kept pace with him. Ceet walked in silence for a moment.
‘Nerves?’ Tahon’s tone was lighter than it had been on the quay, and he seemed to be trying to cheer Einar up.
‘Nerves, nerves,’ muttered the boy, without slowing his pace. ‘It’s been one long string of failures since yesterday,’ he added in a low voice, assuming the others wouldn’t hear him.
‘But you seemed very... hmmm... composed at the harbour.’ The beastman smiled when Einar looked at him. ‘It was hard to tell that… Hmmmm… You're nervous.’
‘I thought it would be hard not to notice.’ He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the officers were indeed following them. ‘By the way, shouldn’t you be with them?’ He looked at his friend with interest.
‘Hm?’ Ceet also looked behind him. ‘No, why?’ he asked, tilting his head. ‘Ah! You probably thought I served in the legion.’ Tahon pounded his fist into his open palm. ‘No, no, that’s not it. Octavian and I are knights of the Order of Vathr, and our duty is to guard Arkali. We’re not subject to imperial authority and answer only to the Order’s chapter.’
‘Vathr. . .’ Einar tried to recall all the gods worshipped throughout Undaar. ‘If I remember correctly, he’s the god of fire and war.’
‘The god of fire, yes, but Vathr is one of the three gods of war.’ Tahon began to speak about theology with greater enthusiasm. ‘To be precise, he is the god of combat and valour. His brother, Inui, is the god of battle frenzy, and it is he who watches over soldiers as they enter the battlefield. Their elder sister, Fuin, on the other hand, is the goddess of prudence, the patron of strategists and commanders. The three of them are the gods of war, and together they tread where armed conflicts rage.’
