Days of Air and Darkness - Katharine Kerr [49]
“How do you know?”
“I’m not sure.” Jill shrugged uneasily. “But I do know it, just somehow. There’s no dweomer in it at all. But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is I overheard Caffa talking to Babryan about some other guest Davylla had.”
“A guest? So? Women of their rank visit back and forth all the time.”
“This guest seems to have just been put aside by her husband, and she’s supposed to be ill, but no one’s ever heard of her before. The wife of some very obscure lord, Caffa said. And a very obscure cousin of Davylla’s, someone Caffa’s never met. But Caffa knows just everything about everybody.”
“Oh. Ye gods! Do you think it could be?”
“Do we have any other trail to follow?”
“None, truly. It’s off to Lady Davylla’s town we go.”
“I do think we’d best get there ahead of them, too, just to look round, like. Can’t you tell Tudvulc that you feel unworthy of the honor he’s paying you, and that we’d best ride on, undeserving wretches that we are?”
“Naught easier, since that’s the way I feel.”
On the morrow, Rhodry sought the gwerbret out and found him in a private council chamber, where he was talking over a matter of bridge taxes with the head of the merchant guild. Rhodry knelt at the gwerbret’s side and waited until the merchant took his leave, all bows and smiles.
“Your Grace,” Rhodry said, “I’ve come to beg your permission to leave your broch. You’ve already done far too much for a dishonored man like me.”
“Horseshit! ’Twas naught, naught. Get up lad, and take a proper chair. You’re welcome here as long as you want to stay.”
“My humble thanks.” Rhodry got up and sat. “But truly, it’s time I did take leave of your grace.”
“Somewhat to do with this murderess you’re tracking down?”
“Just that, but I’ll beg His Grace to keep the matter to himself. We’ve found a hint that the lady might be to the west of here. May I consult with His Grace on a point of the laws?”
“Of course.”
“What if our murderess has taken shelter with a high-ranking lady who’s determined to protect her at any cost? This lady might persuade her husband to refuse to surrender his guest. After all, his honor would be at stake.”
Tudvulc stroked his grizzled mustache while he thought.
“A cursed wasp’s nest,” he spat out at last. “If she’s out of Coryc of Caenmetyn’s boundary of jurisdiction, he’d have to persuade the local gwerbret that taking the lady was worth a war with one of his vassals. That would be a very difficult thing to persuade any man to do.”
“So I thought. And Coryc would never be allowed to ride down with his own men and wage the war.”
“Would he even want to? This woman sounds like a hell-fiend, truly, and an impious little bitch, but is punishing her worth an outright war, especially with another gwerbret, say, if that gwerbret took up his vassal’s cause? He might send to the king’s justice, of course, but that’ll take years to sort out in the court.”
“Just so. I’d hate to see her get out of this without so much as an angry word. Well, we’ll have to persuade this lord that the lady isn’t worth his and his wife’s protection.”
“If she’s a witch, that might be hard to do,” Tudvulc said, grinning. “She might ensorcel him, eh? Hah! The nonsense these women believe. I’m cursed glad there’s none of that going on in my dun.”
It took all of Rhodry’s will to stay silent.
“Well, good luck, lad,” Tudvulc went on. “You’re going to need it, eh? Now listen, Rhodry, don’t be such a stiff-necked bastard from now on. I’m willing to shelter you, and you know cursed well Blaen of Cwm Peel would take you in. No need to wander the roads like a wretched beggar. Come to me or Blaen, get yourself a position with one of us. I can always call you my equerry or suchlike. Always need another good man around, eh?”
“His Grace is most generous. But I’ve poured myself this cup of shame, and I’ll drink it down.”
“Don’t be a dolt, man! Doesn’t matter to me if your brother takes