Through Wolf's Eyes (43 page)

"As to them," Zorana said, her mildness now a
mockery, "I shall be ruled by you, but I thank you for your concern.
Perhaps you may devote some of your time here in the capital to their
lessons. You shall have little else to do."

Offended, Rosene swept out, unwilling to discipline
her daughter in these sensitive times. Zorana took her leave a few
moments after. She spared a completely false smile for Elise.

"We shall be much in company, Niece. Certainly, your
cousin Sapphire will not welcome you into her pavilion and I wonder if
Jet will be so much about. He has himself to prove, you understand."

"Certainly, we follow the example of our elders," Elise answered with a flicker of her own malice. "I wonder sometimes
if Purcel does take after his mother's side of the family. He is such a
noble
warrior."

This curiously mild Zorana did not deliver a scathing
reply, as the one of a few weeks ago might have, but the glower she
directed at Elise still shot a shiver of fear into the young woman's
soul, one that lasted even after her aunt had departed.

"Was that wise?" Ivon asked, distracted from his
papers. "Your aunt Zorana has been much disappointed of late. It is the
hungry wolf that bites."

"True," Elise admitted, thinking of Firekeeper and knowing that this was true.

"And speaking of wolves," Ivon continued, his
thoughts following the same course, "you have a great advantage on this
campaign. You alone have a foothold in the Kestrel camp. Do not forgo
that contact now that King Tedric has made his decision. Personally, I
cannot believe that he has chosen Lady Blysse, but if he has, we must
cultivate her. Make yourself her familiar; learn what you can."

Aurella added. "Do not forget that you are growing
into a pretty enough young woman. Earl Kestrel has surrounded his ward
with men. One of them may talk freely to you even if Lady Blysse will
not."

Elise nodded, but she doubted that Derian could be
moved in his loyalty to Firekeeper and the wolf-woman would confide in
no other. Sir Jared, perhaps. . . A tingle of anticipation melted the
ice in her soul at this excuse to speak further with the knight.

"Yes, Mother. I will remember what you have said."
She paused, uncertain if she was really asking for advice or merely
being clever. "But should I risk this? What if Jet is offended?"

"Jet Shield plays his own games," Aurella said dryly.
"As he always has. He will only treasure you the more if he thinks
others value you. Still, keep Ninette nearby. Give Jet no reason to
question your honor."

Ivon Archer stood and began gathering his papers.
Then he turned to his daughter, a wry expression, not completely
without sorrow, on his face.

"Welcome to the adult world, my daughter. Whether or
not we win the crown, you will always need to know how to use people
against each other. Such is our duty to our barony. My father won lands
and titles for us with his keen arrows in battle. To preserve those
honors, our weapons must be more subtle."

Elise dropped him a deep curtsy. "Then we will go
together into this new battle, Father. Let us not flinch from whatever
we must do to honor our noble ancestor."

Ivon clapped her on the shoulder and was gone. When
Elise glanced at Aurella she saw no sorrow, no unexplained tears upon
her mother's cheek, only a stern countenance lit brightly from within
by pride.

S
EVERAL DAYS ON THE ROAD
put Firekeeper into the best shape she had been in since she left the
wilderness to reside in West Keep. Indeed, she realized that she might
be in far better condition than she had ever been, since her body at
last had ample food with which to build its strength.

In the wilds, she had hardly ever had enough to eat.
Summer's glut quickly vanished as soon as the first frost killed the
plants with which she supplemented her diet and forced the little
animals into hiding and hibernation. Stealing the occasional squirrel
hoard (and eating the squirrel when possible) did not make up for the
loss of sweet fruits and slow, fat rodents. Without the generosity of
the wolves, she would have shriveled into nothing, her body consuming
itself in a desperate effort to keep lit the spirit's fire.

Three moon-spans of steady eating had changed
Firekeeper from a slat-sided, feral waif into something recognizable as
a young woman. A thin coating of fat now padded her muscles and
buttocks. To her slight consternation, she was even developing small,
round breasts. Despite devouring more than many grown men at any given
meal, regular exercise had kept her from becoming soft. She could still
climb like a squirrel, swim like a fish, and outrun a trotting horse—
and she did so on a regular basis.

Each day, the king's train started moving as soon as dawn crossed into pale daylight. It was mighty thing, ostensibly
meant
to provide for the elderly monarch's comfort and security, in reality
meant to impress the Bright Bay diplomats with a reminder of what Hawk
Haven could bring to bear if treachery was intended.

Scouts preceded the entire body, fanning out to the
sides. Race Forester was often among them and he was the only one who
was ever aware of Firekeeper's presence in the surrounding woods.

Following the scouts were wings of light cavalry, the
riders armored in leather, armed with bows as well as swords. The
heavier cavalry rode closer to the king's carriage, the dust they
stirred considered a fair trade for the safety their presence offered.

Here, too, rode the members of King Tedric's court,
some in carriages, some on horseback. Elise traded back and forth
between the two conveyances, but her cousin Sapphire remained on
horseback. Sapphire wore armor after the fashion of the light cavalry,
the leather portions dyed deep blue, the metal protecting the joints
polished to bright silver. A long sword was sheathed across her back,
its pommel set with a bright stone that some said was a sapphire and
others insisted was merely glass. Over one arm or slung from her saddle
she carried a shield with her personal device: a silver field
emblazoned with an octagonal sapphire.

Her brother Jet was similarly accoutred, though his
chosen colors were black and gold. Firekeeper was amused to discover
that while most of the soldiers were half in love with Sapphire, they
thought her brother a fop and pretender.

Groups of foot soldiers were interspersed about the
column, some guarding the creaking baggage wagons, some trudging in the
rear. Progress was so slow that these men and women had time to argue,
sing, gamble, and pursue rivalries between units.

This provided Firekeeper's first exposure to a mass
of the common folk and she found them fascinating. Despite her usual
dislike of crowds, she frequently went among the soldiers. Some
resented her for behaving neither as a noble or a commoner, or from
fear of Blind Seer, but Purcel Trueheart welcomed her—perhaps at his
mother Zorana's request—
and so the soldiers tolerated her at first. Later, she made friends among them and these welcomed her for herself.

At Derian's insistence, each day Firekeeper rode some
hours on Patience, the grey gelding, amusing herself by practicing
archery from the saddle. Her greatest delight, however, was when riding
lessons were finished and she could dismount. Pacing the caravan on
foot, she was free to investigate interesting parcels of woodland,
spear fish from brooks, and in general to behave in a fashion that
would drive insane any caretaker less accustomed to her ways than
Derian.

At first Earl Kestrel had tried to restrict
Firekeeper's movements, but he was too busy with his own
responsibilities to enforce his commands. Later, King Tedric privately
informed his vassal that Lady Blysse had his express permission to go
where she wished. The earl, believing this yet another indication that
his ward was the chosen heir, happily acceded.

Blind Seer caused numerous problems simply because
all the horses and dogs were uniformly terrified of him. The dogs
simply rolled over and groveled, rarely essaying an attack even when
they outnumbered and outmassed the wolf. The horses, however, refused
to compromise with their terror unless Firekeeper wasted a considerable
amount of time talking to them—a task she found boring and repetitious
since the stupider horses needed to be frequently reminded that the
wolf wouldn't eat them. Even Patience, Roanne, and Race's Dusty were
skittish at first, reacting to their fellows' fear.

Firekeeper resolved this frustrating situation by
remaining away from both the cavalry and king's mounted companions as
much as possible. If she wished human companionship, there was plenty
among the soldiers. The placid oxen who drew the supply wagons were
less imaginative than the horses, more ready to accept the wolf as an
exceptionally large—and rather less annoying than most—dog.

Firekeeper's daily attire was a modified version of
the knee-length leather breeches and vest that she had favored since
her introduction to human-style clothing. She still ran barefoot, never
having lost the leather toughness of her foot
soles.
Nor did she need gloves, for her long-fingered hands were as callused
as any farmer's. To Firekeeper's delight, her dark brown hair finally
had grown long enough to be tied back in a respectable queue. A few
clips, gifts from Elise, kept the straggle ends from her eyes.

Since armed conflict was possible, Earl Kestrel
insisted that his ward be outfitted with some sort of armor. Firekeeper
had rebelled against the jangling weight of mail. However, after a
vivid demonstration by Ox of how armor could prevent a sword from
penetrating into the vitals, she had agreed—when necessary—to wear
leather armor similar to that worn by Sapphire Shield, though less
gaudily colored.

Except for riding lessons and weapons practice,
during these days of travel Firekeeper was free to run wild, bare of
foot and head, silent as the wind. Yet, despite her enthusiasm at being
released once again into the woodlands, Firekeeper did not forget the
task the king had enjoined her to perform. In daylight there was little
she could do, but at night she left her bedroll and glided among the
pitched tents, growling the curs to silence and taking shameless
delight in eavesdropping on her fellows.

In this fashion the wolf-woman learned many strange
things. Sapphire Shield, who by day rode straight and tall on the
blue-dyed horse with its silver-white mane and tail, regularly cried
herself to sleep each night. Lady Melina Shield frequently stole away
into the woods where, believing herself unwatched, she danced in the
moonlight and dipped glittering gemstones into pools of strongly
scented liquor.

Jet Shield, in the guise of courtship, frequently
pressed himself on Elise. When Elise refused him more than hot kisses
and pawing at her breasts, Jet found relief among the women who trailed
the caravan.

When night brought privacy, Lady Zorana vigorously
tutored her daughter Nydia in deportment, schooling the
thirteen-year-old so fiercely that Nydia, to this point ignored in
favor of her older brother, was driven into sullenness one step shy of
rebellion. At these moments, Zorana whispered to her, promising the
little girl great things until she sweetened and was willing to
memorize signals and responses that
would puzzle Firekeeper more but that most human rituals still puzzled her.

Elsewhere, Firekeeper learned that King Tedric's old
bones did not permit him to sleep easily unless he was dosed by his
personal physician. Then nothing would wake him for some hours. In
contrast, Dirkin Eastbranch never slept—at least not that Firekeeper
had seen. He was also the only one among the king's retainers who
seemed to notice her comings and goings, greeting her with a silent
smile and a slight raise of one eyebrow.

Nighttime was not Firekeeper's only time for
discovery. She developed greater respect for Earl Kestrel when she
realized that the soldiers he commanded honored him for his courage and
wisdom, not merely for his title. From Doc she learned something of the
arts of treating cuts and bruises, of wrapping sprains, of salves and
ointments. From Race and Ox she continued to learn human arts of
survival and war. From Derian she learned humor and to play at dice.

In all her memory, these days of travel became some
of Firekeeper's happiest, filled with new things and with fitting of
them into a larger pattern of human society. No longer did she think
dance and music were the only things worthwhile about the human way.
Yet deep-rooted in her heart was the desire to be other, to run on four
fast feet, to raise night-seeing eyes to the moon, and sing her praises
from a wolf's heart.

A
RRIVING IN HOPE
,
Prince Newell Shield was delighted to learn that King Tedric's party
was not expected for some days yet. Advance riders were contracting
with the locals for facilities and supplies. Some were specially
delegated to treat with the town leaders.