It was the two hundred black-garbed Kriaz-nor warriors who were moving out to form a defensive line.

Yu Yu swore. 'After all we've been through you'd think we deserved a bit of luck,' he grumbled.

'This is luck,' said Ren Tang. 'You can't feast on the hearts of demons.'

Yu Yu looked at him, but made no response. Despite the attempted lightness of his tone, Ren Tang looked bone weary. Song Xiu leant on his sword and swung to assess the remaining warriors. Yu Yu did the same. There were just over a hundred Riaj-nor left standing, and many were wounded.

'Can we beat them?' asked Yu Yu.

'We don't have to beat them,' said Song Xiu. 'We just have to get through them and reach the gateway.'

'We can do that, though, hey?'

'It is why we came,' said Song Xiu.

'Let's do it,' said Ren Tang. 'And then I want to find a town and a tavern and a fat-arsed woman. Maybe two.'

'Taverns or women?' asked another warrior.

'Taverns,' admitted Ren Tang. 'I'm a little too tired to want more than one woman.' Putting aside his sword, he lifted the bloody flap of skin back into place, pressing his hand against the wound.

Song Xiu moved alongside him, drawing a curved needle from a small pouch tucked into his waist sash. Swiftly he stitched the upper section of the wound. 'Well,' he said, 'if you don't want both women I'll take one.'

'Aye,' answered Ren Tang, with a quick grin. 'So let us not waste any more time. Let's sweep away these ugly vermin, then get drunk.'

'Agreed,' said Song Xiu, with a brief smile. Then he took a deep breath and swung to Yu Yu. 'I heard what your friend told you earlier. He was wrong then, but his words are right at this time. You cannot come with us on this last fight. We will not be able to protect you. And once we break through we will not be able to protect ourselves.'

'What do you mean?'

'As our swords touch the gateway they will simply cease to be. They will be absorbed by the spell that was placed there.'

'Then you will all be killed,' said Yu Yu.

'But the gateway will be closed,' pointed out the Riaj-nor.

'I will not stay behind,' insisted Yu Yu.

Ren Tang stepped in. 'Listen to me. Despite my hatred of them, I have to admit these Kriaz-nor are great fighters. We cannot battle them and look after you. Yet if you come we will be forced to try to protect you. You see the predicament? Your presence will lessen our chance of success.'

'Do not be sad, Yu Yu,' said Song Xiu. 'It was for people like you that Qin Chong and I, and the others, surrendered our humanity. It is pleasing to me that you are here. For it shows that we did not take this path in vain. Your friend Kysumu can come with us. He will represent humans in this encounter. It is what he wants. He has no true love of life. He knows no fears, as he knows no joys. That is why he can never be the hero you are. And that, my friend, is why you were the pria-shath. Without fear there can be no courage. You have fought beside us, ditch-digger, and we are proud to have known you.' He held out his hand. Yu Yu blinked back tears as he shook it. 'Now we must fulfil our destiny,' said Song Xiu.

The Riaj-nor formed a fighting line, Ren Tang, Song Xiu and Kysumu at the centre.

Yu Yu stood by wretchedly as they walked slowly towards the ancient enemy.

Waylander looked into Ustarte's golden eyes. 'You are telling me that I am dying? I feel fine. There is no pain.'

'And no heartbeat,' said Ustarte sadly.

Waylander sat up and felt for his pulse. She was right. There was nothing. 'I do not understand.'

'It is a talent I did not know I had until we crossed the gateway. One of my companions, a lovely child named Sheetza, was stabbed. Her heart, too, had stopped beating. I healed the wound – as I have yours – and sent a surge of my power into her blood, causing it to continue to flow through the body. She lived for some hours, but then, as the spell faded, she died. You have a few hours left, Waylander. I am sorry.'

Keeva stepped forward from where she had been standing in the shadows of the trees. 'There must be something you can do,' she said, dropping to her knees beside the Grey Man.

'How many hours?' Waylander asked.

'Ten – perhaps twelve at the most,' Ustarte told him.

'The boy must not know,' said Waylander, rising to his feet. He walked back through the trees to where Emrin and Niallad were sitting by the trail.

As Niallad saw him he scrambled to his feet. 'I did not mean to shoot,' he said.

'I know. It barely pierced the skin. Come, walk with me.'

Niallad stood very still, fear showing on his face. 'I will not harm you, Niallad. We need to talk.' Waylander led the boy to a cluster of rocks beside a fast-flowing stream, and there they sat as the sun sank below the mountains. 'Evil creeps up on a man,' said Waylander. 'He starts out on a mission he believes is just, and with every killing he darkens his soul just a little more. He lives neither in the day nor in the night. And eventually this man of twilight, this . . . Grey Man finally steps into the dark. As a young man I tried to live a decent life. Then one day I arrived home to find my family butchered. My wife, Tanya, my son, my two baby girls. I set out to hunt down the nineteen men who had taken part in the raid. It took me almost twenty years to find them all. I killed every one. I made them suffer, as Tanya had suffered. They all died in dreadful agony. I look back on the torturer I became and I barely recognize the man. His heart was stone. He turned his back on almost everything of value. I cannot tell you now why he … I accepted the contract to kill the king. It no longer matters why. The simple fact is that I did accept, and I did kill him. And in killing him I became as evil as the men who murdered my family. I tell you all this not to excuse myself or to ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness is not yours to give. I tell you simply because it may help you in your own life. You fear being weak. I see that fear in you. But you are not weak, Niallad. One of the men who slaughtered your parents was in your power, and you upheld the chivalric code. That is strength of a kind I never possessed. Hold to that, Niallad. Hold to the light. Keep that code in your heart with every decision you make. And when, one day, you are faced with a rival, or an enemy, make sure you do nothing that would bring you shame.'

With that Waylander rose and the two walked back to the horses. Waylander gathered up his bow and loaded it. He called the four prisoners to him. They shuffled forward uncertainly. 'You are free to go,' he said. 'If I see you again you die. Now get out of my sight.'

The four men stood for a moment, then one walked away into the forest. The others waited to see if Waylander would shoot him. When he did not the others followed. Waylander approached Emrin. 'There should be no pursuit now,' he said. 'Their horses are far away. So take the high road and bring Niallad and Keeva to the capital. If the lad is strong enough he will win over the other nobles and become the Duke. I want you to stand beside him.'

'I will, sir. Where are you going?'

'Where you can't follow, Emrin.'

'No, but I can,' said Keeva.

Waylander turned to her. 'You told me you did not wish to become a killer. I respect that, Keeva Taliana. If you walk with me now you will have to use that bow.'

'There is no time for debate now,' said Keeva grimly. 'I shall come with you to stop the magicker. Just in case – for any reason – you are unable to do so.'

'Then let it be so,' he said. 'And now we must go. We have some hard riding to do.'

'There is no need to ride,' said Ustarte. 'Come, stand with me, and I shall take you where you wish to go.'

Waylander and Keeva moved alongside her.