Outcast Chronicles - Sanctuary Part 21

She began by sorting their clothing. As she worked, she stubbed her toe on a small chest filled with semi-precious stones, spilling them across the tiles.

Aravelle looked at the jewels winking in the lamplight. Just one of those stones would have kept her family for ten years. When she thought of how hard her mother and father worked to put food on their table...

*Don't even think it,' Saskar said.

She gave a guilty jump as he joined her.

He dropped to his knees to pick up the jewels. *You're thinking of stealing the stones and running away. The same thing occurred to me. But we'd have nowhere to go. Even if we dyed our hair, our eyes and fingers would give us away. We can never pa.s.s for Mieren, and without the T'En, we're powerless to defend ourselves. There's nowhere to run to, Vella.'

*I wasn't thinking of running away,' Aravelle protested, helping him put the gems back. *Besides, my parents ran, and we were happy!'

*And look at the price they paid. Both dead and their children captives. You were lucky the causare offered a reward for live Malaunje and T'En, or the Mieren would have killed you.'

She bowed her head.

AS SORNE CLOSED the door on the Wyrds' chamber, he noticed that one of the warriors was missing and a.s.sumed the missing brother had slipped into the town on a private mission for the all-father.

Sorne turned to the castle-keep. *We leave tomorrow at dawn.'

*Good, because the silverheads make my skin crawl,' she confessed. So she was sensitive to gift power; some True-men were.

Sorne's stomach rumbled.

*Have you eaten?'

*No,' he admitted.

*I'll have something sent up to your room.'

He thanked her and returned to the baron's chamber. As he entered, a cloaked warrior rose from the chair by the fireplace.

He reached for his sword.

Valendia laughed and threw back the hood. *I fooled you. I fooled them all.'

He hugged her, his heart light with laughter. *Grae a"'

*Doesn't know I'm here. We're fighting.' Her beautiful wine-dark eyes glittered with tears. *Oh, Sorne, it's horrible in the brotherhood. The all-father...' She shuddered, reaching for his hands, shaking with emotion. *He's sent Grae on this mission as an excuse to kill someone.'

So this was what Imoshen had been trying to tell him. But he knew Graelen to be an honourable man. Sorne noticed her chilled, trembling fingers. *You're freezing. Come over by the fire and tell me what's going on.'

As he built up the fire, she knelt next to him.

*Kyredeon fears Tobazim and Captain Ardonyx will challenge his leadership, so he's told Grae to get rid of Tobazim.'

*I'll warn Tobazim about Kyredeon's plans for him.'

*He knows. Believe me, he knows.'

*Don't worry. Grae is an honourable man, he won't a"'

She shook her head. *Kyredeon threatened me. Grae will kill to protect me.'

*Then Grae needs to unite with Tobazim and Ardonyx against the all-father.'

*They'd lose. Tobazim and Ardonyx only have low-ranking brothers on their side. Kyredeon's got everyone running scared. And besides, according to Grae, they aren't powerful enough yet. If they challenge and lose, Kyredeon will purge the brotherhood, executing all their followers. If Grae dies, I die. That's why he'll kill Tobazim. But it will make him go hard and cold inside, and I'll lose him.'

Sorne held her while she sobbed, rubbing her back, saying the things their mother used to say. All the while, his anger grew.

After a few moments, she pulled away and wiped her face.

*What do you want me to do, Dia?'

*Sweet Sorne.' She kissed his cheek. *There's nothing you can do. We're only Malaunje, and this is T'En brotherhood business.'

*There is no "only Malaunje."' It infuriated him to hear her say this. *You could claim sanctuary with the causare. She's more powerful than any man.'

Valendia shook her head. *No one can interfere with the way an all-father runs his brotherhood. I shouldn't have come to you.'

*Of course you should. I'm your brother.'

There was a knock at the door. *Wait here.'

He accepted the tray from the servant and shared his meal with Valendia. She said she wasn't hungry, but managed to put away a good portion of his dinner.

*I should go back.' It was clear she didn't want to.

*Stay the night. You can have my bed.'

*I couldn't.'

*I can't sleep on Mieren beds anyway. They're not long enough.'

She managed a tearful smile.

*Stay here for now. You don't have to go back to the brotherhood, not until they sail. Zaria is here with her children. You'll like her. And the cat's had kittens.'

*Sorne!' She shoved him. *I'm sixteen, not six.'

He grinned.

She yawned. *Don't know why I'm so tired.'

Sorne led her over to the bed, slipped off her shoes and tucked her in.

*You'll see, Dia. Things will look better in the morning.'

*That's what Ma used to say.' Valendia raised solemn eyes to him. *But there's no way out of this. I'm going to lose Grae either way, and it will kill me.'

*No.' He was adamant. *There's always hope.'

She smiled. *Silly Sorne...' And she drifted off to sleep.

As he stretched out in front of the fire, he wondered if he should tell Graelen that Valendia was safe. If he did, the adept would probably insist she return to the brotherhood. In fact, now that Sorne thought about it, he was stepping on the other man's toes by coming between him and his devotee.

But Sorne didn't care. Valendia was his sister, and he did not see why she should be put in danger because of the rivalry within Graelen's brotherhood.

Fury at the T'En, their arrogance and the way the brotherhoods were organised churned inside him. Before this was over, they'd see what one Malaunje could achieve.

And he realised he was doing it again. He'd spent years trying to prove to True-men that he was as good as them. Now he had to carve a place for himself in T'Enatuath society.

Chapter Sixteen.

*SEE FOR YOURSELF.'

Ronnyn peered into the polished silver mirror.

*No more broken nose,' Reoden said.

Since he'd never seen himself before arriving on the ship, and by then his nose was broken, he wasn't used to this new face. But it did feel good to be able to breathe freely again. *Thank you.'

The healer beamed. How could she be so kind to him, yet lock the girl away? It couldn't simply be because she was a girl. He'd spotted two girls a little older in the causare's sisterhood.

*Coming out on deck?'

*In a moment,' he said.

Five days had pa.s.sed and he hadn't been able to get near the hidden girl. It was so hard to find a moment when the cabin was empty. There was always someone coming and going. Now that Reoden had left the bathing chamber, he had a chance.

He slipped into the adjoining cabin, grabbed a chair, climbed up and peered through the grille. The girl was writing, bent over her work.

*Don't you get lonely?' he asked.

She jumped, knocked the ink and spilt it. Quick as a cat, she righted the bottle, but ink had already run across the page and discoloured her fingers. *Look what you made me do!'

*You should wash your hands.'

She glanced up to him. *Is the cabin empty?'

*Yes.' He jumped down and moved the chair to one side.

She opened the panel cautiously.

*I'll keep watch while you wash your hands.'

She darted past him into the bathing chamber and he stood at the door.

*What were you writing?'

*I'm illuminating ma.n.u.script pages.'

*I couldn't sit still and do such fiddly work.'

*I love it. There's something very pleasing in getting the lines just right.'

He slipped into the bathing chamber so he could watch her.

*I'd rather be outside fishing or hunting,' he said. *I used to do the work of a man back home.'

*I haven't been out in the open since... for a long time.'

*I'll take you outside.'

She shook her head, but her eyes held such longing that Ronnyn's mind raced. He knew he could lower a rowboat. The challenge would be to do it without being caught. *Would you like to go out on the bay?

*I'm not allowed.'

*When no one's looking. We could slip out, take one of the rowboats, go fishing.'

*I shouldn't a"'

Someone entered the all-mother's cabin.

He crept over to the door and peered through the gap. She joined him, face pale with panic.

*It's the scryer and her shield-sister,' he whispered. *Did you close the panel?'

*Yes.'

They heard footsteps as someone came towards the bathing chamber door.

*Quick.' Ronnyn caught her hand and ran for the door leading out into the pa.s.sage.

The pair of them darted into the hall, just as one of the sisters entered the bathing chamber.

*Now I'm in trouble,' the girl whispered.

Ronnyn's heart hammered. *Nonsense. Come with me...' He took her hand and led her towards the mid-deck.

At the door, she resisted. *What if a"'

*This ship is packed with two sisterhoods. We don't know who everyone is. If the causare's people see you, they'll think you're from the healer's sisterhood, and if her people see you a"'