Part 18 (1/2)

”I felt nothing,” the seer said, and a bit of fear showed on his face. ”My magic should have worked ...

but it did not. I don't know why.”

I felt a flash of anger, then common sense prevailed. Why should Tenedos's craft have done any better than a soldier's?

*Both were but men, and their skills imperfect. I wondered what child had greater prescience than any of us, but never found who had screamed.

We collected the bodies, and prepared them for burial. The ground was frozen hard, so I ordered well-guarded parties out to gather the rocks we'd use to build tombs.

We built the fires up, and made more tea. Once again, I saw Jacoba, b.u.t.tering bits of hard bread. She set her knife down and walked over.

”I never had the chance to thank you,” she said.

”It's not necessary.”

She was silent for a moment ”Just now... whenthey came, I was dreaming of you,” she said, her voice no more than a whisper.

I'm afraid I colored, although she could not have seen it in the dark.

”I, uh, well... I had a dream of you, as well,” I finally managed.

”We were in a boat,” she said dreamily. ”Just the two of us. It was on a lake. Perhaps it was one of the houseboats I've read about, in Urey.” She fell silent. I said nothing, amazed. There was a long silence.

Then she looked up at me.

”Perhaps... perhaps, if we live...” She turned away, suddenly, and went back to her task.

The next morning the storm was worse. The icy walls of Sulem Pa.s.s closed about us, and the wind blew hard from the north.

We were struck four times that day by hillmen. Two or three men would rush out of biding, seize the person or goods they wanted, and disappear. We could not post a soldier every five feet, so we made no kills.

The column was straggling, no matter how hard Troop Guide Bikaner and Three Column at the rear eluded or threatened. I rode up and down the long line, trying to encourage, and when someone was obviously exhausted let them ride Lucan for a spell while I walked alongside. Rabbit and our other spare mounts were already carrying the sick, lame, or old-and there were still too many of the helpless afoot. Each time bandits attacked, we'd take casualties, and the wounded would go into the wagons, further displacing someone who should not be walking.

I learned another lesson that day. I'd disparaged the camp followers the KLI had brought with them as no more than wh.o.r.es. But it was they who nursed the wounded and sick, bringing a bit of mercy and softness to someone's last hour.

We halted an hour before noon, and it took another hour for the last laggard to stumble into camp.

I could have broken up the infantry and sent them into the civilian column to help, but then I'd have lost half my fighting men, and would have no coherent unit to support the middle of the line.

The best I could do was order Two and Four Columns to dismount and use their horses to carry more of the helpless. If we were attacked, they were to help the people out of the saddle, then mount and form up. It was stupid-the time wasted would be more than enough for the Men of the Hills to escape-but I could not watch people in my charge just die.

Laish Tenedos had said little that morning, and now I found him at the front of the column, seemingly unaware of the gale, the snow, or his always-present companion, Karjan. He became aware of me, and turned. His nose and cheeks were beginning to pale with frostbite.

”Snow,” he said musingly, and I thought he was in shock from the cold, ”Damastes, we need more snow.”

I knew he'd gone mad.

”Come. I think I've derived a spell that can help us, if only briefly and slightly.”

He hurried to the wagon that held his magical gear, and took out various bits of paraphernalia. I helped him lug the materials back to where I'd found him. He paced ten steps out into the undisturbed snow.

”Best I cast this where man has not walked,” he said. He used four small candlesticks, each ending in a spike, to make a square on the ground about two feet on each side. Into them he put four small candles, one green, one white, one black, one red.

In the center, he put a small brazier set on a tripod that brought it almost to waist level.

Awkwardly he sprinkled herbs onto the brazier, s.h.i.+elding it with one hand to keep the wind from scattering his material.

Then he prayed, first to our G.o.ddess of the earth, then to the G.o.d whose realm was water ”Jacini, hear We are your children We are the earth Varum take heed I seek now a boon I seek now a loan.

”Grant me this favor Grant me this wish.”

He touched a finger to each candle, and they spurted fire, a high, narrow flame three times the candles'

height.

He held a finger, without burning it, in each of those flames, his lips moving in an incantation, then touched it to the herbs in the brazier. He raised his voice: ”There is peace There is calm All is still All is frozen.

”Time will stop Time must stop You will hear You will heed.”

The herbs began smoldering, and then I saw something truly marvelous. The snowflakes swirling in the s.p.a.ce defined by die four candles froze, as if they'd been cast in an invisible amber, a cube two feet on all sides.

”Good,” Tenedos said. ”Someone... G.o.dornot... approves my wish. Now for the hard part”

His hands moved in a strange series of gestures, and something was born in that brazier. It was dark, speckled with light, and had form, yet no form, and my eyes hurt trying to make it out and I looked away.

Again, Tenedos chanted: ”I have a need You owe a debt I did a boon Now you must serve.”

The dark shadow, or cloud or form, s.h.i.+vered, as if taken by the wind. There was a humming.

”Thak?” Tenedos said. ”He is not of your realm, nor do I wish to strike against him. You will obey me.”

The shadow hummed once more.

”I said youwill obey.” Tenedos's fingers moved in quick gestures, and the humming came once more, and I oddly thought it a groan of pain. The shadow bent, as if bowing in obedience.

”Very well.” Once more Tenedos touched the brazier.

”There are those beyond They are filled with hate They would do us harm They must be turned away.”

The shadow grew tall, taller than a man. Tenedos continued his chant: r*”Varum gave me water This shall be our tool It shall be your weapon It shall not be seen.

”Snow that blinds Snow that hides Cloud the mind Cloud the eyes.

”They shall not see They shall not know We shall pa.s.s We shall pa.s.s.”