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Authors: Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
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caught him up halfway down the corridor
from their classroom. Desary had let them go for the mid-day break. In the
afternoon, Osraed Eadmund would give them their lessons in the more mundane
arts of reading, writing and history.
Now, Airleas fled as if pursued by demons instead of a
bright-eyed little girl.
Gwynet fell into step beside him. “Airleas, whatever was
wrong, just now? You looked as if you’d gone to sleep with your eyes wide.
Didn’t you hear Desary? You knew the answer, why didn’t you give tell?”
“God-the-Spirit, Gwynet! Do you stop to breathe ? I was just . . . daydreaming.”
“Daydreaming? You? Oh, Airleas, you don’t . You never .”
The hallway ended in a cross-corridor with deep window
embrasures set along its outer wall. One lay just before them, streaming pale
light over the chill stone floor. Airleas moved to the window and leaned out
toward the iron-framed panes, peering into the courtyard below. Through the
faceted glass, he could see only a portion of the hectic activity around the
Airdnasheen gate. Claeg warriors were everywhere and their banner was even now
being run up the fortress standards to flutter and snap beside the Hageswode
pennant of white stars on a dark blue field.
Airleas pulled himself up into the embrasure and curled
there, chin on knees. Gwynet stood and watched him for a moment, then crawled
up into the casement across from him.
After a moment of brooding silence he said, “Why Aine and
Iseabal?”
Gwynet puzzled. “Why Aine and Iseabal what?”
“Why did she keep them by her and send the rest of us away?”
Gwynet shrugged. “I reckon she wanted to talk to them
privy.”
“I did as well as either of them.”
Now he’d lost her. “What does the one have to do with
th’other?”
“She’s got a mission for them. Something special she wants
them to do.”
“How d’you know that?”
He gave her a half-sly, half-abashed look from under his
thatch of black hair and shrugged.
Gwynet narrowed her eyes and peered at him with all her
senses. What she read made her gasp. “Airleas! You were listening in! To her! That’s why you’d no ears for Desary’s questions. You were trying to-to pick their
thoughts! How could you?”
He had the good graces to look guilty. “I wanted to know
what was going on. I knew it was something important.”
Gwynet shook her head fiercely. “But it’s wrong , Airleas. To listen on anybody , leastwise her .”
“Well, I wasn’t listening on her ; I can’t. She’s different. She doesn’t . . . leak. I was
listening to Aine and then Wyth when he came into it. Aine leaks a lot,” he
added, as if that excused him.
“It’s still wrong,” Gwynet said and eyed him warily. “Was it
something important?”
“She’s sending them away.”
Gwynet’s heart turned over uneasily and she gasped.
“Aye, it’s true. She’s sending them to teach the waljan in
Creiddylad and Nairne. They’ll be leaving with the Claeg.” His eyes moved back
to the glass diamonds. “I wish she’d send me to Creiddylad. Why didn’t she send
me, Gwyn?”
“What nonsense, Airleas! You’re Cyneric, now. And Daimhin
Feich is likely lying for you like a hungry cat. You’d be in such danger.”
Airleas sat straight up and leaned toward her. “Why? In
these clothes—” He tugged at his leather jacket. “I look just like any other
Hillwild boy. And my grandfather used to disguise himself and travel among the
people to see how well or poorly he was thought of. I could do as much. It’s
not as if I’ve a brand on my forehead that says, ‘Look! Here’s a Malcuim!’ No
one would even know me, Gwyn. I’d be just another Gyldan youth out to see the
real world.”
“But why? Where would you go? What would you do?”
Airleas’s eyes caught fire. “I’d go to Creiddylad, like I
said. I’d free the Stone of Ochan from Daimhin Feich’s foul hands. And then,
I’d avenge my father.”
Gwynet was stunned to sudden tears.
from their classroom. Desary had let them go for the mid-day break. In the
afternoon, Osraed Eadmund would give them their lessons in the more mundane
arts of reading, writing and history.
Now, Airleas fled as if pursued by demons instead of a
bright-eyed little girl.
Gwynet fell into step beside him. “Airleas, whatever was
wrong, just now? You looked as if you’d gone to sleep with your eyes wide.
Didn’t you hear Desary? You knew the answer, why didn’t you give tell?”
“God-the-Spirit, Gwynet! Do you stop to breathe ? I was just . . . daydreaming.”
“Daydreaming? You? Oh, Airleas, you don’t . You never .”
The hallway ended in a cross-corridor with deep window
embrasures set along its outer wall. One lay just before them, streaming pale
light over the chill stone floor. Airleas moved to the window and leaned out
toward the iron-framed panes, peering into the courtyard below. Through the
faceted glass, he could see only a portion of the hectic activity around the
Airdnasheen gate. Claeg warriors were everywhere and their banner was even now
being run up the fortress standards to flutter and snap beside the Hageswode
pennant of white stars on a dark blue field.
Airleas pulled himself up into the embrasure and curled
there, chin on knees. Gwynet stood and watched him for a moment, then crawled
up into the casement across from him.
After a moment of brooding silence he said, “Why Aine and
Iseabal?”
Gwynet puzzled. “Why Aine and Iseabal what?”
“Why did she keep them by her and send the rest of us away?”
Gwynet shrugged. “I reckon she wanted to talk to them
privy.”
“I did as well as either of them.”
Now he’d lost her. “What does the one have to do with
th’other?”
“She’s got a mission for them. Something special she wants
them to do.”
“How d’you know that?”
He gave her a half-sly, half-abashed look from under his
thatch of black hair and shrugged.
Gwynet narrowed her eyes and peered at him with all her
senses. What she read made her gasp. “Airleas! You were listening in! To her! That’s why you’d no ears for Desary’s questions. You were trying to-to pick their
thoughts! How could you?”
He had the good graces to look guilty. “I wanted to know
what was going on. I knew it was something important.”
Gwynet shook her head fiercely. “But it’s wrong , Airleas. To listen on anybody , leastwise her .”
“Well, I wasn’t listening on her ; I can’t. She’s different. She doesn’t . . . leak. I was
listening to Aine and then Wyth when he came into it. Aine leaks a lot,” he
added, as if that excused him.
“It’s still wrong,” Gwynet said and eyed him warily. “Was it
something important?”
“She’s sending them away.”
Gwynet’s heart turned over uneasily and she gasped.
“Aye, it’s true. She’s sending them to teach the waljan in
Creiddylad and Nairne. They’ll be leaving with the Claeg.” His eyes moved back
to the glass diamonds. “I wish she’d send me to Creiddylad. Why didn’t she send
me, Gwyn?”
“What nonsense, Airleas! You’re Cyneric, now. And Daimhin
Feich is likely lying for you like a hungry cat. You’d be in such danger.”
Airleas sat straight up and leaned toward her. “Why? In
these clothes—” He tugged at his leather jacket. “I look just like any other
Hillwild boy. And my grandfather used to disguise himself and travel among the
people to see how well or poorly he was thought of. I could do as much. It’s
not as if I’ve a brand on my forehead that says, ‘Look! Here’s a Malcuim!’ No
one would even know me, Gwyn. I’d be just another Gyldan youth out to see the
real world.”
“But why? Where would you go? What would you do?”
Airleas’s eyes caught fire. “I’d go to Creiddylad, like I
said. I’d free the Stone of Ochan from Daimhin Feich’s foul hands. And then,
I’d avenge my father.”
Gwynet was stunned to sudden tears.
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