Moons' Dreaming (Children of the Rock) (46 page)

Tob ran off. Jordy hurried to find some agile assistants and a few hatchets. He spared no further thought for the king
’
s guards, who cantered off into the night.

* * *

By the time the fires were extinguished, the doors to the smithy were gone, along with their frame and part of an adjacent wall. At the inn, the yard was a shambles of charred wood and trampled food. One outer wall was scorched, but the rest of the building was undamaged. The trees around the square still stood. Rocks, well thrown by Jordy, had dislodged most of the torches before they could catch among the green new leaves. A trio of oaks on the east side of the square lost the entire upper portions of their crowns, thick with last summer
’
s tinder-dry dead leaves. Villagers had climbed as high as they could to chop away the burning branches and stop the fire spreading to neighboring trees, while people below extinguished the fallen brands.

People left for their homes and farms, neighbors walking with neighbors. Jordy found his wife and children near the inn. Iris and Cyril were seated on a blackened bench, Matti stretched out beside them with her head in her mother
’
s lap. Tob and Pepper were on the ground, Jordy
’
s cloak thrown over them. Keyn, now high overhead, lit Cyril
’
s expression clearly.

“
A few more minutes,
”
Jordy told his wife.
“
I
’
ll just look in on Herri.
”

He passed through the ruined yard, stepping over or around puddles and debris. In the main room, Herri sat slumped at a table. The minstrel stood nearby, bare-chested, wiping soot from his face with the lower edge of his damp tunic.

“
It could have been worse,
”
Jordy told them.
“
At least no one was hurt.
”

“
Not hurt?
”
Ivey complained. He lifted an imaginary bucket of water and groaned.
“
My arms may never recover.
”

Herri snorted wearily.
“
Don
’
t expect sympathy from him. A few hundred buckets of water would mean nothing to you, would they, carter?

Jordy lowered himself into a chair.
“
They may have meant the difference between saving or losing this inn, or the entire village. We owe you our thanks, minstrel.
”

“
You shouldn
’
t have needed such help. This should never have happened.
”

“
The worst of it was letting them ride out of here with the boy.
”
Herri
’
s great fists clenched on the table.
“
When do you leave for Edian, Jordy? You
’
ll have to carry our grievance to the law reader. Not just for Kessit and Jaea, but for all of us.
”

“
Don
’
t expect too much,
”
Ivey said.
“
The men who were here tonight may be conveniently unknown in Edian.
”

“
D
’
ye see, Herri? It
’
s as I
’
ve said before. We can
’
t look to Shapers to solve our problems.
”

“
It
’
s one thing to fight a fire. It
’
s another to expect villagers to stand against the king
’
s guard. You saw what happened tonight.
”

A gloomy silence settled over the room. Ivey said, quite casually,
“
I would think it
’
s a matter of planning. Organization. Your people aren
’
t helpless. They defend their families and property from bears in the fall, and wolves in the winter.
”

“
Our fellow Keepers aren
’
t marauding animals to be hunted down, no matter how they might behave,
”
Herri said.

Jordy pursed his lips thoughtfully.
“
It
’
s not a question of killing, necessarily.
”
He had not liked feeling helpless, and his fingers had itched for his bow.
“
If a few of our best archers had slipped away in the first confusion, gone onto the roof here, or into the shadows of the trees, we would have controlled the square.
”

“
As if anyone could have imagined such a thing,
”
Herri said.

“
Proper leadership,
”
Ivey said.
“
That
’
s what
’
s needed.
”

Jordy eyed the two men.
“
What about discipline? Instant obedience. There
’
s no time for questions when a crisis comes.
”

“
You
’
re respected, Jordy,
”
Ivey said.
“
You
’
ll find that people listen to you. Besides, I
’
ve no fears for Broadford.
”
His pointed emphasis on the name was unmistakable, his implication clear.

“
I agree. We can
’
t ignore the rest of Rhenlan. The other Shapers won
’
t object to Hion
’
s abuse of power. They
’
ve found too many ways to profit from it, their responsibilities forgotten or ignored. Until every town, every village in Rhenlan takes control of its own affairs, defies the abuses of the king, things will only get worse.
”

Herri lowered his gaze to the table. Ivey
’
s quiet voice said,
“
You
’
re suggesting revolution.
”

“
Aye. Do you not agree with me, Herri?
”

Herri sighed as he met his gaze.
“
I agree with you. And may the gods protect us all.
”

The minstrel looped his pony
’
s lead rope around his hand as they approached the ford.
“
The law reader in Edian is a good man,
”
Ivey said.

“
He
’
s a Shaper.
”

“
Those two qualities aren
’
t mutually exclusive, you know.
”

Jordy grunted. It was the morning after the Festival, time for the minstrel to be on his way. He
’
d asked Jordy to accompany him out of the village.
“
In your opinion,
”
Jordy answered the younger Dherrican. He forestalled a lecture on the perils of generalization by adding,
“
Which I respect. You don
’
t have to tell me my business, laddie. I
’
m not prejudging the man. He may be honest, aye, and conscientious. What I
’
m doubting is his influence.
”

“
King Hion wouldn
’
t keep a law reader if he wasn
’
t making some use of him.
”

They reached the bank of the river. The first snow melt in the mountains far to the west was just beginning to be noticeable in the behavior of the Broad. The waters were still placid, but they had risen several inches in as many days. Ripples marked the location of most of the flat stones of the ford; the chatter of the water was loud enough to force them to raise their voices.

“
Using him to placate the ignorant,
”
Jordy said.
“
Well, I won
’
t have it.
”

Ivey stopped and turned toward him.
“
This wasn
’
t an isolated incident. He
’
ll have heard other stories like yours.
”

“
And done nothing. I told you what they
’
re saying in Cross Cove.
”

“
Dissatisfaction is growing everywhere, Jordy. Even in Edian itself.
”

Jordy studied the minstrel
’
s serious face, then gave a reluctant nod.
“
Even in the court itself?
”

“
Aye.
”
Ivey urged the pony into the water.
“
Should I wait for you in Atade?
”

“
Not this year. You might wait a long time. I
’
m going to be in and out of Broadford to keep an eye on the girl.
”
The minstrel looked surprised. Jordy shrugged.
“
There
’
s no help for it. If my usual customers can
’
t wait for me, they
’
ll just have to find someone else.
”

“
I
’
ll pass the word. As for the king
’
s guard, if I learn anything that I think might interest you I
’
ll leave messages where I can.
”

“
Good. I
’
ll be listening.
”

Ivey waded across the river beside his pony.
“
Travel safely, carter,
”
he called in farewell.

“
And you.
”
The younger man raised a hand in acknowledgment without looking back.

Jordy stayed on the river bank until Ivey and the pony were safely across and had disappeared into the thick woods on the other side. Then he started back for the village square. He had several people to visit this afternoon if he and Tob were to get off to an early start in the morning.

* * *

Frost silvered the roof of stable and goat shed, glistened treacherously on each blade of grass, but his exertions warmed Tob as he helped his father load the wagon in the pale, clear dawn. Stockings
’
breath drifted gently upward as she waited patiently, undisturbed by the thuds, rattles, and creaking going on a few feet behind her. Jordy paused occasionally in his arrangement of the crates, rolls, and parcels to visually measure the space remaining and compare it to the piles of goods still to be loaded. Sometimes he asked Tob
’
s opinion, not because he needed advice, but to test his apprentice
’
s eye and memory. When he could, Tob waved to Matti, who watched wide-eyed from the window. Pepper was still asleep. She didn
’
t like to get up early, and she didn
’
t like to say good-bye.

Iris came out of the house, her arms barely long enough to manage Cyril
’
s largest wicker hamper. Tob lifted the last sack of feed onto the tailboard of the wagon, then helped the girl place the hamper next to it. Jordy lashed the final barrel into place before coming to examine the hamper.

“
Cyril wants you to take it,
”
Iris offered diffidently.

Jordy lifted the lid.
“
Extra honey, good. And grape jam. Surprised your mother parted with that. I suppose we can trade it.
”

“
Dad!
”
Tob protested.

“
Just teasing, lad. Thank you, Iris. I see you
’
re learning to understand Cyril.
”

“
I suppose so.
”
She fidgeted with the handle on one side of the hamper.
“
Jordy?
”

“
Yes, lass?
”
He closed the hamper and fastened it. When Iris didn
’
t continue, Jordy sat down on a crate.
“
Now, you
’
re not still worried, are you? I know Matti
’
s hardly more than a baby, but Pepper
’
s a good girl. She
’
ll be company for you. And when you need someone older to talk to, Canis would welcome a visit anytime. You remember where their house is.
”