Part 24 (1/2)

Vorzheva reached out her hand and clasped Aditu's fingers. ”Tell me what you have seen today. Did you go to Leleth?”

The Sitha nodded, her silver-white hair swinging. ”Yes. She is just a few rooms away-but there is no change. And she is growing very thin. I mix nurturing herbs with the small draughts of water she will swallow, but even that is not enough, I fear. Something still tethers her to her body-to look at her she seems only to be sleeping-but I wonder how much longer that tie will hold.” A troubled look seemed to pa.s.s over Aditu's alien face. ”This is another way that Geloe's pa.s.sing has lessened us. Surely the forest woman would know some root, some leafy thing that might draw Leleth's spirit back.”

”I'm not sure,” Gutrun said without looking up. ”That child was never more than half here-I know, and I cared for her and held her as much as anyone. Whatever happened to her in the forest when she traveled with Miriamele, those dogs and merciful Usires only knows what else, it took a part of her away.” She paused. ”It's not your fault, Aditu. You've done all that anyone could, I'm sure.”

Aditu turned to look at Gutrun, but betrayed no change of expression at the d.u.c.h.ess' conciliatory tone. ”But it is sad,” was all she said.

”Sad, yes,” Gutrun replied. ”G.o.d's wishes often make His children sad. We just don't understand, I suppose, what He plans. Surely after all she suffered, He has something better in mind for little Leleth.”

Aditu spoke carefully. ”I hope that is so.”

”And what else do you have to tell me?” Vorzheva asked. ”I guessed about Leleth. You would have told me first if there was any new thing.”

”There is not much else to relate. The Duke of Nabban's forces have fallen back a little farther, but soon they will stop and fight again. Josua and the others are trying to arrange a truce so that they can stop the fighting and talk.”

”Will these Nabbanai talk to us?”

Aditu shrugged sinuously. ”I sometimes wonder if I understand even the mortals I know best. As to those who are completely strange to me ... I certainly cannot offer any firm idea as to what these men may do. But the Nabbanai general is a brother of the ruling duke, I am told, so I doubt that he will be very sympathetic to anything your husband has to say.”

Vorzheva's face contorted. She gasped, but then waved the solicitous Aditu back. ”No, I am well. It was just a squeezing.” After a moment she took a deep breath. ”And Josua? How is he?”

The Sitha looked to Gutrun, who raised her eyebrows in a gesture of amused helplessness. ”He was just here this morning, Vorzheva,” the d.u.c.h.ess said. ”He is not in the fighting.”

”He is well,” Aditu added. ”He asked me to send his regards.”

”Regards?” Vorzheva sat up. ”What sort of word is that from a man, from a husband? Regards?”

”Oh, Elysia, Mother of Mercy,” Gutrun said in disgust. ”You know that he cares for you, Vorzheva. Let it go.”

The Thrithings-woman sank back, her hair spreading against the pillow like a s.h.i.+ning dark cloth. ”It is only because I cannot do anything. Tomorrow I will be stronger. Tomorrow I will walk to where I can see the battle.”

”Only if you can drag me me that far,” said the d.u.c.h.ess. ”You should have seen her, Aditu-she couldn't stand this morning, the pains were so dreadful. If I had not caught her, she would have fallen down right on the stone floor.” that far,” said the d.u.c.h.ess. ”You should have seen her, Aditu-she couldn't stand this morning, the pains were so dreadful. If I had not caught her, she would have fallen down right on the stone floor.”

”If she is strong enough,” Aditu said, ”then for her to walk is certainly good-but carefully, and not too great a distance.” She paused, looking at the Thrithings-woman carefully. ”I think perhaps you are too excitable to look at the battle, Vorzheva.”

”Hah.” Vorzheva's disgust was plain. ”You said your people hardly ever have children. Why are you now so wise about what I should do?”

”Since our birthings are so infrequent, we take them all the more seriously.” Aditu smiled regretfully. ”I would greatly love to bear a child one day. It has been a privilege to be with you while you carry yours.” She leaned forward and pulled back the coverlet. ”Let me listen.”

”You will only say that the baby is too unhappy to go walking tomorrow,” Vorzheva complained, but she did not prevent Aditu from laying a golden cheek against her tautly rounded stomach.

Aditu shut her upturned eyes as though she were falling asleep. For a long moment, her thin face seemed set in almost perfect repose. Then her eyes opened wide, a flas.h.i.+ng of brilliant amber. ”Venyha s'ahn!” ”Venyha s'ahn!” she hissed in surprise. She lifted her head for a moment, then placed her ear back against Vorzheva's belly. she hissed in surprise. She lifted her head for a moment, then placed her ear back against Vorzheva's belly.

”What?” Gutrun was out of her chair in a heartbeat, st.i.tchery tumbling to the floor. ”The child! Is the child ... is something wrong?”

”Tell me, Aditu.” Vorzheva was lying perfectly still, but her voice cracked at the edges. ”Do not spare me.”

The Sitha began to laugh.

”Are you mad?” Gutrun demanded. ”What is it?”

Aditu sat up. ”I am sorry. I was marveling at the continuing astonishment I feel around you mortals. And when I think that my own people count themselves lucky if we birth a handful of children in a hundred years!”

”What are you talking about?” Gutrun snapped. Vorzheva looked too frightened to ask any more questions.

”I am talking about mortals, about the gifts you have that you do not know.” She laughed again, but more quietly. ”There are two heartbeats.”

The d.u.c.h.ess stared. ”What... ?”

”Two heartbeats,” Aditu said evenly. ”Two children are growing inside of Vorzheva.”

12.

Sleepless in Darkness in Darkness

Simon's disappointment was an emptiness deep and hollow as the barrow in which they stood. ”It's gone,” he whispered. ”Bright-Nail isn't here.” was an emptiness deep and hollow as the barrow in which they stood. ”It's gone,” he whispered. ”Bright-Nail isn't here.”

”Of that there is being little doubt.” In the torchlight, Binabik's face was grim. ”Qinkipa of the Snows! I almost am wis.h.i.+ng we did not find out until we had come here with Prince Josua's army. I do not wish to take him such news.”

”But what could have happened to it?” Simon stared down at the waxen face of Prester John as though the king might wake from his deathly sleep to give an answer.

”It seems plain to me that Elias knew its value and took it away. I am not doubting it is sitting in the Hayholt now.” The troll shrugged; his voice was heavy. ”Well, we knew always that we must be taking Sorrow from him. Two swords or one seems to me a small difference only.”

”But Elias couldn't have taken it! There was no hole until we dug one!”

”Perhaps he was taking it out shortly after John was buried. The marks would be gone after such a time pa.s.sing.”

”That doesn't make any sense,” Simon stubbornly insisted. ”He could have kept it in the first place if he wanted it. Towser said said that Elias hated it-that he couldn't wait to get rid of it.” that Elias hated it-that he couldn't wait to get rid of it.”

”I have no certain answers, Simon. It is being possible that King Elias did not know its value then, but heard of it later. Perhaps Pryrates was discovering its power and so had it removed. There are many things possible.” The troll pa.s.sed his torch to Simon, then crawled off the wale of Prester John's boat and began to clamber back up toward the hole they had made. The twilit sky shone through, blue-gray and muddy with clouds.

”I don't believe it.” Simon's hands, weary with digging, painfully sore still from the ordeal in Hasu Vale, hung limply in his lap. ”I don't want want to believe it.” to believe it.”

”The second, I am afraid, is the truer thing,” Binabik said kindly. ”Come, friend Simon, we will see if Miriamele has made a fire. Some hot soup will be making the situation a little easier for thinking about.” He climbed to the lip of the hole and wriggled out, then turned. ”Hand the torches to me, then I will be helping you out.”

Simon barely heard the troll's words. His attention abruptly caught by something, he held both torches higher, leaning out over the boat once more to stare at the base of the barrow's far wall.

”Simon, what are you seeking still?” Binabik called. ”We have already nearly turned the poor king's body overside-up in searching.”

”There's something on the other side of the mound. Something dark.”

”Oh?” A trace of alarm crept into Binabik's tone. ”What dark something are you seeing?” He leaned farther in through the entrance they had dug, blocking the view of the sky.

Simon took both torches in one hand, then slid along the wale of Sea-Arrow Sea-Arrow until he could get close enough to confirm his suspicions. ”It's a hole!” until he could get close enough to confirm his suspicions. ”It's a hole!”