Sun in Glory and Other Tales of Valdemar

hearing him proclaimed a criminal and punished as a murderer...

Might as well imagine herself a Herald while she was at it, with one of those snowy-bright Companions, or maybe-Marra whirled, hands clenched on the branch she was using for a walking staff. 'All right, whoever you are, I know you're there. So stop being childish and either step forward where I can see you, or get the hell away from me!'

Oh, smart. You've just announced where you are to anyone in earshot.

She waited, heart pounding. The forest had gone utterly still, shocked into silence by her shout.

Then a male voice, low but so musical it gave her a little shiver of delight said, 'Your pardon. I shall bother you no longer.'

'Who-what-'

No answer. Marra waited, but whoever had been following her really must be gone now, because the birds were resuming their cheerful noise. Warily, wondering, Marra moved on.

But night fell swiftly in the forest, and even though a glance upward told her that the sky was still bright with sunlight, down here it was already twilight. She'd better start thinking about stopping for the night.

Another glance upward, and Marra froze, wonder-struck. Far overhead, two gryphons were sporting in the air, so high in the dazzling blue that they looked small as birds. The sunlight glinted off their golden coats and wings, and for a moment more, she stood motionless, holding her breath.

Then they were gone, soaring down the wind, and with a sigh, she began hunting for a place to camp till morning. It really was growing dark-and in a hurry, too Suddenly, a...thing was on her with a roar, hurling her to the ground under a mass of dark fur.

Fangs glinted, and Marra, gasping, managed to get the staff up in time to have them clash together on the branch, splintering it, as she struggled to get free before sharp talons could rake her or-Suddenly the thing roared again, in pain this time, and the suffocating weight was gone from her.

Marra caught a glimpse of a man-no, not a man, not with those curling horns, or those clawed hands. But whatever he as, he was fighting the creature, saving her, and Marra looked wildly about for some way to help him. Pebbles, twigs, nothing like a good solid rock.

She grabbed the largest branch she could find, and whaled the creature over the head with it. The branch broke, and the thing whirled to her, snarling. Marra thought wildly, Wonderful, now it's really mad!

But she'd given the-the man the chance he needed. He had other weapons than claws, evidently, because a blade glinted, then stopped glinting, red with the thing's blood. The creature lunged, the man-whatever he was- cried out in pain

Then the creature fell, twitching, and then lay still. Over the crumpled mound of dark fur, eyes golden as a gryphon's stared at her for an instant.

Then the man, too, had crumpled.

Oh, no, you don't! Marra thought, and hurried to his side. I've seen enough death lately.

But then she froze, looking down at him. His face was finely drawn, almost thin, handsome in its own way, but rimmed with russet...fur. The tips of sharp fangs showed between human lips, and the tips of pointed animal ears poked through the tangled russet...hair? The horns she'd noted rising from his forehead were elegant, like twin spirals of ivory maybe a hand's breadth long, definitely not what one expected to see on a human head.

Marra swallowed dryly. His hands were such normal hands-but they ended in powerful, curving claws. Yet the rest of him seemed utterly human, clad in tunic and trousers that were tattered but clearly of fine weave. And he- And he was going to bleed to death if she didn't stop maundering and did something to help him. A slash crossed his chest, and as Marra pulled the torn tunic aside to get at the wound...it was no longer bleeding. In fact, it was no longer there.

A clawed hand caught her own. Before Marra could pull away, the man's eyes shot open. They were that brilliant gold, wild and confused, and Marra said hastily, 'It's all right. You killed the-the thing.'

The wildness faded, and suddenly those were purely human eyes despite the odd color, the eyes of someone who has lived with despair so long that it has become a companion.

'Yes,' he said. 'I remember now.'

Releasing her, he sat up in one fluid movement. That voice! That musical voice-

'You were the one following me! Why?'

'I wanted to be sure you came to no harm.'

'Oh, please. I'm not some fine lady with a noble protector.' Marra closed a hand about a rock, just in case. 'Why were you following me?'

The...man sighed. 'If you must know, I was lonely. I...don't get to see too many of my kind these days.'

'Your kind?' she echoed warily.

'Human, lady! I am-was a human, even as you!'

'Of...course.'

He stood, shuddering. 'The night is almost here. Come, I'll lead you to a safer place to camp.'

Marra glanced about, wrapping her arms about herself. Forest, forest, and more forest, and all of it growing dark. With a sigh, she followed him since there didn't seem to be much of a choice. Besides, he had saved her life...for whatever reason.

'Who are you?' Marra asked suddenly.

'No one.'

'Oh, don't be cute! If you really are as human as you claim, you have a name.'

Was that a reluctant chuckle? 'I can see that you have scant patience for fools. I am Albain Tandarek,' a slight, ironic bow, 'at your service.'

'Ah.' That was clearly a noble's name. 'I'm Marra.'

He glanced back at her, as though about to ask what a village woman was doing wandering in the wilderness by herself, but said nothing.

They walked on through the growing darkness in silence. But then he-Albain-whatever he was, stopped suddenly. 'This looks like a good place for you to camp.'

With that, he vanished into the gloom.

'Hey! You can't leave me like that! Hey! '

Albain returned in only a few moments, his arms full of wood. 'Surely you wish a fire?'

'Surely I wish to know what's going on. Who are you? I mean, really, not just a name. And why were you following me?'

He sighed and squatted down, making a big show of arranging the firewood just so, clawed fingers neatly snagging stray tinder and putting each bit in place. 'The second part I already told you: I was lonely. Besides, I didn't like the idea of a woman alone, not here.'

He clearly didn't mean in an ordinary forest. 'The, uh, thing?' Marra paused in the middle of lighting the fire. 'The one you killed?' She heard her voice rise. 'There are more of those?'

'Very possibly.'

'But then, but then,' Marra stammered in a rush of sudden, desperate hope, 'officials, warriors, Heralds, someone's bound to be coming to investigate!' And I won't have to go so far to tell them about Darick!

'How would they know?'

'Wouldn't you send word that...oh.' They'd think him a monster, too, and probably slay him before he could convince them otherwise. 'They would. Magic, or...'

Marra clicked flint and steel together once more in fierce determination. The fire burst into life, tinder first, then branches. As the light blazed up, Albain shrank back into the shadows, an eerie figure in the night.

That was the final strain on Marra's already over-worked nerves. 'You enjoy being mysterious, don't you?' she snapped. 'Or is it that you're busy feeling sorry for yourself?'

He lunged forward with a snarl, fanged face clear in the firelight. 'Shouldn't I be?'

Marra refused to flinch. 'Look, I just lost my whole village to a bastard who thought it would be fun to wipe us