Kushiel's Avatar - Jacqueline Carey [138]
So they might, I thought; they were young. It had been eight years since the Khalif had lost an army in Drujan, and dared not try again. These men were young and cocksure. Nonetheless, when nightfall came, they huddled close around the campfires, peering into their neighbor's faces and reassuring one another: Yes, we are men of Akkad, Akkad-that-is-reborn, we are brave and dauntless, and fear no shadows of the night.
"They are fools." Tizrav spat expertly through a gap between his teeth, making the campfire sizzle. He nodded companionably toward the Lugal's men. "Fools and children, jumping at shadows."
"Do you say shadows have no power?" Joscelin asked slowly, in fumbling Akkadian. He'd come late to the language, but his Habiru skills had stood him in good stead.
"Power." Tizrav grinned, showing his gap. Firelight played over the greasy leather patch that covered his missing eye. "What is power? These young fools surrender it with every heartbeat of fear. And so the shadows grow, and take on power. What is fear, but courage's shadow?"
"Common sense, mayhap," Joscelin said shortly, rolling himself in his blanket and making ready for sleep.
"You know better." Tizrav leered at me, despite the veil. "Light casts a shadow, the brighter the one, the darker the other. This is onlyfire, tame and kept. It will be different in Drujan. You will see."
I stared at him through my veil. "We are not in Drujan yet, Persian. Do you wish to forfeit your purse?"
"No." He shrugged unevenly. "Light, dark; it is all the same to Tizrav, if their gold is good. I have sworn my bargain and I will see you delivered. Lies, truth; I do not mind. Afterward ..." He shrugged again. "You will see how great a shadow your courage casts. It is all the same to me."
The hills gave way to mountains, the air crisp and clear. It was here that we reached the outer boundaries of Akkadian rule, and bid farewell to our escort, who would remain, supplementing the garrison of an outlying Akkadian fortress.
After this, it would only be Joscelin and me and our guide Tizrav.
"I must be out of my mind," Amaury Trente said ruefully, embracing me in farewell. His breath made plumes of frost in the air. "Elua bless and keep you, Phèdre nó Delaunay."
"My lord." I was shivering despite Valère L'Envers' marten-skin coat. No matter where I went, it seemed there must always be winter, and mountains. "Why are you here?"
"Why?" He gazed across the foreboding landscape, an absent smile on his lips. "I don't know, my lady. Here is as good a place as any." He looked back at me then, and his expression changed. "I rode behind Ysandre de la Courcel into the heart of Percy de Somerville's army. You remember. You were there. She never looked back, do you know that? Not once. If she had, she would have seen me. I was there, and the Queen's Guard behind me. But she never even needed to look." He laid one hand on my shoulder. "If you look, my lady, we will be here. Right here, where you left us, guarding your back. Whatever fool's errand you're on this time, I reckon Terre d'Ange owes you that much."
"Thank you," I murmured, tears pricking my eyes. It was not enough, not enough by a long sight, but more than I could have asked. "I am grateful, my lord."
"Well." Lord Amaury smiled and withdrew his hand. " 'Tis little enough, when all is said and done. But if anyone's going to emerge alive from the heart of darkness, it's you and that half-mad Cassiline."
I swallowed. "We will try, my lord."
And then we were on our own.
FORTY-ONE
A DRUJANI border patrol found us the first evening.
It was twilight, just shy of nightfall, and we had made our encampment in a shallow gully out of the wind. Doubtless they were drawn by the light of our campfire. Tizrav had assured us it was folly to think we could cross Drujan in stealth. Better to allow them to find us, he said; we would die quickly, or not at all.
There were five of them, and they melted out of the shadows like apparitions, silent