Choices

by Mercedes Lackey

  :Now you are finally sounding like a Herald. You can be told a thing, but there is also merit in discovering the truth on your own.:

  “You sound like one of my teachers.” Uli smiled at his Companion as he knelt on the grass before her. He leaned his shoulder into her neck as she brought her magnificent head around to cradle him.

  :I am one of your teachers. And you are one of mine. You will grieve for your father, but not today. First you must locate your sister. But you have to know the details before you can search for her.:

  “Osric says they discovered her treachery a month ago. The Healer withheld evidence my father was poisoned, which I assume he knew at my father’s death?”

  :Do you see the first question?:

  :The first question?: Uli gave a short sigh. So often Sill would guide him this way during their travels together. He and Cerys would inevitably become inundated with the emotions of those wanting the Heralds’ help, and the path forward would grow murky. Sill would be the voice to lead them out of that swamp of despair. “Why did it take them eleven months to find this evidence? What lead them to believe it was Eda?”

  :I think you have the start of where you need to go.:

  He stood and brushed moist dirt and grass from his pants. “I do. Can you get word to Tirithiel that I could use Cerys’ help in locating my sister?”

  :I will give it my best, my love. But for now, learn what you can before you give your uncle your answer. Because once you find your sister, she will be condemned to death.:

  “You don’t believe she’ll get a fair trial?”

  Sill tilted her head to the side and caught Uli in her beautiful eyes. :Do you?:

  * * *

  • • •

  Uli knew he needed to talk to the one who found the evidence Osric claimed they had against his sister. He didn’t want to ask Osric because he was sure his uncle would take that as Uli accepting the assignment of finding Eda.

  Before he was Chosen, Uli had worked in the larger of the lumber yards, sweeping sawdust and oiling the blades used to cut the wood. But that had been eight years ago. He wasn’t sure if he would see familiar faces. Perhaps it would be simpler to start in town with the Healer.

  While on Circuit, he had grown accustomed to the attention his Whites garnered him when he and Cerys entered a town. In fact, he sometimes enjoyed the awe and goodwill the uniform afforded him. But here in his home town, he wasn’t as accepted. The looks and stares bothered him, but he kept up his Herald duties and smiled, even helped a few people with their tasks on his way to the Apothecary.

  Among the things he loved most about Westmark were its cobblestone streets and red brick buildings. The Apothecary sat on the corner near the town’s center. Uli knocked on the door several times, but when there was no answer, he stepped inside. He was assaulted by the scents of chemicals and herbs, some familiar, some not.

  “Heyla,” he called out. “Is Master Caragi about?”

  When there was still no answer, Uli stepped inside. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Something felt wrong.

  :Uli—:

  There was something in Sill’s tone that alarmed Uli. :What is it?:

  :Cerys found Eda.:

  :Where is she? What town?:

  :She’s here.:

  The opening of the apothecary door behind him broke the communication. Sillvrenniel’s tone put him on guard, so he ducked down behind the table and peered through the bench legs at two pairs of leather boots. They moved together, stopping and starting.

  Then, “I thought you said he came in here?”

  “He did. I saw him with me own eyes. You can’t miss that white suit.”

  Uli moved as quick and quiet as he could to the other side of the counter. He crept along the floor to the other side and caught sight of their boots again, not daring to stand straight just yet. Not until he knew who these two were or why they were hunting a Herald.

  “So we’re supposed to do what? Kill him?”

  “No,” the other voice said as they moved. “We take him and let bigger heads sort it out.”

  What? Bigger heads? Sort what?

  A hand came from his right shoulder and clamped over his mouth as a blade flashed in front of his eyes. “Why do they dress you in those clothes?” A familiar voice whispered next to his ear.

  Eda! He put his own hand on hers and pulled hers from his lips. “If you don’t want them to keep looking, let me go.”

  “You’re not thinking of showing yourself, are you?”

  He turned and looked at a hooded figure and just saw her features shadowed beneath the cowl. “No . . . but I need to distract those two.”

  “How?”

  He put his finger to his lips and looked out again. The two strangers were on the far right. Uli rose from behind the counter and with his hand outstretched, touched the large, wooden shelf beside them with his Gift and pulled the entire thing over on top of them.

  He turned back to his sister as the two intruders struggled to get out from beneath the heavy shelf. “Is there a back way out?”

  “You . . . how did you do that?”

  “No time. Let’s go,” Uli grabbed her hand and the two of them moved through the curtain—

  And Uli tripped over something. He crashed into a table that sent all manner of books and glass bottles into the floor. Cursing under his breath, he turned to see what he tripped over—

  “He’s back there! Stop him!”

  “I’m stuck!”

  Eda reached out and grabbed Uli’s arm. “We have to go now!”

  But Uli was staring down at Caragi’s body. He lay face-down, the hilt of a knife protruding from his back. His eyes tracked back to the knife his sister held in her hand. It was the same type of blade, if not the sister, to the one in Caragi’s back.

  “I didn’t do that,” she hissed as one of the men burst through the curtain. She ducked, spun around, and leg swiped him, knocking him on his backside. Once their assailant was down, she popped up, grabbed Uli’s wrist, and dragged him out the back.

  There were shouts behind them, and a bell rang. The two of them ran into an alley and then turned left, then right, and then right again. Uli was a little confused directionally as they came out behind a tavern.

  :To the left, then run straight. I’ll meet you there.:

  “Come on.” Grabbing Eda’s wrist, he pulled her with him as he followed Sill’s instructions. As they reached the end of the alley, his Companion stepped into view. Eda pulled back and wrenched her wrist free of his grasp. Sill moved a bit and tried to inch around so Eda could get on.

  Eda stepped back. “Get out of here, Uli. I just wanted to let you know I didn’t kill Father. And I didn’t kill Caragi. But I know who did. I saw him do it.”

  “Who?”

  “I saw them go down that alley!”

  :Young lady, I suggest you get on my back so I can spirit you out of here.:

  Uli grabbed Eda’s wrist and pulled her onto Sill’s back behind him. The Companion took off down the opposite alley, made several turns and twists until they were outside the city and close to the Norton Hold.

  Eda said in his ear, “You’re in danger, Uli. But not from me.”

  “Wait, Sill,” Uli said as she came to a stop near one of the Hold’s secret entrances.

  “I’d forgotten about the secret passageways,” Eda said. “Good thing you remembered. I don’t think Osric or Cyrus ever knew about them.”

  He looked back at Eda. “I didn’t know about Father—”

  “I know. He insisted you not be bothered with the death.”

  “Who?”

  “Osric.”

  Uli frowned. “But he said he did try to reach me.”

  “He didn’t.”

  Uli dismounted and helped Eda dismount as well. “What happe
ned? I need to know the truth.” He quickly relayed to her everything Osric and Cyrus had said in their meeting with him.

  “It’s all a lie, Uli. A lie to frame me and Cyrus. Osric killed our father. And he knows I have proof.”

  As a Herald, Uli had heard tales of familial as well as courtly machinations for power. These stories were so often the glue that held together the nobles as well as the court. But he had never thought to hear of such betrayal in his own home—and certainly not from his own uncle.

  He didn’t want to believe Osric was capable of such treachery. Eda must be wrong. When he’d believed his father thought him a failure, it was Osric who had lifted him up from despair. It was Osric who had written to him while he was at the Collegium. It was always Osric who had assured him that his place was in Haven, and not at home.

  It was Osric . . . who had kept him in the dark.

  Uli felt as if the foundation of his existence were being eroded away and he was left on an island, a single survivor in the middle of isolation.

  :Calm yourself, dear one,: Sillvrenniel’s voice in his mind dismissed the festering storm. :You do not need my council to tell you that your sister speaks the truth. Beneath your trust and fortitude you have known, all along, that something was amiss. Though you never spoke it aloud, it has been forever in your thoughts. Remember what I said of being told a thing? It is time to know it.:

  “Uli?” Eda put a hand on her brother’s arm.

  Uli hadn’t realized he was holding onto Sillvrenniel’s flank, and that his Companion had moved closer to support him. He looked at his sister. “You have proof of what Osric did?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why haven’t you used it? Let me see it. I can help.”

  “He tried to kill me when he realized I had that proof. I hid it, and I haven’t been able to get back inside the Hold to get to it. I ran when he tried to kill me, and I’ve been hiding all this time.” She smiled weakly. “Osric didn’t send for you . . . I did.”

  Uli searched her face. “You . . . you sent the missive?”

  “Yes. I was able to speak to Healer Caragi. He kept quiet about father’s death because he knew Osric did it, but he was afraid. When I finally confronted him, he told me he had proof that Osric administered the poison. He told me to come back today, and he’d give it to me.”

  “But you found him dead.”

  “Yes. I saw you come inside, and I knew they’d come after you. Osric doesn’t want you discovering the truth. You’re a Herald.” She put her hand on his. “Your life and that of your horse are in danger, Uli. You have to flee.”

  :We need to go, my love. There are horses coming down this road.:

  Uli made a quick decision. “Where is the proof you need?”

  “I hid it in father’s study. Cyrus has the key now, and I’m sure Osric has one as well.”

  “I need to talk to Cyrus—”

  “No!” Eda reached for him. “You can’t do that! He believes everything Uncle Osric says. He thinks I killed our father.”

  Uli shook his head, remembering the interaction between Cyrus and Osric. “I don’t think he’s as devoted to Osric as you believe. Eda, we’re a family. We’re going to have to work together to beat Osric at this and clear your reputation, as well as Cyrus’.” He winked at her. “Trust me. And trust your brother.”

  “Then I’m coming with you.”

  “Eda—”

  :You need to work together as a family, my love.: Sill nudged his cheek with her nose just before she turned and ran into the woods. :I will be nearby.:

  Uli led Eda to the secret door. Once inside they carefully made their way to the passageway in the estate and the library where he and Eda had found the door as children. He motioned her to hang back as he stepped out into the hall.

  Almost immediately, he was confronted by his brother, flanked by two of the Hold’s guardsmen.

  “You stay right there!” Cyrus pointed his finger at Uli. “I need a word with you.”

  * * *

  • • •

  “And I, you,” Uli countered as he straightened his shoulders and called upon all of his Herald training. He’d never confronted his brother before; he had always backed away from him. Until now. The sudden change in Uli’s demeanor didn’t go unnoticed by Cyrus, who drew up a bit. “While Father was alive, did he ever allow you to look at the books?”

  “Yes,” Cyrus frowned. “Why?”

  “Did you look at them? I am asking if you understood them.”

  “I’m not an imbecile, Uli. I can read and write, and I understand how a business works.” Cyrus crossed his arms over his chest. “It was just . . . Father never trusted me as much as he did you or Eda.”

  “Father didn’t trust me. I left the family.” Saying this out loud brought back hurtful memories for Uli. Memories of how his father’s words turned his joy at being Chosen into a horrible betrayal against the Norton family.

  Cyrus stared at Uli, and a strange silence formed between them. Uli wasn’t sure what else to ask, or how to communicate with his brother. There had been so much distance between them, even as children. And now his brother believed he had to face him with armed guards?

  Finally, Cyrus waved the guards away and waited until they were gone from the hall before he said, “He never stopped trusting you, Uli. You were going to be a Herald. Heralds are the most trusted in Valdemar.”

  Uli narrowed his eyes. “But when I left, Father disowned me—”

  “I know . . . I heard him.” Cyrus looked uncomfortable, and Uli expected him to stop talking. But he didn’t. “I was there, just outside the door, the day you left. I was jealous that you were leaving. You weren’t going to have to work in the forests and yard anymore. You were leaving this place, and you had a magic horse.”

  “Sill’s not a magic horse.”

  “So you always say,” Cyrus gave a short sigh. “What I’m trying to say is, you left right after that, and I was too stunned at what Father had said to do anything. As young as I was, I believed leaving was the same thing as being banished or disowned. I’d never heard Father speak so harshly to you. Not long after that, Eda asked if she could be included in the day to day, and Father agreed. She didn’t hear what he’d said to you, and she thought she would see you again soon.

  “But I knew better. I sort of . . . assumed to leave meant to be without a family. And that depressed me. I started drinking because I didn’t want to do this, Uli. But I felt I had no choice. And I screwed up. A lot. And then Osric took me under his wing when you were no longer around.”

  “He told you that you needed to replace Eda and me, didn’t he?”

  “In so many words.” Cyrus rubbed at his face. “And after a while, I started hating Eda for gaining Father’s devotion. It wasn’t until after he died that I started to understand something.”

  “What?”

  “That Osric was a snake. The moment he said Eda was responsible for father’s death, I stopped trusting him.”

  A noise at the end of the hall made Cyrus draw his knife. Uli was instantly on guard and his mind sought out Sillvrenniel. She was near.

  Cyrus stepped closer to the wall and dropped his voice. “Were you in town earlier? With Eda?”

  Uli hesitated. “Yes.”

  He looked at Uli. “Why were you asking me about the business?”

  “I need to see father’s office.” He put up a hand before Cyrus could protest. “Eda said there was proof there. Proof that shows Osric killed Father.”

  Cyrus’ eyes widened. “And she never told me?”

  Uli arched his brow. “Are you really surprised? You were Osric’s puppet.”

  “Was,” Cyrus said. “I started paying attention to what he was doing. I started following him, and saw him meeting with Stanis Ohbokhen a few times. I never knew what they talked about, and I got the fe
eling that last time, the other night before you got here, that Osric knew I was there.”

  “That follows with what Eda suspects. We need to get into father’s office, Cyrus. Can you get us in there?” At that moment the library door opened, and Eda stepped out.

  Brother and sister faced each other. Uli stood to the side, ready to Fetch weapons away from the two of them if needed. Cyrus still held his knife, but Eda faced him unarmed.

  Finally, Cyrus lowered his knife and slipped it into its leather sheath at his hip. He then removed his brown cloak and placed it over Uli’s shoulders. “Need to cover those robes, brother. Let’s go.”

  * * *

  • • •

  “Why are we sneaking around?” Uli asked as Cyrus stopped in front of a door near the cellar and unlocked it with a metal key.

  “Because Osric is looking for you,” Cyrus said. “I overheard him tell some of the stable boys to corral your horse. That worried me.”

  “I’m afraid if anyone tries to hold Sillvrenniel, they’ll get a nasty surprise.”

  The three of them stepped inside, and Cyrus locked the door behind them.

  Uli remembered this place. It was always his father’s room. There was a fireplace, a table with two benches, a wash basin and cabinets along one side.

  Eda immediately went to the fireplace, the ash long cold with neglect. Uli was sure there hadn’t been a fire since his father died.

  He watched as Eda stepped to the side of the stone and pressed one of them. It snapped out and she removed it. After passing the stone to Cyrus, she stuck her hand in and retrieved a metal box. Uli and Cyrus followed her to the table where she opened it and the three of them examined the papers inside.

  “These are bills of sale,” Cyrus said. “To a name I don’t recognize.”

  Uli picked up one of the bills. “Goram Marog? Is that a person or a place?” He looked closer at the bill in his hand, then at the ones in the stack. “And why does it say Ohbokhen at the bottom of each one? Who bought the lumber? Marog or Ohbokhen?”

  Eda said, “That’s what father was tracking because he tried to match up the missing lumber with the payments and couldn’t. He confronted Stanis about it, threatened to request a Herald if he didn’t tell him who Morag was. This happened the night before he died. I didn’t learn till after father died that Goram Marog is the name of a collector in Declaire.”