‘Guildmistress?’ Zarak asked, and I shook my head and laughed.
‘I was just thinking that you have grown much since those days when you and Lina were in trouble every other minute.’
Surprisingly, the farseeker flushed. ‘I am afraid I have to tell you that parting me from Lina did not work. I mean to bond with her as soon as may be. My father has promised to perform th’ ceremony during th’ moon fair, for now he is chieftain he has the power to bond us.’
‘I am glad to hear he is coming up for it. Does Lina know?’ I asked, for the girl had been at Obernewtyn the whole time he had been in the lowlands.
Zarak’s flush deepened. ‘I mean, I will ask her as soon as I can. I saw her on the farms, but she was too busy with the horses. I suppose I should have done it before speaking of it.’
I took pity on him and said I did not doubt that she would give him the answer he wished. Then I bade him go and fetch us food before he gave me an account of his father being made chieftain. Elkar went to help carry bowls and I felt a pang of regret at the knowledge that I would not be at Obernewtyn to see my ward bond. Cinda’s hand stirred in mine, reminding me that she was still privy to my emotions and thoughts, but she said nothing and soon the others returned bearing trays laden with fresh bread, jugs of steaming porridge and milk, bowls, knives and spoons and crocks of butter and honey. Ceirwan arrived soon after to say he had been unable to separate the teknoguilders from their precious books, so he had arranged to have food sent to them.
He was as surprised as I to see Zarak, and as he and Elkar set out the bowls and served the food, Ceirwan said to the farseeker, ‘I dinna see ye come in with the others.’
‘I went straight to th’ farms. Brydda wanted me to let his parents know that he was here and that he would come to see them later in the day. He said Katlyn would beat him if he gave her no warning to prepare a feast. And I had an urgent message for Alad from my father.’
And you were hoping to get a moment alone with Lina, I guessed. ‘How does your father like his new status?’ I asked, releasing Cinda’s hand with a smile, so that we could eat. I did not need to be touching her to keep a probe in her mind, or to manipulate the image of myself that I had conjured, of course.
Zarak gave me a wry smile. ‘To be honest, Guildmistress, he swears about it a good deal. He did not desire it, and he was heartbroken when the old man died. But Noviny never truly recovered from the sickness he suffered after spying on Malik’s men. My father would have moved out of his house after Noviny was laid in his grave, but Wenda would not have it. She insisted that she would not know what to do without a chieftain to chieftain. She said Da told her he was no chieftain but then he was offered the position by a delegation of locals before another day had gone by. No one had forgotten that he led them in battle when the Hedra tried to invade.’
‘Does he realise that the Land has been changed forever by his appointment?’ I asked.
Zarak nodded, his expression becoming serious. ‘He knows it well and I think it troubled him a good deal to start with. He feared that if he failed, he would be used as an example of why Misfits ought not to rule. But as far as I can see, the people of Saithwold are more than content.’
‘No doubt,’ I said, tasting a spoonful of sweetened porridge.
‘I think he will feel less burdened when the master of Obernewtyn becomes chieftain of Obernewtyn Shire.’
‘Obernewtyn Shire,’ I repeated. ‘So that is how it will be styled. I like it.’
‘Powyrs suggested it,’ Zarak said with a smile. ‘He said it had a cosier ring than the word province, and being smaller it ought to have a name to fit.’
‘All those years at sea have given Powyrs a song-maker’s soul,’ I said. ‘But what is The Cutter doing in Sutrium at this time of year?’
‘He brought th’ message from Jakoby,’ Zarak said. Seeing my blank expression his eyes widened. ‘But surely ye ken it?’
‘Ken what?’ I asked, as premonition trailed a cold finger down my spine.
‘Th’ overguardian of th’ Earthtemple has commanded that th’ Sadorian ships must leave for the Red Land five days after darkmoon. The message Powyrs brought says Sadorian greatships will dock in Sutrium by darkmoon and that they will set off five days later, with or without the other ships. Apparently Jakoby was readying the two Sadorian greatships to depart even as Powyrs left Templeport.’
‘But Maryon only said that th’ ships mun leave afore th’ end of the Days of Rain!’ Ceirwan protested.
Zarak shrugged. ‘A day from now could be said to be afore th’ end of the Days of Rain. Rushton thinks the overguardian must have foreseen some harm coming to one of the Sadorian ships if they didn’t leave when she said they must. But he says even if th’ other ships are in no danger, they will have to leave at th’ same time as th’ Sadorians’ ships because Maryon saw all four leavin’ together.’
I drew in a long slow breath, understanding all at once why the Stormdancer had to return to the Norselands so soon. Indeed, Oma would be cutting it very fine to cross to Herder Isle, make final preparations for the journey and then return in so few days, especially given the weather. The news also explained why Brydda had ridden up in such haste. Aside from letting me know about the change in timing of the expedition, he would want to spend some time with his mother and father before departing on what would be a long and perilous journey. The only puzzling thing was why he had not told me about the overguardian’s pronouncement at once. Of course he had no idea I meant to go along on the journey, but there was still an immense amount to be done in a very short time if all of the supplies we had promised were to be readied for transport to the coast. And we had yet to make a final list of those who would travel with the ships, and then outfit them.
And what of Dragon and Maruman and the statue in Saithwold I needed to see, not to mention the fact that I had to find Cassandra’s key?
Trying to quell a growing sense of panic, I glanced across the crowded kitchen to one of the large windows. To my surprise, the rain had ceased and dawn was breaking in the form of a few weak beams of pink-gold light glistening on a sodden creeper growing up a kitchen garden wall. It was still too early to wake the whole of Obernewtyn and announce the news, but I farsent to Ceirwan that as soon as the first bell for normal firstmeal rang, he must send messages to each guildmaster to explain what Zarak had just told us and to announce that there would be a guildmerge concerning the expedition before the end of the day. Everyone would need time to make their preparations. It was too late for Garth to be summoned up from the White Valley, but that could not be helped. Ceirwan farsent back that he would talk to Javo and Alad, since we might as well begin sending down the supplies we had amassed immediately. Then I thought of the research Sarn, Wila and Tomash were doing about the Red Land and reminded Ceirwan that they had better be warned about the change of plans too. I made up my mind that I would scribe a letter to Rushton immediately and have one of the coercer-knights ride down before the day ended to let him know Dragon’s identity and to prompt him to order a search for her. I might just as well scribe that I meant to travel with Dragon to the Red Land and be done with it. I would make a point of mentioning that Maryon had foreseen both of us in the Red Land.
I had no idea what to do if, despite our best efforts, we could not locate Dragon before the ships had to depart. If only Maruman had been here, I could have asked him to contact the ancient bird to ask where she was. He could also have asked about Cassandra’s key and maybe even about the exact meaning of Dell’s futuretelling that I would leave the Land and Obernewtyn forever. But I had not spoken to the ancient bird since she had helped me stop Rushton’s spirit from entering the mindstream. Our final exchange floated into my mind.
‘There will be a price,’ she had warned.
‘I will pay it,’ I vowed.
‘It is not you who will pay …’ she had answered.
I wondered now if she had been angry with me for risking my quest to save Ru
shton’s life. She had contacted Maruman to tell him that I must return in all haste to Obernewtyn, but she had not told him why it had been so important. Was it possible that she would have done so, but she had been unable to reach me because of Maruman’s absence? I could try to reach her directly, but that would mean using the dreamtrails, which immediately reminded me of the malevolent force that had pursued me there. I was still unable to make up my mind if it had been a figment of nightmare, or Ariel’s unconsciously formed spirit-shape seeking to harm me. Realising I had been sitting for some minutes in dumbfounded silence, I stood up abruptly. ‘I’m sorry but I need to go and get dressed. Elkar and Cinda, when you have finished eating, Zarak will show you where you can bathe once the water is heated and then you should sleep for a few hours. In the afternoon, I will send someone to show you around. There are matters I must attend to now, but I will see you again in the evening.’
Zarak was still standing and now he said uncertainly, ‘I hope I have not spoken out of turn, Guildmistress. I thought the master of Obernewtyn would already have told you what the overguardian said.’
‘The master of Obernewtyn?’ I echoed. ‘Whatever do you mean? How could he tell me when he is not here?’
Now it was Zarak’s turn to look thunderstruck. ‘But Guildmistress, he must have got here by now. Why, he rode out of Sutrium a good half day before the rest of us. Indeed, he was leaving even as I arrived at Dardelan’s residence. It was he who first told me of the message brought by Powyrs, when he bade me carry news to my father. I sent a missive to Saithwold for I had made up my mind then and there to come up here straight away.’
I felt sick. ‘I have not seen Rushton since Sador,’ I said.
The others looked concerned and now people at nearby tables were turning to us, sensing a disturbance from the tone of our voices or because of our emotional emanations. I forced a smile and lowered my voice to say, ‘Well, maybe he went to the farms first, to let Alad know what was happening.’
‘But he can’t have done, Elspeth,’ Ceirwan protested. ‘Alad sent Lina up about th’ horses, remember, an’ she said nowt of th’ master of Obernewtyn bein’ there.’
‘I spoke to Alad just now, too, but I did not think to ask about Rushton,’ Zarak said worriedly.
‘All right, then maybe he went and slept at Louis Larkin’s place. He does that sometimes and it would have been very late when he arrived,’ I said, issuing a terse farspoken warning to Ceirwan to do no more speculating aloud lest he set off a panic by reminding people about what happened to Rushton the last time he had been expected and had not arrived.
‘He might have gone up to see the futuretellers about the overguardian’s futuretellin’,’ Zarak said aloud, diffidently.
Ceirwan immediately looked less stricken and I felt a rush of relief myself, since if Rushton had come back in haste because of something futuretold by the Earthtemple overguardian, it was very likely that he would want to consult Maryon. Certainly some of the futuretellers would also have been awake if he had arrived in the middle of the night, since they were wont to sleep in short bouts throughout the day and night and no doubt they would have foreseen his coming.
Telling the others to go on with their meal, I promised to let them know the moment I heard anything. I had taken two steps from the table when the kitchen doors were flung wide and Rushton himself strode in, shrugging off a streaming oilcloak. Behind him came the sodden and enormous Teknoguildmaster Garth, which explained why the master of Obernewtyn had not arrived before Brydda and the others. He had stopped to fetch Garth from the White Valley on the way.
Seeing his handsome, weary face and dark green eyes beneath a swatch of soaked black hair, I felt a wave of giddy longing to go to him and hold him, but in moments he was hemmed on all sides by people wanting to greet him and talk to him. He turned from one to another, laughing a little as he tried to answer the dozen questions being put to him.
I found myself brazenly imagining the way his lips had felt when he had kissed me in the tent in Sador, and for the first time since we had parted, I allowed myself to feel the full ardent strength of my longing for him.
As if he felt the tug of my gaze, Rushton broke off what he had been saying and looked across the room at me. As our eyes met, I felt a thrill of delight, but Rushton did not even smile. My own smile faltered at the almost savage intensity of his expression, then Linnet and Gevan turned to see what had caught his attention and Rushton’s lashes lowered over his eyes like shutters as he bowed slightly and formally to me before attending to them once more.
I turned away blindly, and found myself facing Ceirwan, who had come up behind me. His dark blue eyes were compassionate but also puzzled, and I realised that to him it must appear as if Rushton’s manner was unchanged from when he had been at Obernewtyn before. No doubt the guilden wondered at my reaction.
‘I will come with you to the Farseekers hall and get on with letting the other guildmasters ken that he is back an’ that the expedition to the Red Land is to begin sooner than expected,’ he said.
‘Speak to Wila and the others but you had better make sure Rushton wants a guildmerge today before you contact any of the other guilds,’ I said as we left the noise and fragrant warmth of the kitchens. ‘You might ask him about the moon fair, too. I expect he will want to cancel it.’
‘Cancel it? Why?’ Ceirwan asked, startled.
I shrugged, finding it easier to talk now that I was out of sight of Rushton. ‘How can we run a moon fair and get the expedition organised at the same time? Besides all else, it would mean setting off on the expedition when the roads are clogged with fair revellers returning home. We will need to send riders out tomorrow to post notices of cancellation. Hopefully it will not put many people out since this rain would have stopped a lot who had planned to visit.’
‘But what about Obernewtyn being turned into a shire?’
‘No doubt Dardelan will still ride up to conduct the official ceremonies, unless he has decided to put that off as well for now.’
I turned my thoughts to the statue in Saithwold, thinking I would need to come up with a good reason to ride down to the lowlands a day earlier than the others. Then it struck me that I might be able to find out what I needed simply by closely questioning someone who had seen it. Zarak was a possibility but, better still, was Iriny, who would have seen the statue many times. If it was she who was camped in the White Valley, she might be persuaded to describe it well enough that I would not need to see it for myself. Indeed, had she not sworn to do whatever I asked now that Swallow had told her I was the one referred to in the Twentyfamilies’ ancient promises?
‘What is it?’ Ceirwan asked.
‘I want you to go right now to the coercer-knights and organise a rider to travel to the White Valley,’ I said. ‘They are to locate the gypsy Iriny, whom I believe is camped there, and ask if she would ride up to meet me at dawn at the watchhut above the pass to the highlands. I also need the rider to deliver a missive to Bergold’s sister; they can fetch the missive from me after firstmeal and leave straight away. Now I am going up to my chamber. I don’t want to be disturbed for a couple of hours. I need to sleep if I am to be any use later in the day. Arrange with Sarn to come and see me in the afternoon with whatever material she and the others have amassed, and of course let me know as soon as you know whether we are to have a guildmerge. You can spend the morning preparing for that, after you do these few things.’
‘Well an’ good, but ye’d best tell Rushton about Dragon,’ Ceirwan reminded me.
‘I will tell him as soon as we speak,’ I assured him tightly and held my smile until he had got out of sight.
As I made my way along the passages to the Farseekers hall, my false smile fell away and it was only the fear that I would encounter someone that kept me from giving way to grief, for I knew from the look on Rushton’s face that I had made a dreadful mistake in leaving him so soon. He had just discovered how Ariel had tampered with his thoughts and emotion
s, using my image as an instrument of torture, and I had believed that knowing what had been done to him had healed him, and that any other damage was no more than scrapes and bruises that would fade in time. Like a fool, I had even imagined that some time alone away from the intensity of our renewed love would allow him to complete his healing. But the terse words of his missive and the cold face he had just shown me were clear signs that he had once again fallen victim to the false thoughts and emotions implanted by Ariel.
I wanted so badly to tell myself that he was merely overburdened by all that needed doing before the four ships left for the Red Land, but troubled as I was by the news, it had not stopped me feeling joy and longing at the sight of him. Thank goodness the press of people had prevented me rushing to his side the moment I saw him. Bad enough that he must have seen all that longing and love writ large on my face. I clenched my teeth and told myself that I must find the strength to behave with dignity and sense. Whatever lay between us, Rushton was master of Obernewtyn and I would need to work with him to prepare for the journey to the Red Land. Another wave of sickness flowed through me at the knowledge that the time we would spend at sea, which I had imagined as being filled with love, must now be given to helpless longing and regret on my part and perhaps to revulsion on his.
The pain of this prospect was so sharp that I had to stop for a moment and lean against the cold wall. I drew long steadying breaths, asking myself what else I could have done but to obey Maruman when he said that the Agyllians had commanded me to return immediately to the mountains. A cold calmness came to me with the knowledge that even if I had known what it would do to us, I would still have had to leave him.
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