Maia

After a few moments Ta-Kominion came elbowing his way feet first out of the shelter and stood up. He was wearing a ragged shirt and breeches and looked, as she could see even in the dim starlight, like a man utterly worn out; a very different figure from the high-spirited youth who had opened the bidding at the barrarz. Her expression, as she took his hands in greeting, must have revealed her feelings, for before she could speak he said, "You needn't waste your sympathy on me: we've plenty worse. But Maia, how in Cran's name do you come to be wandering about alone in a place like this? Are you on the run or something?"

"You could call it that. But now you must tell me something, my lord, 'cos I've got to know this if I'm to help you. Is this Kembri's whole army, or are you here on your own?"

He took her arm and led her away among the trees. Like the tryzatt, he spoke in whispers.

"Why do you ask me that? Why have you come?"

"Answer my question and I'll explain. It can't hurt to tell me: I can't leave here without you let me, can I?"

As he hesitated she took his hands once more, looking up into his bloodshot, hollow eyes.

"Honest, my lord, I only want to help you: and I've risked my hfe to come here."

"Everyone's life's at risk here," replied he. "I wouldn't give much for our chances now and that's the truth. We

left Kembri's army the night before last and we've been going ever since. The men are on their last legs. We've got no food left, either. But I'll get some of them back to Ortelga yet, you see if I don't."

"Listen to me, my lord. There's a way to put the whole thing right, if you'll only do as I say."

"But who's sent you?" he asked again, impatiently.

"Just listen, my lord, please! Sit down and listen to me."

Ta-Kominion sat down on the ground, his arms round his updrawn knees, looking up at her with an expression suggesting that although he would like to believe her, he felt that to do so would be foolish.

"About a mile away over there," said Maia, pointing, "is Lord Elleroth of Sarkid. He's on his own like you, and I should guess he's got about the same number of men."

Ta-Kominion seemed about to spring to his feet, but Maia restrained him.

"They know you're here, but they don't know yet whether it's only you or Kembri's whole army. What I'm trying to tell you is that they're as much afraid of you as what you are of them."

Ta-Kominion buried his face in his hands. "Oh, Shardik, that's about all we needed! Pinned against the river, too! That's basted everything!"

"No, it hasn't, my lord. Don't you see, if you're not fighting for the Leopards any more, Elleroth's got no quarrel with you? You ought to join him-he needs men-it'd be as big a weight off his mind as what it'd be off your'n. Why don't you come back with me now and talk to him?"

"It's a trick! A Beklan trick!" In the half-darkness the girl Berialtis had come up silently and was standing beside them, clutching a soldier's cloak round her. She was shivering in the hot night and looked no less wretched than everyone else whom Maia had seen. "Don't go, Komo! She's lying!"

Her dark eyes glared at Maia-the eyes of a fanatic, intensified by fear and privation.

Maia stood up and faced her. "All right, that's it, then; I done my best. My lord, I hope you'll have the kindness to let me go back where I come from."

"Be quiet, Berialtis," said Ta-Kominion. "I'm commanding here, not you. Maia, how can I be sure of this man Elleroth-heir of Sarkid, isn't he? How can I be sure I can trust him?"

"My lord, I'll be honest with you. Like I said, no one's sent me: I just thought this lot up on my own. Lord Elleroth doesn't even know I've come-"

"You're not his woman, then?"

"Oh, Cran, no! I just don't want to see the two of you tear each other to bits, that's all; 'cos that won't be no good to you nor nobody."

"Berialtis, go and wake Dy-Karn and bring him here. Don't argue; just do as I tell you for once."

"You let yourself be taken in by this Beklan bitch; an unbeliever! I haven't forgotten that filthy barrarz, if you have-"

"Neither have I," said Ta-Kominion, getting up. "I'll go myself: you'd better come with me, Maia."

Reaching his shelter, they found a group of four or five young men whispering together.

"These are all the officers we've got left," said Ta-Kominion. "Captain Dy-Karn, my second-in-command: Maia Serrelinda."

There were murmurs of surprise. "You'd better tell them, Maia, what you've just told me," said Ta-Kominion.

Maia did so.

"But this Elleroth's an out-and-out heldro, isn't he?" asked Dy-Karn. "Why else would he be with Erketlis? If you trust us all to him, Komo-"

"All I can say is I've met him," said Maia, "and I don't reckon as he's one to take unfair advantage. I can't say n'more, 'ceptin' they're all as scared of you as what you are of them." As they hesitated, she added, "You don't have to surrender to them nor any o' that. Just offer to join them. Any road, what else you going to do?"