Free Drenai Series 03 - Waylander by David Gemmell

death of Cheros the Banker. Three assassins had killed him at his home and made off with a fortune in gold and gems.
    Waylander had known then that he was betrayed, but some instinct - some inner compulsion - drove him on. He had arrived at Kaem's palace and scaled a high garden wall. Once inside, he killed two guard dogs and entered the main building. Locating Kaem's room had posed a problem, but he woke a serving girl and forced her at knifepoint to lead him to the general's bedchamber. Kaem was asleep in his apartments on the third floor of the palace. Way-lander struck the girl on the neck, catching her as she fell and lowering her to a white fur rug on the floor. Then he went to the bed and touched his knife to Kaem's throat. The general's eyes flared open.
    'Could you have not come at a more reasonable hour?' he had asked smoothly.
    Waylander's knife pressed forward a fraction of an inch and blood seeped from the cut as Kaem stared into the dark eyes above him.
    'I see you have heard about Cheros. I hope you don't think it was my doing.' The knife pressed deeper and this time Kaem winced.
    'I know it was your doing,' hissed Waylander.
    'Can we talk about it?'
    'We can talk about 24,000 gold pieces.'
    'Of course.'
    Suddenly Kaem twisted and his arm lashed out to knock Waylander from the bed. The speed of the attack stunned the assassin and he rolled to his feet to find himself facing the wiry general who had now clambered from the bed and pulled a sword from the scabbard hanging on the bedpost.
    'You're getting old, Waylander,' said Kaem.
    The door burst open and a young man ran in, carrying a bow with arrow notched to the string.
    Waylander's arm shot forward and the young man collapsed with a black-bladed knife in his throat. Waylander ran to the door, hurdling the corpse.
    'You'll die for that!' screamed Kaem. 'You hear me? You will diel'
    The sound of sobbing .followed Waylander as he ran down the wide stairs, for the dead man was Kaem's only son . . .
    And now the hunters were searching for his killer.
*
    Wrapped in his blankets with his back against a jutting rock, Waylander heard the old man approach, the coarse cloth of his robes whispering against the long grass. 'May I join you?' 'Why not?'
    'It is a glorious night, is it not?' 'How does a blind man define glorious?' 'The air is fresh and cool and the silence a mask - a cloak which hides so much life. To the right there, a hare is sitting, wondering why two men are so close to his burrow. Away to the left is a red fox - a vixen by the smell - and she is hunting the hare. And overhead the bats are out, enjoying the night as am I.'
    'It's too bright for my liking,' said Waylander.
    'It is always hard to be hunted.'
    'I had a feeling you knew.'
    'Knew what? The feeling of being hunted, or the fact that the Dark Brotherhood are seeking you?'
    'Either. Both. It does not matter.'
    'You were right, Waylander. I was seeking you and there is an ulterior motive. So shall we stop fencing?'
    'As you wish.'
    'I have a message for you.'
    'From whom?'
    'That is not part of my brief. And also it would take more time than I have to explain it to you. Let me say only that you have been given a chance to redeem yourself.'
    'Nice of you. However, there is nothing to redeem.'
    'If you say so. I do not wish to argue. Soon you will reach the camp of Egel where you will find an army in disarray: a force doomed to ultimate defeat. You can aid them.'
    'Are your wits addled, old man? Nothing can save Egel.'
    'I did not say "save". I said "aid".'
    'What is the purpose of aiding a dead man?'
    'What was the purpose in saving the priest?'
    'It was a whim, damn you! And it will be a long time before I allow myself another such.'
    'Why are you angry?'
    Waylander chuckled, but there was no humour in the sound.
    'You know what has happened to you?' asked the old man.'You have been touched by the Source and those are the chains you rail against. Once you were a fine man and knew love. But love