The Shadow Isle - Katharine Kerr [25]
“I’m sorry I let it slip like that. I should have prepared you—”
“It doesn’t matter.” Yet Valandario continued staring out the window. “You were gone when the murder happened. I can’t expect you to remember the particulars.” Her voice nearly broke on the word “particulars.” “It’s just that all sorts of little things have happened, just lately, to remind me of Jav.” She turned around at last. Her eyes glistened with tears. “And I still miss him. Elven lives are so long, no one stays together forever, but for us, everything ended too soon.”
“Very much too soon, yes.”
Val went back to her worktable. For a moment she stood, letting her fingers trail across the tooled leather cover of a volume lying there; then with a sigh she sat down in one of the two chairs standing behind it.
“I’ve put together some interesting information about crystals.” Val’s voice was steady again. “I’ve compiled a set of notes for you. Grallezar brought us some immensely valuable books.”
For some hours they discussed Valandario’s findings. When the light in the chamber faded, Val lit candles. Sidro came and went, bringing food and news. With warm bread came the information that Branna had gone with Grallezar and the Gel da’Thae. Chunks of roast lamb accompanied the welcome bulletin that thanks to a speech that Devaberiel had composed, Prince Daralanteriel had impressed everyone at the banquet. Along with a flask of Bardek wine for Val, Sidro reported that Calonderiel was discussing the town’s defense with the mayor and the leader of its ill-armed militia.
Dallandra was resting on the bed in Valandario’s chamber when Sidro came in for the last time, carrying a pottery cup of boiled milk with honey for Dalla to drink. At her table Valandario had spread out her scrying cloths. Sidro noticed them and lingered for a moment.
“I did want to ask you, Wise One,” Sidro said to Val, “if there be aught I may do to help you find Laz. I know but a little dweomer, though it would gladden my heart to learn more, but what I have I’ll happily use if it would give you any aid.”
“Thank you,” Val said, “but I don’t know—”
“Val,” Dallandra interrupted in Elvish, “did you know that Sidro can read and write?”
“I didn’t, no,” Val answered in the same. “That might be useful. ”
“It’s time to record your gem scrying.” Dallandra gave her a stern look over the rim of the cup. “The lore’s too valuable to risk losing.”
“Oh.” Valandario looked surprised, then nodded. “Sidro,” she said in Deverrian, “there’s indeed somewhat you can do for me. How would you like to learn how to use these cloths and gems to search for omens?”
“That would gladden my heart indeed.”
“Good. I’d like you to write down what I teach you, too. Could you do that?”
“I can, though the only letters I know be Horsekin ones.”
“It won’t take you long to learn the Deverrian letters,” Dallandra said. “I can teach you. There’s only thirty of them.”
“Oh, well, then!” Sidro smiled at her. “It be easy, truly.”
“Splendid!” Valandario said. “We’ll start on the morrow, but for now, why don’t you just sit down and watch, to get an idea of the process, I mean.”
Sidro pulled a chair up to the table and sat down while Valandario went to a hanging tent bag and brought out a leather pouch of gems. Dallandra meant to watch the lesson, but the hot milk combined with her weariness from traveling, and she fell asleep with the empty cup clasped in her hands.
Valandario took the cup from Dallandra without waking her, set it down outside the door, then seated herself at the table next to an eager Sidro. She poured out her pouch of gems, then chose twenty for a simple reading. In the candlelight they glittered, a chaotic rainbow. A crowd of sprites appeared to dart among the glints of colored light. One settled briefly on Sidro’s hair,