Daggerspell - Katharine Kerr [154]
“And what brings you to me, my lord?”
“A very strange business.” Talidd turned to gesture to his men. “Bring those prisoners here.”
When they were led up, Rhodry recognized them as two of Corbyn’s men. They knelt at Rhodry’s feet and stared at the ground in humiliated shock.
“Did you know that my sister is Corbyn’s wife?” Talidd said.
“I didn’t. She has my sympathy.”
Talidd allowed himself a twitch of a smile.
“I should say she was Corbyn’s wife. When she and her women came to me at the beginning of this blasted war, I made a vow that she’d never go back to her piss-poor excuse of a husband even if you didn’t hang him. He’s driven her mad, stark raving mad! She’s been babbling about evil dweomermen lurking everywhere, and evil spirits taking Corbyn over, until I can’t stand it anymore.”
“By the hells!” Rhodry did his best to look shocked and horrified. “What a terrible thing!”
“So I thought. Well, then, yesternight these two ride in with a message from Corbyn, asking me ever so sweetly to raise an army and ride to lift the siege.”
Rhodry whistled under his breath at the gall of it.
“Cursed right!” Talidd snapped. “As if I’d break the gwerbret’s peace and meddle in somewhat that’s none of my affair, especially after the way he’s treated one of my blood kin! If your lordship agrees, I’m going to take these riders down to Rhys and present the matter. Corbyn didn’t send a letter, you see, so I need their testimony.”
“Naught would gladden my heart more. All I ask is that you let me show them off in front of the dun before you go, so Corbyn knows that my herald is speaking the truth when he says I’ve got them.”
They went into Corbyn’s chambers to discuss the news in private. Nowec perched on the windowsill, Corbyn paced back and forth, and Loddlaen sat in a chair and tried to project a calm contempt for this turn of events. Grunting like a pig, Nowec repeatedly rubbed his mustache with the back of his hand.
“It was cursed stupid of you to approach Talidd,” Nowec snarled.
“I didn’t!” Corbyn snapped. “Can’t you get that through your thick skull? I never sent any message to Talidd. I sent those two men to Aberwyn to sue for peace, just like we’d decided.”
Loddlaen swore in Elvish.
“A traitor,” Corbyn went on. “There has to be a traitor in the dun, and he judged Talidd’s mind to a nicety, too.”
“And just who would this traitor be?” Nowec said. “There’s no one here but us and our men, and I can’t see your two lads thinking that up on their own.”
“Just so.” Corbyn stopped pacing to turn on him. “I was wondering about that myself. I’m not the one who received the offer of pardon.”
When Nowec’s hand drifted toward his sword hilt, Loddlaen jumped up and got in between them.
“Don’t be fools,” Loddlaen snapped. “It would have been extremely easy for Rhodry’s men to take the messengers on the road and bribe them then and there.”
Corbyn sighed and held out his hand to Nowec.
“My apologies. I’m all to pieces over this.”
“And so am I.” Nowec shook his hand. “Well, can’t drink spilled ale, can you? The question is, what do we do now?”
“I haven’t given up hope yet,” Corbyn said with a flattering smile at Loddlaen. “Maybe there are other ways to send messages, ones that don’t require horses.”
Loddlaen felt sweat spring up on his back. Aderyn was right outside, waiting and watching for him to try to escape.
“Perhaps.” Loddlaen forced out a smile. “His lordship has been pleased with my subterfuges in the past.”
Corbyn smiled. Nowec began running his fingers through his mustache as if he meant to tear it out.
“If my lords allow,” Loddlaen went on, “I’ll retire to my chamber and consider the problem.”
Loddlaen ran up the staircase to his chamber, barred the door behind him, then flung himself down on his bed. All his talk of Rhodry’s bribing messengers was just so much chatter to keep up the two lords’ morale. He knew that Aderyn had to be the