FORBIDDEN TALENTS (17 page)

Why am I so skittish
? Besides having barely escaped arrest and abduction by an Elf, what could possibly have set her nerves on edge? Perhaps it was the fact that her rescuers had barely spoken to her once she’d agreed to join them. They’d rested only when she’d lagged behind. Whatever Empathy Valender had, he’d stopped using it. They seemed unaffected by the heavy going through the snow-covered mountains, and she felt embarrassed to be the cause of repeated delays, so she’d saved her breath and stopped trying to engage them in conversation.

A little closer, the tangle of deadfall resolved itself into a gate. She could have passed within five paces of it without seeing it for what it was. Carefully crafted of branches and vines, the gate was set into a wall of living trees that grew so closely Saeun couldn’t see between them. At the base their trunks fused into a solid whole and their branches wove together in a sheltering canopy.

Treskin stroked the gate. The latch rippled like light on flowing water as it opened.

Fear flooded her, washing away fatigue. What had she just seen? What sort of Talent was that? What was this place? She took a step backward. Who but Elves could make such a gate and open it thus?
Fey-marked
! She would be Fey-marked, if she stayed. Mindless and drooling. She’d seen one such, a man in his prime who’d stared into nothing until he wasted away and died. The horror of it crashed through her. Saeun turned to flee—and bumped into Valender’s chest.

His long-fingered hands grasped her shoulders firmly.
“
Steady.
”
He nodded toward Treskin, still holding the bizarre gate open.
“
Our way is there.
”

How could she escape? Was it even possible? What could she say or do to persuade an
Elf
to let her go?

Wait
—her Talent! Saeun scanned Valender for a silver or gold ornament to turn to iron, but found nothing.

“
We offer you no harm,
”
Valender said.

No harm. Saeun hesitated. Was it true? They had saved her from the other Elf and healed her. But to what purpose?
“
If you mean me no harm, why lie to me? You pretended to be human.
”

Valender dropped his hands from her shoulders.
“
Was it not to your comfort? Were you not at greater ease among us, thinking us of your kind?
”

His truth sounded twisted somehow. Was that the first sign of Fey-marking, to not know truth from illusion?
“
Will you let me go?
”

Valender swept his arm outward in invitation, back down the path they’d traveled.

“
Wait!
”
Joori stepped forward from Treskin’s side.
“
This is only a lull in the storm. She’s not like us. She’s fragile. The cold will kill her. You can’t let her go!
”

“
The youngling is right,
”
Treskin said.
“
Bring her.
”

Valender shrugged and put his hand on her arm. Her chance was slipping away.
“
No!
”
She pulled apart from him.
“
I won’t let you take my mind. You said I could go!
”

Valender raised his eyebrows on his otherwise impassive face.
“
What would we want with your mind?
”

A gust of wind shook more snow from the branches above. Treskin sighed.
“
Time passes and the winds blow cold, even for us. Freeze on the doorstep if you so desire.
”

“
Where would you go?
”
Joori asked softly.

Saeun stared at him. His pale eyes were wide and warm. He looked so much like the young lads she’d known all her life that she couldn’t hold it in her mind that he wasn’t what he seemed.

Where
would
she go?

“
Won’t you share the warmth of our fire?
”
Joori held out his hand.
“
Just until the storm passes. Then, if you must, go.
”

The sky grew darker as the clouds thickened. The wind sharpened.
Death by freezing, or Fey-marking
. Her choices were not improving.

*

Dahleven entered the small conference chamber and greeted his father as the mid-afternoon shadows lengthened. Loloma, Nai’awika, and Che’veyo would arrive soon. Neven had promised the Tewakwe an answer today.

“
What have you decided?
”

Neven stroked his braided beard and opened his mouth, but Ragni’s arrival interrupted his answer. Dahleven raised his eyebrows at his younger brother’s appearance. He was impeccably dressed in his priestly grays as usual, but the shadows were deep around his eyes. If possible, he looked even worse than he had that morning.

He sounded lively enough, though.
“
Greetings, Father. What answer will you be giving the Tewakwe?
”

Neven looked piercingly at his younger son, but forbore to comment on his appearance or question him.
“
No.
”

Dahleven hid his relief.

“
No?
”
Ragni prompted, frowning.

“
The runestones spoke clearly enough. This is not the time for such a quest. I’ll not put Quartzholm at risk to allay the Butterfly Clan’s fear of their neighbors.
”

“
Their fear is for us as well, Father. They came a long way, in winter no less, to warn us,
”
Ragni said.

“
We’ve discussed this already.
”
Neven lifted his hand in a cutting gesture.
“
The decision is made. We all of us have enough to concern ourselves with here in Quartzholm without haring off through winter storms.
”
Neven looked meaningfully at Ragni, then turned to Dahleven.
“
One such concern is two of your vassals, Dahl.
”

“
Yes?
”
Could Father have learned of Angrim’s veiled blackmail already
?

“
Eirik and Angrim seem to be regaining their sight.
”

Ragni shot him a sharp look, but Dahleven concealed his surprise. He hadn’t visited Eirik for several weeks, but he’d seen no indication of it in Angrim. Or had he? He tried to remember the nuances of Angrim’s flickering gaze. Returning sight would certainly help explain her boldness.

Dahleven nodded slowly.
“
So I’ve noted.
”

“
That could make them more dangerous,
”
Neven continued.

Dahleven understood his father’s meaning. Neither Eirik nor Angrim had shown any great reserves of honor in the past. They had sworn fealty to him, but if they were less dependent on their liege lord’s good will, their oaths would be under greater stress. Their knowledge of the Hall of Crystals, where the Great Talents lay hidden, could prove a great burden to them and their loyalty. Not to mention their knowledge that he and Celia were Fey-marked. If their honor failed, they could easily threaten the stability of Nuvinland.

Yet they had sworn fealty. They had bought their lives with it, and Dahleven had accepted their oaths.
“
I’ve already increased their guards.
”
Oathbound or not, he was no fool. Angrim’s words had spurred caution.

“
Kon Neven, my lords, the Kikmongsowuhti, Kikmongwi, and Che’veyo have arrived,
”
Gris announced.

“
Show them in.
”
Neven paused, then nodded to Dahleven.
“
That should be satisfactory, for now.
”

*

Light snow blew into Celia’s face and she laughed like a child as she bumped down the hill on her sled. The afternoon air was delightfully sharp despite the gray sky, and the speed made her giddy. Though it had drifted deeper in places, barely two feet of snow covered the slope, and rocks still poked through here and there, making navigation difficult.

“
On your right!
”
Utta swept past on short skis, expertly stopping just before the sled-stop they’d built.

Celia dragged a foot to brake and ended up backward against the snow bank. They both wore multiple layers of wide-legged pants stuffed into high boots and heavy shearling jackets embroidered with their house crests. Soon, if Utta and Ragni agreed to the betrothal, Utta would trade her red and gold boar for a green hawk.

Utta laughed.
“
I believe you now. There can’t be any snow where you come from.
”

“
Oh, it snows there. Two inches every five years or so. And it lasts up to half a day, sometimes,
”
Celia answered, grinning and pulling her sled toward Utta, out of the way of Tiva’ti, the Tewakwe woman who was now sledding down the slope. Fender sat behind her, controlling the limited steering. Now on her third run, delight had completely replaced Tiva’ti’s initial expression of doubt and fear.

“
You must let me teach you to ski this winter,
”
Utta said, bending to remove her skis for the climb back up.
“
In a month the snow will be deeper and safe enough for a beginner.
”

“
I’d like that.
”
Celia looked sideways at Utta.
“
If you don’t think Ragni will be taking all your free time, that is.
”

Utta’s smile wasn’t quite what Celia expected. She almost looked resigned.
“
I shall certainly be bending much of my attention to Lord Ragnar, but I hope to develop other connections, as well.
”

Well, it
is
an arranged marriage, after all
, Celia thought, though it made her sad.

Utta released the straps on her second ski and they began to trudge back up the hill. Celia smiled at the two guards, one Nuvinlander and one Tewakwe, standing stiffly at the end of the snow bank. Two others waited at the top.

Fender and Tiva’ti caught up to them, Fender dragging their sled.
“
Our next run should be our last,
”
he said.

“
Oh, no!
”
Tiva’ti exclaimed.
“
So soon?
”

Fender smiled gently at the Tewa woman. Celia looked closer. Was there was something more than courtesy in his expression?

“
The clouds are lowering, and there will be snow again tonight,
”
he said.
“
We should go in before dark—but maybe we can squeeze in another run.
”

Is Fender flirting with her
? Celia suppressed a grin. She thought of Fender as a friend, except perhaps when he was training her and giving her welts with wooden knives. Because she liked him, Dahleven often assigned Fender as her escort, and life had been so calm for the last five months she’d stopped thinking of him as her bodyguard. She usually teased him like a brother, but she didn’t say anything now. She didn’t want to make Tiva’ti uncomfortable.

“
If this is to be our last run, I want to steer this time!
”
Tiva’ti declared.

They reached the top and each took their turn, then climbed the hill and took another in the gathering gloom.

“
The last run is always too short!
”
Utta said at the bottom.
“
If tomorrow’s weather is fine, we’ll have to start earlier.
”

“
I think Gudrun and company have plans for you in preparation for your betrothal.
”
Celia dusted snow from her pants. She looked up to see a rebellious glint in Utta’s eye.
“
But if we get out before they catch us
…
”

Despite her expression, Utta’s tone was perfectly neutral.
“
I wouldn’t want to offend Lady Gudrun, but perhaps you would join me for an early breakfast on the slopes, Lady Celia?
”

Celia grinned.
“
I’d be delighted.
”

Fender rolled his eyes but said nothing.

They trudged back through the snow, entering the village that sat on the skirts of the castle by a thoroughfare that carried them on up and through the main gates of Quartzholm. The merchants in the courtyard were already buttoned up for the night. She parted ways with Utta and Tiva’ti in the vestibule with promises to meet again at the evening meal.