The Raven Ring

by Patricia C. Wrede

  “Oh, no,” Karvonen said, shaking his head emphatically. “Acquit me of that, Freelady. I said I was a thief, that’s all.”

  “And a pretty poor excuse for one,” Jakella said. “Which still doesn’t explain why you dragged me into this.”

  Karvonen rolled his eyes, then twisted around to look at her. “I appreciate your impatience, Cousin, but please, do me the favor of waiting until I have talked her out of killing you. I find it difficult to manage two explanations at once.”

  “Maybe then we’ll get more truth out of you,” Eleret said.

  “I’m telling the truth.” Karvonen looked genuinely hurt. “Jaki’s my cousin, umpty-times removed, but she’s no thief and never has been. She follows the family’s second profession, which is more respectable. She’s…an information gatherer.”

  “A spy?”

  Karvonen winced. “If you must call it that, yes.”

  “Karvonen—” Jakella’s tone was full of warning.

  “She won’t tell anyone, Jaki! She’s Cilhar!” He looked hopefully at Eleret. “You do see, don’t you, that this changes matters?”

  Eleret frowned, considering. The explanation fit neatly into all the bits and pieces Karvonen had let slip about his family. Too neatly, perhaps. On the other hand, he had never claimed that all his relatives were thieves, only that he was one. Eleret’s lips twisted. She wanted to trust Karvonen, to believe him when he said he was telling the truth, but to trust a thief…

  “I should also point out, Freelady, that I am in this household at this time merely by coincidence,” Jakella said in the sour, overly formal voice she usually—usually?—used. “I am a servant in the household of Lord Domori Trantorino, and had Lady Laurinel not chosen to visit her parents while her husband is away I would never have set foot in this house. Nor is my…employer one who wishes harm to Lord or Lady Trantorino.”

  “Your employer?”

  Jakella’s lips thinned. “Who it is, I will not say, but I swear by the Cup and the Shield and the skill of the family that my activities have nothing to do with the Vallaniri. If this assurance will not satisfy you, I am sorry.”

  Eleret hesitated, then glanced at Karvonen.

  “She means it, Freelady,” Karvonen said. “That’s an oath we take seriously.”

  With a nod, Eleret lifted her hand from her knife and turned back toward Jakella. “Very well. I will accept your assurances.”

  Heaving a sigh of relief, Karvonen lowered his hands. As he turned toward Jakella, Eleret thought she saw his lips twist in a brief, bitter smile, but the expression was gone too quickly for her to be sure. “Now, Jaki, about that help—”

  “Explanations first, Cousin,” Jakella said, dropping her sour nursemaid’s voice. “And you’d best hurry; I have duties, too.”

  “The explanation’s simple. Freelady Salven needs to get out of the house without being seen, and the doors are guarded.”

  “That’s no explanation at all. You may owe her for something, but I don’t. Begging your pardon, Freelady.”

  “Oh, come on, Jaki, she’s Cilhar. The aid-in-distress clause—”

  “—is something nobody takes seriously, unless he’s looking for an excuse to poke his nose into—Oh, I see.” Jakella shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder about you, Karvonen. Curiosity is all very well, but getting mixed up with a Cilhar… Are you planning to take up the Fourth Profession?”

  “Do I look like a lunatic? I like my pieces right where they are, thank you, all together and reasonably undamaged, and I intend to keep them that way into a ripe and rotten old age.”

  “Fourth Profession?” Eleret raised her eyebrows and looked from Karvonen to Jakella.

  “Our family has as much variety as most,” Jakella said with a ghost of a smile. “But there are four occupations that are…traditional, though the fourth is seldom deliberately chosen. We tend to be thieves, spies, artisans—”

  “Artisans?” Eleret said, surprised.

  “Forgers and counterfeiters,” Karvonen translated. “Some of our cousins can copy anything, from the portrait of the first Queen of Kith Alunel to that silly-looking broadsword with the gem-studded handle that the Emperor of Rathane uses when he’s passing out titles.”

  “You’re trying to change the subject,” Jakella said. She turned back toward Eleret. “As I was saying, we’re thieves, spies, forgers—and heroes.”

  “Heroes?”

  Jakella smiled. “That’s what I said. Hardly anybody realizes it, because those of us who take up the Fourth Profession generally change their names. The Aurelicos are too well known as thieves, you see.”

  It sounded like a joke to Eleret. Well, if Karvonen and Jakella wanted to see how much bait she’d swallow, it made no difference to her. She shrugged. “I suppose so. If we’re going to leave, shouldn’t we do it soon?”

  Karvonen nodded. “Yes, Jaki, about leaving…”

  Jakella looked at him and began to laugh. “All right! I’ll never get rid of you otherwise, and then I really will break out of cover. Exactly what is it you want from me?”

  TWENTY-TWO

  KARVONEN REPEATED HIS EXPLANATION of the problem, adding, “All we really want is a way out. If you know a door that wouldn’t be guarded…”

  Jakella shook her head. “Lord Daner’s no fool. Your shapeshifter got in here once disguised as someone’s servant, and he won’t have forgotten that. You’ll have to go off the roof.”

  “I was afraid you were going to say that. I hate rope work in Ciaron, especially on these old places.” Karvonen made a disgusted face and looked at Eleret. “Normally, you can just loop a rope around a merlon and go, but the Ciaronese are nearly as paranoid as you Cilhar. At least one out of every three merlons is built to break away if anyone tries that. It’s meant to make things harder for attackers, of course, but it’s just as bad for…anyone who wants to get out unnoticed.”

  “Don’t fuss, Karvonen,” Jakella said. “Do you think I’m an amateur? I’ll show you a nice solid spot to anchor your rope. And no, Freelady, my employer has no interest in the defenses of Lord tir Vallaniri’s home. It’s my own personal escape route. Not that I’m likely to need one, this job, but—”

  Eleret nodded in understanding. She’d never done any reconnaissance work herself; there’d been less need since the Emperor forced his peace on the Syaski. But everyone still got basic training, and one of the first things Raken beat into his students was the need for a way out. If not for you, then for the things you’ve learned, the teacher’s voice rang in her head. What good is information if you can’t get it home? Secure your way of escape, no matter how unnecessary it looks, and then worry about the rest. Apparently Jakella knew her job.

  Five minutes later, they were on the roof. Jakella provided the rope, as well as showing them where to anchor it. To Eleret’s surprise, they had their choice of three possible spots, all of which would allow them to descend without being seen from the street in front of the house.

  “Isn’t this a little odd?” Eleret asked.

  Oh, the Ciaronese aren’t worried about people getting out,” Jakella said. “In fact, there are times when it might be convenient to slip someone down the side wall and away. It’s people coming in that they fret over.”

  “Then why aren’t there any guards or watchmen up here?”

  “If there were a war on, or if the Vallaniri were in orilista feud with another family, there would be more than enough lookouts to satisfy your Cilhar caution,” Karvonen said. “When things are quiet, they don’t bother.”

  “I thought you were in a hurry,” Jakella said. “And if you aren’t, I am. I can’t spend all day up here, you know.”

  With an apologetic nod, Eleret took a firm grip on the rope and slid over the edge of the building. The descent was smooth and easy. When she reached the ground, she shook the rope twice to let them know she was down. Karvonen’s head appeared, checking; a moment later, he started after her.

  He came down hand over hand
without using his legs, a display of strength and skill that impressed Eleret in spite of herself. He’s showing off, but at least he’s got something to show. Amused by the thought, Eleret watched, taking pleasure in seeing something done well.

  “That was easier than it should have been,” Karvonen said as he dropped the last two feet to the ground. Looking up, he gave a low whistle. The rope trembled, then began to rise as Jakella reeled it in.

  “Now, where did you— No, not that way!” Karvonen said as Eleret started for the main street. “Do you want Daner’s overly enthusiastic doorman to see you? Not to mention any stray Syaski and shapeshifters and Shadow-born who might be keeping an eye on the place?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “Then come this way.”

  Karvonen led her toward the rear of the house, then down a narrow alley to a series of dark, smelly back streets. Compared to the avenues she had traveled the day before, these were nearly deserted. An occasional barrow-man trundled by with his wheelbarrow full of trash, and now and then a second-floor window opened to spout dirty washwater or kitchen garbage, but that was all. Eleret attracted a few curious glances, but most eyes were drawn to Karvonen’s uniform, not to her. No one approached or followed them, and within half an hour they had crossed the last avenue and reached the Islander’s school.

  Prill answered the door. When she saw Eleret, her eyes widened. “Oh! I…ah… Welcome, er, Freelady. Sir. What can I do for you?”

  “I’d like to talk to Adept Climeral,” Eleret said. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, no, he’s quite— That is, I’m sure he’ll be surprised to see you. This way, Freelady.”

  Eleret frowned. “Has Daner been here?”

  “No! That is, I don’t know. I haven’t seen him.” Prill shifted nervously from one foot to the other.

  “You aren’t a very good liar. He’s told you about the shapeshifter, hasn’t he? And you think I’m…somebody else.” Eleret’s frown deepened. “That’d be a knot in the bowstring for certain.”

  “I’ll vouch for you,” Karvonen offered.

  “I wouldn’t know anything about that, F-Freelady,” Prill said a little desperately. “If you want to see Adept Climeral—”

  “More than ever.” As they started down the hall, Eleret glanced sideways to make sure Karvonen was following.

  Karvonen saw the glance and stopped. “Perhaps I’d best leave now. So you won’t have to make any awkward explanations.” His grin looked a little forced. “Arriving in the company of a thief won’t do much for your credit with the Adept.”

  “How can you vouch for me if you aren’t here?” Eleret said, unsettled by Karvonen’s unexpected attitude. Then she remembered his aversion to wizards, and sighed. “I suppose I should have expected this, and you’ve already done a great deal. Though I don’t see what difference one more wizard makes at this point.”

  “One more wizard—Oh. Right. I think—”

  “Are you two coming?” Prill said in a tone much more like her usual one.

  “On our way,” Karvonen said. “Let’s be off, Freelady. Mustn’t keep the young woman waiting.”

  Eleret fell into step beside him, shaking her head. “I thought you were leaving.”

  “I changed my mind.”

  “You are the most inconsistent person I have ever met.”

  “On the contrary. I’m probably the most consistent person you’ve ever met. I only look inconsistent because you don’t understand me.” Karvonen made a lugubrious face. “Nobody understands me.”

  “Maybe they would if you stopped talking in riddles.”

  “Ah, but then I’d lose my air of mystery. An air of mystery is very important for those of us who lack Lord Daner’s looks, money, and sense of fashion. It attracts the ladies.” He gave her a sidelong look.

  “You know some ladies?”

  Karvonen blinked, then grinned. “Armies of them. Of course, none of them would ever admit it in public…”

  Just ahead, Prill stopped and threw open a door. “Freelady Salven’s here, Adept Climeral,” she announced, and motioned Eleret forward.

  Warily, Eleret moved to the doorway. If Prill thought she was the shapeshifter then so must Climeral; and if the Shee Adept chose to do something about it… But Climeral stood, relaxed and smiling, beside a table piled with small brass bowls, pottery jars, and oddly shaped glass tubes. Eleret paused at the threshold. “Karvonen, come here. I want you to meet—”

  There was a soft popping noise on her left, inside the room, followed by Daner’s voice: “Ow! Blast that ring! Eleret.. . But this can’t be Eleret!”

  “Well, I am,” Eleret said. “If you don’t believe me, ask Karvonen. Not even a shapeshifter can imitate two people at the same time.”

  “Karvonen?” Daner appeared, shaking his right hand as if something had stung him. “What are you doing with that—that—”

  “Thief,” Karvonen said blandly. “At least, I believe that’s the word you’re looking for. Though I suppose you might be thinking of something more specific, like ‘cutpurse’ or ‘bandit. “Pirate,’ on the other hand, would be completely inaccurate, since—”

  “Will you stop your irrelevant babbling?” Daner said.

  Karvonen looked thoughtful. “What are you offering? Babble comes cheap, I admit, but I think the unusual circumstances rate some sort of bonus, don’t you?”

  “No! That is—Eleret…” Daner stopped, torn between irritation and uncertainty.

  “Eleret and her companion had better come in and sit down,” said Climeral. He glanced at Daner, then looked away, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Prill, would you move that bench a little closer? … Yes, that will do nicely. Freelady Salven?”

  Swallowing the remnant of her own amusement, Eleret seated herself on the bench. Prill gave her an uncertain look, glanced at Climeral, and with a farewell nod left the room. As she crossed in front of Daner, Karvonen slid sideways and sat down on the other end of the bench. Daner glared at him, then hooked a stool toward himself with one foot.

  Climeral surveyed the group with some satisfaction and nodded. “Now, I think we had best begin again. Greetings and good day to you, Freelady.”

  “And to you also,” Eleret responded, falling automatically into the familiar formal pattern for greeting and introductions. “I wish to present my friend Karvonen Aurelico, who has been of service and help to me. His knife is as my own.” Then her mind caught up with her mouth, and she wondered what had possessed her to claim Karvonen as a trusted battle companion. Not that he didn’t deserve it, in a way, but she hadn’t intended to make a public declaration. Still, it was almost worth it just to see his face—from his expression, he understood exactly what she had just committed herself to, and he hadn’t anticipated it any more than she had.

  Climeral’s eyebrows rose. “I am honored by the acquaintance. And what brings you here, Freelady?”

  “Yes, and how did you—” Daner broke off at a reproving glance from Climeral.

  “I have some questions that need answering,” Eleret said. “I was hoping you could help.”

  “Your questions would appear to be urgent ones,” Climeral said with another glance at Daner.

  Eleret, too, looked at Daner. “I don’t like being cooped up. And nobody asked for my parole.”

  “Parole?” Daner said, stung. “You talk as if you were a prisoner.”

  “Wasn’t I?”

  “I shut up the house for everyone’s safety!”

  “I know. And it was a good idea, certainly, to keep people out. Maybe even to keep some in; you know your folk better than I do. But I’m not in your command.” Eleret shrugged. “You did what you thought you should; so did I. That’s all.”

  “All right, then.” Plainly, Daner wanted to continue the argument but was reluctant to do so in front of Climeral and Karvonen. “But how did you get out?”

  “Down the north wall on a rope from the roof,” Eleret said. “It wasn’t bad.”


  “You could have been killed! Half the merlons will break away from the roof if you put any weight on them.”

  Resisting the impulse to glance at Karvonen, Eleret said, “Somebody mentioned that a while ago. I was careful.”

  “Which brings us back to the question of why you chose to take such, ah, unusual steps,” Climeral said.

  “Two things. First, I wanted to ask you about—about Shadow-born.”

  “Shadow-born?” Daner snorted. “Is that why you risked your neck—to find out about nursery stories?”

  “Before I came to Ciaron, I thought the Shee were nursery stories.”

  “Which we are not,” Climeral said. “And you are right to think the Shadow-born are as real as I. But they are bound, and have been for centuries. What cause have you to ask of them?”

  “Did Daner tell you about the card-charting?”

  Climeral nodded.

  “Well, according to his aunt, Jonystra left a lot out when she did mine. There’s a card called the Shadow-Mage—”

  “That card turned up in your chart?” Climeral said, frowning. “In what position?”

  “Lower left-hand corner,” Eleret said. “And when Jonystra and Lady Kistran both said it was the source of opposition…”

  “I can see why you would be concerned.” Climeral’s frown deepened, and he shook his head. “Yet the card has other meanings, or it would not have appeared in any chart laid out in over two thousand years.”

  Daner was staring at them as if they had both run mad. “Adept Climeral, are you saying that Shadow-born actually exist? That they’re not just legends?”

  “Most legends have some truth in them,” Climeral replied. “This one, unfortunately, has more than most. Still, they’ve been bound so long that no one is even certain where they lie. I doubt that there’s any real need to worry about them.”

  “All Cilhar have reason to worry about Shadow-born,” Karvonen said unexpectedly. “The Cilhar played a big part in the Wars of Binding, and the Shadow-born won’t have forgotten that, even if everyone else has.”