had actually been drawn yet. “Go on…” prompted Kiva.
“We’re here for him, I’m afraid. Velutio’s paying a thousand corona for the boy that travels with your company and he’s not particularly fussy over the state he’s returned in. In fact, I think he suggested a preference for dead.”
Kiva reached out with his right hand and pushed Athas’ hand down, forcing the blade the big man was starting to draw back into the sheath.
“Whoever you think he is” Kiva answered, “he’s one of my company and you can’t have him.”
Tythias shook his head and held his hands out. “I was kind of hoping you’d have dumped him by now. I can’t pass up on a thousand, but there’s five hundred more for the unit he travels with that I’d prefer not to collect.”
Kiva smiled, though there was no humour in it. “Tythias, don’t start this. You won’t win. We’ve never fought each other; not properly. Anyway, you were a commander of men in the noblest service on the planet, man. We’re old comrades. You took an oath, remember?”
Tythias shook his head. “I remember the oath. Hell, it was under you I took it, but the world has changed Kiva. If I don’t claim the reward someone else will and they won’t be half as reasonable about it as me!”
Athas stepped in front of Quintillian. The boy had said nothing so far, but his hands were twitching around the hilts of his swords and he was glaring at the captain of the Lion Riders. The big sergeant frowned at the mute in front of him. “How about you, whitey? You feel like another try?”
Jorun shook his head and made an “Ah… aghk” noise as he pointed at the boy. He turned to Tythias and shook him by the shoulder. “Aghk! Ah… ah… ah!”
Tythias ignored him.
“Kiva, what’s happened to you? A thousand gold for him? You’ve never passed up an offer like that in your life. I could be persuaded to split it…”
The burly barbarian continued to shake his captain until Tythias’ head snapped round angrily. “What is it you great idiot?”
Jorun pointed desperately at the boy. “Akk!” he shouted.
Athas stepped to one side and with only a momentary glance at Kiva, addressed Tythias. “I think what your big friend here is trying to tell you is that he knows who the boy is.”
Kiva turned sharply and gave Athas a barely-perceptible shake of the head, but the sergeant shook his own in reply. “It’s no good captain. Now his hair’s changed colour, he’s unmistakable.”
Kiva’s attention was drawn back to his opposite number by a whistle.
“Hell and fucking Gods!” exclaimed Tythias. “You mean…”
Athas nodded. “Why else do you think Velutio would pay that kind of scratch for a boy? He’s not that way inclined.”
“Holy Hell!” Tythias swung round away from them, throwing his hands onto his head and rubbing his scalp as he considered the situation. One of the younger members of his group shrugged. “Who is he?”
Tythias laughed and Kiva was pleased to spot a note of hysteria in there. “Who
Before Kiva could reply the young Lion Rider piped up “There’s no Empire any more so does it matter who he is?”
Tythias motioned to Jorun and the big barbarian slapped the young man round the side of the head with a hand the size of a dinner plate. The outspoken mercenary collapsed to the floor, his eyes rolling up into his head as he fell.
Tythias laughed again. “Does it matter? Does it
Kiva smiled. “See the kind of shit life throws at me Tythias?”
Again Jorun tugged on Tythias’ sleeve and made a hollow questioning sound. Tythias turned to him and nodded. “We all used to take the oath, of course I took it. And it still damn well applies now, yes.” He fell silent as he glanced back at Kiva. “Of course it might not apply to you.”
Kiva growled and the other captain shook his head. “Never mind. We can’t take this bounty; we’ll have to head west again around the coast. Can’t have Velutio find out we’ve let his prize escape or he’ll have the next bounty out on
Kiva shook his head. “There’s one place I know I’m safe. Just need to get there.”
Tythias looked at him silently for a long moment and then nodded once. “I’m going home for the time being, so if you run into too much trouble you know where to find us.” Kiva nodded. ‘Home’ to the Lion Riders meant the old Imperial fortress of Vengen in the North West; Tythias truly was getting out of the way. The scarred captain turned and then stopped as a thought crossed him. “You’re heading to Serfium I presume?” Without waiting for an answer, he shook his head. “Fair enough, but don’t go through Carmana. I presume that’s the way you’re heading, but Janus and his Spear Company are waiting there in the hopes you’ll pass by. Find another way around.”
Kiva nodded. “I’ll do that.” As the two clasped arms and smiled, Tythias lowered his voice and said “what are you going to do with him?”
Kiva shrugged. “I really don’t know yet. Maybe take him back home.”
Another nod and the two captains separated. Kiva raised one eyebrow as Tythias drew his sword and walked across the path towards his horse. Halfway across the cracked dirt track, he paused and thrust the blade down between the shoulder blades of the unconscious young mercenary from his unit. He turned briefly as he wiped the blade and noted the quizzical look on his opposite’s face.
“He didn’t understand the oath. I won’t have men of no morals in the Lion Riders. See you on the other side, General Caerdin.” Grinning, he climbed onto his horse and called to the rest of his men, who also began to move. Jorun, the big barbarian with the wrecked throat paused, staring at Athas and the boy. Tythias frowned. “Come on you big ape.”
Jorun looked back over his shoulder momentarily and then grinned at the big black sergeant. He stepped forward and held his hand out. With a smile of genuine surprise, Athas took the hand and shook it, releasing as the big man stepped away. As Jorun backed up next to his huge cart horse he stopped, looking at Quintillian and bowed deeply before straightening and climbing on to the horse. Tythias looked across at Kiva and smiled. “You northerners are all far too bloody sentimental you know that?”
With that the Lion Riders cantered off into the scrubland and were gone in minutes. Athas motioned to the unit to prepare to move out, just as Thalo and Scauvus returned from the bushes. Kiva stretched his back and called out for the unit’s attention. “We’re changing route again. Tythias is right: Carmana’s too dangerous. There’s a village about three miles from here and we’re going to make for it and stay at the small inn there. There’ll be no carousing though, cos I want everyone asleep long before sunset. We’re going to leave again at midnight and travel in the dark from now on. It’ll be two or three days from there to Serfium and I’m damn determined to make it there without running into any of Velutio’s dogs. Now move out!”
And with that the Grey Company began to move once more, with Marco and Quintillian heading out to the front as scouts. Athas walked alongside Kiva for a while in silence until he suddenly turned to the captain.
“You really
Kiva sighed. “Do we have to have this conversation again?”
The big sergeant grunted. “You’ve got to decide before we get to Serfium. You know you won’t cast him adrift to fate there.”
“For fuck’s sake Athas,” Kiva rounded on him, “what do you want me to do? Adopt him? Crown him? You know as well as I do that there’s no way we can face off against the big lords. It doesn’t matter how noble a cause you follow if your enemy has a hundred times your number. Now give your jaw a rest and forget about it.”
Without a word, Athas glared at his captain and then dropped back to play rearguard once more. Kiva’s sigh of relief came too soon as Mercurias glanced over his shoulder and then slowed his pace, dropping back to walk alongside the captain. Kiva frowned at him.
“What is this, some kind of nagging relay?”
Mercurias prodded Kiva in the shoulder and pointed out to the grass at one side of the path. “Get out of line. We’ll catch up with them in a minute.”
