heard a single one of the messages, announcing the thousands of deaths in Keroon, Ista, Igen, Telgar, and Ruatha? My mother and four sisters were dead and quite likely the guards and the servants who had accompanied them, but they numbered only forty in all, not four hundred or four thousand or forty thousand.
“Then I withdraw my healers from your Hold.” I nearly cheered Capiam’s statement.
“But—but—you can’t
do
that!”
“Indeed he can.
We
can,” Master Tirone replied. I heard the scrape of his chair as he pushed it back from the table. I clapped my hands over my mouth lest I make any sound. “Craftsmen are under the jurisdiction of their Hall. You’d forgotten that, hadn’t you?”
I had just enough time to get back into the shadows as the door was pulled roughly open and Capiam swung into the hall. The light from my father’s windows showed me the anger on the Masterhealer’s face. Master Tirone slammed the door shut.
“I’ll call them out! Then I’ll join you in the camp.”
“I didn’t think it would come to this!” Capiam was grim.
I inhaled, afraid for one moment that they might renege—this opposition was just what Tolocamp needed to bring him back to his lost senses.
“Tolocamp has presumed once too often on the generosity of the Halls! I hope this example reminds others of our prerogatives.”
“Call our Craftspeople out, but don’t come to the camp with me, Tirone. You must stay in the hall with your people, and guide mine!”
“My people”—Tirone gave a harsh laugh—”with very few exceptions, are languishing in that blighted camp of his. You are the one who must bide at the halls.”
I knew then where I would go when I left this Hold, and I knew what I could do to expiate my father’s intransigence.
“Master Capiam—” I stepped forward. “I have the storeroom keys.” I held up the duplicates my mother had given me on my sixteenth birthday.
“How did you? . . .” Tirone began, leaning forward to peer at my face. He didn’t know who I was any more than Capiam did, but they knew I was one of the Fort Horde.
“Lord Tolocamp made plain his position when he received the request for medicines. I helped harvest and preserve them.”
“Lady? . . .” Capiam waited for me to speak my name, but his voice was kind and his manner gentle.
“Nerilka,” I said quickly, for I didn’t expect so exalted a man to have known it. “I have the right to offer you the products of my own labor.” Tirone was realizing that I had eavesdropped on their conversation, but I hardly cared. “There is just one condition.” I let the keys swing from my fingers.
“If it is within my giving,” Capiam replied tactfully.
“That I may leave this Hold in your company and work with the sick in that horrid camp. I’ve been vaccinated.
Lord
Tolocamp was expansive that day. Be that as it may, I will not stay in a Hold to be abused by a girl younger than myself. Tolocamp permitted her and her family to enter this hallowed Hold from the fire-heights yet he leaves healers and harpers to die out there!” I nearly added, “as he left my mother and sisters to die at Ruatha” Instead I pulled at Capiam’s sleeve. “This way, quickly.”
Tolocamp would recover from his shock at their ultimatum and start roaring for Barndy or one of my brothers.
“I’ll remove our Craftspeople from this Hold on my way out,” Tirone said. He turned and walked the other way.
“Young woman, you do realize that once you leave the Hold without your father’s knowledge, particularly in his present frame of mind—”
“Master Capiam, I doubt he’ll notice I’m gone.” Maybe he was the one who had told Anella that my name was Nalka. “These steps are very steep,” I warned, suddenly remembering that the Masterhealer wasn’t used to the back ways. I flicked on a handglow.
Capiam stumbled once or twice as we spiraled down, and I heard him draw a sigh of relief as we turned into the larger
“Then I withdraw my healers from your Hold.” I nearly cheered Capiam’s statement.
“But—but—you can’t
do
that!”
“Indeed he can.
We
can,” Master Tirone replied. I heard the scrape of his chair as he pushed it back from the table. I clapped my hands over my mouth lest I make any sound. “Craftsmen are under the jurisdiction of their Hall. You’d forgotten that, hadn’t you?”
I had just enough time to get back into the shadows as the door was pulled roughly open and Capiam swung into the hall. The light from my father’s windows showed me the anger on the Masterhealer’s face. Master Tirone slammed the door shut.
“I’ll call them out! Then I’ll join you in the camp.”
“I didn’t think it would come to this!” Capiam was grim.
I inhaled, afraid for one moment that they might renege—this opposition was just what Tolocamp needed to bring him back to his lost senses.
“Tolocamp has presumed once too often on the generosity of the Halls! I hope this example reminds others of our prerogatives.”
“Call our Craftspeople out, but don’t come to the camp with me, Tirone. You must stay in the hall with your people, and guide mine!”
“My people”—Tirone gave a harsh laugh—”with very few exceptions, are languishing in that blighted camp of his. You are the one who must bide at the halls.”
I knew then where I would go when I left this Hold, and I knew what I could do to expiate my father’s intransigence.
“Master Capiam—” I stepped forward. “I have the storeroom keys.” I held up the duplicates my mother had given me on my sixteenth birthday.
“How did you? . . .” Tirone began, leaning forward to peer at my face. He didn’t know who I was any more than Capiam did, but they knew I was one of the Fort Horde.
“Lord Tolocamp made plain his position when he received the request for medicines. I helped harvest and preserve them.”
“Lady? . . .” Capiam waited for me to speak my name, but his voice was kind and his manner gentle.
“Nerilka,” I said quickly, for I didn’t expect so exalted a man to have known it. “I have the right to offer you the products of my own labor.” Tirone was realizing that I had eavesdropped on their conversation, but I hardly cared. “There is just one condition.” I let the keys swing from my fingers.
“If it is within my giving,” Capiam replied tactfully.
“That I may leave this Hold in your company and work with the sick in that horrid camp. I’ve been vaccinated.
Lord
Tolocamp was expansive that day. Be that as it may, I will not stay in a Hold to be abused by a girl younger than myself. Tolocamp permitted her and her family to enter this hallowed Hold from the fire-heights yet he leaves healers and harpers to die out there!” I nearly added, “as he left my mother and sisters to die at Ruatha” Instead I pulled at Capiam’s sleeve. “This way, quickly.”
Tolocamp would recover from his shock at their ultimatum and start roaring for Barndy or one of my brothers.
“I’ll remove our Craftspeople from this Hold on my way out,” Tirone said. He turned and walked the other way.
“Young woman, you do realize that once you leave the Hold without your father’s knowledge, particularly in his present frame of mind—”
“Master Capiam, I doubt he’ll notice I’m gone.” Maybe he was the one who had told Anella that my name was Nalka. “These steps are very steep,” I warned, suddenly remembering that the Masterhealer wasn’t used to the back ways. I flicked on a handglow.
Capiam stumbled once or twice as we spiraled down, and I heard him draw a sigh of relief as we turned into the larger
Similar Books
