Too long, the Warden replied. He lifted his free hand and gently stroked the birds head, as if it were the head of a newborn babe. What does the recitation hold for us?
The eagle surprised them both. He answered. But he answered in a language that, while tantalizingly familiar in its parts, failed in all ways to cohere. Kaylin turned to Lord Barian. Did you understand a word of that?
He laughed. It was a shock of sound, coming as it did from a Barrani. Perhaps one. I am fond of the sound of it; they spoke it often in my childhood.
Your language is confining, the eagle on Kaylins arm said. But you are a confined people, huddling in your singular shapes; you are easily broken.
She frowned. It wasnt the first time shed heard this. The Warden calls you the dreams of the Hallionne.
He does.
But you came from the shadows he called the nightmares of the Hallionne.
Did we?
Yes. What landed in my hands a few hours ago were shadows. But you emerged from them when
Yes?
When the marks on my arms started to glow. It sounded lame even to Kaylin, and shed said it.
Are we, brother? her bird said to the bird on the Wardens arm. Are we dreams or nightmares?
They are the same, the other bird replied. Dream. Nightmare. They are things done beneath the surface of the world.
So...you dont feel any different than you did when you landed?
They regarded each other for a long moment, and then turned their beady eyesand shed seldom seen eyes that fit that description so perfectlyon Kaylin. Did we land?
More or less the same way you landed just now, but with less feathers.
They regarded each other again, and Kaylin snorted. What had been a suspicion was hardening into certainty as they spoke. When I visited Hallionne Bertolle, his brothers woke. I dont know if Bertolle has dreams; I dont know what the Hallionne of the West March is called. No one speaks hisor hername.
No one who dwells in this small enclave has ever spoken his name, the bird replied. Bertolles brothers have woken from the long sleep?
They had a little help, Kaylin said, with sudden misgivings. She was certain shed have bruised shins if Teela had come with them. Were they not supposed to wake?
But the birds now had words for each other, and as they conversed in their odd, melodious language, she turned to Lord Barian, who was staring at her. What it is that you truly do in the city of Elantra? His eyes were bluebut they werent the shade that meant anger or suspicion.
Im a Private. I serve the Halls of Law in that capacity. I hope one day to be Corporal.
Truly? You bear those marks, you can speak to the sleeping lost brethren of the Hallionne Bertolle, and you can wake the dreams of Hallionne Alsanis, yet you work as a Private? I recall very little about the Halls of Law; it is an institution that is irrelevant to the Barrani.
Its not. For crimes Barrani commit against each other, the laws of exception can be invoked by the party deemed to be the injured party. But for crimes committed against other races, the Barrani are under the purview of the Imperial Hawks.
And if not the Hawks, the Wolves?
Kaylin shrugged. The Emperor.
It has long been a marvel to me that he shelters behind the ranks of his mortals.
She shook her head, determined not to be offended, although it was hard. Were not there for his protection, of course. Were there for the protection of the rest of the city. If the Emperor so chooses he can burn down half the citybut most of the people who die in the resultant fire wont be criminals. We do what his fire cant. Is Alsanis the name of the Hallionne that was lost?
Yes. Does AnTeela still serve the Imperial Hawks?
She does. Neither of us are here as Hawks; were outside of our jurisdiction.
Do you consider her a friend?
Yes.
Do you know her history?
I cant possibly claim to know all of it, but I know what happened in the West March when she was young enough to be considered a childand I know that she eventually came back, and she wore a variant of the same dress Im wearing now. I know how her mother died. I know where. And I know that its considered an act of high treason to attempt to do now what was attempted then. She tried to dampen the heat in her voice, and slid back into High Barrani. You could insult someone in High Barrani, but you had to work harder to do it.
I did not come here to discuss Teela.
No.
Why did you ask me here?
We asked, the eagles said in unison.
The Consort touched the nightmares of the Hallionne, and she has not yet awakened. Lord Lirienne, she continued, choosing to forego the title that seemed to vex Lord Barians mother, said that the Warden absorbs those nightmares, except when the Lady is present.
I would accept them, regardless, but it is proof that she is present. Lord Lirienne took two war bands and left the West March in haste, at the urging of the Hallionne Orbaranne. We did not know if either he, or the party that set out from the city, survived.
How did he know to leave?
You will have to ask him. I do not speak with any of the Hallionne except Alsanisand even that speech is limited. I touch the edges of his dreaming, and his nightmare, no more. My grandfather spoke to the Hallionne frequently. After the disaster in the green, he could still communicate with Alsanis; it became more difficult with the passage of time.
Theyre not trapped in the Hallionne, Kaylin said. She meant the transformed. The lost children. He knew.
They were, he replied. The Hallionnes defenses are strong; what occurs within its walls occurs at the heart of his power. The Hallionne were not, and have never been, what we are; they have a breadth of experience that we could not survive. The children are called lost for a reason; they are no longer Barrani in any meaningful way.
Are they the nightmares of the Hallionne?
No.
Nightmares first, lost children later. She hesitated and then said, They remember whoand whatthey were.
Demonstrably; they would not be so great a danger to us otherwise.
Dreams of Alsanis, Kaylin said quietly to the two eagles, how do I wake you? When you landed in my hands, did you sense me at all?
They glanced at each other. Yes. You wear the blood of the green, and beneath its folds, you bear the marks of the Chosen.
Can you read them?
They turned to stare at each other, and then once again, at Kaylin. Can you not? one finally asked.
It was embarrassing to admit her failure to the large birds, but ignorance wasnt a crime. No.
But
Severn joined her, sliding an arm around her upper back. Have you spoken with others who bear similar marks? he asked.
Yes. Not often. We are not Chosen. The Hallionne are not Chosen. They could not be and do what must be done; they do not travel.
Neither did Kaylin, if she had any choice in the matter. She kept this to herself.
Were the others able to read the marks?
How could they not? The marks were of them.
I didnt choose the marks, Kaylin said quietly.
Then how do you bear their weight?
They chose me.
How can you do what must be done if you cannot read what is written?
The marks didnt come with instructions, Kaylin said, voice flat.
Severn, however, said, Can you tell her what they say? Can you tell her what task theyre meant to accomplish?
They glanced at each other again. We are not Chosen, they finally saidin unison. They said more, but it was unintelligible; it was clearly language, and just as clearly beyond her grasp.
She lifted a hand. Can you teach me the language you speak?
They considered each other again. It is vexing, the one on Barians arm said, but we do not believe it can be taught to such a small mind. You cannot speak it.
But the marks would not be given to one who is mute, the other eagle said.
Demonstrably they were, Kaylin said. She was annoyed; no one liked to be talked about in the third person when they were in the literal middle of a discussion. Wait.
Severn knew that tone of voice.
Can the lost children speak the language?
There was a long pause. Yes, the eagle on Barians arm said, the single word spoken in sorrow. Yes, now they can.
Did the Hallionne teach them?
The eagles fell silent. Kaylin reached out and grabbed the leg of the bird on her arm before it could fly; Barians eagle was already gone.
I wont ask more, she said softly. But I need to understand what you are.
We are the dreams Alsanis, the eagle replied gravely. What we see and know, he sees and knowsbut he can no longer discern what is fixed in place.
She rushed onward. The Wardens take the nightmares of Alsanis.
They do. It is to the Wardens that we come, when we are conscious.
Do the nightmares end?
End?
When wewhen mortalshave dreams or nightmares, they end when we wake. Sometimes they drive us in terror from sleep, they feel so real. Will the Consort wake from the nightmares of Alsanis?
Barian, the eagle said, does she speak truth?
She speaks truth as mortals perceive it, although mortals are capable of lying.
What would be the point in lying now? Kaylin said, in frustrated Elantran. Nightmares arent reality. Lying about them wont change either the nightmares or real life.
The nightmares of Alsanis are not the nightmares of mortals, was Barians reply.
Im beginning to understand that. Most mortal nightmares dont fly through the air, land on a person, and get absorbed. Will the Consort wake?
The eagle said, Take me with you, Chosen. Take me to her.
Thats not an answer.
The Barrani do not sleep.
Yes, but shes sleeping now.
Take me with you, the eagle said again. To the small dragon, he spoke unintelligibly; the small dragon squawked. Barian, it would be best if you accompany the Chosen.
I have offered her the hospitality of the Wardens perch, he replied.
Can I just say one thing? Im not Barrani, and mortals do need sleep.
The marks you bear should protect you, the eagle replied.
Kaylin looked down the long spiraling stairs. Sleep wasnt in the cards. She released the eagles leg.
My apologies, Lord Kaylin, Lord Barian said. His eyes were the more familiar shade of blue, at least where Barrani were concerned. I did not intend this.
She said nothing for about twenty steps. Lord Lirienne said that the Wardens of the West March die prematurely because of the burden of the nightmares. Is he wrong?
He is not. Barians words were stiff.
Five nightmares came out of the trees on the edge of the West March. Is that normal? Is that what usually happens?
No, Lord Kaylin.
Call me Kaylin, or just skip the name. I dont particularly care for the title Lord.