On Fire's Wings - Christie Golden [25]
Kevla’s eyes filled with tears. “I only—” Footsteps coming down the hall gave her an excellent excuse to duck past the two women and scurry to the kitchen.
It was an inauspicious start to a day which only got worse. Yeshi, as Kevla would soon learn, often changed her mind. By the time she had risen and been bathed and dressed, the great lady had decided not to spend the day in the caverns after all. She was going to visit the market, and Kevla was to prepare a traveling basket of food and wine and accompany her. Kevla nodded and kept her face impassive. But she could not hide her feelings from Sahlik.
As Sahlik helped Kevla prepare a basket, she said in a low voice, “It will not be as hard as you think, child. You will be wearing the veil, so no one will recognize you. Don’t look anyone full in the face and all should be well.”
“I don’t want to go back,” Kevla whispered. “I don’t know why Yeshi wants me to.”
“She wants you to see what change can be wrought in a day’s fortune,” Sahlik said. “Be quiet and grateful and in all likelihood, she will never take you back to the market again. It’s not her favorite pastime.” Sahlik hesitated, then said, “Do not speak to your mother if you see her.”
Kevla shook her head. The lump in her throat forbade speech. Miserable and apprehensive, she covered the basket and went to join the other handmaidens.
She and Tiah dressed in clean rhias. Ranna would not be accompanying them; riding would take two hands and hers was far from healed. Kevla watched closely as Tiah put on her veil and did a fair job of imitating her, drawing the thin yellow fabric over her head, around the lower part of her face and tucking it in. By the contemptuous flash of Tiah’s eyes, Kevla had not quite gotten it right. She hoped Yeshi would not notice.
But she could not hide her inexperience with riding when she and Tiah went into the courtyard and two sand-colored mares were brought out for them. With the help of a stable boy, Tiah climbed easily into the saddle. Kevla stared at her own mare.
“What’s the matter?” Tiah challenged. “Yeshi is already in her litter waiting for us.”
“I cannot ride,” Kevla said, trying hard not to cry.
“Well then, too bad for you,” said Tiah. “Yeshi and I will go alone to the market.” She pulled her horse’s head around and rode out of the courtyard to where Yeshi was waiting.
Kevla lowered her head and trudged back to the House. She was not sorry to avoid going to the market, but feared that her inexperience might count against her. Tiah and Ranna had made it plain this morning that they regarded her as competition for Yeshi’s affections. Now, Tiah would have Yeshi’s ear all day. It would be an excellent opportunity to turn her mistress’s mind against her new handmaiden. Kevla did not think the khashima would make a great attempt to find the truth if malicious gossip started spreading. She had reached the top of the stairs when she heard a male voice calling her by name. Surprised, Kevla turned to see a stable boy running across the courtyard to her.
“The khashima has sent me for you,” he said, gasping for breath. “She says if you cannot ride a horse, you will be taught, and until you learn, you may ride in the litter with her.”
Yeshi’s litter was, not surprisingly, a glorious thing. It was a padded armchair that could seat two people comfortably, carried by twelve powerfully built servants. There was room to stretch one’s legs, and a canopy shaded the two women from the hot sun. Despite the physical comfort, Kevla knew that if Tiah knew how miserable she was, the older girl would be delighted. She would much rather be on a horse, equal to the other handmaiden, than feel the hot jealousy emanating from Tiah.
Her stomach tightened as the outskirts of the marketplace came into view. Nervously, she adjusted the veil, grateful for the anonymity it provided. She hoped Sahlik was right, that no one would recognize her. Particularly, she hoped she would not see her mother.
The khashima’s appearance in the market created quite a stir.