On Fire's Wings - Christie Golden [44]
Not long after that, Kevla was in Yeshi’s chambers, watching the morning processional heading out to the House’s altar. Though she had never visited it, she knew that it was some miles distant. Each clan had an altar at the foot of the nearest mountain. The entire chain was sacred to the Great Dragon, and never to be crossed, although of course Mount Bari was the mighty creature’s home. Some clan altars were only for show, but Tahmu-kha-Rakyn had always been particularly devout and eager to placate the Dragon. Household gossip held that this was why the House of Four Waters was so prosperous. His wife continued the tradition in her husband’s absence, and each morning the party left, laden with gold, food, sweet herbs, jugs of water, and wine, all to please the Dragon. As her eye followed them, watching the group growing smaller as they headed down the road, Kevla noticed movement in the sky. She squinted against the sunlight, already harsh though it was still early, and saw that it was a bird.
It was a hawk.
Her heart leaped, as it always did whenever one of the winged messengers arrived. She raced out the doors, down the spiral stone stairs, out of the House and across the courtyard to the aerie. By the time she had ascended the stairs, breathless and sweaty, the bird had arrived and the hawk master was unfastening the small message.
He read it quickly, and a grin spread over his face. He turned to Kevla, thrust the message at her and said, “Give this to your mistress! Hurry!”
Kevla took the message and hurried down the stairs. The small, tightly rolled piece of parchment seemed to burn in her hand. As she reentered the coolness of the House, she ducked into a corner and unrolled the message with shaking hands.
Yeshi: We are victorious. The clan has scattered with only a few of their precious sa’abahs. The rest, we have captured and will divide among the clans. We will also have many five-scores. Jashemi conducted himself with skill and honor. Halid, too, did the Clan and his khashim proud. Our allies worked well together and all are pleased with the results. We have lost men, but that was to be expected. If only it was not necessary to trade lives for pride and livestock. With sa’abahs enough so that all high-caste warriors may ride them, we will make good time returning home. I hope the baby and you are well.
Kevla’s knees suddenly went weak and she almost slid down the wall to the floor. Jashemi and Tahmu had survived. That was all she needed to know. Five-scores, sa’abahs, Clan honor—no doubt these things were important to others, but as far as she was concerned, they would have been bought at too dear a cost if it had meant having to ceremonially burn the corpses of the khashim and his heir.
She heard footsteps and the sound of voices. Quickly, Kevla rerolled the scrap of parchment and hastened along the corridor to the stairs. Yeshi was in her room, standing and bathing her face when Kevla burst the door open.
Yeshi turned to frown at the noisy interruption, but Kevla thrust the message at her. “The hawkmaster smiled when he read it,” she said. “So it must be good news.”
Yeshi snatched the parchment out of Kevla’s hands. Her eyes flickered back and forth much more rapidly than Kevla’s had when she had read the missive. Yeshi brought a hand to her lips, and although she began to weep she smiled broadly.
“Good news indeed,” she said to Kevla. “They are victorious and they are coming home. My son and my husband are safe.” She pressed the small letter to her chest. “Thank the Great Dragon. Kevla, run and fetch Sahlik. We must be about preparing for a celebration!”
Kevla wondered if Yeshi had read the part about we have lost men. Was it possible to celebrate and grieve at the same time? Would there be pyres blazing under the starlit skies the same night as celebratory torches flickered in the great hall?
As she hastened to the kitchens, she could not help but think about Jashemi. She had tried not to dwell overmuch on thoughts