"Can't I take him with me?" groaned the Inkar as she staggered to her feet.

"Leave him be. He'll not be happy tomorrow morning when he wakes. You can have him later if

you still want him."

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The brother and sister swayed off together through the mass of snoring, sprawling bodies

slumped on and under the tables.

When they had gone, Ramil picked himself up cautiously. He stank of the wine he had slopped

down his front but was stone-cold sober. He knew he had just missed a fate worse than death.

The thought of spending the night with Junis was enough to make him foreswear the company

of women

forever.

He picked his way through the dregs of the festival to the big man sitting morosely by the fire.

"Gordoc, Midwinter cheer to you," Ramil murmured. He hoped he would find the strong man

sober enough for the task he had in mind for him.

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Gordoc raised his sad grey eyes to Ramil's face. The Prince felt a twinge of conscience: should he

ask the man to help him when in all likelihood he would suffer for it?

"Prince, Midwinter cheer to you," Gordoc said in a very uncheerful voice.

There was no trace of drink about him. It appeared he had not been in the mood to participate

in the festivities.

"Did you see the Princess?" Ramil probed gently.

"Aye, I saw her. They said they were going to look after her but she's hurting bad. I can tell." He tapped his chest. "She's hurting in there."

For a simple man, the giant had a very clear sight of people, thought Ramil.

"Yes, she's hurting--and it won't stop unless we get her out of here." Ramil paused. If Gordoc was going

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to give him away, this was the moment when he would call the guard.

Instead, he gripped Ramil's arm.

"You can do it? You can save the Princess?"

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Ramil nodded. "I can do it, but I'll need your help." He glanced around the room. No one was watching. The guards were distracted, flirting with some girls in the entrance. He would not find

a better moment. "Come with me now. I need you to break the Princess out of her cell and get

us a horse.

Once that's done, I'll take her far, far away."

"You'll take her where she can be happy?" Gordoc rubbed his big hands through his wiry brown hair wearily.

"I hope so--I'll certainly try."

Coming to a decision, Gordoc stood up. "I don't understand about these wars and things. I'm a

good Brigardian and they say you're my enemy, but you make more sense to me than my

friends. Little girls should not be beaten by red-robed devils. They should be looked after--made

to smile again. If you can do this, Prince Ramil, I will be in your debt."

Ramil tried to hush him. "Quiet now, we don't want the guards to hear us. Let me lean against

you. Pretend you're helping me stagger out."

Gordoc did better than that. He slung the Prince over his shoulder and strode from the room.

Ramil's guards looked up as they passed.

"Where're you going with him?" one asked, his arm around an attractive serving maid.

"Taking him to his bed on orders of the master," Gordoc replied.

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The guard waved him on, more interested in the charms of his female companion than the

snores of a drunken boy.

Once outside, Gordoc stamped over the snow-covered courtyard to the temple doors.

Ramil thumped his back. "Put me down!"

Gordoc dropped him at the entrance to the temple. It was deadly quiet inside.

The smell of recent bloodshed hung in the air; a single light flickered on the altar throwing

ghostly shadows on the icon of Holin.

"Who goes there?" challenged a guard.

Gordoc did not bother with a reply. He thumped the guard once on the head.

The man crumpled like an unset jelly turned from its mold. There was no going back now. They

had attacked a guard and would have to go through with this.

"She's down here!" Ramil whispered, leading the way to the crypt.

He could hear Gordoc's breath coming in quick, angry bursts. "They put my pretty

underground?" he asked outraged. "With no sun, no light? Buried her with the dead?"

Ramil thought it wise to stoke up the man's indignation. "And no blanket on these cold nights.

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Even Kosind the tiger has been treated better than the Princess."

They reached her cell door. The corridor was empty. Ramil tapped lightly.

"Tashi, it's time," he said.

They heard movements on the other side and a pale face appeared at the grate.

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"Ram? And Gordoc, is that you?"

"Yes, my pretty. Stand back."

Tashi fled to the other end of the cell, guessing what was about to happen.

Gordoc charged at the door and crashed into it with his shoulder. The door groaned, creaked,

and on the third kick, burst open, the lock dangling from the splintered wood. Gordoc

immediately entered and knelt before her.

"You're free. Run away now and be happy."

Tashi dropped to her knees and hugged him. Ramil realized he had never seen her willingly

touch another person before--it was a huge gesture on her part.

"Gordoc, thank you. But you mustn't get into trouble. You must run too!"

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She was right, thought Ramil, they couldn't leave the big man behind--he'd be identified by the

guards and punished. That meant they would need at least two horses.

"Come, let's go," whispered Ramil. "Someone may have heard us."

The three fugitives ran down the corridor, through the silent temple and out into the courtyard.

Gordoc held Tashi's hand, helping her up the stairs and then carrying her over the snowy ground

so that her bare feet would not suffer. Ramil led them to the stables by a back way he had

scouted through the servants' quarters, picking up his bundles from their hiding place as he did

so.

"Right," he said in a low voice, pulling them into the

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shadows by the stable doors. "This is where it gets difficult." He peeked out.

Two guards stood on duty. They looked fed up but very sober, having had to miss the feast to do

this task. "We've got to get past them."

"Difficult?" said Gordoc. "I think not."

Before Ramil could stop him, the big man had broken cover, making straight for the guards. They

pointed their spears towards him.

"Midwinter cheer, my braves!" he bellowed, holding out his arms.

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"Midwinter cheer," they replied uncertainly, glancing at each other.

"Bad luck to be on duty tonight," Gordoc called, sweeping them up in a brotherly embrace, an arm slung around each man's shoulders.

"Someone has to do it," said one, lowering his spear.

"Aye, we drew the short straw," added the other.

"That you did."

So swiftly that Ramil missed it, Gordoc clashed the two men's heads together. They ricocheted

to the ground, out cold.

"Where do you want them, Prince?" Gordoc asked.

Ramil ran forward and pushed open the stable door. "In there," he said, pointing to an empty stall.

Gordoc picked up the two men and placed them carefully on the straw. He grinned at Ramil.

"See, not so difficult."

Tashi crept into the stable and took Gordoc's hand again, seeming to find comfort in the giant's

strength. Ramil quickly ran his eye over the horses on offer.