'What does he want with me?' he whispered.

'I don't know, but whatever it is, I'll give you to him if you don't shut up.' Horman scowled at his son and turned his attention back to Carel.

Isak did as he was told, fearing the stranger and his father's anger equally. Horman had never been a patient man; he blamed much of his misfortune on his supernatural son, from the inevitable death of his wife giving birth to Isak to his exit from the cavalry following an accident. Horman had no tales of heroic battle and near-fatal injuries

ercome with which to enthral his grandchildren by the fireside. Instead he had lost his livelihood thanks to a simple drill manoeuvre e wrong the day he learned of his wife's death. Now even ants crawling on the supplies were Isak's fault.

The stranger looked over at the wagons, his eyes moving down the line until Isak felt his gaze lock on to him. Suddenly a cold presence was all around, as if bitter winter had just invaded, and Isak fell back in surprise and alarm. He felt a surge of panic at the alien mind filling his thoughts and, inexplicably, hatred beyond anything he'd ever known before. In the next instant, the contact was broken off, so abruptly that Isak flinched in surprise.

'He'll kill me,' Isak moaned, his hands trembling uncontrollably. 'He'll kill us all.'

Horman turned with a frown and gave Isak a clip around the head to shut him up. 'He'll have to get in line then, now quiet!'

Isak ducked down as the stranger's gaze rested on the western horizon for a moment before turning back to Carel: 'My name is Aracnan. I am just a mercenary, like you. My task was twofold; the second part was to deliver a message to the boy if he would not come. Tell your men to put their bows away. My employer is more powerful than you can ever imagine. Here is the message.'

Carel found his hand full, and then Aracnan leapt up on to the rocky bank above him. It was a jump far beyond the capability of any street acrobat, but he landed so lightly that not a stone nor chunk of dirt was dislodged on to the stunned men below. Then he was gone.