Part 3 (1/2)

The young man caught his breath on the verge of a sob. ”W-What, your Highness?”

”Go to Isgrimnur's tent and see if Binabik has returned. The troll knows something of healing. We will have him look at young Leleth.”

Jeremias, only too glad to have something useful to do, hurried out.

”In truth,” Josua said, ”I no longer know what to think of all that has happened tonight-but I must admit that I am very fearful for Miriamele. d.a.m.n her frowardness.” He clutched Vorzheva's blanket in his fingers and twisted it in frustration.

There had been no change in Leleth's condition when Jeremias returned with Binabik and Aditu. The little man inspected the girl closely.

”I have seen her being like this before,” he said. ”She is gone away somewhere, to the Road of Dreams or some other place.”

”But surely she has never been like this for so long,” Josua said. ”I cannot help but think it has something to do with the night's happenings. Could the Norn poison have made her this way, Aditu?”

The Sitha kneeled beside Binabik and lifted the little girl's eyelids, then laid her slim fingers below Leleth's ear to feel how swiftly her heart beat. ”I do not think so. Surely this one,” she indicated Jeremias, ”would also have been struck if the Kei-vishaa had spread so far.”

”Her lips are moving!” Jeremias said excitedly. ”Look!”

Although she still lay as if deeply asleep, Leleth's mouth was indeed opening and closing as though she would speak.

”Silence.” Josua leaned closer, as did most of the others in the room.

Leleth's lips worked. A whisper of sound crept out. ”... hear me hear me ...” ...”

”She said something!” Jeremias exulted, but was stilled by a look from the prince.

”... I will speak anyway. I am fading. I have only a short time left. I will speak anyway. I am fading. I have only a short time left. ” The voice that issued from the little girl's mouth, though thin and breathy, had a familiar cadence. ” The voice that issued from the little girl's mouth, though thin and breathy, had a familiar cadence.

”... There is more to the Norns than we suspect, I think. They play some double game... Tonight was not a feint There is more to the Norns than we suspect, I think. They play some double game... Tonight was not a feint, but something even more subtle ... but something even more subtle ...”

”What's wrong with the child?” Gutrun said nervously. ”She's never spoken before-and she sounds wrong.”

”That is Geloe speaking.” Aditu spoke calmly, as though she identified a familiar figure coming up the road.

”What?” The d.u.c.h.ess made the Tree sign, her eyes wide with fear. ”What witchcraft is this?”

The Sitha leaned close to Leleth's ear. ”Geloe?” she said. ”Can you hear me?”

If it was the wise woman, she did not seem to hear her friend's voice. ”... Remember what Simon dreamed Remember what Simon dreamed ... ... the false messenger. the false messenger. ” There was a pause. When the voice resumed it was quieter, so that all in the room held their breath in an effort not to obscure a word. ”... ” There was a pause. When the voice resumed it was quieter, so that all in the room held their breath in an effort not to obscure a word. ”... I am dying. Leleth is here with me somehow, in this ... dark place. I have never understood her completely, and this is strangest of all. I think I can speak through her mouth, but I do not know if anyone is listening. My time is short. Remember: beware a false messenger.... ” I am dying. Leleth is here with me somehow, in this ... dark place. I have never understood her completely, and this is strangest of all. I think I can speak through her mouth, but I do not know if anyone is listening. My time is short. Remember: beware a false messenger.... ”

There was another long, silent interval. When everyone was certain that they had heard the last, Leleth's lips moved again. moved again. ” ”I am going now. Do not mourn me. I have had a long life and did what I wished to do. If you would remember me, remember that the forest was my home. See that it is respected. I will try to send Leleth back, although she does not want to leave me. Farewell. Remember... ” Do not mourn me. I have had a long life and did what I wished to do. If you would remember me, remember that the forest was my home. See that it is respected. I will try to send Leleth back, although she does not want to leave me. Farewell. Remember... ”

The voice faded. The little girl again lay like one dead.

Josua looked up. His eyes were bright with tears. ”To the last,” he said, almost in anger, ”she tried to help us. Oh, G.o.d the Merciful, she was a brave soul.”

”An old soul,” Aditu said quietly, but did not elaborate. She seemed shaken.

Though they sat around the bedside in heavy, mournful silence for some time, Leleth did not stir any more. Geloe's absence seemed even more powerful, more devastating than it had earlier in the evening. Other eyes besides Josua's filled with tears of sorrow and fear as the realization of the company's loss settled in. The prince began to speak quietly of the forest woman, praising her bravery, wit, and kindness, but no one else seemed to have the heart to join in. At last he sent them all off to rest. Aditu, saying that she felt no need to sleep, stayed to watch over the child in case she awakened in the night. Josua lay down fully dressed beside his wife, ready for whatever calamity might befall next. Within moments, he had fallen into a deep, exhausted slumber.

In the morning, the prince awakened to discover Aditu still watching over Leleth. Wherever the child's spirit had journeyed with Geloe, it had not yet returned.

Not long afterward, Hotvig and his men rode into camp, weary and empty-handed.

2.

Ghost Moon

Simon and Miriamele rode in near-silence, the princess leading as they made their way down into the valley on the far side of the hills. After they had gone a league or more, Miriamele turned them north so that they were riding back along the same track the company had taken on its way to Gadrinsett. rode in near-silence, the princess leading as they made their way down into the valley on the far side of the hills. After they had gone a league or more, Miriamele turned them north so that they were riding back along the same track the company had taken on its way to Gadrinsett.

Simon asked her why.

”Because there are already a thousand fresh hoofprints here,” Miriamele explained. ”And because Josua knows where I'm going, so it would be stupid to head straight that way in case they find out we've left tonight.”

”Josua knows where we're going?” Simon was disgruntled. ”That's more than I do.”

”I'll tell you about it when we're far enough that you can't ride back in one night,” she said coolly. ”When I'm too far away for them to catch me and bring me back.”

She would not answer any more questions.

Simon squinted at the bits of refuse that lined the wide, muddy track. A great army of people had crossed this way twice now, along with several other smaller parties that had made their way to Sesuad'ra and New Gadrinsett; Simon thought it would be a long time before the gra.s.s grew on this desolated swath again.

I suppose that's where roads come from, he thought, and grinned despite his weariness. he thought, and grinned despite his weariness. I never thought about it before. Maybe someday it will be a real king's road, with set stones and inns and way stations... and I saw it when it was nothing but a hoof-gouged track. I never thought about it before. Maybe someday it will be a real king's road, with set stones and inns and way stations... and I saw it when it was nothing but a hoof-gouged track.

Of course, that was presuming that whatever happened in the days to come, there would be a king who cared about roads. From what Jeremias and others had told him about the state of affairs at the Hayholt, it didn't seem very likely that Elias was worrying about such things.

They rode on beside the Stefflod, which glowed silver in the moon's ghostly light. Miriamele remained uncommunicative, and it seemed to Simon that they rode for days on end, although the moon had not yet moved much past the midpoint of the sky. Bored, he watched Miriamele, admiring how her fair skin took the moonlight, until she, irritated, told him to stop staring at her. Desperate for diversion, he then considered the Canon of Knighthood and Camaris' teachings; when that failed to hold his interest for more than half a league, he quietly sang all the Jack Mundwode songs he knew. Later, after Miriamele had rebuffed several more attempts at conversation, Simon began counting the stars that dotted the sky, numerous as grains of salt spilled on an ebony tabletop.

At last, when Simon was certain that he would soon go mad-and equally certain that a full week must have pa.s.sed during this one long night-Miriamele reined up and pointed to a copse of trees standing on a low hill some three or four furlongs from the wide rut of the infant road.

”There,” she said. ”We'll stop there and sleep.”

”I don't need to sleep yet,” Simon lied. ”We can ride longer if you want to.”

”There's no point. I don't want to be out in the open in daylight tomorrow. Later, when we're farther away, we can ride when it's light.”

Simon shrugged. ”If you say so.” He had wanted this adventure, if that was what it was, so he migh as well endure it as cheerfully as possible. In the first moments of their escape he had imagined-during those few brief instants in which he had allowed himself to think at all-that Miriamele would be more pleasant once the immediate worry of discovery had lessened. Instead, she had seemed to grow even more morose as the night wore on.

The trees at the top of the hill grew close together, making an almost seamless wall between their makes.h.i.+ft camp and the road. They did not light a fire-Simon had to admit he could see the wisdom of that-but instead shared some water and a little wine by moonlight, and gnawed on a bit of Miriamele's bread.

When they had wrapped themselves in their cloaks and were lying side by side on their bedrolls, Simon suddenly found that his weariness had fled-in fact, he did not feel the least bit sleepy. He listened, but although Miriamele's breathing was quiet and regular, she did not sound like she was sleeping either. Somewhere in the trees, a lone cricket was gently sawing away.

”Miriamele?”