The White Road - Lynn Flewelling [96]
"That's what we heard that night, up in the pass, wasn't it?" Micum whispered in Skalan.
"I think you're right. How are you, Alec?" asked Seregil, looking him over with concern. Even being on the edge of this latest magic had made him a little queasy.
"Fine." Alec paused, blinking. "I think he read my mind, though."
"We'll do well not to underestimate this witch. He's probably the one who knocked us off our horses, and put us to sleep, too."
"I remember hearing a strange noise," said Micum.
"Yes. They must have gotten close to us, for him to do that." Seregil gave them a wry grin. "If they weren't probably going to try and kill us, I'd have to admire them. However ..."
He held up his right hand, showing them it was free. He'd worked it loose before the man in the wolf mask had come in, then kept it in his lap, feigning sleep. He hadn't even had to dislocate his thumb this time, a fact he was very thankful for. He'd done it often enough over the years that the joint ached in cold weather, as it did now. Instead he'd simply folded his hand in on itself enough to work it out of the bonds.
"Now we start playing by our rules."
Rieser stood by the fire with Naba, waiting patiently for Turmay as they sipped their tea. A whole pan of it sat hot by the fire, sending up a sweet aroma. They'd run out weeks ago, but their captives had several pouches of it in their packs. It was good, too, strong on the tongue. A bit of milk would have been nice, but he wasn't complaining. One of the captives carried tobacco and a pipe, which Allia and Taegil were presently attempting to smoke. The stuff smelled vile, and they already looked a bit green.
"Stop that!" he ordered. "It's a filthy Tir vice. Have some tea."
Allia tossed the pipe away down the hill, and the pouch after it, then went to join the others, who were examining their captives' weapons and the rest of the contents of their packs. Judging by their clothing and boots, these were men of substance, even the Tir. And the man's sword had seen much use, Rieser acknowledged grudgingly. The other two swords were new, finely made by some expert smith but with little sign of use. The Tirfaie is probably their protector, he thought with a sneer.
Rane was still pacing angrily, saying nothing to anyone since his outburst. He would have to wait to avenge his brother until Rieser was satisfied he'd gotten all the information from these strangers that he could.
Naba had found them a good site for the night; a few of the stone huts of this deserted village still offered some shelter. Naba's people had once lived close to the trail; it had been theirs. Then the Skalan Tir came, and at some point the Retha'noi people had moved farther up into the mountains to avoid them.
Turmay came out of the ruined hut at last.
"What is it? Did you learn something from them?"
"The boy," Turmay said slowly. "I sensed something strange about him, and now I know. He died, and now he is alive again." He turned and said something to Naba, who took up his own oo'lu and went in to the captives.
"How is that possible?" asked Rieser as Naba began to play.
"It should not be. The Mother gives life and the Mother takes it away," Turmay said, rubbing a hand over his oo'lu. "It must be the tayan'gil's doing."
Naba emerged a moment later, looking perplexed as he spoke with Turmay.
"My brother says the same," Turmay told Rieser. "This is a great evil!"
"Are you saying their tayan'gil somehow restored him to life?" asked Nowen in disbelief.
"I don't know how, but that is what we saw in this Alec."
"The small tayan'gil can take life. Why not the reverse?" said Rieser.
"Is the boy an unnatural creature now?" asked Sorengil, making a sign against evil.
The witch nodded as he dipped up a cup of tea. "He is alive when he should be dead."
"So this little tayan'gil kills and gives life," Rieser murmured, astonished. "Thank you. I'll deal with them."
When he reached the darkened hut, however, he found it empty except for three hanks of rope lying where his captives had been.
"They've gotten loose!" he snarled,