2 - The Ruby Knight

by The Ruby Knight [lit]

  small lake where they had encountered the wandering

  minstrel. The man was gone.

  "I was afraid of that,' Sparhawk said. "It was too much

  to hope for that he'd still be here.'

  'Maybe we'll catch up with him farther south,' Kalten

  suggested. That horse of his wasn't in very good shape.'

  "what can we do about him even if we do catch him?'

  Tynian said. "you weren't planning to kill him, were you?"

  'Only as a last resort,' Kalten replied. 'Now that

  Sephrenia knows how Bellina influenced him, she could

  probably cure him.'

  'Your confidence is very nice, Kalten,' she said, "but it

  might be misplaced.'

  'Will the spell she put on him ever wear off?' Bevier

  asked.

  'To some degree. He'll grow less desperate as time

  goes on, but he'll never be entirely free of it. It might even

  make him write better poetry, though. The important

  thing is that he'll grow less and less infectious. Unless he

  meets a fair number of people in the next week or so, he

  won't be much of a danger to the count, and neither will

  those servants.'

  That's something at least,' the young Cyrinic said. He

  frowned slightly. 'Since I was already infected, why did

  that creature come to me that night? Wasn't that just a

  waste of her time?' Bevier seemed still strongly shaken by

  the funeral service for the dead child.

  "It was for reinforcement, Bevier,' she told him. 'You

  were agitated, but you wouldn't have gone as far as to

  attack your companions. She had to make sure you'd go

  to any lengths to free her from that tower.'

  As they were setting up their night's camp, something

  occurred to Sparhawk. He went over to where Sephrenia

  sat by the fire with her teacup in her hands. 'Sephrenia,'

  he said, 'what's Azash up to? Why is He suddenly going

  out of His way to convert Elenes? He's never done that

  before, has He?'

  'Do you remember what the ghost of King Aldreas said

  to you that night in the crypt?' she said. 'That the time

  had come for Bhelliom to re-emerge?'

  "yes.'

  'Azash knows that too, and He's growing desperate.

  I'd guess that He's found that His Zemochs aren't

  reliable. They follow orders, but they're not very bright.

  They've been digging up that battlefield for centuries

  now, and they just keep ploughing over the same

  ground. We've found out more about Bhelliom's location

  in the past few weeks than they've found out in the past

  five hundred years.'

  we were lucky.'

  'That's not entirely true, Sparhawk. I know that I tease

  you sometimes about Elene logic, but that was precisely

  what's got us so close to Bhelliom. A Zemoch is incapable

  of logic. That's Azash's weakness. A Zemoch doesn't

  think because he doesn't have to. Azash does all his

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  thinking for him. That's why Azash so desperately needs

  Elene converts. He doesn't need their adoration, He

  needs their minds. He has Zemochs all over the western

  kingdoms gathering old stories - in the same way that we

  did. I think He believes that one of them will stumble

  over the right story and that then His Elene converts will

  be able to piece together the meaning of it.'

  'That's the long way around, isn't it.'

  'Azash has time. He's not pressed by the same sense of

  urgency that we are.'

  Later that night, Sparhawk was standing watch some

  distance away from the fire, looking out over the small

  lake that glittered in the moonlight. Again, the howls of

  wolves echoed back in the dismal woods, but now for

  some reason the sound did not seem so ominous. The

  ghastly spirit which had haunted this forest was locked

  away forever, and the wolves were only wolves now and

  not harbingers of evil. The Seeker, of course, was an

  entirely different matter. Grimly Sparhawk promised

  himself that the next time they encountered it, he would

  bury the spear of Aldreas in the hideous creature.

  'Sparhawk, where are you?' It was Talen. He spoke

  quietly and stood near the fire peering out into the

  darkness.

  'Over here.'

  The boy came towards him, putting his feet down

  carefully to avoid hidden obstructions on the ground.

  'What's the problem?' Sparhawk asked him.

  "I couldn't sleep. I thought you might like some

  company.'

  "I appreciate that, Talen. Standing watch is a lonely

  business.'

  "I'm certainly glad to be away from that castle,' Talen

  said. "I've never been so scared in my life.'

  "I was a little nervous myself,' Sparhawk admitted.

  'Do you know something? There were all sorts of very

  nice things in Ghasek's castle, and I didn't once think of

  stealing any of them. Isn't that odd?'

  'Maybe you're growing up.'

  "I've known some very old thieves,' Talen disagreed.

  Then he sighed disconsolately.

  'Why so mournful, Talen?'

  "I wouldn't tell just anyone this, Sparhawk, but it's not

  as much fun as it used to be. Now that I know I can take

  just about anything I want from almost anybody, the

  thrill has sort of gone out of it.'

  'Maybe you should look for another line of work.'

  'What else am I suited for?'

  'I'll give it some thought and let you know what I come

  up with.'

  Talen laughed suddenly.

  'What's so funny?' Sparhawk asked him.

  "I might have just a little trouble getting references,' the

  boy replied, still laughing. 'My customers didn't usually

  know they were doing business with me.'

  Sparhawk grinned. "It could be a problem,' he agreed.

  'We'll work something out.'

  The boy sighed again. "It's almost' over, isn't it,

  Sparhawk? We know where that king's buried now. All

  we have left to do is go and dig up his crown, and then

  we'll go back to Cimmura. You'll go to the palace, and I'll

  go back to the streets.'

  "I don't think so,' Sparhawk said. 'Maybe we can come

  up with an alternative to the'streets.'

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  'Maybe, but the minute it gets tedious, I'll just run

  away again. I'm going to miss all this, you know?

  there've been a few times when I was so scared I almost

  wet myself, but there have been good times too. Those

  are the ones I'll remember.'

  'At least we gave you something.' Sparhawk put his

  hand on the boy's shoulder. 'Go back to bed, Talen. We'll

  be getting up early tomorrow.'

  "whatever you say, Sparhawk.'

  They set out at dawn, riding carefully along the rutted

  road to avoid injury to the horses. They passed the

  woodcutters' village without stopping and pressed on.

  ' How far do you make it?' Kalten asked, about midmorning.

  'Three - maybe four more days - five more at the most, '

  Sparhawk replied. 'Onc
e we get out of this forest, the

  roads improve and we'll make better time.'

  'Then all we have to do is find Giant's Mound.'

  'That shouldn't be much of a problem. From what

  Ghasek said, the local peasantry uses it as a landmark.

  We'll ask around.'

  %somebody do for you.'

  'Do you remember what Sephrenia said at Alstrom's

  castle back in Lamorkand?' Kalten said seriously. The

  business about Bhelliom's reemergence ringing through

  the whole world?'

  'Vaguely,' Sparhawk replied.

  'Then the minute we dig it up, Azash is going to know

  about it, and the road back to Cimmura could be lined on

  both sides with Zemochs. It could be a very nervous trip.'

  Ulath was riding directly behind them. 'Not really,' he

  disagreed. 'Sparhawk's already got the rings. I can teach

  him a few words in the language of the Trolls. Once he's

  got Bhelliom in his hands, there's almost nothing he

  won't be able to do. He'll be able to bowl over whole

  regiments of Zemochs.'

  'is it really that powerful?'

  'Kalten, you have no idea. If even half the stories are

  true, Bhelliom can do almost anything. Sparhawk could

  probably stop the sun with it, if he wanted to.'

  Sparhawk looked back over his shoulder at Ulath. 'Do

  you have to know Troll language to use Bhelliom?' he

  asked.

  "I'm not really sure,' Ulath replied, "but they say that

  it's infused with the power of the Troll-Gods. They might

  not respond to words spoken in Elene or Styric. The next

  time I talk with a Troll-God, I'll ask Him.'

  They camped in the forest again that night, and after

  supper Sparhawk walked away from the fire to do some

  thinking. Bevier quietly joined him. 'Will we stop in

  Venne when we reach it?' the Cyrinic asked.

  'More than likely,' Sparhawk replied. "I doubt that

  we'd be able to get much farther tomorrow.'

  'Good. I'll need to find a church.'

  'Oh?'

  "I've been contaminated by evil. I need to pray for a

  while. '

  "It wasn't really your fault, Bevier. It could have

  happened to any one of us.'

  'But it was me, Sparhawk,' Bevier sighed. 'The witch

  probably sought me out because she knew that I'd be

  susceptible. '

  'Nonsense, Bevier. You're the most devout man I've

  ever met.'

  'No,' Bevier disagreed sadly. "I know my own weaknesses.

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  I am powerfully attracted to members of the fair

  sex.'

  "you're young, my friend. What you feel is only

  natural. It subsides in time - or so I'm told.'

  'Do you still feel those urges? I'd hoped that by the

  time I reached your age, they would no longer trouble

  me.'

  "It doesn't work exactly that way, Bevier. I've known

  some very old men whose heads could still be turned by a

  pretty face. It's part of being human, I suppose. If God

  didn't want us to feel that way, He wouldn't permit it.

  Patriarch Dolmant explained it to me once when I was

  having a problem with it. I'm not sure I entirely believed

  him, but it made me feel a little less guilty.'

  Bevier chuckled. 'You, Sparhawk? This is a side of you

  I hadn't seen. I thought you were totally consumed with

  your sense of duty.'

  "Not entirely, Bevier. I still have a little time for other

  thoughts as well. I'm sorry you didn't get the chance to

  meet Lillias.'

  'Lillias?'

  'A Rendorish woman. I lived with her while I was in

  exile.'

  'Sparhawk.' Bevier gasped.

  "It was part of a necessary disguise.'

  'But surely you didn't -' Bevier left it hanging.

  Sparhawk was sure that the young man was blushing

  fUriously, but the darkness concealed it.

  'Oh, yes,' he assured his friend. 'Lillias would have left

  me otherwise. She's a woman of strong appetites. I

  needed her to help conceal my real identity, so I more or

  less had to try to keep her happy.'

  "I'm shocked at you, Sparhawk, truly shocked.'

  'The Pandions are a more pragmatic order than the

  Cyrinics, Bevier. We do what has to be done in order to

  get the job finished. Don't worry, my friend. Your soul

  hasn't been damaged - at least not very much.

  "I still need to spend some time in a church.'

  'Why? God is everywhere, isn't he?'

  'Of course.'

  'Talk with Him here, then.'

  "It wouldn't be quite the same.

  'Whatever makes you feel right, I suppose.

  They set out again at first light. The road now tended

  downward, for they were coming down out of the low

  range of forested hills. On occasion, when rounding a

  curve or cresting a hill, they could see Lake Venne

  sparkling in the spring sun off in the distance, and by midafternoon

  they reached the fork in the road. The main road

  was much better than had been the one leading down from

  Ghasek, and they reached the north gate of Venne just

  before the sunset filled the western sky with its fire.

  Once again they rode through the narrow streets with

  the overhanging houses casting a premature darkness,

  and arrived back at the inn where they had previously

  stayed. The innkeeper, a jovial fat Pelosian, welcomed

  them and led them upstairs to the second floor where the

  sleeping-rooms were located. 'Well, My Lords,' he said,

  'how was your sojourn in those accursed woods?'

  "quite successful, neighbour,' Sparhawk replied, 'and

  I think you can begin to pass the word around that

  Ghasek's no longer a place to be feared. We found out

  what was causing the problem and took care of it.'

  "Thanks be to God for the Knights of the Church!' the

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  innkeeper cried enthusiastically. 'The stories that have

  been going around have been very bad for business here

  in Venne. People have been choosing other routes

  because they didn't want to go into those woods.'

  "Its all taken care of now,' Sparhawk assured him.

  "was it some kind of monster?'

  "in a manner of speaking,' Kalten replied.

  "dihd you kill it?'

  "we entombed it.' Kalten shrugged, starting to remove

  his armour.

  'Good for you, My Lord.'

  'Oh, by the way,' Sparhawk said, 'we need to find a

  place called Giant's Mound. Do you by any chance

  happen to know where we should start looking?'

  I think its on the east side of the lake,' the innkeeper

  replied. 'There are some villages down there. They're

  back a ways from the lake-shore because of all those

  peat-bogs.' He laughed. The villages won't be hard to

  find. The peasants down there burn peat in their stoves.

  It puts out quite a bit of smoke, so about all you have to do

  is follow your noses.'

  "what are you planning to offer for supper tonight?'

  Kalten asked eagerly.

 
"is that all you ever think about?' Sparhawk said.

  "It's been a long trip, Sparhawk. 'i need some real food.

  You gentlemen are good companions, but your cooking

  leaves a bit to be desired.'

  "I've had a haunch of beef turning on the spit since this

  morning, My Lord,' the innkeeper said. "It should be well

  done by now.'

  Kalten smiled beatifically.

  True to his word, Bevier spent the night in a nearby

  church and rejoined them in the morning. Sparhawk chose

  not to question him concerning the state of his soul.

  They rode out of Venne and took the road south along

  the lake. They made much better time than they had

  when they had made the trip to the city. On that

  occasion, Kalten, Bevier and Tynian had been recovering

  from their encounter with the monstrous thing which

  had emerged from the burial mound at the north end of

  Lake Randera, but now they were wholly restored and

  able to ride at a gallop. It was late afternoon when Kurik pulled up beside

  Sparhawk. "I just caught a trace of peat-smoke in the air,'

  he reported. 'There's a vilage of some kind around here.'

  'Kalten,' Sparhawk called.

  'Yes?'

  'There's a vilage nearby. Kurik and I are going to go

  have a look. Set up camp and build a good fire. It might

  be after dark before the two of us get back and we'll need

  something to guide us in.'

  "I know what to do, Sparhawk.'

  'All right. do it then.' Sparhawk and his squire turned

  aside from the road and galloped across an open field

  towards a low band of trees a mile or so to the east.

  The smell of burning peat grew stronger - a strangely

  homelike scent. Sparhawk leaned back in his saddle

  feeling strangely at ease.

  'Don't get too confident,' Kurik warned. 'The smoke

  does strange things to their heads. Peat-burners are not

  always very reliable. In some ways, they're worse than

  Lamorks.'

  'Where did you get all this information, Kurik?'

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  There are ways, Sparhawk. The Church and the

  nobility get their information in dispatches and reports.

  The commons go to the heart of things.'

  'I'll remember that. There's the village.'

  "you'd better let me do most of the talking when we get

  there,' Kurik advised. 'No matter how hard you try, you

  don't sound much like a commoner.'

  It was a low village. Shallow, wide houses built of grey

  field-stone and roofed with thatch lined both sides of the