Firekeeper Saga - Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart Part 28

"We'll a.s.sume for our purposes," Doc said, "that he did or that he has plans to pick up something along the way. I didn't have much luck with the New Kelvinese before they left for home-they're a closemouthed lot, or at least those I met here were. Still, I did have a couple of decent chats with a younger fellow-hardly more than a servant. I got the impression that he had encountered Baron Endbrook before this, but he didn't want me to know.

"Mind," the knight added hastily, "I may have been seeing what I wanted to see. At the very least, I did pick up some trivia about the customs of the country that could come in handy."

"So you think that we might need to pursue this into New Kelvin?" Elise said slowly.

"Yes," Doc said bluntly, and Derian nodded his agreement.

"I go," Firekeeper said, tracing her finger along the map of the New Kelvinese border. "I go wherever and however far I must to steal those three things."

The wolf-woman looked at them all, her dark eyes serious and her expression quite worried.

"I promised."

After her guests had left, Elise attempted to return to her embroidery, but her thoughts kept wandering and twice she tore out st.i.tches before giving up entirely. Idly, she rolled the hoop between her hands, feeling the flexible wood bounce lightly like carriage wheels against a road.

Finally, she admitted to herself what she had been struggling to deny: she didn't want to be left out of this venture.

True, Firekeeper had returned from her journey with orders that made this matter her own. True, Elise's alertness had served them well, enabling them to deduce not only who had the artifacts, but where they might be being taken.

Surely this was better man the vague information which otherwise would have been all that Firekeeper had to act upon.

I've been useful, Elise reminded herself sternly. I've done my part. I have other duties now.Foremost among those duties was choosing which of her winter guestings she would accept. She had made winter visits before-they were a common way to liven cold-weather dullness-but never before had she received so many invitations.

Elise took the heap of handwritten cards from where she had wedged them into her embroidery basket.

There were the usual ones from her Wellward relatives, invitations to stay for a moonspan or more. Each of Hawk Haven's other Great Houses-or one of their cadet branches-had also invited her to stay: for a week or a fortnight, for a house party culminating in a dance or masquerade.

Elise couldn't help noticing that most of these invitations mentioned in pa.s.sing some son or nephew who would be a companion for her.

There was even an invitation from Sapphire asking Elise if she wanted to come stay at the castle. That one was tempting, because-as far as Elise could tell-it offered no attempt at matchmaking.

Despite Lady Aurella's hopes, there were fewer invitations from Bright Bay. Doubtless the n.o.bles there were still trying to figure out what alliances offered the greatest advantages. Still, there was one from a d.u.c.h.ess Seal and-no surprise-the d.u.c.h.ess mentioned having a houseful of young sons and nephews who would be happy to keep me winter days from growing dull for their foreign guest.

Elise sighed, blowing out her breath with such force that a stray tendril of her fair hair fluttered as in a gale.

In most cases, the invitation from the crown princess would have had unquestioned precedence, but Elise thought that she could manage to appease Sapphire with a shorter visit. However, to do so without hurting her feelings-Sapphire had always been quick to perceive insult-Elise should have her destination picked out and some good excuse for going there.

Once again she spread out the invitations, sorting them by what claim they had on her. As much as she would enjoy visiting her Wellward kin, they must be given lower priority. She was well known to them and they to her. That she might still end up marrying some lesser Peregrine was possible, but, as Lady Aurella had indicated, the Archers already had a blood tie to that house.

Elise considered the others, sliding them back and forth on a polished tabletop in a fashion that reminded her of Sapphire and Shad playing the pirate game.

This, too, calls for strategy, Elise thought, grinning to herself at the comparison. She must share it with her mother at dinner.

At last she had reduced the pile to two or three in addition to Sapphire's elegantly written card. d.u.c.h.ess Seal certainly had a claim and Elise thought that she couldn't quite ignore the one from Lord Polr, Duke Gyrfalcon's second brother.

The Shields were still rebalancing the scales-honored by having a granddaughter of the house chosen as crown princess, shamed by having a son of the house a proven traitor. For those reasons, they might offer some advantageous alliance or even business deal.

Then there was...

Elise set Lord Polr's card, which she had been about to reread, aside and reached for one that had sat in its own pile of one at the table's edge since the sorting had begun. It was from d.u.c.h.ess Kestrel and invited Elise to travel to the Norwood Grant with the Kestrel family when they returned home.

During their recent visit, Elise had learned that Derian would be among the Kestrel party, as would Docand Firekeeper. The d.u.c.h.ess's invitation was open-ended-a routine courtesy with winter coming on.

And I could go with them, Elise thought, and miss nothing. Nor does it hurt that Earl Kestrel's eldest son, Edlin, is a few years older than me or that his next, Tait, is just a bit younger. That should satisfy my mother and father.

She remembered an earlier visit some years before when she had been about eight. She'd torn about the gardens and fields with Edlin and Tait as if she were as wild as Firekeeper.

My hair was in plaits down my back, she remembered fondly, and Edlin kept tugging at them. I kicked him in the ankle and he limped for two days. His father wouldn't let Doc...

Doc-or Sir Jared-had been neither healer nor knight then, merely a beardless youth of fourteen or fifteen with dark hair and the Norwood nose. He'd been showing traces of his talent then, but Earl Kestrel had bluntly refused to let him use it for Edlin's benefit.

"You say it isn't broken, Jared?" the earl had said. "Then let Edlin learn the consequences of his actions. It's not too early, not if he's already being bruised for them."

And young Jared had solemnly agreed, but he'd bound up Edlin's ankle, then taken them all fishing so his young cousin could take the weight off the injured member and cool the bruise in the water in which they dangled their lines.

Elise was pulled from her memories by the sound of the solar door opening. She looked up to see her mother entering, her footsteps noiseless on the thick carpets thrown down to guard against the chill from the stone floors.

Lady Aurella smiled when she saw what her daughter had been doing.

"I remember those days," she said with a light laugh. "My sisters and cousins and I would count our invitations and lord them over each other as if we'd actually done wonderful by receiving them. Have you decided where you wish to go?"

Elise hedged for time.

"I must visit with Sapphire at least for a day or so, or her feelings will be hurt," she began.

"Wise," her mother agreed, taking a seat where the light was good and opening her own embroidery basket.

Elise noted that Lady Aurella had also chosen a place from which she could not see which cards her daughter had selected. There was a measure of courtesy and restraint in this that Elise appreciated.

Doubtless Aunt Zorana would sweep over here and run her fingers through the cards, pointing out which important ones I had overlooked.

"But you will not winter with the crown princess?" Lady Aurella asked, needle dipping and rising.

"I think not," Elise replied. "Sapphire will be busier than she knew when she wrote this out. I remember something of court routine. She's forgetting that her days will not be the usual idles of winter."

"Perhaps so," Lady Aurella agreed. "If you make good excuse, she will forgive you not offering to give her a longer visit."

"Just what I was thinking."Elise paused, wondering if she should move directly to d.u.c.h.ess Kestrel's invitation or lead up to it through some of the other candidates. The latter tactic would give her opportunity to read her mother's expression. She was about to begin when Lady Aurella stole a march on her.

"I understand from the butler that you had visitors this afternoon: Lady Blysse, Sir Jared, and Counselor Derian. Did they call to bid you farewell before returning north? I understand that d.u.c.h.ess Kestrel is beginning to be concerned that the weather will turn and make their journey unpleasant."

"Not quite," Elise said, unwilling to lie.

"Then did they come to plead with you to come to Norwood with them?"

There was a teasing note in Aurella's voice that made Elise suddenly angry.

"No, they didn't!"

"Ah."

There was a wealth of sympathy and understanding in the single syllable that made Elise even angrier. She kept her temper, however, as befitted a lady.

"Too courteous, no doubt," Elise managed, "or perhaps embarra.s.sed. d.u.c.h.ess Kestrel does mention in her note that Lady Blysse stands to have a lonely winter. Doubtless they didn't wish to pressure me to come and keep her company."

"Doubtless."

Lady Aurella's tone was unreadable.

"I'd like to go, though," Elise admitted. "I have good memories of visits to the Norwood Grant."

"Summer visits," her mother reminded her. "Winter gets bitter in the North Woods."

"True, but Lady Blysse is a friend."

Silence punctuated by the rise and fall of the needle.

"And I don't feel ready to contract a marriage yet."

The words, sneaking out from some quiet parlor in her soul, startled Elise even more than they did her mother.

"You don't?" Lady Aurella said, raising her elegant eyebrows. "You were ready enough last summer."

"I think that's why I'm not ready now," Elise replied. "I'm not nursing a broken heart, Mother, honestly I'm not, but I can't bear the idea of spending the next several moons making courting conversation and all the rest."

"You'll need to be polite on the Kestrel estate," Aurella said. "You're no longer a child of eight who can kick her host."

"You remember that too!"

Aurella laughed. "Your father and I were terrified you'd crippled the heir apparent to a Great House."

"Apparent, apparent," Elise said, remembering an old jest they'd used to taunt Edlin when he got too fullof his own barely understood importance.

"And," Aurella said, sharing Elise's smile, "Edlin and Tait are both potential matches for you."

"Edlin," Elise said, "has lands coming to him through his grandmother and father, but you're right, a separate tie to our barony-given how far apart we are-would benefit us both."

"And I think you were once fond of Edlin," her mother prompted.

"True, but, Mother, I meant what I said. I'm not ready to contract a marriage: not to Edlin or Tait or Jared."

The last name slid out but once spoken could not be ignored.

"No?"

"No. I'm hardly an old maid yet. I won't reach my majority for moonspans yet. I promise to consider any Kestrel offer, but I think I'd like to wait until I have a better idea of our needs."

"Our?"

"The Barony of Archer."

Aurella studied her daughter for a long moment. At last she nodded.

"Go to Norwood then, Elise, with my blessings. I'll make your father understand that this is best."

Elise ran her fingers across the piles of invitations.

"But what about these? What about the other possibilities? There's an invitation here from d.u.c.h.ess Seal of Bright Bay and another from Lord Polr that might as well be from Duke Gyrfalcon."

Aurella shook her head slowly. "Those don't matter if your mind is made up not to contract a marriage.

Indeed, it might be dangerous for you to go to them under what might be construed as false pretenses.

Not every good match will be made this winter-though many will be. If you're thinking of the barony, we must not sell it cheap."

"I'm thinking," Elise admitted honestly, "about me."

"And someday you will be the barony," Aurella replied, "so it is much the same. d.u.c.h.ess Kestrel's invitation has an advantage over the others in that it asks you to come as a companion for her adopted granddaughter as much as for any other reason. You won't be misrepresenting either yourself or our house."

Elise nodded, thought fleetingly of enchanted artifacts, of New Kelvin, of the excitement to come.

"I suppose not," she said. "I do wish to keep Firekeeper-I mean Lady Blysse-company. She may run wild."

Actually, she thought, I'll be more surprised if she doesn't.

"Very good, then. Write out your reply and we'll have a runner bring it to the Kestrel Manse the moment the ink is blotted. d.u.c.h.ess Kestrel will want to send news ahead so that your suite can be readied."

Elise found a sheet of heavy paper embossed with the Archer coat of arms and bordered with a lighttracery of scarlet and gold.

As she began to write her acceptance, she heard her mother speaking on, her tones those of one thinking aloud.

"You will take Ninette, of course, and your winter mantle will need mending. I noticed that the hem had been trodden upon. And you'll need to write Sapphire as soon as that letter is completed. It may be difficult..."

Elise wrote the necessary missives, hearing only half of what Lady Aurella said, for her own excited heart beat a drum in her ears.

Baron Endbrook made good time to Port Haven and better to the large post-house where he had arranged to meet Lady Melina and her daughter. Despite stopping along the road to stash Lady Melina's gemstone necklace where he alone could find it again, he arrived just as the setting sun was stroking the skies with orange and red.

Good travel weather for the morrow, he thought idly.

As he swung from his saddle, it seemed to Waln that the saddlebags containing the satchel with the three magical artifacts bulged unnaturally large, though to outside appearances-and indeed even to casual inspection-it was no more extraordinary than its mate. Still, he stood between it and the windows of the inn as he stretched Out the kinks from his back and legs. He was more sailor than rider, but these last few weeks had prepared him well for the long ride to come.

Baron Endbrook's paranoia regarding the treasures was not helped when a large crow swooped down and began tugging at the straps as if trying to untie the bag. Doubtless it was merely the polished buckle catching the late-afternoon sunlight that had attracted the dumb beast, but nevertheless he felt a chill.

The horse that Waln had ridden was a hired mount and the baron turned it over to the stablehand without a second glance. The precious saddlebags, however, he carried himself, biting back a sharp rebuke when a porter moved to perform the routine courtesy of unstrapping it for him.

If the porter noticed Waln's anxiety, he surely dismissed it as a usual caution. There must be many travelers who worried about strangers handling their baggage.

As Waln was slinging the heavy bags over his arm, he heard a throat being cleared off to one side. He glanced that way and saw Orin-better known as Fox-Driver leaning against a shed.