Sugama, with a gasp, collapsed against the side of the feasting table, wide eyes looking down at the dagger in his gut and then he stared accusingly at Asayaga and said something in Tsurani.
'This is your fault, Asayaga -' Dennis half-heard Tinuva whispering a translation '- you dishonour our ancestors by drinking with our foes. I curse you and all who follow you.'
Dennis turned back to Barry and knelt down by his side. It was obvious that the wound was fatal, and already Barry's features were taking on the sickly pallor of death.
'So much for trusting the bastards,' Barry whispered.
'I'm sorry,' Dennis gasped.
'Stabbed me with my own knife,' Barry sighed, his words drifting off and then he was still.
Dennis stood up slowly. The room was in deadly silence. Sugama lay on the table, curled up, looking back bitterly at Dennis, several men gathered by his side. In a cold rage, Dennis swept up a knife still on the table and started towards him.
Asayaga moved to get between them.
'Let me finish the bastard,' Dennis said coldly.
'He's dying already. You've given him a warrior's death.' Whispering, he quickly added, 'If you had not struck, I would have hanged him in dishonour, and my men would have come to heel, but now I fear we are beyond that. I cannot let you finish him while he can't defend himself. Let him die quietly.'
'To hell with that, he murdered one of my men! Step aside, Tsurani.'
'No.'
Dennis raised his knife and went into a fighting crouch, and as he did so all the men around them started to back up. He ignored the screams of Alyssa, the hoarse cries of Wolfgar.
'You could have stopped him but you didn't,' Dennis accused.
'He's as quick as a viper.' Asayaga said, 'I was waiting for the moment to grab him. I didn't think he'd strike again.'
'Step aside.'
'No. I can't, Hartraft, not with him already dying!' Asayaga cried. 'He was unarmed when you stabbed him and if I let you finish him I will lose my men. You must understand that.'
'Then take a blade, Tsurani.'
Asayaga didn't move.
'Take a blade!'
Asayaga, eyes fixed on Dennis, held a hand out to his side, and one of his men gave him a dagger.
It was Tinuva who finally moved between them, his back to Asayaga, eyes fixed on Dennis.
'Out of the way!' Dennis cried.
'Look past Asayaga, to the door,' Tinuva said quietly.
Dennis shifted his gaze and saw that Roxanne was standing by the doorway. Leaning against her was young Richard. For a second he thought that the boy had been injured in the fight as well, then realized that his assigned post for the day was at the northern pass.
All eyes in the room shifted to Roxanne as she helped Richard into the room, leading him around Asayaga, to stand in front of Dennis, and Dennis slowly rose from his fighting crouch.
The boy stiffened, as if trying to come to attention. 'The moredhel,' Richard whispered. 'Sir, the moredhel are through the pass.'
There was stunned silence. Tinuva tried to take the boy from Roxanne, but he refused, struggling to stand alone.
'Sir -' His eyes closed for a moment and he collapsed.
Dennis caught him in his arms. Richard opened his eyes again. 'Sir, I'm sorry about Jurgen. I'm so sorry.'
'That's all right, boy,' Dennis replied. 'Now tell me what happened.'
'Jurgen, sir, I'm sorry.'
'That's all right boy. Now tell me.'
Richard coughed, bright blood flecking his lips. 'It was Corwin. Poisoned the others, stabbed me. Sir, he was a spy for the moredhel.'
A murmur ran through the room.
'Around noon. He stabbed me in the back and left me for dead.'
'Noon. They could be here any minute,' Gregory hissed.
Dennis looked up at Gregory who instantly barked a command for the Kingdom troops to get their weapons. An explosion of activity swept the room. Asayaga shouted and his men ran for their gear as well but Dennis stayed with Richard, still holding him.
'I'm sorry about Jurgen.'
'That's all right son,' Dennis said again softly. 'He'd have done it for any man.'
'He rode with me back here,' Richard said with a soft smile lighting his face. 'I fell off my horse and wanted to sleep and he woke me up. Said I had to warn you and he would ride with me. He's waiting outside for me now.'
Dennis could feel the hair rise on the back of his neck and he looked to the open doorway.
'And sir, I was to tell you -' Richard closed his eyes again for a moment.
'Yes?'
The boy stirred. 'It was Corwin who betrayed your keep.'
'What?'
'He murdered the watchers guarding the pass. Bovai sent him to kill you. He couldn't do that, so he killed the guards, letting the Tsurani in on the night you were married. He was the one who did it. He was the one who fired the bolt that killed your wife as well, though the shot was meant for you.'
Stunned, Dennis leaned back, still holding Richard. His mind flashed back to the night at the keep, and now he realized why Corwin had looked familiar. For the briefest of moments, across from the tunnel exit, he had seen a man at the woodline, holding a crossbow, illuminated by the flickering light of the burning keep. He had been younger, and thinner, but it had been Corwin he had glimpsed as the man turned to flee.
Someone was crying and Dennis looked up to see young Osami kneeling down, reaching out and taking Richard's hand.
Richard smiled. 'My friend,' Richard whispered in Tsurani. He turned his head to look out the open door. 'Jurgen said for you to live…' and then he closed his eyes and his spirit slipped away.
'He's gone.'
Dennis looked up. It was Roxanne.
'You must act, Hartraft: the boy is gone,' she said. 'There is nothing more to be done for him, poor lad.'
Dennis nodded and released his grasp on the still body. Osami took the burden from him, gently smoothing the tangle of hair from Richard's brow and weeping.
Dennis stood up. Asayaga was before him. He looked past Asayaga to the body lying on the table. Sugama was dead. Dennis looked back at Barry who was dead as well. Several of his men had ignored the command to gather their weapons and were crouching by the side of the sergeant, eyes filled with hatred for Asayaga.
'We settle this later, Hartraft,' Asayaga said coldly.
Dennis nodded.
Tinuva was standing in the doorway.
'I can hear their horses outside the stockade,' the elf said. 'They're still on the side of the mountain, a half hour, maybe an hour away at most.'
'We leave now,' Dennis said.
'Now?' Asayaga cried. 'It's night. They've caught us by surprise. We should barricade and hold this place.'
'I was caught in a keep once before,' Dennis replied. 'I won't be again. They'll shower us with fire arrows and burn us out before dawn. We run. It's our only chance.' He looked over at Roxanne. 'Can you guide us to the west pass at night?'
She hesitated, glancing back to her father.
'She'll guide you,' Wolfgar said and Dennis realized he wasn't talking of her ability, but rather giving her an order.
There was a look of anguish in her eyes. The old man reached out and gathered her into his arms. 'Child, all
