Lady Warhawk (3 page)

"Megs--"

"I understand. And I wouldn't take your job for all the fame and glory and honor you
could offer me. I have an entire estate full of servants to help me and Lorkin raise our boys, and I
still wonder sometimes how we manage. You have two boys you're raising on your own, along
with acting as a healer and running an inn. That was how we found you, finally. A healer woman
with red hair."

"Five years ago, you say?" Meghianna could barely repress a sigh. She thought she had
been so clever. If Megassa had found her, how many far more vicious and bitter enemies of the
Warhawk had been watching her all this time?

"Oh, no, we didn't find your inn until two moons ago. We decided you were in
Quenlaque, and we had decided you had to be a healer--you can't resist helping people, Meggi.
Do you have any idea the number of healers in this city? It's growing faster than our spies can
keep count."

"Your spies. How many know--"

"No one but Lorkin and our boys. We have a few trusted men and women, all with
Valor training, bound with those clever spells Mrillis devised--"

"What spells?" Meghianna felt some disgruntlement that Mrillis had done something
new in Valor training and hadn't told her. Even if she wasn't involved in Valor training anymore,
as Queen of Snows she should at least have been kept informed.

"Not truly magic," her sister said with a chuckle. "Vows sworn on their swords and
Braenlicach, imperiling their very souls, to stand for honor and truth and loyalty and justice, to
protect the weak and defenseless, and defeat those who would harm innocence and profit from
suffering. How can anyone stray from vows like that, when it's been pounded into you during
your training, and strong chains of guilt hold you fast?" She sighed. "If only such vows and such
training had been pounded into my head ..."

"You were in love. It does odd things to even the most sensible people," Meghianna
offered.

"Now, I can truly vouch for that." The sparkle came back to her eyes and she tapped the
nose of the youngest boy, Garyn, perched comfortably in Meghianna's lap. "My dears, go back to
your games and let your Aunt Meggi and me talk about boring grown-up things."

Lok and Mikyl returned then with the food, and it was several minutes until everyone
was served. Meghianna and Megassa settled down under the window again with their mugs of
cider and two cakes, sticky with honey and studded with dried fruit. Meghianna made note of the
composition of the cakes, to tell Bethian. This inn didn't have any sort of reputation for its food,
either good or bad, but these cakes would make a nice change in her inn's regular fare.

"I wasn't particularly keen on bringing my boys with me, but ... well, if anyone is
watching us, they wouldn't suspect any sort of action if the boys were involved." Megassa's gaze
followed her boys as they settled down to study or to play. Then she sighed and turned back to
her sister. "To continue my tale, we only suspected where you were, and had our people simply
keep watch for anyone who vaguely matched your description. I guessed you would dye your
hair. How often do you have to do it? I don't feel any magic holding an illusion, so I assume that
really is dye?"

"Twice a moon, at least. I do use magic regularly in my healing and that tends to burn
off the dye and reveal the white." Meghianna chuckled. "Sometimes I think my hair has a mind
of its own and resents being dyed, covering up the white."

"You earned that badge of honor and respect, Meggi. It's a pity you have to cover it and
pretend to be far less than you are."

"I've enjoyed being ordinary. As if either of us could ever be ordinary, with our
heritage." It warmed her to get a grin from her sister at those words. "So how did you narrow
down all the possibilities to me and my inn, and why are you here? Much as I have missed you
and wanted to meet your boys, I can't imagine you're here just to visit."

"Lorkin and I have dedicated ourselves to rooting out all our brother's enemies, to make
up for our stupidity so many years ago. As Athrar grows older, those people are becoming more
desperate to find and destroy him. And there have been several attempts on our father's life."

"Yes, Mrillis said. But he said all were defeated."

"Our father isn't as young and strong as he used to be. Poison leaves a mark in the body.
He's old and feeling the effects of his years of battle. Blood left on a sword eventually corrodes
the metal. Papa isn't called the Bloody Sword without good reason."

"You do miss him, don't you?" she half-whispered. She reached out to take her sister's
free hand. "Oh, Megs, why didn't you go to visit him?"

"Hurt pride, partly." Megassa didn't free her hand. "And partly to keep up the game of
deception Lorkin and I have been playing. It makes the Warhawk's enemies a little more
confident, thinking there are a few less allies, and perhaps a chance to use us to get control of the
throne. And we are able to get more information that way, to safeguard that throne."

"So someone has found our brother."

"Not yet. But rumors insist the Queen of Snows is not a recluse at the Stronghold, and
that she is in disguise, raising the Warhawk's heir as her son. Having two boys will only shield
you a little while longer. That was rather clever, having another son. It threw us off the trail for
nearly a year. But too many of your neighbors know that your brother was orphaned and came to
live with you around the time that Athrar Warhawk vanished. Someone who remembers you as a
child might see you, and catch the resemblance."

"Ah. Yes, I had hoped to avoid that as long as possible, but the simpler the disguise, the
easier it is to carry it off. And both boys call me Mother, so..." She shrugged.

"Who is the other? Is he truly yours?"

"Do you remember Lysette and Syndal?" Meghianna waited until her sister nodded.
"They were murdered by the Purebloods just before Athrar was born. I adopted their son,
Lycen."

"I assume he inherited his father's strength and talent. I vaguely remember Syndal was a
suitor...until Lysette swept him off his feet." Megassa sighed, mischief glittering in her eyes. "I
was quite jealous."

"Until Lorkin pursued you."

"True." The sisters shared smiles of memory, and Meghianna thought she felt a little
more of the shattered bond between them mend, like pieces of a pottery bowl coming back
together. Not quite neatly, but whole enough to be useful again. "Well, my mission is done,
bringing you warning. Whatever you decide, you have the support of the house of Lorkin."

"You wouldn't offer if you didn't think our enemies are ready to swoop down on us," she
murmured, as she let her mind spin through all this new information. "No matter how clever your
people are, they would be rather conspicuous, simply being strangers here. Taking us to your
estate would be just as conspicuous."

"The logical tactic would be to take Athrar to the Stronghold, but the enemy would
expect that, too." Megassa got up to pace, instantly getting the attention of her sons. "I don't want
you to tell me where you are going... But I wish we could help. Somehow."

"Wish what, Mama?" Garyn dropped his toy sword and scurried across the room, to
grab handfuls of Megassa's skirt and look up at her with wide, somber eyes.

"Your first duty as a Valor in the Warhawk's service," Meghianna said. She caught the
instantly widening of all the boys' eyes, the excited grins, the alertness that rang through their
bodies. A moment later, she and Megassa shared glances, and laughed.

Blessed Estall, thank you. I have my sister back.

Meghianna knew Ector was worried, and she silently blessed him for his silence and
patience as he escorted her back to her inn. Her mind was in a whirl as she considered all her
options and made lists of all the things she had to do.

She would leave Quenlaque, with as little fuss as possible, but where should she and her
boys go? She would have to speak with Mrillis that evening, after the inn had shut down for the
night. She didn't need the business of the inn interrupting what might prove to be a very long
conversation through the Threads.

"I'm worried about you, Ianni," Ector finally said, when they could see her inn.

"How?"

Meghianna thought she knew Ector well. He liked to ask questions, listened, thought
hard, watched, and refused to jump to conclusions on scanty evidence. It made him a dangerous
enemy and a valuable ally. She had thanked the Estall daily that he had chosen to take both her
boys under his wing. They could have no better teacher in the soldierly arts--or in being a man of
honor. She was especially grateful that Ector hadn't grown sour at her constant refusal of his
marriage proposals, and had remained her friend.

"Did that lady tell you who she was when you were alone with her?"

"Yes, of course." Meghianna silently revised her half-formed plan. "Princess Megassa.
You likely guessed that she did not come by accident to my inn."

"But why? What sort of trouble has she gotten you into?" He grabbed her arm, stopping
them in front of the well in the middle of the square. Traffic flowed around them. It was as good
a place as any to have a private conversation. They were both well known enough that no one
would even notice them standing there, talking.

"She has enlisted me in helping to protect the heir." Meghianna clasped Ector's hand
where it rested on her arm, to give emphasis to her words. "I have
imbrose
enough to
know she speaks the truth. Can I ask your help in a great service to our World?"

A crooked smile twisted the concerned, hard set of Ector's mouth. "I always thought
there was more magic to you than just healing and raising two mischief-makers." He nodded.
"Ask me. I doubt you would plan treachery."

"Quite the opposite." She patted his hand, then gestured to her inn. "This is something I
don't want to say twice, and the boys are intimately involved with this. Join us for dinner?"

"You don't have to bribe me that way," he said with a chuckle as they resumed walking.
"But Bethian's cooking is enough to make a man consider committing crimes."

"Why didn't you ever ask her to marry you, instead of me?" Meghianna muffled a giggle
when Ector stumbled.

"Besides the fact we're cousins, two steps removed?"

"She never told me." That explained what had brought Ector to the inn almost from the
day she opened it. This section of the city wasn't a troublesome district, and was a little out of the
way for the garrison's commander in his daily rounds.

"Her mother was born on the wrong side of the blanket, and we don't talk about it, to
save her trouble. Especially from her husband. He's a good man, just so white-washed and
stiff-necked, he'd punish the innocent for the crimes of their elders."

"And you, being the gallant officer you are, inherited the duty of protecting them both."
Meghianna hooked her arm through his, so they reached her front door in step. "Oh, my dear
friend, how I wish I could fall in love with you. The Estall has other duties for me, and I fear he
made me so I don't know how to love that way."

"I figured that out a long time ago, m'dear." Ector stopped her in the open doorway.
"You were made to love the entire World, like a guardian spirit. But you can't blame a man for
keeping his hopes up, can you?"

Meghianna grasped him by the collar of his jacket and went up on her toes to kiss his
cheek. She felt the attention of the half-full room, but it was too late now. His face was red, and
her face felt hot enough to boil water, when she released his jacket and stepped back. Unerringly,
she turned to find both Thrarin and Lycen staring at them.

"You're going to spill that basin," Meghianna called, in time to stop Thrarin from
emptying the basin of water and dirty dishes he had been carrying into the kitchen.

Her brother scowled and righted his burden and let Lycen nudge him into the kitchen.
Meghianna imagined Bethian would hear about that kiss in about five seconds.

"If we're not careful, they'll be planning our wedding in another hour," Ector
muttered.

"Half an hour. Come with me." She decided the damage had been done--and just maybe,
she could benefit from the ripples of gossip started by her impulsive move. Taking hold of
Ector's hand, she led him across the main room, past the few customers who still watched them,
into the kitchen, and through to the rooms where she and her boys lived. "Come along, you two.
Leave Bethian to her cooking. We have work to do."

"What did that lady want, really?" Lycen asked, almost before he and Thrarin were in
their family's room. He settled down at the table and rested his elbows on it, grinning, looking
back and forth between Meghianna and Ector.

Thrarin stayed standing until Meghianna had shut the door and gestured for him and
Ector to sit. He settled down next to her and watched her, eyes narrowing, just like their father
had always done when deep in thought and considering things he didn't like very much.

There is quite a bit you won't like in the days and moons to come, little brother.
Meghianna feared the plan she and Megassa had cobbled together would have to be revised
multiple times before the Warhawk's heir sat safely at his father's right hand.

She wished Mrillis were here. Meghianna thought a prayer of thanks to the Estall that
she had been helping Mrillis educate Thrarin in his dreams, ever since he was just a tiny lad and
susceptible to the simple spells they wove around his mind.

When he moved in the dreamrealm, Thrarin knew the truth. He knew he was born
Athrar Warhawk, heir to the High King, born to carry Braenlicach and battle the Encindi threat
and foul magic of Rey'kil rebels. He knew he was her brother, not her son, and Lycen was his
adopted brother. He visited his parents in his dreams and knew and loved them. He explored the
world in her and Mrillis' memories, so there was not a single place they had been that he did not
know just as thoroughly.