The Vildecaz Talents: The complete set of Vildecaz Stories including Nimuar's Loss, The Deceptive Oracle and Agnith's Promise (25 page)

“If the deputy isn’t here, what then?”

“I guess I’ll have to wait until he gets here,” she said with marked displeasure; she could not afford any delay. “But he knows how urgent our situation is.”

“I see,” said Hoftstan.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take a guide with me as far as the Sea-Eagle Inn, and will order him to wait for me. I will be alone for only two days – one to reach the Oracle from the inn, and one to return there.” The inn was an isolated one, famed for the harshness of its weather.

“How long will you be gone?” Hoftstan asked.

“I am estimating nineteen or twenty days, depending on the weather. If there is an early storm, perhaps a day or two more.” She gave an unguarded laugh. “You can’t imagine what I have decided to wear for the journey. It’s probably best that you don’t know.”

“No doubt.” Hoftstan got up from the bench. “I’ll speak with Dejcaz as soon as your sister is on her way to the Emperor’s Court, and I’ll inform you of all he says. Will that suit you?”

“Yes, it will. And I thank you for agreeing to keep my plans secret,” she said, her light-green eyes shining with determined mischief. “Particularly since you don’t approve.”

Hoftstan refused to be goaded into a hasty retort; instead he changed the subject. “What about Doms Guyon? What does he think of your plan? Or does he know about any of this?”

“If he does, it isn’t because I told him — he has no part in this, no matter what he thinks,” she answered, blushing in spite of herself. “He has an uncanny ability to learn things, I know, but if he has discovered my plans he knows more than I do: I am still uncertain.”

“Do you think he will be upset at your going? Might he not object to you undertaking so hazardous a missi – ”

“I think he won’t find out about it until I’m gone,” said Ninianee with a firm edge of command in her response. “It isn’t as if he is my Official Suitor, to require information of me – in fact, I insist that he know nothing.”

“He will not be pleased, if you go in such a way.” Hoftstan’s frown deepened. “He could become angry.”

“That is for him to decide,” said Ninianee, dismissing the remark as completely as if she had slammed a door.

Hoftstan knew it would be useless to say anything more, so he began to retrace his way along the path, noting to Ninianee that the cliff below would need some shoring up in a year or two. “I’ll put a spell on it for the time being, but it may be useful to ask Dejcaz about this.”

“Of course. You understand these things better than I do,” said Ninianee, doing her best to smooth over any disagreement they may have created during their discussion.

“You are a most clever Duzeon.”

“You mean Duzna, just this once,” said Ninianee, missing her old title.

With a hint of a laugh, Hoftstan said, “Very well: Duzna.”

* * *

“But I want mules to pull the baggage-carts, not ponies,” said Erianthee to Kloveon of Fauthsku as she looked over the trunks and cases piled in the courtyard. The day was waning and now was cooled by a rambunctious wind that threatened to make off with the heavy cloth covering the traveling gear. “Ponies are tough, but they haven’t the stamina of mules. You keep saying that Tiumboj is a hard journey, one that takes a lot out of human and beast. If I am to reach the Imperial city in good time, I’ll need mules, not ponies.”

Kloveon, looking more harried than usual, reminded her, “We’re supposed to leave at tomorrow’s dawn. The grooms must know which animals to take. The order was for ponies – ”

“Not from me, or Ninianee. You decided, arbitrarily, that ponies were more appropriate. Appropriate! For Court you may be right, but on the roads we must travel – well!” Her brown eyes blazed, then she relented. “I didn’t mean to speak so . . . so ungratefully to you, Kloveon. I . . . I can’t help it. I have so much on my mind, and so many things to settle here before we depart.”

He tried to look offended and failed. “I should have spoken to you sooner. I thought, with so many things to arrange, having one fewer problems would ease your burdens. I apologize.”

She sighed. “Had you chosen mules, I would have thanked you, but . . . You understand, don’t you, that the mules are the better choice? They’re stronger than horses the same size, and they are steadier. The roads are rutted and narrow, and mules are more sure-footed than ponies.”

“I know they are what you would prefer. Are you still determined to ride rather than take your carriage?” He could sense another dispute building, but went on out of a sense of urgency. “Riding in the rain can be most uncomfortable.”

“No worse than a carriage. I have a cloak of jeneie-fur, and it is impervious to rain.”

“Hours in the saddle are tiring,” he said in a last attempt to dissuade her. “You may come to dislike it.”

“So is being jarred over a bumpy road in a carriage with leather springs and heavy wooden wheels.” She lifted her chin in triumph. “I’m going to wear brikes and a dolaj under the cloak. I’m tempted to cut my hair.”

“No,” said Kloveon, who found her lovely, honey-colored locks ensorceling. He could not bring himself to continue to wrangle with her.

“No,” she agreed, adding with the hint of a wink, “The Porzalk Emperor wouldn’t like it if I did.”

“You could grow it magically upon your arrival,” he pointed out.

“Matching colors magically is difficult. I wouldn’t want to present a disordered appearance.”

Kloveon refused to rise to the bait, saying only, “Then you’ve made a wise decision. You have a demanding trek ahead of you, no matter how you dress or wear your hair.” He motioned to the grooms who were coming across the main courtyard of Vildecaz Castle. “Duzeon Erianthee prefers mules to pull the wagon for her journey. And she intends to ride.”

The grooms looked a bit uneasy, but none of them spoke against this. “Which horse do you want, Duzeon?” asked Nejoch, one of the grooms of the castle stables.

“Nytral,” said Erianthee at once. “And Srin for a remount.”

“They will be ready before dawn, fed, watered, saddled, and bridled.” The young man was confident so that neither Kloveon nor Erianthee doubted it would be so.

“Six carts in your train,” Nejoch went on. “Four mules per cart, and a reserve of six in case they are needed. Two passenger carts, one with a bed inside it, if it is required, the rest for baggage and supplies. The farrier will reshoe the horses and mules tonight with shoes charged with traveling spells , the tack magicked for protection from harm. The carts and wagons are to be loaded tonight, and the grooms will rise an hour before sunrise to ready everything. They will be ready to depart at dawn. You have chosen your drivers and out-riders. If they have not selected their mounts and remounts, I would like them to inform me after supper tonight, so that it may be attended to.” He offered a respect to Erianthee and then to Kloveon. “We will need to feed and groom them.”

“Your stable is well-managed,” said Kloveon as Nejoch gave orders which carts to bring out.

“Our father insists upon it,” said Erianthee.

“What of the traveling spells? Who will attend to them?”

“Heijot Merinex will cast them. He and his apprentice, Vazha Parumenz, have made the Casting Room ready for our departure.” She put her hand on his arm. “You needn’t worry. Vildecaz may be a long way from Tiumboj, but we aren’t hopelessly barbaric.”

“I never claimed you were,” said Kloveon, heat in his eyes. “There is little in Vildecaz that I can fault.”

“Then you are not looking clearly,” she said, smiling in spite of herself. “But I thank you for that.”

Their brief acrimony behind them, he led her into the Great Hall of Vildecaz Castle. “Have you arranged entertainment to welcome Pareo tonight?”

“My Shadowshow of departure will serve to welcome him,” she said, feeling a inward wince of disgust at the thought of Zervethus Gaxamirin’s secretary.

But Kloveon was concerned. “You’re sure you want to do a Shadowshow tonight? Considering what happened last time, don’t you think you might do better to allow others to entertain? Another Shadowshow could tire you, and you don’t want to set out on your journey tired. The last time you conjured the Spirits of the Outer Air, you were exhausted for days, and everyone in the Castle is aware of it. Ask Doms to do some juggling instead.”

“I doubt anything of that sort will happen tonight. I’m not going to risk dealing with any of the Founder Gods, just the local tales of Valdihovee, and if I don’t perform, the whole staff will be slighted,” said Erianthee. “Yes; I think this time it will be the usual performance of one of the old stories, as the Shadowshows generally are.”

“You sound sure of yourself,” said Kloveon.

“Since you will guide me on the first half of my travels, I am, because I am sure of you.” She smiled at him in a way that made his pulse leap.

He stopped beside her and pulled her to him, daring to kiss her where half the Castle staff might see them; in spite of her best intentions, Erianthee responded to his kiss, her lips soft beneath his, her body pressed against him. “Reonoj, I thank you,” he murmured as he let go of her. His invocation of Reonoj, the Ubiquitous, revealed the depth of his feelings, for this hermaphroditic god/goddess was considered so powerful and far-reaching that he/she was rarely called upon in any but the most profound circumstances.

“Hush,” she said. “Choose another benefactor.”

“I can’t,” he said. “You are my destiny. You know it as well as I do, only you deny it. Reonoj binds us together. I feel it in the marrow of my bones. Upon whom else should I call?”

The intensity of his declaration stunned her, and for a short while she was silent. “I think we had better visit the kitchens, to see what provisions are being packed for us.”

Shaken by his audacity, he nodded once and followed her through the maze of corridors to the cavernous kitchens where Ver Mindicaz, the Cook-Major of Vildecaz Castle, held sway.

* * *

“Does the Castle seem empty to you?” Doms Guyon asked as he came up to Ninianee in the book-room. It was located over the smaller Dining Hall, and had an broad northern exposure that just now offered a view of the rebuilt section of wall at the far end of the window.

“For the most part, yes,” she said, trying not to be startled by his sudden appearance.

“Your sister leaves in the morning. You must be sad to see her go.”

“I am a bit sad, though I know her journey is necessary and beneficial.” She turned and stared at him. “Are you really a Yaolaj, or do you make your claim to provide you a chance to gain advantages?” She was shocked to hear herself ask, and she was about to find a way to modify the impact of her question when he came up to her, and, surprisingly, kissed her, their lips touching before his arms went around her. She could not bring herself to struggle with him, but she knew she had to break away from him before her resistance to him faded completely.

“I have been longing to do that since I entered this Castle,” he said as he loosened his hold on her.

She felt slightly dizzy, and as she held out her hand to steady herself on a high-backed chair, she said, “Given your expectations, is your patience recompensed?”

“More than,” he said, his voice as soft as his lips, and as persuasive. “You have great responsibility put upon you. If I can assist you in any way, I am yours to command.” His smile widened. “I am always yours to command.”

“You shock me,” she said, trying to make light of his offer in order to keep from dealing with the dizzying sensations that crept over her.

“I doubt that,” he said, and tweaked one of the tightly curled tendrils that clustered around her face. “You have a small banquet still tonight, do you not?’

“Erianthee is offering a Shadowshow as a farewell.”

“I’ll watch Pareo while the Shadows perform,” Doms offered.

“If you think it would help.” She dared not become too grateful to him.

“I think it could be useful,” he said, kissed her lightly a second time, and added, “And so do you.”

* * *

Everyone in the Great Hall was looking at the small stage, their eyes filled with anticipation; this was to be the last Shadowshow Erianthee performed here until she returned from appearing before Riast II, the Porzalk Emperor. Supper had been served and cleared away, and now even the scullions were on hand to see what Erianthee would do.

From her place at the High Table, Ninianee watched as the room darkened a little, the result of a minor spell from Heijot Merinex; all torches and candles reduced their brightness by nearly half. She was keenly aware of Doms Guyon, who sat next to her, but she said nothing and did nothing to reveal her aching awareness of his presence as she continued to stare at the stage.

“Worried?” Doms asked at last, very softly.

“No,” said Ninianee, more curtly than she intended. She coughed once, quietly. “A little.”

“She’ll be fine,” said Doms. “And if anything goes wrong, Kloveon will leap to the rescue.”

“I hope so,” said Ninianee, just above a whisper. “If Kloveon is permitted to accompany her all the way to the capital.”