Read Online Drenai Saga 02 - The King Beyond the Gate by David Gemmell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David Gemmell
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“Would you care to hear it?”
The priest looked thoughtful. “Yes, I would. Is that wrong?”
“No, Decado, it is not wrong. They were your friends.”
The priest remained silent, waiting for the abbot to speak.
“They were wiped out in a terrible battle by the Joinings of Ceska. Although they fought valiantly and well, they could not stand against the power of the beasts.”
Decado nodded and returned to his work.
“How do you feel?”
“Very sad, Lord Abbot.”
“Not all your friends perished. Tenaka Khan and Ananais have returned to the Drenai, and they plan to kill Ceska, to end his terror.”
“May the Source be with them,” said Decado.
“Would you like to be with them?”
“No, Lord Abbot.”
The abbot nodded. “Show me your garden,” he said. The priest rose, and the two men walked among the plants, coming at last to the tiny hut that housed Decado. The abbot walked around the outside. “You are comfortable here?”
“Yes, Lord Abbot.”
Behind the hut the abbot stopped, staring down at a tiny bush and the single flower that grew there.
“And what is this?”
“It is mine, Lord Abbot. Have I done wrong?”
“How did you come by it?”
“I found a seedpod someone had thrown from the upper level, and I planted it three years ago. It’s a beautiful plant; it usually flowers much later.”
“Do you spend much time with it?”
“When I can, Lord Abbot. It helps me relax.”
“We have many roses on the upper levels, Decado. But none of this color.”
It was a white rose.
Two hours after dawn Ananais returned to the campsite, bringing with him Valtaya, Scaler, and Belder. Tenaka watched them approach. The older man, he could see, was a veteran who moved carefully, hand on sword hilt. The woman was tall and well made, and she stayed close to the black-garbed Ananais. Tenaka grinned and shook his head. Still the Golden One, he thought. But the young man was interesting. There was about him something familiar, yet Tenaka was sure they had never met. He was athletic and tall, clear-eyed and handsome, and his long dark hair was held in place by a black metal circlet adorned with an opal at the center. He wore a leaf-green cloak and calf-length brown walking boots. His tunic was of soft leather, and he carried a short sword in his hand. Tenaka sensed his fear.
He stepped from the trees to greet them.
Scaler looked up as he appeared. He wanted to rush forward and embrace him but resisted the urge. Tenaka would never recognize him. The Nadir prince had changed little, he thought, save for the few gray hairs glinting in the sunlight. The violet eyes were still piercing, the stance still unconsciously arrogant.
“You cannot resist surprises, my friend,” said Tenaka.
“So true,” answered Ananais. “But I have breakfast in the pack, and explanations can wait until I have eaten.”
“Introductions cannot,” said Tenaka softly.
“Scaler, Valtaya, and Belder,” Ananais said, waving an arm at the trio. With that he strode past Tenaka and on toward the fire.
“Welcome!” said Tenaka lamely, spreading his hands.
Scaler walked forward. “Our presence in your camp is temporary,” he said. “Your friend helped Valtaya, and it was vital that we leave the city. Now that she is safe, we shall return.”
“I see. Join us for food first,” offered Tenaka.
The silence around the fire was uncomfortable, but Ananais ignored it, taking his food to the edge of the trees and sitting with his back to the group so that he could remove his mask and eat.
“I have heard much of you, Tenaka,” said Valtaya.
He turned to her. “Much of what people say is untrue.”
“There is always a grain of truth at the center of such sagas.”
“Perhaps. Where did you hear the stories?”
“From Scaler,” she replied.
Tenaka nodded and turned to the young man, who was blushing furiously. “And where did you hear them, my friend?”
“Here and there,” replied Scaler.
“I was a
The priest looked thoughtful. “Yes, I would. Is that wrong?”
“No, Decado, it is not wrong. They were your friends.”
The priest remained silent, waiting for the abbot to speak.
“They were wiped out in a terrible battle by the Joinings of Ceska. Although they fought valiantly and well, they could not stand against the power of the beasts.”
Decado nodded and returned to his work.
“How do you feel?”
“Very sad, Lord Abbot.”
“Not all your friends perished. Tenaka Khan and Ananais have returned to the Drenai, and they plan to kill Ceska, to end his terror.”
“May the Source be with them,” said Decado.
“Would you like to be with them?”
“No, Lord Abbot.”
The abbot nodded. “Show me your garden,” he said. The priest rose, and the two men walked among the plants, coming at last to the tiny hut that housed Decado. The abbot walked around the outside. “You are comfortable here?”
“Yes, Lord Abbot.”
Behind the hut the abbot stopped, staring down at a tiny bush and the single flower that grew there.
“And what is this?”
“It is mine, Lord Abbot. Have I done wrong?”
“How did you come by it?”
“I found a seedpod someone had thrown from the upper level, and I planted it three years ago. It’s a beautiful plant; it usually flowers much later.”
“Do you spend much time with it?”
“When I can, Lord Abbot. It helps me relax.”
“We have many roses on the upper levels, Decado. But none of this color.”
It was a white rose.
Two hours after dawn Ananais returned to the campsite, bringing with him Valtaya, Scaler, and Belder. Tenaka watched them approach. The older man, he could see, was a veteran who moved carefully, hand on sword hilt. The woman was tall and well made, and she stayed close to the black-garbed Ananais. Tenaka grinned and shook his head. Still the Golden One, he thought. But the young man was interesting. There was about him something familiar, yet Tenaka was sure they had never met. He was athletic and tall, clear-eyed and handsome, and his long dark hair was held in place by a black metal circlet adorned with an opal at the center. He wore a leaf-green cloak and calf-length brown walking boots. His tunic was of soft leather, and he carried a short sword in his hand. Tenaka sensed his fear.
He stepped from the trees to greet them.
Scaler looked up as he appeared. He wanted to rush forward and embrace him but resisted the urge. Tenaka would never recognize him. The Nadir prince had changed little, he thought, save for the few gray hairs glinting in the sunlight. The violet eyes were still piercing, the stance still unconsciously arrogant.
“You cannot resist surprises, my friend,” said Tenaka.
“So true,” answered Ananais. “But I have breakfast in the pack, and explanations can wait until I have eaten.”
“Introductions cannot,” said Tenaka softly.
“Scaler, Valtaya, and Belder,” Ananais said, waving an arm at the trio. With that he strode past Tenaka and on toward the fire.
“Welcome!” said Tenaka lamely, spreading his hands.
Scaler walked forward. “Our presence in your camp is temporary,” he said. “Your friend helped Valtaya, and it was vital that we leave the city. Now that she is safe, we shall return.”
“I see. Join us for food first,” offered Tenaka.
The silence around the fire was uncomfortable, but Ananais ignored it, taking his food to the edge of the trees and sitting with his back to the group so that he could remove his mask and eat.
“I have heard much of you, Tenaka,” said Valtaya.
He turned to her. “Much of what people say is untrue.”
“There is always a grain of truth at the center of such sagas.”
“Perhaps. Where did you hear the stories?”
“From Scaler,” she replied.
Tenaka nodded and turned to the young man, who was blushing furiously. “And where did you hear them, my friend?”
“Here and there,” replied Scaler.
“I was a
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