The Spirit Stone - Katharine Kerr [202]
‘But it’s also a very potent gem, and that’s a rational reason to lust after it,’ Laz went on. ‘Don’t you?’
‘Laz, it’s sitting in the middle of an army. What do you think we can do? Ride up and politely ask these sorcerers if we may have it since they’ve got no use for it? Sneak in past hundreds of armed men and steal it?’
He sat down opposite her at the table and leaned forward onto his elbows to prop his chin up in his hands. ‘There’s got to be some way to save it,’ he said at last. ‘It’s so wretchedly unfair. I’m never going to be able to understand the white one if I don’t have the black. Yes, of course, you’re right. Stealing it’s out of the question.’ His eyes brightened, and he sat up straight to grin at her. ‘Out of the question for a man, certainly, but what about the raven? After they cross the ford, they’ll be close to the forest verge. I could build an astral tunnel, lurk there waiting for the right moment, and then swoop down.’
‘You’ve gone mad! What about the dragons?’
‘The dragons, my dearest love, are off scouting for the would-be avengers of Zakh Gral.’
‘Have they taken all the archers with them?’
Laz’s good cheer vanished. ‘Ah yes,’ he said. ‘The archers.’
‘Indeed. The archers.’
‘I’ll have to think about this.’ Laz stood up and resumed his pacing. ‘Surely I can come up with some way to get my claws on that spirit stone.’
That evening Gwerbret Ridvar issued his orders to those men directly under his command. His grace had decided that, since he himself would remain with the two princes, Tieryn Cadryc would take command of all the Red Wolf vassals and allies, including the Falcon clan and Salamander, to guard the wounded while they pulled back across the ford. With Clae trailing behind him, Gerran stalked through the camp until he found the tieryn.
‘Why am I being sent off?’ Gerran said. ‘Doesn’t his grace think I can fight as well as the next man?’
‘Naught of the sort,’ Cadryc said. ‘It’s because you’re the only lord the Falcon has. There’s no use in bringing a clan to life only to kill it off straightaway.’
‘Just so.’ Calonderiel came striding up to join them. He was carrying a wooden box in one hand. ‘A hundred of my archers will be riding back with you, by the by, and all of the Mountain Folk. None of them are insulted.’
‘Besides—’ Cadryc paused for a quick look around, then lowered his voice. ‘If anyone should be insulted, it’s doubtless me, and I’m not. No doubt the gwerbret’s tired of looking at me. Hah! We’ll be out of his grasp by Samaen.’
‘And a grand thing that is!’ Gerran suddenly remembered Solla, waiting for him at home. While he never would have admitted it to another man, thinking of her made him see some good in the gwerbret’s decision. ‘My apologies for the outburst, your grace.’
‘Accepted,’ Cadryc said. ‘Now, banadar, what’s that you’re carrying?’
‘Somewhat for Gerro,’ Calonderiel held out the wooden box. ‘A bit of booty if you want it. Dalla thought you might, but she doesn’t mean to insult you, either, if you don’t.’
‘Why would she think I’d be insulted?’ Gerran took the box and flipped the hinged lid open. ‘A silver dagger! Now I understand, but no insult taken, tell her. Salamander mentioned somewhat about seeing a silver dagger on that piss-poor excuse for an altar.’
‘This is the very one.’ Calonderiel paused to spit on the ground. ‘One of their not so holy relics.’
‘May I see, my lord?’ Clae said.
When Gerran handed his page the open box, Clae stared at the dagger for a long moment, then reached out a gentle finger and stroked the wyvern device engraved on the blade. Gerran could have sworn that the lad was near to tears, but Clae closed the box and forced out a smile.
‘What’s all this?’ Cadryc said to him.
‘I don’t know, your grace,’ Clae said. ‘Seeing that dagger, it gave me the strangest feeling. I just don’t know why.’
‘Do you want it, lad?’ Gerran said. ‘The metal won’t buy our clan much, and I’m certainly not minded to carry it.’
‘I should think not, my lord!’ Clae hesitated. ‘You know, it’s stranger and stranger, but