Part 4 (1/2)

”She hasn't the look of it, no,” Dhulyn said, drawing down her blood-colored brows. ”But then, we have a clear sight of the weapons stall from here, she won't get far on foot, and we've our travel money to Gotterang in any case.” She smiled her wolf's smile, and Parno threw back his head and laughed.

It was not possible for them to stand completely out of everyone's way even so early in the day, but marketers tended to part around the two Brothers with little or no complaint. Mercenary badges often encouraged even the most unruly to mind their manners. They stood facing each other, their eyes drifting apparently aimlessly as they spoke, taking in all of their surroundings, never looking in the same direction at once.

”How is it,” Dhulyn remarked in the night.w.a.tch murmur that would be unintelligible to any pa.s.serby, ”that I have lived thus long without ever hearing the name Tenebro, since it makes even strong men pale?”

Parno bit back a curse. He should have known she would notice something. She would never have asked, but this was something he should have told her before. Caids knew, the middle of the market square in Navra was not the best place for his life story.

”What if I told you it was just a trick of the light?” he said, forcing a smile to his lips.

”You'd be lying.”

Best place or no, he had to say something; this might be the last chance they had to speak privately for the next half moon.

”I knew them.” He watched as her eyes widened and her mouth formed a soundless ”oh” of comprehension.

”Will they know you?” She was asking more than if they would recognize him. She was asking whether there was danger in it if they should. There were many reasons a man might leave his Household for the Brotherhood. Blood duel was only one of them.

”Caids, not likely,” he said, making it sound as certain as he could. The difference between seventeen and thirty-one, he thought. A lifetime of change. not likely,” he said, making it sound as certain as he could. The difference between seventeen and thirty-one, he thought. A lifetime of change.

”You would would tell me,” she said, turning to nod and smile as the kitchen boy from the inn pa.s.sed close to them-marketing on his free day from the look of his good clothes. tell me,” she said, turning to nod and smile as the kitchen boy from the inn pa.s.sed close to them-marketing on his free day from the look of his good clothes.

”Of course,” he said, eyes flicking to her face. How could she doubt that he would fail to warn her of possible danger? They were Partnered, a sword with two edges.

”Any odds it's not the same House?”

”I keep telling you, less poetry and more politics.” Parno snorted, relieved that she questioned him no further.

”Then why would I need you, my soul?” She reached out and punched him lightly, barely a touch, above his heart. ”All the same family then?”

Parno twisted his lips to one side, resisting the temptation to squeeze his eyes shut. ”The same House,” he said, indicating Mar with his eyes, ”though not necessarily the same family. The Tenebros are one of the five High n.o.ble Houses, the ones most likely to provide a Tarkin should one be needed. They've Households and Holdings of all sizes throughout the Letanian Peninsula. For the sake of influence, and courtesy, we're . . . they're they're all considered kin, though the blood runs thinner the farther away from the main branch. Just the same, every Household and Holding owes their allegiance there, and all are counted as House Tenebro. Both Householders all considered kin, though the blood runs thinner the farther away from the main branch. Just the same, every Household and Holding owes their allegiance there, and all are counted as House Tenebro. Both Householders and and Holdings use the n.o.ble form of their names, as Mar-eMar was quick to remind us. But not the Holdings use the n.o.ble form of their names, as Mar-eMar was quick to remind us. But not the high high n.o.ble form-” n.o.ble form-”

”Which is?”

”The mirror reverse. If our little Mar was herself the House, or heir to that dignity, her name would be p.r.o.nounced Mar-EE-Ram, not Mar-EE-Mar.”

”Ah, I've seen that in books, I should have asked you before what it meant.” Dhulyn gave herself a nod of satisfaction.

Parno shook his head. ”It's an odd time to send for the girl, having let her Holding lapse these ten years. There's more to this than reuniting lost kin. The Tenebros are First Blood to the Tarkin himself. More important than that that it's difficult to be, though they were so once, and perhaps with these new troubles, they are trying to be so again.” it's difficult to be, though they were so once, and perhaps with these new troubles, they are trying to be so again.”

”I have have read history, which you call politics,” Dhulyn said, frowning. ”If I recall correctly, was there not a Tenebro Tarkin before Nyl-aLyn, father of the present Colebro Tarkin?” read history, which you call politics,” Dhulyn said, frowning. ”If I recall correctly, was there not a Tenebro Tarkin before Nyl-aLyn, father of the present Colebro Tarkin?”

Parno shrugged. ”I think two reigns before his. It seems their luck turned bad. It began within the House itself, a generation or two back. Unexplained, or insufficiently explained illnesses, a disappearance or two. Then it followed as these things follow.” Parno shrugged again. ”A battle lost here, an ill-advised marriage there, an a.s.sa.s.sination or so. The High Houses intervened, the Tarkinate was put to the Ballot, and House Tenebro proved to have insufficient support to retain the Carnelian Throne.”

”They were not wiped out?” Dhulyn's eyes narrowed and Parno followed her glance over his shoulder to where he could see Mar talking to her friend. A small flat object, which he recognized as parchment even at this distance, was pa.s.sed between them. Was that a bit of green seal? The girl had more than the one letter then.

”Oh, no,” he said in answer to Dhulyn's question. ”Too numerous and too powerful for that, for all they'd lost the Throne. Some of the smaller branches, the Holdings, withered, it is true . . .” Parno's voice dried in his throat, and Dhulyn looked sharply back at him, waiting with brows lowered for him to say something more. He s.h.i.+fted his eyes away, pretending to scour their surroundings for enemies. He wanted to tell her, he should should tell her. But he hadn't thought the pain was still so close to the surface that it could shut his throat. tell her. But he hadn't thought the pain was still so close to the surface that it could shut his throat.

”And Mar-eMar is a twig from such a branch, or so her letter seems to say,” she said finally, ignoring his silence. Bloodbone snorted and stepped back as someone nudged her from the far side. Dhulyn c.o.c.ked her eye and smiled at a man in a painter's stained work clothes who ducked his head and smiled in return before he dropped his own gaze. She ran her hand along Bloodbone's neck until the mare quieted. ”Which means that marriage is not just a wishful thought on the little one's part. Here I thought she had listened to too many bard's songs.”

”Not at all. The songs usually have some root in fact, swords on the bed notwithstanding. At these rarefied heights, allegiances can be tricky things, and it's difficult to find someone of sufficiently n.o.ble blood who is not politically suspect, or who is not already too closely related for progeny. A country branch of your own family is ideal. In the old days it was not unheard of to begin such branches for that very purpose.”

Again their eyes locked. This time it was Dhulyn who looked away.

”Keeps the property together too, I shouldn't wonder,” she said. ”Now we know why Mistress Weaver was so sure we would be paid, and so anxious for the family to know of her good care.” Dhulyn's eyes found Mar again as she moved through the stalls of the market making her way back to them. ”Though why would the Weavers not escort the girl themselves, if it comes to that?”

Parno nodded. ”True, merchants aren't known for giving away profit. They're towns folk, though, let's not forget,” he continued. ”They would have had to hire guards anyway, and then . . .” He c.o.c.ked his head. ”Doing favors for the powerful is a chancy thing. Less reward for them this way, perhaps, but less risk, too.”

”More risk for us, you mean.”

They fell silent as they watched Mar wait for a boy driving a donkey with water jugs in its panniers to cross in front of her. Parno lowered his voice still further. ”Dhulyn? When you touched her, what did you See?”

”I Saw our little Dove wearing a cloth-of-silver gown. Hand in hand with a line of dancers.”

”Her wedding, do you think? The wedding she expects?”

Dhulyn shrugged. ”Rich and alive,” she answered. ”It seemed like a good omen for us who are to be her guards. And I'll tell you something else, my Brother,” she said. ”If they were so very anxious to have her back in the bosom of the family, why did the Tenebros not send some trusted servants of their own?” She smiled her wolf's smile. ”Perhaps there's more than bandits and Cloud People for us to be wary of.”

Parno shook his head. Whatever she might have guessed from his evasions, she was willing to let it drop, at least for now.

”Caids take you,” he said, ”as if we didn't have enough problems!”

Laughing, Dhulyn thumped him on the shoulder before swinging herself up on Bloodbone, leaving Parno to help Mar regain her seat on the packhorse. When they were both ready, Dhulyn led them north through the market and into the wide avenue that would become the Gotterang Road once it pa.s.sed through the north gates of Navra. The streets were unusually crowded this morning, and when they were within sight of the town's wall and the gates themselves, she saw why. Only one leaf of the heavy timbered gate was open, and the people, horses, and carts ahead of them had been formed into a line and were being stopped by the Watch before they were allowed to pa.s.s through. While Dhulyn was looking the situation over, one short man with a tinker's pack on his back was escorted away to the guardroom while the others in line stood waiting.

Dhulyn checked Bloodbone, keeping the horse to a much slower pace than the animal wanted. Too late to get out of line and try a different gate-or a different way out of the city entirely. They were behind two farm carts and a small company of strolling players, and there wasn't much room to maneuver. Dhulyn shrugged, making sure the sword lying along her spine was loose in its sheath. There were only five guards, and if worse came to worst . . .

Dhulyn spotted the helmet crest of the officer of the Watch, and even from this distance she had no trouble making out how his lips were thinned by a look of frozen displeasure. The very look, Dhulyn considered, of a man following orders he didn't agree with. Give too many of those, and you could have a revolt on your hands.

And she'd bet her second-best sword that the Jaldean standing behind the gatemen had something to do with it. Looked as if they'd got the Finders out just in time-and perhaps they should have gone with them.

Casually, as if she were just checking the numbers in line behind them, she turned to look back at Parno. Mar and the packhorse were between them, but Dhulyn had no trouble catching his eye over the girl's head. He scratched his left ear with his right thumb. So he agreed. Too late to change their minds. They'd have to see if they couldn't bluff their way through.

Whatever it was that had the officer clenching his teeth, his men looked content enough, though there was none of the relaxed informality Dhulyn would have expected from gate guards in a country at peace. And now that she was looking for it, there was a tall fair guard having trouble hiding his smirk, grinning openly whenever he was sure that his officer wasn't looking. Dhulyn smiled. That kind of discord spelled real trouble, and where there was trouble in the ranks, there was room for a good Mercenary to maneuver.

The two farmers and the traveling players pa.s.sed through without incident, and Dhulyn pulled up as Bloodbone came abreast of the officer's crest. The nearer guards gave ground, and the three farther away came closer, until there was a cleared circle with Dhulyn, Parno, and the girl in the center. Dhulyn glanced up. There were crossbow men at the top of the gate. Still, if Parno took care of the bowmen, she could manage the five guards down here before any others arrived. And from the wide-eyed look on the face of the nearest one, he knew exactly what she was thinking and believed it as well. If she hadn't already taken money to make sure the girl was safe . . . She smiled her wolf's smile at the officer.

”Step to the side, Mercenaries, please,” he said, staring steadily at a point just over her left shoulder. ”Over there if you will.”

And if I won't? Dhulyn didn't say the words aloud. ”But you know us, Officer.” She tapped her Mercenary badge with the fingers of an obviously empty hand. ”Mercenaries of the Brotherhood. This young one's Mar, fosterling of the Weavers in Threadneedle Alley. We've been given the charge of taking her to her family in Gotterang.” Dhulyn was careful to keep her tone light, as if she were just gossiping, and the guard officer was just a friend. Dhulyn didn't say the words aloud. ”But you know us, Officer.” She tapped her Mercenary badge with the fingers of an obviously empty hand. ”Mercenaries of the Brotherhood. This young one's Mar, fosterling of the Weavers in Threadneedle Alley. We've been given the charge of taking her to her family in Gotterang.” Dhulyn was careful to keep her tone light, as if she were just gossiping, and the guard officer was just a friend.

The Jaldean pushed his way forward and laid his hand on the thin wool covering Dhulyn's knee. ”You go to Gotterang, Mercenary?”

Dhulyn bit down to keep from gasping as .

flashed through her mind almost too quickly to see. It took all of her training and concentration not to flinch away from the Jaldean's hand.