Exactly. I can't tell you how relieved I am. He has been a very good friend for many years,' she said, tilting her head to one side as she sat silhouetted against the indigo sky. 'And he has been under a great deal of strain lately.' ' And were you lovers?' Darkwind asked sharply, in a tone that surprised even him. Why should I care? he wondered. They're Outlanders. they'll get what they need and leave, like the breath of wind on a still pond. the only impression they can make is a fleeting one.
She didn't seem to notice. 'I haven't been entirely candid with you, Darkwind-though mostly it was because I didn't think rank was going to impress you any, and might have made you reject us out of hand.' Ah, so my surmise was right.
She took a deep breath. 'I'm next in line for the throne. Not that I particularly want it,' she added, and there was a kind of chagrined surprise in her voice, 'Which is odd, because when I was little, I thought that being made Heir was the highest possible pinnacle of success. But there it is; now I have it, and I rather wish I didn't. Skif has always been a kind of big brother to me, and there were always rumors about the two of us.'
'But were they true?' he persisted. He shifted a little; not because he was uncomfortable outside, but because he was acutely uncomfortable inside. jealousy again, and this time for no damned reason!
It must be overflow from Nyara, he decided. Gods of my fathers; this is embarrassing... have I no self- control?
'No,' she said calmly, relieving his jealousy by her answer. 'No, he always thought of me as a little sister. Until we went out on this trip together. then he suddenly decided that he was in love with me.' She sounded annoyed, to his great satisfaction. 'I cannot for the life of me imagine why, but that's what he decided, and I've been trying to discourage him. Maybe once I would have been happy for that, but-it's not possible, Darkwind. I have duties as the Heir, if I ever get back in one piece. If I were to make any kind of alliance, I have to consider my duties first. And anything permanent would be weighed against them.
Love-even if genuine-could only be secondary. Mother married for what she thought was love the first time, and it was a total disaster. Skif is so blinded by his own feelings that he won't even consider anything else.'
'Ah,' he replied, 'I take it that you are far from convinced that what your friend feels is love.' She snorted. 'Infatuation, more like it. I've been trying to emulate my teacher- Kerowyn-since we left Valdemar, and he worships her.
That may have been the problem.' So she feels no tie beyond friendship for this Skif, he thought, with a feeling of satisfaction. Well, if she is going to learn magic, that's just as well. She'll have a great deal to learn, coming to it this late, and she'll have no time for anything but study. 'That may have been the situation,' he responded, sensing she was waiting for some kind of a reply. 'But-you sounded very annoyed just now with him. May I ask why? If there is friction other than what you have told me, I need to know.'
'Nothing other than that once he became infatuated, he wanted to wrap me in silk and stick me in a jewel box,' she replied, the annoyance back in her voice. 'I think I have him cured of that, but in case I haven't, the problem may come up again.' He nodded, forgetting that it was dark enough that she wouldn't see the nod, then coughed politely. 'Thank you, Elspeth. That could cause some problems. I hope I have not caused you distress by asking you these questions.'
'No, not at all,' she replied, surprise in her voice. 'You are a very easy person to confide in, Darkwind. Thank you for giving me the chance to unburden myself. My Companion thinks Skif is perfect for me, and Need thinks he's an utter loss, so any time I say anything to either of them, all I get is lectures.' Companion? Oh, that must be the spirit-mare. But she said it as if it were a name...'Companion?' he asked, as the first breath of the evening wind flowed through the stones and breathed the hair away from his face.
'My not-horse,' she replied, and there was a smile there that he felt across the darkness between them. 'The one you have very graciously been treating not like a horse. We call them'Companions'; every Herald in Valdemar has one-they Choose us to be Heralds.'
'They-' he hesitated in confusion. 'Could you please explain?'
'Certainly, if you don't mind my coming closer,' she replied. He peered through the darkness at her to see if she was being flirtatious-but she appeared to be swatting at her legs. 'There seem to be some kind of nocturnal insects on this rock, and they like the taste of Herald.
'By all means, come sit beside me,' he replied, grateful to the night-ants.' There are no night-ant nests here.' She rose, brushing off her legs, as he moved over on his rock to give her room.
'Now,' he continued, 'About these'Companions' of yours-'
'Shouldn't we be discussing how to get Dawnfire free?' she replied as she seated herself, her tone one of concern. 'It's easy to get distracted.'
'We are discussing Dawnfire,' he told her, a little grimly. 'You and this'Companion' of yours may be better suited to the task than I. I need to know as much as possible about you.'
'But Skif-'
'Won't be back for some time,' he assured her. 'And I have but two concerns regarding him. The first-that her father not attempt to contact or call her while he is with her.'
