Read Online Sword Maker-Sword Dancer 3 by Jennifer Roberson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Roberson
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too much. All the same, it
showed enough. "I thought you'd go south at once."
"No. Not this time."
"I thought the Sandtiger roamed wherever he wanted, unbound by other desires."
She paused. "At least, he used to."
I shut my eyes, waited a beat, answered her quietly. "It won't work, Del.
You've
pushed me this way and that way like an oracle bone for months, now. No more.
There are things I have to do."
"I have to go south."
"Who's stopping you? Weren't you the one who spent five years apprenticing on Staal-Ysta just so you could go south all by yourself? Weren't you the one who
went hunting the Sandtiger with only a storm-born sword for companionship?
Weren't you--"
"Enough, Tiger. Yes, I did all those things. And I have done this thing: I have
come to you asking your help in making me fit again. But if you are unwilling to
give it--"
"I'll give it," I interrupted. "I said that already, after you did your little
ritual. But I can't go south right away, which means if you really want my help,
you'll have to come along."
"Something has happened," she said suspiciously. "Did Telek and Stigand force you to swear oaths? Did they give you a task? Did you make promises to the voca
in exchange for tending me?"
"No. I have every intention of going home as soon as I've tracked them to their
lair. It has nothing to do with oaths to Telek and Stigand, or promises to the
voca. It's just something I want to do." I paused. "And if you don't like it, you don't have to come."
"Tracked who--?" She broke it off. "Those beasts? The hounds? Oh, Tiger, you don't mean--"
"I made a promise, Del. To myself. I intend to keep it."
Wide-eyed, she stared at me, which didn't make me feel any better. No man likes
having it thrown in his face that he's lacked responsibility throughout much of
his life; me making this promise exhibited a new side of the Sandtiger. Del didn't exactly say anything, but then she didn't have to. All she had to do was
stare at me in exactly the way she was.
"Tiger-"
"It's why I'm out here in the middle of a Northern nowhere, Del; why else?
I'm
tracking those hounds. To Ysaa-den or wherever. To whoever--I intend to find the
sorcerer who set them loose."
"And kill him," she clarified.
"I imagine so," I agreed. "Unless, of course, he's polite enough to stop on my
say-so."
She hooked hair behind her ears. "So. You're tracking the hounds in order to kill their master, and I'm tracking Ajani with much the same end in mind.
What
is the difference, Tiger? Why are you right and I'm wrong?"
"I don't want to argue about this--"
"I'm not arguing. I'm asking."
"My reasons are a bit different from yours," I said testily. "Aside from hounding us for more months than I care to remember, those beasts have also killed people. And some were children."
"Yes," Del agreed, "as Ajani killed my kin... including all the babies."
"Oh, hoolies, Del--" I shifted position, wished I hadn't. "What you're after is
revenge, pure and simple. I'm not saying it's wrong--what Ajani did was horrible--but I think you've lost sight of reality. What's driving you now is misplaced pride and utter obsession--and that's not healthy for anyone."
"You think I'd be better off in some man's bed, or in some man's house, bearing
him fourteen sons."
I blinked. "Fourteen might be a bit much. Hard on the woman, I'd think."
Del bit back a retort. "Tiger, do you deny it? Wouldn't you rather see me in some man's bed instead of in the circle?" She paused delicately. "In your bed,
maybe, instead of in your circle?"
"You've been in my bed," I answered bluntly, "and you've been in my circle. I don't know what the first one got you, but the second nearly killed you."
That she hurt was obvious; that I'd cut too deep equally so. "So it did," she sighed finally. "Yes, so it did. As for the first? I don't know. I don't know what it got me. I don't know what it should have--do we put a price on bedding?"
"I'm going north," I told her. "Or
showed enough. "I thought you'd go south at once."
"No. Not this time."
"I thought the Sandtiger roamed wherever he wanted, unbound by other desires."
She paused. "At least, he used to."
I shut my eyes, waited a beat, answered her quietly. "It won't work, Del.
You've
pushed me this way and that way like an oracle bone for months, now. No more.
There are things I have to do."
"I have to go south."
"Who's stopping you? Weren't you the one who spent five years apprenticing on Staal-Ysta just so you could go south all by yourself? Weren't you the one who
went hunting the Sandtiger with only a storm-born sword for companionship?
Weren't you--"
"Enough, Tiger. Yes, I did all those things. And I have done this thing: I have
come to you asking your help in making me fit again. But if you are unwilling to
give it--"
"I'll give it," I interrupted. "I said that already, after you did your little
ritual. But I can't go south right away, which means if you really want my help,
you'll have to come along."
"Something has happened," she said suspiciously. "Did Telek and Stigand force you to swear oaths? Did they give you a task? Did you make promises to the voca
in exchange for tending me?"
"No. I have every intention of going home as soon as I've tracked them to their
lair. It has nothing to do with oaths to Telek and Stigand, or promises to the
voca. It's just something I want to do." I paused. "And if you don't like it, you don't have to come."
"Tracked who--?" She broke it off. "Those beasts? The hounds? Oh, Tiger, you don't mean--"
"I made a promise, Del. To myself. I intend to keep it."
Wide-eyed, she stared at me, which didn't make me feel any better. No man likes
having it thrown in his face that he's lacked responsibility throughout much of
his life; me making this promise exhibited a new side of the Sandtiger. Del didn't exactly say anything, but then she didn't have to. All she had to do was
stare at me in exactly the way she was.
"Tiger-"
"It's why I'm out here in the middle of a Northern nowhere, Del; why else?
I'm
tracking those hounds. To Ysaa-den or wherever. To whoever--I intend to find the
sorcerer who set them loose."
"And kill him," she clarified.
"I imagine so," I agreed. "Unless, of course, he's polite enough to stop on my
say-so."
She hooked hair behind her ears. "So. You're tracking the hounds in order to kill their master, and I'm tracking Ajani with much the same end in mind.
What
is the difference, Tiger? Why are you right and I'm wrong?"
"I don't want to argue about this--"
"I'm not arguing. I'm asking."
"My reasons are a bit different from yours," I said testily. "Aside from hounding us for more months than I care to remember, those beasts have also killed people. And some were children."
"Yes," Del agreed, "as Ajani killed my kin... including all the babies."
"Oh, hoolies, Del--" I shifted position, wished I hadn't. "What you're after is
revenge, pure and simple. I'm not saying it's wrong--what Ajani did was horrible--but I think you've lost sight of reality. What's driving you now is misplaced pride and utter obsession--and that's not healthy for anyone."
"You think I'd be better off in some man's bed, or in some man's house, bearing
him fourteen sons."
I blinked. "Fourteen might be a bit much. Hard on the woman, I'd think."
Del bit back a retort. "Tiger, do you deny it? Wouldn't you rather see me in some man's bed instead of in the circle?" She paused delicately. "In your bed,
maybe, instead of in your circle?"
"You've been in my bed," I answered bluntly, "and you've been in my circle. I don't know what the first one got you, but the second nearly killed you."
That she hurt was obvious; that I'd cut too deep equally so. "So it did," she sighed finally. "Yes, so it did. As for the first? I don't know. I don't know what it got me. I don't know what it should have--do we put a price on bedding?"
"I'm going north," I told her. "Or
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