Stones Of Power - The Last Sword Of Power Part 29

'Returned to the forest.'

'To kill again?'

'Perhaps, but it does not lessen the deed. You are journeying to the Isle of Crystal?'

LYes.'

'Uther is there.'

'Alive?'

"That is yet to be established. You must find the lady Morgana and tell her to follow once more the advice of Pendarric. Do you understand your dreams?'

'No, save that the giant is Wotan and the Sword is Uther's.'

'The star is a comet that moves across the heavens once in every man's lifetime. It is made of Sipstra.s.si, and when it comes close it draws its magic back to its heart. A long time ago a piece of that comet crashed into our world, giving birth to magic. Now, as it pa.s.ses once more, it will draw some of that magic away. There will be a moment, Galead - and you will know it - when the fate of the worlds hangs in balance. When that moment comes, tell the Sword-wielder to give you his blade. Raise it high and wish for whatever you will.'

'Why is it that you never speak plainly? Is this all a game to you?'

Pendarric shook his head. 'Do you not think I would gladly give you the wisdom to help the world? But that is not the way the Mystery is pa.s.sed on. It never was. For each man, life is a journey towards knowledge and answers to the eternal questions: Who am I? Why am I here? If I tell you to go to a certain place and speak a Word of Power, what have you learned save that Pendarric is a sorcerer? But if I say to you, go to a certain place and say what is in your heart, and that proves to be a Word of Power, then you have learned something far greater. You will have stepped to the Circle of Mystery and you will progress to its centre. Caterix understood this when he aided the robber, though his heart urged him to let the man die. You also may come to understand.'

'And if I do not?'

'Then evil will be triumphant and the world will remain the same.'

'Why must that responsibility be mine?'

'Because you are the one least able to cope with it. You have journeyed far, prince Ursus - from the grasping, lecherous prince to the Knight Galead who rescues a child. Continue on your journey.'

Galead awoke soon after dawn. Lekky slept on and he prepared a bowl of hot oats, mixed with honey from the food-store Karyl had supplied. After breakfast, he saddled the mare and they set off towards the north west.

In the middle of the morning as he rode into a small wood he found himself facing a dozen riders, all wearing the horned helms of the Goths. He drew rein and stared at the cold-eyed men while Lekky shrank against him, shivering with fear.

The leader rode forward and spoke in Saxon.

'I am from Gaul,' answered Ursus in the Sicam-brian tongue. The man looked surprised.

'You are a long way from home,' he said. The other riders moved closer, swords in their hands.

Galead prepared to hurl Lekky from the saddle and fight to the last.

'Indeed I am. But then so are you.'

'Who is the child?'

'An orphan. Her village was destroyed and her mother slain.'

'Such is war,' said the man, shrugging. He rode still closer. Lekky's eyes were wide with terror as he leaned in towards her and Galead tensed, his hand edging towards his sword.

'What is your name, little one?' the rider asked in Saxon.

'Lekky.'

'Do not be frightened.'

'I am not frightened,' she said. 'My father is the greatest of killers and will slay you all if you do not go away.'

"Then I think we had better go away,' he said, smiling. Straightening in the saddle, he returned his gaze to Galead.

'She is a brave girl,' he said, switching to Sicambrian. 'I like her. Why does she say you are her father?'

'Because I now have that honour.'

'I am Saxon myself,' said the man, 'so I know what an honour it is. Be good to her.'

Waving his arm, the man led the riders past the astonished Galead and continued on his way. The Goths rode on for several hundred yards, then the leader reined in once more and stared back at the single rider.

'Why did we not kill him?' asked his second-in-command. 'He was not Saxon.'

The leader shrugged. 'd.a.m.ned if I know! I left this cursed country seven years ago and swore I would never come back. I had a pregnant wife here. And I have been thinking of finding her - and my son. I was just thinking of her when the rider appeared and it caught me off my guard.'

'We could always ride back and kill him?'

'No, let him go. I liked the child.'

Wotan led Anduine through a maze of corridors to a small group of rooms deep in the heart of the fortress. At the centre of the main room was a dark, round table on which sat a skull, a circlet of what appeared to be silver embedded in the bone of the brow. He pulled a chair close to the table.

'Sit!' he commanded and placed one hand on the skull, the other on Anduine's head. She felt a great drowsiness seeping over her and in a moment of panic fought against it, but the need to sleep was overpowering and she faded into it.

Wotan closed his eyes . . .

. . . and opened them in his tent outside Vindo-cladia, less than a day's march from the Great Circle at Sorviodunum.

Tsurai!' he called. At once the tent-flap opened and his aide stepped into view, his swarthy features taut with fear. Wotan smiled.

'Fetch the girl Rhiannon.'

'Yes, lord.'

Minutes later two men ushered the girl into the tent, where Wotan now sat on the wooden throne. He dismissed the guards and gazed down on her face as she knelt before him.

'You led my guards to the traitor, Oleg,' he said, 'but he escaped?'

'Yes, my lord.'

'And his companions were slain?'

She nodded dumbly, aware of the glint in his eye and the chilling sibilance of his words.

'But you did not mention the names of his companions.'

'They were not traitors, lord, merely Britons.'

'You lie!' he hissed. 'One of them was the princess from Raetia.'

Rhiannon scrambled to her feet, desperate to escape the burning eyes. He lifted his hand and as she reached the tent entrance she felt a numbing force close around her waist, dragging her back.

'You should not have lied to me, pretty one,' he whispered as she was hurled to the ground at his feet. His hand descended to touch her brow and her eyes closed.

He lifted the sleeping body and laid it on the silk covers of the bed beyond the throne. His hands covered her face, his eyes closed in concentration. When he opened them and removed his hands, the features of Rhiannon had disappeared to be replaced by the oval beauty that had been Anduine. He drew a deep breath, calming himself for the Call, then placed his thumbs gently on the eyes of the sleeping woman. A shuddering breath filled her lungs and her hands twitched.

He stood back. 'Awake, Anduine,' he said.

She sat up and blinked, then rose from the bed, moving to the tent-flap and staring in silent wonder at the sky. When she turned back there were tears in her eyes.

'How did you do this?' she asked.

'I am a G.o.d,' he told her.

Deep in the abyss of the Void, Rhiannon also opened her eyes . . .

And her screams were pitiful.

Galead and Lekky arrived at the lake at sundown two days after the veterans of the Ninth had secured the causeway, which was now under water as the tide was at its height. As was the Roman way, a temporary fort had been established within the clearing: earth walls had been thrown up, patrolled by straight-backed warriors of the deadliest fighting force ever to march into battle.

Galead was stopped at the entrance by two sentries, one of whom fetched Severinus Albinus. The general had twice met Ursus, but had never seen the blond warrior the Merovingian had become. Dismounting, Galead explained that he had been with Victorinus in Gaul. Then he was led to a timber structure and told to wait for Gwalchmai.

Lekky was given some soup and Galead settled down beside her at a rough-hewn table.

After an hour, Gwalchmai entered with Prasamaccus alongside him. Lekky was asleep in Galead's lap, her head resting on his chest.

'Who is it you say you are?' asked the tall Cantii.

'I was Ursus, but the King used his power to change my face - in order that I would not be recognised as a Merovingian n.o.ble. My name is now Galead. I was sent with Victorinus.'

'And where is he?'

'He feared treachery and bade me make my own way. I think he is dead.'

'And how do we know you are no traitor?'

'You do not,' he said simply. 'And I would not blame you for your fears. A man appeared to me and told me to come to the Isle; he said I should seek the woman who ruled here. I think it is important that I at least meet her; you can have me guarded.'

'Who was this man?' Gwalchmai asked.

'He said his name was Pendarric.'

'What did he look like?' asked Prasamaccus.

'Golden hair, around thirty years old, maybe more.'

'And what were you to say to the lady?' continued the Brigante.

'I was to urge her to once more follow the advice of Pendarric.'

'Do you know what was meant?'

'No.'

Prasamaccus sat down and both Britons questioned Galead at length about his journey, and the instructions he had received from Uther. At last satisfied, they led him to a shallow-hulled boat and, with Lekky still asleep in his arms, Galead sat at the stern and felt the peace of the Isle sweep over him.

They beached the boat in a tree-shadowed bay and walked up to the settlement. Galead saw that it was constructed as a great circle of twelve huts built in a ring about a round hall. The perimeter was walled with timber - though not as a fort, more as a high fence.

Several women in dark robes moved across the clearing, ignoring the newcomers who walked to a hut on the western side of the circle. Inside there were rugs and blankets, pottery jugs and a small iron brazier glowing with coals. Galead laid Lekky down and covered her with a blanket.

'Your sword,' said Gwalchmai, as Galead straightened. Pulling it clear, he handed it hilt- first to the Cantii. Prasamaccus then searched Galead swiftly and expertly for any concealed weapons.

'Now you may see the King,' Prasamaccus told him.

The three men made their way to the hall and Galead stood silently looking down on the two bodies lying side by side on the round table.

Three women sat close by, their heads bowed in prayer. Galead turned to Prasamaccus.

'Is there nothing we can do?'

The Brigante shook his head. The far door opened and Laitha entered. Prasamaccus and Gwalchmai both bowed and she approached Galead.

'Yet another wanderer,' she said. 'And what do you desire?'

'You are the Lady of the Isle?'

'I am Morgana.'

He gave her Pendarric's message and saw her smile. 'Well,' she said, 'that is a simple matter, for he once told me to raise my hand high in the air and grasp whatever I found.'

She lifted a slender arm, clenched her fist and brought it down to hold it before Galead's face. Her fingers opened. 'There! Nothing. Do you have any other messages?'

'No, my lady.'

Then go back to your little war,' she snapped. He watched her depart, and noticed she had not even glanced at the bodies.

'I do not understand,' he said.

Prasamaccus moved to his side. 'A quarter of a century ago, in a world that was not this one, she stood on a hill-top and raised her arm. Her hand seemed to disappear, and when she withdrew it she held the Sword of Power. With it she rescued Uther and the Ninth Legion from the Void and brought about the downfall of the Witch Queen. And Uther won back his father's kingdom.'

'Then she is the Queen?'

'She is.'