The Shadow Roads

Thirteen

There were a few cells hidden away beneath Castle Renne, thoughnothing like the “dungeons” one read of in stories. Dease made his way down theuneven stairs by the light of a lantern, careful with his footing. The stonetreads were crudely made, uneven and broken in places-easy enough to lose one’sfooting and stumble. He wiped away a cobweb that netted his face, then ran ahand over his hair to search for spiders.

He came into a passageway, its vaulted stone ceiling lost insmoky shadows. The air there was cool with a dank odor of newly turned soil. Aguard at the end of the passage rose quickly from the box he’d been loungingon, clearly worried that Dease would upbraid him for lazing on the job. Dease,however, could not have cared less.

“Lord Samul,” Dease said.

The man bowed nervously. “This way, your grace.” He lifted alantern from a hook set into the wall and led down a short side passage.Before a door with a tiny, barred window he stopped.

“That will be all,” Dease said, and the guard waddled off.

Inside the cell a candle flickered, offering dull illuminationto a cot, a small desk, and a single, straight-backed chair.

“Samul?”

A form rose from the cot, tossing back a blanket. “Dease?”Samul appeared in the candlelight, rising stiffly. He crossed the few paces tothe ironbound door.

“I’m glad to see you alive, Cousin,” Samul said, keeping hisvoice low.

“And you, Cousin,” Dease answered. “But what folly broughtyou here to Castle Renne? You must know that Toren will keep his word.”

“I was washed out of the Stillwater into a little tributaryof the Wynnd. I didn’t know at first where I was.”

Dease hung his lantern up on a hook by the door. It droveback only the worst of the shadows. The effect of this was to give to Samul’sface a cast of distress that was certainly not there. None of Samul’s emotionsever showed on his face-which had led many to speculate that he had nofeelings.

“I might have slipped quietly away, but when I heard war hadbroken out I knew I had to return to warn Toren. You will hardly believe me,but Hafydd has made a bargain with Death.”

“We know,” Dease answered. “One of the northerners, Fynnol,saw … you in league with Hafydd. Or so the Fael say.”

Samul’s hands came up and curled around the bars. “No,Dease! I had no choice but to pretend to serve Hafydd. It was Beld who made abargain with Hafydd, not I. In the Stillwater Hafydd approached me alone andoffered me a place of prominence in his court when he overran the land betweenthe mountains. He spoke very seductively about all that I could have andachieve, and gave me a small leather case, which he said contained an egg. Iwas to open the case and break the egg just before Alaan led us out of theStillwater. Out of range of Hafydd’s influence I came to my senses. But when Iwent to destroy the egg Beld found me and snatched the egg from my hand, andbroke it open. A wasp, flew out-I swear it is the truth-and Hafydd thenbelieved that it was I who had signaled him. But it was Beld.” He stopped totake a breath and collect his thoughts. “I saved Toren from Beld. Has he forgottenthat?”

“I’m sure he hasn’t. You also tried to murder him. He hasn’tforgotten that either.”

“And what of you, Dease? Have you forgotten your part?”

Dease looked around quickly, wondering how far voices carrieddown these passages. “I’ve not forgotten, Cousin,” he whispered. “That is whyI’m here. I’ll try to intercede with Toren for you-and with Lady Beatrice aswell. But they will never trust you. Be sure of that. If I cannot sway them, Iwill get you out of here somehow.” He glanced back down the hall. “This guardis fond of his drink. I shall slip him enough brandy to put him to sleep if Imust.”

They fell silent then, the two conspirators. The lanternguttered and went out, leaving Dease in near darkness, only the frail light ofSamul’s candle pushing back a thousandth part of the darkness. Dease glancedquickly around and he realized he could be in the cell, and the littlewindow through which he could see Samul’s faint silhouette his only view of theoutside.

He reached up and clasped Samul’s hand, which still held thebar. “Is there anything you need?”

Samul laughed. “In such luxurious surroundings what couldany man want? A new pallet and bedding would not be out of order. Candles. Abook to read. Ink and paper. I will soon go mad down here if I have nothing tooccupy my hours.”

“I’ll see to your needs, Samul. As soon as I can.” Deasereached up and took his lantern down from its hook, feeling the warmth stillrising from it even though the flame had vanished. He turned away, leaving hiscousin’s haunted face framed in the barred window.

“Dease?” Samul called before Dease had gone a dozen paces.

“Yes?”

HO

“And a cloak of wool. It is damp and chill down here. A mancan never get warm.”

“I’ll find you one,” Dease said.

He lit his lamp again from the guard’s and carried on downthe passage, the small, barred windows of empty cells gazing at him reproachfullyas he left.