The Raven Ring (29 page)

“Oh, of course,” Lady Kistran said. “The Shadow-Mage.” She looked at Eleret curiously. “You must have a serious difficulty indeed, to have
that
card turn up as the source of your opposition.”

Shadow-Mage…no, don’t jump to conclusions.
Carefully, Eleret set down her eating knife, and in a voice she hoped sounded normal she said, “Tell me about this card.”

“It’s one of the sixteen Major Trumps, and therefore very powerful,” Lady Kistran said. “And it’s not just a bad card, like Betrayal or the fives in the suits. The Shadow-Mage is one of the few cards that can represent something
evil,
though it’s relatively rare for that to happen. Still, even the usual meanings—”

“Why is it called the Shadow-Mage?”

Lady Kistran gave her a reproving look, but answered. “I believe the name comes out of a group of old stories—ancient, actually, they go back to before the old Estarren Alliance was even founded, or so the minstrels say. They refer to evil creatures called Shadow-born, and—Good heavens, you’ve gone white as a slice of boiled cod! Is something wrong?”

Eleret hardly heard the question.
Shadow-born.
The nightmare creatures that haunted the oldest Cilhar tales and lurked at the root of their darkest fears.
Shadow-born.
The insubstantial, deathless things that stole others’ bodies and consumed them from inside. They had been confined for all time in secret places at the end of the Wars of Binding, so the tales said, and nowadays few Cilhar would openly admit to believing in their existence. But the tales continued to be told and retold, and no one tolerated the smallest change in their wording.
And I thought the Shee were legends, before I came to Ciaron and met Climeral. If the best things from the old tales are real, why not the worst as well
? But what could she do if the Shadow-born were behind her troubles?

“Freelady Salven! Are you unwell?” Lady Kistran’s insistent voice penetrated at last, and Eleret shook herself.

“I’m…all right.”

“You don’t look it. I should have warned you about the clams, they sometimes give me a turn this early in the day.” Lady Kistran paused. “Would you prefer to continue our discussion later?”

“No!” Seeing Lady Kistran’s startled expression, Eleret forced a smile and said in a more moderate tone, “I don’t think I want any more to eat, but I would very much like to just…sit and listen for a while.” If there were any more surprises in her chart, she wanted to know about them
now.

“As you will have it.” Lady Kistran sat back, studying her. Then she gave an approving nod. “Yes, I think you’re wise. Bad enough that your Luck-seer was misinterpreting your cards; worse yet to have your charting broken off in the middle. There’s certainly no need to compound matters by stopping our discussion now. What was your next card?”

“The Priest of Flames,” Eleret said automatically. “And then the Two of Stones. Jonystra said—”

“Just tell me the cards, Freelady,” Lady Kistran said. “Spare me the Luck-seer’s distortions. The Priest of Flames—a good card, but not a strong one. He supports you, but he does not realize his own power to help.” She closed her eyes, as if trying to picture something in her mind. “And he is in the cross-diagonal position from the Lady of Flames, so he does not work actively with her. A pity; they would make a good combination.

“The Two of Stones represents opposites in a stable balance, or evenly matched. Since it’s in a supporting position, it may refer to differing advice, or two actions that cancel each other out.”

Or two people who are opposites
? Eleret thought of Daner and Karvonen, and almost smiled.

“The next card?” Lady Kistran prompted.

“The Mage of Flames, reversed.”

“Unusual to have so many court cards of the same suit, so early in a chart,” Lady Kistran said, frowning. “The Mage of Flames, reversed…a man of power and intelligence, who uses both for destructive ends. And the power of the Shadow-Mage supports him. That is an
extremely
bad combination. I would be very careful, if I were you.”

“I’m always careful.” Eleret hesitated. “The Mage of Flames and the Shadow-Mage—could they be the same person?”

“Unlikely.” Lady Kistran tapped her finger on the tabletop, as if she were tapping the face of a card. “If they were the same person, I’d expect them to be stacked, one above the other, not on the close diagonal. Also, the outer cards, like the Shadow-Mage, represent influences, not necessarily direct involvement. The Mage of Flames is an inner card, so he’s probably someone you’ve encountered recently.”

Mobrellan,
Eleret thought. “The last card in that row was the Three of Shells, reversed.”

“Unexpected loss and emotional pain. You must be careful not to let it influence your decisions too closely.”

That was more or less what Jonystra had said. “The last two cards were the Three of Flames and the Demon,” Eleret said. “Then the Luck-seer…broke off the charting.”

“Three of Flames—unexpected actions. Something surprising will happen, which may lead to an opportunity for you. The Demon—” Lady Kistran shook her head. “Generally it refers to limitations, particularly unexpected ones, but it can also mean a surprise that leads to loss. That would cancel out the Three of Flames, which makes very little sense.” She tapped her fingers against the table again. “I wish we knew the rest of your chart. I don’t suppose…”

“What?”

“Laurinel has a charting deck somewhere, I think. I could lay out a new chart for you; perhaps that would clarify things.”

“I’d like to think about what you’ve told me first,” Eleret said. “I—”

The far door opened and the serving man entered. Bowing, he said, “Lady Kistran, Freelady Salven, pardon the intrusion. There is a messenger here to see either Lord Daner or the Freelady, and he says it is urgent. Since Lord Daner has—”

“Yes, I know, he’s with his father,” Lady Kistran said, waving the man to silence. “You did quite right not to interrupt them. Show the man in.” As the servant bowed again and left, Lady Kistran turned to Eleret. “If the message is truly urgent”—her tone said she did not believe it could be—“you can send word to Daner once you know.”

No reply was necessary, for the door opened once more and the serving man bowed as a small man in a bright blue, gold-trimmed tunic entered. “Karvonen?” Eleret said in disbelief.

“At your service, Freelady Salven.” Karvonen bowed with a flourish. Apart from the attitude, he bore very little resemblance to the scruffy thief who had accosted Daner the day before. His hair was carefully combed, his clothes looked both new and expensive, and he even stood differently.
More confidently,
Eleret thought,
not as if he’s nobody, hoping to be overlooked. Well, an official messenger would be that way.
And there was certainly no stiffness or hesitation in the way he used his left arm. Still, she felt a twinge of uneasiness.

“You know this man?” Lady Kistran said.

“Yes, he’s…brought me a message once before.” Eleret rose as she spoke. “Whatever news he has, I think it’s safe to say Lord Daner will want to hear it. If you would take us somewhere we can talk, and then send word to him—”

The serving man looked unhappy. “I’m sorry, Freelady, I’ll be happy to show you to a private room, but I’m afraid I don’t know where Lord Daner went.”

“He’s with his father,” Lady Kistran said. “Really, Henwas, I don’t understand why you’re having such a problem.”

“No, Lady Kistran.” The serving man’s expression grew even more troubled than before. “That is…Lord Daner saw Lord tir Vallaniri for a few moments before he left, but that was at least half an hour ago.”

“Left?” Eleret said.

“Yes, Freelady,” the servant said patiently. “Lord Daner left the house half an hour ago, and has not yet returned. If you wish, I can ask the man at the door when Lord Daner said he would return.”

“Do that.” Eleret hoped her voice did not sound as angry as she felt. “In the meantime, I’ll talk to this…messenger in that private room you mentioned.”

“Very good, Freelady. This way, if it please you.”

TWENTY-ONE

T
O
E
LERET’S SURPRISE—
and considerable relief—Karvonen did not say anything more until they had reached the private room and the door had closed behind the servant. Then he dropped into the nearest chair—a heavy, high-backed oak frame with wide arms and several large pillows—and sighed. The movement, the pose, were pure Karvonen, and Eleret’s doubts vanished.

“Looks like Lord Daner has run off on you,” said the thief. “Any idea where?”

“If I had to guess, I’d say he’s gone to see Adept Climeral at the magic school. He wanted to ask about spells to keep that shapeshifter from coming back.”

“Not a bad idea, actually.” Karvonen sounded almost disappointed.

“No, it isn’t. What brings you back so soon? Surely you haven’t answered all my questions already.”

“Even Aurelicos have limits. No, I came to let you know that somebody seems to have put the chain back on the Syaski.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Put the chain on them, called them off, sent out word that you’re not the one they’re looking for.” He frowned, displeased by her lack of response. “I
thought
it was good news. Yesterday you weren’t safe on the streets; now—”

“I’m no safer than I was then.” Eleret shook her head at his expression. “Do you really think the Syaski will stop looking for me just because some mysterious person says not to? And even if they did, would that stop them making trouble if they happen to run into me?”

“I see your point.” Karvonen grimaced. “I don’t suppose I could talk you into running away, could I?”

“Why should I?”

“Oh, for a start, there’s a shapeshifting wizard who seems to want you dead, and about a hundred Syaski in town who you’ve just said won’t hesitate to oblige him even if he’s told ’em not to.”

For a brief moment, Eleret allowed herself the luxury of picturing herself somewhere else, away from the city and all the complex problems that had developed since she arrived. Then she shrugged. “Trouble always runs faster than you do. I don’t think the shapeshifter will give up just because I’ve left town. At least here, I have some allies.”

“You could still try it.”

“No. And why are you so anxious for me to leave, all of a sudden?”

Karvonen raised a hand as if to run it through his hair, then stopped at the last minute and let it fall. “Because the more I find out, the less I like the look of the whole mess, and some of the rumors…Never mind. But with the Syaski off the streets, even a few of them, even just for a while, this is probably your best chance to jump ship. I didn’t really expect you to, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to point it out.”

“Well, now you have, and I’ve said no, so let it be. Is that all you came for?”

“I—” Karvonen stopped, frowning. Then he leaned forward and gave her a searching look. “All right, what’s wrong? And don’t say ‘nothing,’ you stubborn Cilhar, because I can see that something’s bothering you. Is it the shapeshifter again?”

“No.” Eleret paused, unwilling to admit that she had been unsettled by finding a legend in a pack of cards.
The Shadow-born are only an old tale,
she told herself, but part of her did not believe it.

“What is it, then?”

“Daner’s aunt just finished going over the cards Jonystra was charting for me.” She hesitated again. “One of them was a card called the Shadow-Mage.”

“I didn’t think a Cilhar would take card-charting so— The what? What was the card?”

“The Shadow-Mage.”

Karvonen looked sick. “Shadow-born. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten mixed up in this. Are you
sure
you won’t run away?”

It was comforting to have someone else react the same way she had, even if his automatic response was to suggest flight. Eleret shook her head. “If there are Shadow-born involved, I don’t want them following me home.” Her voice quivered on the last word.

“It might not be that bad.” Karvonen did not sound as if he believed what he was saying. “After all, the only evidence you have that there’s a Shadow-born stirring the soup is one card in a chart that never got finished.” When she did not respond at once, he frowned. “That is the only evidence you’ve got, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Good. For a minute, there, I thought maybe…Anyway, if it’s only the card—”

“I won’t take chances with my family.” Cilhar folk had more than enough problems to contend with, even in times of peace, without bringing something out of nightmares down on them.

“I suppose even Cilhar would have trouble dealing with Shadow-born,” Karvonen said, and again the echo of her own thoughts disturbed and reassured her at the same time. “Well, if you’re not going to run, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. Let me think.” Her instincts told her to handle things alone, one person was enough to risk against such a powerful opponent. But it was too late to keep Daner out of it, and Karvonen—“Why don’t you take your own advice?”

“Run away?” Karvonen’s face went blank of expression. “And leave you and his most noble lordship like a couple of babies playing at cliff’s edge? It’s a tempting thought, but no. Not just yet.” His tone was a fair approximation of his usual bantering, but Eleret could hear the strain underneath. Her opinion of him rose tentatively. Whatever his motives—and he still had not explained them, she reminded herself—he was plainly as determined as any Cilhar to face possible dangers in spite of his fears.

“All right.” Eleret did not even try to sort out the confused mixture of emotions she felt. She had more pressing problems.
Lay it out like one of Raken’s tactical problems. Who are my most powerful enemies
? The shapeshifting wizard, and, possibly, the legendary Shadow-born. Compared to them, the Syaski rated a distant third, despite their numbers.
Who opposes them
? Herself, armed with her skills, her daggers, and her ravens’-feet. Daner, with his swordsmanship and spell-casting. Karvonen, still largely an unknown quantity.
What other resources do I have
? The raven ring, which she didn’t know how to use. Her mother’s back pay and death fee, which would be an enormous sum in the mountains but which might not be so startling in Ciaron.
Think of things that are not so obvious. What’s the terrain
? The twisting streets of Ciaron, which both Karvonen and Daner seemed to know well. And the equally twisting maze of people and privileges and customs in the city, which Daner navigated without even thinking.
Other possible allies…
Commander Weziral had offered his help, and so had Climeral. Lord tir Vallaniri might also be willing; Jonystra and the shapeshifter had disrupted his household and threatened his family, and a common enemy made good grounds for alliance.