‘They are gone,’ Calidus said as Uthas reached him. ‘Probably the day after the battle, two days ahead of us. Where will Meical take them, though? That is the question.’

‘Let him run,’ Salach sneered. Calidus frowned at him. Some of the Kadoshim reached the cairns and began pulling away the stones.

‘You have outmanoeuvred him every step thus far,’ Uthas said.

‘Aye, thus far. We must never underestimate Meical, though. I never have, and that is why we are ahead. That is why this will end with his wings sheared and his head on a spike.’ Calidus looked up at the corpses dangling from the trees, heads severed. ‘But we must not forget that Meical is no fool, and he has some powerful allies.’

Balur One-Eye not least amongst them. ‘And he has the starstone axe,’ Uthas said. ‘So what now? Where has Meical gone with his rabble?’

‘It does not matter.’ Calidus shrugged. ‘He has too few about him to challenge us for the cauldron. And we cannot change our course. The cauldron must be taken to a safer place. We will continue to Tenebral, and Meical will continue to plot and scheme, but he is undone. His more powerful allies are dead, his attempts at power blocked, thwarted. The war is won, as long as we keep our heads.’

Literally, Uthas thought, glancing at the headless corpses swaying above them.

Calidus looked up, Uthas following his gaze to a dot in the sky. A bird, high above. It circled lower, huge wings spread, riding the current until it was close enough for Uthas to see the curve of its beak.

I recognize that bird.

Calidus held an arm out, and with a beat of its wings the great hawk alighted on his forearm. Calidus scratched its chest.

‘Kartala,’ he said. ‘Your master is dead, then.’

The bird stared at him, its head cocked to one side.

‘Bune – share your meal.’

One of the Kadoshim that was taking bites out of a Jehar corpse threw Calidus a chunk of rotting flesh. Calidus ripped off pieces and fed them to the bird.

‘Kartala was my link to Ventos. The man who tracked Corban, who told us of his coming north.’

‘I remember,’ Uthas said. ‘You sent Alcyon south to waylay Corban on the information from this Ventos.’

‘Yes. Unfortunately something happened between Ventos’ last message and Corban’s arrival at Murias. Involving a hundred or so Jehar warriors and Ventos’ death, I’m guessing,’ Calidus said sourly. He shrugged. ‘Such is the way of war. Things change, people die, information often travels too slowly. You can help us with that, though,’ he said to the bird. ‘Meical is leading Corban and a band of miscreants about the countryside, and I need to know where he is going. You understand, Kartala? Meical and Corban. That is their trail.’ He pointed to the wide path of trampled grass that led southwards through the hills.