Lence lay on his stomach. He must have turned and tried to run. The thick fur of his winter coat was shredded from his shoulders to his buttocks. Only the many layers of cloth underneath had saved his back from being lacerated. Byren's knees ploughed through the fine white snow as he dropped beside him. 'Lence, speak to me.'
His brother stirred and Byren rolled him over. Lence seemed unhurt, thrusting Byren's helping hands away.
'I'm all right, just winded. Saw nothing but stars for a bit.' Lence grimaced and shrugged his massive shoulders. 'M'back feels like the beastie danced on it.'
Byren grinned with relief. 'I guess he did.'
Lence came to his feet easily enough, his gaze going to the fallen leogryf. 'So what happened?'
Byren pointed to the wound as they approached the beast. 'I was lucky. My hunting knife found its heart.' He stepped around the body, onto the far side near the drop but, before he could retrieve his knife, he saw an impossible sight.
A second leogryf stood poised on the high rock behind Lence, about to attack. Just as Lence spun to see what had startled him, the beast leapt.
'Down, Byren!' Lence threw himself across the fallen leogryf, shoving Byren out of the path of the attacking beast. They both went down, sprawling in the snow. Byren's legs swung off the ledge. He felt the weight of his thick-soled winter boots drag him over and scrabbled for purchase on the slippery snow-covered rocks. Lence grabbed his arm. Byren clutched him. For a terrible moment he felt Lence begin to slide towards him, then Lence wedged his legs between two rocks and saved them. Relieved beyond measure, Byren swung his weight onto the ledge.
Even as this was going on Byren was aware of the leogryf sailing over them. He rolled closer to Lence and looked up to see the beast's paws scrambling as it hung suspended in mid-air, wings battling to prevent its fall. Then it dropped. Its feral scream of fury echoed up the ravine walls.
Byren wriggled around to peer down over the ledge's lip. He was in time to see the beast battling valiantly to prevent its fall, but its ragged wings were in even worse condition than the larger one. Unable to gain height, it was rapidly tiring. A vicious gust of wind drove it into the cliff face, stunning it. Then it tumbled out of control towards the jagged rocks below.
Byren felt the impact in the pit of his stomach. That could so easily have been him.
'Who would have thought there'd be a second one?' Lence muttered.
'It was the female,' Byren said as he made the connection. 'Leogryfs mate for life. The male must have been bringing back its kills to share. We were lucky this time.'
Lence sat up on his heels, careful not to look towards the ledge's edge. 'You saved my life. Again!'
'Then you saved mine. That makes us even.' Byren grinned.
'No. Not even. There was that time when — '
'Doesn't count. You would have saved yourself.'
Lence rolled to his feet, backing away from the drop. 'I owe you.'
Byren would have argued but the others arrived. They came shouting and marvelling over the fallen leogryf. Seeing both brothers alive and well they cheered.
Monk Autumnwind approached the beast to say the chants over it. The Affinity that had been released when it died had to be settled. It was best to be sure with matters of power. Before he could start, Nun Springdawn hurried over to join him. Her manner made it clear she thought it her business to make sure he went about this correctly.
Byren hid a smile and turned to find the hunt-master inspecting the beast. He checked where the hunting knife was wedged then shook his head and laughed. Retrieving it, he wiped it clean and strode over to Byren. As if it was an honoured sword, he presented it to him, hilt first across his forearm. Byren took it and slid the knife into its sheath.
Garzik bounded over to Byren demanding to know exactly what had happened.
'Watch what you're doing.' Lence grabbed the youngster's arm, pulling him away from the edge. He caught Byren's eye with a shake of his head. Were they ever so heedless? 'Come over here, Garza.'
Byren and Lence returned to the place where the others crowded around the leogryf. They were perched on rocks or struggling to get a glimpse of it, impeding each other on the narrow path.
'Byren killed it with a single blow of a hunting knife,' the hunt-master announced.
They cheered. Orrade clapped him on the back saying something but his words were drowned out as the others all shouted at once, demanding to know how he'd managed it.
Lence raised his arms. 'He leapt on its back to save m'life.'
They cheered again.
'That's right,' Byren agreed. 'Then the beastie's mate would have killed me but for Lence's quick thinking!'
'We heard the second one's scream,' the hunt-master said, shaking his head. 'I missed it. I — '
'I should have suspected,' Autumnwind muttered, rising and dusting snow off his hands.
'Yes. Leogryfs mate for life,' Springdawn said, as if this was obvious.
'Don't worry,' Byren spoke quickly. 'The villagers missed it too.'
While the others discussed this, the hunt-master turned to Byren. 'I've never seen a leogryf slain with a hunting knife. King Rolen the Third was the last man to kill one with a spear!'
Byren shrugged. 'It was that or end up in the beast's belly.'
'Trust Byren. He always has to go one better.' Lence slung an arm around Byren's shoulders, but his voice held a tinge of bitterness, reminding Byren that his twin had wanted the honour.
As the men cheered he turned to Lence, worried. His brother's black eyes gleamed with laughter and rueful admiration.
Relief eased the knot in Byren's belly. Today had proven the old seer wrong. Nothing would come between him and his twin. Nothing could. He caught Cobalt watching them and grinned. His older cousin returned the smile with a shake of his head which Byren took to mean that he and his twin were lucky to be alive. And didn't he know it.
One of the hunt-master's apprentices returned Lence's spears and they set about tying the beast across them to carry it back to the village.
'Now we know what your symbol should be,' Garzik told Byren, his eyes glowing.
'What symbol?'
'Your honour guard's,' Garzik explained. 'A foenix facing a leogryf!'
Byren laughed. The men lifted him off his feet, onto their shoulders. Their cheers drowned all thought. Blood rushed through his veins. He'd faced death and come out the other side. Throwing back his head, he felt a great shout of laughter roaring up through him and let it out.
Life sung in his veins.
'Byren Leogryfslayer!' the men chanted. 'Byren Leogryfbane!'
At that moment he looked over to Lence, willing him to share this. Cobalt leant close to his twin, to make a comment. For a heartbeat his brother's eyes glittered strangely. Then the men spun Byren around so that he lost sight of Lence. He demanded to be let down and they released him, still shouting and laughing. Disoriented and disconcerted, he staggered a little.
'One blow, straight to the heart!' Garzik crowed. 'With only a hunting knife!'
'A lucky strike,' Byren protested. The men laughed and refused to believe him. Though he tried to contain the grin, he felt his lips pull back. After all, it was an achievement. Then Byren remembered his twin's odd expression. If Lence's spear had been thrown true it would have been him they lauded as the leogryf slayer. 'Enough of that.'
But his protests fell on deaf ears. The rest of them, the sons of the kingdom's first families and the hunt-master's apprentices, congratulated him.
'We'll take the leogryf back to the village to celebrate tonight,' the hunt-master announced. The Affinity warders would lead the village in making atonement to Halcyon, for they had killed one of her creatures. 'Then tomorrow, we head down to Rolenhold. Don't want to miss the midwinter feast!'
The men agreed.
Soon they were trudging back to the high mountain village, where the others told the story of how Byren had killed the leogryf with nothing but his hunting knife. The villagers were in awe of him and very relieved to be free of the beast. When they learnt that the male's mate had been hidden in the lair, they were horrified and apologetic. Byren assured them no harm was done and it too, was dead. They insisted on honouring the hunters with a feast and set about preparing it.
All the while Lence's smile got tighter and tighter. No one but Byren seemed to notice and there was nothing he could do, for to turn down the villagers' feast would have been churlish. He had saved his brother's life and Lence had returned the favour. This should have been enough to settle his fears, but Byren was aware of a small kernel of worry growing within him, planted by the old seer.
It wasn't as if he'd meant to steal Lence's glory. He could hardly have let the beast kill him. Halcyon forbid it, that would make him the kingsheir!
When the others went out to the feasting fire Byren remained in the village council hall to think. The building had been dug into the mountain side for protection from the winter's cold so one wall and half the roof were made of natural stone. With a chimney at each end and a series of narrow shuttered windows tucked under the steep roof, it could house all the adults of the village. Right now it held the hunting party's belongings. He rolled his bow in oiled cloth and tucked it away with his pack. You had to look after your weapons. It might mean the difference between life and death. It nearly had today when the bow string broke.
It was strange. As twins he and Lence were very similar, yet so different. Sometimes Byren felt closer to Fyn. Almost midwinter. Fyn would be coming to the castle for the ceremonies and celebrations. It would be good to see his serious younger brother again and Fyn's arrival was sure to make Piro's face light up.
Just then, the hunters broke into a drinking song and Byren glanced through the open door to see the others sitting around the feasting fire, eyes alight with laughter, cheeks reddened by the flames. Lence was in the midst of them, drinking and laughing loudest of all.
Time to join them and slip quietly into the background. Byren checked the edge on his hunting knife and slid it into its sheath. In the early days of father's reign it was customary to go armed at all times, but his father had forbidden the wearing of even ceremonial swords in the castle during celebrations. Too many duels between hot-headed warriors had resulted in deaths and blood feuds.
Byren turned to go outside.
The village's head couple stood in the doorway.
'Byren Rolen Kingson,' the old man said, giving a jerky bob of his head. His wife followed suit. 'We've come about Unistag Spar. My wife's cousin lives over the Divide on Foenix Spar and — '
'Unistag raiders have attacked her village three times this winter, took their store of winter grain and all the marriageable girls,' the wife interrupted indignantly. 'And I want to know what King Rolen's going to do about it.'
The husband sent Byren an apologetic look. Strictly speaking, this wasn't King Rolen's responsibility. The spars were ruled by petty princelings, warlords, who held power by hereditary right, enforced with the sword.
Byren knew what his father would say. In fact, it wasn't his place to take this to his father. He glanced past them to the campfire and Lence.
The old man took in the direction of his gaze. 'We came to you because you killed the leogryf.'
Byren was beginning to wish he hadn't.
'And it's no good saying my cousin should go to the Foenix warlord for help,' the old woman said, as if in answer to something Byren had said. 'Because there's no point their warlord protesting to the Unistag warlord. The warlord of Unistag is so frail he won't see spring. His heirs are fighting over who will wear his helm. Meanwhile their warriors, greedy for grain and glory, are raiding Foenix Spar.'
Byren nodded. Rolencia's spies had reported this. 'Look, I'll mention it to the king, but I can't promise anything.'
They nodded.
He grinned. 'You could always suggest your cousin move over the Divide into Rolencia. Nowhere's safer!' Even Merofynia had been rocked by civil war when his mother's younger brother died and more recently the Merofynian spars' warlords had fought a series of bitter battles.
'See,' the old woman said. 'The kingson agrees with me.'
Thanking him, the old man backed out, drawing his wife with him. Byren headed towards the feasting fire. The change of warlord on Unistag Spar could mean trouble for Rolencia. A young, ambitious man would set out to impress his followers and that could mean raids on the Rolencian valley people as well as other spars.
He felt a surge of purpose solidify. It looked like he'd be busy this spring. If Lence led the fleet against the Utland raiders, Byren would have to contain the spars. The warlord of Unistag Spar wasn't the only warlord testing King Rolen's strength. That reminded him, he must tell his father about the raiders he'd seen skating across the valley.
Before approaching the feasting fire, Byren slipped around the far end of the hall to relieve himself, his hot stream cutting a channel in the snow.
'You and Lence used to try to write your names in the snow but you'd always run out,' Cobalt said as he joined him, unlacing his breeches one-handed.
Byren laughed as he laced up. 'And we only had to write five letters!'
'Well, you were just lads of six or seven at the time.' Cobalt finished, managing to refasten his breeches despite his injured arm.
'Eh, Illien?' Byren felt he had started on the wrong foot with him because of the trouble with Orrade. 'I'm sorry to hear about your father and your — '
'Yes.' Cobalt cut him off. In the brilliant starlight his face creased into a grim smile. 'I used to dream of the day I'd return with a shipload of Ostronite treasure to lay at my father's feet. But when I did, it killed him.' He saw Byren did not understand. 'I was bringing my bride and a king's ransom of jewels home to Cobalt estate. In thirteen years I'd done well and married well and I was proud of it. I wanted to show my father that he had misjudged me so I converted my assets to jewels, portable wealth. But the raiders must have had a spy on Ostron Isle, because they knew. They demanded the jewel chest.'
Byren frowned. Raiders attacked the spars and the merchant ships. If they captured someone important they'd usually hold them to ransom, not murder them. The old lord had been unlucky. And, as for Cobalt's wife… raiders were always stealing girls and young women. Life was hard on the Utlands, women were precious. 'You were unlucky, Illien, that's all.'
'I believe we make our own luck,' he said. 'As you did today. You did well tackling that leogryf, Byren. Your bravery has inspired — '
'What else could I do? I couldn't let the beastie make a meal of Lence.'
Cobalt studied him. It was hard to read his expression in the starlight. He lifted his good hand to rest on Byren's shoulder, had to raise his chin only slightly to meet Byren's eyes, reminding him that the blood of King Rolence the First ran true in both of them. 'Lence is lucky to have you.'
Byren shrugged this aside. Singing from the feast fire carried on the still, cold air. The scent of roasting mutton made his mouth water and his stomach rumble.
'Some say it's a pity only seven minutes stands between you and the throne,' Cobalt remarked softly.
Byren stepped back so that Cobalt's arm dropped between them. 'I don't want — '
'Like I said. Lence is lucky to have you,' Cobalt cut him off and Byren thought he must have misinterpreted the comment. This was confirmed when Cobalt continued. 'Especially with the unrest in Merofynia. When he marries Isolt — '
'He told you about that?' The official announcement would be made Midwinter's Day.
'No, King Rolen told me.'
'Father?'
'I spoke briefly with him before we rode out, remember. I carried a message from the Elector of Ostron Isle.'
'You're that close to the elector?'
'My bride is… was his niece.'
'Ah, I'm sorry.' Byren realised he knew nothing about his cousin.
The level of good-natured revelry from the feasting fire rose another notch as two merchant sons raced to drain their tankards to the encouragement of the men. Most of them would be too drunk to stagger to bed tonight. Byren winced. He had a suspicion Rolenhold's court would appear uncouth to his cousin after Ostron Isle.
'The elector wanted your father to know that Warlord Palatyne has become overlord of all the Merofynian spars and King Merofyn has recognised his authority.'
'He never!' Byren insisted, then digested this in silence. After the last poisoning attempt the Merofynian king had never really recovered. The warlords, sensing weakness, had tried to snatch Merofynia. His father's spies had reported that Palatyne was the most powerful of them but… 'So this Palatyne succeeded in defeating the other warlords?'
'And he has half the lords of Merofynia on his side.' Cobalt hesitated, then went on as if deciding Byren was ready to hear this. 'If your brother marries Isolt he'll have to watch Overlord Palatyne. Or maybe he'll send you to Merofynia to keep Palatyne and the rest of the lords in line.'
'But King Merofyn — '
'Is old and frail. He's a spent force. The people are fed up with his taxes and his religious oppression. Meanwhile, Palatyne swaggers around Port Mero, king in all but name.'
Byren said nothing. This did not bode well for his twin.
Cobalt slid his good arm around Byren's shoulders and turned him towards the feasting fire. 'So, Lence is lucky he has you.'
As they approached the others Garzik saw them coming and darted over to Byren, drawing two youths with him.
'Woodend and Highfield want to join your honour guard, Byren,' Garzik beamed.
Both boys — sons of merchants — nodded eagerly and dropped to their knees, offering their swords before he could say anything. He wouldn't have been human if he wasn't pleased to have won their admiration. Byren grinned and the two youths promptly placed their hands over their hearts and began to swear the oath.
'A Fealty Ceremony?' Cobalt muttered. He strode around to where Lence now stood. 'I insist mine is the honour to be first to formally join Lence Kingsheir's guard!'
Sinking gracefully to one knee, he lifted his good arm to place his injured hand on his heart. The other castle youths, young lords like Cobalt and elder sons, jostled to be next. Lence accepted their fealty with obvious satisfaction.
Younger sons and merchant sons hurried to Byren's side of the fire. With a sinking heart, he realised the castle's defenders were choosing sides in a battle he did not want to fight. But he accepted the fealty oaths with good grace, for he could do no less. The feasting continued and, while the others drank and laughed, Byren thought on what he'd learnt from Cobalt.
Much later, as they bedded down in the Council Hall, the village women presented him with their prettiest maiden. She beamed, pleased with the honour of sharing his bed. Her eyes had been painted to make them look huge and glass beads had been threaded through her waist-length hair. They tinkled as she bowed and the men — those who weren't already snoring — made appreciative noises, joking about his prowess.
Byren knew she would have been chosen because she could not conceive tonight so he need not fear creating another bastard. Many a time he and Lence had enjoyed a village's gratitude for chasing off spar warriors or Affinity beasts, but tonight he realised he could not bed this girl, not when he could still feel Elina weeping in his arms, heartbroken over Orrade's blindness.
Fool! He should have sent word that Garzik was safe with them when they returned to the castle, and that Orrade's sight had returned. He should have put Elina's mind at rest but they'd left to hunt the leogryf in such a rush…
'What's wrong, Byren? Have you forgotten how to do it?' Lence teased.
He glanced up, startled. The women of the council had left and the girl waited expectantly, a smile lighting her eyes.
No. He could not bed her, not here in the hall where the dark was their only privacy, not ever, not when it was Elina he wanted.
He lifted his hands, wondering how to do this without hurting her feelings. She blinked in dismay, the smile slipping from her face as she read his expression.
Byren caught her hand, bowing over it, using his best court manners to ease the rejection. 'I'm sorry. But my heart is already taken.'
'What about your prong?' some wit shouted.
Heat stole up Byren's face as he released the girl's hand.
Her face crumpled and she fled. Silence fell as the door slammed shut behind her.
'You've disgraced her,' Lence hissed, taking a step closer. 'What's wrong with you, Byren?'
'Enough, Lence,' Cobalt intervened. He cast Byren a curious glance, then led Lence away.
Byren hesitated. He wanted to call his twin back and explain but he couldn't. He was not formally betrothed to Elina and with the way things were between him and her father, he might never be.
So he turned away, grabbed his bed roll and retreated to the far fireplace where he lay down with his back to the others and stared at the flames. After a moment he heard Orrade and Garzik loyally join him and the others bedding down. The last lamps were doused, then the hall became quiet except for snores and sleepy mumbles.