The riders fanned out, but my immediate escort rode straight to the overhanging rusty roof that formed a rudimentary barn. The Marquis dismounted and stretched out his hand to grip the bridle of my horse.
"Inside," he said to me.
I dismounted. Again the ground seemed to heave beneath my feet, but I leaned against the shoulders of my mount until the world steadied, and then I straightened up.
The Marquis walked toward the open doorway.
In a kind of blank daze, I followed the sweeping black cloak inside and down a tiny hall, to a door made of old, rickety twigs bound together. The Marquis opened this and waved me into a little room. I took two steps inside it, looked--
And there, lying on a narrow bed, with books and papers strewn about him, was my brother, Branaric.
"Mel!" he exclaimed. "Burn it, you were right," he said past me. "Ran her to ground at Vesingrui, eh?"
A voice spoke behind me. "They were just about to drop on us."
I turned, saw the Marquis leaning in the doorway, a growing puddle of rainwater at his feet.
For a long moment I could do nothing except stand as if rooted. The world seemed about to dissolve for a sickening moment, but I sucked in a ragged breath and it righted again, and I threw myself down on my knees next to the bed, knocking my soggy, shapeless hat off, and hugged Branaric fiercely.
"Mel, Mel," Bran said, laughing, then he groaned and fell back on his pillows. "Softly, girl. Curse it! I'm weak as a newborn kitten."
"And will be for a time," came the voice from the doorway. "Once your explanations have been made, I exhort you to remember Mistress Kylar's warning."
"Aye, I've it well in mine," Bran said. And as the door closed, he looked up at me from fever-bright eyes. "He was right! Said you'd go straight after 'em, sword and knife. What's with you?"
"You said, 'A trap.' I thought it was " I muttered through suddenly numb lips. "Wasn't it?"
"Didn't you see the riding of greeners?" Bran retorted. "It was Debegri, right enough. He had paid informants in those inns, for he was on the watch for your return. Why d'you think Vidanric sent the escort?"
"Vidanric?"
"His name," Branaric said, still staring at me with that odd gaze. "You could try to use it--only polite. After all, Shevraeth is just a title, and he doesn't go about calling either of us Tlanth." I thought, but I said nothing.
"Inside," he said to me.
I dismounted. Again the ground seemed to heave beneath my feet, but I leaned against the shoulders of my mount until the world steadied, and then I straightened up.
The Marquis walked toward the open doorway.
In a kind of blank daze, I followed the sweeping black cloak inside and down a tiny hall, to a door made of old, rickety twigs bound together. The Marquis opened this and waved me into a little room. I took two steps inside it, looked--
And there, lying on a narrow bed, with books and papers strewn about him, was my brother, Branaric.
"Mel!" he exclaimed. "Burn it, you were right," he said past me. "Ran her to ground at Vesingrui, eh?"
A voice spoke behind me. "They were just about to drop on us."
I turned, saw the Marquis leaning in the doorway, a growing puddle of rainwater at his feet.
For a long moment I could do nothing except stand as if rooted. The world seemed about to dissolve for a sickening moment, but I sucked in a ragged breath and it righted again, and I threw myself down on my knees next to the bed, knocking my soggy, shapeless hat off, and hugged Branaric fiercely.
"Mel, Mel," Bran said, laughing, then he groaned and fell back on his pillows. "Softly, girl. Curse it! I'm weak as a newborn kitten."
"And will be for a time," came the voice from the doorway. "Once your explanations have been made, I exhort you to remember Mistress Kylar's warning."
"Aye, I've it well in mine," Bran said. And as the door closed, he looked up at me from fever-bright eyes. "He was right! Said you'd go straight after 'em, sword and knife. What's with you?"
"You said, 'A trap.' I thought it was " I muttered through suddenly numb lips. "Wasn't it?"
"Didn't you see the riding of greeners?" Bran retorted. "It was Debegri, right enough. He had paid informants in those inns, for he was on the watch for your return. Why d'you think Vidanric sent the escort?"
"Vidanric?"
"His name," Branaric said, still staring at me with that odd gaze. "You could try to use it--only polite. After all, Shevraeth is just a title, and he doesn't go about calling either of us Tlanth." I thought, but I said nothing.
( Sherwood Smith )
[ Crown Duel ]
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