I could not see Jamie and Rella, and Will was off somewhere in the midst of the newfound ones. I saw him fighting his way back to be with Vilkas and Aral in the brief moment before I was set upon by three of the demons. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lanen swinging her sword with a will.

My own sword was not to their liking, for their bodies are physical and they can be hurt, but I was too slow. I cried out as my back and my face were raked by two separate Rikti, but to my astonishment both the attackers screamed and the other that threatened drew away from me. I could only see the one that had struck at my face; I watched in amazement as the claws that had drawn my blood burst into flame as it screamed and fled. Other of the Rikti came nigh me to attack but ever they veered away before they could strike. It was as if they could smell—

Of course. My blood. Whatever else had changed about me, it seemed that was still the same. An idea struck me that normally I would not even consider, but in the heat of battle I acted upon it immediately, for there was nothing to lose. I swiftly wiped away the blood that was running down my cheek with my hand, and spread it upon the blade of my sword.

Lanen, only a few feet away, was hard-pressed—I saw blood on her arm and on her face. The sight roused me to fury and I started to fight my way to her. The first I struck with my bloody sword screamed and vanished—it had worked! With a fierce joy I slew the Rikti that kept me from my dearling.

I was caught far from the others, for I had been walking with Salera. She had more words now, though there was still much to learn, and we had been trying to speak with one another when the demons attacked. I had not even my staff with me. I tried to run back for it, but there were too many dragons in the way, for many of them took to the air to fight. There were too many demons as well, and when one fastened on the arm I'd raised to protect my face I thought sure I was doomed, when a strong arm plucked the creature from me and tore it apart. I stared. Salera stood beside me, her new soulgem blazing. She sent flame after the next one and managed to scorch the one behind it as well. She had to push me down to get at one that was attacking from behind, and I realised that I was only in the way. It wasn't very heroic, I admit, but then I'm no hero. I stayed down, curled up at her feet, while my valiant Salera kept all harm from me.

I could not do it. I had thought that once I had released it I could claim all of my power, but I could not. The old deep injunction that kept me from fighting the Rikti still held. I cursed and fought to tap into that power, throwing all my will behind it, but I met only the same blank wall. When the Rikti attacked in force I could only put up a shield to surround myself—though my fury at my own failure made it strong. I would have extended it to Aral, but she shouted "No!" and I had to obey. As was now becoming her custom, she held the jewel—the soulgem—in her hand and sent her power through it. She kept the creatures away from both of us for a time and managed to kill a few, but there were just too many. The best we could manage was protection for ourselves until we saw, not far away, Jamie and Rella. I have never seen such combined ability with a blade—they appeared to be surrounded by ten swords—but even they were tiring and injured. Rella's clothing was torn and blood showed through some of the tears. Jamie's cheek was opened to the bone. They, like we, could do little beyond delaying the inevitable.

I turned to Aral. "Can we protect them as well?" I shouted, pointing, for the noise of the battle was growing. She nodded. We strode over to them, Aral dispelling as many of the demons as she could as we went, but it was like trying to empty the sea with a cup.

We did not reach them an instant too soon. Just before my shield could defend Rella one of the creatures landed on her back and bit her neck. She cried out just once and fell. Aral destroyed the demon and in the next instant my shield protected the four of us, but Rella was badly injured.

"Vil, can you do two things at once?" asked Aral. I was shocked to hear the deadly weariness in her voice. "I'm about exhausted and she's in a bad way. I have stopped the bleeding but I haven't the strength to heal her."

Blessed be the Lady, I thought. At last, something I can do.

Keeping the shield raised all the while, I looked over at Rella, who measured her length on the grass. Aral was right, she was badly injured. Healing, simple healing, safe, blessed by the Lady—and the depth of my strength came to me, the fullness of it, as it had that night in Wolfenden. It was like cold water in my face, I roused and shook myself. I raised Rella with a thought to lie on the air before me. The demon had severed the great cord of her spine. It was a delicate task and required deep concentration to reconnect, and I had to maintain the shield to protect the four of us.

Do not think me boastful. I was useless against the Rikti; all I could do was keep a simple shield around myself and perhaps a few others. But healing—healing ran through me like warming fire. Even in the madness of the battle it was not hard for me. Rella was unconscious, for a blessing. I remembered first to cleanse the wound of Raksha-trace, cleaned the severed ends and reconnected them, forced the re-growth of the cord, of the muscles around it, of the skin above. When I finished and looked up there was but a thin red line on the back of her neck.

I was concerned at first by the expression on Jamie's face. He was astounded, plainly, but he seemed frightened as well, a disconcerting emotion for such an old campaigner.

"It isn't possible, surely—no one can heal such a wound so quickly, it's unbelievable."

Aral saved him. She put her hand on his arm for just a moment.

"Told you he was good," she said with a grin, and turned back to the battle.

I gave the Rikti a little while to wear them down, to keep their minds on the little individual battles that surrounded them. It worked well enough.

I prepared the second Swiftline and strode towards the pair in the centre. Lanen and the silver-haired man. Halfway there I stopped and broke the final disc, and a Rak-sha of the Third Hell stood before me. I interrupted the inevitable posturing.

"Behold, I provide you with a selection of prey, but you will take him first." I pointed. "The one with the silver hair. Kill him," I said, "then you may have the rest of them."

It flew on bat wings to obey me. I followed it.

The Rikti had learned that my sword was death, so that Lanen and I had a moment's rest. As I was renewing the blood on my sword, Lanen turned to me with tears of frustration in her eyes. "Damn it, Varien, I can't help you," she said. "I'm too slow with a sword and I can't hurt them otherwise. I hate being helpless."

I took her hand with my free one. "I know. Would it help to imagine for one last time that I am Akhor of old, defending you with tooth and claw against the Rikti?"

In the midst of the battle, she laughed. "It would indeed. I thank you, Akor," she said.

Then a movement away to the side caught our attention and held it. I committed my soul to the Winds and bespoke Lanen. "I fear our doom is come upon us. Find safety where you may, dearling. I will distract the creature. Go. Now." It was a Raksha, and it was flying straight toward us.

My plan was working beautifully. The silver-haired one wasted his time preparing to meet a Raksha with a sword and sending Lanen away to find cover. She had seen the other group of humans not far away and was making for them when I cast a simple Sleep charm upon her. It should have worked instantly, but something in her resisted long enough to discover who had sent the charm. When she saw me her eyes widened and she tried to cry out, but Silence is swiftly cast even from a distance, and it is very effective. However, Marik had warned me that she had Farspeech, so I called to two of the Rikti and had them bear her back with me as I ran to the Swiftlines. Speed would make all the difference.