'I want a good hunting knife,' Talsy repeated.
'Certainly.' The old man disappeared through the curtains and returned with a shiny, skilfully made hunting knife. He gave it to Talsy, who studied it with delight.
'This is beautiful.'
'We take pride in our work.'
'How much?'
The old man glanced around. His son had vanished into the furnace room and the guard had his back to them, watching the crowd. He leant closer. 'Is he watching?'
'Who? Oh, yes, probably.' She had no idea if Chanter was watching, and doubted it, since she was far from the tower, but saw no harm in making him seem more powerful than he was. The man's suggestion made her wonder if Mujar could see around corners and through buildings. She resolved to ask him when she got back to the tower.
The armourer said, 'Good. It's yours, miss. I'll take no silver for it. I want him to know that at least one person in this blighted city has some gratitude.'
Her spirits lifted, and she smiled. 'I'm glad.'
He nodded. 'He won't care, I know. Mujar live by their own rules, but I think he deserves our gratitude anyway.'
'Thank you.'
The armourer smiled as she tucked the knife into her belt and headed back to the tower. The old man's kindness filled her with a happy glow that sustained her all the way back, buffering her against the insults of the rest of the populace.
Talsy emerged through the trap door and stopped in surprise, her mouth dropping open. Chanter lay on his back on the pallet, smiling, his hands raised to guide the tiny flames that danced around them. With slow finger movements, he caused the flames to leap and swirl, spin away in little balls of fire and return as sparks. He weaved a pattern in the air, and it joined the fiery ballet. He drew a burning face, and Talsy recognised herself.
'Like it?' he asked.
She smiled. 'Playing with fire?'
The Mujar chuckled. 'I can.'
'You can't get burnt?'
Chanter dispersed the fire with a wave and sat up. 'Of course not.'
She dumped the bag and joined him on the pallet. 'Then how can anything harm you?'
'Only Dolana can. I told you it's an unfriendly Power. Anything made of the earth, like metal, wood or glass can harm me. Fire, water and air cannot.'
'You mean, you could walk through that wall of flame out there unscathed?'
'Naturally. It's one of my elements.'
She shook her head in confusion. 'But they all are. You're made of earth, so how can it harm you when the others can't?'
'Wrong. We're mostly water, not earth. That's why Shissar has the power to heal.'
'Yet Dolana rules the creatures of the earth.'
'Yes, because we live on the earth. It feeds and clothes us. We are made from it also, just as birds are, yet Ashmar rules them. Almost every living thing contains the four elements, although plants don't have Crayash, and nor do some animals.'
She sighed. 'I doubt I'll ever fully understand it.'
'You don't need to. Did you get all the supplies?'
Talsy pulled a face. 'With some difficulty. Were you watching?'
'Watching? How could I? You disappeared amongst the buildings.'
'So you can't see through things.'
'No.' He grinned. 'Did you think I could?'
'The armourer did.'
'Ah. Trueman superstitions. They also think we can read their minds and give them nightmares.'
She took out the knife and showed it to him. 'The armourer gave me this. He said he was grateful for your help.'
'Ah.' The Mujar seemed unimpressed.
'At least there's one good person in this city.'
He shrugged. 'Good, bad. Who's to judge? Most are simply confused.'
Talsy rose to gaze at the fire wall and the Black Riders beyond it. Dusk sent dark fingers across the land as the sinking sun cast shadows from distant mountains. Tomorrow was the last day of Chanter's protection, and the Hashon Jahar showed no signs of moving on. There would be trouble when the time came to remove the fire, if the Black Riders were still there. She wondered what Jashon and Cusak would do to try to prevent the fire wall from falling. Nothing would stop it, she was sure, but she feared that Chanter might fall prey to these hateful men again. His suffering at their hands would be brief, for the Hashon Jahar would soon overrun the city, but they were not friends of Mujar either.
Talsy turned to find Chanter playing with fire again, smiling with childlike delight. She approached him. 'Why was there no manifestation of fire to make those flames?'
He glanced up at her. 'Because I already control fire.'
'What do you mean?'
'When I relinquish control, the fire wall will fall. Until then, I have no need to summon it.'
Talsy watched with deep fascination as he played with the fire, a pastime he gave up when the servant arrived with their supper. She marvelled at the simplicity of a man who found food more interesting than the amazing powers he wielded. Then again, he had always had them, so their novelty had undoubtedly worn off long ago. She wondered why he refused to answer some of her questions, while other things he explained without hesitation. Certain subjects, it appeared, were taboo. He was far more reticent and withdrawn in the company of other Truemen, losing the easy-going camaraderie he shared with her when they were alone. She did not blame him for being shy of these people, whose hatred shone in their eyes.
Chanter ate the bowl of beans and meat in a spicy sauce with relish, enjoying the steady thrum of Crayash. The absence of Dolana did not bother him very much, though he missed it, as he always did when he took bird form. He had never had reason to control a Power for so long before, and found it interesting. Just for fun, he snuffed out several street lanterns that a lamp lighter had just lighted on the street below, smiling at the soft curses that arose. As the man returned to relight the lamps, Chanter relighted them for him, and the man muttered afresh.
The next morning, Cusak, Jashon and Tranton arrived with the breakfast tray, which the servant deposited and left. Cusak moved to the railing and stared at the Hashon Jahar.
'When does the fire fall?' he asked.
'At the same time it arose three days ago,' Chanter replied.
The governor turned to glare at him. 'You don't care that they'll ride in here and annihilate this city.'
'No.'
Jashon cursed. 'You damned scum!'
Talsy said, 'If Chanter had not come here, you would all have died three days ago. At least you've had time to prepare yourselves.'
Jashon opened his mouth, but Cusak was faster. 'Is there no way we can persuade you to hold the wall longer?'
Chanter shook his head. 'No.'
Cusak glanced at Tranton, who coughed and said, 'We have your true name.'
'You know it, but I didn't give it to you, so there's no power in it.'
Talsy asked, 'Why don't you just accept the fact that you're beaten and start praying that the Black Riders leave?'
Cusak ignored her, gazing at the fire wall. Tranton fiddled with his belt and Jashon scowled. Something about their stance aroused her suspicions, and she studied them more closely. Cusak looked a little too calm, Tranton appeared nervous, but Jashon seemed positively smug. She scrutinised him, but, other than his odd attitude,
