Part 46 (1/2)

'No harm done,' he said as Mounce pulled him up. 'Just a sprained ankle and a lot of old bones. All the same, I'd be happier if we camped outside. I'm glad we're not spending the night down there there.'

Yara searched his face. 'I heard crashes. I was sure you were all dead.'

'The floor collapsed a couple of times,' he said more casually than he felt. 'I had to nip out of the way, quick smart.'

'You could have been killed. And the girls.'

'All of the monks remained here,' he went on quietly. 'They were slaughtered by the scrutators. What a hideous place.'

'You risked your life for my children, Nish,' Yara said. 'I'll never forget it. I'm sorry about before. I was wrong about you.' She gave him a brief, grateful hug. Tears fell on his neck, and that was that.

Nish lay awake for ages that night, watching the wheeling stars and thinking about what he had seen down below. Why had the Council visited such savagery on a harmless, pacifist order? It made a mockery of their claims that they acted only in the best interests of humanity. Nish decided that he had to know more about the scrutators, and what was behind them.

They rode through dense forest for five more days. The weather was good, sunny above the forest but cool and shaded within. It rained once, though only a shower of misty drops reached them.

'How far now?' Nish asked as they were taking breakfast by a stream whose pebbly bottom was perfectly clear. It was broad but shallow; the twins were frolicking in the water.

'We'll be there this afternoon.'

The ground had been climbing for some time, and across the stream they struck a path that wound up into hills that grew ever steeper. When they stopped for lunch the horses were plodding. The trees still extended in every direction, making it impossible to see where they were headed.

At the top they entered a clearing whose edge was marked by an old stone wall, partly collapsed and covered in moss. The trees hung over it. A wooden gate had once closed the path but only rotting timbers hung from the hinges. They rode across a meadow of cropped gra.s.s, by a cl.u.s.ter of roofless cottages. The inside walls were scarred by fire. The place made Nish s.h.i.+ver. More work of the scrutators?

On the other side, they looked over a shallow cliff. A river, broad, deep and entrenched into its valley, looped across a green floodplain. Below, the narrowest part of one loop had been cut through to make a dome-shaped island a third of a league across.

It was a pretty place, with orchards and vineyards higher up and lush meadows stretching down to the river. On top of the hill stood a large villa or chateau, built entirely of timber so old that it shone silvery in the sun. It was all verticals. The roofs rose in steeples, at least a dozen of them, covered in s.h.i.+ngles. Verandas extended on all sides, in and out and in again. Everywhere he looked was another detail to distract the eye.

'It's stronger than it seems,' said Yara. 'Morgadis has stood for twelve hundred years, and troubled no one in that time.'

'Has anyone troubled it?'

'Many times, but eternal vigilance is our watchword.'

'How pretty and peaceful it appears.'

'No one has worked harder than Mira for peace.'

'And yet she has lost a husband and three sons,' said Nish. 'I would do anything to end this conflict.'

'You will have much to talk about, in that case, though I would advise you to choose your words with particular care.'

FORTY.

The river, the princ.i.p.al defence of Morgadis, ran fast and deep. No horse could have swum it, while waterfalls upstream and rapids downstream restricted the use of boats to a couple of leagues either side of the island. A rope bridge, supporting a plank walkway, was the only way in or out. It hung low to the water and Nish did not like the look of it. How was he going to lead his horse across that?

Fortunately he did not have to, for people appeared out of the forest and took the animals away. Mounce went with them. After an exchange of signals with the other side, they went across on foot.

The bridge held no fears for Yara or the children, who had crossed it many times. Nish followed, trying to appear nonchalant. It swayed underfoot and he was uncomfortably aware of the weight of his pack. If he fell in it would take him all the way to the bottom. But then, if he fell in he would drown anyway, for Nish was a poor swimmer.

He reached the other side in safety. To his left was a timber boatshed with two dinghies propped against one wall. Beyond were stacks of sawn timber and a partly erected timber frame, perhaps an extension to the boatshed. He followed the others up the hill, thinking of a cool drink and, with any sort of luck, a long scrub in a hot bath.

Up a steep series of steps, they turned onto a broad veranda. There they were met by a small woman, a head shorter than her sister, trim of figure and with neat, regular features, though set in hard lines. Her eyes were crinkled as though laughter had once not been far away, but no longer. Her lush brown hair was threaded with grey yet she could not have been more than thirty-five. She did not look anything like Yara.

They embraced. 'I thought ...' the woman bit her lip.

'What?' smiled Yara.

'That I would never see you again, or the twins. Everyone I love goes away and they don't come back.'

'I will always come back,' said Yara. 'Liliwen, Meriwen?'

They embraced their aunt, who then turned, looking questioningly at Nish.

'My sister, Mira,' said Yara. 'Mira, this is Cryl-Nish Hlar, known to his friends as Nish. He has escorted us all this way.'

'I'm pleased to meet you, Mira,' said Nish, holding out his hand.

Mira's hand stopped halfway. 'Hlar?' she said, studying his features. 'Is he related to that warmongering perquisitor, Jal-Nish?'

'His father is Jal-Nish Hlar, now acting scrutator for Einunar,' said Yara.

Mira let her hand fall to her side. 'I'm sorry, Cryl-Nish Hlar, but I don't care what service you have rendered my sister. No Hlar is welcome in my house.'

Nish felt as if he had been slapped across the face. He stepped backwards, gained control of himself and bowed. 'I am not my father, Mira, but if my presence causes you distress I will go at once.'

'Stay,' said Yara, waving her hand at him. 'Mira, know that after the fall of Nilkerrand, Meriwen and Liliwen were lost and wandered alone on the road for a night and a day. Had not Nish befriended them they would have been despoiled and murdered by two of the vilest ruffians in the world. And he has done us further service since. Twice he saved my daughters' lives.'

Mira stared at the girls. She put her hand over her open mouth. Nish thought she was going to scream, though her eyes were as dry as dust.

'They were not harmed,' said Yara, 'though they will remember it to the end of their days.'

Mira threw her arms around the twins and wailed. It went on for ages. Nish looked on uncomfortably. Her eyes were webbed with red.

Yara stood back, head c.o.c.ked to one side. 'And so,' she said when the embrace finally broke up, 'if Nish is not welcome at your house, neither am I, nor my daughters.'

Nish was astonished. Although Yara had thawed since the monastery, he would never have expected her to defend him against her sister.

Mira pulled away, rubbed her eyes and made a supreme effort which dissolved the lines from her face and for a moment made her seem ten years younger. She must have been a striking woman, he thought, before before.

'I am sorry, Nish,' she said, giving him her hand. It was deathly cold. 'No doubt my sister has told you of my troubles. The war has torn out my heart and hacked it to pieces, leaving nothing but the curse of my own life. But that is not your affair. You must be weary. Come inside. The hospitality of my house is yours, though I cannot promise you entertainment.'

'All I look forward to,' said Nish, 'is hot food, cool drink, and a bed wherever I may find one. I swear if you propped me against the fence I would go to sleep.'

Mira managed a smile and once again her face was transformed. 'I can promise you all those things. This house has plenty of vacant beds, including my own.' Her face crumpled, she choked back a sob, then froze her face and turned inside.

Yara said something to Nish with her eyes, though he could not read it. He followed her up the steps. The house was large, efficient and well run. Nish was provided with a handsome room lined with boards, walls and ceiling, looking out onto the veranda and down to the river, where mist was already rising with the evening. His dirty clothes were taken away and shortly a servant knocked at the door.