Wind Rider's Oath

Which meant, almost certainly, that whoever had stolen the cattle-and the sheep, and the horses, before them-came from Glanharrow itself. Not that that was very much of a surprise.

'With all due respect, Milord, and I know you don't want to, but I think it's time you called on Baron Tellian for help,' Yarran said after several silent seconds. A heavier gust of rain drummed on the hall's roof, and the flames on the hearth danced.

'A lord is supposed to look after his own herds, just as he's supposed to look after the well-being of his own people,' Festian said flatly.

'Aye, so he is,' Yarran agreed with the stubborn deference of a trusted henchman. 'And meaning no disrespect, but just what has that got to do with it?' Festian glared at him, and the marshal shrugged. 'Chew my head off if you want, Milord, but you and I both know truth when it bites us on the arse. And so does Baron Tellian, come to that. He knew when he chose you to replace that arse-headed idiot Redhelm that there'd be those as would do all they could to see to it you fell flat on your face. Well, that's what's happening now. I'd bet my best sword that whoever ran those cattle off in the first place is one of our own people. No one else'd know the Bogs well enough to get a herd that size through 'em. But whoever he is, he's got to have someone to take them off his hands when he gets to t'other side. Now, I suppose it's possible he could have some bent merchant who could dispose of them for him for a partner. But it's a lot more likely one of your fellow lords is waiting for him. Maybe we can't prove it, but we both know it, and Baron Tellian's your liege lord . . . not to mention the one as dropped you into the pot in the first place. And if another lord is behind this, then like as not he's a close enough neighbor of yours to make the Baron his liege, too. Or else he's someone else's vassal,' Yarran carefully named no names, 'in which case you've no choice but to appeal to the Baron. So, either road, it seems to me, it's the Baron's place to be sending help now that someone's declared open war on you.'

'Stealing cattle and horses is hardly 'open war,' Yarran,' Festian objected, but it sounded weak, even to him. True, there'd been no formal declaration of defiance or hostilities, but among the Sothoii, herd-raiding and lightning border forays were the traditional means of striking at an enemy. Yarran only snorted with magnificent emphasis, which was quite enough to make his own opinion of Festian's objection clear, and the Lord Warden of Glanharrow shrugged.

'Whatever it may be,' he said, 'Baron Tellian has enough other problems on his plate right now without my adding this one to it.'

'Again, with all due respect, Milord, this is something as is supposed to be landing on his plate. And I'm not the only one who thinks so.' Festian cocked an eyebrow, and it was Yarran's turn to shrug. 'Sir Kelthys thinks it's time, as well.'

'You've discussed this with Kelthys?' Festian asked sharply, a thin flicker of anger dancing in his eyes for the first time, and Yarran nodded.

'Wasn't as if I had a lot of choice about it, Milord,' he pointed out. 'Being as how Deep Water backs right up on the Bogs the way it does. Wouldn't have done for me to be leading more than a score of mounted men across his land without explaining to him just what we were up to.'

'The thieves cut across Deep Water?' Festian demanded, his surprise evident.

'No, of course not.' Yarran snorted again. 'I just said that anyone who knows the Bogs well enough to give me the slip in them has to be from around here, Milord. And anyone from around here knows exactly what would happen to anyone fool enough to try to take a herd of stolen cattle through Sir Kelthys' lands.' He shook his head. 'No, I cut across Deep Water to try to make up time on them. Did, too. Just not enough.

'Anyway, he turned out a half-score of his own men to help, not that it made much difference in the end. And he spent most of our ride together discussing the raids and their pattern with me.'

'I see.' Festian frowned unhappily, but much as he might have liked to, he couldn't simply reject Yarran's advice out of hand. Especially not if Sir Kelthys Lancebearer, Baron Tellian's cousin, also thought it was time Festian called upon his liege for assistance. If only it didn't stick so sideways in his craw!

'Milord,' Yarran said with the respectful insistence of the man who had been Festian's senior lieutenant when Festian had commanded Glanharrow's scouts for Lord Mathian, 'I know it's not something you want to be doing. And I know pigs probably know more about politics than I do. But it's plain as a pimple on Sharnа 's arse that whoever is doing this is striking as much at Baron Tellian as at you. I'm not saying whoever it is wouldn't be happy enough to do anything he could to make you look unfit to hold Glanharrow, because we both know that, even as stupid as Redhelm was, there'll always be some as think he ought to be sitting in that chair still. But there's bigger fish to fry this time, and if they make you look unfit, then they make him look unfit for having chosen you. That's my opinion, anyway, and Sir Kelthys shares it. Which means Baron Tellian won't be thanking you if you wait to call on him until it's too late.'

For a taciturn fighting man with a reputation for never using two words when one would do the trick, Yarran did have a way of getting his points across, Festian reflected. And he wasn't saying anything Festian hadn't already thought. It was just-

It's just that I'm too damned stubborn to ask for help easily. But Yarran's right. If I can't solve this problem on my own-and it seems I can't-and I wait too long to ask the Baron for help, it will be too late. And then both of us will be drowning in horse shit.

'Well,' he said the mildly after a moment, 'if you and Sir Kelthys both agree so strongly, then I suppose there's not much point in my arguing, is there?' Yarran had the grace to look embarrassed, though it was obvious it took some effort on his part, and Festian grinned crookedly.

'Finish your chocolate, Yarran. If you're so eager for me to go hat in hand asking for Baron Tellian's assistance, than I think you're the best choice to take the message to him.'

Another gust of rain pounded on the hall's roof, and Yarran grimaced at the sound.

Chapter Two

'He's certainly tall enough, isn't he, Milady?'

'Yes, Marthya, he is,' Leeana Bowmaster agreed, and the maid hid a small smile at her youthful mistress' repressive tone. There was a reason for that repressiveness, she thought, and managed somehow not to giggle at the reflection.

'Pity about the ears though, Milady,' she continued in an impishly innocent tone. 'He could be almost handsome without them.'

' 'Handsome' isn't exactly the word I'd choose to describe him,' Leeana replied. Although, if she'd been prepared to be honest with her maid (which she most emphatically was not), she would have argued that the man in question was quite handsome even with the ears. Indeed, the undeniable edge of otherness they lent him only made him more exotically attractive.

'Well, at least he comes closer to handsome than his friend does!' Marthya observed, and this time Leeana chose to make no response at all. Marthya had known her since childhood, and she was only too capable of putting isolated comments together to divine her charge's thoughts with devastating accuracy. Which was not something Leeana needed her-or anyone else!-doing at this particular moment. Especially not where the current object of their attention was concerned.

The two of them stood in the concealing shadows of the minstrel gallery above Hill Guard Castle's great hall. Below them, Leeana's father and a dozen or so of his senior officers had just risen to greet two new arrivals. Well, not new, precisely. They'd been living at Hill Guard for weeks now. But they'd been away for several days, on a visit to their own people, and Leeana was afire with curiosity, among other things. Even her father (who any unprejudiced soul must concede was the best father in the Kingdom) sometimes forgot to mention interesting political information or speculation to a mere daughter. Besides, the newcomers fascinated Leeana. She was a Sothoii. No one had to tell her about the bitter, eternal enmity between her own people and the hradani. But these two were utterly at odds with the popular stereotype of their people, which would have made them interesting enough without all of the political ramifications of their presence.

And, she admitted, Marthya was quite correct about how tall her father's guest-or captor, depending upon one's perspective-was.