will declare the meeting closed.' Under cover of the rest standing up and moving off in twos and threes or more, Elspeth leaned over to Darkwind and asked, 'And just what was that? Was that an earthquake? I've heard of them, but-'
'Not an earthquake, no, although I am told that the feeling is very similar, save that the earth itself does not move,' Darkwind replied.
'No, that was the establishing and closing of a long-ranging Gate that you just felt. Very abrupt-probably to keep from disrupting the Stone too much. Normally the flux is much more gradual and less noticeable.'
'You mean-' He took her hand and squeezed it, his smile inviting her to share in his triumph. 'Yes. At last. There is very little that is likely to stop him.
And there is no more chance for argument. Our help is on the way. We have won.'
*Chapter Sixteen - Firesong
Darkwind took nothing about Elspeth for granted, but when she returned with him to his ekele, he thought it reasonable to assume that she was not displeased with him in the clear light of day. He had not been certain; she was so self-possessed, she rarely revealed what was in her mind. As important as her mind, he was not certain what the reaction of her Companion would be to their assignation, despite the fact that Gwena had left them alone together.
But there were inevitable awkward moments to come. The early moments of a new liaison were always full of such things... when neither knows quite what to say or do, and neither is familiar enough with the other to read body and voice. Trying not to appear too distant, yet not wanting to seem possessive, making the dance moves of courtship and trying not to stumble through them-all of this was universal.
He paused at the foot of the stairs and cleared his throat at the same time that she said 'Darkwind-' They looked at each other and laughed self-consciously. ' I was about to suggest that we take advantage of our temporary freedom to soak away some bruises,' he said, offering a neutral occupation which had the potential to become something else entirely. In this, at least, he had more experience than she. He had sky-danced through a fair number of courtships. 'The hertasi are skilled at massage, if you like. They use carved wooden rollers instead of claws, and thick oils.' She stretched in a way that suggested that she might well be suffering from sore muscles, stiffly, and with a little wince of pain, rather than coyly or provocatively. 'I would like that,' she replied. Then she smiled, wryly. 'Now the pertinent question-were you thinking of soaking in the same pool as me, or going off on your own? I would enjoy your company, but I won't be upset if you'd like to have some time to yourself.' Her smile became a grin. 'Astera knows you've seen quite enough of me and my over-sharp tongue. I wouldn't blame you if you'd like a respite!'
'Actually, I was hoping you'd join me, but in the pool near your tree,' he said, relieved at her words, and even more so at the touch of self-deprecating humor. 'Yours is the warmest pool in the Vale. I will ask my hertasi to bring oils, once I find them. They haven't established a summoning method yet.'
' Shall I meet you there?' she suggested gracefully. 'You've got things to do-and I'm still something of an appendage to the Clan.' It didn't take him too long to find the two lizard-folk; it took him even less time to make his way to the pool he now thought of as 'Elspeth's.' But by the time he got there, she was already chin-deep in hot water, her hair piled up on the top of her head and her eyes half-closed in pleasure.
'We must have slipped and fallen in the snow a hundred times. I have bruises in places I didn't even guess at. I have got to find some way to reproduce these pools once I get back home,' she said, as he shed clothing and joined her. 'A hot bath is no substitute for this.' The two lizard-folk busied themselves in setting up cushions and towels beside the pool; once they were ready, he and Elspeth could go to their skillful hands with their muscles warm and pliant. Much easier to take the knots out of muscles that were relaxed and warmed than those that were stiff and tense.
'Have you no hot springs in your homeland?' he asked lazily, slipping into the hot water with a sigh of pleasure. 'I would find that very strange.'
'You would find a lot of things about my land very strange,' she said. 'At least as strange as Skif and I find the Vale. And speaking of Skiff,' He felt a chill in spite of the heat of the water. Was she about to reveal that she and Skif were betrothed, or something of the sort? While he had no claims on her, nor had any right to think of such things-the idea disturbed him in a way that he did not want to examine too closely.
But she was continuing, and there was nothing in her tone to give him any kind of clue to her feelings about the other Herald.' Speaking of Skif-Darkwind, what should I do about Nyara? If-when he finds her.
Should I worry? Should I even try to do anything?'
'I do not know,' he said, carefully, choosing his words in the hopes that they would not turn to stones and bruise his already shaken pride.
'First I must ask you this-what is Skif to you?'
'To me?' She opened her eyes and looked him full in the face, and he was relieved to see that there was nothing hiding there. No hitherto undisclosed passions. No pain. Only simple concern. 'My very good friend. My blood-brother. My-Wingsib, if you will, for the Heralds are the closest thing to a Tayledras Clan that my people know. He has no other kin but the Heralds, and I'm one of the closest friends he has among them. I'm worried about him, Darkwind.' There was something she hadn't told him yet. 'Why should you worry?' he asked. 'He seems perfectly capable to me.' She sighed, and chewed her lower lip. 'I've known him a long time, and the Skif you know isn't the Skif I first made my brother. I haven't talked to anyone about this, but something happened to him a couple of years ago, something to do with the war with Hardorn, and it changed him. He hasn't been the same since. But he never said anything to me about it, and I don't feel that I should press him on the subject. I mean, he values his privacy.' He considered her words for a moment, hoping that the relief he felt on learning that Skif was no more than a brother to her did not show too clearly. But changes in a personality-oh, he was all too familiar with that. Though this was not likely to be the kind of sinister change that had overcome Starblade.
No, more like the change of shock that had made Songwind become Darkwind.
'I think that if it was something he felt comfortable about revealing to you, he would have done so,' he said carefully. 'That may have been because he considered you to be too sheltered to reveal it, because he was ashamed of it, or even because you are female and he is male. Do I take it that this experience-whatever it was- damaged him in some way? ~ ~ 'Not physically, but he was never as-carefree afterward,' she replied thoughtfully. 'Yes, I would say that it damaged him. Probably all three reasons have something to do with why he has never told me about it.'
'In that case, he might well reveal it to Wintermoon,' Darkwind mused aloud. 'That would be a good thing.
