Dark Moon Defender (Twelve Houses) (34 page)
Read Dark Moon Defender (Twelve Houses) Online
Authors: Sharon Shinn
“Soldiers from the convent,” she said shortly. “They would have been most unhappy to find me out with you.”
Kissing in the dark.
Yes, Justin could imagine how unhappy the guards would have been. “We’d probably better get you back then,” he said, “in case anyone else comes looking for you.”
Yes, Justin could imagine how unhappy the guards would have been. “We’d probably better get you back then,” he said, “in case anyone else comes looking for you.”
They turned in the direction of the Gisseltess house, no more than a quarter mile away. But they moved slowly, neither of them eager for the night to end. Experimentally, Justin reached for Ellynor’s hand, and she allowed him to take it. She even squeezed his fingers as if to make certain he was real.
Outside the gate, they stopped and regarded each other by insufficient starlight. “I think some things have changed tonight,” Justin said hesitantly.
Ellynor nodded. “I think so.”
“I’m not good at this. I don’t know how to do this. But Ellynor, I—I have to see you again. This has become too important to me.”
She nodded again. “It’s important to me, too, Justin. But I don’t know—there are so many reasons—I don’t think there are any promises I can make. I
want
to see you, please believe that. If I stay away, it’s because I don’t have much control over my comings and goings or—or—because it seems better for both of us that we’re not together.”
want
to see you, please believe that. If I stay away, it’s because I don’t have much control over my comings and goings or—or—because it seems better for both of us that we’re not together.”
“It won’t be better for me,” he said immediately.
She smiled, but he thought the expression was a little sad. “Someday we’ll tell each other our secrets,” she said. “And everything may change again.”
She lifted her face, an invitation, so he bent to kiss her one last time. When he lifted his head, her fresh smile was a little brighter. “
There’s
something to dream about,” she said in a whisper. And she slipped away from him before he could kiss her again. A few moments later she had disappeared inside the house.
There’s
something to dream about,” she said in a whisper. And she slipped away from him before he could kiss her again. A few moments later she had disappeared inside the house.
CHAPTER 16
ONE more night when Ellynor met him in secret—one more rapturous interlude of shy smiles and stolen kisses—and then she was gone. Justin was watching from the side of the street when the cavalcade rode by, five novices and nine guards. If Ellynor saw him, she made no sign.
Justin found himself wondering how soon he could go out to Lumanen again. Convince Delz he needed another two or three days off, then creep through the forest and find himself a convenient perch to spy on the convent. How could he communicate with Ellynor if she was inside the walls and he outside? If she knew he was loitering in the forest, could she make up some excuse for going outside the gates? Why hadn’t he thought to ask these questions, make these preparations, before she left town again?
Too many kisses, not enough plans.
He was glum and sullen for two days, until he noticed how carefully Delz was avoiding him, and he realized he was behaving like a man who would start a fight without provocation. So he forced himself to improve his mood, at least outwardly, and was relieved to see Delz relax. Faeber came up to him that night at dinner and talked breezily for twenty minutes, and the magistrate hadn’t said a word to him for days.
Justin supposed he could seem fairly ferocious when he was in a foul mood. None of the Riders, of course, was afraid of him, so he wasn’t used to the effect his scowl might have.
And, anyway, he was rarely ill-tempered, at least as he saw it. Sarcastic and disdainful, yes, much of the time, but he never felt like
this
—like he wanted to pummel someone, anyone, merely for the crime of breathing. He expended his considerable energy by doing extra work around the stables. When Delz wasn’t around, he took off his boots and shirt and practiced bladework in the barn. His body hadn’t lost any of its conditioning during this enforced exile from the training yard, but his hand might be a bit slower on the feint, he thought. He pulled his dagger into his left hand, kept his sword in his right, and practiced thrusting and parrying against insubstantial opponents. If only there were another Rider here to train against! He hated the thought that he might be losing an inch of ground, a fraction of his speed.
this
—like he wanted to pummel someone, anyone, merely for the crime of breathing. He expended his considerable energy by doing extra work around the stables. When Delz wasn’t around, he took off his boots and shirt and practiced bladework in the barn. His body hadn’t lost any of its conditioning during this enforced exile from the training yard, but his hand might be a bit slower on the feint, he thought. He pulled his dagger into his left hand, kept his sword in his right, and practiced thrusting and parrying against insubstantial opponents. If only there were another Rider here to train against! He hated the thought that he might be losing an inch of ground, a fraction of his speed.
As if a particular goddess watched over him and heard that prayer, the very next day his plea was answered.
Justin slapped his fist against his thigh and hurried forward, smiling broadly. It
was
Tayse—and Senneth and Cammon— all of them wearing warm smiles to match his own. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, catching at Senneth’s bridle as they got close enough to stop. Her hair was in even greater disarray than usual, as if they’d ridden through wind-storms at breakneck speed. Or as if she’d merely failed to comb it that morning. He looked over at the other Rider. “You said you’d send messengers, but I didn’t think you’d be coming yourself.”
was
Tayse—and Senneth and Cammon— all of them wearing warm smiles to match his own. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, catching at Senneth’s bridle as they got close enough to stop. Her hair was in even greater disarray than usual, as if they’d ridden through wind-storms at breakneck speed. Or as if she’d merely failed to comb it that morning. He looked over at the other Rider. “You said you’d send messengers, but I didn’t think you’d be coming yourself.”
“We’ve got business in Coravann and decided to ride through Neft,” Tayse said. “Cammon said he wanted to come.”
“Should we have some kind of alias ready?” Senneth inquired. “Or would people expect you to actually have friends among the king’s men?”
He grinned. Tayse wasn’t displaying his royal insignia, and Senneth never wore anything that showed off her Brassenthwaite heritage. It would be easy to pass them off as mercenaries or drifters. “I’m not sure anyone would believe that tale. We’d better find another one.”
The three of them dismounted and looked around. “Where does a person sleep in this town?” Senneth wanted to know.
“I’m in a boardinghouse up the street. I’ve only got one extra bed, but there might be more rooms to rent. If not, I can sleep in the stables.”
“Where do we
eat
? I’m starving,” Cammon said.
eat
? I’m starving,” Cammon said.
Tayse gave Justin one quick, serious look. “We have much to talk about that is best said in private,” Tayse said quietly. “Perhaps it would be better to buy food and bring it here. If that’s allowed.”
Justin nodded. “I’ll tell Delz—the owner. He won’t care. It’s a couple more hours he won’t have to mind the stables.”
“Come on, Cam, you and I will go find this boardinghouse,” Senneth said. “Tayse, you’ll go foraging for food?”
He nodded at her and pulled a pack from the saddle, jingling with coins. Justin gathered up all the bridles.
“I’ll settle the horses and tell Delz to go home,” he said. “See you soon.”
Tayse hadn’t received Justin’s message, since his party had left Ghosenhall before it arrived, so Justin filled him in on Halchon’s arrival and the Lestra’s nighttime depredations. The other Rider was deeply displeased to learn that the marlord had slipped away from Gissel Plain a second time.
“He’ll have to go back, though, won’t he?” Justin said as he finished up his meal.
“I assume so, since I would think that’s where he keeps both his money and his manpower,” said Tayse. “Unless he’s craftier than we realize and has set up armies and stores of gold in secret locations.”
“I’m betting on him being crafty,” Senneth said pessimistically.
“No reason some of that gold couldn’t be in the convent,” Justin said. “Since he was there. And it’s fortified. And defended.”
“Actually, that seems to be a likely hiding place,” Tayse said.
“And if it is,” Justin added, “anyone working with Halchon Gisseltess could ride up to the convent and get access to some of the gold. Rayson Fortunalt, for instance. He was here the other day, or at least I think it was him.”
Senneth was frowning. “What would Rayson need with more money? He’s got plenty of his own—and taxing his vassals at a rate that’s causing plenty of complaints, I might add. A half dozen of the lesser Fortunalt lords were in Ghosenhall for the summit with the regent.”
Tayse gave her a long, considering look. “Why would Rayson Fortunalt need more money?” he repeated. “Who might he be paying?”
“Soldiers,” Justin said promptly.
“Can’t he afford his own army?”
Justin glanced at Senneth, who was still frowning. “Hiring from somewhere else?” Justin guessed. “Freelance mercenaries? Malcontents from the loyal Houses? How much money would that take?”
“This is worrisome,” Senneth said. “All along we’ve been assuming Halchon is raising an army of zealots—people who hate mystics, who think the king is too old to rule, people who are genuinely afraid for the future. I believe they’re misguided, but they have some personal stake in a war, if it should come. But if Rayson is raising an army of mercenaries—with Halchon Gisseltess’s money—”
“That ends up being an even bigger army than we thought,” Tayse said.
“Exactly.”
“Well, we’re just speculating about the gold,” Justin said.
“It’s a speculation that has the unfortunate ring of truth,” Tayse replied.
Cammon, who had been quiet during this whole discussion, stirred on his seat of hay. “I wonder how we can find out if there’s a store of money at Lumanen Convent,” he said.
Senneth glanced at him, faintly smiling. “Can you ride by the gates and concentrate? Try to sense great piles of gold locked in one of the empty rooms?”
“No,” he said regretfully. “I never get a sense of
things
. Only people.”
things
. Only people.”
Justin was laughing. “Well, maybe you can sense if any people there are planning how they can break in and steal a fat handful of coins.”
Cammon looked intrigued. “That I might be able to do.”
“Seems risky and not particularly useful,” Tayse said. “I’m willing to assume the money’s there.”
Justin considered. “I wonder if Ellynor could find out.”
There was a moment’s silence while the other three all looked at him. “Ellynor?” Senneth said in a neutral voice.
Justin tried to look casual. “A novice from the convent. I’ve made friends with her.”
“On the face of it, an impossible task,” Tayse said.
Justin shrugged, as if the tale didn’t matter. “She was walking the streets of Neft until she was attacked by a man who was interested in something other than a moonstone. I stopped him, and we fought—well, it wasn’t much of a fight—then I brought her back here. We talked a little bit. I couldn’t see
what
good it could do, exactly, but I thought it might be useful to have someone who lived inside Lumanen and had some goodwill toward us.”
what
good it could do, exactly, but I thought it might be useful to have someone who lived inside Lumanen and had some goodwill toward us.”
“Have you seen her since that first time?” Tayse asked.
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