Denser cursed and clapped his hands to his head.

'Come, Aeb,' said Whytharn. 'Your place is with me. Step away.'

Aeb took a pace from The Raven line. Hirad went cold all over. Beside him, The Unknown seethed, his hands tightening on his sword, his jaws grinding together, his muscles bunching.

'Don't you hurt him,' he said.

'I am his Given. My judgement will prevail.'

The whole Raven line took the pace that brought them back level with Aeb.

'Don't even think about it,' said The Unknown.

Aeb took another step and before they could stop her Ren ran from the edge of the line, took cover behind Aeb's huge frame and drew back her bow string.

'He takes one more step, Xeteskian, and you die.'

Everyone started shouting at once.

Chapter 50.

'Tell her to stand down!'

'Get back, Ren.'

'I'm not moving. Hear me, Xeteskian?'

'My men will fire, now get back.'

'Keep down, Ren. Keep down.'

'Last warning.'

'Yours too, mage. He's Raven. You leave him and us alone.'

'Aeb. Come.'

Even the chittering above them ceased. Silence pressed. Hirad watched, they all did. Whytharn beckoned with a finger, The Unknown leaned forward.

In front of them, Aeb took a long deep breath. He moved.

'No, Ren, no!' shouted Thraun.

Arrows and bolts filled the air. Ren fired, missing Whytharn, the arrow smacking into the mage at his side, clear through the chest. A Familiar dropped from the sky wailing, already dying. A split heartbeat later, Rebraal's arrow punctured the side of a crossbowman's skull, spearing his brain. His bolt flew high and wasted, another thudded into timbers behind The Raven line but the third found its target. Ren was punched from her feet, sprawling backwards by Hirad's feet. Her eyes were open but she was fighting for breath, the bolt protruding from her chest just above her sternum.

'They're casting,' warned Denser. 'Keep that shield.'

The barbarian saw red. He growled, his gaze moving quickly up and catching Aeb's. The Protector's eyes narrowed behind his mask, the pair of them looked again at Ren, back to each other and nodded almost imperceptibly.

'Raven!' he screamed. 'Take them down!'

In front of him, Aeb put one hand behind his head and ripped the mask from his face.

'Want me, you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds? Then take me!' He hefted his axe and ran, huge strides eating up the ground.

Chaos.

The Raven surged after him, Hirad at their head, The Unknown by him and Thraun tearing up the ground, an animal bellow on his lips. Aeb swung down, his axe hammering through Whytharn's stunned body, dead before he could begin to loose a spell. Hirad drove in beside him, taking a casting mage apart at the shoulder, the arm flying into the air, spraying blood into the barbarian's face, his own pain and exhaustion a dim memory as he piled in.

Soldiers fought to get through their own line of mages to protect them, the Protectors standing confused until their minds were made up for them. At the back of the group a mage invoked soul punishment and Aeb crashed to the ground, the sounds from his mouth alien as he gibbered for mercy, his hands clamped to the side of his face.

'Get that mage!' yelled The Unknown, delivering a blow that took the sword and face of a soldier with it, his other hand punching and shoving his way through the melee. 'Release that punishment. Now!'

A bow thrummed, Rebraal's next arrow another killing shot, and, with Aeb still crawling in agony in the dust, the Protectors turned on their masters. In a single move they spun and struck, axes hacking great splits in skulls, rising to spread gore and falling again. The Xeteskians fell back immediately, but there was no escape.

A Familiar landed hard on the back of Hirad's head, clawed hands raking across his scalp. The barbarian reached round and grabbed the creature while he fended off a soldier in front who looked to gain from his distraction. He slapped the blade aside, clouted his hilt into the soldier's nose and knocked him cold. Finding purchase on the Familiar's neck, he tore it from his head and brought it in front of him, clumps of his hair in its hands, its slathering mouth snapping at his face. He tightened his grip, the Familiar's tail whipping round and stabbing into his arm. He grunted in pain and looked for the Familiar's mage.

'This yours, Xetesk man?'

The Unknown had cleared a path, beating his sword into the back of a soldier, and Hirad pushed ahead, keeping his grip on the Familiar and dashing its skull again and again into the mage's face, the man trying to fend him off, the Familiar screeching its hate.

'Is it?' he said as he piled the demon in again. 'Is it?'

The mage went down, face a mask of blood, Thraun's sword crushing his ribs. The Familiar went limp, its strength disappearing.

'Good guess,' said Hirad, and dropped its dying body to the ground.

He looked left. Thraun was a man possessed. He caught the sword arm of a soldier, forced it back and stepped forward, jamming his blade into the man's stomach. Trampling over him, he over-headed his weapon into a mage's collarbone, slicing through into his chest, pushed the dead man away and went searching for more.

All around the Protectors fought silently, never once giving an opening, showing no mercy to their Given. Axes rose and fell, masks were smeared with blood, brain and dust. Eyes stared brooding through eye slits and mouths moved wordlessly.

But still Aeb cried out. The Unknown smashed his blade across the legs of the last defending soldier and bore down on the mage holding the punishment.

'Release him,' he grated, pommel of his sword raised to crush. 'Do it now.'

'Too late, Unknown. Or didn't they tell you? Once invoked, it can't be stopped. There is only death.'

'Right,' said The Unknown. He brought the pommel down and dashed open the mage's skull, swinging round immediately to run to the heaving Aeb.

Foam flecked his mouth, his legs thrashed, his back arched and his fists beat the sides of his chest. His eyes were bulging and wild, the demons ripping his mind to shreds from inside, his soul in torment in the Tank. But even in the h.e.l.l of his consciousness he locked gaze with The Unknown and Hirad heard one word gasped out.

'Please.'

The Unknown nodded, drew a dagger from his belt and stabbed quickly into Aeb's temple. The Protector, at peace, lay still.

Quiet reined again.

Hirad sat down among the corpses, his hands draped over his knees, his body spent. He could feel blood oozing through his hair and dripping from his right hand to the ground but he ignored it.

The Unknown threw the dagger down by Aeb's body, stood, grabbed his sword from the ground and walked away towards the barracks. Hirad followed him with his eyes, hearing a soft sobbing. Erienne was kneeling over Ren, her body crushed in Denser's embrace, her shoulders hunched and jerking as she cried. Standing by them was Darrick, the bodies of three Xeteskian soldiers at his feet. Hirad hadn't even realised they'd broken through. Thank the G.o.ds for the General or they might have lost all their mages in a day.

Hirad sighed and looked up. Thraun held out a hand. Hirad took it and pulled himself to his feet. With his sword dragging over the compound dirt, he forced himself after The Unknown, who was walking slowly towards Ilkar's body.

'This is a black day for The Raven,' said Hirad.

'But we have the thumb,' said Thraun. He pointed to the barracks. Auum was walking through the doorway, the prize in his grateful hands. Duele and Evunn came after him, pushing a man in front of them.

Yron.

Hirad started to move more quickly, a new target for his hate right before him. The Unknown stepped in his way.

'Leave it,' he said, his face full of sorrow, his voice shorn of its usual power.

'He killed Ilkar,' said Hirad.

Thraun growled deep in his throat.

'Yes,' said The Unknown. 'But Auum will deal with him. He can dispense elven justice on Yron.'

The Raven trio walked towards him nonetheless. Yron focussed on them, his eyes still adjusting to the brightness.

'Sorry the TaiGethen didn't join you in the fight,' he said. 'What they had was more important than risking themselves against Xetesk.'

The Unknown nodded. 'Why did you do it?'

'I didn't know,' said Yron. 'If I'd realised that . . . souvenir would have caused so much death, I'd never have done it.'

'Ilkar is dead because of you,' said Hirad. 'Ilkar.'

Yron sighed. 'Nothing I can say will help. But believe me I had no knowledge this would happen. That's why I was trying to return it.'

'You should die for this.'

'I am going to, Hirad. That's why I'm out here.'

The elves gathered to offer prayers. The ClawBound pair padded out of the barracks and Auum opened his eyes and waved The Raven away from Yron. The Xeteskian mouthed an apology then knelt on the ground, Auum's hand pushing him down.

The TaiGethen spoke a few words, stepped aside and bowed his head. The panther padded up to Yron's back, placed her paws on his shoulders and bit down into his neck, breaking it and killing him instantly.

'We have our own rituals to observe,' said The Unknown.

He, Hirad and Thraun joined Rebraal at Ilkar's body.

There was precious little left of him. His clothes were burned away and his body twisted and scorched. But when Rebraal turned him over they could see his features, saved because he had landed face-down in the slightly damp mud under the parapet. He looked peaceful enough; his oval eyes were closed and his cheekbones still carried a hint of redness though his lips were drained of colour.

'Oh, Ilkar,' said Hirad, reaching out to stroke his face. 'Saved us, didn't he? I just wish he knew it. What am I going to do without you?'

Hirad tried to picture Ilkar alive and a startling vision of the elf's beaming face as they talked entered his mind. He started and sucked in a quick breath.

'We should prepare for the Vigil,' he said. 'There must be a shovel here somewhere. We'll bury him out in the countryside somewhere. I'm not having him left where Selik has been.' He took another look at his friend. 'Goodbye, Ilks. Oh, no.'

And he started to cry. He couldn't help himself. He shook his head as the tears came and he backed away, standing and facing The Unknown.

'What are we going to do, Unknown?'

'All the things we promised. Raise the Heart of Julatsa, free the Protectors, send the Kaan home. He wanted that as much as any of us.' The Unknown put his bloodstained hands on Hirad's shoulders. 'Come on, stop the tears. You know he'd only have laughed at you for it.'

Hirad spluttered and rubbed a bloodied hand across his eyes. 'Yeah, he would at that. Tell you what, Unknown, I'm absolutely knackered. And I could do with a bandage.'

'That's more like it.'

Avesh couldn't move anything. Every breath was shallow, his mouth blowing bloodied bubbles. He lay on his back, life pumping from the wound in his side to puddle beneath him. He'd been staring at the sky while they fought around him, watching the billows of smoke blow across the dawning blue. It was going to be a very pleasant day. He'd so love to have shared it with Ellin.

Two of them were near him. He couldn't see but he could hear them.

'This is all so wrong, Unknown,' said one. Avesh had recognised him. Hirad Coldheart. A man he admired as he did all of The Raven. He had been so disappointed to see them ranged against the Black Wings. He thought they'd have seen the light. The righteous path, Selik had called it. But then one of them had borne the child who started it all so perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised. It was so confusing. He couldn't get his mind to work properly.

'I know,' replied the other, The Unknown Warrior, a giant in folklore and no less in reality.

'Look at them. All these dead farmers. Our fight was never with them. What happened to them all?'

'Selik is a very persuasive man,' said The Unknown.

'Was,' replied Hirad. 'His head bouncing off the floor is the only good memory I'll take from here.'

Avesh coughed and the pain surged through his body. He convulsed.

'G.o.ds, there's one still alive here!' Hirad again.

Avesh heard quick paces and the barbarian himself leaned over him. He felt a hand tracing down the side of his neck.

'He's no Black Wing,' said Hirad. 'Can we save him?'

Hope quickened Avesh's heart and his severed nerves howled in protest.

'No,' said The Unknown, moving through the periphery of his vision. 'Look at that wound. I'm amazed he's still alive.'