Changing Fate [Fate series] (20 page)

Akila nodded and dragged Druscilla from the room before she could make any more unfortunate comments.

"My things are still in your room, Druscilla, but I'll move them this evening, after you've had some sleep. I didn't expect you for at least another three days; you made incredibly good time on the road."

Druscilla winced. “Don't remind me; I'm trying to forget it. The two Guards made it to my estate in a bit less than two days—they arrived at dawn. Then they raided my kitchens, ordered me to throw some undershifts into a saddlebag, shoved me onto the extra relay horse they'd brought, and off we went. I lost track of the time; it feels as though I've been riding with the Wild Hunt throughout all eternity, and oh, I ache all over."

Akila reckoned on her fingers. “It's been almost exactly four days since I sent for you, so you rode only two days—but I can believe it seemed like eternity."

"
You
sent for me?” Druscilla said in surprise. “I thought the Queen did, or at least the Shield-Bearer."

"She's out patrolling the borders,” Akila replied. “I considered sending for her, but I think she'll be back as soon as she can anyway, and we needed someone who could take the Queen's place in the rituals. Besides, I wanted to talk to you."

"Yes,” Druscilla said, stifling a yawn. “I think you and I have a lot to talk about.” Then, as they entered her room, “Goddesses Above and Below, what it that?"

It was easy enough to guess what she meant; Akila had added only one thing to the room's furnishings. “It's a den for the wolf."

"You mean I have to sleep with that beast?"

"No, of course not—he's off with Briam someplace, and I'll have the den moved out this evening, along with my clothes. You'd better get some sleep before you get dragged out to do the evening ritual. By the way, do you know the ritual?"

"Yes, of course.” Druscilla dragged the covers back and slipped into the bed. “I've done the daily rituals for the past year—until the Queen sent me away. And the Mid-Summer ritual is easy; it's mostly just standing around letting the people see us."

"Us?"

"The Lady and the Year-King.” Druscilla closed her eyes. “Draw the bed-curtains, and close the door as you leave, please."

Akila did as she was bid, and then went to order the servants to make up a bed for her in the room between Druscilla's and the one Briam was now occupying.

Then she returned to the Queen's room. The healer had left, and the Queen was resting, but she was awake and turned her head as Akila walked in.

"There you are, Akila,” she smiled. “Did you get Druscilla settled?"

"Yes,” Akila replied. “She's in her room, sleeping, and I'll make sure she's up and dressed for the evening ritual."

"Excellent,” the Queen said. “Thank you, Akila.” The tension which had been keeping her going of late suddenly seemed to melt out of her body, and she looked more relaxed than she had since she became ill. She closed her eyes and to all appearances fell asleep instantly.

Akila tiptoed silently out of the room.

Druscilla got up, did the evening ritual, and told Akila not to bother moving her things just yet. “I'll sleep in the guest chamber next to my room; you can keep my room—and the wolf,” she looked at the wolf, sprawled at Akila's feet, and shuddered, “for the time being. I'm too tired tonight to want to move anything."

Akila regarded her with sympathy. “That's fine with me. The bed in the guest chamber is already made up; I had it done this afternoon while you slept. At the moment both of our wardrobes are in your room, but since we're next door to each other, your maid can just come get what you need."

"Very well.” Druscilla looked as if she couldn't care less about her clothes. In fact, she still looked near to asleep on her feet.

"I can have a tray brought to you if you'd rather not sit up for supper,” Akila offered.

"Thank you, Druscilla said gratefully. “I'm still very tired. I would be happy to go straight back to bed."

"Go ahead, then,” Akila said. “I'll give your regards to Briam when he comes in for supper."

Druscilla had turned to go, but at that she looked back over her shoulder at Akila. “Do that,” she said, “and tomorrow you and I have to have a
long
talk."

"Indeed,” Akila agreed. “Rest well."

The next morning, after the ritual and a quick breakfast with Briam, who was happy to see Druscilla again, the two girls retired to the back garden, accompanied by the wolf. Druscilla was not happy about that, but she confined herself to a sigh and a lot of sideways glances to make sure she always knew where the beast was.

The wolf paced about the garden courtyard with the soft clicking of claws, then lay down, sprawled across Akila's feet. Druscilla shrank away, shuddering. “I know it's silly of me,” she admitted, “but every time I see that wolf, I seem to see Lord Ranulf's shadow hovering over him."

"Count your blessings,” Akila said briskly. “I met Lord Ranulf when he crawled over the windowsill into my bedroom in the middle of the night. He was a six-foot spider at the time."

"Yuck!” Druscilla said with true feeling. “What did you do?"

"Grabbed the nearest torch.” Akila grinned. “He never got beyond the windowsill."

Druscilla laughed, then sobered abruptly. “I didn't realize you knew Lord Ranulf."

"Unless there are two men by that name wandering around with blue circles on their foreheads, he's the man who captured our estate."

"It sounds like the same man,” Druscilla said uncertainly.

"And he mentioned a son named Rias,” Akila added, “so I really think he must be the same one. But he's not here now, and we have other problems. Will they let you leave the city the morning of the Sacrifice?"

"Let me?” Druscilla laughed bitterly. “They'll make me! They don't want me here at all. Furthermore, they intend to make certain that you come with me."

"Good,” Akila said briskly. “That may be helpful. Now you said that the Year-King jumps into the river at the waterfall, right?"

"Yes,” Druscilla nodded. “Off that terrace above the falls—the one at the north side of the city."

Akila made a mental note to check the place out for herself. “Has anyone other than Lord Ranulf ever survived the sacrifice?

Druscilla shook her head. “Not that I know of."

"How did Lord Ranulf survive?” This was the one question Akila really had to have answered.

"He survived because he's a horrible, unnatural, inhuman monster,” Druscilla stated flatly.

Akila's “Druscilla, that's not much help” blended with a childish treble from the top of the wall behind her.

"Don't you
dare
talk about my father like that!” The outraged voice changed into a snarl as a half grown wolf cub jumped from the wall straight onto Druscilla's lap.

To call the next few moments chaotic, Akila thought later, would have been a gross understatement. Wolf dove under the bench Akila was sitting on and disappeared from sight, Akila jumped up to pull the cub of Druscilla, and Druscilla, in her frantic attempt to put as much distance between the wolf cub and herself as possible, fell into the pool in the middle of the garden.

Akila grappled with the cub until she had him pinned down as she had the pack leader months ago in the woods. She risked a quick glance at Druscilla, who, soaking wet and with her clothes clinging to her so that she could scarcely move, was now climbing awkwardly out of the pool on its far side.

"Go get some dry clothes, Druscilla,” she advised. “I'll deal with Rias. I assume this is Rias?” It seemed a safe assumption.

"I can't claim to recognize every hair on his body,” Druscilla snapped, “but I'd hate to think there were any
more
of them wandering about! And
he
is not supposed to be here during the summer anyway. He's only allowed to visit during the winter.” She dripped her way out of the courtyard.

Akila turned her full attention back to the wolf cub. He wasn't trying to get loose or bite her hands, but his angry brown eyes looked straight into hers and held her gaze.
A real wolf would look away.

This isn't a real wolf. Can you stare down an angry child?

Akila looked calmly into Rias's eyes for several moments. Except for the occasional involuntary blink, neither of them moved. Rias still looked furious. Akila wondered what he was so upset about. This seemed to be a overly strong reaction to Druscilla's admittedly extremely rude comments about his father.
And what is he doing here? Surely he's supposed to be somewhere else with somebody watching him. Someone is probably worried about him.

She released one paw and started to scratch his chest. A palm size patch of fur moved under her fingers, and Rias suddenly starting fighting to free himself. Akila grabbed his paw again and held on, watching the area that had moved. As he thrashed about under her she noted that the patch of fur appeared to be strapped to him with thin cords which would normally be hidden by his fur. One of them snapped in the struggle, and Akila released a paw long enough to grab the patch of fur, discovering as she did so that it was a thin pouch, camouflaged with glued-on fur.
The fur must have been easy enough to come by—a wolf sheds enough in a week to cover another wolf
.

She released Rias and sat back to examine it. It opened on the non-fur side and held several sheets of closely written parchment. “This is really ingenious, Rias. Did you make this?"

Rias growled and snapped at her hands. She turned and glared at him. “No,” she said firmly. “Stop that.” Rias continued to growl. “I'm warning you, Rias. I know you're an intelligent human. Act like one."

Rias snapped at her again, and Akila decided enough was enough. As he lunged toward her she swung her free arm under his rib cage and tossed his body into an arc that ended in the pool. The edges were high enough the he wouldn't be able to get out of there without changing back to human shape.

While he was still splashing around, she took a quick look at the parchment he had found important enough to carry around with him in wolf shape. She recognized it from the first sentence. It was the formula she had used to change herself into a sword, obviously copied from the scroll in the temple library at home. She checked quickly. Yes, the entire formula was there: both the recipe for the potion and the spell to activate it.

The splashing from the pool had stopped now. Akila looked up to see a small boy with a towel wrapped around his waist approaching her. “Give it back.” He extended a hand.

Akila handed him the parchment, studying him carefully. He was small for his age, and pitifully thin. His hair was dark and needed cutting, and his eyes looked hurt and cynical.

"Well?” he said after a moments silence. “Aren't you going to start asking a lot of questions?"

"Just one,” Akila said. “Where did you get that?” She indicated the parchment.

"I found the library my father was looking for,” he said with pride. “He couldn't find it, and then he want haring off after
her
.” There was a wealth of disgust on the last word.

"It must have been a well-hidden library—or a very small one."

"It's big,” Rias said simply. “But the entrance is hidden under an altar—you have to press the right cloud carvings to open it."

The cloud carvings on the Sky Father's altar. So
this
is our new priest
. Akila felt stunned.

You were younger than he is when the Maiden chose you.

But I already lived there. He's never been there before in his life. I wonder what Marfa and Galin think of this.

Aloud she asked, “Does anyone else know you found the library?"

"No,” Rias shook his head. “Nobody cares what I do these days,” he added resentfully. And then the words just poured out—as if, Akila thought, nobody had listened to the poor child in months. “My father left me behind when he rode out on campaign last fall, even though I begged to go. I'm old enough to run messages at least, and Father doesn't take stupid chances in his campaigns—I would have been safer with him than left behind to risk death from boredom. He captured an old temple way up in the mountains, and he only lost
one
man doing it! They say that the lady there was a powerful sorceress, and she turned herself into a magic sword so that her twin brother could use her to kill a man in single combat and win his freedom. Then she changed back, bathed in her victim's blood—and my father asked her to marry him!"

"What did your father say about these stories?” Akila asked curiously.

"He said she was a shape-changer, just as he was, and yes, he did intend to marry her.” Rias scowled. “She refused to marry him; she rode away into the forests with her brother and no one has seen them since, but as soon as things were running smoothly on the estate Father had left the steward in charge and set off to find her."

"He did?” Akila asked uneasily.
Then where is he now? He probably couldn't find me while I was living with the wolves, but now that I'm back in human form and living here...

"Yes,” Rias snapped. “He did. I barely even got to see him before he left. I'm just a disappointment to him ‘cause I can't change properly. That why he wants to marry
her
, so that he can have children who are
real
shape-changers. He can turn himself into any animal that exists and quite a few that don't, and
she
can apparently turn herself into anything at all, alive or not, but the only thing I can be, other than human, is a wolf. It's not fair! They'll all turn into birds and fly off, and leave me alone. And Father won't care—after all, once he has children who are really like him, he won't need me, will he?"

Akila found herself totally at a loss for an answer to that question. She knew only too well what it was to feel like a freak whose father didn't approve of her.

As for my mother,” Rias continued bitterly, “I'm allowed to visit her only for a couple of months in the winter—and you saw what Druscilla thinks of me."

"She
was
awfully rude,” Akila agreed.

"Spring, summer, and autumn I spend with my father—or wherever he leaves me. And Eagle's Rest is an incredibly boring place to be left. The Steward's in charge, but he and everybody else there are moping around missing
her
. Nobody seems to miss the brother—he must be a total idiot, but they all want
her
back. So I poked around until I found the library—and this,” he waved the hand holding the parchment. “It looks as if it might be very useful. Maybe it will let me change to other things. Right now, I'm not a real shape-changer—I'm just a werewolf."