The Royals

Chapter 13

'Master, are you well?' The timid voice grated like a crow's caw, dragging his mind more fully into the room. Reluctantly, Jedrek returned his attention to the bracelet. The other matter would not be solved today.

It was odd how the bracelet had returned to his pos session. Hidden for years with Lyda and Willam, only to be sold against all instruction to the mage-child, Ginni, and then to woo it away from her father. Jedrek shook his head. The Sisters had ways he did not understand even now after years of study,

As ever, the bracelet rejected his touch. Only by steeling himself with his strongest magic could he tolerate it at all. Most often, he preferred to handle the thing with a polished wood knife-point.

The six other mages closed in a semi-circle around the table though none dared to reach within the bracelet's sphere. You all know why we've gathered today.' The elfpriest looked at each of them in turn. 'We must debate whether the time has come to restore this sacred object to its rightful owner.'

'The One will have our heads.'

Jedrek snorted. 'The One. Since when has she deserved her self-appointed title?' He stared hard at the elf. Was this the betrayer - or simply a coward? The woman flinched but held her ground. 'Alvaria would have our heads in any case. Her actions do not rule ours. Anyone else?"

The rest stood mute. Worse than a pack of traitors, they feared to venture any opinion at all. Jedrek fell like a schoolmaster seated before a group of chastened students. 'No one else has anything to offer?'

Still no response from the small crowd.

'Am I the only one here who has considered the signs?'

A mumbled chorus of 'no's' and 'of course not's'.

'Well then?' 'I agree with Lilith. We risk our lives,' one began.

'And did you think you were doing any less when you joined me?' "That was years ago. I had nowhere else to go and nothing to lo' He began hotly, but trailed off embar rassed.

'Nothing to lose,' Jedrek finished for him, 'because you were already outcasts. But now that you're comfortable and have made new lives for yourselves, you are loath to sacrifice that which you promised me years ago.' As the elf spoke, his voice rose and with it his body so that he boomed out and towered over them when he finished. 'Good, bow your heads. Show proper respect, but not a nerve among you!'

He waited, hoping to be defied openly rather than in a darkened hallway. His heart pounded in his ears when he finally broke the silence. "Though we are seven, plainly it is my decision alone. Therefore, I say we take it to the dragon prince so that he might make use of it while he's able.'

. Three of them rushed him then no, not him, the bracelet. He almost smiled. At least they weren't all spineless.

Lilith reached out, then yanked her arm back. Her shout of pain was genuine.

'It will heal,' he told her. Between the enchanted treasure's own defenses and those Jedrek had added, none of them would be able to challenge it.

The elfpriest settled back into his chair. 'Well now that that's settled… He clapped his hands and his personal sentries came running in. 'It's as we expected,' he said to the chief guard. 'Take them.'

Kate thought she hated rain until now. Through all the autumn with the floods and the droughts, she had wished for the rain to be elsewhere and hoped she didn't call down a shortage in its place. It had never occurred to her once despite a life spent primarily under the trees and stars that the bewitched autumn downpours would likely become mage-cursed winter snows. In their turn, snow-showers became deepsnows, and the deepsnows blizzarded upon them one after another.

She had wished to be out of the castle and her brother had granted her petition. Now, as she pulled her horse forward through driving snows, she cursed her wishes and her luck.

'Ah, stop your complaining,' Maarcus snapped. "You've been grumbling since you got to The Cliffs that you missed the mountains. Well, by the Sisters, we are on our way to your twice-cursed mountains."

Kate shook the snow off her hat and out of her hair. Hat in hands, she spoke with forced politeness to his back. 'I don't believe I requested your learned opinion.'

He answered her sarcasm with a barb of his own that struck closer to home. "Told you you should have brought the cape.'

'So you did.' She slammed the hat back on her head. She didn't want to tell him she'd torn it fighting off an assassin, or that she'd left the wrap behind because she considered it bad luck. 'Any other useful advice I should have heeded but didn't?"

Maarcus stopped and turned to face her. His smile was full of mischief. 'Well,' he said slowly, 'if you're sure you'd like to hear the list…'

Something about his sly look tugged at Kate. Split between warting to hit him and hug him, she settled for a noncommittal grunt. 'What say we find some decent shelter tonight?'

'Have you any idea where we are?'

'Have you always answered with unrelated questions - or is this just a new habit you've acquired under the strain of war?"

'I was merely suggesting that the nearest inn is some days walk from here."

There you go again, not answering the question put to you."

Maarcus laughed. 'Oh, that. Sorry. Most people don't notice it."

'Well, I do and it's both distracting and annoying.'

'You would and I agree it is. I find it dissuades casual questions from strangers when I'm not of a mind to attend to their concerns. Generally it works quite well.'

'And no one's stabbed you yet? You must have the Sisters' luck."

He shrugged. As I said, few notice it. They're too busy asking questions to hear answers.'

Interesting point. Kate would take it to heart. 'Now that we've established you don't mean to drive me to wanton butchery, can we return to my original question? You know, sleep?"

'We're nowhere near an inn. Most of the wayside inns closed up with the witch's campaigns.'

'Even this far in country? She hasn't been anywhere near this close to the capital yet.'

'No, but fear advances well ahead of her troops.'

'Poor Ceeley. It's as if they simply vanished.'

'Now who's wandering off the subject. Kate, don't worry. I have a feeling she's warm and dry wherever she is. That child has good instincts.'

'When she's not haunted by the elfwitch.'

.'Is this the monthly lower-than-low day?"

'I feel culpable,' she explained. 'I should have kept a better eye on her.'

'So should we all. Besides, her father trusted her to my care should anything ever happen to him.'

'Only because he didn't know any better.' Kate meant it as a tease, but her words struck deep as they often did when she least meant them to.

.Maarcus winced. Anybody ever tell you you're as sharp as a fishing-knife and just as savage?"

'Not in so many words, but I have gutted my share of highwaymen.'

Time to get moving,' Maarcus said, apparently no longer in the mood for a battle of wit. 'We'll freeze to death if we don't.'

'Likely freeze to death if we do, too. I think it's time we built shelter if there's none to be found. No caves around here at all?' she asked, expecting the worst.

'Not that I recall…' Maarcus stood quietly in thought.

Kate waited, feeling oddly patient, knowing without knowing why that he would think of something.

His face brightened. There is a small cave. It was a tight entrance when I was a boy, but I think we'll fit. Very cozy inside. It's about an hour's walk from here.'

The princess suppressed another groan. 'Lead the way.

It took closer to three hours to find it and the burrow was even smaller than Maarcus remembered.

Kate stood outside, dubious that she could wiggle through the hole.

Look on the bright side,' Maarcus offered. There won't be anything in there big enough to eat us.'

If we're lucky, we can eat it.' She c****d her head to the side and studied the opening then walked around to assure herself there wasn't an easier way - for her or another animal. You're sure it's bigger inside?'

'It was the last time I was here.'

"And when was that?' She held up a hand to forestall his answer. 'Never mind I don't want to know. If I'm going in anyway, I'd just as soon not rush the disap pointment.' She removed her pack and shoved it into the gap. No growling. That's encouraging.' She placed a knife between her teeth then lay flat on her stomach. 'Here goes.'

Maarcus put a hand on her shoulder. 'Let me go first.'

She sat up and scooted out of the way. 'By all means."

Maarcus took off his pack and pushed it in behind hers. It met resistance, but there were no animal sounds of protest. He lay flat and crawled through. There was a long moment as she peered into the darkness, then he called, 'Come on in. Nobody here but us fox furs.'

Kate didn't hesitate. She'd do almost anything to get out of the wind. The walls scraped her shoulders and face as she wriggled in. Strong arms pulled her the rest of the way.

'We'll have to sleep rather close. It's smaller than I remember,' he apologized.

'Bits from childhood memories often are. I don't mind, Maarcus. At least it'll keep the snow out of my eyes for a few hours.' She slid away from the opening and squeezed next to him against the opposite wall.

'Watch yourself. There's my best dinner-jacket and a six-course meal in the corner."

Kate laughed. And they say the King's Own aren't generous.'

'Who says?' sounding slightly hurt in the close dark ness.

'No one,' Kate mumbled already half asleep against his shoulder. Pleasant dreams, Sir Maarcus.'

Though the candles had burned themselves out, Ginni made no effort to rekindle them. To control the Sisters' flame meant she welcomed shadows as easily as light. She would sit in darkness.

Sometime late in the night, the mage who Ginni now knew to be named Dita came for her. Silently she led her down a dimly lit hallway to another room. Your training begins in the morning.'

The chamber was more sparsely furnished than the first - a bed, a cane chair, a bureau, a throw rug. Nonetheless, a fire blazed in the hearth. Apparently, the witches did not follow the deprivations Roslin had practiced.

Buried within the larger hive of huts, the interior room gave her no view to the outside. Ginni would forget the cycles of sun and moon if she weren't careful. She began to get an inkling of how her mother had worked for days without rest.

Ginni stayed awake long enough to remove her wet boots and pants. Along with her sodden cape, she hung the clothing near the fire. Spent from her travels, she finally climbed beneath the heap of blankets. Comfortably warm, Ginni was more aware than ever of the danger here in the Tower. She could allow herself to sleep, but she'd have to return to the unsettling dreamlessness her mother had often imposed. She could not accept untainted rest until she could fully trust herself to block their powers.