Moons' Dreaming (Children of the Rock) (67 page)

“
That
’
s all very rational,
”
Ivey said with dry approval.
“
A woman with attributes like that deserves to be recommended for Brownmother training.
”

“
She already is a Brownmother.
”

“
Yes
—
but are any of those reasons to marry?
”

“
I like her. I love her!
”

Ivey nodded.
“
Actually, I noticed.
”

“
She doesn
’
t.
”

“
Well, you never show her!
”

“
How can I? She doesn
’
t like me.
”

“
She doesn
’
t know you.
”

The words jolted him. She didn
’
t know him, didn
’
t remember him. That was the whole problem.
“
So what am I supposed to do?
”

“
Go get her,
”
Ivey advised.
“
A lass likes to be courted.
”

“
Is that what you did with Jeyn?
”

Ivey
’
s smile was reminiscent.
“
No, lad. She got me.
”
He fingered the pale blue material of his cloak.
“
She appealed to a sense of luxury I didn
’
t know I had. Think of something that
’
ll appeal to your Feather.
”

Chasa gazed into the mist obscuring the landscape. Something to appeal to Feather.

What could he give her his father couldn
’
t?

Vray straightened with a sigh from the washtub. Several strands of damp hair fell in front of her nose. She pushed them aside with the back of her forearm, wiping the sweat from her face in the process. The day was cool, but the hard work had warmed her.

“
Pepper, you can go down to the village after we finish this.
”

The mornings had started to bring frost. There was no telling how much longer they
’
d be able to use the
clotheslines
strung across the yard. Vray didn
’
t think that clothes dried in a wash house or before the hearth had quite the same qual
ity as those dried in the fresh
air. She was determined to get everyone
’
s warm clothing washed and ready for use before the snow arrived.

“
How much longer?
”
Pepper insisted.

“
Never, if you don
’
t take that pile of skirts up to our room and bring me Matti
’
s tunic.
”

Pepper gathered up the clean clothes, each motion slow and grudging.
“
I don
’
t know where it is.
”

“
Look for it.
”

“
But
—”

“
Go!
”

Vray removed the last of the bedclothes from the water and carried them to the wringer, water dripping on the wooden floor. The wet coolness chilled her feet. The sheet fell from the wringer onto the top of the now-full basket, which she then lifted and carried out to the line.

Pepper wandered out onto the porch, waving a scrap of blue.
“
This one?
”

“
That one.
”

“
What should I do with it?
”

Vray gritted her teeth.
“
Put it in the washtub!
”
They had been repeating this scene once a nineday since she
’
d taken over the family washing. Laundry was one chore Pepper simply hated. It would have been faster
—
and easier
—
to do the work without her, but Jordy had been firm about Pepper
’
s having to help.

Pepper drifted back toward the house.
“
Then can I go?
”

“
Yes, then you can go.
”

A few seconds later Pepper tore down the hill. Vray watched her go, wishing she could join her. It had been a bright morning but the afternoon was growing cold. Heavy clouds hung overhead, dull and threatening. The gloomy skies didn
’
t help Vray
’
s loneliness. How Cyril could sit for hours at her loom, isolated from even trivial conversation, was incomprehensible.

“
Later,
”
Vray promised herself.
“
I
’
ll go see Canis.
”
She draped the first sheet over the line. No wind. That was convenient, at least.

As she finished, a man
’
s voice called,
“
Anyone home?
”

Vray stepped away from the laundry to peer toward the road. The familiar voice didn
’
t belong to anyone in the village, which frightened her for a moment. The man who rode up the path on a black horse had curly brown hair, tied back off his neck. The leather-encased neck of a guitar was visible over his shoulder. His eyes lit with a smile when he saw her by the wash line.

“
Hello! Remember me?
”
he asked as he dismounted.

“
Ivey. Hello.
”
Vray looked at the minstrel
’
s travel-stained shirt and cloak, and at the bulky pack slung tied to the saddle horn, her mind still on washing. If he
’
d come to stay, she would end up doing his laundry, too.

“
Where is everyone?
”

“
The girls are off playing. Cyril
’
s inside.
”

He stopped a respectable distance from the clean clothing on the line, and put his pack down beside him. She tried not to look dismayed, but his widening smile proved she
’
d betrayed herself somehow.

“
Don
’
t worry. I
’
m not staying. Just wanted to see how you are.
”

She stepped away from him.
“
Cold.
”
The word sounded angry, and she wasn
’
t. At the Spring Festival, the minstrel had shown that he was concerned about her welfare, though she didn
’
t know why. She wanted to accept him as a friend. She certainly didn
’
t need another enemy.
“
Other than that, I
’
m fine, thank you.
”

“
You
’
re looking much better.
”

She tugged at her wet skirt.
“
I look like a dishrag.
”

He laughed.
“
Laundry does that to people.
”

He looked around the empty yard. Then his eyes met hers.
“
I
’
m here on business for the king of Sitrine. Any messages?
”

Vray stared at him. The king. In Raisal. She had purposefully stopped thinking about kingdoms and their rulers years ago.
“
Messages? From me?
”

“
To King Sene.
”

A chill unrelated to the weather prickled her skin.
“
He knows about me?
”

“
I think he knows everything,
”
Ivey said lightly.
“
I try to keep him informed.
”

Vray folded her arms tightly across her chest.
“
I think you should leave now,
”
she told the suddenly dangerous-seeming man. Any man working for a king could be dangerous. She
’
d lived long enough in Hion
’
s court to learn that much before she was sent away. She
’
d learned quite a lot about all three kingdoms, considering she
’
d been fourteen and not in the king
’
s favor.

Ivey spread his hands. The gesture of harmless appeal made her all the more nervous.
“
What did I say?
”

“
Is Sene going to tell my brother where I am?
”

“
Certainly not!
”
Was his outrage real? Or simply an example of his storyteller
’
s art?
“
He doesn
’
t like your brother. You
’
re safe here. As safe as you can be anywhere in Rhenlan. This is where the Dreamers want you to be.
”

Vray
’
s head began to ache. How had her nice, quiet afternoon of backbreaking work gone awry?
Think, girl,
she chided herself. She hadn
’
t been thinking about survival lately. It was time to resume that habit.

“
I have no news for any king.
”
she told him, stiff with caution.

“
Well, the king has a message for you.
”

Vray hugged herself tightly. When she remained silent, the minstrel went on,
“
He asks that you begin to consider your choices. You
’
re safe and where the Dreamers want you, but is it where you want to be?
”
A teasing smile brightened his face.
“
I think I remembered all of it, Redmother.
”

She wished she could put him and everything he
’
d said out of her mind, but that was a luxury lost to Redmothers. Besides, something in his words was too uncomfortable for her to ignore.

“
Choices?
”

Ivey said,
“
What would you like to do?
”

Keep away from my brother,
she thought bleakly. Ivey probably knew that already. After all, he was a messenger for Sene of Sitrine, who knows everything.

“
I don
’
t know,
”
she admitted softly.

He accepted her statement without censure.
“
How much have you heard about what
’
s gone on in the world in the last three years?
”

“
We never discussed policy in the scullery at Soza. I don
’
t know anything.
”

“
You
’
ve got an opportunity here to find out what you missed.
”

“
From you?
”

“
You don
’
t need me. You
’
re a carter
’
s daughter. He must hear all sorts of news, meet with all sorts of fascinating people, in the course of a summer.
”

She shrugged.
“
To hear his neighbors talk, he does.
”

The minstrel took a step back to pat his horse
’
s neck.

“
Jordy,
”
he said in his light, conversational way,
“
is the most well-traveled, well-informed man in the three kingdoms. Excepting myself, of course.
”

“
Of course.
”
She peered into his face.
“
Minstrel, what are we talking about? What do you
—
what does Sene
—
expect from me?
”