The Red Wyvern - Katharine Kerr [78]
“Most children do, truly.” Nevyn smiled, but his eyes were narrow with some puzzlement. “Well, I’ve got to pack my campaign chest and so on, and I know your foster-father wants a word with you. If we don’t have a chance to speak again, fare you well, Lilli.”
“My thanks, my lord, and may you fare well, too.”
Lilli went to look for Peddyc in a hall mobbed by the muster. The prince’s personal guard, the sworn warbands of Cerrmor itself, the soldiers who rode for Maryn’s allies along the sea-coast—they all packed the huge room. Their talk and laughter mingled to such an incomprehensible roar that Lilli’s ears buzzed and ached from it. Finally she found her foster-father, standing in the curve of a wall and talking with a lord she didn’t recognize. At the sight of her Peddyc broke off the conversation and came to meet her. Together they walked out into the blessed silence of the ward. Above the gleaming towers of Dun Cerrmor, the rising moon turned cloud tendrils silver.
“Well,” Peddyc said, smiling. “I hear our banners are done.”
“They are at that. May they bring you good luck.”
“I think our prince’s Wyrd will bring us all the luck we’ll need. Lilli, it’s the regret of my life that I didn’t go over earlier, when I first had the chance.”
“But none of us knew.”
“Just so, and it’s too late to argue with the gods about our Wyrd. I’ve somewhat to say, so listen carefully. I’ve talked with Anasyn, too. It’s time he married, but I want you to know that you’ll always have a place in Hendyr. I’m hoping to get you a better settlement than that. Once the summer’s fighting is over, one of us will see about making you a good marriage among our new allies.”
“Oh, Father, my thanks!”
“It looks like you’ll be well taken care of here for the summer. You might listen to the gossip, see who’s looking for a wife among the prince’s allies, that sort of thing.”
“I will. It’s so good of you to think of me now.”
“And wouldn’t our Bevva have wanted to see you settled?” Peddyc looked away, his dark eyes clouded with tears. “The prince has promised me we’ll try to reclaim Hendyr this summer. If we do, then we’ll go back there for the winter.”
Lilli hesitated, thinking of Nevyn. How could she study her dweomer if she went to Hendyr? Yet at the moment she wanted nothing more than to return to the place she’d always considered home, the one place where she’d ever felt safe, even though now it doubtless lay in the hands of enemies.
“I’ll pray you can take the dun,” Lilli said. “I—oh, what’s this?”
A young page was trotting purposefully toward them.
“Tieryn Peddyc?” the boy said. “One of your vassals is at our gates, Lord Cam-something, and he said you’d go surety for him if we’d open up.”
“I will indeed, lad.” Peddyc gave Lilli’s arm a quick pat. “I’d best go greet him. As for you, foster-daughter of mine, take good care of yourself this summer, will you?”
“I will, Father, and my thanks.”
Lilli watched them hurrying across the ward. She felt sick with fear, wondering if he’d live to summon her to Hendyr in the fall. She could perhaps find some omen—Nevyn’s warning came back to her like a slap across the face.
“Ye gods,” she said aloud. “They’ve not even left yet and already I’m tempted!”
With a shake of her head she strode back into the broch, where the sheer press of humanity made even thinking about dweomer impossible.
“And tomorrow we ride out for the summer’s fighting,” Branoic said. “You can call me daft for it, Maddo, but this is the night every year when I find myself remembering Aethan.”
“Oh, I do the same,” Maddyn said. “You know, back when I first knew Aethan, years ago when he rode for the Boar and I was just a rider in an ally’s warband, we’d not see each other all winter, of course. We’d always meet in Cantrae, when the Boar mustered his lords to lead them down to Dun Deverry. I suppose that’s why I’m remembering him now.”
“Most like. Ah horseshit, we’ll all die soon enough. But I wish he’d