Chapter Five: A Deal
"Rehani, I have to go to the talks. You could come, but it would be fair boring." Daine told Rehani after lunch. Rehani shrugged.
"I'll stay here. As long as you keep that.that.that thing with you." Rehani replied, pointing at Kitten, who whistled angrily.
"Kitten will come with me. She finds the talk interesting. Oh, I was wondering. Do you know how to read?" Daine asked. Rehani nodded.
"When I came here I knew how." Rehani murmured to Daine's surprise.
"Wonderful. Well, I have some books in my trunk. Go ahead and read them. I'll see you later tonight. Would you rather eat dinner here, or with me at the banquet?" Daine asked as she combed her hair.
"It doesn't matter."
"You'll come to the banquet. I'll have to get you some proper clothes for it, then. See you later, Rehani. Don't get into any trouble." Daine left the room and shut the door behind her. Rehani sighed and dug in Daine's trunk for a book. She found one on wolves and eagerly opened it. She lay on her pallet and began to enthusiastically read the book. Soon she had fallen asleep. Somebody awoke her with a sharp pinch. Surprised, Rehani looked up into Varice Kingsford's furious face.
"What?" Rehani asked sleepily, sitting up and shutting her book.
"I'd like to make you a little deal." Varice announced.
"A deal?" Rehani asked warily.
"Yes, a deal. You split up Numair and Daine for me."
"What do I get out of it? Why do you want me to split them up? They seem happy."
"Don't talk like that to me." Varice slapped Rehani.
"Don't you dare hit me!" Rehani cried.
"What do you get? You get life as a noble girl. You get proper schooling and a proper husband and lots of food and clothes. For your information, Numair is my man, not Daine's."
"Really? They seem to be married. How can you be Numair's?" Rehani retorted.
"He only went for that little wench because he couldn't have me! Do it, and you'll have a wonderful life. Just think about it. Beautiful silk gowns, slaves of your own to boss around, a wealthy husband, lots of good food." Varice's voice trailed off as Rehani shook her head. "Why not?" Varice hissed.
"I don't want to. They're happy together. You'd better leave. They should be coming back from the talks soon."
"Oh yeah? Want to bet?" Varice asked, laughing cruelly and leaving the room with a sweep of her skirts. Rehani went to the doorway. Everybody but Daine and Numair were returning. Cautiously, Rehani approached Lady Knight Keladry.
"Yes?" Keladry asked kindly, looking down. Keladry was tall, while Rehani was short and slim.
"Do you know where Daine and Numair are?" Rehani asked. Keladry frowned and bit her lip.
"They didn't show up for the talks. Do you know if something happened to them?" Keladry answered worriedly. Then Alanna rushed up.
"Rehani, have you seen Daine or Numair?" she asked.
"No. I was just asking Lady Keladry." Rehani replied.
"Oh no." Alanna hurried back to her rooms. She came back out holding a mirror. Roses were painted on the back.
"What are you going to do?" Keladry asked Alanna as she began to look into the mirror.
"Scry for them." Alanna replied. Keladry and Rehani silently watched. Alanna threw down the mirror and cursed bitterly. Alanna stalked off to her rooms. Rehani bent down to pick up the mirror. A picture showed.
"What in the name of Mithros is that?" Keladry whispered. There was a shadow figure surrounded by black. It had a low voice with an eerie ring to it.
"Ask the People. Ask the People where your friends are, Rehani. Ask the People."
"The people? But nobody Tortallan knows!" Rehani answered.
"Not those people! The People!" Rehani looked blankly into the mirror. "You call them animals. You are one of them. Call them with your mind, my friend. Ask the cats and mice if they have seen the black haired stork man." Keladry burst into a fit of giggles.
"Stork man?" she asked, fleeing to her rooms.
"Ask if they have seen the stork man or the one who is People." The figure insisted before the mirror turned blank again. Rehani frowned and sat down on her pallet again. She closed her eyes and hesitantly began to think.
{Um, mice? Cats? Can somebody help me?}
{Did you just speak? I thought only Daine could speak.} a cat slunk into the room.
{Yes, I spoke. Have you seen Daine? Or her friend, Numair, the stork
man?}
{I know where they are, but you need keys to get to them.}
{Who has the keys?}
{That evil smelling woman. She always wears dresses and lots of colors on her face and she smells dreadful. She spoke to you earlier, very viciously in fact.}
{Varice Kingsford? She has the keys? I know where her rooms are. I'll search them tonight, during the banquet.}
{I will come to.} the cat insisted. {I will come when she leaves for the kitchens to bake the cake.}
{If you're sure, then.}
{I'm sure.} the cat darted off, leaving Rehani shocked and speechless. Somebody cleared their throat in the doorway. It was Alanna.
"Keladry said you saw somebody in the mirror, and they told you to ask the animals. Did you?" Alanna demanded, coming into the room. Rehani nodded, standing up.
"They know where they are, but they can't get to her without the keys. Varice has them. I'm going with the cat to get them during the banquet." Rehani said. Alanna's eyes widened. She put a finger over her lip and shut the door. Balls of purple fire rocketed around the room.
"Don't say it aloud. They have listening spells everywhere. You're going to find the keys tonight?"
"Yes. Then the cat can lead me to where they're being kept and I can set them free."
"Just be careful. Varice is very tricky. She hates Daine for marrying Numair. She was once Numair's lover. I think she still loves him." Alanna pulled the purple balls of fire back into her hands and left the room. When the others left for the banquet, the cat came for Rehani. They snuck into Varice's rooms. Rehani searched the rooms. With a cry of triumph, she grabbed the keys.
"So I came back to get changed and I find you instead. Come with me." a voice hissed from behind Rehani. Rehani whirled around and found herself staring into the face of Varice. Varice had an ugly smirk that ruined her pretty face. She dragged Rehani down halls and opened the door to a room with her magic. Rehani found herself thrown inside. Then the door shut. Rehani looked around the room. A majestic hawk was in the corner, a raven perched on the pallet. The hawk transformed into a very naked Numair. Numair yanked on his robe as Daine transformed from the raven and quickly pulled on clothes.
"Wonderful. You were our last hope, and now you're caught too. What were you doing?" Numair asked dryly as Rehani grumpily sat down next to Daine.
"Rescuing you. A cat told me she could lead me to where you were kept. I had just found the keys in Varice's rooms and then she caught me."
"Varice did this?" Numair asked.
"She wants to split you and Daine up. She still thinks of you as 'her' man. She hates Daine for marrying you." Rehani replied quietly. Daine scowled.
"Great. Who'll save us now?" she muttered.
"I will." The voice was firm and knowledgeable. Rehani turned and her mouth dropped open in shock.
"Rehani, I have to go to the talks. You could come, but it would be fair boring." Daine told Rehani after lunch. Rehani shrugged.
"I'll stay here. As long as you keep that.that.that thing with you." Rehani replied, pointing at Kitten, who whistled angrily.
"Kitten will come with me. She finds the talk interesting. Oh, I was wondering. Do you know how to read?" Daine asked. Rehani nodded.
"When I came here I knew how." Rehani murmured to Daine's surprise.
"Wonderful. Well, I have some books in my trunk. Go ahead and read them. I'll see you later tonight. Would you rather eat dinner here, or with me at the banquet?" Daine asked as she combed her hair.
"It doesn't matter."
"You'll come to the banquet. I'll have to get you some proper clothes for it, then. See you later, Rehani. Don't get into any trouble." Daine left the room and shut the door behind her. Rehani sighed and dug in Daine's trunk for a book. She found one on wolves and eagerly opened it. She lay on her pallet and began to enthusiastically read the book. Soon she had fallen asleep. Somebody awoke her with a sharp pinch. Surprised, Rehani looked up into Varice Kingsford's furious face.
"What?" Rehani asked sleepily, sitting up and shutting her book.
"I'd like to make you a little deal." Varice announced.
"A deal?" Rehani asked warily.
"Yes, a deal. You split up Numair and Daine for me."
"What do I get out of it? Why do you want me to split them up? They seem happy."
"Don't talk like that to me." Varice slapped Rehani.
"Don't you dare hit me!" Rehani cried.
"What do you get? You get life as a noble girl. You get proper schooling and a proper husband and lots of food and clothes. For your information, Numair is my man, not Daine's."
"Really? They seem to be married. How can you be Numair's?" Rehani retorted.
"He only went for that little wench because he couldn't have me! Do it, and you'll have a wonderful life. Just think about it. Beautiful silk gowns, slaves of your own to boss around, a wealthy husband, lots of good food." Varice's voice trailed off as Rehani shook her head. "Why not?" Varice hissed.
"I don't want to. They're happy together. You'd better leave. They should be coming back from the talks soon."
"Oh yeah? Want to bet?" Varice asked, laughing cruelly and leaving the room with a sweep of her skirts. Rehani went to the doorway. Everybody but Daine and Numair were returning. Cautiously, Rehani approached Lady Knight Keladry.
"Yes?" Keladry asked kindly, looking down. Keladry was tall, while Rehani was short and slim.
"Do you know where Daine and Numair are?" Rehani asked. Keladry frowned and bit her lip.
"They didn't show up for the talks. Do you know if something happened to them?" Keladry answered worriedly. Then Alanna rushed up.
"Rehani, have you seen Daine or Numair?" she asked.
"No. I was just asking Lady Keladry." Rehani replied.
"Oh no." Alanna hurried back to her rooms. She came back out holding a mirror. Roses were painted on the back.
"What are you going to do?" Keladry asked Alanna as she began to look into the mirror.
"Scry for them." Alanna replied. Keladry and Rehani silently watched. Alanna threw down the mirror and cursed bitterly. Alanna stalked off to her rooms. Rehani bent down to pick up the mirror. A picture showed.
"What in the name of Mithros is that?" Keladry whispered. There was a shadow figure surrounded by black. It had a low voice with an eerie ring to it.
"Ask the People. Ask the People where your friends are, Rehani. Ask the People."
"The people? But nobody Tortallan knows!" Rehani answered.
"Not those people! The People!" Rehani looked blankly into the mirror. "You call them animals. You are one of them. Call them with your mind, my friend. Ask the cats and mice if they have seen the black haired stork man." Keladry burst into a fit of giggles.
"Stork man?" she asked, fleeing to her rooms.
"Ask if they have seen the stork man or the one who is People." The figure insisted before the mirror turned blank again. Rehani frowned and sat down on her pallet again. She closed her eyes and hesitantly began to think.
{Um, mice? Cats? Can somebody help me?}
{Did you just speak? I thought only Daine could speak.} a cat slunk into the room.
{Yes, I spoke. Have you seen Daine? Or her friend, Numair, the stork
man?}
{I know where they are, but you need keys to get to them.}
{Who has the keys?}
{That evil smelling woman. She always wears dresses and lots of colors on her face and she smells dreadful. She spoke to you earlier, very viciously in fact.}
{Varice Kingsford? She has the keys? I know where her rooms are. I'll search them tonight, during the banquet.}
{I will come to.} the cat insisted. {I will come when she leaves for the kitchens to bake the cake.}
{If you're sure, then.}
{I'm sure.} the cat darted off, leaving Rehani shocked and speechless. Somebody cleared their throat in the doorway. It was Alanna.
"Keladry said you saw somebody in the mirror, and they told you to ask the animals. Did you?" Alanna demanded, coming into the room. Rehani nodded, standing up.
"They know where they are, but they can't get to her without the keys. Varice has them. I'm going with the cat to get them during the banquet." Rehani said. Alanna's eyes widened. She put a finger over her lip and shut the door. Balls of purple fire rocketed around the room.
"Don't say it aloud. They have listening spells everywhere. You're going to find the keys tonight?"
"Yes. Then the cat can lead me to where they're being kept and I can set them free."
"Just be careful. Varice is very tricky. She hates Daine for marrying Numair. She was once Numair's lover. I think she still loves him." Alanna pulled the purple balls of fire back into her hands and left the room. When the others left for the banquet, the cat came for Rehani. They snuck into Varice's rooms. Rehani searched the rooms. With a cry of triumph, she grabbed the keys.
"So I came back to get changed and I find you instead. Come with me." a voice hissed from behind Rehani. Rehani whirled around and found herself staring into the face of Varice. Varice had an ugly smirk that ruined her pretty face. She dragged Rehani down halls and opened the door to a room with her magic. Rehani found herself thrown inside. Then the door shut. Rehani looked around the room. A majestic hawk was in the corner, a raven perched on the pallet. The hawk transformed into a very naked Numair. Numair yanked on his robe as Daine transformed from the raven and quickly pulled on clothes.
"Wonderful. You were our last hope, and now you're caught too. What were you doing?" Numair asked dryly as Rehani grumpily sat down next to Daine.
"Rescuing you. A cat told me she could lead me to where you were kept. I had just found the keys in Varice's rooms and then she caught me."
"Varice did this?" Numair asked.
"She wants to split you and Daine up. She still thinks of you as 'her' man. She hates Daine for marrying you." Rehani replied quietly. Daine scowled.
"Great. Who'll save us now?" she muttered.
"I will." The voice was firm and knowledgeable. Rehani turned and her mouth dropped open in shock.