The Spellcoats (30 page)

Uncle Kestrel thought Jay's mind was wandering. I knew it was not. “He means Kankredin,” I said to Hern.

“I was afraid he did,” said Hern. He lifted his heel and hacked at the grass with it. “Now I have a chance to do all the things I swore to do,” he said. “And I don't think I
can
.”

The people from the camp arrived and gathered by the lake. Our people went to stand with Wren and his villagers, near the lake. But the Heathens stood up among the rocks and planted their flags there.

“How shall we do the Adon's will?” a lordly Heathen called out mockingly to Hern.

Hern was very pale. I could see him shaking. He stood out between the two crowds, among the bodies, all on his own. I had expected him to look small there, and I am still surprised that he did not. Hern is thin still, but he has grown as tall as Gull. When Tanamil came to stand near him, the two were the same height.

“First look at this,” Hern said, pointing to the corpses. Everyone was quiet. The noise from the falls meant we had to listen very carefully. “These,” Hern said, “are the bodies of two kings. They were killed in senseless hatred, when both had lost nearly all they had. Someone is coming up the River who knows of this, and it pleases him very much. This will make it easy for him to suck out our souls, and the soul of this land, and rule us as his slaves. He is coming in a wall of water. And he is nearly here.” He pointed down the River, across the lake.

Our people by the lakeside swayed all one way, like grass in the wind, away from the water. The Heathens stood firm, but their crowd was white with faces staring across the lake. The current set it in banks of water, churning toward us, and the space by the lake was flooding as Hern talked.

“This morning,” said Hern, “one King married my sister Robin, and the other named me as his heir. This gives me a title to lead all of you against Kankredin. I did not ask for it, and you may choose again later, if you want. But for the next three days I must ask you to fight as one people against our real enemy. The same flags shall fly over us. The same Undying shall guide us. We shall none of us run away. We are going to hold these falls behind us to the death.”

Heads swung uneasily to look at the rearing white falls. Everyone shifted with infirm resolution.

“We shall do it,” said Hern. “For one thing, we shall lose our souls, anyway, if we do nothing. The main thing is that we have a way to win. My sister Tanaqui can weave against Kankredin, spell for spell. She can unbind Oreth, our Grand Father, so that he can rise and crush Kankredin. She can save us. But she must have time. We must hold Kankredin while she weaves. If we can hold him for three days, we have won.”

So Hern did understand about my weaving. I admire him for grasping it so quickly. I did not think he would because it is not reasonable. But I never foresaw that it would all depend on me. I am very frightened. I know how Hern feels.

“If this is any comfort to you,” Hern said, looking at the stricken faces by the lake and the grim ones up on the rocks, “the chief power of the mages is that they can take our souls. Everyone is right to be afraid. But Tan Adon, Lord of the Red River, will make you each a talisman which will keep the soul within your body. You can wear that and go into battle with confidence.”

Tanamil, for an instant, looked as if he could not believe his ears. But as eyes turned to him, he smiled and nodded.

“So,” said Hern, “will you all follow me—just for three days?”

There was the most nerve-racking pause. Hern sat down on a piece of rock. I think his knees gave.

Then Wren stepped out from among our people and went on one knee in front of Hern. I like Wren. “We'll follow you, me and my people,” he said. That brought other headmen struggling through the crowd, one by one, and they knelt, too. Zwitt was one of them. Only believe that! He looked very grudging, but he was scared stiff. I think Hern's talk of talismans tempted him.

As the number of headmen increased, the Heathen lords realized they were being outdone. There was some hasty whispering among them. I am not sure that all of them believed Kankredin to be their enemy. But the will of Kars Adon was a powerful thing. All the Heathen flags dipped together, stood, and dipped again. A great shout went up. “Hail Hern Adon! Hail Hern King!” Arin tells me this is the custom among the clans. So, when the last headman went on one knee, both sides were pledged to Hern. I think Hern was near tears, because he scowled so.

After that our King was buried by the lakeside and mourned properly, although the grass was being covered in water while the mourning was done. I saw Aunt Zara among the wailers, but she would not come near us. But Kars Adon was carried up to the head of the falls and buried where the smoking waters of the One's source run across the green turf. Tanamil said it should be so. I can see the grave beside me as I weave. I look at it often and hope that we will be able to complete his dreams for him.

Before we came up here, I overheard Tanamil whisper to Hern, “Why did you promise them talismans? There is
no
way to keep a man's soul in his body.”

“Yes, there is,” said Hern. “If the man himself believes it's going to stay there. That's how I kept my soul when Kankredin tried to get it. I'm sorry, Tanamil. I had to say it. Give them all mud pies or buttons—I don't care—but make them something, please!”

Duck, who was standing by, burst out laughing. “Come on,” he said. “Let's make mud pies.”

“Later,” said Tanamil. He was very worried. “Hern,” he said, “I went down the River last night and saw Kankredin. There was no way I could stand against him. Don't underestimate his strength. I went away. I knew he could take me, and the One, too, through me. The same goes for you, for Duck and Tanaqui, and for Robin most of all. You must take care.”

“It's no
good
taking care anymore!” Hern said, and stormed away to talk to men about weapons.

“Well,” said Tanamil, looking up the length of the falls, “we must make what defense we can. Mallard, can you make nets?”

“I made the best nets in Shelling,” Duck said. Nothing will ever make Duck modest, but he does make good nets.

“These will be spellnets,” said Tanamil, “as strong as we can make them.”

“Let me help,” I said. “I can make nets, too.”

“I think you can,” said Tanamil. “But only you can weave, Tanaqui. Please go and weave again, as fast as you can. And for the One's sake, leave as little out of your tale as you can. We do not know what small thing may be needed to complete the web.”

So I climbed up here to the smoking spring again. Robin came with me. She and Jay arranged for my loom to be dragged up, too, and all my wools. I hope I shall have enough. And here was a strange thing. Robin had Gull with her, and the Young One. When they had placed my loom on the turf, she took out Gull to give him to me. And he crumbled to a mound of red earth in her hands.

I cried out with horror. “Robin! Has Kankredin got him?”

It is true Robin knows things. She was smiling at the handful of earth. “Of course not,” she said. “It means he's back, just as Tanamil promised. I think the same will happen to the Young One when Tanamil's unbound.”

“Then why isn't Gull here?” I said.

“Hush,” said Robin. She poured the earth carefully into the spreading pool of warm water and whispered so that Jay could not hear, “Don't be silly, Tanaqui. What do you think would happen to Hern's plans if Gull came along? Gull's older.”

I see Robin is right. My grandfather has sent Gull somewhere else. He has done it to show me that he keeps his promises. But I long to see Gull. Duck and I have decided we shall go and find him if we win against Kankredin.

What Tanamil said so frightens me that I wonder all the time what I have left out. Should I say that I have a corn on my thumb and three blistered fingers? That my eyes ache, and my neck? Should I say how cold I have been in the mountain wind, these last two days? I have been weaving with such haste that I make mistakes. I had to unpick how I saw Kankredin and his glassy mages and weave it again because Duck and Tanamil distracted me when they came over the edge of the falls.

Robin has arranged for a tent to be pitched here and for people to bring me food. I think she left the cats here, too, hoping they would amuse me. But they
will
play with what is left of my yarn and with the shuttles and bobbins. I have had to ask Jay to take them to the camp.

Except when he did that, Jay has stood guard here the whole time. He is not courting Robin anymore. He has seen her with Tanamil, and he looks at her regretfully. But he talks cheerfully enough. “A man with one arm is not much good for fighting,” he said, not, I think, altogether truthfully. “I shall stay here and make your last defense, my young witch.”

“I don't think I am a witch,” I said.

Jay said, “What do witches do if they don't weave spells?”

He is standing on the edge of the green turf at the moment, looking intently down at the fighting. It is mostly from Jay that I get my news. Everyone else is too busy. But I must have news. It must all go in my weaving.

8

Before I started to weave again, I called my mother to ask her how I should use the bobbin of glistering yarn. Duck had the Lady. I had to call without. I called, and Mother came. She dragged herself over the edge of the falls into the warm pool beside Kars Adon's grave. When I saw how ill she was, I knew Gull was right when he said she is the River. Kankredin is killing her. She looked as ill as Robin did before Tanamil came. And she was not clear to see either. She sank down in the pool, and I could see the grass through her.

“Mother!” I said. I forgot about the bobbin.

“You mustn't worry, Tanaqui,” she said. I could barely hear her. “I've wanted to go down to the sea and join your father for a long time now. Open the way for me, so that I can go.”

She was fading all the time she spoke, and when she had said that, she melted from my sight entirely. Oh Mother. I do not know if she is dead or not. If it was not so urgent to weave, I would sit and cry. I feel as I did when I was small and fell in the River in the Spring flood. Before my father could pull me out, I had been rolled against the Shelling jetty nine or ten times. It is blow after blow.

Jay looked at me curiously as I called to my mother, but he said nothing.

I have not had the heart to tell Duck that the Lady in his shirt may be nothing more than a wooden carving now. Nor have I told Hern or anyone. If Kankredin has Mother, we have no hope, but I think he has not, or we could not fight.