Scar turned to Jamie. “I’ve only been alive for about fifteen years,” she said. “And this war has continued for more than fifty. So that’s why I say that, for me, there’s never been a beginning. I wasn’t even in this country. I was far away, on the other side of the world, and when I was about nine years old, the village where I was living was burned down. All the old people were killed. The children were sent to the mines.”
“Wait a minute.” Jamie was already lost. “This world you live in … is this my world? What year is it? I don’t even know where I am!”
“And I don’t know where you’ve come from so I can’t help you. You’re just going to have to listen to my story. If you keep interrupting, we’re not going to get anywhere.”
Jamie sighed. “Go on.”
“We were digging for precious stones. There were thousands of us … working deep underground. They used the children to burrow into the smaller tunnels. It was terrifying. There were cave-ins. We were always wondering when we were going to be buried alive.”
“Who made you do it? Who were you working for?”
“We were working for the ruling classes. The overlords and the advisors. And behind them, of course, the Old Ones.”
“Who are they?” Jamie remembered the old man talking to him before he had turned into a scorpion. He had asked if Jamie served the Old Ones.
“They’re the enemy,” Scar replied simply. “Matt says that they are the first and the greatest evil, that they were born the day the world began. They want to destroy us. That’s the only reason they exist. But they want to do it slowly, one step at a time. You see, they feed on human misery. It’s what nourishes them. In the end, they’ll kill all of us, but they’ll make it last as long as they can.”
“Where did they come from?” Jamie asked.
“I don’t know,” Scar replied. “You’ll have to ask Matt.”
Erin had fallen asleep, leaning against his brother. His long fair hair had fallen across his face and his metal hand was stretched out in front of him, the fingers curled and pointing up. Corian was lying still, careful not to wake him, listening to Scar tell her tale.
“I suppose it must have been about a year ago,” she went on. “I don’t know because time doesn’t really mean very much any more. When you’re a slave, being beaten and forced to work in the darkness, every day is the same. Anyway, about a year ago I found out that I was different. I was told that I was one of the Five.”
“Matt told you?”
Scarlet nodded. “Yes. Well, he came to me in a dream. Or maybe I went to him. It’s very difficult to explain. But you say you’ve had dreams too. You must know what I’m talking about.”
“I think so.” Jamie thought back. “There’s a sea with black water. And the stars are shining but it’s not exactly night…”
“There’s an island.”
“Yes.” Jamie was excited. She knew what he was talking about. “And two boys in a straw boat.”
“Matt and Inti.” She looked at him curiously. “Have you been to the library?”
The question was so unexpected that Jamie was taken aback. “What library?” he asked.
“In the dream world.”
“No. I never saw any buildings.”
“Forget it.” Scar had lost her train of thought. She gazed into the fire as if she might find it there, then went on. “Anyway, that’s how I first met Matt. He came to me in a dream and he explained everything to me. There were five of us in different countries. He was here. I was where I was. You and Flint were on the other side of the world and Inti … I don’t know where he came from and neither does he. But the point was, we’d all been chosen. We all had these powers and if we could just find each other and come together, we’d have the strength to beat the Old Ones and give the world a new start.”
It hadn’t occurred to Jamie that he might still have his power, that it might have returned to him after the shock at Silent Creek. Could he use it now? Could he reach out to Scott? He decided not to try. In this world, Scott was someone called Flint. He didn’t want to reach him yet. He was afraid of what he might find.
“There were people fighting already,” Scar went on. “People like Finn and Erin and Corian and all the others. There were resistance groups. But they needed us. It’s funny, isn’t it, but it’s like Finn said. They were all adults but they needed five children if they were going to survive. And we needed each other. So we set out to find each other. And that’s how we got here.”
“You’re not making any sense!” Finn taunted her.
“I’m doing the best I can!” Scar snapped back.
She turned to Jamie. “Matt told me I had to escape from the mine, so I did. It was very close. I nearly got caught. But it’s a long story and I’m not going to tell it tonight. All you need to know is that I got away. And at the same time, the others were doing the same thing. Flint and Sapling in one kingdom. Inti in another. We were all leagues away from each other. We’d never met. We hadn’t even known that the others existed. But we used the dreams to speak with each other and Matt told us where to go and eventually four of us met close to a river not far from here, on the other side of the hills. Matt is waiting for us there now. Flint is with him.”
“Where’s the boy you call Inti?”
“He’s not there yet. He had the furthest to travel. But he should arrive with the break of day.”
“And then… ?” Jamie asked the question but he already knew the answer. There was a queasy feeling in his stomach.
“There will be a battle. It’s been predicted for ages. If the five of us can reach one another, we will win. If we can’t, the world will come to an end.”
She reached out and Finn threw her a water bottle. In that single movement, Jamie saw how well the two of them knew each other. She hadn’t asked. He had known what she wanted. She hadn’t looked round. Yet she knew he would have it ready for her.
“How did you find me?” Jamie asked. “The fortress or whatever it was. You came there … and it was like you were expecting me.”
“We weren’t expecting you,” Scar replied.
“Then why were you there?”
She took a long drink, then used the back of her hand to wipe her mouth. When she continued talking, her voice was low.
“It’s because of what happened two days ago,” she said.
“Tell me!”
“It was Matt.” She paused. “I’ve already explained to you. We had to meet, the five of us, to win. And we were so close … but there was a problem. The Old Ones knew that Inti was coming and they positioned their entire army between him and us. They were searching for him everywhere. You saw the fly-soldiers today. Well, there were hundreds more like them as well as shape-changers and fire riders. Inti was pinned down. He had to hide. He didn’t dare move any nearer.”
“How did Matt know?”
“Matt always knows! And two nights ago he called a meeting between the four of us. He said there was only one way to help Inti and that was to send out a small force to a place called Scathack Hill. There was a fortress there and he said that we’d find something that would help us in the fight against the Old Ones. Of course, Finn offered to go. There isn’t a single soldier who wouldn’t gladly volunteer to do anything Matt wants. But he said it had to be one of us. One of the Five.”
Scar paused a second time and when she began speaking again, Jamie was astonished to see that there were tears in her eyes.
“We believed him,” she said. “Why shouldn’t we? He had always been right before. But even so, it seemed crazy – when finally there were four of us there – to separate once again. But he insisted. He wouldn’t let me go. It had to be either Sapling or Flint. He took them into his tent and spoke to them, and an hour later, Sapling came out, got onto his horse and rode off. A hundred men went with him. He didn’t say anything to me, but I saw his face and I’ll never forget his look. It was as if he knew what was going to happen. And none of the soldiers asked an
y questions. He ordered and they followed.”
Her voice cracked.
“You know what happened next,” she said. “Scathack Hill was where we found you. The Old Ones must have known about the expedition because they sent a huge force in pursuit. You saw the result. The moment Sapling arrived, they surrounded him and closed in. The battle lasted almost an entire day. Sapling was incredibly brave. But he was hopelessly outnumbered with nowhere to go. His soldiers died all around him … all but two of them. The Old Ones let them live, not out of mercy, but so they could come back and tell the rest of us. Sapling was left almost to the end. He was badly wounded, but he kept fighting and the last time they saw him he was leading a charge, trying to break out, to get back to us.
“They cut him down. He took three arrows in his chest but he still kept fighting. But then the enemy soldiers closed in and hacked him to pieces, laughing as they did it. Even when he was dead they wouldn’t leave him alone. Some of them cut off fingers for souvenirs. He had long black hair and they cut that off too. Then they built a fire and burnt the rest and sent just two men back to tell us what had happened.”
“So it was all over.” Jamie whispered the words.
“That’s what we thought. Inti was still surrounded – but even if he did manage to reach us, it wouldn’t matter. There never would be five of us. He was too late.”
“But what was at Scathack Hill?” Jamie asked. “What was so important in the first place?”
“There was nothing there.” Scar’s voice was cold. “The two men told us that. Matt had been wrong from the start. The fortress was empty and abandoned. Sapling had died for nothing.”
Scar fell silent. She’d had enough.
“Finish the story,” Finn murmured. He reached out and touched her gently on the arm. “The boy needs to know. The next part matters too.”
Scar nodded slowly.
“I never wanted to see Matt again,” she said. “I thought he’d betrayed us. I thought he’d brought us all this way for nothing. To be honest, I hated him. I hated him almost as much as the Old Ones. But then, last night, he came to me – and what he said to me … I wanted to scream at him. But you don’t scream at Matt. When you meet him, you’ll understand.
“He told me to take part of the army and ride to the ruined city where we are now – but after that I was to go on alone to Scathack Hill, just with Finn, Erin and Corian. He said it was still important to bring back what I found there and, even though he knew I was angry about what had happened to Sapling, I’d understand why he’d died.” Scar frowned. “At first I didn’t believe him. I hated him and I didn’t even want to listen. But Finn persuaded me and so we set off. We left everyone here and went on alone. And when we got to Scathack Hill, we found you. That’s why I cried when I saw you. I thought you were Sapling.”
“Maybe he is,” Finn growled.
“Are you?” Scar turned to Jamie. She was almost pleading with him. “Because we need you to be. Tomorrow we fight the Old Ones for the last time. They’re waiting for us, less than half a league from where we’re sitting now. We need you to be one of us.”
Jamie tried to collect his thoughts.
“I’m Jamie,” he said. Suddenly, he was tired. “I’m sorry,” he went on. “I wish I could be the person you want me to be, but I don’t think I am.”
“Then it’s over,” Scar replied. “Sapling is dead and the Old Ones have won.”
She got up and walked off into the dark.
FROST
Jamie woke slowly the next morning and, before he had even opened his eyes, he sent out his thoughts, searching for his brother. It was instinctive, something he did automatically. He knew there would be no reply.
Scott. Where are you… ?
But this time it was different.
Here!
The single word came back, very faint, from somewhere far away. Jamie sat bolt upright, fully awake in an instant. That was when he saw where he was. He was lying on the temple floor, dressed in the clothes he had worn the day before and wrapped in the same blanket that he had used as a saddle. One side of his body was numb and there was a crick in his neck. In fact most of his bones were aching; he was surprised he’d managed to sleep at all. He groaned quietly and raised himself up on an elbow. Erin was on the other side of the temple, relighting the fire, stirring the embers with his metal hand.
Had it been Scott who had replied? Jamie tried again, visualizing his brother.
Scott, are you there… ?
But this time there was silence and Jamie wondered if he hadn’t simply imagined his brother’s voice while he was still half asleep. Scott wasn’t here. As far as these people were concerned, Scott didn’t even exist. Jamie looked around. Nobody had noticed that he had woken up. Erin was lifting a pot of water onto the flames. Corian was sitting near by, sharpening his sword between two stones. There was no sign of Scar or Finn.
So what had happened? How had he got here? Still lying on the hard ground, Jamie went back over everything that had happened, trying to make sense of it. All he knew for certain was that he had arrived at the end of a long war between mankind and creatures who called themselves the Old Ones. And the hopes of all humanity rested on five teenagers. Matt was their leader. Then there was Scar and a boy called Inti, who was near but who had yet to arrive. And finally two brothers … twins. Flint and Sapling.
That was the most difficult part. As far as everyone was concerned, Jamie was Sapling. And that meant he was expected to fight in the battle that was going to begin just a few hours from now. The thought of it made him tremble. He didn’t know anything about swords or arrows. And now here he was in the middle of a war of his own and he was hopelessly out of his depth.
And yet…
That wasn’t quite true. Only the day before he had snatched up a sword from a dead soldier and fought hand-to-hand with a creature twice his size. He had known exactly what to do – and he had won. Admittedly Scar had arrived in time to finish off the man-scorpion, but only after Jamie had cut off its tail and stabbed it almost to the heart. And that wasn’t the only thing. Although he had never sat on a horse in his life, he had ridden many miles, trotting, cantering, even galloping. And right now he wasn’t even stiff. It was as if his body was used to spending long hours in the saddle.
What did it mean?
He wasn’t Sapling. He was Jamie Tyler. But Sapling seemed to be part of him. The two of them were the same age. They looked the same and had the same skills, even if they had been born thousands of miles and perhaps thousands of years apart.
There was a movement at the entrance to the temple and Finn appeared, carrying a water bottle. He came over and handed it to Jamie.
“You’re awake,” Finn said. “Did you have any dreams?”
“I was too tired for dreams.” Jamie sat up, took the water bottle and drank. “Where does the water come from if the rivers are poisoned?” he asked.
“We have wells, but they have to go deep.”
Jamie was aware that Finn was examining him. In his own way, Finn was as beaten about as the city in which they had spent the night. His hair had turned grey too soon. The scar on his cheekbone had been left by a wound that had cut deep. His eyes, soft grey and watchful, had seen too much pain.
Jamie handed back the water bottle. “Thank you,” he said.
“Sapling…”
“I’m not him.” Jamie shook his head. “I know you want me to be. I know he was your friend. But I’m not.”
“Maybe not,” Finn said. “But today you have to be.”
“Then tell me about him. And tell me about Scar. How did the two of you meet?”
Finn sat down next to Jamie. There was obviously some sort of activity going on outside. Jamie could hear the clatter of hooves, the occasional whinny. The army was assembling in the main square just outside the temple. They were preparing themselves for the last march to war. But for the moment Finn seemed content to let them get ready on their own.
&nbs
p; “I met Scar four seasons ago,” he began. “Before the snow arrived. I had travelled far and I was resting with my back against a wall, wondering what to do next. There was a door in a wall and it opened and she appeared … just like that. She was lucky in a way. If my sword had been in my hand I might have killed her before I realized who she was, but I’d been careless and left it with the horse. She told me her name, but I didn’t ask her where she had come from even though – and this is the strange thing – the door in the wall didn’t lead anywhere. It was just a ruined wall. She knew where she was going. That was all that mattered. And I decided to go with her.
“She and I travelled together for a while and I looked after her. She was different then from how she is today. She was more scared – though it would be best not to tell her I said so. She said she was searching for someone called Matt, a boy she had seen in her dreams. I thought she was mad. But then we found him – or he found us – and suddenly I saw it was all true.”
“And Sapling… ?”
“I can’t help you there. It’s all beyond my understanding. You look like him. You sound like him. And if I didn’t know for certain that he had been killed and his body burned, I’d say you were him.”
“What year is this?”
Finn shrugged. “It’s the year after the one before. I’ve heard it said there were numbers once but that was long ago and they’ve all been forgotten.”
“The Old Ones…”
“That’s right. They’ve made life miserable and painful but at least they’ve made it short.” Finn thought for a moment, then got to his feet. “Come with me,” he said. “I have something to show you.”
Jamie rolled himself out of his blanket and followed Finn across the floor to the far wall, where there was a doorway he hadn’t noticed before. It led into a small circular room with a ceiling that was vaulted and painted blue with gold stars. The walls had once been painted too but now there was nothing left, any images scratched out of existence.