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Dern Blackthorn, hero, warrior and Prince of Zerna, led the charge into the Evil Sorcerer's castle. His men, a handpicked army of the best of his elite fighting force, followed behind him, screaming in triumph as the door had at last given way. Dern was slightly curious as to why the sorcerer had not attacked them, but it did not concern him greatly. He was a hero. If there was a secret plan, he would find it and overcome it.

The castle was deserted.

Dern sent his army to sweep the castle and grounds, and went up into the tower where the light of evil magic had shone out across the land. He climbed the long spiral staircase without mishap: no traps or spells challenged him, and he walked into the room at the very top.

It was not at all what he was expecting. It was more like a library with a fireplace and comfortable chair than an Evil Sorcerer's laboratory.

However, in the armchair sat a man who was presumably the Evil Sorcerer himself. He wore black that matched his hair and eyes, but it seemed to Dern as if his face was lined with pain.

"You are the Evil Sorcerer?" Dern asked, drawing his blade.

"I am Thordel, master of this castle, yes," the man replied. "but I would argue on the evil."

"I am Dern Blackthorn, Prince of..."

"Zerna, yes... Is Rathlin still with you?" he asked, somewhat wistfully. Rathlin was Zerna's tame witch.

"Yes. Are you not going to try to kill me, or at least to defend yourself?" Dern asked, as he drew nearer.

For an answer, Thordel drew back his sleeves to reveal black bands on his wrists.

That explained a few things. Someone had bound the Sorcerer with the dark bands of Emin. They were powerful dark magic artefacts made by the most evil man in history. Put on the wrists of any sorcerer, magician, wizard or witch, they would strip the power of the bound away and inflict appalling pain and eventually death.

"Bloody hell!" said Dern. "Who did this to you?"

Thordel winced.

"Apprentice," he said bitterly. "Took my grimoire, staff and my raven. I hope she pecks his eyes out!" the sorcerer's eyes flashed.

"He left you here to die?" the sorcerer nodded. "And you're completely helpless?" Thordel snarled a curse. Dern blinked. "That's a new one to me! Being a hero, I know a few."

"It's a wizard term." Thordel glared defiantly, then closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead. "Gods, it hurts!

Dern sheathed his sword.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"You're not going to kill me?"

"I can't kill someone who can't defend himself. I'm a hero." Thordel shook his head in bemusement.

"Heroes. Come to kill you and then won't do it."

"You don't want me to kill you, do you?"

"I'm going to die anyway."

"I thought they could be removed."

"Yes, but I know of only one person who has the strength and she wouldn't help me. Besides, how would I get there? I can barely walk. I'm fading fast." He cursed again, the apprentice this time, at length. Dern listened, awed. It takes a special kind of cursing to awe a hero.

"I think I'm going to do something very stupid."

"What?" Thordel asked.

"I'm going to take you back to Zerna with me."

"You're mad!"

"I kind of like you, even if you are an Evil Sorcerer." Thordel just stared at him.

"You came here to kill me and instead you're going to save my life?"

"It is Rathlin then, who could do it?"

"Yes. It is Rathlin."

"She has more power than I knew."

"She likes to keep it quiet. She was my first apprentice."<

"She was?"

"Yes. She learned all I could teach her and then some."

"Is she stronger than you?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I don't think so, but maybe."

"Is it true about the circle of steel?" Thordel winced.

"Yes."

"That won't hurt you?"

"Not much."

"Alright, let's go."

Thordel pulled himself to his feet, almost falling with the effort. He stopped, and called to Dern.

"Wait." Dern turned. "He didn't take one thing from me - no-one in the world knew that I had it. Behind the second brick from the left and from the bottom in the back of the fireplace."

Dern removed the brick and found a small package wrapped in velvet. He replaced the brick and opened the cloth. Inside was a dagger that shone brightly. Dern gaped.

"That's Lynisthan!" the blade was enchanted to cut through any substance and had been worn by one of the greatest heroes ever. Its very name meant Lynis's blade.

"It's all I have to offer."

"Thank you!" Dern hung the blade from his belt and led Thordel from the castle.

Dern watched Thordel carefully on the journey back to Zerna. He saw that the sorcerer was on the verge of collapse and it seemed to be pure willpower that was keeping him on his horse. He was watching when, only a few hours from the city, he fell from the horse in a swirl of black robes, and didn't get up.

Dern himself picked up the sorcerer, who seemed to be far too light as if made out of air, and set him on the front of his own horse. He upped the pace to a full gallop back to the castle.

When they made it back, Dern didn't stop to talk to anyone. Taking several of his armed guard, he carried the unconscious sorcerer to Raithlin's tower. Like all wizards and witches, she liked towers. He knocked on her door and waited. She soon opened it.

"Dern? What...? Thordel?" she cried, as she recognised the sorcerer.

"Someone put the dark bands of Emin on him."

"Gods!" Rathlin wore green and her hair was blonde, but her expression was as dark as any Evil Sorcerer's. "No-one deserves that, not even him!"

"Will you help him? He said you were the only one who could."

"He said I could?" she looked strangely touched. "I don't know if I can or not. Or if I want to." Her eyes hardened.

"Please, Rathlin! I have enough men to make a circle of steel."

She shuddered.

"If you're sure. Get them in here."

Rathlin directed Dern to put Thordel on the floor and to lay the swords around him. A warrior stood at each point of the shape the swords made. Rathlin threw a handful of incense on the fire, filling the chamber with a sweet smell. She stepped into the circle, wincing as she did so.

She bent down, putting her hands on the black band. As she touched them, she shuddered and began to chant softly in a language Dern did not recognise.

"He's almost too far gone. I'm not sure if I can reach him," she said. "I'll keep trying."

She continued chanting, and slowly Thordel's eyes opened and he began to chant with her. Rathlin smiled. With a final effort, the bands snapped open. Rathlin flung them away from her.

Thordel's face was suddenly smoothed of the lines of pain, and relief showed clearly on his face. Rathlin staggered to her feet and hobbled to the edge of the circle.

"Give me your hand," she told Dern. She took it and stepped out. Thordel did not move until she was safely out of the circle. "Thordel, are you alright?"

He got to his feet unsteadily. He was obviously exhausted.

"Rathlin. Thank you."

"I almost didn't. But I believe no-one should suffer that."

He looked directly into her eyes: his dark ones met hers of blue.

"I did not kill her, Rath. I swear it on Rithanyol's name."

She gasped, flinched as if struck. It was the Unbreakable Oath.

"Say that in the ritual way," was all she said.

"On Rithanyol's name, I, Thordel ne Simial Akhansen, did not kill nor was responsible for killing Cimmia, your sister."

Rathlin stared at him, then started to cry.

"You didn't kill her?"

"No."

"Who did?"

"I don't know, but I suspect my apprentice." He almost snarled the word.

"Why?"

"Only he had access to the blade that did the deed. My blade."

She stepped into the circle and went to him.

"You gave us your name!"

"You and Dern Blackthorn only."

She looked at him, startled.

"How did you do that? I'm not sure I could do that, even outside a circle of steel."

He smiled thinly.

"Later."

"But you gave us your name."

"Yes. You saved my life."

"It is true?"

"Yes. Test it if you will."

She whispered something.

"It is true. Dern, you can open the circle now."

Dern did as she said without questioning. Both Rathlin and Thordel relaxed as the circle was broken. The warriors lifted their weapons and left the room.

"Sit down," Rathlin invited. "You must both be tired."

Thordel sank into his chair with obvious relief. Dern did the same with less obvious relief, but neither magic worker was fooled. He was shattered.

"Thordel, I know you're exhausted, but would you mind telling us...?"

"It's alright - it's better that I'm too tired to think properly and it will probably limit the special effects too. And hopefully dampen down the field I project." Thordel paused. "I was working on a spell to hide the castle. Just the invisibility was no problem, but I wanted to add an aversion so that no-one would walk into it and work out that it was there. I had my grimoire on the workbench, and I noticed a spell that it would be good for B... my apprentice to study. I told him to come over, and as he leaned past me to look at the book, he clapped the bands on my wrists. It was like having my soul ripped out." He closed his eyes for a moment. "When I came back to myself, I was on my knees. He was laughing. He picked up my staff from where it had fallen and used it to throw me across the room. This was more than enough for my raven to try to attack him. The darling creature flew straight at him. To his credit, he didn't flinch and just put a bind on her." Thordel glanced out of the window, noticing the darkness of the sky and torrential rain. It stopped and brightened abruptly. "Then he picked up the book. Grimoires are protected, of course, and the eye glared at him. It would have tried its worst (which isn't much, most of their magic is in keeping the book's secrets) if he hadn't used a spell that I had discovered myself. I used it for opening dead wizard's books. It's not wise to use it on a living wizard's grimoire, as when it is cast the wizard feels a pain on his forehead as if someone stuck a blade into it. If the wizard's not dead or otherwise incapacitated, you'll get one very annoyed wizard after you. But he used the spell, and took the book as well."

"That wretch!" Rathlin cried.

"I have called him worse than that."

"You will go after him?"

"If Dern Blackthorn will permit it."

"I will go with you. Dern?"

"I have no authority over you, Thordel!" he protested.

"You came to kill me and instead saved my life. I owe you a life debt. I'm not good at serving, but I'll try." Rathlin laughed. "What?"

"Remember when that Lord tried to give you orders?"

"Oh. Him."

"You threw him in the moat!"

"Well, yes, but he was very annoying and I didn't hurt him."

"Thordel, if you don't mind me asking," Dern said. "You don't seem very evil to me."

"I'm not evil."

"Then why does everyone believe you are?"

"That's partly Rath's fault for going around saying I murdered her sister. The rest is mass hysteria."

"You don't help matters by going around in black and glowering and not speaking to anyone and having strange lights shine from your tower and doing things to people who annoy you."

"I've never hurt any of them! I just get rid of them."

"I almost killed you for that?"

Thordel smiled sadly.

"Yes. Reputation is a big thing in this business."

"I'm so sorry I didn't trust you," Rathlin said.

"It did look as if I had done the thing. It was my blade, my skills. My apprentice!" his eyes flashed and there was a clap of thunder. Thordel glanced out of the window and it cut off. "Oops."

"That hasn't changed then," Rathlin smiled. "You still do things to the weather when you're angry!"

"I'm afraid so."

"That was you?" Dern looked amazed.

"I didn't mean to!" Thordel protested.

"That's astonishing! When I first met you, you said that you didn't know if Rathlin was stronger than you. Is she?" Dern asked, curiously.

Thordel turned to Rathlin and they locked eyes. They held it for a good while, but it was Rathlin who turned away, gasping.

"The gap has closed a little, but you are still master, Thordel."

"So it seems."

"Now tell me how you told Dern and me your name, but none of the others."
> "I did not speak it aloud. I projected it to the both of you."

"Very clever."

"What does it mean that you told us your name?" Dern asked.

It was Rathlin who answered him.

"A true name, such as the one Thordel gave us, has real power. For example, if I said: Thordel ne Simial Akhansen, look at me..."

"Hey!" Thordel protested, as his head was wrenched around. She grinned at him. He mock-glared at her and smiled as her hair un-braided itself.

"That took me ages!" Rathlin cried.

"Serves you right."

"Why did you give us your name? I would not have asked it of you."

"It was a gift. I know yours, after all."

"I had forgotten that. I told you, didn't I?"

"The day you left... I also gave it to you so that you wouldn't have to fear me and would let me out of that horrible steel."

Rathlin grinned.

"I forgot how much you hate steel."

"It prickles!"

"Poor Thordel." She mocked him gently. There was a pause.

"I'm so glad to see you, Rath."

The next morning, Thordel had his full power at his disposal again. When Dern came to visit him, he barely recognised the man who had nearly died under the dark bands of Emin. Thordel no longer looked deathly ill, nor exhausted, and seemed at least ten years younger. He still looked very evil sorcerer like in his black, but Dern trusted him.

"You're going after him?"

"Yes. It's not just that he stripped me of everything and left me to die, not that he has my things, or even that he is dangerous. I trusted him."

"I understand. Rathlin's going with you?"

"I am," Rathlin said, coming into the room.

Dern watched in astonishment as the two magic workers became ravens before his eyes and flew out of the window.

Dern waited. Three days later, he saw a series of explosions of light on the horizon. In another two, Thordel and Rathlin returned. Thordel bore a cut on one cheek, but other than that they were unharmed. He carried a staff and a raven sat on his shoulder. Tucked under Rathlin's arm was a book, presumably Thordel's grimoire.

"You have won?" Dern asked.

"Yes," Thordel replied.

"He was wonderful!"

"And you came back here?"

"I owe you a life debt." Thordel smiled. "I'll do my best to serve you."

He did. And that is why Dern Blackthorn was a hero.

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