A Time of Exile - Katharine Kerr [144]
As Danry was returning to his chamber to fetch his lady down for dinner, he saw another merchant, standing in a corridor and talking idly to a servant lass. At the sight of Danry, the merchant bowed, smiled, and hurried quickly away, a little too quickly perhaps. Danry stopped and caught the lass by the arm.
“And who was that?”
The lass blushed scarlet as she dropped him a curtsy.
“Oh, his name is Gurcyn, and him a married man and old enough to know better, too, Your Grace, than to bother a lass like me.”
“I see. Well, get on about your work, then.”
Late that night, once the feasting was over, Danry retired to his chamber. Since he was Pertyc’s foster brother, raised by Maelwaedds in the eccentric Maelwaedd way, he could read and write. That night he was glad of it, too, thanking Pertyc’s father in his heart for making him independent of another lord’s scribes. He wrote Pertyc a long letter, telling his friend all the doings round the new king, but stressing in several different ways that he was to beware of Leomyr of Dun Gwerbyn. Early in the morning, when the sun was just rising, he went to the barracks complex, roused his captain, and gave the letter to his most trusted man to take to Cannobaen. He even walked down to the main gates of the dun with the rider and saw him on his way, but as he walked back, Leomyr met him.
“Sending a letter off?”
“Instructions for my steward at home. You’ve got sharp eyes for another man’s affairs.”
Leomyr shrugged and bowed. Danry had no doubt that Leomyr believed him as much as he believed Leomyr.
“Pertyc, listen,” Nevyn said. “You’ve asked me to help, and I’ve promised I would, but there’s blasted little I can do for you if you’re not honest with me. How soon are the rebels planning to declare themselves?”
Pertyc hesitated, visibly torn. They were up in his cluttered chamber, Pertyc slouched in a chair, Nevyn standing behind the lectern and resting his hands on the cover of Prince Mael’s book.
“I know you have your friends to consider,” Nevyn said.
“Well, one friend. I’d be willing to die for his sake, but I’m not about to let the women and children die, too.”
“Decent of you. How can I advise you when I don’t know what’s causing the trouble? Suppose you were ill, and you refused to tell me where it hurt. How could I prescribe the right medicinals?”
Pertyc hesitated, staring into empty air.
“Well, the trouble won’t come till spring, most like.” The lord spoke slowly at first, then with a rush of words. “Most of the rebels are rallying around one claimant, Cawaryn of Elrydd, but there are those who’d start a second faction because they don’t trust the men behind Cawaryn. This faction wanted to put me forward as a claimant, but I refused. Naught’s been said outright, mind, but I’ll wager we can both guess what they’re thinking. Kill the Maelwaedd, and we can take his son for a candidate.”
“Of all the stupid … ! Ye gods, but I should have known! That’s Deverry men for you, so busy fighting the battles among themselves that their enemies march in and win the wars. I see you have Mael’s old copy of the Annals of the Dawntime here. Have you read the tales of Gwersingetoric and the great Gwindec?”
“About how their own allies betrayed them, and so the cursed Rhwmanes drove King Bran and our ancestors to the Western Isles? No doubt this rebellion is as doomed as the one Gwindec led. Ye gods, my poor Danry! I—” He caught himself, wincing at his slip.
“So. Tieryn Cernmeton is the sworn friend, is he? Does he love you enough to send you warnings?”
“He does, and he has, because he’s doing what he can to bring the second faction over to Cawaryn so they’ll leave me alone. He told me they’re installing the new king as soon as they can. He has great hopes that everyone will support the lad once the priests have worked their ritual