Tarma bowed her head briefly, rilled with such relief that she was nearly dizzy with it. And filled as suddenly with an understanding of exactly what and who this Herald and his Companion were. 'I am answered, Bright Star.'
There was another breath of hot wind, a surging of power that left Tarma's eyes dazzled, and She was gone.
The Herald closed his eyes briefly, and let out the breath he had been holding in a great sigh. As the horse returned to stand beside him, he opened his eyes again, and turned to face Tarma.
'Forgive me for doubting you, even a little,' he said, his voice and the hand he extended to her trembling slightly. 'But I followed you out here because -- '
'For the same reason I would have followed you had our positions been reversed' Tarma interrupted, clasping the hand he stretched out. 'I wasn't expecting Her when I called, but I think I know now why She came. Both of us have had our doubts settled, haven't we -- brother?'
His hold on her hand was warm and steady, and his smile was unwavering and equally warm. 'I think, more than settled, sister.'
She caught his other hand; they stood facing each other with hands clasped in hands for a very long time, savoring the moment. There was nothing even remotely sexual about what they shared in that timeless space; just the contentment and love of soul-sib meeting soul-sib, something akin to what Tarma had for Kethry --
-and, she realized, with all the knowledge that passed to her from her Goddess in her moment of enlightenment, what this Herald shared with his Companion. For it was no horse that stood beside Roald, and she wondered now how she could have ever thought that it was. Another soul-sib. And -- how odd -- even the Heralds don't know exactly what their Companions are --
It was Roald who finally sighed, and let the mo-ment pass. 'I fear,' he said, dropping her hands reluctantly, 'that if we don't get back to the others soon, they'll think we've either frozen to death, or gotten lost.'
'Or,' Tarma laughed, giving his shoulders a quick embrace before pulling her cloak back around herself, 'murdered each other out here! By the way -- '
She stretched out her arm, showing him that the tunic she wore was still the black of a starless night. '-- I wonder how we're going to explain what happened to the clothing I borrowed?'
He laughed, long and heartily. 'Be damned if I know. Maybe they won't notice? Right -- not likely. Oh well, I'll think of something. But you owe me, Swordlady; that was my second-best set of Whites before you witched it!'
Tarma joined his laughter, as snow crunched un-der their boots. 'Come to the Dhorisha Plains when this is over, and I'll pay you in Shin'a'in horses and Shin'a'in gear! It will break their artistic hearts, but I think I can persuade some of my folk to make you a set of unadorned Kal'enedral white silks.'
'Havens, lady, you tempt my wandering feet far too much to be denied! You have a bargain,' he grinned, taking the porch steps two at a time and flinging open the door for her with a flourish. 'I'll be at your tent flap someday when you least expect it, waiting to collect.'
And, unlikely as it seemed, she somehow had the feeling that he would one day manage to do just that.
Nine
It was difficult, but by no means impossible, to pull energies from the sleeping earth in midwinter. All it took was the skill -- and time and patience, and Kethry had those in abundance. And further, she had serious need of any mote of mage-energy she could harbor against the future, as well as any and all favors she could bank with the other-planar allies she had acquired in her years as a White Winds sorceress. She had not had much chance to stockpile either after the end of the Sunhawks' last commission, and the journey here had left her depleted down to her lowest ebb since she and Tarma had first met.
So she was not in the least averse to spending as much time in the hidden lodge with Stefansen and Mertis as the winter weather made necessary; she had a fair notion of the magnitude of the task awaiting them. She and Jadrek and Tarma might well be unequal to it --
In fact, she had come to the conclusion that they would need resources she did not have -- yet.
On a lighter note, she was not at all displeased about being 'forced' to spend so much time in Jadrek's company. Not in the least.
She was sitting cross-legged on the polished wooden floor next to the fireplace, slowly waking her body up after being in trance for most of the day. Jadrek was conversing earnestly with Roald, both of them in chairs placed
