Part 21 (2/2)
Moonhawk stared from him to the red wooden counter in her hand”I'm to practice? Pray what am I to practice, Master Lute? I saw neither pass nor Witch power”
Lute smiled ”You saw that it was possible” He bent and retrieved his bag ”Cos rove of dyantrees, and there was Karn, tidily laid out along two e lay the fields; to the west, the winter livestock pens
Behind the village rose a hill, showing terrace upon terrace of leafless brown vines
There were folk about on the streets, and Lute's stride lengthened Moonhawk stretched her own long legs to keep the pace, the red counter forgotten for the moment in the pocket of her cloak
”Ho, Master Lute!” A stockyis here at last!”
”And not athe street to where the man stood in the tavern's doorway, Moonhawk a step behind hih the winter?”
The man looked sober ”We lost a few to the cold-oldsters or infants, all The rest of us caed, and Moonhawk caught the edge of his distress against her Witch sense
”You're bound for Veverain's?” he asked, distress sharpening
”Of course I am bound for Veverain's! Aest bed and the e?”
”Not a fool,” the man returned quietly, ”only short of news”
Lute went entirely still Moonhawk, slanting a glance at his face, saw his hten, black eyes abruptly intense
”Our Lady of the Snows has taken Veverain?” he asked,the other's quiet tone
Thehelplessness ”Not-That is to say-Veverain Ah, Goddess take ers through his thinning hair
”It was Roent out to feed the stock onein the thick of winter, and when he didn't come back for the noon meal, Veverain went out to find hiotten to the pens A tree limb-heavy, you understand, with the ice-had come down and crushed him dead”
Lute closed his eyes Moonhawk raised her hand and traced the sign of Passing in the air
”May he be warm, in the Garden of the Goddess”
The tavern-keeper looked at her, startled Lute opened his eyes, hands describing one of his elegant gestures, calling attention to her as if she were a rare gemstone
”Behold, one's apprentice!” he said, but Moonhawk thought his voice sounded strained ”Moonhawk, here is the excellent Oreli, proprietor of the justly renowned tavern, Vain Disguise”
Oreli straightened frohtened, his eyes were rounder than ever”Lady”
Moonhawk inclined her head ”Keeper Oreli Blessings upon you”
He sed, but before he could ain
”When did this tragedy occur, Friend Oreli? You give ?”
”Mourning,” the other h the sound was as sad as any Moonhawk had ever heard ”Youhis hands, palm up, for them both to see
”Rowan died just past ofonly the room they had shared She turned us away, those of us ere her friends, or Rowan's-turned us away, shunned our company and our aid And she just sits in that house by herself, Master Lute Sits there alone in the dark Her sister's arden and put in the early vegetables They say they never see her; that she will not even open the door to kin-and you know, you know, Master Lute!-that Roould never have wanted such a thing!”
”A convivial man, Rowan,” Lute murmured ”He and Veverain ell-matched in that”
”Is she still alive?” Moonhawk asked, somewhat impatiently ”Her kin say that they never see her, that she will not open the door How are they certain that she has not been Called, or that she has not taken some injury?”
”We see the hearth smoke,” Oreli said ”We-the care basket is left full by the door in the s, the basket and the food is still there Often enough, the basket is empty She is alive, that we do know Alive, but dead to life”
Moonhawk frowned ”She has been taking care baskets since Solstice?”
Oreli raised a hand ”A long tiive er here; you do not knoashow Veverain cared for us all When our daughter was ill, we had some of Veverain's baskets-hot soup, fresh bread, tiny wheels of her special cheese-you remember Veverain's cheeses, eh, Master Lute?”
”With fondness and anticipation,” Lute replied, sorows old,” he murmured
Abruptly, he bowed to the tavern-keeper, cloak swirling
”Friend Oreli, keep you well I hope to visit your fine establish our stay
Immediately, however, the duty of friendshi+p calls I to Veverain, to offer what aid I ht”
”You must try, of course,” Oreli said ”When she turns you away, reuise serves a hearty supper And that Mother Duneper will gladly house you and your apprentice”
Lute inclined his head ”I will remember But, first, let us be certain that Veverain will refuse us” He turned, cloak billowing, and strode off down the street down the street at such a pace that Moonhawk had to run a few steps to catch hie; a long, sprawling place, enclosed by a neat fence, shaded in surown dyantrees The trees, like their kin at the bend in the track, showed a pale green fuzzing along their li of bark and dead branches-winter's toll When the dyantrees ca, indeed
Lute pushed open the ashed gate and went up the graveled pathway, Moonhawk on his heels
The yard they passed through seeed; as if those who had care of it had not come forth with rakes and barrows to clear away the wrack of winter and
There were solect was not the yard's usual state; Moonhawk spied mounds which surely must be flower-beds under drifts of dead leaves,a bird-pool, rocks set here and there hat ht prove to be art, once the debris was cleared away
Gravel crunching under his boots, Lute strode on, to Moonhawk's eye unobservant He was also silent, which rare state spoke to her randiose phrase
The path curved 'round the side of the house, and here were the neat rows of the kitchen garden put in by the niece, a blanket over the s, to shi+eld theht
A few steps ranite step up to a roofed wooden porch A black-and-white cat sat tidily on the porch, co a basket covered with a blue checked cloth
Lute paused on tine step, bent and offered his finger to the cat in greeting