Chapter Five



It was long after nightfall when they got back to the palace and everyone, page, adult or horse, was totally exhausted. Lord Wyldon, Hakim Fahrar and the Lioness were the only riders who moved after Wyldon had called a halt. He and Lady Alanna took the dragon in to see the King, while the Bazhir began to instruct the slumped, half-asleep pages.

"Make sure that your tack is clean. There is no excuse for leaving it dirty or your horse uncomfortable. You must rub your mount down and put his blankets on. When I am satisfied that you have done all you need, you may go into the palace. Tread softly, do not risk waking anyone and go silently to bed. No talking, before or after you go in. Your master asks me to inform you that breakfast will be at the usual time tomorrow, but you will not wait for any pages who are late. There will be no morning lessons, either, for you tomorrow. The fighting arts will replace the thinking arts in the afternoon. You may begin."

Kel tumbled into bed, exhausted. The midnight watch was being cried outside her window as she fell asleep.

She woke as the sun began to stream in through her window. The fifth hour already, she thought. I deserve a bit more time, I rode for nearly seven hours yesterday and only had five hours sleep. I've got all morning free anyway. She yawned, turned over and snuggled down again.

She woke again half-an-hour later. Crown was pecking at her nose, obviously concerned that this lazy human would miss breakfast.

"That's a point, actually." said Kel aloud. "I'm starving!"

Ten minutes later she was washed, dressed and in the dining room. Merric was there, so was Cleon, although Neal was definitely still in bed. She knew he'd prefer actually starving to getting up in the morning! She hurried to sit with them, sliding onto the bench just in time for Wyldon's grace.

"We ask your blessing on our day and our meal, bright Mithros, kind Black God. In the face of change: a new year, new work, new boys, new treaties, new alliances..." his lip twisted slightly "...help the boys to keep to the standard that we always have had, even through the subversive influences that have leaked in."

Kel began to eat, ignoring the clear allusions with long habit and Yamani stoicity.

"He's still praying about you!" exclaimed Merric. "He let you come back, so why on earth can't he accept it?"

"What I don't understand is why I'm still 'change'. I mean, I changed things a year ago, though not nearly as much as he seems to think. I'm not still changing them!"

"Who can fathom the ways of the Stump?!" grinned Cleon. They had all adopted Neal's irreverent description of their lord and master.

Kel spent the morning washing her hair, writing to her family, practising with her glaive and doing pattern dances - a nice, restful morning, with just enough work involved that she didn't feel too guilty about all the more worthy things which she could be doing with her unexpected free time. The afternoon, she knew, would be horrible. She'd probably have to vault onto Peachblossom from a tree, or climb a twelve-foot pole, or run on Balor's Needle, or something totally awful and probably to do with heights... one way or another, the Stump's breakfast prayer boded ill for The Girl.

She was right. The very first task Wyldon set was planning and fighting an attack in groups. She was with a preoccupied Neal, Seaver and Tasen, a new boy who obviously didn't want anything to do with her. And it was she, of course, who was put in charge of planning their attack from the top of the curtain wall.

I am all right. she whispered to herself time and time again as she climbed. I am as stone. She bit back a gulp. Stone fell! I won't fall. I am perfectly safe. I am as a still lake, or a cat in the sun. I am safe. I am stone. By then, Kel had reached the top of the wall. She got out her paper and charcoal. Carefully, she looked out over the palace. So long as she didn't look down, she was all right...

"Mindelan! Are you finished yet?"

"No, my lord. I... I need a few more minutes."

"Hurry!"

Kel set to, biting her lip. She had to look down for the task... I am stone, she reminded herself, and taking a deep breath she Looked. She sketched the palace grounds and walls, marking on the sentry posts. Then, welcoming the employment for her brain and the respite from Looking, she began to think, drawing arrows for her force.

They won the attack and Kel resolved to practise heights more often. She realised once more that her tremendous fear would be the end of her as a page - or as a squire or a knight, if she by some amazing miracle survived the next two-and-a-half years - if she didn't conquer it now.

That evening, Kel was planning a program of dawn heights work for the next two weeks when Neal walked in. She could tell by his step that he had something of moment to relate.

"What's happened now?" she asked, amusedly resigned. But one look at her friend's face and she lost all her cheer. "It isn't... it can't be the Queen?"

"No. She's no better, and Father's no nearer to finding a cure, but she's still fighting. It's much, much worse."

"Is it the dragon?" asked Kel, racking her brains to come up with anything worse than that fear.

"He's been cleared, didn't you know? And the talks are going ahead in two weeks time. It'll last about two days this time, as it should have done before."

Neal's mention of the talks had suggested another piece of bad news. "What about Daine? Is it her?"

"No... she's all right, it's only my heart that's breaking every time I see her with that old man. And I have to be civil to him in magic class, too!"

"Neal, I swear, you're wasted here. Go and join a Player troupe!"

"Wait 'til you fall in love, young lady!"

"Neal... but what's the news?"

Instantly he was sober. "It's the Lioness. She's not speaking to anyone... she's not seeing anyone... not even Sir Myles, she's sent for the Baron not to come, even my father... she's shut herself off."

Kel felt dizzy. "Has she quarrelled with the King again?"

"No... I think she's trying desperately not to. That's just me, I don't know her that well... but that's what I think."

Sir Lady Alanna of Pirate's Swoop, formerly of Trebond and Olau, only lady of Fief Trebond, shaman and rider of the Bloody Hawk, King's Champion of Tortall, the one lady knight in the Eastern Lands, sometimes known as the Lioness for her shield, was troubled. She couldn't tolerate her suspicions any longer.

Oh, she was used to suspecting people. But now she was caught in the middle, between her King... and her friend. And just to complicate things further, her King was also her friend and had been her lover; and the problem was about yet another friend. Alanna's heart still wept every time she thought of Thayet, so horribly weak, her health and beauty melting into the still, cold beauty of death. She knew what she needed to do.

It was hard to gather the courage. She felt a little guilty for arousing the concern of so many of her friends, but she had to do it. Everyone would forbid her, if they knew. She didn't intend them to know anything about it until it was far too late to stop her.

Yes, her duty was clear. But it was a hard duty and even her battle-scarred heart recoiled from causing so much grief and pain. She hardened it with the memory of Thayet's thin, wan face and tiny form, lost in the bed. She had chosen the image well. The Lady Knight would do anything to stop such suffering.