The Shadow Roads

Eight

Stars and a swaying lantern on a pole did little to pressback the night. The waning moon, barely a sliver, hid its feeble light behind acloud, and the trees loomed over the road like malevolent giants. With eachrevolution of the wheels the axle squeaked, like a whimper of resignation.

Kai rode in the back of the cart, upon the pillows from hisbarrow. The cart jounced and staggered over the uneven road, the single horsesnorting and shaking its harness in protest at being taken from its stall solate. Kai held on as best he could as he was thrown this way then that.

The two guards sat upon the high seat, one smoking a pipe,which Kai was certain he was not allowed on duty.

“Not too much farther,” the smoker said, then drew on hispipe, releasing, with some satisfaction, a cloud of smoke into the night.

They had crossed the bridge over the Westbrook and turnednow to follow along its bank, the squeak of the cart wheels blending in withthe songs of the crickets and tree frogs.

Kai had to admit that he was in misery. Having seen theproud Renne in their castle, he was more aware than usual of his own circumstances.He who had once been great among the great, had been the lover of Sianon, now alandless vagabond-a man who went about in a barrow. He needed to make his teaof blood lily, for the ghost pain was strong that night. How had his long lifecome to such a pass?

A torch was lit on the road before them, and from itanother. Kai tried to boost himself up to see past the two guards. Probably menwith an oxen and dray delivering barrels to Westbrook. Who else was abroad atsuch an hour?

But there was no dray, and the men blocked the road, othersquickly surrounding the cart and its surprised occupants. In the flickeringtorchlight Kai could see the dull gleam of steel.

They had adjourned to a room without a hearth. A room seldomused but for summer, for it had little to recommend it-not even a charmingview. But it seemed a very safe room in which to speak, in light of what had happenedthat night.

“Then this man Kai is everything Lord Carral claimed?” LadyBeatrice looked over at Toren.

Dease had gone off to his rooms to find a bath and sleep,but Toren had too much to tell and had quickly bathed and changed. He ate whilethey talked-which would have been unspeakably rude under any othercircumstances. Lady Beatrice, however, was prepared to forgive him anythingthat night. She thought he looked the worse for his journey, thinner, almostgaunt, and deeply fatigued. She could see that in his eyes. But once she hadheard his story, the look in his eye took on different meaning.

She was still in a state of disbelief. Carral’s ravingsabout Kai seemed positively sane after the things she heard from Toren.

“Yes,” Toren said, sipping his wine, “all that and more.”

Lady Beatrice shook her head. “I received a note from LadyLlyn not half an hour ago. She implored me to do everything in my power to keepKai safe. I have no idea why, or even how she knew he was here.”

Toren stopped eating. “I have always found Llyn’s opinionsto be worth listening to.”

“I agree. Unfortunately, I let Kai go back to the Faelencampment before I heard from Llyn. At least I had the foresight to sendguards with him.”

Toren relaxed visibly. “A company of guards should keep himfrom harm.”

Lady Beatrice pressed her eyes closed. “I sent only two menin a cart.”

Toren turned to Fondor. “Can you send out a small company ofmen-at-arms to accompany Kai?”

“Too late,” Lady Beatrice said. “They left sometime ago.”

She reached out and squeezed Toren’s wrist as though to reassureherself he was really there. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she managed notto weep.

“This close to Westbrook,” she said, “certainly he will besafe.”

Toren nodded and turned back to his meal.

“And where is Elise Wills, now?” Lady Beatrice asked.

“I don’t know. We were, most of us, separated in the cave.She could be anywhere.”

“She could truly be dead, this time.”

“It is possible.”

“Then what shall I tell Lord Carral? His daughter did notdie in the Westbrook, as we thought. But she might now have truly drowned inanother place. A distant place that can only be reached if one has a magicalmap.”

“He must be told the truth,” Toren said, “no matter howdifficult it is to accept.”

“I suppose.” It was clear to Lady Beatrice that she would bethe bearer of that truth. Although Toren had shouldered the responsibilitiesof his inheritance, there were certain duties he shunned. Lord Carral would beleft to her, which was, perhaps, as it should be. But either Toren or Deasewould have to speak with Lord Carral eventually. He would want to hear thisnews at first hand. He would, she realized, want to know why his daughter hadlet him think she was dead-had let him go through the torture. What pain thiswould cause him!

“But Hafydd, or whoever he is now, was not seen to survivethis place … What did you call it?”

“The Stillwater.” Toren moved in his chair, stretching alittle as though he were in pain. He wore a deep red jacket with silveroak leafclasps, the white of his linen shirt at his wrists and neck hardly paler thanhis face. He applied himself to his wine, then refilled the glass himself, forthey had sent all the servants out. “But Hafydd will have survived.”

“We should have lopped off his head upon the field atHarrow-down, when we had the chance,” Fondor said.

Lady Beatrice did not hide her reaction to this statement,and Fondor looked suitably contrite.

Lady Beatrice took up her own glass, which appeared to beemptying at an alarming rate. Her poor mind could not grasp all that was beingsaid. It was enough that Hafydd still lived and that he had made a bargain witha sorcerer long dead, but all that Toren now told her! Servants of Deathappearing and dragging Beldor off into the night, Elise Wills alive and inthrall to some sorcerer who should have been dead a thousand years ago. And nowToren claimed that this legless man, Kai, really had been a servant of a son ofWyrr. A man without possessions, who went about in a barrow!

“I will want to speak with Kel, as soon as possible.” Torenpaused, his fork suspended halfway to his mouth. “I still don’t believe thePrince of Innes would start this war without his precious counselor present.”

“And a lucky thing for us that he did,” Fondor said. “I’vehad reports from Kel. It was a close-run battle. If Vast had not arrived whenhe did …”

“Vast shall be suitably rewarded,” Toren said, and the forkcontinued its journey.

“Yes,” Lady Beatrice said. “He shall.”

A knock at the door was followed by a guard. “News, Lady Beatrice,”the man said. “Yes, what is it?”

“Highwaymen have fallen on your guest of earlier this evening.”Lady Beatrice felt herself sway. “What do you say?”

“The two guards were found dead in the road just beyond thefirst bridge. The cart was taken. No sign of the crippled man they accompanied.”

Fondor and Toren looked at each other an instant, then wereboth on their feet and running out the door.