[Shadowed Path 02] - Candle in the Storm (26 page)

“But you will, Cara! You will! You’re pretty and wise and good and young and witty and rich…
 
and 
you’re a 
chieftain!”

“Most men would rather 
be 
a chieftain than woo one. ‘tis na so easy to find a man who’s willing to be ruled. So tell me about 
your 
love. When did you know you loved Honus? After we talked at the Bridge Inn?”

“Oh no! What you said confused me. I felt… Well, I had no idea 
what 
I felt. Not really. Certainly not in love. Love was just a word to me. It had no meaning.”

“Come on, Yim,
 
everybody 
understands love.”

“Well, they weren’t raised like me! By an old woman with only one purpose—to train me to be the Chosen.”

“Train?” Cara laughed. “Zounds! Na woman needs training to have a babe! Really, Yim. You just lie back and let a man have his way with you. When the babe comes out, well,
 
that’s 
a different matter. That’s why we have Wise Women.”

“I was raised by a Wise Woman, so I know all about birthing babies. My training taught me different skills.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, stuff,” replied Yim, sounding breezy. “Stuff like when I forced the truth from you.”

“Zounds! I remember that! I thought you were inside my head! What else can you do? Please tell.”

“Just like Honus, I can look into a person’s eyes and see things about them. And I can stop others from doing the same to me.”

“Oh, zounds! That’s so … so… spooky. So, what else?”

Yim smiled in a silly, almost boastful manner. “I can call forth spirits.”

“From the Dark Path? Nay! Really?”

“Yep.”

Cara started giggling. “Then call forth Dar, and we’ll drink with her!”

Yim shook her head dizzily. “Her spirit would enter one of us, and that’s not much fun. Afterward is worse. You’re freezing cold. And if a spirit stays too long, even breathing is hard work.”

Cara shivered. “Why would you learn 
that?”

“It’s proved useful.”

Cara rolled her eyes. “Oh, the mysterious one again! But we were talking about love. So you did na understand it. Were you trained to be a stone?”

“Oh, I care for people. I care for them lots. Just not one especially. Not until Honus.”

“Zounds, Yim! You’re driving me daft! Tell me. Tell me. Tell me! How did you ever fall in love with him?”

Yim’s face took on a dreamy look. “Well, I didn’t like being his slave. Not at all! Honus scared me at first, and I disliked him. In fact, I ran away. But I quickly learned I was safer with Honus than without him. So I grew used to him, and he became nicer, but so slowly I didn’t notice. When he finally told me that he loved me …”

“When was that?”

“After we left the Bridge Inn. I had a horrible vision and crawled into bed with him.”

“So that’s when you fell in love?”

“No. I felt nothing. Well, I felt sorry for him, I guess. And bothered, too. He seemed like an overfriendly dog.”

Cara burst out laughing and pounded her heels on the mattress. “Zounds, some men are really like that! Big dogs that keep trying to tup your leg.”

Yim laughed, too. “At least Honus never tried to do 
that!
 
But his love 
was 
bothersome. It made me hesitate to accept him as my Sarf.”

“Well, you’re telling me 
lots 
and 
lots 
about how you didn’t fall in love. But that’s na what I want to know. So zounds, Yim, have another drink and get to it!”

Yim took a long sip and continued. “After we left Bremven, we were attacked on the road. The black priests were stirring up folks as they have in Averen, except in Vinden they stirred them against us. The last attack was different. A Sarf found us. He said his name was Gatt, and he acted friendly up to the very moment he tried to kill me.”

“Why would he want to kill you?”

“Who knows? He wasn’t much for talking.”

Cara shook her head. “What Sarf is?”

“Anyway, I jumped into the river. That’s when Gatt cut my hair. He was aiming for my neck. Honus fought him off, and he rode away. But Honus knew he’d be back, so we fled into the mountains. What Honus didn’t tell me was that Gatt’s blade was poisoned.”

“Poisoned! Sarfs do na do that!”

“This one did, and the second time Honus fought him, he received a wound. Gatt retreated to let him die before coming after me.”

Cara looked baffled. “Wait! Wait! Who was poisoned?”

“Honus.”

“But…”

Yim’s face screwed up with anguish. “He died, Cara! Died alone! And… and… “She started crying. “All he cared about… his last thoughts … were of me!” Yim’s sobs became more intense, leaving her breathless.

Perplexed, Cara gazed at her weeping friend. It was a long while before Yim regained her composure and resumed the story. When she did, she rushed to finish it. “Honus begged me to escape, so I left him as he was dying. But I changed my mind, and decided to die with him. When I returned, he was already dead. I sat beside him and waited for
 Gatt to come. While I did, I had the idea that I might return Honus’s spirit to his body. I’d never been able to trance before, nor have I since, but on that day Karm bestowed the gift to me. It’s true that spirits shed their memories on the Dark Path. The first thing they forget is how to live. I gathered those memories for Honus. He left a trail of them. I followed that trail, and when I reached Honus, our spirits merged.”

Yim’s face took on an ecstatic glow as she relived the moment. “Oh, Cara! It was so … so… so absolutely beautiful! I knew everything. I felt everything. And for the first time, I experienced love! His love became my love. He gave it to me, and it was glorious. It 
is 
glorious. Then I returned to the living world and breathed life into his dead body. It nearly killed me, but I didn’t care. I loved him so! And then everything went black. When I opened my eyes, Honus was weeping over me. I was so happy! I kissed him right away. We kissed and kissed until I fell asleep in his arms.”

Tears of joy streamed down Cara’s face. “That’s so beautiful!” she said, embracing Yim.

“I woke to the happiest morning of my life. I was in love. I believed it was Karm’s gift.”

“It was!” exclaimed Cara. “It surely was.”

Yim sighed. “Perhaps that morning will be my only happy one. We kissed and embraced. Then I bathed alone, imagining Honus’s hands on my body. That’s when I recalled I was the Chosen and must remain a virgin until Karm tells me who’s to father my child.”

Cara stared at Yim in disbelief. “But…”

“How could I trick Honus into betraying Karm? He loves her as much as I do. I told him the truth, and we’ve remained chaste. It’s been torment for us both.” Yim started to sniffle. “Perhaps that’s really why I had him join your brother: Because I was afraid I’d be weak.”

“Weak?”

“Yes. I can’t be that. I’m the Chosen.”

“You’re na weak. But zounds, you sure are stupid! You’ve been waiting for a sign to make a babe? Do you know why folks make babes? Well, ‘tis na because Karm taps them on the shoulder. They fall in love! So Honus is dead, and Karm sends you to the Dark Path to give him life and fall in love, and you’re 
still 
waiting for a sign? Zounds, Yim! What’s the goddess supposed to do? Strip you both naked and toss you in a barrel? You 
got 
your sign! You had it on that happy morning! If you had tupped Honus then, the child you’re supposed to bear would be growing in your belly now. And who knows? Maybe Lord Bahl would have turned to dog poop. At least, for sure, Honus would na be marching off to fight him. He’d be with you, and you’d both be happy.”

Yim simply stared at Cara, with a stunned expression on her drunken face. As her friend’s words sank in, her expression turned anguished. “I sent him away, Cara! I sent him away!”

Cara sighed. “Aye, you did.”

“And he’s the father. Of course. Why didn’t I see it? Why didn’t Karm tell me?”

“She did,” replied Cara. “But from what you say, she does na speak plainly.” Then sensing that Yim was on the verge of tears again, she quickly added, “But now that you know, we can act! Honus is marching on foot, but there are horses here. We can ride and catch him before he reaches Tor’s Gate.”

“But you’re Clan Mother!”

“Aye, a clan mother with a steward. Besides, I promised Honus I’d watch over you. And I shall, Yim, I shall. This is love and Karm’s will all rolled into one!” Cara sighed. “And ‘tis 
so 
romantic!”

TWENTY
-
EIGHT

RODRIC HAD
visited Rangar only once after the troops departed, and the subject of the secret passageway did not come up. He felt relieved about that, for although he was convinced that Yim was a threat, the idea of allowing strangers in the secret way went against his grain. He believed that the deed would be justified, but it still smacked of treason. Moreover, the impostor had grown subdued of late and spent her days sulking. Rodric prayed that Yim’s quiescence was a hopeful sign, but he doubted it. As the saying went: “The adder charms the bird before it strikes.”

Thus the steward was concerned when word came that the clan mother had not risen, though it was well past her usual time. Instead she had remained with Yim in her bedchamber. It was said that the two had been drinking late into the night. Such behavior was uncharacteristic of Cara.
 
Yim’s influence 
, thought Rodric, fearing the worst.

Cara finally appeared shortly before noon, stomping up to Rodric with bloodred eyes and her face a matching shade. “Karm’s wrath on it! Where are the maps?”

Rodric bowed. “What maps, Clan Mother?”

“Brother’s maps! They were on the table in the scroll room.”

“I believe he took them with him.”

“Shit! All of them?” Cara slumped in a nearby chair and moaned. “Oh, Karm’s aching bunions, my head! I’ll never do that again!”

Cara’s swearing was out of character, and it made Rodric
 timid. His voice was meek when he spoke again. “What maps do you seek, Clan Mother? Mayhap your brother left some behind.”

“I need to know the way to Tor’s Gate.”

Rodric thought that it wasn’t the time to ask why. “I’ll look myself,” he said. Then he hurried off, his mind filled with suspicions and ill-bodings. The scroll room was a shambles. Maps and scrolls were strewn about the table and floor. Rodric unrolled and examined each one before putting it away. It took a while, but his meticulousness paid off when he found what Cara had been seeking. It was an old document, and worse for wear, but it showed the route to Tor’s Gate. Rodric rolled it up and finished shelving the scattered scrolls before he left to present the map to Cara.

After searching awhile, he found her in the room off the kitchen. She was seated at the table with Yim, who was pale and gazed queasily at her untouched bowl of porridge with bloodshot eyes. Though Yim was obviously hungover, her physical distress didn’t diminish her air of triumph. Rod-ric was curious about the cause of her mood and more than a little alarmed by it. He did his best to hide his feelings as he gave the map to Cara, who eagerly unrolled it.

“Rodric,” Cara said. “You’ve ridden all over. How long to Tor’s Gate by horse?”

“Would this be a leisurely ride or a gallop?”

“‘twill be a hasty journey, but one of the riders will be inexperienced.”

“Then two days should suffice.”

Cara turned to Yim. “Brother said the march would take six days. If we leave this afternoon…”

“Clan Mother!” said Rodric. “What are you planning?”

“I must take Yim to Honus. ‘tis Karm’s will. You’ll manage affairs while I’m gone.”

“Of course, Clan Mother,” said Rodric. “But I fear you’re overhasty.” He cast Yim a meaningful look. “A green rider with an unsettled stomach will na get far. And such a trip
 requires preparation. I think an early start tomorrow morn will serve you better.”

“A wise counsel,” replied Cara, “and I’ll heed it. However, I want to leave at sunrise. So see to it.”

Rodric bowed. “I will, Clan Mother.”

While Cara pored over the map with Yim, Rodric went to the stables and spoke to the horse master’s wife about Cara’s needs. The woman was in charge during her husband’s absence, but the steward didn’t worry about her competence. It was irrelevant. Having performed that duty, he headed for the village and the inn. He found whom he was seeking in its common room. “Rangar, I’ll be needing another dagger.”

Daijen smiled. “Come into my chamber, and I’ll show you my wares.”

When the two men were behind the closed door, Rodric whispered, “Tonight.”

“Tonight? You give me scant time.”

“‘tis tonight or never. Yim will take Clan Mother to her doom. If we do na stop her, she’ll leave next morn.”

“Then stop her we shall. I have the men if you’ll show them the way.”