Read Online The Song of Homana by Jennifer Roberson - Free Book Online
Authors: Jennifer Roberson
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billowing pavilions of varied hues emblazoned with painted
lir
. The perches and pelts existing for those
lir
, and the children who feared nothing of the wild. Save, perhaps, for those who knew to fear Homanans.
I cursed. It came viciously out of my mouth along with the spittle. I thought of Duncan, clan-leader of his Keep, but mostly I thought of Alix.
I rode on then. Directly to the proper place. I knew it well enough, though nothing remained to mark it. And there I slid off my horse, too stiff to dismount with any skill or grace, and fell down upon my knees.
One pole pierced its way through snow to stab out of the ruins like a standard. A scrap of fabric, stiff from freezing, still clung to the wood. I tugged at it and it came away, breaking off in my hand. Slate-colored, with the faintest blur of gold and brown. For Cai, Duncan’s hawk.
Not once had I thought they might be dead. Not once, in all the time spent in exile, had I thought they might be gone. They had been the one constant in my life, along with Finn. Always I had recalled the Keep and the clan-leader’s pavilion, filled with Duncan’s pride and Alix’s strength, and the promise of the unborn child. Never once had I even considered they might not be here to greet me.
But it was not the greeting I missed. It was the conviction of life, no matter where it existed. Nothing lived here now.
I heard the sound behind me and knew at once it was Finn. Slowly, suddenly old beyond my years, I stood up. I trembled as if with illness, knowing only a great sorrow and rage and consuming grief.
Gods…they could not be dead
—
Lachlan made a sound. I looked at him blindly, thinking only of Alix and Duncan, and then I saw the expression of realization in his eyes.
Finn saw it also. As he leaped, still in human form, I caught him in mid-stride. “Wait—”
“He knew.”
The words struck me in the face. But still I held Finn.“Wait. Do you slay him, we will learn nothing from him.
Wait
—”
Lachlan stood rooted to the earth. One hand thrust outward as if to hold us back. His face was white. “I will tell you. I will tell you what I can.”
I let go of Finn when I knew he would do nothing more. At least until he had better reason. “Then Finn has the right of it: you knew.”
Lachlan nodded stiffly. “I knew. Have known. But I had forgotten. It was—three years ago.”
“Three years.”
I stared around the remains of the Keep. “Harper—what happened?”
He looked steadily at me. “Ihlini.”
Finn hissed something in the Old Tongue. I merely waited for further explanation. But I said one thing: “This is Ellas. Do you say Tynstar has influence-here?”
Dull color came up into Lachlan’s face. “I say nothing of that. Ellas is free of Ihlini domination. But once, only once, there was a raid across the border. Ihlini and Solindish, hunting the Cheysuli who sheltered in this realm, and they came here.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “There have been songs made about it, but it is not something I care to recall. I had nearly forgotten.”
“Remember,” Finn said curtly. “Remember it all, harper.”
Lachlan spread his hands. “The Ihlini came here. They destroyed the Keep. They slew who they could of the Cheysuli.”
“How many?”
Finn demanded.
“Not all.” Lachlan scrubbed a hand across his brow, as if he wished to free himself of the silver circlet of his calling. “I—do not know, perhaps, as much as I should.”
“Not enough and too much, all at once,” Finn said grimly. “Harper, you should have spoken earlier. You knew we came to the Keep.”
“How am I to know them
all?
” Lachlan demanded. “The High King gives the Cheysuli shelter, but he does not count them, old or young. I doubt
Rhodri
can say how many Keeps or how many Cheysuli are in Ellas. We merely welcome them all.”
This time it was Finn who colored, but only for a moment. The grief and tension were back at once, etchinglines into his face. He wore his
lir
. The perches and pelts existing for those
lir
, and the children who feared nothing of the wild. Save, perhaps, for those who knew to fear Homanans.
I cursed. It came viciously out of my mouth along with the spittle. I thought of Duncan, clan-leader of his Keep, but mostly I thought of Alix.
I rode on then. Directly to the proper place. I knew it well enough, though nothing remained to mark it. And there I slid off my horse, too stiff to dismount with any skill or grace, and fell down upon my knees.
One pole pierced its way through snow to stab out of the ruins like a standard. A scrap of fabric, stiff from freezing, still clung to the wood. I tugged at it and it came away, breaking off in my hand. Slate-colored, with the faintest blur of gold and brown. For Cai, Duncan’s hawk.
Not once had I thought they might be dead. Not once, in all the time spent in exile, had I thought they might be gone. They had been the one constant in my life, along with Finn. Always I had recalled the Keep and the clan-leader’s pavilion, filled with Duncan’s pride and Alix’s strength, and the promise of the unborn child. Never once had I even considered they might not be here to greet me.
But it was not the greeting I missed. It was the conviction of life, no matter where it existed. Nothing lived here now.
I heard the sound behind me and knew at once it was Finn. Slowly, suddenly old beyond my years, I stood up. I trembled as if with illness, knowing only a great sorrow and rage and consuming grief.
Gods…they could not be dead
—
Lachlan made a sound. I looked at him blindly, thinking only of Alix and Duncan, and then I saw the expression of realization in his eyes.
Finn saw it also. As he leaped, still in human form, I caught him in mid-stride. “Wait—”
“He knew.”
The words struck me in the face. But still I held Finn.“Wait. Do you slay him, we will learn nothing from him.
Wait
—”
Lachlan stood rooted to the earth. One hand thrust outward as if to hold us back. His face was white. “I will tell you. I will tell you what I can.”
I let go of Finn when I knew he would do nothing more. At least until he had better reason. “Then Finn has the right of it: you knew.”
Lachlan nodded stiffly. “I knew. Have known. But I had forgotten. It was—three years ago.”
“Three years.”
I stared around the remains of the Keep. “Harper—what happened?”
He looked steadily at me. “Ihlini.”
Finn hissed something in the Old Tongue. I merely waited for further explanation. But I said one thing: “This is Ellas. Do you say Tynstar has influence-here?”
Dull color came up into Lachlan’s face. “I say nothing of that. Ellas is free of Ihlini domination. But once, only once, there was a raid across the border. Ihlini and Solindish, hunting the Cheysuli who sheltered in this realm, and they came here.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “There have been songs made about it, but it is not something I care to recall. I had nearly forgotten.”
“Remember,” Finn said curtly. “Remember it all, harper.”
Lachlan spread his hands. “The Ihlini came here. They destroyed the Keep. They slew who they could of the Cheysuli.”
“How many?”
Finn demanded.
“Not all.” Lachlan scrubbed a hand across his brow, as if he wished to free himself of the silver circlet of his calling. “I—do not know, perhaps, as much as I should.”
“Not enough and too much, all at once,” Finn said grimly. “Harper, you should have spoken earlier. You knew we came to the Keep.”
“How am I to know them
all?
” Lachlan demanded. “The High King gives the Cheysuli shelter, but he does not count them, old or young. I doubt
Rhodri
can say how many Keeps or how many Cheysuli are in Ellas. We merely welcome them all.”
This time it was Finn who colored, but only for a moment. The grief and tension were back at once, etchinglines into his face. He wore his
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