Pain, Khalad replied wryly. I dont really want to spend several days taking this beast apart and putting it back together again with the spray freezing on me, so Im paying very close attention to the things my bodys telling me. You can feel things change in your legs and the soles of your feet. When one of the hawsers goes slack, it changes the feel of how the boom moves.
Is there anything you dont know how to do?
I dont dance very well. Khalad squinted up into the first stinging pellets of another sleet-squall. Its time to feed and water the horses, he said. Lets go tell the novices to stop sitting around admiring their title and get to work.
You really dislike the aristocracy, dont you? Berit asked as they started forward along the edge of the corral toward the wind-whipped tents of the apprentice knights.
No, I dont dislike them. I just dont have any patience with them, and I cant understand how they can be so blind to whats going on around them. A title must be a very heavy thing to carry if the weight makes you ignore everything else.
Youre going to be a knight yourself, you know.
It wasnt my idea. Sparhawk gets silly sometimes. He thinks that making knights of my brothers and me is a way of honoring our father. Im sure that Fathers laughing at him right now.
They reached the tents, and Khalad raised his voice. All right, gentlemen! he shouted, Its time to feed and water the animals. Lets get at it! Then he critically surveyed the corral. Five thousand horses leave a great deal of evidence that they have been present. I think its time for another lesson in the virtue of humility for our novices, he said quietly to Berit. Then he raised his voice again. And after youve finished with that, youd better break out the scoop-shovels and wheel-barrows again. We wouldnt want to let the work pile up on us, would we, gentlemen?
Berit was not yet fully adept at some of the subtler forms of magic. That part of the Pandion training was the study of a lifetime. He was far enough along, however, to recognize tampering when he encountered it. The log-boom seemed to be lumbering southward at a crawl, but the turning of the seasons was giving some things away. It should have taken them much longer to escape the bitter cold of the far north, for one thing, and the days should not have become so much longer in such a short time for another.
However it was managed, and whoever managed it, they arrived at a sandy beach a few miles north of Matherion late one golden autumn afternoon long before they should have and began wading the horses ashore from the wobbly collection of rafts.
Short trip, Khalad observed laconically as the two watched the novices unloading the horses.
You noticed, Berit laughed.
They werent particularly subtle about it. When the spray stopped freezing in my beard between one minute and the next, I started having suspicions. He paused. Is magic very hard to learn? he asked.
The magic itself isnt too hard. The hard part is learning the Styric language. Styric doesnt have any regular verbs. Theyre all irregularand there are nine tenses.
Berit, please speak plain Elenic.
You know what a verb is, dont you?
Sort of, but whats a tense?
Somehow that made Berit feel better. Khalad did not know everything. Well work on it, he assured his friend. Maybe Sephrenia can make some suggestions.
The sun was going down in a blaze of color when they rode through the opalescent gates into fire-domed Matherion, and it was dusk when they reached the imperial compound.
Whats wrong with everybody? Khalad muttered as they rode through the gate.
I didnt follow that, Berit confessed.
Use your eyes, man. Those gate-guards were looking at Sparhawk as if they expected him to explodeor maybe turn into a dragon. Somethings going on, Berit.
The Church Knights rode off across the twilight-dim lawn to their barracks while the rest of them clattered across the drawbridge into Ehlanas castle. They dismounted in the torch-lit courtyard and trooped inside.
Its even worse here, Khalad murmured. Lets stay close to Sparhawk in case we have to restrain him. The knights at the drawbridge seemed to be actually afraid of him.
They went up the stairs to the royal apartment. Mirtai was not in her customary place at the door, and that made Berit even more edgy. Khalad was right. Something here was definitely not the way it should be.
Emperor Sarabian, dressed in his favorite purple doublet and hose, was nervously pacing the blue-carpeted floor of the sitting room as they entered, and he seemed to shrink back as Sparhawk and Vanion approached him.
Your Majesty, Sparhawk greeted him, inclining his head. Its good to see you again. He looked around. Wheres Ehlana? he asked, laying his helmet on the table.
Uhin a minute, Sparhawk. How did things go on the North Cape?
More or less the way wed planned. Cyrgon doesnt command the Trolls any more, but weve got another problem that might be even worse.
Oh?
Well tell you about it when Ehlana joins us. Its not such a pretty story that wed want to go through it twice.
The Emperor gave Foreign Minister Oscagne a helpless look.
Lets go speak with Baroness Melidere, Prince Sparhawk, Oscagne suggested. Somethings happened here. She was present, so shell be able to answer your questions better than we would.
All right. Sparhawks gaze was level, and his voice was steady, despite the fact that Sarabians nervousness and Oscagnes evasive answer fairly screamed out the fact that something was terribly wrong.
Baroness Melidere sat propped up in her bed. She wore a fetching blue dressing-gown, but the sizeable bandage on her left shoulder was a clear indication that something serious had happened. Her face was pale, but her eyes were cool and rock steady. Stragen sat at her bedside in his white satin doublet, his face filled with concern.
Well, Melidere said, finally. Her voice was crisp and businesslike. She flicked a withering glance at the Emperor and his advisers. I see that these brave gentlemen have decided to let me tell you about what happened here, Prince Sparhawk. Ill try to be brief. One night a couple of weeks ago, the Queen, Alcan, and I were getting ready for bed. There was a knock on the door, and four men we thought were Peloi came in. Their heads were shaved and they wore Peloi clothing, but they werent Peloi. One of them was Krager. The other three were Elron, Baron Parok, and Scarpa.
Sparhawk did not move, and his face did not change expression.
And? he asked, his voice still unemotional.
Youve decided to be sensible, I see, Melidere said coolly. Good. We exchanged a few insults, and then Scarpa told Elron to kill mejust to prove to the Queen that he was serious. Elron lunged at me, and I deflected his thrust with my wrist. I fell down and smeared the blood around to make it appear that Id been killed. Ehlana threw herself over me, pretending to be hysterical, but shed seen what Id done. The Baroness took a ruby ring out from under her pillow. This is for you, Prince Sparhawk. Your wife hid it in my bodice. She also said, Tell Sparhawk that Im all right, and tell him that I forbid him to give up Bhelliom, no matter what they threaten to do to me. Those were her exact words. Then she covered me with a blanket.
Sparhawk took the ring and slipped it onto his finger. I see, he said in a calm voice. What happened then, Baroness?
Scarpa told your wife that he and his friends were taking her and Alcan as hostages. He said that you were so foolishly attached to her that youd give him anything for her safe return. He obviously intends to exchange her for the Bhelliom. Krager had a note already prepared. He cut off a lock of Ehlanas hair to include in the note. I gather that therell be other notes, and each one will have some of her hair in it to prove that its authentic. Then they took Ehlana and Alcan and left.
Scarpa told your wife that he and his friends were taking her and Alcan as hostages. He said that you were so foolishly attached to her that youd give him anything for her safe return. He obviously intends to exchange her for the Bhelliom. Krager had a note already prepared. He cut off a lock of Ehlanas hair to include in the note. I gather that therell be other notes, and each one will have some of her hair in it to prove that its authentic. Then they took Ehlana and Alcan and left.
Thank you, Baroness, Sparhawk said, his voice still steady. Youve shown amazing courage in this unfortunate business. May I have the note?
Melidere reached under her pillow again, took out a folded and sealed piece of parchment, and handed it to him.
Berit had loved his Queen from the moment he had first seen her sitting on her throne encased in crystal, although he had never mentioned the fact to her. There would be other loves in his life, of course, but she would always be the first. So it was that when Sparhawk broke the seal, unfolded the parchment, and gently removed the thick lock of pale blonde hair, Berits mind suddenly filled with flames. His grip tightened round the haft of his war-axe.
Khalad took him by the arm, and Berit was dimly startled by just how strong his friends grip was. Thats not going to do anybody any good at all, Berit, he said in a crisp voice. Now why dont you just give me the axe before you do something foolish with it?
Berit drew in a deep, trembling breath pushing away his sudden, irrational fury. Sorry, Khalad, he said. I sort of lost my grip there for a moment. Ill be all right now. He looked at his friend. Sparhawks going to let you kill Krager, isnt he?
So he says.
Would you like some help?
Khalad flashed him a quick grin. Its always nice to have company when youre doing something that takes several days, he said.
Sparhawk quickly read the note, his free hand still gently holding the lock of Ehlanas pale hair. Berit could see the muscles rippling along his friends jaw as he read. He handed the note to Vanion. Youd better read this to them, he said bleakly.
Vanion nodded and took the note. He cleared his throat.
Well now, Sparhawk, he read aloud. I gather that your temper-tantrums over. I hope you didnt kill too many of the people who were supposed to be guarding your wife.