by Fran Jacobs
"What if they're expecting me?" I whispered.
"I doubt they would be," Teveriel replied. "Prince Gerian probably believes that if you were going to run you would certainly take your horse, as you wanted to, and probably try and get out the front gate. But even if they have been told to be aware of you, you aren't you. You are Lady Litia."
"Why her?" I asked. "Out of all the ladies, why her?"
"Because she's the most likely to do this sort of thing. She's younger than her husband, has had at least one affair while I've been at Court, is foolish, easily swayed by a handsome bard and, therefore, more likely to be carried away by a romantic ideal."
"It won't do well for your reputation," I pointed out.
"For one night," he said. "When tomorrow comes and you're missing and she's not, I'm sure that even the most idiotic guard can figure out what really happened. Yes, they might face disciplinary action for their foolishness, but they will actually deserve it for being so stupid and taking a bard at his word." He gathered up his bags and settled them firmly onto his shoulders. "That is, if we get out through the gates. Try not to say anything, keep your head down and wish us both luck."
As Teveriel and I continued to make our way towards the back gate, I was so nervous I thought I would be sick. I couldn't believe that the guards would fall for this. I couldn't believe that anyone could mistake me for a woman, even if I did curl up within my cloak, which I tried to do, more out of fear than to follow Teveriel's instructions. Every step that we took across the cobbled courtyard made my heart race and the blood pound in my ears even more than the step before. I was trembling and my hands were sweating inside my gloves. I couldn't believe how calm Teveriel was. This didn't seem to worry him at all!
There were three men on duty by the back gate, standing around chatting to each other. I could hear their laughter as we approached. There seemed something very wrong about it, about how loud they were, but I didn't have time to really think about it as one called out a greeting to Teveriel as he caught sight of us. "So," he said, "she came then?"
"She did, indeed," Teveriel replied. He left the bags with me, and I dropped mine with a relieved gasp, as he made his way towards them. I could feel their eyes on me, so I sank further into my cloak and looked away, pretending to be completely uninterested with any of this. I clutched the opening of my cloak tightly with one hand to keep it closed, as I stood there, trying not to shift my weight nervously. My other hand was clutching the coin Teveriel had given me. It had brought him luck, he had claimed. I really hoped it would bring us both luck now and that the guards would not become suspicious as to why I kept my head bowed and trembled within my cloak. "But she's terrified," Teveriel continued, "with good reason, I suppose. The life on the open road isn't easy for anyone."
"And yet she's willing to go with you and give up her husband. You must be a good lay, bard."
"Well," Teveriel laughed, "I'm not one to boast, but yes." There was laughter and I felt my face flush so I gathered the robe tighter around me. "Here's a little something for you," Teveriel said, "to thank you for your help in this." I heard the chink of coins and then Tev was taking my arm and lifting up all the bags, like a courteous gentleman would for his lady love. He gave me a nervous smile and I could see the anxiety glittering in his green eyes. "Ready?" he asked me. I nodded and without another word to the three men we walked forward slowly, out of the castle gates.
"How ...?" I whispered, as we began our walk to town.
"They're drunk," Teveriel said. "And desperate to get rid of us so they can go back to being drunk."
"Drunk? On duty?"
"Thanks to me, yes. A little coin, a few bottles of good brandy, it is amazing how it can make even the most conscientious guard look the other way."
"My gods," I whispered.
Teveriel's grip tightened suddenly on my arm. "No," he said. "Candale, yes, it's wrong that those men were drunk on duty and in other circumstances, of course you should report it, but we have to leave. Now!"
"Yes," I said, fighting the urge to look back over my shoulder at where I could still hear the men laughing. "I know."
It was a fifteen-minute walk into town and, although the road was familiar to me, it was a different place in the dark. It wasn't lit at all. We had to rely on the moon and stars to light our way, and that meant walking very slowly, on the constant look out for any dips in the road or horse muck that might have been left behind. Walking like that, with our heads bowed, taking tiny steps, turned a fifteen-minute walk into an hour, but finally we reached the town. I was freezing by then and so tired, but I knew that the night was only just beginning. We had to get away from Carnia Town, put a fair distance between us and my parents, before we could even think of getting any sleep.
The town, at least, was well lit, it always was, and it was easy to find our way around the twisting streets. I let Teveriel take me towards a small stable on the east side of the town, fairly near to the road that led back up to the castle. I stood there, shivering, while he hammered on the door, none too quietly. I could clearly hear swearing on the other side, and then a sleepy stable-boy opened it and stared up at Teveriel, blinking in the street light.
"I have come for the horses," Teveriel said. He dropped a small purse into the stable-boy's hands. "As we arranged."
"You're later than arranged," the boy muttered.
"Yes," Teveriel agreed. "But we are here now, so our horses?" The boy swore under his breath and cast a look my way. "Don't worry about her," Teveriel said. "The horses?" There was more swearing and the boy disappeared back into the stable. A moment later he reappeared with two horses, both tacked up, and a pack pony. "Thank you," Teveriel said cheerfully. The stable-boy didn't reply, just went back inside and slammed shut the door. Teveriel grinned at me. "Well, my lady," he said. "The brown or the grey?"
I studied them quietly, quickly, pretending not to have heard him call me 'my lady'. They both looked like good enough beasts. Nothing compared to Midnight, of course, but I was sure that they would get us to White Oaks in one piece, so it didn't matter which one I chose. "The grey," I said at last. "Do they have names?"
Teveriel shrugged. "Name her if you want to," he said. "I never really went in for all that myself, naming beasts. I suppose that's something to do with my upbringing. It's a bit pointless to name an animal if you're going to sell it later, or eat it." He attached the bags to the pack pony and tethered it to his brown mare, before swinging up into her saddle. "Come on," he said cheerfully.
***
Neither of us spoke until we were safely out into the countryside, riding along the grey stoned Autumn Road that would take us south, towards White Oaks. The Autumn Road was one of four, named after a season, that led out from Carnia Castle, following the points of a compass. This was the first time that I had even seen it, although I had read about it in books and even seen pictures of its construction, and I wasn't sure what to make of it. It was hard to see it properly in the dark, but it just seemed to be a long, grey stretch of cobbles, spread out across the winter landscape. It was more than a little disappointing. I had hoped that the Autumn Road would be something impressive, something grand, and I would follow it to White Oaks, like a hero in a song riding towards his destiny. It gave me a sinking feeling in my belly to realise that, if the Autumn Road was a far cry from the romantic image that I'd had in my head, then it was unlikely that anything else on this journey would come close to my fantasy of it either.
I stifled a yawn. "When will we stop to sleep?" I asked Teveriel.
"We won't," Teveriel said. "We can't afford to, not tonight at least. I thought that we would keep going tonight and tomorrow and perhaps stop early tomorrow evening. We will have a few breaks, for an hour or so, to rest the horses, but we can't afford to stop for the night. We need to put the darkness and tomorrow, to good use, and put miles between us and the castle."
"Oh." There was sense in that, but, "I might have a fit," I said. Teveriel gave me a sharp, sud
den look. "You didn't know?" I asked.
"I ... I had heard rumours," Teveriel admitted. "But I didn't think very much of them."
"Oh, well, they aren't that big a deal, really," I said quickly. "But if I'm tired, or stressed, then it's more likely that I'll have a fit. I'm not sure how going without sleep for a night will affect me."
Teveriel was quiet for a moment and there was only the sound of the horses' hooves and our breathing to fill it. Then he nodded. "You can try and sleep when we stop to rest the horses," he said. "But if that isn't enough, just tell me and we will stop for longer. I don't know what else I can suggest."
"All right," I said softly. I yawned again. "It was just a fear. The chances are nothing will happen."
"I hope so," Teveriel said. "I'm not coward, Candale, but I'm no healer either. I wouldn't know how to cope with such a thing."
"There isn't much that you could do," I said. "Just hold me down, make sure I don't strike my head on anything, or swallow my own tongue. And then afterwards just leave me be and let me come around by myself." Teveriel's face turned white and he stared at me wordlessly. I could see the fear and discomfort in his eyes and I reached out to touch him, only to let my hand fall helplessly. "I'm sorry to put you in this situation," I said. "If you want to turn around ..."
"No," he said. "No. As much as I would hate to see you have a fit, I would hate even more for you to have one alone and ... and die. We're friends, Candale. I will stay with you and I'll help you, if I can."
"Thank you."
We rode on in silence. I was too tired for conversation, yawning and shivering in my saddle. It was a cold night. I hated to think how much worse it would be were we not moving, and how stiff I was going to be when we finally did stop. It was a quiet night, peaceful, with nothing but the sound of our breathing and the horses' hooves to listen to. There was very little light to see by, just the stars. I could barely see the road beneath us. I only knew that we were still on it by the sound of the horses' hooves clattering over the grey stone.
But it felt good to be free of the castle, to feel the wind in my hair, blowing at my cloak and to see the stars shining in the sky above my head, with the night stretching on in front of me. While far behind me my family was asleep, with no idea that I had gone. I was finally on my way to White Oaks, a fact that made me smile to myself. Soon I would have all my answers and, when I saw my father and grandfather again, in the spring, I would have proof to convince them where my words had failed. Proof was what they wanted and I was damn well going to find some!
I just wished that I hadn't had to find my proof this way. Not only because I was betraying them and had lied to them, but because, being out here like this, in the dark, was a little frightening. Every step we took on the Autumn Road took us further away from my home, the only place I had ever lived. While we were in sight of the castle, even if it was just a dark shadow rearing up behind us, I felt somewhat comforted, knowing that I could change my mind if I wanted to and find my way back home. But, when it was gone, I would be unable to return home. I would have to fully depend on Teveriel and hope that he knew how to get where we were going. I'd never had to trust someone this much before.
It was perhaps an hour into our ride when I became aware of the sound of hooves clattering on the road behind us. I glanced at Tev and he gave me an uncomfortable shrug. "Perhaps we should trot?" he suggested, trying to sound calm.
"That might be nice," I said. "Warm us up a bit." I twisted in the saddle, trying to look behind me. I couldn't see anyone on the road, it was too dark for that, but I could hear the hooves and they sounded closer. "And a bit of a distance wouldn't hurt either."
"No," he agreed. We were being very calm about this, but I knew that Teveriel was just as nervous about this as I. Without another word to each other, we forced our mounts into a trot.
We trotted at a fast pace, that was really almost a canter, and then I heard a voice calling my name. It was a distant call, barely audible above the clatter of hooves, but I still heard it and when I glanced at Teveriel I knew that he had heard it, too.
"Gallop?" he suggested calmly, his breath coming in gasps from the exercise.
"All right," I agreed and, giving my grey a firm kick, we moved into a gallop.
Behind me, although I couldn't see it, I knew that the other rider was still following.
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* * *
Chapter Twelve
THE APPRENTICE BARD
"Perhaps we should move off the road?" Tev gasped. "It'll be harder to follow us and perhaps we'll be able to lose them in the dark fields."
I didn't answer him, just turned my mount off the road and onto the grass, kicking her on. The ground was wet beneath our horses' hooves and mud sprayed up to soak my legs. I was soon out of breath, gasping as the horse beneath me was gasping, yet it was exhilarating. This grey beast of mine wasn't Midnight, she would never be as fast as my beloved horse, but she was still moving at great speed, enough to make the dark countryside around us whiz past at a rapid pace. This was what I had dreamed of while I had been ill, riding loose across the countryside, my horse's hooves churning up the ground beneath me, with my sick and dying body forgotten, until I had waked. It felt so damn good to feel free again that I completely forgot that anyone was in pursuit of us.
Until the voice called my name again.
This time there was no sound of hooves on hard road to mask the familiar sound of the voice calling me, in an infuriated and frustrated tone. I stopped instantly in my tracks.
Teveriel rode on, just a little farther, until he realised that I had stopped, and then he turned around to face me, his eyes wild and glowing in the moonlight. "Candale, what is it?"
"Trellany," I said. I gasped, drawing the night air into my lungs. I felt a little sick, from racing so fast and, beneath me, the horse was wheezing, breath steaming out of her nose as she panted, sweat covering her body like a light foam. "It's Trellany."
"Are you sure?" Teveriel asked nervously.
A moment later the woman herself drew near, a black shadow at first moving at a fast speed out of the darkness, and then it took shape, one that not even Teveriel could mistake now. Trellany, out of breath, dressed in dark clothing that made her almost one with the dark night around us. No wonder it had been so hard to see her coming on the road behind us.
"You," she snapped, poking her finger towards me, "are an idiot."
I stiffened in the saddle. "I'm sorry that I had to sneak away, but you know how important this is to me, that I see the Rose Prophecies, that I try to find out what that child was. I ... I'm sorry, but-"
"Sorry!" she snapped at me. "I told you before that you had to trust me and it's clear that you do not. Prince Candale, I'm loyal to you, not to your family. To you!"
I flushed and bowed my head, feeling chastened. "I'm sorry," I said again. "I thought that you would tell my father."
"No," she said. "Look, I told you that story about my sister and me because I knew how desperately you wanted to leave Carnia Castle. I couldn't be sure that you would do what my story had suggested, but I thought that if you did, you would at least take me with you. You have no idea how bloody angry I am! For days I had to watch you sneak around, trying to plan this, thinking that I didn't know what was going on, when I did! And you," she snapped at Teveriel, "what do you think you were doing? Do you think you can protect the prince?"
"Candale wasn't going to be in any danger with me," Teveriel said calmly.
"No? You leave tracks that even a blind man could follow. Anyone could find them!"
"And do what?" Teveriel asked. "So someone else might find our tracks. They're only going to think that they're a set of tracks. I doubt that they will associate them with Candale and me."
Trellany scowled and turned back to face me. "I'm coming with you," she snapped at me.
"Well, obviously," Teveriel said dryly. "You didn't just gallop after us like that for the fun of it, I'm sure. Now, if you
don't mind, I would like to be on our way. I want to put some distance between us and Carnia Castle before anyone finds out that the prince is missing."
"Are you sure about this?" I asked Trellany, as we kicked our horses on and headed back towards the road.
"Sure about what?" she asked.
"Coming with me like this. I ... I'm going to get into trouble and so might you, for being with me. Are you sure you're prepared for it?"
"Teveriel has more to lose in this than I do," Trellany said. "Yet, he's here with you."
"And I asked him the same thing," I said.
"Prince Candale, my place is at your side. I would never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you."
"You could have just told my father what we had planned," I said.
"Yes," she agreed, "but then I wouldn't have been loyal to you now, would I?"
"I don't know," I said. "Loyalty to me could be coming with me, as you have, or doing what is best for me, which would be telling my parents."
"You would never trust me again if I did that, Prince Candale. This position means a lot to me and I'll support you in this and all other decisions that you make, both good and bad. I only hope that next time you include me in the discussion."
"I will," I told her. "I promise."
We rode on through the night, stopping a few times to rest the horses. I took those opportunities to try, in vain, to catch a few minutes of sleep. When the sun broke over the horizon we stopped again, this time to have a cold breakfast, before we continued on our way. I was exhausted by then, cold and stiff all over, but at least with the sun up I didn't have to rely on Teveriel and Trellany's far better night vision to see where I was going. With it came the realisation of just how far we had travelled. Carnia Castle and Carnia Town were out of sight and, with them, my parents who would have, by now, noticed that I was missing.