The Dragon Revenant - Katharine Kerr [104]
“You, lass!” one of them called. “What do you want?”
Although she badly wanted to bolt, she made herself go over and drop him a curtsey.
“Please, sir, I’m a friend of Nonna’s, who works in the kitchen, and her mother asked me to take her a message.”
“Oh, well and good, then. Go on through. See the main broch? The kitchen hut’s all the way round back, by the well.”
Her heart was pounding like a galloping horse as she walked into the ward. Although she’d been by the gates and peered inside many a time, never before had she actually been allowed in. Yet in a way, the dun was disappointing, not much more than an extension of the city with its clutter of huts and sheds, the hurrying servants and the chickens and hogs in pens. She had a hard time locating the cookhouse, but by asking for Nonna she eventually found herself at the back door of the great hall, where, standing in the curve of the wall, her friend was polishing tankards with a rag. The great hall, with its slate floors, enormous hearths, and carved tables, did a better job of living up to her expectations, and for a moment she merely goggled at all the finery. Then Nonna saw her and came hurrying over.
“What are you doing here? Is somewhat wrong at home?”
“It’s not, but, Nonna, please help me. Do you remember that peddler who’s lodging with us? He’s an evil sorcerer. I’ve seen proof. I was thinking maybe that the man named Nevyn that you’re always talking about would—”
“Oh, he’s not going to have time for the likes of you!”
“Well, what about the captain then?”
“I’m not going to waste his time on your wild tales.”
“But if you took me to meet Cullyn, you’d have a chance to speak with him yourself, wouldn’t you?”
The bribe was irresistible. Nonna giggled, glanced round the hall, then slipped her arm through Glomer’s.
“Come along. He’s just sitting down at table.”
The sight of Cullyn, tall and fierce with his scar-slashed face, was almost enough to freeze Glomer’s tongue in her head, but she managed to drop him a respectable curtsey while Nonna introduced her as a friend from down in town. Cullyn slewed round in his chair and scowled at her.
“Out with it, lass. What brings you to me?”
“My mam runs a tavern, sir, and there’s this man lodging with us. He says he’s a peddler, but he’s really a sorcerer. I found a piece of jewelry in his saddlebags with the star of evil graved upon it when I was setting rattraps in his chamber.”
As soon as she’d blurted it out, she felt like a fool, babbling of sorcerers to such an important man, but Cullyn whistled sharply under his breath.
“Oh, did you now? Come along with me, lass. We’d best go straight to Nevyn. Nonna, my thanks. Go back to your work.”
Blushing and envious, Nonna did just that as Glomer followed the captain from the great hall and into a side tower. As they climbed up and up a spiraling iron staircase, Glomer was staring at all the tapestries hanging on the stone walls and the elaborately cast silver sconces—never in her life had she seen so many fine things in one place. Finally they came to a landing and a wooden door. When Cullyn knocked, it was opened by an old man whose piercing ice-blue eyes and bristling eyebrows raised in a frozen glare made the captain seem as sweet and gentle as a little lamb.
“What is it now?” he snarled. “Oh, my apologies, Cullyn. I thought it was one of the pages. They’ve been interrupting my work all blasted morning. What have we here?”
“A lass with an interesting tale, my lord. I think me you’d best hear it.”
Nevyn ushered them inside to his reception chamber and insisted that Glomer sit in a cushioned chair by the window while he took a plain chair opposite her and Cullyn stood by the door. Since she’d never been up so high in her life, the view out and down to the harbor made her feel dizzy, and she kept her gaze firmly inside after one quick look. She started with Merryc’s arrival, told them about the Widow Dacra’s sure