Arddryn faltered. “But—when? Why din’t anyone tell us?”
“Because they couldn’t,” said Arenadd. “Anyone who could have come up here was killed or arrested.”
“An’ Saeddryn? Where is she?”
“They took her,” said Arenadd. “Skade, too.”
Arddryn gaped at him. “But—but—Saeddryn—where’d they take her?”
“They must have taken her to Malvern,” said Arenadd. “The raid happened at least a month ago. They’ll have her there by now, in a cell. Arddryn, we have to leave. If Saeddryn hasn’t already told them where we are, she soon will. I know what the griffiners do to people they want information from.”
She hit him. “Don’t ye tell me, boy. Ye think I don’t know? Think I need t’be told, do ye? Think that?” Her furious tone faltered and fell away without any warning, and she sagged. “Saeddryn—oh, by the Night God, not my little Saeddryn.”
Arenadd supported her. “Arddryn, please. We need you. The others have got to move out of the gorge, and fast. I’ve already told them to start packing their things and sent someone to fetch back anyone who’s away.”
She straightened up. “Someone has t’watch the sky.”
“They already are. I told them to climb into the trees.”
“Hyrenna—”
“Skandar’s gone to find her. Come on, Arddryn. There’s no time.”
She took his hand. “Leavin’ this cave—not easy. It’s been home so long.”
“You’ll find another one. Come on, I’ll help you pack your things together.”
Arddryn nodded, and the two of them gathered up her meagre possessions. They rolled them up in her sleeping furs, and Arddryn put on most of her spare clothes for warmth and to save space. Then she helped Arenadd to conceal all signs that she had lived in the cave, even rubbing dirt over the carvings on the walls.
When they were done, they left the cave together and piled stones over the entrance, hiding it from view.
“Now,” said Arenadd, “we’ll get the others together and then—”
She waved him into silence. “I’ll go an’ talk to ’em, Arenadd.”
“Oh, of course, I didn’t mean—”
“There’s somethin’ else I want ye t’do in the meantime,” said Arddryn. “We can hide the settlement well enough—break up the shelters an’ suchlike—but we can’t hide that griffin.”
Arenadd had nearly forgotten him. “Oh.”
“Kill it,” Arddryn said briefly. “An’ make sure ye finish the job properly. After that, burn the body. We don’t want anyone findin’ it.”
“I will. See you later.” Arenadd dashed off.
He went further along the pass and entered the little alcove where the griffin was housed. They had built a cage out of logs, and the griffin lay huddled in the middle of it, wings, beak and legs still tied together. Arenadd had been bringing him food; the others seemed almost completely indifferent as to whether he survived or not. The griffin never said anything when his beak was untied, only ate what he was given and then subsided again, dead-eyed and still.
Arenadd found him dozing and cut away some of the bars so he could get into the cage. As he stood over the griffin, looking at him, the creature stirred and opened his eyes. They were yellow and had probably once been bright. Now, though, they were empty and resigned.
Arenadd made up his mind. He struck. The griffin jerked as the blade hit him, and the ropes fell away from his beak. He opened it wide, stretching his jaw, and looked at Arenadd, expecting food.
Arenadd kept well back. “I want to talk to you,” he said.
The griffin just stared at him.
“I want to know your name,” said Arenadd.
The griffin sighed. “Eekrae.”
“Your name’s Eekrae?”
“Yes.”
“It’s a good name,” said Arenadd. “Now listen, Eekrae. Have you ever heard the name Erian Rannagonson before?”
Eekrae looked up at that, which was all the answer Arenadd needed. “Yes.”
“He’s at Malvern?”
“Yes. And Senneck.”
“Who’s Senneck?” said Arenadd. The name was vaguely familiar.
“Erian is Senneck’s human,” Eekrae mumbled. “Senneck is beautiful.”
Arenadd rubbed his ear. “Senneck bit a piece off my ear. So, they’re in Malvern—do they live there?”
“Yes.”
“Elkin took them in?”
“Yes.”
“Did she give Erian a post?” said Arenadd.
“Yes,” said Eekrae. “He is the assistant to the Master of Farms.” He shivered. “No, the Master of Farms now. The old Master is dead. He died in—in the circle.”
Arenadd snickered.
Master of Farms. I’ll bet he’s proud of himself
.
He moved closer. “Listen to me, Eekrae. I’ve been sent here to kill you.”
Eekrae made a little rasping noise in his throat. “Kill me, then.”
“But wouldn’t you rather be free?” said Arenadd. “Because I can let you go instead, if I want to. Wouldn’t you like that? To fly back to Malvern? To be back in your own nest?”
Eekrae said nothing.
Arenadd finally made his decision. “Now listen,” he said. “I can set you free. But you have to do something in return.”
Eekrae looked up. “What must I do?”
“Take me with you,” said Arenadd. “And after that, I want you to carry a message for me. That’s all. Can you do that, Eekrae?”
And Eekrae said, “Yes.”
35
Heartless
S
kade had lost track of the time she had spent in the cell. They had put her in it as soon as they arrived at Malvern. Several times she had been taken to a different room and questioned, but the questions were perfunctory: they asked for her name, where she was from, why she was at Eitheinn and how much she knew about Saeddryn. Skade had eventually told them her name, but refused to say anything else. They asked; she sneered and hissed and said nothing. When they began to use intimidation—threatening her with rape and torture—she turned violent, lashing out at anyone who got too close. Her claws, at least, were one weapon she still had. They hit her, she hit back, and once she broke free and instantly hurled herself at a guard who tried to stop her escape, biting a piece out of his ear before they managed to subdue her. Eventually it reached the point where she ceased to speak entirely and took to attacking everyone who came within reach.
After that they apparently decided she was more trouble than she was worth and left her alone.
She sat huddled in the corner, shivering slightly and scratching at the floor. The claw on her forefinger was slowly being worn down by the amount of time she had spent doing this, but she didn’t care. The cell was dimly lit by a single torch, protected by a metal bracket, and she watched its light flicker over the dust and cracks on the floor and lost herself in thought.
Arenadd had abandoned her. She knew that by now. She had believed him when he looked her in the eye and promised to return, and she had waited for weeks, believing he would come. But he never did, and nor did Skandar, and she didn’t know where they were or if they would ever return. When Saeddryn had returned alone from the mountains, Skade asked after them. Saeddryn said that Arenadd had decided to stay up there and wouldn’t be returning for a long time, if he returned at all. Beyond that she wouldn’t say anything, such as what he and Skandar were doing there and whether there was anyone else there with them.
Skade didn’t believe her, and her silence only made her more inclined to think she was lying. She stayed in the barn and spent most of her time eating or sleeping, slowly recovering from the journey. Using the sword taken from the dead griffiner at Guard’s Post, she practised the moves Arenadd had taught her. Saeddryn, seeing this, offered to teach her more, and she accepted.
That was how she spent most of her time, day in and day out, as two long months passed. By the end of the first month, she had already begun to realise that Arenadd was not going to return, and by the end of the second she knew it for certain. After that, everything had gone downhill. She went off her food and became lethargic and aggressive by turns. In the end Saeddryn became wary and began to leave her alone. Skade stayed locked away in the barn, forbidden to leave it during the day lest someone see her. Sometimes she was gripped by appalling urges for violence that led her to attack one of the beams that held up the ceiling, hacking pieces off it with her sword. Saeddryn finally lost patience and took the weapon away from her.
It was only days later that the griffiners came. Skade was woken up by the commotion outside, and for a few moments, hearing voices speaking griffish, she thought that Arenadd had come back. But as she ran to the door she heard the screams, and after that she caught the scent and heard the sounds of griffins she didn’t know, reeking of aggression and malice.
In that moment, it was as if all her pent-up frustration and misery rose up inside her in a single burst, and she launched herself in a frenzied attack at the first person who entered the barn.
That was how her time at Eitheinn had ended, and here was where her journey had ended. She didn’t believe that she would escape from the cell or that they would release her. Perhaps they would sell her into slavery. Or maybe they would simply kill her. She knew very little about human justice and could only guess. But she wouldn’t tell them anything, no matter what they said or did. She had sworn that to herself.
So she had sat alone in her cell, waiting for her time to come, but it never did. She had slid back into the same lethargy and despair that had affected her at Eitheinn. Now she sat and stared listlessly at the plate of food that had been placed next to her. She had eaten the salted beef, but couldn’t summon the energy to touch the bread or beans that came with it.
The chains clinked whenever she moved. They had manacled her to a ring in the wall by her wrists, to stop her attacking the guards when they brought her food, and she picked at a spot where the metal had left a sore. It was becoming infected.
A sound at the door made her look up sharply. This couldn’t be more food arriving.
The door opened, and Skade squinted as light fell over her face. She could see someone standing in the doorway and hauled herself to her feet, dragging at the chains. “Come near me and I will kill you,” she rasped.
The intruder didn’t move, and she heard a quick muttering of voices. “Should I just—?”
“Go in,” a second, rougher voice commanded. “Don’t waste any more of our time.”
“Yes, sir.”
The first speaker entered the cell, and Skade blinked in puzzlement. This wasn’t one of the guards. It was a woman—Northern, wearing a slave collar. She was middle-aged, and her face was etched with lines of grief and worry. She came closer, holding out a hand. “Please, don’t worry,” she said. “I won’t hurt you.”
The voice was soft and nervous and had an accent Skade recognised. “Who are you?” she said.
The woman fiddled with her hair, a gesture that made Skade’s heart leap. “My name is Annir,” she said. “Please, you have to come with me. You won’t be hurt.”
Skade stared at her. “Annir?” The name was familiar. Distantly, achingly familiar.
“Yes.” The woman held out her hands. “See? I don’t have any weapons. I’m just a—just a slave. Will you come with me?”
“Where do you want to take me?” said Skade, suspiciously.
“Out of the dungeons,” said Annir. “They’re not going to kill you.”
“Well then, what are they going to do?” said Skade.
Annir looked furtively over her shoulder and came even closer, just out of reach of Skade’s claws. “I think they’re going to set you free,” she said in a low voice.
Skade regarded her. She had had a little more practice at reading human faces and eyes, and she couldn’t see any trace of a lie in this one. The eyes, though. There was something about them, something that made her heart beat faster. All humans looked more or less the same to her, of course, but still …
“I cannot go with you,” she said at last. “I am chained.”
Annir held up a key. “Here. If you promise to stand still, I’ll take them off.”
The gentle tone finally managed to soothe Skade, and she relaxed and held out her hands. “I will come, then,” she said. “Take them off.”
Annir inserted the key and quickly removed both manacles. She withdrew as soon as the second one had been unlocked, holding up her hands to defend herself, but Skade only stood and rubbed her wrists. “Curse them. If they do not set me free, I shall kill them.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure it won’t come to that,” said Annir. “Come, follow me.”
She turned and walked out of the cell, and Skade followed warily at a distance. The instant she stepped through the doorway, however, hands grabbed her by the shoulders. More grabbed her elbows and wrenched her arms behind her back, where her wrists were shackled together yet again. It all happened so quickly and efficiently that she had no time at all to react.