Moons' Dreaming (Children of the Rock) (27 page)

“
Threats, dragon-bait?
”

Sene sniffed the fresh breeze from the sea. To his surprise, he detected the aroma of roses. It was too early for roses.

“
Jenil,
”
Aage said, and Sene turned as the smoke of the Greenmother
’
s arrival spread out on the wind.

Jenil stepped from the smoke as a person sheds a cloak.
“
Sene,
”
she said, her expression irritable.
“
The girl is your problem from now on.
”

“
Girl?
”
Jeyn asked.

“
Girl?
”
Aage repeated.

“
Feather,
”
Sene said.

Aage pushed himself upright and looked sharply from Sene to the Greenmother.
“
What about Feather? Is anything wrong?
”

“
On the contrary,
”
Sene said.
“
Jenil has decided that it
’
s time to bring Feather home. I sent horses and escort to fetch her.
”

“
Does Chasa know?
”
Jeyn asked.

“
He
’
s looking forward to seeing her again.
”

“
He didn
’
t mention it to me.
”

“
He
’
s a bit nervous.
”

Aage gave a knowing nod.
“
You
’
re nervous too, aren
’
t you?
”

“
Of course not.
”

“
She hasn
’
t been part of the family for years. Hasn
’
t seen Chasa for years.
”

“
They
’
re old enough to marry.
”

“
I
’
m sure Chasa
’
s willing enough. The question remains, is the girl willing?
”

“
That
’
s one question.
”
Jenil folded her hands in front of her.
“
I hope you get the chance to ask it.
”

Sene gave a patient sigh.
“
Where is she?
”

“
She didn
’
t want to leave Garden Vale at all. If you hadn
’
t sent that big corporal and the horses I
’
d probably have had to drag her by the hand the whole way. She
’
s a very stubborn child.
”

“
I remember.
”
Sene smiled.
“
How is she?
”

“
Stubborn,
”
Jenil said shortly.
“
The question isn
’
t how she is, it
’
s where she is.
”

“
Not here,
”
Jeyn prompted helpfully. Aage nudged her to silence with his elbow. Fortunately, the aggravated Greenmother did not notice their exchange.

“
You said she
’
s my problem.
”
Sene did his best to sound like a king asking for a report.
“
Could you be more specific?
”

“
She took one of the horses and ran away.
”

Sene nodded sagely.
“
Efficient of her.
”

“
Sene!
”
Jenil shouted.
“
I hate the way this family gets giddy before a Festival. Just because it
’
s spring doesn
’
t mean you have to act like children!
”

“
They are children,
”
Aage reminded her.

“
You stay out of this!
”

Jeyn buried her face against Aage
’
s shoulder, but her cackling laugh wasn
’
t muffled very much.

Sene kept his expression serious.
“
I assume the child
’
s not in any danger. You wouldn
’
t have left her if she were.
”
His soothing, kingly tone did not, however, have its customary effect. Jenil
’
s expression grew even more exasperated.

“
She
’
s quite safe. Your guard is with her. But I can
’
t escort them every step of the way from Garden Vale to Raisal! I have another princess to worry about.
”

“
I understand.
”
Sene
’
s good cheer evaporated. Thoughts of Rhenlan always had that effect. Jenil had convinced him to use his resources to locate Hion
’
s daughter, with the promise that she would deal with the consequences. Sene could not refuse, especially after he heard the initial reports of his spies and realized that the situation was even more serious than Jenil had implied. He would have offered further assistance, but once he gave Jenil the name of the town, she insisted that she could manage better alone, and Sene reluctantly agreed. If Hion learned that the Greenmother was interfering in his affairs, he would be furious. They could not allow him to suspect that the King of Sitrine was also involved.

“
I have no idea how you are ever going to convince Feather to do her duty,
”
Jenil continued.
“
I don
’
t even know how you
’
re going to get her to Raisal.
”

“
Drag her by the hand,
”
Jeyn sniggered.

“
Hush,
”
Sene ordered before Jenil could respond. He took the Greenmother by the arm and led her toward the garden.
“
Feather is my responsibility,
”
he agreed.
“
Thank you for all your help. I
’
ll take over now. Where is the child?
”

“
Telina. According to your guard, she started asking about it the moment they entered Sitrine. I don
’
t think she really believed it existed
—
or if it existed, that it would still be abandoned.
”

“
I
’
ll take care of her,
”
Sene promised.

“
See that you do.
”

* * *

“
Wake up, laddie.
”

A warm hand gripped his shoulder. Tob squirmed away from it, yawned mightily, and opened his eyes. He had burrowed under the blanket in his sleep. Only faint daylight filtered through from the outside. He was sprawled against several bales of cloth, one leg draped over the crate of oranges his father had found back at Fairdock. The sweet, tangy scent of the fruit lent an exotic newness to the otherwise familiar smells of straw and damp wool that permeated the old wagon bed.

Tob reached up and batted the edge of the blanket away from his face.
“
Right,
”
he mumbled, blinking against the brightness.
“
I
’
m awake, Dad.
”

“
Ready to stretch your legs? We
’
re almost home.
”

With a grunt, Tob gathered together his ungainly limbs and pulled himself upright. His father was walking along the edge of the road, hands deep in the pockets of his loose-fitting trousers. Tob rubbed his hand over his eyes and blinked.

The landscape was definitely familiar. They were nearly at the top of the north ridge. Behind them lay five miles of the lightly forested, rolling hills that rose gradually but steadily until they leveled out in the grasslands of the Atowa Plateau. This far from the village, the road was a hard-packed dirt track just broad enough for two wagons to pass one another without either of them tipping into the brush that straggled up to its edge. Stockings toiled steadily up the center of the road. Jordy complained that the mare had less sense than all of their friend Herri
’
s barnyard geese put together. As fond as Tob was of Stockings, he had to agree. She was stupid enough to walk straight into a tree if her driver didn
’
t guide her around it.

Fortunately, the road was empty here and Jordy allowed her to make her own way. Tob put one hand on the side of the lurching wagon and got to his feet. It was mid-morning. They had made good time from their camp at the edge of the plateau. He sniffed experimentally.

“
Going to rain?
”
he asked his father.

Jordy glanced at the eastern sky. The thin gray clouds showed no change from the overcast to which they
’
d wakened.
“
Not before sunset,
”
he replied. Then he tilted a half smile at Tob.
“
We hope.
”

Tob grinned back. They crested the top of the ridge and Jordy called a stern,
“
Ho,
”
to Stockings. After a discernible delay, the horse came to a halt, blowing hard from the long climb. This left the wagon itself comfortably perched on the short stretch of level ground before the road began its descent into the river valley.

Tob swung over the side of the wagon and landed lightly on the ground. His father went forward to Stockings and ran a practiced hand along her harness, checking for hints of strain or slippage. Tob did the same for the wagon, paying special attention to the wheels and the lashing of the load.

Everything was secure.
As always,
Tob thought smugly. His father knew his business. He couldn
’
t remember anyone ever claiming damaged goods from one of Jordy
’
s runs. Tob finished checking the right side of the wagon. Stockings flicked her ears nervously as he reached the front of the wagon, so he stepped well away from her onto a ledge of rock at the side of the road. The ground below him fell away sharply, in places almost vertical, until it met the surface of the road where it twisted back on itself on its way into the valley.

They
’
d be home in time for supper. From this vantage point, Tob could see most of Broadford spread out along the north bank of the river. The inn was invisible, hidden behind the trees of an orchard, but Tob could place it accurately enough by the thread of smoke from the smithy next door. The northern edge of the ford was similarly obscured by trees, their spring foliage still pale green. Toward the center of the river, a line of ripples showed white against the gray of the water, marking the downstream limit of the ford
’
s shallows. On the far southern bank, the road emerged from a sandy beach and disappeared after a quarter mile into the trees of the forest.

Jordy straightened from his inspection of Stockings
’
hoofs, and beckoned to Tob.
“
Take the reins, son. Remember to hold her steady on the first downslope.
”

“
I will.
”
Tob climbed eagerly onto the driver
’
s seat and picked up the reins. Stockings lifted her head slightly, ears laid back in resentment. Tob told himself not to take her tempers personally. Concentrating, he gave a flick to the reins just before he used his left foot to raise the brake lever. To his secret surprise, it worked. Stockings leaned into her harness as the slight slope of the road started the freed wheels rolling. He guided Stockings into the curve, then turned to look to his father for instructions.

Jordy walked with one hand resting on the side of the wagon.
“
It
’
s a dry road, you can trot her,
”
he informed Tob. He allowed the wagon to move ahead of him, then caught hold of the tailboard and vaulted neatly aboard.