‘I cannot, Talon. You must know this. Any oath made to the Conclave of Shadows must be made freely and without doubt. For once you enter our ranks, you may not turn back. To renounce that oath will bring you death.’
Pug added, ‘And not merely the death of the memory. For once you become one with us, you will begin to learn things that may not be shared with outsiders. Things that you must be willing to die to keep secret.’
Nakor grinned. ‘But there is good in taking that oath, too. We have many marvels to show you, and wonders to behold. You will learn more in a year here than you would in a dozen lifetimes in the mountains you knew as home.’
‘Already I have learned a great deal,’ Talon said.
Nakor continued, ‘When you seek your revenge, you will need resources, and allies. We can provide you with both.’
‘What must I do?’
Pug got off his stool and went to stand before Talon, while Nakor and Robert moved so that one of them stood on each side of him.
‘Do you swear to give first fealty to the Conclave of Shadows, Talon of the Silver Hawk? Do you enter our ranks freely and of your own will? Do you swear to obey those given dominion over you and to protect with your life those given to your care? Do you swear to keep those secrets entrusted to you? Answer to all with affirmation, or be silent. All or nothing, Talon. What do you say?’
Talon was silent for a moment, then he took another deep breath and said, ‘Yes, I will serve.’
‘Good. That is good,’ Nakor said. He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder and produced another orange. ‘Want one?’
Talon took it. ‘Thank you.’
Robert said, ‘Well, then, I suppose I should tell Magnus to close down that little hut of his and join us here. Talon’s education is about to begin in earnest.’
And with that, he left the room.
‘Nakor,’ said Pug. ‘Show Talon where he will be staying. Put him in with Rondar and Demetrius.’
Nakor nodded. ‘Come along, boy.’
After they had gone, Pug stood alone for a long minute, then he said as if into the air, ‘What do you think?’
From the shadows in the farthest corner of the room there came a voice: ‘I think you gave the boy no choice.’ Miranda stepped out into the light.
‘What else could I do?’
‘Heal him, and let me take his memories and put him back in Magnus’s hut. Magnus could have told him some story about a fall from the bluffs or a wild animal. With the right suggestion, the boy would have accepted it.’
Pug nodded. ‘You’re right.’
With a wry smile she came and slipped her arm around her husband’s waist. ‘I’m always right.’
‘Of course, my love,’ said Pug, returning the smile.
‘So, the question remains, why did you give him no choice?’
Pug was silent for a moment. Then he said, ‘I don’t know. A sense of something in him. I think he’s going to be important to us.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know. I only know that lately our enemy has grown subtle. Those death-dancers were unexpected. They remind me of years gone by.’
‘They fear Magnus’s growing power.’
‘Well they should. He may eventually be the most powerful magic-user to have set foot on this world.’
‘If we can keep him alive,’ Miranda said with a mother’s worry in her tone.
‘Those death-dancers are more in keeping with the days when we were attacked with armies or demons.’
‘Something’s got them annoyed.’
Pug laughed. ‘Magnus destroying that death cult’s temple down in southern Kesh might have irritated them enough to try something like this.’
‘Death-dancers are not trivial magic, my love. If I had the inclination to practise that sort of foul art, and three humans willing to give their souls to create them, it would still take me months to do so.’ She regarded her husband quizzically. ‘And I am better at that sort of thing than you.’
Pug smiled. ‘I know. But that’s why I think Talon may prove important.’
‘Why?’
‘Because while wolves fight over the carcass of a deer, a mouse may slip in and grab scraps.’
‘Wolves eat mice,’ she reminded him.
‘Only if they know they’re there. But while our enemies are attempting to destroy our son, they won’t see Talon coming.’
Miranda snuggled closer to her husband as if suddenly cold. ‘For the boy’s sake, I hope you’re right.’
‘Which boy? Talon or Magnus?’
Miranda sighed. ‘Both.’
Talon followed Nakor down the corridor, his small bundle of belongings clutched to his chest. His body still felt weak, but the stiffness was leaving him. They passed a series of doors, most of which were closed, but through a couple of open ones Talon saw beds set up, four to a room.
As he passed one room, he could see Alysandra sitting on a bed, engaged in a low conversation with a dark-haired girl who was giggling, her hand covering her mouth. Both girls glanced up as Talon went by, and Talon heard both girls start to laugh.
An irritated feeling rose up in him, a feeling Talon couldn’t quite place, save that the giggling seemed somehow inappropriate given that he had just made a solemn vow placing his life in the service of an organization whose purpose he hardly understood.
Eventually they reached a door which gave access to a slightly larger room than the others. As in the other rooms, four beds had been placed in it. Nakor waved for Talon to sit on a bed farthest from the door on the left, while he sat on the bed opposite it. ‘Well, here’s where your new life begins.’
Talon shrugged. ‘My new life began when Robert found me, I guess.’
Nakor shook his head. ‘No, your old life ended that day. What you’ve been living these last two years has been an existence. You were healing and learning, but you had no purpose.’
‘Now I have a purpose?’
‘A far greater purpose than you suppose,’ said Nakor. ‘There is much to learn, but you have time. I remember the impatience of youth,’ he added with a grin. ‘You appear to me to be more patient than most boys your age, yet I know you still want questions answered, positions made clear, and motives revealed. But all in good time.’
‘Since coming under Robert’s care I have felt as if I were moving in a direction unknown to me,’ Talon said. ‘I have grown, I think—’
