Storm Rising

Karal thought carefully and phrased his question as clearly as he could. 'Did it seem to you that the magic barrier at the border actually... recognized me in some way?'

'Oh, there's no doubt of that!' An'desha told him firmly. 'It touched and tested you before it allowed you to pass within. I Saw it myself. Short, then longer tendrils.' He frowned a little as he concentrated. 'The area you were in brightened, and I Saw things—it is hard to describe—I saw the energies touching you, and I knew from some of —of Falconsbane's memories that they were what he called 'probes,' ways to test someone. Though what, precisely, you were being tested for, I cannot say.'

'But why did it recognize me?' Karal blurted. 'Altra was very firm about that, remember? He said the border would only recognize me of all of us. So why me?'

'It wouldn't have been only you,' An'desha pointed out. 'He said that it had to be a Karsite Sun-priest of a particular kind. Ulrich would have been the first choice. And obviously, Solaris would have served as well.'

'But what is the connection between the magic at the border of Iftel and a Karsite Sun-priest?' Karal asked, frustrated. 'And just what is Iftel? No one can get in or out, except for a very few, all of them selected traders and Healers, and you couldn't get one of them to talk if you tortured him, which is the point, I suppose. I've asked Altra—when he happens to show up, which isn't often since we got back—and all he does is switch his tail and tell me that I'll find out when the time is right.'

:I can't help you; I'm as baffled as you are,: Florian admitted. :Sorry, but there it is. Neither Altra nor Vkandis Sunlord have bothered to confide in this insignificant Companion.:

'I suppose we'll just have to be patient. Frankly, if your Vkandis is anything like the Star-Eyed, I'm afraid He's probably going to insist that you figure it out for yourself.' An'desha shrugged. 'Deities seem to be like that. If I were one, I'd have a little more pity on my poor, frustrated, thick headed followers.'

Karal had to laugh at that, and reflected again how much he himself had changed. A year ago such a joke would have had him white with shock at the irreverence, not to say blasphemy.

An'desha smiled. 'Good. Finally, I've made you laugh. You should be laughing more; you look as if haven't had a good laugh in days. And why haven't you been spending any time down at the Compass Rose with Natoli and the other students? I was down there last night. They've been missing you.'

'I'd like to,' Karal replied wistfully, 'but I don't have the time. I'm doing my old job and Ulrich's, too. And having to learn all the things he knew about protocol without having the leisure to learn them over the course of a year or more.' He shook his head as Florian's ears dropped sympathetically. 'It started almost as soon as we got back from the border, and it hasn't let up any. I can't just be a place-holder, An'desha, I have to be a real envoy, whether I'm ready for it or not.'

:Too true.: Florian nuzzled him, and he absently patted the Companion's nose. And got another curious overlay of someone clasping his shoulder, and he patted the comforting spectral hand in thanks.

'Take today, for instance. Please take today,' Karal continued. 'I hadn't even finished my breakfast before a page brought me a message from our border. There's a Herald down there trying to arbitrate a dispute between some Holderkin and a set of Karsites who style themselves 'border-riders.' Neither party would accept a Herald, so it got thrown back in my lap and it had to be answered immediately.'

'Did you?' An'desha asked with interest. 'Could you?'

'In this case, at least, yes.' He made a sour face. 'I happen to know more than I'd like about the border- riders. They aren't much better than bandits; back in the old days, they had a habit of keeping two sets of clothing, Valdemaran and Karsite, and raiding farms on both sides of the border. Now that Karse is at peace with Valdemar, they can't do that anymore, so they've settled down to the odd cattle theft or helping themselves to everything in a house when the family is away at the Temple Fair.' He frowned, then took a deep breath and grinned a little. 'They tried abducting the odd Holderkin girl, but often as not they couldn't tell the girls from the boys, and in either case they generally wished they'd stuck their hands in a wasps' nest instead when the family came boiling out, looking for blood. With no protection from the guards on our side of the border, and a kidnapped brat screaming blue murder, they didn't get away with that very often.'

'So what was the dispute this time?' An'desha asked.

'The usual; cattle the Holderkin swore were theirs. Knowing what I know, I pointed out that the Herald should check the ear-notches to see if they were fresh. Holderkin don't notch the ears of their cattle because they hold them in common at each Holding; Karsites do, when the cattle are still calves, because cattle theft is in our blood, I'm afraid. If the notches were fresh, the cattle had been recently stolen, and there you have it.'

:Oh, do tell him the outcome, it's rather funny,: Florian prompted.

Karal chuckled. 'I got word back that most of the cattle had freshly-notched ears, but on just about a third of them the knotches were clearly done when the cattle were young. It seeing that the Holderkin were not above trying to get a little revenge by claiming the whole herd instead of just the ones that had been stolen.'

An'desha laughed. 'You should tell Talia; she'll be amused, I think.'