Silver May Tarnish (20 page)
Read Silver May Tarnish Online
Authors: Andre Norton
That work they did first, saying that there was food enough to be found and it was too late to plant crops. Better they built a keep where we could be safe. At that task they worked mightily, they and those of us women who could do anything to help. But before we began the building Levas came with Vari to bespeak me.
“Lady,” her eyes were shy. “Levas and I would wed?” Of course I was pleased. I hugged her several times and even kissed Levas's weathered cheek. Then I saw the deeper implications
of such a request. In asking permission, both acknowledged me as Landale's Lady. I must behave aright else they would feel themselves lessened. I stepped back, making my face serious.
of such a request. In asking permission, both acknowledged me as Landale's Lady. I must behave aright else they would feel themselves lessened. I stepped back, making my face serious.
“For such a wedding all must be as it should be. Vari, I will give you cloth to make a dress. You shall chose one of the cottages in which to live. Levas, you shall choose two milk-goats for your house. There shall be a feast and you will stand before us all.”
“Will you say the words of Cup and Flame, Lady?”
I promised and they went away happy. But after I had considered further I sought out Lorcan to talk to him apart from our friends. If I was accepted as lady to our folk then he was their lord. Yet we were neither wed nor kin. Before any visitors came here to look askance at us and gossip, we must decide how we wished to appear before them. Should we wed, or at least announce ourselves as officially betrothed? That decision I could hardly make on my own.
Lorcan
I
lay in my bedding the night after we had saved Elesha and her kin. Sleep was far from me as I recalled Meive's tears. I had known many good men in my time. Yet I had to admit I had known many evil ones as well. In times of war it seemed as if all the wrong in a man leaped to the surface. Men who in their dale had been decent kindly husbands, loving fathers, became demons once they rode under the banners of war.
lay in my bedding the night after we had saved Elesha and her kin. Sleep was far from me as I recalled Meive's tears. I had known many good men in my time. Yet I had to admit I had known many evil ones as well. In times of war it seemed as if all the wrong in a man leaped to the surface. Men who in their dale had been decent kindly husbands, loving fathers, became demons once they rode under the banners of war.
I grieved that my lady might be able to consider me one of these. And yet, how should she know I was not? I had known she watched me at first and that her small warriors had watched me as well. I had striven, with all I was, to show her she need never fear harm at my hands. She had begun to trust, then we had happened upon this and all my patience was gone for naught again. I sighed as I stared upwards at the unseen rooftree. I would remain patient Eventually she would come to trust me fully. Then might I speak.
After that my days and nights were too busy for me to brood over what had been. We found good men to ride with us, blank-shields but with a leader who was not quite of the
common sort. I'd wager his breeding was good, though from the left-hand side most likely. Many a bastard took up the blank-shield when there was no other place for him. They mostly did well, being often trained by a noble father's weapons-master. Once I had gained back some of my keep's silver and we were on the road towards Honeycoombe again I asked Levas about his House. We had ridden on, just we two, scouting forward on our road. It was then I questioned him, speaking casually. He answered in the same way.
common sort. I'd wager his breeding was good, though from the left-hand side most likely. Many a bastard took up the blank-shield when there was no other place for him. They mostly did well, being often trained by a noble father's weapons-master. Once I had gained back some of my keep's silver and we were on the road towards Honeycoombe again I asked Levas about his House. We had ridden on, just we two, scouting forward on our road. It was then I questioned him, speaking casually. He answered in the same way.
“Aye. My father was keep-heir in a small dale far to the North of here. My mother was a lass from his dale. It was no shame to either that they loved, but they could not wed. He was betrothed as a child and unable to marry elsewhere. She wed later, with a dowry given by him, to a good man who laid no hands upon me unjustly. My father wed as well when the time came that his betrothed could travel to him. I'll say for him that he did do reasonably by me. I was trained by the keep's own weapons-master. When I left to be a blank-shield he gave me good chain and sword, a fair mount, and a belt pouch full of silver.”
“What of your dale then?”
“I've never returned. I heard the invaders had struck hard. I know not who lived or died. Nor does it matter to me. I have no claim on the House and my mother died of the winter cough soon after I departed. She had no other children. Her man remarried. I had some word of the place from time to time until they fell.”
“Are you sure you have no claim?” I asked shrewdly. “In this war many lords and heirs have fallen. Often enough the whole family has died out leaving none save those of the left-hand side. You have the blood of the lord of your dale, and that was known. You could return there, wed a girl of the house, and hold the dale.”
It was a reasonable idea. Many of noble blood had fallen, but most had got away their women first to some sort of safety. There would be many dales now with only
women of the house left alive to inherit, and many dales, too, which were ruined. There would be a great shaking-up of noble houses in the years to come. New blood would enter the lines of many houses, and I thought that to be no bad thing. Levas was shaking his head.
women of the house left alive to inherit, and many dales, too, which were ruined. There would be a great shaking-up of noble houses in the years to come. New blood would enter the lines of many houses, and I thought that to be no bad thing. Levas was shaking his head.
“There were sons of my father's begetting. They may have stayed to fight and die. But the eldest had also wed and his wife had a son and daughter of him. They'd have been very young, and noble children such as they would have been sent to safety, I'd have no doubt. They'll inherit, if there is anything left. Nay, there was nothing there for me. I've thought well on your offer. I'm willing to take it up so long as there be a home for us. My men and I will be guard to your dale if that pleases you and the lady?”
“She has told me it would please her well. She sees you as one who can be trusted, come sword come fire,” I made reply. “As do I, Master-at-Arms to Landale.” I saw his cheeks redden slightly.
“You do me honor to name me so to your dale.”
I grinned at him. “Great boast, little roast. It's an honest title but will bring little but hard work and long hours to begin with. Yet if all goes well it may be a position of honor in years to come.”
“I am content to wait.”
“That's as well, since you'll have to. As for the cottage, she has said you should see the dale then choose for yourself. There are a number, though you must also have rooms in the keep.” I turned to another thing which worried me.
“Levas, you've ridden not only in this war but as a fighter. Once we reach our dale look about you. I would value your opinion. Landale fell by treachery, but also it trusted too much in isolation. Their lord raised no guardhouses, manned no sentry-posts. I shall not make that mistake. Let you spy out the land and see where you would put such positions if you had the placing of them.” He nodded and we fell to scanning about us as we rode.
We reached Merrowdale and a woeful sight it was to me.
There is nothing so sad as a place that has been abandoned by its inhabitants. At least, that was my belief, until Meive opened a door and cried out. I was at her side in an instant. I drew her away gently. After that Levas and I and his men worked hard to clear keep and cot. We laid the pitiful remnants of the people of Merrowdale to rest, and I spoke the words of Cup and Flame over them. The women cooked food for us so that we ate while Meive showed me lists. There was much here still which the bandits had not valued, but we should. Not the least of that would be the stones to rebuild and enlarge the keep at Landale.
There is nothing so sad as a place that has been abandoned by its inhabitants. At least, that was my belief, until Meive opened a door and cried out. I was at her side in an instant. I drew her away gently. After that Levas and I and his men worked hard to clear keep and cot. We laid the pitiful remnants of the people of Merrowdale to rest, and I spoke the words of Cup and Flame over them. The women cooked food for us so that we ate while Meive showed me lists. There was much here still which the bandits had not valued, but we should. Not the least of that would be the stones to rebuild and enlarge the keep at Landale.
“Do you think it right we despoil the dale when Salas may come?” Meive asked me.
I pursed my lips in thought. “Levas spoke of that and I think that what he said is right. Will Salas not bring all he and his can carry of their own possessions? Sheep he will find here, and a keep which stands strong apart from the door. Cottages and barns, all are here. Let him be content with the bounty he findsâand I think he will be. There is also this. Tildale, which he leaves to come here, was never taken by invaders or bandits. Those we find as new settlers and bring in to our dale will often have little of their own. They have need of anything we can provide them. Why spend our coin to do so when we can scavenge here?”
Meive nodded. “I have thought about Landale. Lorcan, I believe we should take for it another name. It was named Landale for he who first took it as his place, though few used the name. But his line is gone. You have said you will not be lord in Paltendale's name?”
“So I have said. What name do you think then to give it?”
“I have thought on that. It seems to me that since all knew it as Honeycoombe then that should be the name?”
Her tone questioned, so I considered that for a while. She was right, for I would never again name myself of Paltendale. Nor would I lay that house or name on my new home. Dales are usually named for the lord who takes up the land for his own, yet here that lord and all his line were
gone. Meive was of his dale but clearly did not wish to use the name still. I nodded at last.
gone. Meive was of his dale but clearly did not wish to use the name still. I nodded at last.
“Let it be Honeycoombe. Furthermore, let the arms of our home be thus: halved diagonal by a rope of braided straw, a sword held point down. A sign that we live in peace yet can we fight at need. And upon the other half ⦔ I nodded to her, “a spiral of bees rising, queen in the lead. The background shall be green, the sword in silver and gray, the bees black and gold, the straw rope a pale yellow.” I thought that well. Hives were made in our dales from straw rope, braided and coiled. The sword for me, the bees for Meive. I looked to see her smile and was well pleased when I saw she approved.
“It feels well to me. It is right, Lorcan. I shall tell Elesha that we will begin to embroider feast tabards once we have time and are settled.”
“Then best we sleep so that the time shall come the swifter.”
I watched as she went from me to her bed, wishing I had not the thoughts which burned in me. I hungered for her. But I loved her, too; I would not frighten her by moving too quickly. As it was, once we were in Honeycoombe our situation would be awkward. We were neither wed nor kin. I must give thought to what might be done about that.
In the event, I had no time to sit about considering my desires. We labored from dawn until dusk, the women to till the fields, the men to repair the keep. Once that was completed I walked with Levas and my lady to study the walls and what lay about them. There was a good spring within the inner wall. Doubtless it was why the keep had been placed in that spot. But Meive led us sideways about the keep. Then she pointed.
“See, there is the entrance to the inner vale. If we built out to encompass that from the keep we could have twice a keep, a second in the vale entrance, and we could retire from one to the other at need.”
Levas and I considered that. In the steep cliff which
bounded Honeycoombe at this end of the dale the valley entrance was a crack, perhaps twenty feet wide at the bottom, narrowing towards the top. The keep had been sited close by, its back against the cliff also. But it would cost us greatly in stone to build several walls and enclosures out from the valley entrance to the keep. Yet I thought it no bad idea. How could we use keep and vale as retreat but still allow access to both while building walls?
bounded Honeycoombe at this end of the dale the valley entrance was a crack, perhaps twenty feet wide at the bottom, narrowing towards the top. The keep had been sited close by, its back against the cliff also. But it would cost us greatly in stone to build several walls and enclosures out from the valley entrance to the keep. Yet I thought it no bad idea. How could we use keep and vale as retreat but still allow access to both while building walls?
Levas was walking about. He measured with string, then walked into the vale to stare at the inner cliff. He returned, measured again, then walked to one side of the keep wall and studied the distance. At length, while Meive and I watched hopefully, he came to us.
“The vale entrance is too far from the keep. It would cost dear in time and stone we do not wish to spend.”
“What do you advise then?”
“That if the entrance is where we do not wish it, why, then we move it to where we do.” I looked and saw at once what his plan might be.
“Yes! Indeed yes, Levas. If we blocked up the entrance to the inner valley, then we couldâbut surely it will cost more time to bore through the cliff?”
Meive interrupted then. “Perhaps not. You have not had time to look within the valley closely. Come.” She led me through and to one side. “See, the cliff-face is cracked there. It could be that the crack leads deep within.” All that was possible. Equally it might not be. I said so, to receive agreement from my lady and Levas.
“Let Levas spend some reasonable time to explore if it be so,” Meive said. “If it is, then can we place a tunnel or gate of some sort.” It was agreed and Levas went to work. To our annoyance, after much labor he found the idea impractical. Meive sighed to me once it was made known. “Life is not as the bards sing. If it was, that would have been a cavern within the cliff and required little work of us.”
I laughed. “Aye. But if life were as the bards sing there
would never have been a war. Nor would death come for any of us.” Her reply held a slight tartness.
would never have been a war. Nor would death come for any of us.” Her reply held a slight tartness.
“Oh, I think we would have death. How else would they have sad songs they might sing to wring hearts and thus coins?” I blinked at her. My gentle lady who, under her kindness, her gifts which were the stuff of bard songs, was yet also possessed of an almost brutal realism.
“Lady,” I said then. “I shall work to see war and death are kept far from us. I may not succeed, yet all I have shall be bent to that end.”
“I know.” Her eyes on me were understanding. “But remember this, Lorcan. No man can hold back the tide. Nor can he prevent death when it is time. Yet,” her voice became more cheerful, “I know if anyone can do these things it shall be you. Now, let us consider where we might place a guardhouse on the upper pastures by the road there.”
So we turned to other work. Yet was my heart high as I did so. For it seemed as if she began to trust and to value me honestly. The keep was sound once more; at the entrance to our dale we had both a guardhouse with a tiny stable, and a secret hiding place nearby. By Levas's cunning we had placed a tumble of boulders between. Through them, out of sight from those who might approach, there was a thread of trail. Thus one could watch from the secret place for any who came, then run down the trail to the guard-post. The secret trail was direct. The road wound. One afoot could thus be well before even a swift riderâand we had seen to the road, no rider would ride down that too swiftly unless he wished for a horse without four good legs.
Levas explained. “We post two here. A child and a guard. The child, should he see anyone, runs to the guard. With the man warned the child takes to horse to warn the valley upon the guard's word. The guard remains to hold the entrance with bow and arrow.” He showed us. “See, the field of fire covers any who would enter Honeycoombe. At
night there are other ways.” He showed us those so we saw that few could come unheralded.
night there are other ways.” He showed us those so we saw that few could come unheralded.
The children took to this as a game in which Meive paid the winners in sweets, yet they watched well and saved us the loss of a second man's work in the fields. After some days they vied with each other as to who could make the best report. Thus we heard of sheep, of deer, of a wild pony which approached. They noted when the beelove bloomed, and when the pheasants or hares leaped up alarmed by a hill-cat After some days I was confident no enemy would steal up upon my watchers.
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