FORBIDDEN TALENTS (38 page)

“
Oh, gods. I’m sorry.
”
Concern narrowed his eyes, and she forgave him. Ragni pulled her close for a moment, then lifted her face with a hand under her chin.
“
But why didn’t you come to me?
”

Saeun swallowed and blinked as tears ran down her face.

Ragni closed his eyes and tilted his head back. The muscles in his jaw jumped once, twice.
“
Never mind. I’m sorry.
”
He looked her in the eye again.
“
I know why you thought you couldn’t ask for my help. But I would have helped you. I wanted to.
”

“
That’s why I couldn’t,
”
she whispered.

Ragni pulled her close again.
“
I know, love.
”

“
This is all very touching, but it’s frippin’ cold and this blizzard isn’t going to wait on us,
”
someone said from the vicinity of Saeun’s kneecap.

Saeun looked down at a small, somewhat wrinkled, man-like creature. Then she became aware that everyone was watching her reunion with Ragni with unabashed interest.

“
Peace, Baruq,
”
Valender said.
“
We’ll wait out the storm here.
”

“
I thought you didn’t feel the cold,
”
said an armsman Saeun didn’t recognize.

“
Even I have my limits.
”

*

Celia sniffed and blinked back tears. Not so long ago she would have been envious of Saeun having someone feel that strongly for her. Now she had that, and more. She could go home again, back to Dahleven’s arms. There was only heartache and separation ahead for Ragni and Saeun.

Suddenly Celia remembered who else was watching.
Oh, no
!
Utta
. She’d witnessed the whole emotional reunion in living color. Celia glanced quickly at Ragni’s betrothed, trying to gauge the damage done.

Utta was smiling. Not the reaction Celia expected, even if theirs was an arranged marriage.

Are customs that different here
? She’d thought she’d begun to understand the way things worked in Nuvinland, the way people fit together and why. Now she wasn’t so sure. For a second, cold fear grasped her heart. If she didn’t understand Utta’s feelings for Ragni, maybe she didn’t understand the way Dahleven felt about her, either.

No
. Dahleven had
chosen
her. And the Dream-door had shown her clearly what he felt.

Still, she didn’t understand Utta’s reaction.

Celia looked at Ragni. He looked stricken, embarrassed. Then his brows drew together and his expression eased.

“
I am the Shaman of the Butterfly Clan of the Tewakwe,
”
Che’veyo said.
“
Thank you for hearing our prayers.
”

“
Lady Saeun’s vision showed us you were in need.
”
Valender’s smile revealed sharp white teeth.

He’s quite beautiful, if you like the feral look
. Celia glanced around. None of her companions seemed to notice the Elves’ teeth or their cat-like pupils, and she knew they must be using a glamour. Glamour that her Fey-marked eyes saw through. What she couldn’t see was any harm in their camouflage.
Okay. I won’t be the one to spoil the party
.

Valender looked Celia in the eye and inclined his head, as if in acknowledgment.

He knows I can see him as he is
. He also apparently knew that she wasn’t going to give him away.

Then Valender pulled two
pahos
from inside his cloak and handed them to Che’veyo.
“
Your prayers helped us find you quickly. Redbird, and Treskin here, showed us the way.
”
Che’veyo nodded his thanks to Valender and tucked away the prayer sticks.

Celia’s legs trembled and she looked for a place to sit down.

Fender stepped forward.
“
You
may want to wait out the storm here, but we can’t. There’s no shelter here, and the women are half-frozen already!
”

Celia found a rock and plopped down on it. Fender was right. She was half-frozen and bone tired. But even if by some miracle there was shelter not far from here, she didn’t know if she had the strength to get to it.

“
That can be remedied,
”
Valender said.
“
You men, go out and gather wood, but only deadfall. We will gather the trees.
”

Gather the trees
?

Rovdir shook his head.
“
I don’t take orders from you. We don’t know much of anything about you, and what we do know isn’t all that good. I’m not going off into the woods and leaving Lady Utta and the other women here alone with you.
”

“
You have no reason to believe me,
”
Saeun said,
“
but you are safe with Valender and his people. They have treated me with kindness and courtesy. They saved my life.
”

“
Did they?
”
Ragni asked.

“
Yes. Treskin shot Edelstena, the Dark Elf who attacked me, before she could take me into the ground, and Valender healed me.
”

“
Healed you!
”
Ragni’s gaze scoured Saeun.
“
What happened?
”

“
I’m all right! It’s all over now. But they did save me, and we can trust them.
”

“
We don’t have time for this,
”
Treskin interrupted.
“
The snow is growing thicker as we speak. Gather the wood and then you can all have a nice long chat.
”

Rovdir looked like he was going to balk, but Fender forestalled him.
“
They have offered us no insult, armsman. Besides, what are our alternatives? Freeze? Fight? Do you think you could win against such as them? Let’s gather that wood.
”

Rovdir growled,
“
Yes, my lord.
”

Fender stopped close by Celia before he left and whispered,
“
Keep your dagger at hand, my lady, until I return.
”
He glanced at Ragni and wry humor curved his lips.
“
Would you stay here with the ladies, my lord?
”
He’d obviously come to the same conclusion that Celia had. There was no way in hell that Ragni would leave Saeun’s side anytime soon.

“
Yes, I think that’s a good idea,
”
Utta said with a small smirk.

“
Lady Saeun, will you help us?
”
Valender asked.

“
Me?
”

Valender smiled.
“
You seem to have a rapport with the tree-folk,
”
he said.
“
If you would go around the circle and wake them, we will be sheltered sooner.
”

“
Saeun?
”
Ragni said.

Saeun shrugged and looked doubtful, but she went to the closest tree and pulled off her mitten. Laying her bare hand upon the bark, she called out,
“
Hello! I am Saeun Lyndsdatter. Would you wake and help us, please?
”

Nothing happened that Celia could see. Saeun looked at Valender, who nodded encouragement. Saeun moved to the next tree and repeated her request.

Ragni watched, eyebrows lifted. Celia glanced again at Utta. She didn’t look horrified at this unsanctioned new ability of Saeun’s. She looked fascinated.

Curiouser and curiouser. I have got to get to know Utta better
.

As Saeun completed the round of the small circle, the four Elves followed her, each touching a tree and murmuring softly. Three moved on after a moment, but one, Rien, remained next to the tree she’d first touched.

“
Valender?
”
Rien looked disgruntled.

Valender left the tree he seemed to be talking to and went to her.
“
Rien?
”

“
I can’t do what that mortal did!
”
she complained in a whisper.

Celia felt her heart quicken.
Her lips didn’t move
.

“
For some it is a gift, for others it takes practice. Listen.
”
Valender put her hand back on the tree and placed his own over hers as he murmured to the tree too softly for Celia to hear.

Neither did his
.

“
What are they doing?
”
Utta asked in a soft voice.

“
I don’t know,
”
Ragni said.

They can’t hear them
. Five months ago, the Elves in the Cavern had spoken to her without words. But they’d intended for her to hear them, then. Apparently the effects of
“
seeing
”
through the Elves’ glamour were greater than she’d thought.

“
They command the tree spirits,
”
Tiva’ti said.

Celia glanced sharply at her. Did she hear them too, or did she just have a different understanding of the Elves? And how could she find out without tipping her hand?

“
Command them? To do what?
”

Tiva’ti just shook her head.

Rien nodded.
“
I think I see now,
”
she said. Then they both stepped onward to other trees.

When the Elves had traversed nearly the full circle Utta asked,
“
Are the trees moving?
”

Ragni looked around and nodded. The trees
were
moving closer together, weaving their branches together overhead, shaking loose bits of accumulated snow down upon them.

A grue of nervous excitement run down Celia’s back.

“
Saeun, should we be worried?
”
Ragni asked.

She shook her head.
“
I don’t think so. The trees have always been kind and helpful to me.
”

“
Trees? Helpful?
”
Ragni sputtered.

Saeun turned a nervous look at him, then swallowed and squared her shoulders.
“
Yes, the trees. I’ve met some interesting folk since I fled Quartzholm. People who have been good to me, even though I’m mortal and they are Fey. People who respect what I can do.
”

Ragni opened and then shut his mouth.

Utta stepped forward and took Saeun’s hands.
“
Thank Baldur you did! We were in a difficult situation when you and your friends arrived. Thank you for your help.
”

Ragni looked from Utta to Saeun and back again.

“
I’m Lady Utta, by the way. Lord Ragni’s betrothed.
”

Celia watched Saeun’s expression freeze with shock.

“
No!
”
Utta shook Saeun’s hands a little.
“
I am glad Ragni has your love, and I am glad to know you.
”

Celia watched Ragni read first one, then the other. The poor bastard looked dumbfounded and bewildered. He was outnumbered. She suppressed a smile.
He’s had it so easy with women for so long. He’s not going to know what hit him
.

*

Ragni sat on his blankets next to Utta, a little apart from where most of the others slept. Though the Elves had volunteered to stand guard, Rovdir and Fender were taking shifts, too. Neither of them could trust their security entirely to the Fey. The snow still fell, but they were snug in the shelter of the gathered trees. Trees which now stood shoulder to shoulder and had arched their branches and woven them into a nearly solid canopy. And Saeun had been the one who awakened them. The fact of it still astonished him. But now was not the time to think of that. Utta sat next to him, and she deserved his full attention.

“
I meant you no disrespect,
”
he said.
“
By my behavior. With Saeun, I mean.
”