his eyes were prickling with tears, Mikal fought Lenad off. “He looked after me.” 

Lenad’s face crumpled and he seized Mikal into a crushing hug. Then he held him at arm’s length, his own eyes glistening. “I understand. It was a brave, foolish thing you did, but it saved my life. We’ll save Terenz, too—he’s tough, won’t be hurt badly.”

Really? Mikal didn’t think so. But they had to try to rescue the Black Star—for Irvana . . .

“Sergeant, get the rest of this motley crew rounded up,” Lenad called. “Perhaps the loss of their leader will cool their enthusiasm for a fight. We’re going fishing.”

The prisoners were sent back to Bernea under heavy guard. Only Lenad, Mikal, and a handful of archers followed the route of the winding gorge, searching in its depths for any sign of Terenz. The roar of water was deafeningly loud as, far below them, the river thundered over jumbled rocks, sending a mist of spray high into the air.  

They searched until the light faded, plunging the bottom of the gorge into even deeper gloom.

“Can’t see a thing now. We’ll continue tomorrow,” Lenad said.

“Do you think we’ll find him?” Mikal was annoyed to hear a tremor in his voice.

Lenad shrugged. “Perhaps . . . But if I’m honest, I’m starting to think it unlikely. The rapids are fuller than I’ve ever seen them.”

A shudder took hold of Mikal. The water was so deep, so fast, it would have been able to carry a body easily, dashing it against the jagged rocks repeatedly with such force . . . “What do we tell Irvana?”

Lenad sighed and tugged his beard. “That The Black Star is dead. That she has the golden star and no one stands between her and her inheritance, but she’s going to have to manage it alone.”