A golden ring, flying through the air. A scream – hers. “No!” Borneheld lunging at Axis, forcing him to a knee. Music, strange music, as if stone were being dragged over stone. Blood. Blood, everywhere. Dark Man watching, crying with laughter. Axis, on his knees, his sword flying out of his hand and sliding uselessly across the floor. A feather, she felt as if she were choking on a feather. A woman, beating at prison bars, pleading for release. A darker woman at a table, keeping tally, watching. Blood – why was there so much blood? Axis? Where was Axis? Faraday twisted away, gagging in horror. He was covered in blood – it dripped from his body, it hung in congealing strings through his hair and beard. He reached out a hand, then a great gout of blood erupted that covered her as well. She could feel it trickling down between her breasts, and when she looked for Axis all she could see was a body lying before her, hacked apart, and a golden and white form, as if a spirit, slowly rising behind it.
The chamber rang with shouted accusations of murder and treachery.
And all the time, the blood.
She could feel it, smell it, taste it.
Driven to madness by the feel of the warm blood running down her body, Faraday began to scream.
She ripped her hands from the tree and screamed and screamed her horror, almost falling in her distress. Jack grabbed her before she could run away and held her as tightly as he could, muffling her screams against his chest.
“Naughty tree!” he said angrily, glaring at the tree. “Naughty, naughty tree! You made the lovely lady cry.”
Now Faraday was sobbing uncontrollably, twisting feebly to free herself from Jack’s arms. Jack tried ineffectually to pat her back. “Please, pretty lady, sometimes the trees play tricks, yes they do. They show us only snatches of the truth, not all of it. Sometimes they warp what is truth, yes they do. Yes they do!” he said, giving the tree another angry glare.
Faraday finally managed to tear herself free. “It was horrible, Jack. Horrible! I don’t want that to happen ever. Ever!” She started to back away from the trees, tears staining her cheeks, then stumbled. “I wish you had never brought me here, Jack. Go away!”
Then she was gone, flying through the night, her cloak whipping back from her slim form, her white nightgown flapping about her legs. Yr gave Jack a reproachful look and then bounded after her.
Jack watched them disappear into the night, then turned back to the trees. “Well, my friends, I don’t know what you showed her, but you scared her almost to death. Perhaps it was for the best. She needs to be awoken. She needs to have reason to fight. But I hope you haven’t frightened her too much … she is your only hope.”
Axis woke feeling more refreshed than he could remember. For a long while he lay in his sleeping roll, too warm and relaxed to move. Then finally he sat up, slipped quietly out of his blankets and dressed; Gilbert and the two Axemen were still sound asleep. Stepping out of the chamber, Axis peered at the rusted iron staircase twisting far above his head into the upper reaches of the Keep. Eventually he lowered his eyes and walked down the staircase to the ground floor.
Ogden and Veremund were at the table, arguing quietly but heatedly over a pile of books. Stuffed saddlebags lay on either side of the table. “Good morning, Brothers,” Axis called.
The two Brothers looked startled, for they had not heard him come down the stairwell. For one instant Axis thought they were going to bow, but the moment passed and both merely inclined their heads his way.
“Good morning, BattleAxe,” they said simultaneously.
“What are you doing?” Axis asked, puzzled by their preparations for a journey.
“We’ve decided that we must come with you,” Ogden said calmly.
“Oh, for Artor’s sake!” Axis swore, annoyed. Not only women but doddery aged brothers as well? This was too much. “There’s really nothing you can do and we’re moving too fast and hard for you to keep up. All I need is the information you have about the Forbidden and this so-called Destroyer.”
Veremund drew himself up to his full height, a good hand-span taller than Axis himself, looking both deeply offended and utterly smug at the same time. “If we were to tell you all we know, BattleAxe, we would keep you here a lifetime. And a lifetime you do not have. No, far better that we bring ourselves, our knowledge, and a few,” he turned to glare at Ogden, “of our most important books so that we can respond to your queries as we go. What you need to know now may not be what you need to know once you reach Gorkenfort.”
Ogden beamed at Axis, folding his hands across his ample belly. His habit looked filthy in the morning fight; mould grew in some of the deeper creases. “The time has come for us to leave the Keep, BattleAxe. I’m sure that Jayme would agree with our decision if he were advised of it.”
“I don’t have spare horses for you to ride out of these Woods.”
“Oh, we have our own mounts stabled here, BattleAxe. Now, the more speed the better.” Ogden rubbed his hands together briskly and turned to his companion. “Veremund, we simply must take this volume. It contains vital information about the origins of the Avar people and their religious beliefs …”
Axis hesitated, annoyed by the two Brothers’ casual assumption that they would ride with him. Then he shook his head. Perhaps Veremund was right. Who knew what new questions he might have in six weeks’ time? And if they could not keep up, he could leave them in Arcen with Faraday and her mother.
Leaving them to argue over what books to take, Axis strolled outside. It was still cloudy, but it looked as though the rain would hold off for a while. He lowered his gaze to the golden lake. Not even a ripple marred its surface. Frowning, he squatted down at the water’s edge and dipped his hand in. He felt no sensation of wetness, and when he pulled his hand out again it was still completely dry. He quickly stepped back from the lake, making the sign of the Plough in the air to ward off enchantments. He would be glad to be gone from this place.
Inside the Keep, Timozel, Arne and Gilbert had joined the two elderly Brothers. Gilbert was standing defiantly in front of the fire with Ogden and Veremund facing him, both obviously furious. Arne stood slightly to the side and between the three men. Timozel stood well back from them, not wanting to have anything to do with whatever the argument was about.
Veremund turned as he heard Axis close the door. His face was white with fury. “This … this snake was trying to burn down the Keep, BattleAxe!”
Gilbert lifted his chin and stared at Axis defiantly.
Arne stepped forward. “I’m afraid it is true, BattleAxe. I found Gilbert in one of the upper-level rooms, one choked with musty old books. He had a tinderbox with him and was trying to lay a fire with some old pages.”
“He had torn up one of the most exquisite volumes we have in the Keep for that very nefarious purpose!” Ogden cried, almost apoplectic with rage. He stepped forward as if to seize Gilbert, but Axis quickly laid a restraining hand on his shoulder.
“Is that true, Gilbert?” he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.
“BattleAxe. We both serve the Seneschal. How can you let this cursed Keep and its
