friend's bedroll was empty. He snapped upright, blinked away the last threads of sleep and gazed around nervously. The moonlight gave good visibility for quite some distance. He saw Max, huddled down in the shelter of the caravan, fast asleep, his huge shoulders rising and falling. But there was no sign of Cornelius anywhere.
With a mounting sense of panic, Sebastian realized what must have happened. He struggled out of his bedroll, strapped on his sword and started off in the direction of the distant campfire, walking at first but then breaking into a run, heedless of the noise he was making – he didn't know how much of a start Cornelius had on him.
The twinkling light of the campfire grew rapidly closer but he didn't slow his pace. He kept thinking about what Cornelius had said to him just before they'd settled down for the night. He must have gone to kill Leonora, and Sebastian knew that he could not allow that to happen.
He was still some distance away when he spotted Cornelius, moving stealthily towards a sleeping figure that lay stretched out on the ground beside the low, flickering fire. There was a glitter of steel and Sebastian could see that his friend was holding out his sword. He was close now, so very close. Sebastian redoubled his efforts, pumping his arms and legs desperately, but now Cornelius was stepping up to the bedroll; he was raising his sword high and—
' No! ' yelled Sebastian. He flung himself forward, his arms outstretched to grab the little warrior, but he was an instant too late. Cornelius's arm came down in a swift, brutal arc and the blade bit deep into the blankets and cut through to the ground beneath. An instant later Sebastian slammed into him and sent him sprawling to the ground.
They rolled over in the dust. Cornelius came swiftly back to his feet and adopted a fighting stance, his weapon raised to defend himself; and Sebastian couldn't stop himself from drawing his own sword and moving forward to meet him. Suddenly Cornelius realized who it was and lowered his weapon, but Sebastian felt no compulsion to do likewise. A terrible rage was burning in his chest.
'Sebastian, what are you doing?' growled Cornelius, but then had to duck beneath a savage swing from Sebastian's sword that would surely have taken his little head clean off his shoulders. 'What's got into you, man?' he cried. He took a couple of steps back but Sebastian kept coming at him, anger pulsing within him like a living thing.
'You killed her!' he screamed. 'After everything I said, you killed Leonora!'
'I killed nobody,' said Cornelius flatly.
'Yes you did, I saw you! Don't lie to me!' Sebastian ran forward again, his sword ready to strike his friend, and Cornelius gave a tut of irritation. He intercepted the blow with his own blade, flicked the weapon expertly aside, then launched himself upwards in an almost leisurely somersault.
Sebastian saw it coming and tried to step out of the way, but he was too slow. Cornelius's boots connected with his chin and he went down in an ungainly sprawl, dropping his sword. He lay there, stunned, the moonlit plain seesawing crazily around him. He saw Cornelius walk up to the pile of blankets, reach out with his sword and flip them open to reveal another roll of blankets inside the outer ones.
'Not here,' said Cornelius regretfully. 'She must have known what I was planning.'
'Thank goodness,' whispered Sebastian. 'I thought—'
He broke off at the sound of a distant bellow – the sound of a terrified animal.
'Max?' Sebastian whipped round to look back the way he had come, and suddenly he could see everything with startling clarity: the light of his own campfire back there and, a short distance from it, another fire – a much bigger one – blazing up under the night sky.
'Shadlog's beard,' snarled Cornelius. 'The caravan!' He began to sprint back the way he had come and, after a brief hesitation, Sebastian scrambled to his feet,
With a mounting sense of panic, Sebastian realized what must have happened. He struggled out of his bedroll, strapped on his sword and started off in the direction of the distant campfire, walking at first but then breaking into a run, heedless of the noise he was making – he didn't know how much of a start Cornelius had on him.
The twinkling light of the campfire grew rapidly closer but he didn't slow his pace. He kept thinking about what Cornelius had said to him just before they'd settled down for the night. He must have gone to kill Leonora, and Sebastian knew that he could not allow that to happen.
He was still some distance away when he spotted Cornelius, moving stealthily towards a sleeping figure that lay stretched out on the ground beside the low, flickering fire. There was a glitter of steel and Sebastian could see that his friend was holding out his sword. He was close now, so very close. Sebastian redoubled his efforts, pumping his arms and legs desperately, but now Cornelius was stepping up to the bedroll; he was raising his sword high and—
' No! ' yelled Sebastian. He flung himself forward, his arms outstretched to grab the little warrior, but he was an instant too late. Cornelius's arm came down in a swift, brutal arc and the blade bit deep into the blankets and cut through to the ground beneath. An instant later Sebastian slammed into him and sent him sprawling to the ground.
They rolled over in the dust. Cornelius came swiftly back to his feet and adopted a fighting stance, his weapon raised to defend himself; and Sebastian couldn't stop himself from drawing his own sword and moving forward to meet him. Suddenly Cornelius realized who it was and lowered his weapon, but Sebastian felt no compulsion to do likewise. A terrible rage was burning in his chest.
'Sebastian, what are you doing?' growled Cornelius, but then had to duck beneath a savage swing from Sebastian's sword that would surely have taken his little head clean off his shoulders. 'What's got into you, man?' he cried. He took a couple of steps back but Sebastian kept coming at him, anger pulsing within him like a living thing.
'You killed her!' he screamed. 'After everything I said, you killed Leonora!'
'I killed nobody,' said Cornelius flatly.
'Yes you did, I saw you! Don't lie to me!' Sebastian ran forward again, his sword ready to strike his friend, and Cornelius gave a tut of irritation. He intercepted the blow with his own blade, flicked the weapon expertly aside, then launched himself upwards in an almost leisurely somersault.
Sebastian saw it coming and tried to step out of the way, but he was too slow. Cornelius's boots connected with his chin and he went down in an ungainly sprawl, dropping his sword. He lay there, stunned, the moonlit plain seesawing crazily around him. He saw Cornelius walk up to the pile of blankets, reach out with his sword and flip them open to reveal another roll of blankets inside the outer ones.
'Not here,' said Cornelius regretfully. 'She must have known what I was planning.'
'Thank goodness,' whispered Sebastian. 'I thought—'
He broke off at the sound of a distant bellow – the sound of a terrified animal.
'Max?' Sebastian whipped round to look back the way he had come, and suddenly he could see everything with startling clarity: the light of his own campfire back there and, a short distance from it, another fire – a much bigger one – blazing up under the night sky.
'Shadlog's beard,' snarled Cornelius. 'The caravan!' He began to sprint back the way he had come and, after a brief hesitation, Sebastian scrambled to his feet,
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