Moons' Dreaming (Children of the Rock) (13 page)

“
The horse can be ridden, can
’
t she?
”
Aage replied with an irritable jerk of his head in the direction of the hobbled Stockings.
“
You
’
ll manage something.
”

“
I see I
’
ll have to.
”

The wizard accepted this as acquiescence on Jordy
’
s part.
“
I
’
ll tell them to expect you.
”

With no further comment he vanished into thin air.

A stray breeze blew the resulting wisp of fruit-scented smoke into Jordy
’
s face. He coughed reflexively, then spat to clear the strong taste from the back of his mouth.

“
Dundas,
”
he muttered unhappily under his breath.
“
I
’
ve agreed to go to Dundas. I
’
ve agreed to go north of Dundas. In
mid
summer, too. I must be mad. Why do I let them talk me into such nonsense?
”

Still muttering, he fetched his bedroll from the wagon and spread it across the fire from Tob. He lay there for a long time, as the flames died to faint embers, then to ash.

It was nearly Keyn-set before he slept.

* * *

Eyes. Dark eyes accusing him. No, laughing at him. Laughing at her.
Don
’
t laugh at her! She didn
’
t ask for this.

She should
’
ve been more careful.

Darkness around him. Shadows in the room, face in the shadows. Faces watching him. Unvoiced laughter ripped at him from behind the throne.

Pirse
’
s eyes opened to darkness. Humid heat and the smell of orchids had not been part of the dream. He remembered Morb
’
s cave, and separated it with difficulty from his memory of the high stone castle.

Palle had been in the throne room.

Pirse stared across the empty cave. This wasn
’
t a fever dream, even if he was feverish. It was a memory. Palle had been there when he arrived home and learned of Emlie
’
s death. Palle was witness to the fact that he had not harmed his mother.

Palle had not accused him out of ignorance. He had known the truth, and lied. Why?

Because Palle knew how Dea really died.

Gradually Pirse
’
s breathing steadied. Outside the cave it was night. Rain fell, gushing steadily along the rock face of the hill. Fatigue was going to drag him back to sleep, but he wasn
’
t ready. Not because of the nightmares. He had to think this through. Had to think about his uncle.

Father never liked Palle. Tolerated him for Mother
’
s sake. Servants still told stories about the arguments that went on between the three of them. Father wanted a brother-in-law who would fight dragons with him, care for the best interests of the kingdom, be of some use. Palle preferred to stay close to the throne, advising and helping his sister.
Help Mother never needed. Father knew that, so did I, but Mother doubted herself and trusted her brother.

Pirse stared into the darkness. All those years, and no one guessed Palle wanted to be king. Mother was in his way
. I
’
m in his way. He cares nothing for the Law. Gods, how did he do it? Dea did not die by my sword, yet the evidence deceived Cratt. How? A wizard or Greenmother would have seen through the trick, proved my innocence, but Mother allowed no Dreamers in Bronle.

How could he prove his innocence now? Go back to the castle, present himself to the law reader, and hope for understanding and compassion and a judgment that would serve the best interests of all Dherrica?

He could not return to Bronle as long as Palle
’
s guard was hunting him. Not with everyone in Dherrica convinced that he was a mother-killing Abstainer.

Pirse closed his eyes.
Gods, what do I do?

* * *

The news from Edian and Bronle was worse than anything Sene had dared to imagine. Emlie killed, Dea killed, Pirse a fugitive, and now an Abstainer attack on one of Rhenlan
’
s coastal villages. The market and docks of Raisal buzzed with outrage and pessimistic speculation. Merchants, shipmasters, artisans, and the senior Brownmothers of the town came to Sene
’
s house at once to consult with their king.

After sunset a breeze began to pick up. Sene emerged from the last of his meetings and went out to the north terrace. He strode past the still-empty dinner table to stand at the railing and gaze into the night. It had been a difficult day. Another in a series of difficult days of waiting to see how other rulers
’
decisions were going to effect his people.

Sene gripped the terrace railing and leaned back, stretching the kinks out of his shoulders. A half-mile away, the sea sparkled and danced with the light of all three moons. Dreyn glittered low in the west, its crescent too small to be discernible. In another ten or twelve days, Sene judged, it would be rising and setting with the sun, invisible to watching eyes until it reappeared in the morning sky at the end of the summer. Sheyn was a third of the way up the sky from the vanished sun, twice its own diameter from the location it had occupied at this same time the night before. Larger Keyn, almost full, had just risen in the east. He studied the three orbs. So dependable, passing across the sky in their intricate dance, waxing and waning, now lost in the sunlight, now dominating the night sky.
The gods set paths for us, just as they did for the moons. Why can we not see the patterns laid out so clearly before our eyes?

“
You
’
re brooding, Dad.
”

Sene turned at the sound of Jeyn
’
s accusing voice.
“
I wasn
’
t. I was admiring the sky.
”

“
You were scowling at it.
”

“
All right.
”
He linked his arm through hers and allowed her to lead him to the table.
“
But I was thinking, not brooding.
”

“
About what?
”

He gestured vaguely with his free hand.
“
About all of us. Wondering why we always complicate our lives.
”

Jeyn sensibly made no reply. They took their places at the table, and Jeyn picked up the bell and rang for the servants. She said,
“
It
’
s still hard to believe that they destroyed a whole village. I remember docking there with Chasa on our way to visit Dherrica the summer before last.
”

“
I know. Gleneven was a beautiful place. But the greatest tragedy of these past ninedays was losing Gavea.
”

“
How can you say that? Dherrica in Palle
’
s hands, and we don
’
t even know how many people the Abstainers killed at Gleneven, how many children with their whole lives ahead of them. Gavea was over four hundred years old.
”

“
Exactly. We
’
ll never know the potential of the Keepers killed at Gleneven. On the other hand, I
’
m painfully aware of how much experience, how much sheer wisdom Gavea brought us. She was our last living link with the time before the plague.
”

“
It
’
s not as if we
’
ll forget those days. Any of the Dreamers can remember anything, no matter how long past.
”

“
Any of the Dreamers? And how many are left? All of Morb
’
s time and attention is devoted to the realms of magic. Savyea takes things to the other extreme
—
thinks the answer to all our problems is for people to have more babies. As for Jenil, she
’
s only willing to act as a healer.
”
Sene emphatically tapped one finger on the table.
“
From Gavea, I could expect not only information, but interpretation as well, and advice on how I might best take action.
”

“
You haven
’
t mentioned Aage. You
’
re not discounting him in his absence, I hope?
”

Sene hid his amusement at his daughter
’
s staunch defense of her best friend as servants arrived with their meal. Her face was all right, and her hands were neatly folded in her lap, but her brown eyes were doing their best to burn holes wherever her gaze came to rest, which was mostly in the center of her father, the king
’
s, forehead.

When the servants had gone back inside, Sene rubbed his brow and said,
“
Aage does his best. Unfortunately, I can never be sure he
’
ll be here at a moment of crisis. The power bends him to its will, I sometimes think, more often than he bends it. With Gavea there was never any doubt of which was in control.
”

Jeyn passed him a bowl of cool fruit soup and a slice of sweet bread.
“
Aage says that everything
’
s connected. That all of the problems the Children of the Rock have struggled against since before the plague are only reflections of troubles in the magical places he and Morb visit.
”

“
I imagine there is some correlation between the Outside monsters and our dragons and phantom cats.
”
He stirred his soup with his spoon.
“
You know, that
’
s a nasty thought. Magic working through any of us, against the benders of power.
”

Jeyn frowned.
“
I
’
m not sure that
’
s exactly what Aage meant.
”

The door behind them opened and Jeyn turned, the legs of her chair scraping harshly on the terrace
’
s stone floor.
“
Chasa!
”

Sene gave his children time to embrace one another. Jeyn stepped back from the hug first, wrinkling her nose and winning a grudging smile from her twin. The odor of horse sweat had drifted onto the terrace with Chasa, temporarily blotting out the scent of night-blooming flowers. His scarlet silk tunic stuck to his sweaty back, and his yellow hair hung limply around his square face.

“
I see I
’
m not too late.
”

“
Of course not. Come, sit.
”
Jeyn gestured him toward a chair.

Chasa glanced without interest at their interrupted meal.
“
I wasn
’
t talking about dinner. Dad, I came back as soon as I could.
”

“
Sooner than I expected,
”
Sene assured his earnest son.
“
What happened? Eighteen is getting too old to be homesick. After all, it
’
s your third year of monster-hunting without me.
”

“
Haven
’
t you heard about Dea?
”

“
I heard.
”

“
Pirse?
”

“
Accused of murder.
”

“
Gleneven?
”

“
Attacked by Abstainers, its people driven off before any help could come up from Edian. Yes. All tragic events.
”

Chasa pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes.
“
Well? What are we going to do?
”

“
Finish supper.
”

“
Dad!
”

Sene hitched his chair closer to the table and lifted his spoon, then regarded his open-mouthed children levelly.
“
It
’
s been a long day. Chasa, will you eat something now or would you prefer to wash up first?
”

“
I
’
d prefer discussing what we
’
re going to do!
”