The Spirit Stone - Katharine Kerr [92]
‘Well, that’s true. They do train their children to sleep in utter silence. That’s one good thing I can say for them.’
‘And the men don’t snore. Huh, an odd thing, that.’ Gwairyc suddenly grinned. ‘I wish I could teach my men back home that trick. The sound of a night-time barracks would probably drive you daft.’
‘Oh no doubt! It’s good thing I never wanted to ride with a warband.’
Every evening, once Ebañy was asleep in his father’s care, Morwen would join Loddlaen to learn more dweomer. She was surprised to find that she already knew the first elements of the lore. Since the priestesses of the Moon had always assumed she would someday join them in the temple, they had taught her how to visualize images and chant prayers in the proper voice, a deep vibration of sound. Instead of prayers, Loddlaen taught her how to use that voice in the small beginning rituals of dweomer. He also told her what she was supposed to be visualizing when she meditated.
Thanks to the Holy Ladies, she already knew that the universe had more levels than the physical plane, but Loddlaen had surprised her when he’d told her that every creature, human and animal alike, had several bodies. For some days now she’d been learning how to visualize a body of light so that she could eventually see some of those levels for herself.
‘You really are making splendid progress,’ Loddlaen said that evening. ‘I’ll wager your gifts are much greater than mine.’
‘Oh come now!’ Morwen said. ‘It’s because you’re a splendid teacher.’
‘Well, my thanks. I suppose that’s somewhat to the good.’ With a sigh he looked away. ‘I wish I had that black stone of Val’s.’
‘Why?’
‘Every time she lets me touch it, I feel—’ He frowned, thinking hard. ‘It’s hard to put into words. I feel like it’s giving off power, like the sun gives off light. I can absorb it the way you’d sit in the sun on a chilly morning to warm yourself. So if I had it with me, I’d finally be powerful enough to learn dweomer the way my Da wants me to.’
‘Why don’t you see if Val will trade it to you? You were saying the other night that you’ve got lots of extra horses.’
‘What a sensible idea!’ Loddlaen grinned at her. ‘Morri, I don’t know what I’d do without you. Here, let’s get back to our lesson, but first thing on the morrow, I’ll ask Val.’
Valandario, however, had no intention of trading away the obsidian pyramid. Morwen accompanied Loddlaen when he went to see if she’d bargain, but her answer left no doubt.
‘Not for all the horses in the world,’ Valandario said solemnly. ‘It fits too well with my work, you see. If it were an ordinary gem, I would give it to you in return for that silver colt of yours, but it’s not. It’s the key to a great many things I’m studying.’ She shot a nervous glance Morwen’s way. ‘Studying about jewellery, I mean.’
That’s right, Morwen told herself. I’m not supposed to know anything about dweomer. Aloud she said, ‘It must be very difficult to cut black firestone like that. Doesn’t it shatter?’
‘It does,’ Val said brightly. ‘That is the reason I need to study the pyramid. Someone managed to cut it.’
Loddlaen kept quiet during this exchange. When Morwen glanced his way, she saw that his face had gone pale. At his temple a vein stood out and twitched repeatedly. She laid a soothing hand on his arm, but he shook it off, then turned and strode away. Morwen stared after him.
‘He does so hate it when people say him nay,’ Valandario said softly. ‘Though his temper has improved just recently. You are good for him, Morri. It gladdens my heart to see him more at ease.’
Morwen realized with a sense of shock that Val thought she was Loddlaen’s lover. As if he’d want an ugly thing like me! she thought. That someone would entertain the idea, however, was surprisingly pleasant.
‘Oh, we’re just friends,’ Morwen said, ‘but we do have some nice long talks.’
‘Ah, I see.’ Val winked at her. ‘But you never know what may happen, do you?’
‘I suppose not. Um, I’d best go find Ebañy. He’s playing with