'Izack!' bellowed Darrick as they approached.

The cavalry commander hauled his horse around, his face splitting into a broad smile in recognition of the voice of his erstwhile general. He leaned out of his saddle and clasped hands with Darrick. The Raven stopped and surrounded him, well out of spell and missile range.

'Dear G.o.ds, General, it lightens my heart to see you!'

'And I you, though I'd wished for kinder circ.u.mstances.'

Izack nodded, glancing quickly over The Raven, his eyes never straying too far from the battle.

'What brings you here?' he asked. 'I'd heard The Raven were near. Blackthorne told us as much but I thought you'd be headed back south again by now.'

'So did we,' agreed Darrick. 'But we need to find the elves. We believe one of the TaiGethen cells has recovered something vital to them.'

'I've heard nothing,' said Izack. 'The elves are all fighting further east. They're with a Dordovan force trying to reach Xetesk's east gate. They're incredible fighters, so they say. The painted ones particularly.'

'You'd better believe it,' said The Unknown. 'One to one as good as Protectors, in my opinion.'

'And in Xetesk's too,' said Izack. 'The Protectors are heavily committed against them.'

'Are you in contact?' asked Darrick.

'Only by riders. Can't spare mages for Communion.'

Darrick nodded. 'We have to get to them. How's the land in between?'

'Safe enough,' said Izack. 'Don't stray too far west, Xeteskian cavalry is moving out there.' He smiled. 'Go on, tell me what I'm doing wrong.'

'Nothing,' said Darrick. 'But weight your left. Keep cavalry out there. We've seen an army on the march north. Don't get caught.'

'Know about it already,' said Izack. 'Black Wings. They're here to attack Xetesk, I think. They might even help us.'

'Not by choice,' said The Unknown. 'Don't underestimate them.'

'One other thing,' said Darrick. 'Their cavalry commander here isn't confident. He sees things too late. Next time you see a breach, you might try riding through it, but take half of your men with you.'

The two Lysternans shook hands again.

'You know I'm supposed to arrest you,' said Izack. 'Pity I didn't recognise you.'

'Another day,' said Darrick. 'I'll come back, answer for my actions.'

'Raven!' Hirad took up his reins. 'Raven with me!'

Taking The Unknown's place at the head of the arc, he galloped away towards the east gate of Xetesk.

The dusk was deepening when The Raven finally rode into the allies' forward camp on the eastern battle front. With the coming of night fighting had ceased, and the echoing memories of the battle clashed with the enforced calm of the aftermath.

The Raven had been forced to move slowly. Their horses' exhaustion, marauding bands of Xeteskian cavalry and the deep suspicion of Dordovan patrols had all made for a circuitous and difficult pa.s.sage. But a sympathetic finger had pointed them the way to the mess tents and the elven encampment. And although they drew glances that ranged from awe to open hostility, they had eaten and their horses were picketed, rubbed down and fed.

With Ilkar leading, they walked into the quiet of the elven camp. Most were already asleep, stretched out under the cloudy sky, but those still awake displayed the signs of people who had experienced their first day on the battlefield: shock, deep weariness, disbelief.

Hirad sympathised. They would have feared for their lives every heartbeat, and finished the day bruised, deafened, exhausted and guilty that they lived when their friends had died. And worse was to come. It would have to be faced all over again as dawn broke, but with every muscle screaming for rest and the risks as great, if not greater. But for these elves, there was also the fact that they would never have seen such a ma.s.s of humanity in one place all trying to kill each other. Never mind their willingness to fight and die for their cause and never mind their skill and mental strength. Nothing prepared you for that first day of ma.s.s battle. Nothing.

They found Rebraal and Auum together, cuts bathed and bound, sitting cross-legged near a fire discussing the day gone and the day to come. As The Raven approached, Ilkar ushering tired elves out of the way to let them sit to talk, Auum looked up, his distaste undisguised and eyeing Hirad with what amounted to contempt. The Unknown put a calming hand on Hirad's shoulder and sat him next to Ilkar, who Rebraal had been plainly happy to see.

The conversation began, Ilkar translating the elven words.

'So what brings you here, little brother? We thought you were in the city by now.'

Ilkar chuckled. 'You know perfectly well why we're here and not in Xetesk. The TaiGethen have recovered the Yniss fragment and we're here to join you. Erienne has to travel with you to aid the binding, and where Erienne goes, The Raven go.'

That got Auum's attention. His head snapped up and Hirad could see his eyes spearing Ilkar.

'Wrong,' he said. 'We are going back in tonight to attempt entry into the college itself.'

'I don't understand,' said Ilkar.

'What is there not to understand?' said Rebraal. 'We don't have it. And patently neither do you despite your grand words about The Raven's skill. Why else do you think we're still here?'

'Aeb was in contact with the Soul Tank the day before we were due to raid the college. You remember I explained Protectors to you.'

'And we fought them all day for very little gain,' said Rebraal. There was a murmur around the fire.

'Not surprising, really,' said Ilkar. 'The point is, two souls departing the Tank reported they had been killed by TaiGethen who took Yron, the man who holds the thumb.'

'Which Tai?' demanded Ilkar.

'I don't know. How could I?'

'Where was this incident?' Auum was sitting bolt upright now, an expression of anxiety across his face, his hands gripping his thighs.

'Just outside the west gate of the college, right by the artisans' quarter,' said Ilkar.

Rebraal and Auum shared a glance. 'Merke,' said the TaiGethen. He looked back to Ilkar. 'They have not reported back here. You are sure about this?'

Ilkar nodded. 'Absolutely. Protectors are unable to lie.'

'Then the Xeteskians must have retaken them,' said Rebraal.

'Not possible,' said Ilkar. 'Aeb would know. They escaped the city early this morning.'

'They have not returned,' said Auum.

Ilkar sighed. 'I don't believe it,' he said, turning to The Unknown. 'We've lost it again. Somewhere between here and the college. The G.o.ds only know where it is.'

'Well, we'll have to search,' said the big warrior. 'Find out where this Tai went in and work back from there.'

Ilkar posed the question and didn't like the answer.

'South-west corner,' he relayed. 'Right where the Black Wings are advancing.'

'Any chance they ran into a patrol?' asked Hirad.

'It would have to be a big one to stop a TaiGethen cell,' said Ren.

'How good is this Yron?' asked Rebraal, dropping back into elvish to speak to Auum.

The TaiGethen snorted, getting his meaning. 'Not good enough.'

'It doesn't matter anyway, he wanted to find them. It was Yron who stole the thumb from the college. The point is, they must be holed up somewhere, trapped maybe,' said Ilkar. 'Look, this is what we know. Merke's cell got out of the city with Yron and now Xetesk will be looking for them and they have a head start. But coming at them from the south is an army of farmers driven on by Black Wing witch hunters. They are caught in the middle of it somewhere and we have to get them out fast.'

'We will sweep from here to the coast,' said Auum. 'We will see everything. But first we have to rest. We'll leave before dawn.'

'You can't do that,' said Ilkar. 'You can't abandon this front entirely. Xetesk will know straight away what you're doing.'

'Then perhaps these Dordovans we fought for can return us the favour,' said Rebraal. 'Or perhaps you and your Raven. After all, what have you done so far?'

'Got you here,' said Ilkar. 'And created the conditions for Yron to take the thumb and escape the college. And that's just for starters.'

'You have some great and better idea, do you?' said Auum, his voice dismissive.

'Yes, I do,' said Ilkar. 'What you're suggesting is too slow and Xetesk will be able to track you all the way because the land is too open. All it'll lead to is more ma.s.s conflict with Xetesk and Black Wings and you'll get no nearer the prize. Do it The Raven's way. Trust me, it'll work.'

'What do you have in mind?' Rebraal looked at Ilkar hard. 'We're dropping like flies here. We need speed. We're losing more to the Sorrow than to the Protectors.'

'Just be ready to leave when we come for you. You and Auum's Tai. And a ClawBound pair if you can get a message to one. Get some rest.'

'What do you have that we have not?' sneered Auum.

'Horses, men who know the land and mages that can fly,' said Ilkar shortly. 'Any of those skills of yours?'

'Ilkar-'

'No, Rebraal, he has to hear this,' said Ilkar, standing and looking down at Auum, who looked ready to strike, his face grey and angry in the firelight. 'The Raven are doing this for me and for you. For all the elves. We're doing it because it is right and, believe me, there are other things we could be doing. Like saving our own land from destruction for a start.

'But we're doing this first because The Raven would do anything for me. That's what being one of us is all about and it is something you, Auum, should understand. So get your head out of the trees, respect those that deserve it and join in. Because we are your best hope of recovering the thumb. Believe it.'

'Your confidence in your ability is remarkable,' said Auum.

Ilkar leant in very close. 'That is because we are the best. So watch and learn. This is our land.'

He stalked away, The Raven getting up and following him. Hirad spared Auum an ingratiating smile and a wink. 'Told you, eh?' he said, having not understood a word.

'Feel better for that, did you?' said Ren.

'Needed saying,' said Ilkar. He turned and grinned at Hirad. 'You'd have been proud of me.'

'So what did you say, exactly?' asked Hirad.

Ilkar told him as they wandered back into the Dordovan area and kicked a dying and abandoned fire into new life.

'And what exactly is your plan?' Darrick poked at the new flame.

'None of the Al-Arynaar have learned ShadowWings. It's a pointless spell in the rainforest. We can all do it and that means we can scout a wide area very quickly. Look, I'm not talking about overflying Xeteskian or Black Wing positions, but there's a ma.s.s of open ground on the route they'd have taken trying to get back here. We'll find them, I can feel it. And if we leave a few hours before dawn, we can be beyond Izack's lines before sunrise and practically on top of where Yron and Merke's Tai came out.'

'Then you'd better sleep,' said The Unknown. 'All of you. And if there's anything you can do to boost your stamina, use it. Because if I'm not mistaken, none of you could cast wings big enough to lift a mouse right now.'

There was no argument but Darrick wasn't satisfied.

'Ren, can I borrow you to translate for me?'

'Sure,' she said. 'What?'

'Well, whatever we say, the elves are going to disengage and Ilkar is right about how the Xeteskians will react. So Ren and I are going to have a little meeting with Auum, Rebraal and the Dordovan command where I will explain how to conduct a phased withdrawal. Because if they don't do it right and get enough Dordovans in to fill the hole, Izack will have a new army to fight and I'm not having my people left exposed like that.'

'Ever the general,' said Hirad.

Darrick shook his head. 'No, Hirad. Just feeling guilty.'

Chapter 45.

While he'd been unconscious, they'd blindfolded him and tied him across his saddle. He came to his senses at some point during the ride that followed, a ride that he thought would never end. They took him off his horse when they stopped for the night but didn't untie his hands, remove his blindfold or feed him. And they wouldn't speak to him, just gave him infrequent mouthfuls of stale water.

The crossbow wound in his thigh was excruciating. Periodically, he could feel the blood flow down his leg but he ignored it, such was his general discomfort and the racking jolts into his stomach which came with every stride of the fast-moving horse. He was certain he was being caused probably fatal internal damage and the blood he coughed into his mouth periodically was all the evidence he needed. It left him glad they'd starved him. He'd only have vomited anything solid up anyway.

When at last they stopped, after the dull thud of hooves had become an echo off buildings and he'd heard the sound of many voices, of hammering and harsh laughter, and he was pulled from his horse to lie flat on hard mud, he knew he'd travelled his last. Wherever they'd brought him to. Whatever town or village they were in, the Black Wings were in control and he wasn't going to be leaving.

All that kept him alive was the elven salvation he had in a pocket. And even that was taken from him when he was marched somewhere quiet that smelled of old ale, with timbered floors and a high ceiling. After the search that revealed so little, he was forced into a chair, his arms were untied and the blindfold pulled roughly over his head.

He didn't know what to do first so he tried to do it all. He blinked to get some focus into his gluey eyes, tried to move his arms and ma.s.sage life back into his hands and fingers and felt at the wound that thudded with every weary beat of his heart. It all became confused so he stopped, took a breath and decided looking at his situation was the best start.

He forced one arm up to his face despite the protestations of his shoulder and elbow and used the stiffened fingers of the hand to gouge at his eyes. Slowly, painfully, he brought the room into bleary reality. He was sitting on a straight-backed chair across a table from a man. The man was flanked by two others. On the table were tankards, a jug and a plate of bread and dried meat. The look of the food repulsed him, his stomach turning over and sending renewed nausea swimming through his body.