Dust of Dreams

Acyl Nest, Matron Gunth’an Acyl. Kalyth me, Elan—’
    He raised a hand. ‘Hold it, hold it, I’m not understanding much of that. K’Chain Che’Malle, aye. You’re a Destriant to the K’Chain Che’Malle. But that can’t be. You got it wrong—’
    ‘Wrong no. I wish, yes.’ She shifted slightly and pointed at Stormy. ‘He Shield Anvil.’ Then she pointed at Gesler. ‘You Mortal Sword.’
    ‘We ain’t . . .’ and Gesler trailed off, gaze straying over to Stormy. ‘Someone called him Shield Anvil, once. I think. Can’t recall who it was, though. Actually, maybe it was Mortal Sword, come to that.’ He glared at her. ‘Whoever it was, though, it wasn’t no K’Chain Che’Malle.’
    She shrugged. ‘There is war. You lead. Him and you. Gunth’an Acyl send me to find you. I find you. You are
fire.
Gu’Rull see you, fill my head with you. Burning. Beacons, you and him. Blinding. Gu’Rull collect you.’
    Collect? Gesler abruptly stood, earning yet another gasp as his head reeled. ‘You snatched us!’
    ‘Me not—not me. Gu’Rull.’
    ‘Who is Gu’Rull? Where is the bastard? I got to cut his throat and maybe yours too. Then we can try to find the army—’
    ‘Gone. Your army, many leagues away. Gu’Rull fly all night. With you. All night. You must lead K’Chain Che’Malle army. Eight Furies, coming now. Close. There is war.’
    Gesler walked over and kicked Stormy.
    The big man grunted, and then clutched the sides of his head. ‘Go piss yourself, Ges,’ he mumbled. ‘It ain’t morning yet.’
    ‘Really?’ Stormy had spoken in Falari and so Gesler did the same.
    ‘Bugle wakes me every time, you know that. Miserable sh—’
    ‘Open your eyes, soldier! On your damned feet!’
    Stormy lashed out with one bare foot, forcing Gesler back a step. He’d felt those kicks before. But Stormy then sat, eyes open and widening as he looked around. ‘What did you do to me, Ges? Where’s . . . where’s
everything
?’
    ‘We got ourselves kidnapped last night, Stormy.’
    Stormy’s bright blue eyes fixed on Kalyth. ‘Her? She’s stronger than she looks—’
    ‘Fener’s sake, Stormy, she had help. Someone named Gu’Rull, and whoever he is, he’s got wings. And he’s strong enough to have carried us away, all night.’
    Stormy’s eyes flashed. ‘What did I tell you, Gesler! My dreams! I saw—’
    ‘What you said you saw made no sense. Still doesn’t! The point is, this woman here calls herself the Destriant to the K’Chain Che’Malle, and if that’s not dumb enough, she’s calling me the Mortal Sword and you the Shield Anvil.’
    Stormy flinched, hands up covering his face. He spoke behind his palms. ‘Where’s my sword? Where’s my boots? Where the fuck is breakfast?’
    ‘Didn’t you hear me?’
    ‘I heard you, Gesler. Dreams. It was those damned scaled rats. Every time I saw one on the trail I got the shivers.’
    ‘Rats ain’t K’Chain Che’Malle. You know, if you had even half a brain maybe you could’ve figured out your dreams, and maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess!’
    Stormy dropped his hands, swung his shaggy head to regard Kalyth. ‘Look at her,’ he muttered.
    ‘What about her?’
    ‘Reminds me of my mother.’
    Gesler’s hands twitched, closed into fists. ‘Don’t even think it, Stormy.’
    ‘Can’t help it. She does—’
    ‘No, she doesn’t. Your mother had red hair—’
    ‘Not the point. Around her eyes, see it? You should know, Ges, you went and bedded her enough times—’
    ‘That was an accident—’
    ‘A what?’
    ‘I mean, how did I know she went around seducing your friends?’
    ‘She didn’t. Just you.’
    ‘But you said—’
    ‘So I lied! I was just trying to make you feel better! No, fuck that, I was trying to make you feel that you’re nobody important—your head’s swelled up bad enough as it is. Anyway, it don’t matter any more, does it? Forget it. I forgave you, remember—’
    ‘You were drunk and we’d just trashed an alley trying to kill each other—’
    ‘Then I forgave you. Forget it, I said.’
    ‘I wish I could! Now you go and say this one looks like—’
    ‘But she does!’
    ‘
I know she does! Now just shut the fuck up! We ain’t—we ain’t—
’
    ‘Yes, we are. You know it, Ges. You don’t like it, but you know it. We been cut loose. We got us a destiny. Right here. Right now. She’s Destriant and you’re Shield Anvil and I’m Mortal Sword—’
    ‘Wrong way round,’