[Lyra 05] - The Raven Ring

by Patricia C. Wrede - (ebook by Undead)

  “But it isn’t a what,” Baroja said with a wide, toothy smile.

  “It’s who. I’ve found a Luck-seer; one of the best in Ciaron! And she’s promised to come chart the cards for us later on tonight. Now, am I forgiven?”

  Daner’s female relations were too busy exclaiming with delight to answer him directly. Even Lady tir Vallaniri looked pleased. Eleret wondered why they were all so excited and whether they would expect her to join them. Probably; Baroja’s scheme had the sound of something done for amusement after dinner, like a rope-chase or a dice game. She sighed quietly, and resigned herself. She’d have preferred to spend the evening in her room, sharpening her knives and setting her thoughts in order, but she could not insult her hosts by retiring early when there was entertainment planned, even if they had not been the planners.

  Daner seemed to agree with Eleret. “My idiot cousin has done it again,” he muttered. “I wonder how much this notion will cost him?”

  “More than he can afford,” Lord tir Vallaniri answered in a similar undertone. Raising his voice, he said, “Bring out your Luck-seer, Baroja, and let’s have a look at her.”

  “She isn’t here yet, Uncle,” Baroja replied. “I told her to come an hour from now, after dinner, since she can’t chart while we eat.”

  “I hope you remembered to warn Bresc,” Lord tir Vallaniri said. “I doubt that he’d let her in otherwise.”

  Baroja looked startled. “He wouldn’t? I’d better go tell him, then.” He smiled winningly at Raqueva and Metriss. “It wouldn’t do to have her sent away after I promised you a treat.”

  With another bow, he turned and swept back into the stairwell. “Be quick,” Lady Kistran called after him. “We’ve spent enough time waiting for you as it is.”

  “Yes, Mother.” Baroja’s words, echoing back from the stairwell, had the sound of an automatic, meaningless response.

  “I think we will go in to dinner now,” Lady tir Vallaniri said, waving her daughters toward the door. “Baroja won’t be long.”

  “I have seldom heard more hopeful words spoken with less reason,” Daner’s father said. “But by all means let us go in to dinner.” He nodded at Lady Kistran, then made a half-bow and held out his left hand, palm up, to his wife. Lady tir Vallaniri smiled and covered his hand with her own. Together, they walked slowly down the hall toward the door. Lady Kistran looked after them with a sour expression.

  “Eleret!” Daner whispered urgently.

  Eleret turned, hating him for one brief, irrational moment because his mother was here, walking handfast with her husband through the rooms of her home. The moment passed, and Eleret realized that he was holding his left hand out to her in the same gesture his father had just used. Surprise kept her motionless for an instant, and Daner’s brows contracted.

  “Come on, Eleret,” he said in a low voice, his lips barely moving.

  Still wondering, Eleret laid her right hand on his. As she did, Lady Kistran gave an audible sniff and turned. “Daner,” she said in a commanding tone, “I—Oh.”

  Daner’s fingers closed convulsively around Eleret’s as his aunt spoke, and suddenly Eleret understood. Lady Kistran’s expression grew even more sour than before, but she made no comment as Daner led Eleret down the hall after his parents and sisters.

  As they drew away, out of hearing, Eleret looked at Daner and raised her eyebrows. “What was that about?”

  “Family,” Daner said. “Aunt Kistran is in one of her moods, and I didn’t want to spend dinner coddling her. Which I won’t have to do if I take you in instead of her. No matter how irritated she’s feeling, she’d never humiliate a guest by demanding the place you’d already claimed.”

  Maybe not, thought Eleret, but I’ll bet she’d have taken it without a second thought if I hadn’t already claimed it. Which explained why Daner had been in such a hurry. Eleret sighed, wishing she knew more of Ciaronese ways. Or was it knowledge of noblemen’s ways that she needed? Well, it was only for one evening, and if she annoyed Daner’s family out of ignorance, it would not matter much once she was back in the mountains.

  Dinner began awkwardly. When Eleret and Daner had entered the room, Daner’s sisters already occupied three of the four chairs placed around the center of the long table. As they approached, Lady Raqueva looked over her shoulder, flushed, and leaned sideways to whisper something to Lady Metriss. An instant later, they rose and moved to the lower end of the table. Lady Metriss sniffed audibly as she passed. Daner, apparently oblivious to the undercurrents, seated Eleret in the chair Raqueva had just vacated and took Metriss’ place himself.

  On Eleret’s left, Lady tir Vallaniri gave her daughters an approving smile. As if in answer to a signal, Lady Kistran swept in, frowning, and took her seat across the table from her hostess. Lady tir Vallaniri’s smile flattened slightly; then she turned to her husband and said calmly, “We are all here except Baroja. Is it your pleasure to begin, my lord?”

  “It is my very great pleasure,” Lord tir Vallaniri replied, and nodded at an unobtrusive man standing beside a side table heavily laden with covered platters. The man bowed.

  Picking up the nearest of the platters, he removed the cover and carried the dish to Lord tir Vallaniri. Lord tir Vallaniri examined the contents, then served first his wife, then Lady Kistran, and finally himself.

  The man bowed again and moved to Daner’s side. To Eleret’s surprise and annoyance, Daner proceeded to spoon some of the contents—a pile of finger-length fish that had apparently been fried whole—onto her plate. He did the same for his sisters, then served himself. The servant returned the platter to the side table, chose another, and repeated the sequence. While he made his slow way along the table, a dark-haired girl entered with a pitcher and poured wine into the pewter goblets that stood in front of every place.

  The number of dishes and the amount of food amazed Eleret. There were chunks of white fish wrapped in dark green leaves, thick slices of well-browned meat, fresh bread with herb-flavored oil to dip it in, and a whole tray of small birds stuffed with grain. Most of the food was lukewarm, but she still had to remind herself several times not to eat too much. A large meal would make her sluggish.

  Daner’s sisters chattered almost constantly, but to Eleret’s relief they did not seem to care whether or not she joined them. Lady tir Vallaniri, on Eleret’s left, directed an occasional remark to her, as if to let her know that she was not being overlooked. None of the comments required a response, and Eleret did not give any beyond a nod of recognition. Eating without bumping elbows with Lady tir Vallaniri was difficult enough; doing so while trying to talk sensibly without giving away too much would be next to impossible. Fortunately, the wine was watered, but even so Eleret drank sparingly.

  True to Lord tir Vallaniri’s prediction, Baroja did not appear until everyone had almost finished their first servings. He had disposed of his cloak, but he walked as though he still wore it. Eleret could almost see it swirl behind him as he progressed from the door to the dinner table. Daner’s sisters pounced on him at once, firing questions at him like a company of archers.

  “Tell us about the Luck-seer, Baroja! How soon will she be here, do you think?”

  “Will she be able to chart our cards right away after dinner, or will we have to wait?”

  “Can she do all of us, or only one or two?”

  “Will she let us watch each other’s chartings?”

  “Where did you find her? Is she very good?”

  Laughing, Baroja threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “One at a time, if it please you, ladies! And remember that I haven’t eaten yet.”

  “And whose fault is that?” Daner muttered as Baroja took the seat across from him and smoothed an invisible crease from his sleeve. The dark-haired girl materialized immediately to fill Baroja’s goblet.

  “Have some fish,” Raqueva said, signaling the man by the side table. “How soon can we begin?”

  “Not until I’m done with dinner,” Baroja said with
a smile. “Thank you, Cousin.”

  “Oh, Baroja, don’t be difficult,” Metriss said. “You can talk while you eat. Tell us about the Luck-seer!”

  “Such enthusiasm astounds me,” Lord tir Vallaniri put in, taking another piece of fish. “I commend you, Baroja. I haven’t seen Metriss so lively since she was four.”

  Metriss flushed. Across from Eleret, Lady Laurinel frowned. “You shouldn’t tease Riss, Father. We’re all excited. It isn’t everyone who can have her cards charted by someone who really understands how to do it.”

  “I stand corrected.”

  “What is ‘charting the cards’?” Eleret whispered to Daner as Baroja finished filling his plate.

  Daner looked at her in surprise. “You’ve never heard about charting the cards?” he said in a normal tone.

  Heads turned along the table, and Eleret sighed. “No, I haven’t. What does it mean?”

  “It’s difficult to explain,” Metriss said. “Baroja—”

  “Let your cousin eat in peace, Riss,” Lady tir Vallaniri said. “You have the rest of the evening to question him.”

  “Does that mean you’ve never had your cards charted?” Raqueva asked Eleret in a speculative tone.

  “If I had, I might know what all of you were talking about.”

  “It’s a variety of divinatory magic,” Daner said. “Very popular for predicting the future, in spite of its inaccuracy and lack of clarity.”

  “Inaccuracy!” Metriss’ half-shriek of outrage drew a disapproving frown from her aunt. “What about Sivelin’s brother? What about Vanery and the horse? What about—”

  “Metriss.” Lady tir Vallaniri’s voice was not loud, but it penetrated her daughter’s stream of complaints like a fire-arrow penetrating fog. Metriss broke off, scowling petulantly.

  “Riss is very firm in her opinions,” Laurinel put in. “You should not tease her, Daner.” Despite her words, her eyes were on Eleret as she spoke, and her tone was apologetic.

  “It only makes me more curious,” Eleret said. Since it seemed that she would have to join in this card-charting, she might as well find out what she was in for. “How does this card magic work?”

  “Resonance and imaging,” Daner replied. “The pattern of the cards themselves sets up a weak charm over a limited area, so in theory it doesn’t even take a magician to use them.”

  “I presume that is the reason for their popularity,” Lord tir Vallaniri put in, looking interested.

  “Yes, but without a magician to reinforce the spell, it’s a matter of luck whether or not the focus is the one intended,” Daner said. “Hence the inaccuracy.”

  Raqueva gave her brother a sharp look, then said in a bored tone, “And the lack of clarity?”

  “It’s part of the same problem. Anyone can lay out a pattern of cards, but interpreting it correctly takes knowledge and skill. The knowledge is rare enough; skill is even more so.

  “But, Daner, that’s the whole point,” Baroja said. He smiled winningly as everyone looked at him.

  “What is?” Daner asked wearily when Baroja did not continue.

  “Why, hiring a Luck-seer, of course.” Baroja sat back, his expression smug, as if he had just made an unarguable point. “You see?”

  “No.”

  “Really, Daner!” Lady Kistran frowned at him. “Clearly, Baroja’s Luck-seer has both knowledge and skill, or she would not be earning coin by charting cards. How did you find her, Baroja?”

  “Oh, one of Toricar’s Trader friends presented her to me this afternoon,” Baroja said. “And if anyone knows about charting cards, it’s a Trader.”

  “Traders are also remarkably good at spotting an easy catch,” Lord tir Vallaniri remarked.

  “I think it was very clever of Baroja to hire her,” Metriss said pugnaciously.

  “And very kind of him to think of us,” Raqueva put in.

  “It was nothing,” Baroja said modestly. “The moment I saw her, I knew you’d want her to do your cards. And knowing that, how could I not beg her to come?”

  “Will your Luck-seer have time to chart all of us?” Lady tir Vallaniri asked. “We seem to be more numerous than usual tonight.”

  “I don’t see why not,” Baroja replied. “She said she’d stay the whole evening.”

  “This Luck-seer of yours must be a remarkably obliging woman,” Lord tir Vallaniri said. “I am becoming eager to meet her.”

  “Does that mean that you’ll have your cards charted this time, Father?” asked Laurinel.

  “No, it does not.”

  “Daner will, though,” Metriss said. “Won’t you, Daner?”

  “Only if you insist,” Daner told her. “I’m not interested in trickery.”

  “Freelady Salven must certainly have her cards charted,” Raqueva put in, giving Eleret an indecipherable look. “Especially since she’s never done it before.”

  “Yes, of course you must, Freelady,” Laurinel said. “I hope the Luck-seer will let us watch. Charting someone’s cards for the very first time is more involved than renewing a chart; it would be so interesting.”

  “As you will have it,” Eleret said with a mental grimace. There’d be no getting out of it now, but then, there had never really been much chance of avoiding the card-charting. She could only hope it wouldn’t last too long, or be too dull. Daner’s attitude was not exactly encouraging.

  “And Aunt Kistran must have a turn as well,” Raqueva said. “After all, we wouldn’t have a Luck-seer at all if Baroja hadn’t brought one.”

  “By that logic, Baroja should go first.” Daner’s voice was full of mischief. “What do you say, Cousin? She’s your Luck-seer.

  “Oh, Daner!” Metriss turned the corners of her mouth down. “Baroja brought her here for us.”

  “Very true,” Baroja said. “I’ll go last.”

  “That hardly seems fair,” Laurinel objected, frowning slightly.

  “Well, but if Aunt Kistran takes the first turn—” Raqueva began.

  “I do not intend to have my cards charted at all,” Lady Kistran announced.

  “Don’t you?” Lady tir Vallaniri said with mild surprise. “I shall certainly have mine done. I find it interesting to watch, especially when they get everything wrong.”

  “It is an amusement for younger folk, Laurenzi,” Kistran replied. “I will be quite content to listen to their tales as they come back from their charting.”

  Daner leaned toward Eleret and said softly, “What she means is that she doesn’t want her chart chewed over in public. She’ll lecture everyone else on what their charts really mean, then corner the Luck-seer privately later on, wait and see.”

  Eleret nodded without comprehension, and let the conversation flow on without her. The meal ended at last, and the Vallaniris withdrew from the eating room, leaving the servers to clear things up. Eleret trailed after Daner’s sisters and his cousin and his aunt, wishing she could slip quietly away and escape to her room. But even if she had been lost to all sense of her obligations to her hosts, she could not have done it; Daner and his parents were right behind her.

  Baroja led them back to the long cluttered hall where they had met before dinner. A servant stood at the far end, waiting patiently; when he saw Baroja, he came forward and whispered something to him.

  “Bring her in at once!” Baroja said.

  The servant bowed and crossed back to the stairwell door. Baroja smiled broadly at his relatives.

  “The best card-charter in Ciaron has arrived!” he announced. He turned and waved with perfect timing as the far door opened. “Mother, Aunt, Cousins, allow me to present Luck-seer Jonystra Nirandol.”

  CHAPTER

  THIRTEEN

  Eleret had to force her face to remain blank as Daner’s mother and sisters moved happily forward to greet Jonystra. How had the woman managed this? And why had she bothered? Unless she was a fool, she must know that Eleret would be on her guard. And not just Eleret; Daner, too, watched Jonystra with a face like stone.
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  While Baroja beamed at his cousins, Eleret slipped across to Daner’s side. “Daner,” she said in a low voice, “get hold of yourself, or everyone will know something’s wrong.”

  “How did that creyuda get a line on Baroja?” Daner said in a savage undertone. “I don’t know whether to wring his neck or hers!”

  “Try it with either, and I’m gone. If you make a scene—”

  “Your aunt and your sisters will demand to know the reason,” Lord tir Vallaniri said from behind Eleret.

  Without thinking, Eleret spun, one hand on her dagger’s hilt. She took control of her reflexes in time to keep from drawing it and cursed herself mentally for an incompetent fool. Bad enough to lose track of someone, even if he was not an enemy, but to let herself be startled into such a strong response was inexcusable. “Exactly my point,” she said as calmly as she could.

  Lord tir Vallaniri raised an eyebrow at her. “I’ve been tempted to wring Baroja’s neck myself, now and again, but what is it about his companion that provokes such a response in you?”

  “That woman—the so-called Luck-seer Nirandol—followed us here,” Daner said. “How and why, I don’t know, and it would be for Eleret to say even if I did, but I don’t like it. Demons take Baroja for bringing her in!”

  Eleret was positive that Jonystra hadn’t actually followed them, but then, she wouldn’t have needed to. Jonystra had heard Daner’s name at the inn; tracing a well-known nobleman could not have been hard. And she’d had most of the afternoon to arrange a way of getting inside the Vallaniri household. However she had done it, the result was what mattered.

  “Baroja has demonstrated a certain aptitude for innocently doing whatever will cause the greatest inconvenience to whomever he is with,” Lord tir Vallaniri said in a slow, thoughtful tone. “It’s practically the boy’s only talent; I’m pleased to see it hasn’t deserted him.”

  “Pleased?” Daner gave his father a skeptical look.

  “Everyone should be good at something.”