Part 42 (2/2)
”Move the candle a little closer, please,” he said, and out of the corner of his eye saw the Lionsmane's hand reach into the candle's circle of light and move it. The light's reflections on the surface of the water within the bowl flickered and moved, as if someone had taken a page of parchment and shaken it out like a sheet. The water-
Mar sits in a carrel, asleep with her head down on her folded arms. Of course. He's thinking about her, sleeping so near him in the room, warm and soft. Her Her affection was in no doubt; bright and s.h.i.+ning, he Finds it. He has to stop thinking about her, and think only of the Lens. He sees the line again at his feet and follows it, somehow knowing that this time he is going deeper into the library than he has been before, where he does not see even the shadowy outline of others. The line is fine and dark and leads him to. . . . affection was in no doubt; bright and s.h.i.+ning, he Finds it. He has to stop thinking about her, and think only of the Lens. He sees the line again at his feet and follows it, somehow knowing that this time he is going deeper into the library than he has been before, where he does not see even the shadowy outline of others. The line is fine and dark and leads him to. . . .
Mar again. This time she's snoring.
Dhulyn got up and stretched, pus.h.i.+ng her hips first to one side, then the other. ”She's right, my Scholar. It's late and all you can Find is your bed. We'll try again in the morning.”
As Dhulyn watched, Gun took off his boots, shrugged out of his tunic, and in his s.h.i.+rt and breeches squeezed himself onto the pallet beside Mar. He put an arm around her, but Dhulyn couldn't tell if it was from real affection, or from lack of s.p.a.ce. She hoped it was the former.
Parno tapped her on the shoulder and motioned with his head to the door, picking up his crossbow and hanging his sword on his belt as he went. The door's closely fitted planks gave immediately onto the steep stone staircase that ran between Sortera's narrow house and the building that was its neighbor.
Parno stepped down until he was standing a stair below her, and cupped her cheek in his calloused hand. ”My Brother, my soul.” He spoke softly, mindful of the Clouds that lay sleeping all around them. ”You look tired. Get some rest.”
”I know what that means,” she said, forcing a smile to her lips. ”When a man tells you that you look tired, he's telling you that you look old.”
”If this is what you'll look like when you're old, I sincerely hope we both live to see the day.”
She felt her muscles loosen as she rested her forehead against his, felt his arms come up around her, drew in a breath full of his scent and nearness. ”You'll be late for your watch,” she murmured. She felt him nod, felt the touch of his lips on hers.
”I'll go for now,” he said. ”But I'll be back. I'll always be back.”
”In Battle,” she said.
”And in Death,” he answered. in Death,” he answered.
She watched him until he'd gone all the way down the narrow stone steps and turned the corner into the street-just as narrow but not so steep-below.
Dhulyn stood there in her vest and linen trousers until the cold mountain air had time to make her s.h.i.+ver. Then she lifted the wooden latch and stepped back inside Sortera's house.
Gun and Mar were both asleep, nested together like two arrows in a quiver. At first, Dhulyn thought Sortera had fallen asleep in her chair, but something about the length of the old woman's regular breaths, the deliberate movements of her fingers along the needles of her knitting, told Dhulyn Sortera was probably in a Healer's trance.
Wonder if she's Healing herself, Dhulyn thought. One way at least to explain how so old a woman could still be alive. Dhulyn thought. One way at least to explain how so old a woman could still be alive.
There was another pallet in the interior room, but Dhulyn's turn at watch along the upper slope would come soon enough to make sleep more of a bother than a help. Instead, she took Dal's small box from the shelf beside the hearth, pulled the chair Gun had been using closer to the table, and sat down in the light thrown by the lamp they'd lit to eat their suppers by. She opened the box and began taking out vera tiles.
HIS LIPS FORMING THE WORDS.
DHULYN MOVES CLOSER, UNTIL SHE CAN SEE THE WRITING ON THE PAGE IN FRONT OF HIM, BUT SHE CAN'T READ IT. SHE LOOKS AGAIN AT HIS LIPS.
ADELGARREMBIL, HIS LIPS SAY. HIS LIPS SAY. ACUCHEEYAROB. FETENTABIL. DEBEREEYAROB. ESFUMARRENBIL. ACUCHEEYAROB. FETENTABIL. DEBEREEYAROB. ESFUMARRENBIL.
THE MAGE REPEATS THE WORDS SEVERAL TIMES AND CLOSES THE BOOK.
WHEN HE STANDS, DHULYN SEES HIS SWORD HANGING BY ITS SCABBARD FROM THE BACK OF HIS CHAIR.
”Go back to sleep, my Dove.”
”I thought I heard you call me.”
”You're dreaming, Dove. Go back to sleep.”
Mar shut her eyes and Dhulyn began replacing the tiles back into their box.
Dhulyn had heard the soft sounds of booted feet behind her for some time, and so wasn't startled by Karlyn-Tan's voice when he finally spoke. She stopped at the end of the narrow lane and waited for him to join her before walking beside him across the small square.
”It's late for you to be out.”
”I followed Cullen,” Karlyn said. ”But it seemed he was just giving his bird some hunting, and when I saw him safely back into his quarters, I suddenly felt the need of company.”
”A few minutes earlier, and you would have caught Parno still awake.”
”I did,” he said, looking away from her as if to examine the face of the moon. ”I saw him return from his watch and waited for you.”
Dhulyn glanced at him, but he was still looking at the night sky. They reached the spot where she was to stand her watch, where a young Cloudwoman yawned, waiting for Dhulyn to relieve her. They exchanged hand signals and the Cloud left them, silently moving through the empty streets to her bed.
The northwestern end of the valley in which the village of Trevel lay was marked with a small orchard of apple trees. There was no wall as such, only a few large boulders placed to give those who took the herds beneath the trees a place to rest their legs. On the far side of the orchard was a stream, and the shallow pa.s.s that marked the village's vulnerable point from this direction. It was that pa.s.s that accounted for Dhulyn's presence here, as every weapons-wise adult in Trevel-even guests if they were trusted-was expected to take a turn at guard duty.
Telling Karlyn to wait for her by the rocks, Dhulyn scouted through the orchard, ears primed to catch every sound and nose p.r.i.c.kling at the sharp, clean scent of trees newly and thickly leaved. She heard the foraging of small animals under the trees halt as she neared and continue as she moved farther away. When she was satisfied that there was nothing in the orchard more dangerous than herself, she rejoined Karlyn at the rocks.
”I have heard,” Karlyn said after they had been silent for many minutes. ”That Partnered Brothers often have lovers.”
It took Dhulyn a moment to realize that her mouth was hanging open, and to shut it. She set her crossbow on the ground, and leaned forward, elbows on knees, chin propped on her hands. She'd had lovers, of course, as had Parno, but she was always surprised by the offer. She let her eyes drop to Karlyn's hands, with their strong fingers, resting on his knees.
”The bond,” she said, ”is not how you imagine it.” They sat so close, she could reach out and touch him with no effort at all. As if he read her thought he lifted his hand and reached toward the side of her face. The moon, s.h.i.+ning through the screen of apple leaves, was bright and full enough to give a green cast to the light.
”Look up, my Wolfshead. Let me see your eyes.”
Dhulyn straightened until her hands rested on her knees. Without pause, she lifted her head, smiling, and felt the little fold at her upper lip that created her wolf's smile. As her head rose, she took a deep, steadying breath, raised her hands, and-just before their eyes could meet-she struck.
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