The swordsman shrugged. “It does not matter. What did you want?”
“You intend to go into the city?”
“Yes.”
Harokas nodded. “It strikes me that we shall have a serious problem if you succeed. We have no horses. Even if you bring the woman out, how will we get away?”
“The wizard will think of something,” said Chareos uneasily.
“Yes, I’m sure,” answered Harokas, dropping his voice, “but he is playing his own game, and I don’t like to think what it might be. But every time I have heard of Nadir shamans, it has had to do with death and human sacrifice. Is that why he wants the woman, do you think?”
When Chareos said nothing, Harokas nodded, understanding the silence. “Yes, I thought you were worried about that. Look, I will not come with you. I will walk down into the city and buy ponies. I am not known there, and we are not yet at war with the Nadir. Once I have bought them, I will ride south, then turn and meet you beyond that bluff, near the stand of poplar.”
Chareos looked deeply into the man’s eyes. “Will you betray us, Harokas? Will you sell us for Nadir gold?”
The assassin’s face darkened, but he bit back an angry response. Instead he said, “I say this for your ears only, Blademaster; I love Tanaki. I would die for her. You understand me? I would sell you in an instant, but not her. Never her.”
“I believe you,” said Chareos. “We will meet as you say.”
Harokas eased past the blademaster and climbed down the ridge. Chareos watched him, but the dark-garbed figure was soon lost among the shadows.
“Far be it from me to criticize a leader’s decision,” said Chien-tsu, bowing low, “but I do not believe he is to be trusted.”
“You move silently, Ambassador.”
“Sometimes it is better to do so. Will we truly meet him at the place you agreed on?”
“No. To get there he must pass the trail to the south. We will wait there.”
“Excellent. It may be, Chareos, that I will not be accompanying you. If that proves to be true, would you be so kind as to look after my servant, Oshi? See him safely to a port. I will leave him coin to pay his passage to Kiatze.”
“You intend to kill Jungir Khan? Alone?”
“Such is my intention. The barbarian mistreated the daughter of my emperor. Quite rightly she took her own life. Now I must take his. It is a question of harmony and balance.”
Chareos looked down at the small warrior, noting the steadiness of his gaze and the proud, stern set of his features.
“It seems to me, Ambassador, that the life of a man like Jungir Khan would not compensate for the loss of Chien-tsu.”
“A graceful compliment,” said the Kiatze, surprised. He bowed low. “And yet the deed must be done. I will journey with you into the bowels of the earth, and I will wait until the woman is rescued. After that I shall seek out the khan.”
Asta Khan led the questers down to the edge of a fissure, a jagged tear in the land’s surface. Kiall leaned over and gazed down into the inky depths.
“This is the entrance,” said Asta. “Now we climb.” The old man nimbly dropped to his haunches and slithered over the edge. Kiall shook his head and looked to Chareos.
The blademaster unbuckled his sword belt and hung it over his shoulders before bellying down and following the shaman.
“Wait here, Oshi,” said Chien-tsu. “And if I do not return, take note of the man Chareos. Serve him as you would me. You understand?”
“Yes, lord,” answered the servant miserably.
Tanaki and Kiall were the last to begin the dark climb. The hand- and footholds were good, and the descent was less perilous than it had first appeared. Asta Khan reached the lowest level and raised his arms, and a soft yellow light glowed on the walls of the cavern.
“A heavily pregnant woman will not be able to make that climb,” said Chareos.
“Nor will she need to,” Asta told him. “I have made preparations.” Moving to the wall, he reached down behind a jutting rock and lifted a coil of hemp rope. “When we have her, we will climb back to the surface and then haul her up.”
Draping the rope over the rock, he set off across the dimly glowing cavern. The others followed him through a honeycomb of tunnels until, after about half an hour, they reached a point where the glowing light did not penetrate.
Asta pointed to the forbidding wall of darkness. “You all know what is beyond this point: it is the Void. I shall pass through with the woman Tanaki and the warrior Chien-tsu. You, Chareos, and your friend will remain here.”
“What purpose will that serve?” asked Chareos.
“If we are pursued, you will cover our retreat. Many of them will be killed in the Void, but others might get through. Also, much could go wrong for us beyond this barrier. You will be able to hear us—and give us aid if necessary.”
“You said there was no Silver Path,” said Kiall. “How, then, will you cross safely?”
“I am not without power, child,” snapped Asta. “But all life is perilously fragile. A man cannot live without danger, no matter how much he may desire it.” He turned to Chien and Tanaki. “Draw your swords and be ready to use them.”
Kiall touched Tanaki’s arm. “Be careful,” he said, knowing that the words were ludicrous but unable to find others. She smiled, leaned forward, and kissed his cheek.
“Now stand close to me,” ordered Asta, “placing your hands on my shoulders.” Chien stood on the shaman’s left, Tanaki on his right. Slowly they moved into the darkness.
Once they were inside, a circle of fire leapt around them like a wall. The heat was incredible, and the light burned their eyes.
“I can hold this for moments only,” said Asta. “Be ready!” He began to run, the others loping alongside him. The circle of fire remained constantly with them regardless of their speed.
From beyond the silent flames came the sounds of padding feet and talons on stone and the chilling cries of hunting beasts. Still Asta ran on, seemingly tireless.
The flames grew thinner, and Tanaki began to see shapeless forms beyond the fire keeping pace with them. When she glanced at Chien, his dark eyes met her gaze and he gave a tight smile.
A scaled arm lashed at the flames. The skin shriveled, and a ghastly scream sounded.
“Almost there!” called Asta.
Suddenly the fire flared—and died.
Asta screamed. A huge creature swooped down from above them, its leather wings knocking him from his feet. Tanaki plunged a sword into the beast’s belly and pulled Asta to his feet; he tore clear of her grasp and sprinted away.
A scaled monster leapt from the darkness. Chien’s sword flashed out and down, and the beast fell writhing to the ground.
“As you value your lives, run!” came the voice of Asta. Risking a glance back, Chien saw giant white wolves bearing down on them. The small warrior took to his heels. He saw Asta vanish ahead of him, followed by Tanaki. For a moment Chien experienced panic, feeling the hot breath of a beast on his neck.
A great weight landed on his back, and he fell and rolled. As the wolf beast scrambled up, twisting to attack, Chien’s sword slashed through its throat. The pack howled and charged. Chien spun on his heel and flung himself forward through the opening, falling to his knees before Tanaki and the shaman.
Tanaki offered a hand, and Chien accepted it, pulling himself to his feet. He glanced back. “How is it the creatures do not follow us?” he asked.
“They cannot pass through. Think of it as a lake,” said Asta. “We can dive through the surface, but the fish cannot leave; that is their world. It is possible to make a Gateway for them, but the power needed is great and would require many hundreds of souls.”
“I would not wish to sound defeatist, shaman,” said Chien, “but upon our return I cannot see the woman Ravenna sprinting away from those wolves. It would be a great pity to rescue her only to see her die in the Void.”
“She will not die there,” said Asta. “Bu
t my power is finite, and I gave you all I could spare. With her I will hold the circle. Now let us move on.”
The tunnel widened, and for the first time it was possible to see the works of men there, the walls smoothed, reinforced with timbers. There was a stairway carved into the rock, and Asta mounted it, moving up to squat beneath a low ceiling. He signaled for silence and called Chien and Tanaki to him.
“Above us,” he whispered, “is the throne room. It is now almost midnight. There should be no one there. Are you ready, Princess?”
“Yes.”
“If the throne room is not empty, we are doomed,” said Asta, for once seeming nervous and unsure.
Chien chuckled softly. “No life is without peril, shaman,” he reminded him. Asta muttered an obscene curse and lifted the flagstone above his head. It creaked and shuddered. Chien helped him with the weight, and they twisted the stone to lay it alongside the opening. Tanaki levered herself up into the darkness of the throne room, and Chien followed her.
“I will wait here,” said Asta.
Tanaki ran to the main doors, pressing her ear to the crack. Chien moved alongside.
“There should be no guards in the corridor,” Tanaki said. “The khan’s sleeping quarters are on the other side of the palace. But the women’s quarters will have sentries on the outside and eunuch swordsmen within.”
Chien nodded. “I will come with you and wait.”
She eased open the door and stepped into the torchlit corridor. All was silent. Keeping to the shadows, they moved on, cutting left through a narrow doorway and out into a side street. Tanaki led the warrior through the deserted streets until at last they came to a broad square beyond which was a high wall; three sentries patrolled the outside of the wall.
“How will you get in?” whispered Chien.
Tanaki smiled. “Distract the guards,” she said. Removing her sword belt but keeping a curved dagger, she waited until the sentries had passed and then ran to the wall, crouching in the shadows.
Digging into the pocket of his breeches, Chien came up with four golden coins. Tucking them into his belt, he waited for the sentries, took a deep breath, and then began to sing. He staggered out into the open, belched, half fell, and then ambled on toward the men.
“Good evening, my brothers,” he said.
“What are you doing here, fool?” asked one of the sentries, moving forward and touching the point of his spear to Chien’s chest.
“Fool?” Chien repeated, giggling and swaying sideways. “You think I am a fool? Not me, brothers. I …” He looked left and right, as if fearing to be overheard. “I have discovered the great secret. I learned it from a shaman. And never will I be poor again. Fool? No brothers, I am celebrating riches beyond your dreams.”
“Riches?” said another. “What nonsense is this? Be off with you!”
Chien glanced over the man’s shoulders. Tanaki had begun to climb the wall behind them.
“Nonsense? You don’t believe me.” He waved his hand. “Give me a copper coin and I will prove it to you. I will turn it into gold before your eyes. Then we’ll see. Oh, yes. We’ll see.”
The men chuckled. One of them laid his spear on the ground and fished in the pocket of his jerkin. He handed Chien a roughly stamped copper coin bearing the head of Tenaka Khan.
Chien rolled the coin in his fingers and flicked it into the air. He caught it deftly and held up his fist, then he began to chant. The words were in an obscure Kiatze dialect.
“Get on with it,” said one of the sentries, losing patience.
“It is done,” said Chien. “Here is your coin.” He opened his hand, and the gleam of gold was caught by the moonlight. The man took it, his mouth dropping open.
“Do one for me,” said the second sentry.
Tanaki was almost at the top of the wall.
“Why is it always you first?” retorted the third. “Do mine!”
“I will do them both together,” Chien told them. He accepted their coins and repeated his chant.
Tanaki clambered over the wall. “There!” said Chien, handing them the gold coins.
“More! Do us more,” urged the first.
“Tomorrow, when I have rested,” promised Chien. “Where shall we meet?”
“You know the Clay Pony, behind the Wolves’ barracks?”
“Of course,” said Chien. “But it must be only you. I could not do this for everyone; it would exhaust me. Just you three.”
“Yes, yes, just us. Be there at noon, yes?”
“Oh yes,” agreed Chien. “I will be there. And now I am for bed. And you should be at your duties.”
He walked away, back into the shadows.
The princess was inside, and that was a victory.
But getting out would not be so simple, he knew.
14
TANAKI ROLLED TO the ramparts, dagger ready. There were no sentries. Swiftly she moved to the steps and ran down to the courtyard below. To her left was the guardhouse. She could see lantern light through the shuttered windows, and hear the sounds of men talking and laughing; these would be the eunuch guards. Straight ahead was the garden walkway, and to the right were the long, elaborately furnished rooms where the khan’s women spent their days. Here would be the baths and the pools. Beyond them were the sleeping quarters. Many of the concubines slept in dormitories, only the privileged few having rooms of their own.
Tanaki crept across the courtyard and into the darkened dayroom. Keeping to the wall, she walked to the far end of the chamber, opening a door that led to a curtain-hung corridor. Several cats were sleeping there. She moved on past the dormitory rooms to a set of stairs, which she ascended swiftly.
Knowing the layout of the women’s quarters, she tried to decide in which of the major rooms Ravenna would be housed. Not the nearest to the khan’s secret corridor; that would be reserved for his latest concubine. No, Ravenna would have been moved closer to the midwives’ quarters in the east. She padded on, coming at last to a narrow door that led, she knew, to a suite of rooms overlooking the eastern steppes. Here sunlight bathed the rooms, bringing heat in the morning but leaving the area cool in the afternoon. Opening the door, she slipped inside. The bed had been moved to the window, and Tanaki could see a young woman lying on her back. As she crept closer, it was obvious she was pregnant. Tanaki moved to the bedside and sat down, touching the woman’s arm.
“Ravenna,” she whispered. “Ravenna, wake up!”
The woman’s eyes opened. “What is it?” she asked sleepily.
“Kiall sent me.”
“Kiall?” Ravenna yawned. “Is this a dream?”
“No. Listen to me. I am here to take you from the city. Your friend Kiall has crossed the steppes to rescue you. For pity’s sake, wake up and listen to me!”
The woman eased herself to a sitting position. “Kiall? The dreamer?”
“The very same.”
“We could never get away from here,” whispered Ravenna. “There are guards everywhere.”
“I got to you,” argued Tanaki.
Ravenna winced and put a hand to her distended belly. “He kicks hard,” she said, smiling. She was an attractive girl, Tanaki realized, but no beauty. Her chin line was too strong, her eyes too small. But her smile was radiant.
“Get dressed, Ravenna. I will take you to Kiall.”
“Why has he come for me? I don’t understand.”
“Neither does he. Do you want to leave?”
“You have no idea how much I want to leave. I hate this place, I hate these people. But most of all I loathe the khan. May a thousand curses fall on his bloodline!”
“Be careful what you wish for,” snapped Tanaki. “Your babe is of that line.”
Ravenna looked instantly contrite. “I didn’t mean …”
“Just get dressed,” said Tanaki. Ravenna slipped into a long robe of soft blue-dyed wool and some silk shoes. “You have no cloak or walking shoes?” Tanaki asked.
“Why would I need a cloak i
n here? They never let us out.”
“Follow me,” said Tanaki, leading the woman out into the corridor. Ravenna moved slowly, and Tanaki glanced back, her irritation growing, but there was nothing to be done. The pregnancy was well advanced, the swelling huge.
When they reached the door to the courtyard, Tanaki opened it a fraction and looked out. Two sentries were now patrolling the ramparts, and she cursed.
“What is it?” asked Ravenna.
“Guards. Two of them.”
“Can we get past them?”
“Not at the speed you move.” She opened the door once more, watching the men, counting the seconds as the sentries passed by one another. Their only chance lay in moving as the warriors reached the angle of the walls, before they turned back. She watched them repeat the maneuver three times, then seized Ravenna’s arm. “Now!” she hissed.
They moved from the doorway onto open ground and crept across the courtyard to the wall. “We’ll never get out,” Ravenna whispered.
Keeping to the shadows, the two women edged closer to the postern gate. The sentries were directly above them now as Tanaki ran her hands over the gate bolts. They were rust-covered, and she cursed softly and eased back the bolt. It moved no more than an inch, then creaked. Tanaki froze. But the guards had not heard, and she moved it again. This time the bolt slid clear. Tanaki swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and pulled open the gate. Glancing outside, she saw three guards standing no more than twenty feet away. There was no way past them, and she could not kill them all.
Then she saw Chien-tsu. He walked across the open ground toward the guards, and one of them turned and raised his spear. Suddenly the little warrior spun and launched a kick that cannoned against the sentry’s temple to send the man catapulting from his feet. A second guard fell with a knife in his throat. The third rushed at the Kiatze warrior, but Chien-tsu stepped aside from the thrust of the spear and rammed the blade of his hand into the man’s neck.
“Swiftly now!” said Tanaki, leading Ravenna into the open.
A sentry on the wall shouted an alarm as Chien raced to Ravenna, taking her arm and urging her to run. The trio made it to the first alleyway, ducking into the shadows. Ravenna was breathing heavily, her face deeply flushed. “I am sorry,” she said, sagging against a wall. “I cannot run any farther.”