Feranc shrugged slightly. ‘Very strange,’ he replied. ‘Estaan's Mantynnai, he sees things the way they are better than most. If he admits to being terrified then it was for some good reason. What did the wolf say to you?'
Ibris smiled. ‘Told me to use my nose,’ he replied with a chuckle. ‘Called me a pack leader.’ He sat down and stretched his legs wearily. ‘Fair comment I suppose and, for what it's worth, I don't think the Dream Finder's lying, or trying to ingratiate himself. But his tale is so preposterous.'
'Dream Finding is something I've no experience of,’ Feranc said. ‘But there are many strange things in the world and the wolf's advice is sound under the circumstances.'
Ibris nodded thoughtfully. ‘Strange indeed,’ he said. ‘I can't avoid feeling that events are moving quite beyond my control. As if some … outside … power were forcing them along.'
Feranc waited impassively.
Then, rather awkwardly, Ibris said, ‘The Mantynnai came much later than you, but they are your countrymen, aren't they?’ He looked at Feranc, almost plaintively. It was a subject he had touched on lightly at times, but Feranc had never responded and he had never pressed the question.
Feranc nodded. ‘They are,’ he said, without deliberation. ‘But I know none of them, nor why they're here. And, clear-sighted though they are, I doubt any of them know me for one of their countrymen.'
Ibris rested his head on his hands. Feranc's almost casual admission was in itself oddly unsettling. As if in some way it implied further the importance of events far beyond his knowledge or his will.
'You understand that nothing would have made me pry into this but a great sense of unease and Estaan's specific reference to his past,’ he said. ‘You know that I accept them for what they are, here and now, and for what they've been since they came to this land. Just as I've always accepted you.’ Feranc nodded again.
'But tell me what you can that might give me some guidance,’ Ibris went on. ‘Tell me what there is in your country that could terrify one of my Mantynnai.'
Feranc sat down opposite the Duke, his face unreadable. ‘This is my country, Ibris,’ he said. ‘But I understand your need.’ He took a deep breath. ‘I know of nothing in my birthland that could produce such a reaction. It was a country with a strong … soldierly … tradition. But it wasn't warlike. It was civilized, peaceful, well governed, and above all free. A rare balance, as I've found on my travels since. Strength doesn't bring freedom, but freedom can't survive without true strength; the strength that comes from inside a people. The strength to see your neighbour wearing a sword and to be glad of it, knowing that he is well capable of using it, and will draw it to protect you if need arises.’ He paused and his eyes became distant and unfocused.
'Why did you leave?’ Ibris asked, almost immediately regretting the haste of the question.
Feranc started slightly from his reverie. ‘The countries on our borders were very different from us, but similarly blessed with peace and order, and self-knowledge. Then one of them was attacked. Hordes of barbarians came to their shores, burning, killing, destroying…’ He shook his head. ‘We went to their aid. We could do no other. I was a … King's man … like I am now, albeit more lowly. But my … regiment … was special-very highly trained-the eyes of the King's army, and a secret dagger in the heart of the enemy. There weren't many of us.'
He stopped. Ibris remained silent.
'I saw such things … did such things. Things that must inevitably change the direction of a man's life ever after.’ He shook his head slowly and pensively. ‘When word reached us that the enemy was routed and had fled back to the sea, I think I just wandered away, out of those freezing mountains.’ He wrapped his arms about himself involuntarily. ‘I scarcely remember. I just knew I couldn't go home. I was defiled in some way.’ Ibris grimaced at the distress his request had caused.
'I just wandered and wandered. South. Away. Anywhere,’ Feranc went on. ‘From land to land, people to people. Until I came here. Saw a faint shadow of my homeland in this city and its dominions. And you, striving relentlessly to better it all. Here I'll stay, I thought. Put my peculiar skills at the service of this man. Build the heart of my country here anew.'
Ibris reached across and touched his arm gently. ‘I'm sorry, Ciarll,’ he said. ‘I didn't mean to disturb such painful memories.'
Feranc smiled slightly. ‘There's little or no pain in them now,’ he replied. ‘Even though they're with me every day. I couldn't be of any value to anyone if they weren't. Now I'm more whole. And Serens. Besides, your need is great, and I was lucky. I was taught by wise men, so while I did foul things, they were none of them truly avoidable. I have at least the consolation that I can face my conscience. I can account for my deeds.'
He fell silent.
'And the Mantynnai?’ Ibris asked, tentatively, after a moment.
Feranc frowned thoughtfully. ‘I don't know,’ he said. ‘They've not been trained as I was, very few were. But they've all been in the King's service at some time, I'd say, or at least been trained by his men. It's difficult to say exactly, they're a very mixed bunch.'
Ibris looked surprised. ‘That's the last thing I'd have said,’ he remarked. ‘It doesn't need much of a soldier's eye to pick one of them out of a crowd.'
Feranc nodded. ‘True,’ he said. ‘But what you see is the unifying effect of whatever drove them from their country. I see many different traits in the way they conduct themselves. And their fighting techniques are fascinating. They reveal a great deal. I can recognize the basis of all of them but, quite independently, they've also developed them in the very direction that I was trained to. I had a teacher once who said that all paths become the same eventually if pursued for the right reasons. I didn't know what he meant then, but I do now.'
'But why would they leave their country?’ Ibris asked gently as Feranc fell silent once more.
Feranc shook his head. ‘I don't know,’ he said. ‘But I feel that they left bearing an even greater burden of guilt and pain than I, and that, for all their calm and quietness, most of them are a long way from being truly at peace with themselves. They're driven by something. That's why they stood and died at Viernce. Even now I think they'd form a ring around you and die to a man if need arose.'
'And you, Ciarll?'
'I might,’ Feranc replied, with an unexpected smile.
Ibris smiled too, but his face was soon dark again.
'It's just occurred to me,’ he said, very slowly. ‘That perhaps once they followed this evil that Estaan spoke of.'
'A sad thought,’ Feranc replied softly. ‘But perhaps apt. Though I can't imagine what it could have been. For the most part, even the barbarians who invaded our neighbours were not evil. They were misled and ignorant, and by virtue of their ignorance, they did evil deeds which warranted armed opposition. But that wouldn't frighten a man like Estaan. It would make him reach for his sword.'
'So presumably something happened in your land since you left?’ Ibris said.
Feranc nodded. ‘Presumably,’ he echoed. ‘But I doubt the Mantynnai will tell you, me, or anyone. Nor do I think we should ask. If they know of some strange threat, then they'll take steps against it. I think we must watch them and learn that way, until perhaps an opportunity for an open question presents itself.'
Ibris sat silent for some time. ‘You're right,’ he said. ‘We must trust them. They'll do nothing that will allow any harm to happen to Serenstad. God knows, they'd no reason to stand and fight at Viernce, but they did, and if they hadn't, then we wouldn't be here today. And they
Feranc bowed his head in acknowledgement.
'But I still don't know what to do with this Dream Finder and his wild tales of worlds beyond,’ Ibris said, in some exasperation.
'Nothing's changed much since last night,’ Feranc said quietly. ‘Except that the Dream Finder seems to be growing in stature almost as we watch him.'
'Yes,’ Ibris agreed. ‘He's a more powerful spirit than he realizes. A true Serens.'
'A true man,’ Feranc corrected.
'Yes,’ Ibris said softly.
'Take him seriously,’ Feranc said, uncharacteristically authoritative. ‘If only for the effect he had on Estaan.
