Storm Breaking

Do they have some way to communicate with other communities still? She couldn't imagine how anyone could cross this frozen wasteland faster than they were already doing, but the party of Valdemarans was confined to the road, and perhaps the natives had some way of cutting across country to spread news. Perhaps the old signal-towers were still working.

That could be the answer. And it could be how they knew we were coming.

'I swear it as a Herald, she repeated. 'And as the envoy of the Queen. Valdemar has no designs on Hardorn, nor do any of the other parties to the Alliance.'

—though Solaris had to restrain a few hotheads in Karse. Or rather, Vkandis did—

'We're only traveling,' she continued smoothly. 'We'd appreciate your hospitality for the night, though we did bring our own provisions. We know how difficult things have been for you, and we didn't want to strain anyone's resources.'

There was a long silence, during which the man peered at her closely, and finally nodded, as if satisfied with what he saw. 'That outfit's kind of outlandish, but you've got the horse, blue eyes and all, and that can't be faked.' He shrugged, then, and made a gesture that she suspected told those hidden archers that all was well. 'I guess we still believe in Heralds—mostly since Ancar tried so hard to make us think you was some kind of witchy crew that had traffic with demons. I'll take your word as bond for you and the rest of this lot, but you better remember that you stand personal surety for them.'

She nodded, trying not to show how unsettled his words made her feel. This was, literally, the first time she had ever encountered anyone this close to the border of Valdemar who didn't accept and welcome a Herald with trust. What had happened to these people to make them this way?

:Ancar is what happened to them, dear. They will be long in trusting anyone ever again,: Gwena said quietly. :It may be that this generation never will.:

'So where are you going, then?' the man asked, still wary.

'Tell him the truth, ke'chara,' Darkwind said softly in Tayledras. 'Don't dissemble. We might as well see now. what kind of reception we're going to have while we still have the provisions to turn around and go home. We can't afford to fight our way across this country to get to Tremane.'

She nodded slightly to show that she'd heard him; he was right, of course. If they couldn't get to Tremane's headquarters without fighting, there was no point in going on. 'We're on our way to a town called Shonar,' she said carefully, wondering how much or little he knew.

He knew enough; the man rocked back a pace. 'You're going to Tremane?' he demanded. 'The Impie Duke?'

She couldn't tell if he was angry or not, but she was already committed to the truth, so she nodded.

'We're the Valdemaran envoy to Tremane,' she replied. 'He—he wants to join the Alliance. Things that we have learned make us inclined to trust him to be honorable.'

We hope.

There were murmurs from the group behind the man, and Elspeth took heart from the fact that they didn't sound angry, just thoughtful. The man himself considered them for a moment, then waved his followers aside. 'We need to talk, Herald from Valdemar,' he said with a touch of formality. 'And there's no point in doing it in this cold. Come along; the inn's still in repair and heated, even if the innkeeper's gone, and if you've got bedrolls to sleep in, there's beds to put them on. If you can tend to yourselves and feed yourselves, we can give you fair shelter for the night.'

That was the most welcome statement she'd heard yet on this journey, and she allowed Gwena to fall in obediently behind the man as he led the way to the inn.

The inn was in good repair, as promised, and so were the stables. The group dismounted in the inn-yard and led their mounts and the pack animals inside a stout building with a surprising number of animals in the stalls.

They must be keeping all of the horses and ponies in the town here, she realized after a look around. That makes more sense than scattering them, one and two to a stable.

The Hardornens quickly set to, throwing down straw from the hayloft to make up the remaining stalls for the visitors. As it turned out, they also had hay, though no grain to spare; that was fine, though. The Valdemarans had brought a string of chirras with them, loaded down with their supplies. The chirras did perfectly well on the hay alone, and there was plenty of grain in the supplies for the horses, Gwena, and the dyheli, Brytha.

Everyone in the party pitched in to help in the stables; Elspeth's cardinal rule, learned from Kerowyn, was