The Salbine Sisters (28 page)

“Barnabus and I were just discussing what time to leave. We’ll ride after lunch.”

“We’re not staying to visit the guilds?” Maddy said slowly.

“No. He’s heading back to the monastery to let the abbess know that we’re taking Emmey home. We’ll head for Pinewood.”

Lillian’s legs felt like jellies when Maddy beamed at her and murmured, “Thank you.” It was a good thing Pinewood was in the general direction of home. Lillian would have followed Maddy to the other end of the world, to see that smile.

L
illian pointed to her left and shouted over her shoulder, “Lake. Down there.” They were all badly in need of a wash. She slowed Baxter to a walk and waited for Maddy to draw even with her. “And under those trees looks inviting.”

“I see a stream,” Emmey said, twisting around to face Maddy.

Maddy smiled at her. “The horses will like that.” She turned to Lillian. “We still have a few more hours of light, but let’s stop anyway. I feel as if I have dust underneath my eyelids, and I wouldn’t mind a relaxing evening around a fire.”

Lillian agreed. Since leaving Garryglen, they’d ridden until last light most days, often laying out their rolls and tumbling into them right after a late supper. They weren’t in a hurry to reach Pinewood—at least Maddy wasn’t—and they weren’t pushing the horses too hard; they trotted more often than not. But the monastery beckoned. Neither of them wanted to test Sophia’s patience by meandering back to Merrin. “All right. We’ll lay our heads here tonight.” They rode to the trees and dismounted.

“Why don’t you two go wash up?” Maddy said.

“We can go together.”

As Lillian expected, Maddy shook her head. “No, you go ahead. I want to pray.”

“Do you need a fire, Miss?”

“Not yet, no. And put shoes on, Emmey. It looks like you’ll have to go down a rocky path.” Maddy frowned when Emmey groaned, “I know you hate wearing shoes, but you’d hate cutting your feet even more.”

“I suppose so,” Emmey grumbled.

Lillian pulled her robe from one of Ticky’s bags, preferring it to her travel clothes if they were going to lounge around for hours. “We won’t be long,” she said to Maddy. “Come on, Emmey.”

“What are you doing?” Emmey asked when Lillian stopped at the top of the slope above the lake, turned back to the camp, and drew air to shield Maddy.

“Nothing.” When she turned to face the lake, her foot sent a stone skittering down the slope. “It looks like Maddy was right. Be careful.” She tucked her robe under her arm and didn’t protest when Emmey grabbed her hand.

“Why won’t the Miss ever come with us?” Emmey asked as they carefully made their way down the path. “She always says no.”

“I think she’s shy about her arm.”

“But we’ve seen it!”

Not when Maddy was naked. She rarely allowed Lillian to see her in her shift, let alone naked. Lillian hadn’t seen her naked since their last morning at the prison.

Emmey frowned up at Lillian. “She’s being silly.”

“No, she isn’t, and don’t you dare say that to her. She just needs time to—” Emmey’s feet went out from under her. Lillian pulled her up before her arse hit the ground. The soap Emmey had been carrying rolled down the slope and plopped into the water. “Oh dear,” Lillian murmured.

“We’ll find it,” Emmey said, nonplussed.

Lillian tightened her grip on Emmey’s hand. “Right, let’s watch where we’re going, shall we? We’re almost there.”

They undressed at the bottom of the slope and left their clothes on a large flat rock beside the path. Lillian waded in first and hugged herself. “It’s a bit chilly.” And deeper than she’d expected, so close to land. “Walk slowly to me, Emmey.”

By the time Emmey reached Lillian’s side, the water was up to her chin. Lillian nudged her back toward the path, until the water was about chest-level. “You’ll have to bathe here. Don’t come in any farther.”

Her heart leaped into her mouth when Emmey suddenly plunged beneath the water. “Emmey?” She was about to hold her nose and go under when Emmey burst from the lake and triumphantly held up the soap. “Do you think you can warn me next time?” Lillian snapped, her heart pounding.

“I can swim!”

“Famous last words, my dear.”

Emmey’s brow furrowed.

“Why don’t you wash up while I go for a paddle?”

“Will you do my back?”

“You’re old enough to do your own back.”

“Aw . . . please?”

“No. And don’t swim after me. Stay where your head’s above water.” Lillian turned away and shook her head. Maddy indulged the child too much.

The water felt pleasant now. She leisurely swam in circles, pleased that the lake naturally confined Emmey to the area near the path. Every so often she glanced Emmey’s way, to make sure she was all right. Maddy would never forgive her if something happened to the child. When Emmey beckoned to her, Lillian groaned and swam over.

“I’m finished.” Emmey handed her the soap. “Do you want me to do your back?”

“No, I don’t. The last thing I need is your grubby little hands all over my back.”

“They’re clean!” Emmey shrieked.

Lillian ignored her and waded away.

“I’m getting out,” Emmey called after her.

“Fine, but don’t leave without me.” As she washed her arms, Lillian checked to see if Emmey had obeyed her. Emmey was sitting next to their clothes on the rock, letting the sun dry her skin. Good. But how would she keep Emmey busy while Maddy was bathing? Have her water the horses, perhaps, or collect twigs for a fire?

She washed her chest, then glanced Emmey’s way again. The rock was empty! Emmey was climbing the slope—with Lillian’s clothes! That little rascal! Lillian effortlessly did what most mages could only dream of doing: despite already maintaining an air shield, she drew another element and then transformed it. Water gushed from the top of the slope. Emmey turned around and started to head back down. Suddenly the water froze. Her feet slipped from under her. She slid down the path on her behind and fell into the lake with a splash.
There, that will teach her!
Lillian regretted that her clothes had also gone under, but no matter. She held her nose and dunked underwater to wet her hair. “You’d better find all my clothes,” she shouted when she could breathe again.

No response.

Annoyed, she twisted toward the slope to shout again. Emmey wasn’t there! She hadn’t surfaced! Adrenaline coursed through Lillian. Blast it, bloody blast it! “Emmey!” She dropped the soap, raced to where Emmey had fallen into the lake, and was just about to dive under when Emmey leaped from the water with Lillian’s robe in her hand. “Ta-da!”

“You bugger!” Lillian sputtered.

Emmey covered her mouth. “Oh, I don’t think you’re supposed to say that word.”

“I’ll say whatever I bloody-well feel like saying! Do you know how much you frightened me?” Her hands still shook.

“I told you I could swim! I can hold my breath for a long time, too.”

“I don’t care!” Lillian snatched her robe from Emmey’s hand. “Find the rest of my clothes. Now!” She stomped out of the lake and examined her robe. Soaked! And the same would be true of her shift and travelling clothes. How long until Pinewood? Grimacing, she struggled into the wet robe, not wanting to climb the rocky path naked. Fortunately Emmey hadn’t taken her shoes. “Hurry up!” she snapped when Emmey handed her a wet shift and riding skirt.

Minutes later, Emmey emerged from the lake with a limp shirt. “We better be careful climbing back up,” she said. “Water could come down again.”

Lillian looked at her in surprise. “Where do you think the water came from?”

Emmey thought a moment, then shrugged. “There must be a waterfall, but I didn’t see one. Doesn’t make sense, though. Water would be there all the time.”

Lillian started up the slope. “Didn’t Maddy tell you about how sisters draw the elements?” When Emmey reached for her hand, she hesitated, then took it.

“Yeah.”

“One of those elements is water.”

Emmey jerked her head up to look at Lillian. “You mean you did it?”

“Yes, and then I turned the water to ice. That’s why you slipped.”

“Oh. I didn’t know it was ice. I just fell on my bottom and couldn’t stop.”

“Exactly what I wanted you to do,” Lillian said smugly. “Though it would have been nice if you’d thrown the clothes aside.”

“I didn’t have time!”

Winded, Lillian didn’t respond, focusing silently on navigating up the slope to their camp.

Maddy was kneeling on a blanket. “I was just unpacking what we need for supper,” she said, carefully unwrapping the bundle that contained the bread and cheese they’d bought from a farmer earlier that afternoon. She smiled up at Lillian. “Can you cut these while I’m bathing?” Her smile faded. She looked at Emmey, then back at Lillian. “Do I want to know? You know that when you bathe, you remove your clothing, right?”

Lillian dropped her soaked clothes and pointed at Emmey. “It was her fault.”

“No, it was hers,” Emmey said, pointing at Lillian.

“She was running away with my clothes!” Lillian’s mouth tightened when Maddy’s twitched.

“She made ice and so I slipped and fell in the lake,” Emmey countered.

“You drew water?” Maddy said incredulously. “I thought I heard gushing water at one point. That was you?”

Lillian put her hands on her hips. “I told her to stay put! If she’d done what she was told, none of this would have happened. And when she fell in the lake, she pretended she was drowning and scared the life out of me!”

The amusement in Maddy’s eyes died. She turned to Emmey. “Did you do that, Emmey?”

“I wasn’t trying to scare her, Miss.”

“Then what were you trying to do?” Lillian snapped, her temples pulsing.

“You know what? You two sort this out while I bathe.” Maddy pushed herself upright. “I want a quiet evening, all right?”

“You’re sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Lillian asked. “The water’s a bit deep. You could slip. I’m a bit jittery, now.”

“I can still swim, Lillian. I’d rather you stay here, with Emmey.” Maddy heaved a sigh. “Can I have the soap, please?”

Lillian stared at her.

Maddy held out her hand. “The soap?”

“I dropped it in the lake,” she admitted sheepishly.

“We don’t have any more!”

Lillian jerked her thumb at Emmey. “If she hadn’t played her little prank, I wouldn’t have dropped it.”

“I didn’t know you’d drop the soap!” Emmey shouted.

“Right, I’m going.” Muttering, Maddy walked away.

Emmey stuck a finger in her mouth. “I think she’s mad at us.”

“Really? How astute of you!” Lillian picked up her wet clothes and moved them over to the small pile of twigs Maddy had started. Later she’d use steel and flint to light a fire; she’d already frivolously drawn the elements enough for one day.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Emmey said.

“What on earth possessed you to do it, then?” she asked, motioning for Emmey to follow her to Ticky.

“I wanted to see if you’d rescue me.”

“Of course I’d rescue you.” For Maddy’s sake. Mainly.

“I wasn’t sure, so I thought I’d stay under the water and see if you’d come.”

Lillian peeled off her robe and handed it to Emmey, then found another blanket and used it to pat herself dry.

“When I saw how fast your legs were moving, I knew I’d be in trouble. But I was also happy because you were coming to rescue me.”

Lillian would never understand this child, but could appreciate her curiosity. “I usually support an empirical approach, but not in this case.”

“An empiri-what?”

She pulled a shift over her head and stepped into the dry robe. “Learning through observation or experience.”

Emmey still looked confused.

Lillian sighed. “Doing something and seeing what happens.”

“Oh!” Emmey said, brightening.

“But not when it frightens people.” She finished buttoning her robe, stepped into a pair of sandals, and rummaged around in a bag for the cloth-wrapped knife. Emmey followed her back to the blanket, where Lillian knelt to slice the bread and cheese for their supper. “There was no need to test me in this case,” Lillian said. “You should have known I’d rescue you.”

“I suppose so,” Emmey said, making a great show of laying out Lillian’s wet clothes. “The Miss would be upset if something happened to me.”

Lillian glanced at her. “That’s very insightful.”

Emmey’s face scrunched up. “What?”

“Never mind.”

“I didn’t think your legs could move that fast.”

Lillian stifled a chuckle. “Change your clothes. Those need to dry.”

“Are you still mad at me?” Emmey asked a moment later.

“No.”

“Because you don’t want to upset the Miss?”

“Partly.” Let the child puzzle that one out. “Now go change, and then you can help me unload Ticky.” When Emmey turned her back, Lillian smiled. Her legs churning through the water must have been quite the sight, and Emmey had meant no harm. Now that she’d calmed down, Lillian could see the humorous side of Emmey’s little experiment, but she’d never admit that to Maddy and Emmey.

*****

Your will be done.
Maddy lifted her head and pulled the blanket up to Emmey’s shoulders, then pushed herself to her feet, heavy with sadness. Sound asleep, Emmey didn’t stir. Maddy stared at her, tried to commit every detail to memory. Perhaps seeing Emmey run into her ma’s arms would temper Maddy’s sense of loss. She’d imagined the joyous reunion several times—Emmey crying out for her ma; her ma crouching and reaching for her, then pulling Emmey into a hug and holding her tightly, tears streaming down her face. If only it would happen next week, and not tomorrow.

They could have pushed on to Pinewood without stopping for the night, but Maddy had wanted one last evening around the fire with Emmey. Lillian hadn’t protested, bless her. She must be itching to return to the monastery, but had readily agreed to camp while the sun was still high. “Good night, Emmey,” Maddy murmured.

She joined Lillian, who sat near the fire, her legs drawn up to her chest. “I’m a selfish cow,” she said as she sat down and leaned into her.