Kings Of The North Part 25

And who kept watch over the Guildmasters? Arcolin did not like to ask, but Kavarthin was already answering.

"You will wonder who watches over us-we also are men, and all are tempted at some time or other. At any time, members of my guild, or certain other guilds, may demand to go through our accounts, and even count what is in our vaults. If I were not honest, this would keep me so, for the penalty for a Guildmaster's dishonesty is unpleasant in the extreme." He paused, his nose wrinkling. "Public torture and death. It is that serious."

Arcolin spent the rest of the day preparing for the cohort's arrival and buying the few supplies he and Stammel would need on their ride to Verella.

Arcolin and Stammel rode away from Valdaire several days before the cohort was due to arrive. They made an early start and by midday were well above the city. The air was already crisper, and a cool breeze slid down the mountains toward them.

They switched to their spare mounts and rode on. That night they avoided the clutter of wagons and animals, the noise and smells of the one caravansary, and camped higher on the mountain slope, the pa.s.s itself looming above them. It was chilly but quiet, peaceful. When the horses had been grained and hobbled, Arcolin unrolled their blankets on a soft stretch of ground, and they ate supper looking back down the Vale of Valdaire.

"I can see it in my mind," Stammel said. He had been quiet all afternoon. "We're up above the road, around the bend from the noise...and that way is Valdaire...it's getting dark; we'll see-I'd see the lights soon, even from here."

"D' you remember the first time you saw it, Stammel?" Arcolin asked.

"Oh, yes." Stammel smiled. "Just a lad I was then, a recruit who thought he knew more than he did. I'd seen Verella and thought I knew all about cities. Mountains, too, I thought I knew. And then we came over the pa.s.s, and the Vale of Valdaire opened out below, all the way to the sea, it seemed, and a southern breeze came up with smells I'd never imagined. I've seen it on their faces every year since, the northern recruits."

"I saw it first from the west," Arcolin said. "You know I came from the Westmounts. Very different view, walking in from Czardas. Lived there a year, off and on...but I never really knew it until I'd gone north and come back, over the pa.s.s."

"I suppose...now...there's no chance my sight will come back, is there, sir?" Stammel's voice held no complaint, only resignation. He lay stretched out on the ground, hands behind his head.

"I don't know," Arcolin said. "There's always a chance of healing."

"If the G.o.ds choose," Stammel said. "The Captain of Tir-I saw him in Cortes Vonja." Arcolin waited. "He said Tir must be pleased with me, but he said, too, that I should face the reality: I was blind, and would always be blind."

"Tir doesn't heal eyes?" Arcolin asked.

"No, sir. Or, the Captain said, maybe if a Blademaster-closest thing Tirians have to paladins-but not the same, really." Stammel turned on his side. "Captain, if I don't-if I'm not ever going to see again-I can't really be your senior sergeant. You need someone who can see what the troops are doing, in a battle. See if the merchant's giving good weight, spot trouble in the street."

"Like scare off forty or fifty enemies by standing there shooting them one by one without looking at them?"

"That-was different. I don't know what that was."

"You, Stammel. That was you and your years of experience. Think if our troops could use crossbows at night-shoot accurately at sounds."

"It's still not the same." Stammel sat up and faced Arcolin directly. With the angle of light, Arcolin could see the cloudiness deep in his eyes, not the same as the film old men got. "And the Captain said I should tell you I want to quit, but-but I don't want to. But I should. For the Company."

"It's not your Company," Arcolin said. "It's mine now." Even as he said it, he knew that was wrong. It was was Stammel's Company-not his to command, but his in the same way it was Arcolin's, by right of all those years. He couldn't unsay it, so he went on. "And I think you are good for it, blind or not. There are things you can't do-well, there are things I can't do, and one of them is. .h.i.t a target with a crossbow with both eyes open, let alone blind. I can't stop you from quitting-you've long since earned the right to retire, and a pension with it-but I don't want you to retire. I think the Captain of Tir was wrong. You've had a hard time; you will have a hard time, but you are and always will be a soldier and of value here. Besides, there are other sources of healing. A Girdish paladin-" Stammel's Company-not his to command, but his in the same way it was Arcolin's, by right of all those years. He couldn't unsay it, so he went on. "And I think you are good for it, blind or not. There are things you can't do-well, there are things I can't do, and one of them is. .h.i.t a target with a crossbow with both eyes open, let alone blind. I can't stop you from quitting-you've long since earned the right to retire, and a pension with it-but I don't want you to retire. I think the Captain of Tir was wrong. You've had a hard time; you will have a hard time, but you are and always will be a soldier and of value here. Besides, there are other sources of healing. A Girdish paladin-"

"You're Girdish, Captain."

"Yes-so?"

"So maybe it's different with Girdish, but I-I don't think I should change allegiance, just for the hope of seeing again." Despite the words, longing colored his voice.

"I can't think of a better reason, if you wanted to," Arcolin said. "There's nothing dishonorable about wanting your sight back." Stammel said nothing more that evening.

The rest of the trip went smoothly enough-always less rain at this time of year-and they reached Valdaire with several days to spare before the Autumn Evener.

As they rode up to the gates, one of the guards said, "There he is! Sir, a message for you."

"For me?" Arcolin scowled.

"Yes, sir. Duke Verrakai asked if you would care to stay at Verrakai House. Said there's a message from the king."

Which king? Possibly Kieri, he thought. He had not heard from Kieri since writing to him about Stammel's blindness.

"Where is it?" Arcolin asked. The guard gave directions and waved them on.

The streets seemed normally busy, the people in them not as tense as they had been before. When they came to Verrakai House, Arcolin realized he had seen it before but never noticed it, though it faced the palace walls, across a wide street. Plain, unremarkable, and always-now he thought of it-shuttered tightly. Now the upper-floor shutters stood open, though the day was cool. Blue-striped curtains hung at either side. As the horses came to a stop, the door opened. A man in Verrakai livery looked up at them.

"Yes?"

"Captain Arcolin to see Dorrin-the Duke," Arcolin said.

The man smiled. "She was hoping you'd be here yesterday, sir. Just let me get someone to take the horses-" He turned and yelled something into the house. Arcolin dismounted and held the reins of Stammel's horse while he, too, dismounted. Soon they heard footsteps coming, hard heels on a tile or stone floor. First was a young man in Verrakai blue with the rose and white colors of Mahieran at his shoulder, clearly a squire.

"I'm Beclan Mahieran," he said. "M'lord's on the way but bade me make you welcome. I'll take your horses." He took the reins from Arcolin just as Dorrin appeared behind him.

Dorrin in blue and gray instead of maroon and white was still Dorrin, that familiar sharp-boned face, dark hair pulled back. "Arcolin! Falk's Oath, I've missed you!" They clasped arms, and then she looked at Stammel. "Stammel-what happened?" A sharp glance at Arcolin.

"A tale best told in private," Arcolin said.

When they were inside, sitting at ease in one of the ground-floor rooms, with refreshments spread on a low table, Dorrin said, "I see you're blind, Sergeant-and yet I see no scars." She had handed him a mug of sib.

Stammel answered as frankly as always. "I don't understand it all, my lord. It started with that fellow Korryn-" He and Arcolin together told of the merchant's capture, Stammel's realization that one of the caravan guards was the man branded at the stronghold years before, the attack on those in the prison office, Stammel's collapse.

"They tell me a demon invaded," Stammel said, "but it didn't-I don't think that's what a demon would feel like. It was just fire and a voice."

"Tell me everything," Dorrin said. Her expression was grim.

"Dorrin?" Arcolin had not expected that tone from her.

"Jandelir, I have learned things about my family I do not want to remember, but I must. This Korryn-I never met him either, but from what Stephi and Sejek said, he might have been a bush-relative of mine. Tall, dark-"

"Ugly," Stammel said. "Not like you."

"That's kind, Sergeant Stammel, but hardly to the point. You say-both of you-that he boasted of having lent himself or given himself to someone better or more powerful."

"Yes."

"Some members of my family were able to transfer themselves-their minds, their souls-from one body to another. Typically, they weakened the victim-I think by slow poison-and then with another poison induced a fever. To those watching, it seemed a crisis, much like comes with lung-fever, and when the victim was near death, they could invade. I don't know how, exactly. I only know it happened. The magery in our family is not merely inherited, Jandelir-it is continued, generation after generation, by those who put themselves in their children's bodies. And others, as well. If Korryn were were a Verrakai b.a.s.t.a.r.d-if he accepted, for some reason, a Verrakai invader-then what you faced was a fully trained adult magelord. Though I have not seen this before, he might have been powerful enough to attempt a transfer to Stammel, even as he died-living in Stammel, hoping to drive Stammel out." a Verrakai b.a.s.t.a.r.d-if he accepted, for some reason, a Verrakai invader-then what you faced was a fully trained adult magelord. Though I have not seen this before, he might have been powerful enough to attempt a transfer to Stammel, even as he died-living in Stammel, hoping to drive Stammel out."

"He had a fever," Arcolin said. "It started at once-when his eyes turned red. But I thought that was from the choking."

"It could have been. I don't know. Sergeant-" She turned to him. "You saved more than yourself when you fought that invader off. If you had been defeated, you would not have died-your body, at least-and you would have been a secret weapon. Against Arcolin, against Tsaia, and certainly against me. Look at me."

Stammel faced Dorrin; she peered into his face, hers intent. "What are you looking for?" Arcolin asked.

"Any sign that some part of that being lurks inside. If it is there, and strong enough, Stammel could not tell us."

"You mean-I could still be invaded?"

"Possibly," Dorrin said. "Sergeant, I've known you for what, fifteen, sixteen years? I've seen you work with recruits, seen you train, seen you in battle. And there is something...different. Do you feel anything?"

"I'm blind," Stammel said.

"And yet...you're not blind the way other men are. I've seen blind soldiers-former soldiers-before. Leaving aside your ability to use a crossbow, there's a difference. Your eyes are neither fixed nor wandering the way most blind men's eyes are."

"They wandered more at first," Arcolin said.

"I want to try something," Dorrin said. "Here-" She pulled the ducal chain over her head. "Put out your hand. Hold this."

"What will it do to him?" Arcolin asked.

"Possibly nothing. Possibly-" She stopped, mouth open. Arcolin felt his skin crawl. Stammel had gone rigid; his hand trembled; his fingers twitched toward and then away from the jewel on his palm. Sweat burst from his forehead, ran down his face.

"Not-again-you-b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" Stammel said. "Take it, Captain-take it away!"

Arcolin s.n.a.t.c.hed the jewel from his hand and gave it to Dorrin, but Stammel's taut expression did not ease.

"It's-he's-" His body jerked; he tumbled from the chair to the floor.

Dorrin came alight; Arcolin recoiled into his chair, nearly overturning it. Her radiance filled the room, golden as afternoon sunlight, and she had drawn her sword before he could say a word.

"Get OUT!" she said. Oddly, her voice was calm. "Verrakai karakkin tsam! Tsam!"

Stammel, red-faced and sweating, crouched on the floor, his eyes and mouth tight-shut, muscles straining. Dorrin put the sword to his throat, lifted his chin. "Verrakai!! Tsam! Forzam!"

Another light bloomed, this one crackling and spitting like witch-fire, a greener yellow than hers.

"No, you will not, not," she said. "I have the full magery; you are a shadow. Begone." And then more of the words Arcolin did not know.

A throat-tearing shriek from Stammel, and out his mouth came a gobbet of dark blood and a spurt of the green-yellow light. Then the light failed, and he collapsed on the floor. Dorrin's light slowly faded; Arcolin scrambled forward. "Dammit, Dorrin, what did you do? It's Stammel Stammel, not some monster."

"It's Stammel now, now," Dorrin said. She knelt beside him, laid her hand on Stammel's forehead. "It's gone. He's safe now. Falk's blade, he was strong, to have survived the attack at all."

"He's d.a.m.n near dead now." Stammel breathed, but in rapid grunts; Arcolin glared at her. "If he'd died..."

"Jandelir, there was no time. It knew me; it knew where it was; it knew how to access the patterns of power in this house. If you had seen what I have-children inhabited by ancient mages, men tortured beyond endurance to provide the blood power-bones-this is better for him, I swear to you. He is safe; it is gone forever."

Stammel's breathing eased. Arcolin sat back. Dorrin looked tired and worn, much like the comrade he had known so many years and yet not like. "You are different, too," he said.

"Yes. As I wrote, the Knight-Commander released the magery that had long been bound, and there was...more than any of us antic.i.p.ated. Yet I am the same, in the eyes of those renegades of my family we have not yet captured: I refuse the blood magery. I am true to Falk. And a loyal va.s.sal of King Mikeli, as I hope you will be."

Arcolin had forgotten, for the time, about the coming ceremony. He took a long breath, watching Stammel's breathing, his color. He looked now like someone who might wake soon. "I have to find a tailor," he said. "Someone who knows about court dress."

"Ah, that," Dorrin said. She grinned. "Kieri sent you a present-or rather, he had it sent for you. His court robes. He had his ducal robe with him, of course, but the others were stored in the north, and shipped down here for you. The king's messenger will tell you which to bring. It will not take much to make his other court clothes fit you: you're much of a height, and not that different in build. And you said you had something for me to take to him?"

That jogged his memory. "Cal Halveric's sword," he said. "We recovered it, found it with other blades being transported illegally. I had it blessed by a Captain of Falk. The scabbard was lost; the Captain had a new one made, to make it easier to carry."

Stammel opened his eyes. "Where am I this time? And when?"

"It has not even been a half-gla.s.s," Arcolin said. "You're with me, and you're in Dorrin Verrakai's house in Verella."

"I need to get up," Stammel said. Arcolin stood and took his hand. "I thought it was the burning again."

"It almost was," Dorrin said. "But my relatives, even the worst, are obedient to one they believe has the right to rule them. Unfortunately, that's not the king, but for now-they obey me." She turned to Stammel. "Sergeant, I expect you'll be tired and need extra sleep. You've endured a great ordeal, and such things leave no one untouched. Let me have someone guide you to the bathing rooms so you can clean up and then rest."

Stammel did indeed look worn out, Arcolin thought. "I can guide him."

"Certainly," Dorrin said. "Follow me, then." She led the way through the house. "This place was full of traps when I first came; it's safer now, but I'm still using the scullery for a bathing room. I had water put on to heat this afternoon, antic.i.p.ating your arrival." As they pa.s.sed through the kitchen, she said, "Jaim, go find their packs in the stable and bring them in, then run to the grange and ask Marshal Tamis to come. Efla, we'll need a supper for the sergeant."

"A Marshal?" Arcolin said.

Beclan came in the back door before Dorrin could answer; he had their packs and quickly took down a bath basin from the wall rack.

"Warm water," Dorrin said to Beclan, then turned to Arcolin. "A precaution merely," she said. "This house was steeped in Verrakai evil for generations; the Marshals and I have cleansed it, but in Stammel's present condition, if there is any lingering evil, it might try to invade again. I want the Marshal's advice; it might be better for him to stay at the grange."

"I'd rather stay here," Stammel said. "With the captain and you."

"I understand," Dorrin said. "And if the Marshal thinks it's safe, you'll be welcome. At least, you will bathe and eat here, and I will have a room prepared."

By the time Stammel and Arcolin had bathed and dressed in clean uniforms, Marshal Tamis had arrived. Dorrin told the story with additions from Stammel and Arcolin. Tamis nodded at the end.

"I think he will be safe here, my lord Duke, though I would not put him in a room alone. Let one of your servants or squires stay with him, if you and the captain need to be elsewhere. As for his sight, I cannot answer whether anything can be done. If the Marshal-General were in Verella, we could ask her, but she's gone back to Fin Panir."

"It's early," Dorrin said, "but I think you should rest, Stammel, if you can."

"I agree," Tamis said. "He's the only one who's survived an invasion, isn't he?"

"One small boy," Dorrin said. "I was able to intervene before the transfer was complete. But holding down, controlling an invader for so long..."

Stammel yawned. "Sorry, my lord, Marshal."

"Let's get you to bed, then. I need to talk to Jandelir, Stammel, but I'll have someone in the room with you, if you need anything."

Arcolin watched as Stammel lay down, falling into what looked like normal sleep within a few breaths.

"Extraordinary," Marshal Tamis said. He turned to Arcolin. "And congratulations to you-I understand you're to be confirmed as lord of the north to replace Kieri Phelan."

"Yes," Arcolin said.

"I hope you'll visit my grange-with your sergeant-while you're still in the city. Both of you have stories to tell that would do my yeomen good to hear. Not before the ceremony, of course, but after."