The Dragon Revenant - Katharine Kerr [111]
“I shall give you new clothes to take with you, too,” Lovyan said. “And one of Aberwyn’s minor seal rings as well as what coin I can scrape together. You’d best go as my councillor, Nevyn, not merely my friend. They always say that every Bardek archon starts his career as a merchant, and so I’ll wager they understand just how rich the Aberwyn trade is. They’ll want to be on the right side of her ruler.”
“Just so. Do you think some of Rhodry’s men would volunteer to come with me? I can pass them off as an honor guard, and I fear me I might need a few good swords before this scrap is done. I’d take Cullyn, but you need him more. Hanging Merryc doesn’t mean Rhodda will be safe. I’ll wager he’s not the only rat in the granary.”
“I agree, unfortunately. As for the men, I doubt very much if you’ll have a shortage of volunteers. You’d best take only ten, though—any more would be suspicious.”
“I’ll have Cullyn pick them out, then.”
“Good. And think up a new name, will you, since I’m going to give you letters patent to carry and so on. ‘No one’ just simply won’t do. Didn’t you use another name around the King’s herald? Was it your real name? I had the odd feeling it was.”
“You were quite right. Even though my father chose to change it later out of spite, Galrion was what my mother named me.”
“How antique-sounding!”
“Then it suits me perfectly, because if ever a man was a living relic, it’s me. Very well, Your Grace. We’ll do our best to bring Rhodry back for you.”
“Not just for me, Lord Galrion. For Eldidd.”
While Elaeno and his first mate worked with the crew that afternoon, Nevyn went up to the tower for one last visit with Perryn, or so he thought of it. Although Perryn’s physical health was sound again, he still spent long hours lying in bed and staring at the ceiling or sitting at the window and staring at the sky. When Nevyn came in, he found the lord at the latter, watching the sullen drift of gray clouds coming up from the southeast.
“How’s your breathing today?”
“Oh, er, ah, well, clear enough, I suppose.”
“Good, good. You should make steady progress from now on.”
Perryn nodded and went back to staring at the clouds.
“Come now, lad.” Nevyn put on his best jolly-but-firm bedside manner. “You’re not going to hang or suchlike, you know. It’s time to start thinking about making somewhat of your life.”
“But, um. I mean, er, ah, well, I just keep thinking about Jill.”
“I’m sorry, but she’s forever beyond you.”
“I know that. Not what I meant, you see. Er, well, I was thinking about what you said, some weeks back, I mean. About not stealing things because well, ah, it’s meddling and you don’t know what’s going to happen. Do you remember somewhat of that?”
“I do, and I’ll admit to being pleased you’re thinking it over.”
“I have been, truly, and it aches my heart I was so stupid, about er, well, you know, um, well, about Rhodry, I mean. I hated him because Jill loved him, and here he was rather ah … er … important.”
“I’m afraid it’s a bit late to be worrying about that now.”
“I know, and that’s what aches my heart. I want to make restitution, but I don’t have anything to give as lwdd. A couple of coppers, a horse—well, er, ah, he’s not truly my horse, I suppose—but the saddle and suchlike are mine. It doesn’t add up to a cursed lot, does it?”
“It doesn’t at that. You might be able to pay Aberwyn some service, though I can’t see you fighting in the war if things come to that.”
“I could be a groom, or train for a farrier. I’d do it gladly, if it would help.”
“Well and good, then. We’ll talk about it when I come back.”
“I heard the servants saying you were going to Cerrmor. Can I go, too? My heart aches with fear all the time, wondering what Cullyn would do if you weren’t here to protect me.”
“He doesn’t even know what you’ve done.”
“He might find out.”
“Now, now, I …” Nevyn hesitated, thinking hard, trying to remember something that Perryn had once mentioned about himself. “Here, lad, after you met up with Rhodry, you started following Jill again. How did you know where she’d gone?”
“It