Part 10 (1/2)

”I have three brothers. Five sisters.”

Cedrik gave a little sound of disbelief, amazed at how so many people could have lived under the one roof. ”Where are your parents?”

”They moved to a place west of here called Broom. Heard of it? It's only a three-day ride, so I see them more often than I would like. The others not so much. I don't even know where two of my brothers are living. But I couldn't leave. The old hag needs me, you know?”

Cedrik smiled to himself. It was evident Cade loved his grandmother, though he would thrash anyone who said so.

”Besides I like it here,” said Cade. ”I've got work, and my girl's here. I don't have a need to leave.” He stood back from the cleared beds. ”Take your pick.”

”I'm going to sleep in your sister's room,” said Derek, taking himself out the door.

”Touch any of her things, and I'll break your fingers!” Cade called, then turned to Cedrik who was watching Deacon. ”He'll be right when morning comes. You'll see.”

Cedrik pulled back the covers to his a.s.signed bed. ”It is good of you to let us stay here.”

”Not a problem,” came Cade's sleepy answer. ”The mage isn't going to try and murder me in my sleep or anything is he?”

”Only if you talk in your sleep,” said Cedrik.

Cade cast Deacon one more fearful glance before putting out the light.

Chapter20.

Tavern -edrik was the first to wake and was restless. He hadn't anywhere to go. He would not go downstairs to where the old lady was until Cade could accompany him. He had doubts she would remember him from the previous night and wanted to avoid either a fainting spell from her or a broom beating for himself. Soon he was stepping carefully over the clutter with the intent to wake Cade. He stood over him and saw with both amus.e.m.e.nt and alarm that he was gripping a knife in his hand as if it were a stuffed toy.

”Do you always sleep with a weapon in your hand?” Cedrik asked, clearly and distinctly, standing back so the sleeper didn't wake with a start and stab him.

Cade groaned and tugged the blankets up over his shoulder. ”Only when there's a mage sleeping in the bed next to mine.”

Derek appeared at the doorway. Usually it would take his mother to drag him out of bed by his ankles, but evidently the activities of the previous night had given him a new perspective on the city. Squinting out from under his blankets, Cade said, ”You boys up and ready to go, already?”

”We should probably retrieve our things from the inn,” replied Cedrik, sitting down and putting on his boots.

It was a slow and painful process for Cade to get up and moving. For a long moment he sat on the edge of the bed, stooped over. ”Give me a minute,” he muttered in a gravelly voice. He glanced over his shoulder at Deacon bunched up among the blankets. ”See, he knows it's not yet time to get up. It looks like death took him instead of sleep-look at him.” He picked up something to toss at Deacon, but Cedrik caught his wrist.

”Better to let him sleep,” Cedrik said.

They made their way downstairs to the small, cluttered kitchen. There they found a hot breakfast waiting for them and ate as only boys know how. The coffee was hot and strong, and a heaped-up dish with sausages, crispy bacon, eggs, and hot fried cakes was far more pleasing than meals such as Cedrik and Derek had previously made acquaintance with. Grateful for the old woman's hospitality, Cedrik offered his and Derek's a.s.sistance in any way that might prove useful.

”Don't get all fancy. Just eat,” she said and picking up a broom, set to her house ch.o.r.es and let the boys have their breakfast in peace.

”You worked some magic on her. Normally she would have set to work any man staying in her home,” said Cade, putting another spoonful of eggs onto his plate. ”You lads can stay here as long as you need. There's no rush for you to take off.”

”If it's not a problem,” said Cedrik, ”we could find a place more suitable to us in the city if need be?”

”We don't mind the company,” said Cade.

”All right, then,” said Cedrik, pleased. He liked it here. No one would describe the cottage as grand, but there was something altogether homely about it.

Cade wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his s.h.i.+rt. ”There aren't any rules to abide by here. Only mind you don't aggravate the old woman. She can kill a man within five yards of her tongue. Understand?”

”Understood,” said Cedrik uneasily, looking over to see if the grandmother was hearing them, but she was wholly engrossed in her housekeeping.

”If you don't mind my asking,” said Cade, ”what are the two of you doing so far from home? You surely didn't come all this way to enjoy Cheydon's fine weather, now did you?”

”We came here because Deacon wanted to,” said Derek.

Cade blinked vacantly a moment. ”So you mean to say you just follow him around like two little slaves, wherever he goes?”

Cedrik gave a short, uncomfortable laugh. ”No. We only recently suffered misfortune in our family,” he explained. ”Deacon was most affected by it.”

”Ah, I see,” said Cade. ”So you're keeping an eye on him, making certain he doesn't lose his mind and start blowing people limb from limb.”

”We just didn't want him to be alone at such a time,” was Cedrik's brief reply.

”He's not like either of you,” said Cade. ”You certain he's your cousin, and someone's not just having a go at you?” Casually, he resumed breakfasting and without lifting his face asked, ”What side is he from?”

”His mother is sister to our father,” replied Cedrik, a.s.suming that was the question asked.

”No, I mean which elven realm, North or South?” Cade looked up from his plate, chewing, and looked from one to the other, waiting for an answer.

”Northern,” answered Cedrik with a bewildered expression. ”How did you know?”

Cade shrugged. ”He's got that look. There's something a little peculiar about him, if you don't mind my saying so, I mean even for here. We've had elves before, dark elves mostly, mind you, but they do come here sometimes. Is he one of them? Half-blood or something?”

”No,” said Cedrik. ”He lived in Loriendale, but he's got no elven blood.”

”He lived in Loriendale?” Cade looked impressed. ”What business has he with the elves then?”

”His mother was wedded to one of them,” was Cedrik's brief answer.

”I have a cousin who's been to the elves, once or twice,” said Cade. ”Not to any such place as Loriendale, but he's been to Evandale, so he tells me. More likely he had one too many and stumbled into the woods, thinking they were the elves-probably made it with a few trees.”

The brothers said nothing. They thought it best to leave that one alone.

Some hours later Deacon awoke. He was glad to find himself alone. Tossing aside the covers, he struggled from bed, suffering unpleasant aftereffects. His foot hit something, and he looked down to see that his bag had been placed there. Retrieving a few personal items, he crossed over to the washbasin to splash his face with cold water. He shaved and made himself neat, as usual, then made his way downstairs.

He found himself in the company of the old woman jabbing at tangles of cobweb. With all the cleaning she could give the cottage, it would still have been but a place of torment to any woman of refinement. She hadn't yet noticed Deacon, and as she turned, her elbow knocked the ceramic vase off the table. Instead of shattering on the floor it remained suspended. Startled, she looked up to see him standing at the base of the staircase, his hand outstretched. Without apparent effort he kept the object still until she, not without some unease, plucked it from the air and placed it back to its rightful position.

”You're down disgracefully late, boy. Your friends have already come and gone again,” she told him.

His countenance remained impa.s.sive and unfathomable. Straightening her frock over her thin frame, she regarded him with uncertainty and was notably uncomfortable at being alone with the young mage. She had heard of the things they could do: summon apparitions from the nether realms, induce madness with illusion, even bind one to their will and force them to do their bidding.

Hot and fl.u.s.tered, she brushed a frail hand across her brow. It was not entirely inconceivable that her face might once have been rather attractive, though the persistent scowl made it difficult to ascertain what she would have been like in youth.

”I'm stuck with you, am I?” she asked, resuming her usual gruff indifference. Pus.h.i.+ng past him, she said, ”Come to the kitchen.” She was a great deal shorter than Deacon but led him into the cluttered little s.p.a.ce with all the authority of an overbearing parent. ”Sit,” she said and drew out a chair from the breakfast-table. Deacon did as asked. The old woman set a heaped-up plate in front of him. ”You're lucky I kept anything for you. It nearly went to the dogs.”