Gwenhwyfar_ The White Spirit Part 5

Chapter Six.

Driving a chariot-merely driving driving it, and not doing any of the tricks that the experienced drivers did-was a lot harder than it looked. it, and not doing any of the tricks that the experienced drivers did-was a lot harder than it looked.

To begin with, there were two sets of reins, each set going to a different horse, each of whom had its own ideas about how a good driver handled those reins. Then there was the fact that you were standing on something that was moving, so your balance was constantly shifting, and that caused tugging on the reins if you weren't careful, and that that gave the horses signals to do things you hadn't intended. gave the horses signals to do things you hadn't intended.

She was just lucky that her pair were so experienced, so steady, so calm. They reacted to bad signals not by obeying them but by stopping dead in their tracks and waiting patiently for her to sort herself (and them) out.

Gwen had never been happier. Braith was right. This was what she had been born to do.

There was so much more to learn! She'd had no idea, not really, when she first started down this path, how much there was to it. She supposed now that it was all a matter of seeing . . . that she'd only really paid attention to the warriors, who were the end of all the training, and not to the milling lot of half-finished people still in training. But now that she was in the middle of it all, she had at least a sense of how much more there was to being a warrior.

And even knowing how much work there would be, how far she had to go, she still wanted to learn it all.

Today she guided her team carefully around a course laid out by the horsemaster; they'd been at the walk, then the fast walk, then the trot. Now he signaled to them to move straight into a full charge. She slapped the reins on their backs and shouted, bracing herself against the chariot back as they surged forward in the traces.

The chariot bounced and bucked; she kept her knees flexed as she had been taught and kept her balance, although it was a fight to do so. Here is where it was so important for the young warrior to be "trained" by old, experienced horses. If she fell, she knew she could count on them to stop dead, dead, because they had done just that in the early stages of her driving training. She got bruised, but she didn't get as badly hurt as she would have if the team had kept going. because they had done just that in the early stages of her driving training. She got bruised, but she didn't get as badly hurt as she would have if the team had kept going.

This was far more frightening than riding. Anyone with any sense would be terrified, with the flying hooves of the horses so close to you, with the chariot bouncing like the featherweight thing that it was, and you trying to guide the horses around turns that slung it sideways as well as sending it bounding into the air.

And for that reason it was all the more exciting and exhilarating.

The horsemaster let them run the course three times before signaling her to slow, then stop. He walked up to them and slid his hand up the shoulder of the mare under her mane and nodded with satisfaction. She was no warmer than she should be; she showed none of the signs of fighting with her driver. Without a word, he waved Gwen off and signaled to the next to come onto the course. She hopped down out of her chariot, her legs wobbly with fatigue but determined not to show it, and walked them back to the paddock, where she backed her chariot into its place in line, unhitched them, and led them off to cool. Once they were fit to turn loose, she unharnessed them, gave them a quick rubdown, and let them out into the field. She turned then, to find her mother at the fence, waiting patiently for her to be finished. She looked in her pregnancy like the pregnant G.o.ddess must look: ridiculously young, face glowing and beautiful as the sun.

She was startled to say the least. Not that Eleri was an utter stranger to the stable; she had driven a chariot herself in the past, though she hadn't done so in several years and certainly could not in her current state. She was, perhaps, two moons from giving birth, which made it even odder that she should have come down here to the stables, when her increasing girth made such a long walk uncomfortable. And there was no doubt who she had come to see; Gwen was the only person here at the moment.

She recollected herself quickly. Here Here she was not the queen's daughter; here she was nothing more than a warrior-in-training, and as such, she bowed low and did not raise her eyes. "My lady," she said, and nothing more. It was for Eleri to give an order and for her to obey it without question. she was not the queen's daughter; here she was nothing more than a warrior-in-training, and as such, she bowed low and did not raise her eyes. "My lady," she said, and nothing more. It was for Eleri to give an order and for her to obey it without question.

"Gwen, walk with me." The queen's voice made that a command. A gentle one, but nevertheless, a command. Obediently, Gwen went to her mother's side and set her pace to the queen's slower one.

The did not go far, only to a bit of stone outcropping overlooking the chariot course that made a convenient seat. Eleri eased herself down onto it, while Gwen remained standing until her mother patted the stone beside her. Still puzzled, but grateful, Gwen took a seat beside the queen, and Eleri put one arm around her daughter, hugging Gwen close, and with that gesture, Gwen became the princess again, and not the young warrior.

"I'm sending Cataruna to the Ladies," Eleri said, out of nowhere. "I know you wanted that yourself, and perhaps in time we shall send you, but-your mentors tell us that you are doing well. So well that they have urged me not to send you until you are much older, and your training is complete." Gwen turned her head up to look at her mother in astonishment, to see the queen gazing down at her with an anxious look in her eyes. "This kingdom needs as many with the Blessing as powerful as I have been given, as Cataruna has been given, as we can manage to get properly trained. Cataruna leaves today, in fact, in company with two of the village girls who also have the Blessing; the king and I wanted to send her off before she made any serious attachments to a boy, and there are several now with whom she might. I hope you are not upset."

Now Gwen was even more astonished. "No!" she blurted. "Braith was right. This is what I want!"

Eleri sighed, and her face took on an expression of regret. "Your father said that you would say that."

Gwen's brows creased. "Is that bad?"

The queen hugged her again. "Not at all. But you know that the hand of the G.o.ddess was strong on you when you were born, and I was sure that there was nothing that you would want more than to take up the Power. Now-" she sighed more deeply "-now you are around Cold Iron so much that the power is fading. I begin to think, as Braith does, that there were two G.o.ddesses bestowing their Blessing on you, and one of them was Epona. I cannot fault you at all for choosing her. And I know I will not have to ask you twice; you want this, more than anything."

Gwen nodded solemnly.

"Then my blessing on you, and Cataruna will take your place. There is Cataruna, and perhaps your other sisters." The queen got ponderously to her feet. "I have been watching you at your training, and your mentors are right; your hand was made for the chariot reins, for the bow, and perhaps for the sword. I will sleep well of nights, knowing that you will be a strong guardian to your little brother as he grows."

"I promise!" she said firmly. In fact, she could not think of anything more delightful. She would guard him until he was old enough to take up these first lessons himself, and then she would help to teach him. And when he was a man, she would be one of his chosen Band, and fight at his side.

The queen's hand rested briefly, caressingly, on her head, warm and tender. "Go back to your lessons, young warrior," she said fondly. "Be wise as the salmon, crafty as the fox, valiant as the wolfhound, and fierce as the hawk."

Then she turned, and as she did, Gwen felt something quite peculiar, a sense that something had been loosened between them. Not broken-not at all-but it felt very much as if the queen had opened a door to her and was letting her go through it all on her own, like the first day a young falcon was taken off the creance and allowed to fly free.

She looked up into her mother's eyes. "I will," she repeated, making a pledge of it. "You'll be proud of me."

"I already am," her mother replied, and turned to make the slow journey back to the castle.

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Gwen couldn't stand to be indoors that night, sandwiched in the big bed with her sisters. She wanted to be completely alone with her thoughts, she wanted nothing to interrupt, and above all, she did not want Little Gwen to sour everything with poking and prodding- Little Gwen had an uncanny instinct for when Gwen wanted to think. During the day, of course, Little Gwen didn't come anywhere near her. But during the day, Gwen was too busy to stop to think. That moment when the queen had come to speak to her had been the only pause in the entire day, and Gwen was pretty certain she would not have had that much if it had not been the queen queen who had taken her aside. Gwen's day, like that of her fellows, always began before anyone else but the servants were up, and it was filled with ch.o.r.es, exercises, practices, lessons, and duties. It only ended when the steward, who was the one in charge of Gwen and her fellow squires and pages, said that the day was over. who had taken her aside. Gwen's day, like that of her fellows, always began before anyone else but the servants were up, and it was filled with ch.o.r.es, exercises, practices, lessons, and duties. It only ended when the steward, who was the one in charge of Gwen and her fellow squires and pages, said that the day was over.

But she loved it. Not every moment of it, of course-but even in the most tedious parts, the knowledge that after this, I'll have archery practice after this, I'll have archery practice or or we'll be learning to wheel in formation we'll be learning to wheel in formation kept her willing to work through the tedious, or the difficult, or the downright onerous. Or she would be thinking hard about something she was supposed to master, which made the time pa.s.s so much faster when she was mucking out, or grooming, or cleaning weapons and armor. And of course, when she served at table, she had to stay on her toes. The Great Hall was a lot more crowded when you were counted among the servitors. Not that all the squires served kept her willing to work through the tedious, or the difficult, or the downright onerous. Or she would be thinking hard about something she was supposed to master, which made the time pa.s.s so much faster when she was mucking out, or grooming, or cleaning weapons and armor. And of course, when she served at table, she had to stay on her toes. The Great Hall was a lot more crowded when you were counted among the servitors. Not that all the squires served every every night, far from it. Most meals were very informal. But they all took it in turn to serve at the High Table to keep in practice. Gwen was never allowed to serve the king-the steward told her from the beginning that a squire was never, ever allowed to serve someone he was closely related to. But at some point or other, she did serve each of the other men at the king's side of the table-his three captains, the steward himself, and any important guests he might have. night, far from it. Most meals were very informal. But they all took it in turn to serve at the High Table to keep in practice. Gwen was never allowed to serve the king-the steward told her from the beginning that a squire was never, ever allowed to serve someone he was closely related to. But at some point or other, she did serve each of the other men at the king's side of the table-his three captains, the steward himself, and any important guests he might have.

That, too, put her out of Little Gwen's reach. And usually she was so tired by the time the Steward dismissed them all that she went straight to bed and was asleep by the time Little Gwen-who was always trying to put off her bedtime-came back to the room. But on those rare occasions when Gwen wasn't exhausted and did want to lie awake thinking for a while, Little Gwen seemed to sense, somehow, that she was feigning sleep and would poke and prod her, "accidentally," or pretend to be tossing and turning, interrupting her thoughts.

So tonight she took a sheared sheepskin rug and a blanket out to that little sheltered corner where she used to pick over the feathers. She nodded at the sentry standing guard at the door. "Too hot to sleep inside," she told him, and he grinned and nodded. Of course he wouldn't have grinned and nodded if she had been old enough for boys to be interested, as they were in Cataruna. He would have asked quite sternly if the king knew she intended to sleep out, and if she was sleeping alone, and then he would have made certain that the king did did know and knew who she was with. Not all her willing him not to see would have stopped him from spotting her if she had been Cataruna's age. Although things were changing elsewhere, it was still the expected thing here that boys and girls, even when the girl was the king's daughter, would make their first fumblings together without there being any formal promises binding them. A swelling belly generally meant a wedding, of course, but Gwen knew vaguely that there were ways of preventing such a thing. If there hadn't been, there would have been a great many more princesses than just four. In the village, at least, the girl that went to her marriage a virgin was a rarity. know and knew who she was with. Not all her willing him not to see would have stopped him from spotting her if she had been Cataruna's age. Although things were changing elsewhere, it was still the expected thing here that boys and girls, even when the girl was the king's daughter, would make their first fumblings together without there being any formal promises binding them. A swelling belly generally meant a wedding, of course, but Gwen knew vaguely that there were ways of preventing such a thing. If there hadn't been, there would have been a great many more princesses than just four. In the village, at least, the girl that went to her marriage a virgin was a rarity.

Nevertheless, for the king's daughters . . . there were some things expected. You might keep the ident.i.ty of the boy you were with from your parents if you were an ordinary girl, but the king's daughter-well, there were always going to be complications. That had been carefully explained to them once they were old enough to notice that not all the bodies in the great hall of nights were quiet ones. If you went with a boy, Mother and Father had to know about it, know who he was, and to that end, the king's men would be asking questions if you went slipping out to meet one. And you had better go to your betrothal, if not your wedding, still virginal or at least able to pretend to that state.

But she was still young enough that it didn't matter. He probably thought that he was going to go meet up with some of the squires for an illicit berry feast, perhaps, or some night fishing, or even for the sharing out of too much stolen ale or mead. He still had to know, of course, and he followed her for a bit. But under his watchful eye, she went right where she said she was going, laid the hide down over the gra.s.s, rolled up the blanket into a pillow, and laid herself down to stare up at the night sky. Satisfied, he went back to his post.

What the queen had told her still warmed her heart and gave her a thrill of pride. It was one thing to have her father beaming at her-she was doing just what he had hoped one of his children would, she had joined the ranks of the warriors, she was doing well at her duties, and it was only natural that he was proud of her. Perhaps it was a mild surprise that it was Gwen in particular, but Braith was a trusted member of his elite fighting force, and the last thing he would do would be to prevent Gwen from following in the footsteps of such a valued warrior and driver.

But she was doing precisely the opposite of what the queen had planned for her. She'd avoided thinking about it, but underneath everything, she'd been certain that Eleri must be disappointed in her. Maybe angry.

But she wasn't-so not only was Gwen proud and happy, she was relieved. It wasn't often that Eleri changed her mind or her plans; it wasn't often that she needed to. Gwen had felt the weight of Eleri's expectations weighing her spirit down with dread; now that weight was gone, and she felt light enough to fly up to the moon.

Underneath all that was one thing more; the farther her duties took her from the women's side of castle life, the less time she had to spend in Little Gwen's company. That was a relief too. In fact, it was entirely possible that at some point she would be expected to move from that comfortable bed to a pallet in the great hall with the others. Little did they know that she would gladly trade that warm bed and its unruly occupant for relative discomfort and peace!

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In the morning Gwen returned to the bedchamber, intending to leave the blanket and rug and go straight out to her duties, only to walk into a storm. And at the center of that storm was Little Gwen.

Cataruna stood with her arms crossed and her lips pressed tightly together as Little Gwen tore through the two packs she had carefully made up, hissing angrily that Cataruna had stolen her her things. "Where is my comb?" she demanded, her voice getting louder with each moment. "You took it! And my ribbons! And my top!" things. "Where is my comb?" she demanded, her voice getting louder with each moment. "You took it! And my ribbons! And my top!"

Quietly, Gwen edged into the room and dropped her burdens in the corner. She would have liked to edge out again, but by this point, Little Gwen's tantrum was turning into a full blown tirade when she didn't find any of the things she was claiming were "stolen." Cataruna's belongings were scattered all over the floor as if tossed by a whirlwind, and Bronwyn, awakened by the fuss, appeared at the door curtain- But at that same moment, someone far more important than Bronwyn appeared at the door to the solar.

It was the king.

Without a word, he strode into the room, picked up Little Gwen by the scruff of her neck, and shook her until her teeth rattled. Shocked into silence, her eyes gone round as river stones, when he let go of her, she fell in an unmoving heap on the floor.

"How dare dare you disturb the queen's rest?" he snarled, staring down at Little Gwen. "How dare you trouble the mother of my son? How you disturb the queen's rest?" he snarled, staring down at Little Gwen. "How dare you trouble the mother of my son? How dare dare you, miserable changeling? Enough! More than enough!" He turned to Bronwyn. "See to it that you, miserable changeling? Enough! More than enough!" He turned to Bronwyn. "See to it that she she repacks all of Cataruna's things with care, while my good Cataruna breaks her fast. Then see to it that when the top and the ribbons are found, they are given to some child of the village who deserves a reward." repacks all of Cataruna's things with care, while my good Cataruna breaks her fast. Then see to it that when the top and the ribbons are found, they are given to some child of the village who deserves a reward."

He turned his gaze down on Little Gwen again. "I would have thought you had learned your lesson by now, but I see that you have not. Perhaps your hands are too idle. Perhaps you need more work to do."

Little Gwen stared up at the king, her face blank.

Bronwyn compressed her lips tight. "That may be so, my Lord King," she said. "Perhaps some kitchen work?"

Little Gwen made a faint sound of protest. The king ignored her. "Perhaps," he said. "Perhaps she will learn that churlish manners lead to being set among the churls."

Gwen winced. She knew that above all things, Little Gwen was proud. Being put with the lowest servants to do the most menial of tasks would be an agony to her.

The king turned to Cataruna and put gentle hands on her shoulders. "As for you, my daughter, go and break your fast well. We are pleased and proud that you are going to the Ladies; master your Blessing, become wise and true, and return to take your place at the queen's right hand, first among your sisters. I shall be with you anon to bid you farewell."

Cataruna's lower lip trembled a trifle with emotion. "Thank you Father," she said. "I will not fail you-"

The king chuckled slightly, and chucked her under the chin. "Now come, it is no more than a matter of lessons and learning, which we both know you excel at! You are not going off to battle but to something I think you will find a pleasure!" He gave her a gentle push in the direction of the hall. "Now go, for I am sure Bronwyn has managed something special from the cooks for you."

Cataruna ducked her head in a quick curtsy and turned, whisking her skirts as she slipped under the door curtain. Gwen took the opportunity to follow her.

"What was that about?" she asked, as one of the maidservants intercepted Cataruna with a platter heaped with good things, obviously being saved for her.

"I knew there would be a pother last night," Cataruna replied, as Gwen got a wooden platter and took bread and b.u.t.ter, cheese and carved cold meat from last night's dinner. "You know how Little Brat hates it when a fuss is made over anyone but herself, and there was a double fuss after dinner. Mother asked me to sit beside her, and when they weren't all talking about what I could expect to be learning from the Ladies, they were all talking about the baby. I could just see Little Gwen starting to get that look she gets when you know she's going to do something."

Gwen nodded; she knew that look all too well.

Cataruna shrugged. "I expected trouble from her last night, and I think perhaps Bronwyn did too. And maybe Mother. When we went to bed, Bronwyn gave us all possets to drink, and Little Gwen went straight to sleep. Bronwyn and I were able to pack my things in peace."

"If I'd known that, I wouldn't have slept outside," Gwen said ruefully. "I wanted to think a while, and I didn't want the brat poking and prodding at me."

"Well, I wish Bronwyn hadn't done that, because she was awake far far too early, and the first thing she did was to tear into my packs." Cataruna made a face. "Poor Gynath. You're off with the squires all the time. Pretty soon you'll all be made into a real warband, and you'll all be doing everything together. It could even be that you'll be out in the Great Hall with them, to sleep, and she'll be the one left to deal with the Brat." The eldest of the king's daughters sighed and ate some bread dipped in honey. "I am not going to miss that." too early, and the first thing she did was to tear into my packs." Cataruna made a face. "Poor Gynath. You're off with the squires all the time. Pretty soon you'll all be made into a real warband, and you'll all be doing everything together. It could even be that you'll be out in the Great Hall with them, to sleep, and she'll be the one left to deal with the Brat." The eldest of the king's daughters sighed and ate some bread dipped in honey. "I am not going to miss that."

"Are you going to miss any of this?" Gwen asked curiously.

"Truthfully?" Cataruna nibbled pensively on her bread. "I don't think so. I don't make friends the way Gynath does, none of the boys here make me want to kiss them, I truly truly will be glad to see the last of the Brat, and until now there was nothing really special about me except I was the eldest." will be glad to see the last of the Brat, and until now there was nothing really special about me except I was the eldest."

Gwen blinked, wondering obscurely if she ought to feel hurt by such a revelation. But she and Cataruna were too far apart in age to have been close- "Until now, I never really had anything for myself," Cataruna was continuing. "Oh, I had the Blessing, but from what I heard it was never as strong as yours. I'm not pretty, like Gynath and Little Gwen, and I would never want to be a warrior. Up until you got singled out by Braith, I was just-really, nothing special. You You were the one that was going to the Ladies as soon as you ever could, and if I went, it would be only after you came back. And since everyone expected great things of you, I'd still be coming in your shadow." were the one that was going to the Ladies as soon as you ever could, and if I went, it would be only after you came back. And since everyone expected great things of you, I'd still be coming in your shadow."

Something about Cataruna's tone made Gwen feel obscurely guilty. And even gladder that she'd had Braith to send her in another direction.

"But now-" Cataruna finished the bread with a lift of her head and an air of satisfaction. "Now it's me me that's going to the Ladies, and it'll be me that will be the Maiden in the Circle when I get back. And the Ladies won't know, or won't care, what great things were expected of you. You've gone the path of Iron, and you'll never be as strong in magic as me now. So when I come back, I'll be me, Cataruna, with my own place and my own path, just as you'll have your own place and your own path." She turned her head to look at Gwen. "I'm really grateful to you, Gwen. That's why I don't think I'll miss home too much. It's not as if I won't be coming back, but when I do, it will be as the Blessed Daughter. You'll be the Warrior Daughter by then, and Gynath-" she chuckled a little "-Gynath will have half the war chiefs wanting her for a bride, and she'll make Father some good alliance, and then she'll make him a grandfather, if she hasn't already by the time I get back. Who knows? Maybe she'll even get a prince." that's going to the Ladies, and it'll be me that will be the Maiden in the Circle when I get back. And the Ladies won't know, or won't care, what great things were expected of you. You've gone the path of Iron, and you'll never be as strong in magic as me now. So when I come back, I'll be me, Cataruna, with my own place and my own path, just as you'll have your own place and your own path." She turned her head to look at Gwen. "I'm really grateful to you, Gwen. That's why I don't think I'll miss home too much. It's not as if I won't be coming back, but when I do, it will be as the Blessed Daughter. You'll be the Warrior Daughter by then, and Gynath-" she chuckled a little "-Gynath will have half the war chiefs wanting her for a bride, and she'll make Father some good alliance, and then she'll make him a grandfather, if she hasn't already by the time I get back. Who knows? Maybe she'll even get a prince."

She didn't say anything about Little Gwen, and Gwen was not inclined to prompt her on that head.

"Did you really want to go to the Ladies that much?" she asked instead.

"As much as you wanted to be a warrior," Cataruna said fiercely.

"Then I'm glad glad you're going." Gwen surprised her sister, and to an extent herself, by fiercely embracing her. you're going." Gwen surprised her sister, and to an extent herself, by fiercely embracing her.

Cataruna returned the embrace. "And I'm glad you're happy where you are." She nodded. "We're lucky."

"We are."

At that moment, Bronwyn made her way across the Great Hall, trailed by a servant with Cataruna's two packs. Cataruna eyed them curiously.

"The king your father thought of several more things you should take with you," Bronwyn said, with a glint in her eye, but her lips set in a severe line. "Little Gwen will be making do with made-over gowns for a time; I trust you will find moments to spare to make yourself suitable garments with the lengths in the bottom of the packs."

Cataruna could not repress a gasp of pleasure; all the girls knew about the lengths of lambs' wool and linen that had been reserved for Little Gwen. Gwen had been indifferent, since gowns were the last thing on her mind at the moment, but she suspected Cataruna and Gynath had suffered a pang or two of envy. "I shall find the time, somewhere," she promised fervently. "Father is most gracious."

Bronwyn looked as if she might say more, but in the end, she only nodded. "Come, it is time. Your escort is waiting."

But it seemed that more than just the escort was waiting. The king himself came to see his daughter off, something else Cataruna had clearly not expected. He lifted her onto the horse himself, after kissing her on both cheeks. "We send nothing but our best to the Ladies," he boomed, in a voice intended to carry. "And we know you will make us all proud."

With her head high, her cheeks glowing, and her eyes shining, Cataruna bowed deeply to her father; then at a word from the king, she and the escort rode off at a brisk walk and were soon over the hill and out of sight.

Bronwyn remained staring after them long after everyone else had gone to their duties, one hand on Gwen's shoulder, preventing her from leaving. When there was no one else within earshot, Bronwyn looked somberly down at her.

"I would not say this in Cataruna's hearing, but it was a spiteful splash of venom from that unnatural child that caused the king to rethink her leave-taking. Why such a pother over the second best, Why such a pother over the second best, she said. And in the next moment, she turned her eyes on the servant and had she said. And in the next moment, she turned her eyes on the servant and had him him doing the packing for her!" Bronwyn's lips tightened. "I confess that I am sorely tried by that child. If I had not been the midwife myself, I would suspect her of being a changeling. I think it may be she has some different magic of her own, not out of her mother, of charm or glamorie, that she is only yet vaguely aware of. And this is why I decided to speak to you." doing the packing for her!" Bronwyn's lips tightened. "I confess that I am sorely tried by that child. If I had not been the midwife myself, I would suspect her of being a changeling. I think it may be she has some different magic of her own, not out of her mother, of charm or glamorie, that she is only yet vaguely aware of. And this is why I decided to speak to you."

"To me?" Gwen was astonished. "But-"

"If that child does have such a thing, the queen has armored the king against it, as she has armored him against any ill magics-which is why she could not sway his anger. But there are others that will have no such armoring, and they may be those with whom you must deal." Bronwyn shook her graying head. "I wish to tell you to be wary of rousing the child's envy. Try not to come between her and something she wants, at least until I have devised a means to deal with her, or discovered what it is that she has." She looked up again, down the road that Cataruna was traveling. "I am very glad that Cataruna is well away. And Gynath, I think, is safe enough for now. But you have ever had her enmity, and it is best you stay out of her gaze."

Well, that was easy enough to promise. "I will," she said, and Bronwyn let her go.

But it was troubling. This was the second time that someone she trusted had warned her against Little Gwen, and in terms that suggested she was more than just a spiteful little girl.

Chapter Seven.

"Gwen" hissed Madoc. "Gwen!" "Gwen!"

She ignored him, working hard on her horse's harness with a polishing cloth, a little oil, and talc, trying to get the bra.s.s bits to look like gold. The leather was already cleaned and oiled and as supple as a snake. Adara and Dai were groomed within an inch of their lives every day, their hooves oiled, their manes and tails braided and clubbed up to keep them from tangling. Midsummer was barely a week away now, and, as usual, many of her father's war chiefs would be arriving for the festival and the rites. Braith was coming. There would be some abbreviated races-nothing like the ones in the autumn, since some of the mares had foals at heel and you wouldn't race one of those, but there would be a maiden race for the pages and squires, since all of them had horses past breeding age or geldings. Gwen was riding and driving both, and she desperately wanted Braith to be proud of how far she had come. She wasn't really concerned about winning the races-some of the others had horses much younger than hers, three of the boys about her age were, frankly, more skilled. But she did did want Braith to see that her backing hadn't been misplaced. want Braith to see that her backing hadn't been misplaced.

So she had gone over her gear twice now, cleaning and polishing, mending not only popped st.i.tches, but st.i.tches that only looked a little weak. The saddle, the harness, all looked new. But the bra.s.s bits still weren't shiny shiny enough. enough.

"Gwen!"

They weren't supposed to be talking. They were supposed to be tending to their gear. "What?" she growled out of the side of her mouth.

"Is he coming? Here? Is he really coming?" Madoc sounded breathless and nervous. Probably at least as nervous as she was about Braith coming.

"Is who who coming?" she responded, her irritation growing. Peder glanced over in their direction; he'd clearly heard the hissing, though he hadn't picked out who was talking yet. She bent her head down to her task. With luck, he wouldn't notice. Maybe she had permission to end her ch.o.r.es of women's work, but that didn't mean an end to toil. If he felt she wasn't paying sufficient attention to repairing her harness, he would probably set her to wood chopping, water carrying, paddock building, or even carrying stones for the many hearths abuilding. coming?" she responded, her irritation growing. Peder glanced over in their direction; he'd clearly heard the hissing, though he hadn't picked out who was talking yet. She bent her head down to her task. With luck, he wouldn't notice. Maybe she had permission to end her ch.o.r.es of women's work, but that didn't mean an end to toil. If he felt she wasn't paying sufficient attention to repairing her harness, he would probably set her to wood chopping, water carrying, paddock building, or even carrying stones for the many hearths abuilding.

"The Merlin!" Madoc asked excitedly. "Is the Merlin really coming?"

The Merlin! Whatever gave him that idea? The Merlin was the High King's man. There was no reason for him to come here, of all places.

It was a t.i.tle of course, not a name; the Merlin was the chief of all the Druids, as the Wren was chief of all the Bards. And his place was at the side of the High King, advising, working Men's Magic. Not journeying weeks away. Especially not at Midsummer.

"How should I know?" she hissed back, making sure her head was ducked down over her work so Peder couldn't see her mouth moving.