on them until the festival was over, so he and Tayend had been relaxing in the Guild House since they had arrived, only slipping out to watch the street performances or buy wine and local delicacies.
Celebrants, singers, dancers and musicians filled the main road for most of each day, making it difficult to get anywhere quickly. The procession could be avoided, however, by using the steep stairways bridging each loop of the spiraling main road. It was not an easy journey when travelling upward, and Tayend was breathing hard when they finally reached their destination, a wine merchant’s shop on the main road, several staircases uphill from the Guild House.
Stopping to lean against a building, Tayend waved Dannyl toward the shop. “I’ll rest,” he gasped. “You go.”
At once a girl carrying bracelets of flowers stepped out of the procession, approached the scholar and tried to persuade him to buy some. Tayend had been more than a little overwhelmed by the boldness of Vindo women, but they had been told by their guide that the Vindo friendliness was simply local good manners.
Leaving Tayend occupied, Dannyl entered the shop and began selecting wine. Knowing that Tayend would appreciate something familiar, he chose several bottles of Elyne wine. Like most Vindo, the merchant spoke Dannyl’s language well enough to make his price known, but not well enough to barter.
As the man began to pack the bottles into a box, Dannyl moved to the shop’s bay window. The flower girl had moved on. Tayend leaned against the corner of the building, his arms crossed and his attention taken by a group of male acrobats.
Then a hand shot out, grasped Tayend’s arm, and pulled the scholar into the shadows.
Dannyl stepped closer to the bay window, then froze. He could see Tayend now, pressed up against the wall of an alley beside the shop. A dirty-looking Vindo with straggly hair had one hand around the scholar’s neck. The other held a blade to Tayend’s side.
White with terror, Tayend stared at the mugger. The man’s lips moved. A demand for money, Dannyl guessed. He took a step toward the door, then forced himself to stop. What would happen if the mugger was confronted by a magician?
Dannyl’s imagination raced forward. He saw the mugger using Tayend as a hostage... taking the scholar with him as he escaped... stabbing Tayend when Dannyl was out of sight.
Whereas if Tayend gave up his money, the man would simply take it and go.
Tayend’s eyes moved to the window and locked with Dannyl’s. Nodding toward the mugger, Dannyl mouthed the words: “Give it to him.” Tayend frowned.
Seeing the change in the scholar’s expression, the mugger glanced toward the window. Ducking out of view, Dannyl cursed. Had the man seen him? He peered around the edge of the window.
Tayend was pulling his bag of coins out of his coat. The mugger grabbed it, then tested its weight. With a grin of triumph, he stowed it in his pocket.
Then, with a swift jab, he sank the knife into Tayend’s side.
Horrified, Dannyl leapt out of the shop. Tayend was doubled over, blood gushing from the wound. Seeing that the mugger was bracing himself to stab again, Dannyl reached out with magic. The mugger’s expression changed to surprise and horror as he saw Dannyl. Then he was flying through the air. Thrown over the road, he slammed into the opposite building with a sickening crack and fell to the ground, the celebrants scattering as he landed among them.
For a moment Dannyl stared at the man in surprise and horror. He hadn’t meant to react so strongly. Then Tayend gave a low moan and he put the mugger out of his mind. Dashing forward, he caught Tayend as the scholar crumpled, and lowered him to the ground. Tearing away the bloodied shirt, Dannyl pressed his hand to the wound.
Closing his eyes, he sent his mind inward. The knife had cut deep, severing veins, arteries and organs. Dannyl called on Healing power and focused it on the damaged area. He diverted blood, persuaded tissue to knit together, and encouraged Tayend’s body to draw away grime from the dirty knife. Healers usually worked only until a wound was sealed and safe, saving their power for other patients, but Dannyl poured his energy forth until only scar tissue remained. Then he listened to the body under his hand as he had been taught, checking that everything was working properly.
Other messages reached him. Tayend’s heart raced. His muscles were stiff with tension. A feeling of relief and dread touched Dannyl’s mind. He frowned. A lingering fear was to be expected, but there was something different about this feeling of dread. His senses shifted to the mental level and suddenly Tayend’s thoughts spilled into his mind.
Perhaps he won’t see... No, it’s too late! He’s probably seen already. Now he’ll reject me. Kyralian magicians are like that. They think we’re perverted. Unnatural. But no! He’ll understand. He says he knows what it’s like. But he’s not a lad himself... or is he? He could be hiding it. No, he couldn’t be. He’s a Kyralian magician. Their Healers would have detected it, and thrown him out...
Surprised, Dannyl drew away from Tayend’s mind, but kept his eyes closed and his hand on the scholar’s side. So this was why Tayend refused Healing. He was afraid that Dannyl would sense that... that he was like Dem Agerralin. Tayend desired men.
Memories of the last few months flashed through Dannyl’s mind. He recalled the day after the sea leech attack. Tayend had found a pair of leeches entwined around each other and a rope. A sailor had noticed Tayend’s interest.
“They breed,” the man said.
“Which is the boy, and which is the girl?” Tayend asked.
“Not boy or girl. Same.”
Tayend’s brows rose and he glanced at the sailor. “Really?”
The man moved away to collect a pan of siyo. Tayend looked up at the leeches.
“Good for you,” he’d said.
Remembering his time in Elyne, Dannyl recalled his conversation with Errend. “He’s the youngest son of Tremmelin... scholar, I believe... Don’t see him in court much - though I have seen him with Dem Agerralin... a man of dubious associations.”
Then the Dem Agerralin: “We are all very curious about you...”
We?
Tayend himself, in the Palace: “The Elyne court is both awful in its decadence, and wonderful for its freedom. We expect everyone to have a few interesting or eccentric habits.”
Tayend had been uneasy for their whole stay in Lonmar. Dannyl knew what they had witnessed in Judgment Square had shocked Tayend, but he had expected the scholar would eventually forget the incident and enjoy the rest of the “adventure.” But Tayend had remained fearful and quiet.
And now, of course, he’s worried how I will react. We Kyralians aren’t exactly known for our tolerance of men like Tayend. I know that only too well. No wonder he was afraid of being Healed. He believes that Healers can sense if a man desires other men, as if it’s an illness.
Dannyl frowned. So what should he do now? Should he let Tayend know that he had discovered his secret, or would it be better to pretend that he hadn’t noticed anything?
I don’t know. I need more time to consider. For now... yes, I will pretend I don’t know.
Opening his eyes, he found Tayend staring at him. Smiling, Dannyl drew away his hand. “Are you—?”
“My lord?”
Looking up, Dannyl saw that a crowd had gathered around him. The man who had addressed him was a Vindo guard. Other guards were questioning people. One inspected the prone mugger, then extracted Tayend’s money bag from the man’s hand.
The guard standing over Dannyl nudged a bloodied knife on the ground by Tayend’s foot with the toe of his sandal. “No trial,” he said, meeting Dannyl’s eyes nervously. “People say you kill bad man. You in right.”
Looking through the crowd, Dannyl saw the staring eyes of the mugger. Dead. A shiver ran down his spine. He had never killed before. That was something else he would have to think about later. As the guard moved away, Dannyl turned to Tayend and gave the scholar a questioning look.
“Are you recovered?”
Tayend nodded quickly. “If you don’t count the fact that I’m still shaking.”
The wine merchant stood in the doorway of his shop, looking uncertain and frightened. A younger man stood
