aOnly cowards torture women,a he said, not bothering to dodge the staff that took him across the cheekbone.
Toarsen rubbed his hair dry with a towel as he walked down the secret ways that would lead him back to the rest of the palace. Alone, he allowed himself to smile with remembered satisfaction at Avaras face when Toarsen had burst into his rooms and demanded to be taken to the Emperor.
Firmly convinced that it was some stupid wager, Avar had almost refused him. But he hadnat.
Toarsen was surprised about that. His brother had seldom paid any attention to him at all, except to order him about.
When head sworn on his honor that he carried an urgent message to the Emperor, Avar had heaved a martyred sigh, rolled out of bed, dressed, and done as Toarsen asked. On the way back to their rooms after theyad spent the night in councils of war, Avar had patted him on the back, an affectionate, respectful gesture head never given Toarsen before.
The passage Toarsen had taken opened not far from his rooms in an obscure storage room. He glanced cautiously out of the room, but there was no one in the hall to see him as he slipped out of the storage room and into his own.
Head changed into the uncomfortable clothes of court and was halfway to the door before he realized that there was a vellum envelope on the cherrywood table near his bed.
His pulse picked up as he slit it opened and read the invitation.
aNow?a he said.
Seraph curled up, enfolded in the bedding that smelled of Tier. Shead left him while the sun was only a faint hint in the sky. It had been even easier than she expected to talk Benroln and his clan into serving as the Emperoras foot soldiers. Shead left Lehr and Jes sleeping and left the sheep farm just outside of Taela where theyad been staying to come back here.
Tier hadnat been here when shead returned to tell him of her success, but shead known that he would have to continue his normal habits or risk alerting someone. So shead climbed into his bed and reminded herself that he was alive. If someone came in, theyad not see her unless she wanted them to.
Someone knocked at the door.
aTier? Itas Toarsen. Are you back?a Reluctantly, she got out of the bed and pulled the covers flat. She opened the door and motioned the young man in.
aHeas not here,a she said.
aI canat find him anywhere,a Toarsen said, sounding a little frantic. aThe Disciplining is set for early this evening, and I canat find Tier.a aItas all right,a said Seraph, his anxiety lending her calm. aHeall want to know, but itas Phoran, your brother, and my people who really need to know right now. Go to your brother and tell him to get word to Phoran and to get his men and meet my people in the passages we discussed. Iall get the Travelers, and after youave told Avar, you go about your day as if nothing were wrong. Avar can get word to Phoran. Just make sure you are armed when you go to the Disciplining.a He nodded and left the room. Seraph set out at a dead run through the labyrinth of passagesa"there was no time to waste. She needed to get Benroln. Tier had survived a long time here without her to watch over him. She had to believe head be all right.
Avar and his men waited for them as head promised, in a long, dark corridor large enough to have held twice as many people. Relief crossed his face when he saw Seraph and the Librarianas clan.
aI donat like this,a he said without waiting for introductions. aToarsen said he couldnat find Tier anywhere. He looked for Myrceria to give her a message for him, but he couldnat find her either, and none of the other whores knew where she was. He said that head last seen Tier at sword practice, but that one of the Masters called him to a meeting. Then I couldnat find Phoran in any of his usual haunts, though his horse is still in the stable.a Seraph pushed her anxiety aside and forced herself to think clearly. The Path were upset with Tier for taking control of the Passerines . . . so they took him and . . . Her thoughts stuck there. Would they simply have killed him?
aI donat see anything to do except follow the plans we laid out last night,a she said at last.
Beside her Benroln nodded his head. aIf what Seraph told us about this group is true, this is the best chance to destroy them. It would be better for us if the Emperor is there to bear witness for usa"but the Path needs to be destroyed here and now.a aNeither Tier nor Phoran are essential to the destruction of the Path now,a said Seraph with painful honesty. aWithout Tier, though, we might have to fight the Passerines, too. And if Phoran is not there, Benroln, your men will have to try and get out as soon as this is finished and take all of our fallen, too. Maybe Telleridge has taken them for part of the performance tonight. If the Masters have hurt Tier, theyall have a hard time controlling the Passerines.a aYou donat know the Passerines,a said Avar.
aI know my husband,a she said.
She didnat miss the uneasy way Avaras people surveyed the exotic lot of armed Travelers or the puzzled looks aimed at Brewydd. Old women were not usually part of a battle forcea"but Healers could look after themselves on a battlefield.
aWe need to take them tonight,a Seraph said again.
Avar nodded slowly, then turned to the troops around him. In short, punctuated sentences he described what they were doing and why.
The white robes shead taken from an unwary Raptor were woolen and itchy, but Seraph stood quietly next to Brewydd, who was carrying on a conversation with the white-robed Raptor beside her, talking, of all things, about growing tomatoes.
Hennea had laid spells on all of them: look-away spells to keep them from being noticed and minor illusions to hide thingsa"like Seraphas lack of height and her sexa"that would otherwise attract attention. When Hennea had told them all to avoid being noticed, Seraph didnat think that exchanging gardening tips with the first Raptor they happened upon was what shead had in mind.
Seraph looked out over the room. Jes was somewhere, too, though he hadnat bothered with the white robes. No one would see him until he wanted them to. Lehr was with the rest of their little army.
The Passerines were gathered already; shead counted them. Assuming Tieras protg was the boy they intended to produce, all of the Passerines were there. Though they didnat have hoods on their robes, Seraph found that the robes obscured enough differences that she had a hard time picking out Toarsen, the only Passerine she knew, from the rest. There were chairs in rows in front of the stage, and the Passerines were all directed to those; even as she watched, the last of them took his seat.
There were more Raptors than shead hoped, nearly three times the number of Passerines. Well, enough, she told herself, it would be even less likely that anyone should spot the cuckoos in the mix.
aFollowers of the Secret Path.a Seraph stiffened at the whiff of magic that accompanied the words so that they rang out and appeared louder than they really were.
The room quieted. Brewydd softened her voice to a murmur, but continued comparing the benefits of growing tomatoes in various soils.
It had been Raven magic that gave power to the words the black-robed man standing in front of the curtained stage had said. Why hadnat he used the Bardic Order? A Bard would have done more than just overpower the talking of the crowd: he could have caught the attention of everyone, even tomato zealots like Brewyddas conversation partner, and held it.
Perhaps they didnat know that, or maybe they just preferred to work with more familiar powers. A solsenti mage, she thought, would be used to having magic work a certain waya"like Raven or even Cormorant. They wanted the Orders for power, but even Volis had had no use for subtlety.
aWhen you come to our Eyrie you take vows,a said the wizard. aFirst, never reveal to anyone what we do here. Second, to attend the Eyrie at least three evenings a week. Third, to obey the Raptors and the Masters over and above all other oaths. One of you has broken the last two of these rules. We are here today to discipline hima"not in hope of reformation, because he will never again be welcome to our Eyrie.a aTelleridge sure knows how to capture his audience, doesnat he,a marveled the Raptor talking to Brewydd, his voice shaking with age, but he returned to his favorite subject with more ado. aI find that the tomatoes I grow in the orangerya"a aBut that is not all we are here for.a The Masteras voice dipped into sorrow, but Seraph thought he overdid it a bit. aIn recent weeks it has come to our attention that our Passerines have been led astray by the magic of our Traveler guest. The magic that keeps his at bay, here in our halls, is dependent upon your resistance. If you want to be his follower, his servant, there is nothing our magic can do to protect you. So we have to take more stringent measures with him.a They had Tier. Was he alive?
aThere is a third problem that has held our attention these past few years. Our Empire, founded by heroes, built by men of vision, men of intelligence is, even now, presided over by a drunken sot. Bored with the available women and wealth, he has decided to interfere with the men who try to preserve the Empire. Who is to save us when our frivolous Emperor chooses to change the ancient boundaries of the Septs? Who? We shall save ourselves.a He raised both hands and the great curtains behind him creaked and squealed as they slowly opened to the Masteras magic.
On the stage was a frightened young man, naked and chained by his wrists to a ring in the floor of the stage. In the center position was the Emperor. They hadnat stripped hima"too worried about arousing the wrong emotion in the crowd, judged Serapha"but he was wearing the same robes head been in last night, and they looked the worse for wear. But it was the third man, Tier, her eyes found and locked on.
He was alive, she thought with a rush of relief; she could see his ribs move as he breathed. Like the Passerine head been so worried about, head been stripped naked and chained, but he lay curled up and still, his skin red and black from beating.
Rage rose up in Seraph like a red tide. She stared at the Master who orchestrated this mess and took what her magic could tell her. He was a solsenti wizard of moderate power, aided by two Raven ringsa"one of them very old.
aWe deal first with the greatest offense. Phoran the Twenty-Sixth, we, the Followers of the Secret Path, judge you unfit to rule our Empire!a The Master turned to the audience and gave the signal for a response of some kind. A roar of approval perhaps?
But it never came, because Phoran spoke.
aActually,a he said with dignity that caught at the heart of every person in the room, aitas Phoran the Twenty-Seventh. Iave always felt that since the old farmer started the Empire, he ought to get credit for it.a Even Brewyddas new friend quit speaking.
Seraph felt a relieved grin tug at her lips. Tier was doing better than he appeared if he could give Phoranas mundane words that much power.
Phoran looked a little taken aback by the response his quip had drawn. Go, Tier, thought Seraph fiercely. She glanced at Telleridge, but even with the partial immunity the Raven rings he wore gave him, he was too close to Phoran to do anything except listen.
Phoran was not at a loss for more than a breath. aSome of what Telleridge has said is correct. I have not been the best of emperors, but I didnat realize that anyone needed me to be that. Like you, I thought that the Council of Septsa"ruled by people like Telleridge herea"were far more capable than I ever could be. That should have been true.a He was taking too long, thought Seraph, watching Telleridge struggle against the Bardic touch. Tier couldnat possibly maintain his hold on the whole room for very long, not in the condition he was in.
She stepped away from the wall and began making her way down toward the auditorium. If she could get to him, she could help.
aThey are intelligent men, and well-trained to their office. If they chose to rule justly, they could surely do so. But they rule instead for personal gain. Some of you were encouraged to work a little mischief in the street of the weavers last year. Did you know that the council leaderas riches increased by half after that incident because the weavers now pay him for the right to sell their goods in their own craft stalls? Gorrish is one of the Raptors who sent you out to attack the weaversa"did any of you gain from that?a Phoran took a deep breath, and Seraph felt the crowd stir as the Bardic touch faded momentarily and then strengthened again. With the shifting of the crowd, her only path to the stage closed up.
aThose Raptors among you will know that almost half the Passerines who are here will die mysteriously shortly after they graduate to being Raptors. Some of you know that it is not so mysterious, because you aided in those menas deaths. Why kill so many? Because some of you are already outgrowing the trappings of childhood. Some of you realize that it is not necessary to prove who you are by how much destruction you can causea"you are the first ones they will kill. Like this young man beside me who was targeted only because he loves old instruments more than he loves tormenting the younger Passerines.a aI havenat been much of an emperor,a Phoran said. aIave disappointed people who cared about me all of my lifea"just as you have. Mostly, my failures have been passive failuresa"things not done rather than great and terrible acts. Just as yours have been, until today. If you harm men whose only crime is to fall afoul of a power-mad politician, then you take a step that cannot be undone.a Tier crooked his neck and peered out of his one good eye to see how Phoran was holding up. Something, he thought, something had walked close to the Emperor. It leaned nearer as if it were whispering something in Phoranas ear, then faded from Tieras view.
Jes, he thought. Anxiously, Tier looked at the audience, but they didnat seem to have seen that nebulous shape.
Phoran took a breath. aYou have a choice tonight. You can hold to the oaths you made to the Masters of the Path. Realize that they have not given you an oath in returna"as I did when I became emperor. I owe you fair hearing in disputes, I owe you a place in our society, and I owe you an emperor worth serving in return. You must choose now.a He looked up, scanning the crowd. When he saw what he sought he nodded once. Then he began speaking rapidly. aChoose who you fight carefully, because this is a battle for the soul of the Empire.a He swung one of his chained wrists to indicate the wall of the Eyrie and, as if head wielded the magic himself, the wall disintegrated into so much plaster dust and splintered wood. The noise and magical backwash distracted Tier, and he lost his tenuous hold on his own magic.
The failure of his control hit Tier like a blow to the head. It awakened every inch of the screaming flesh the Masters had abused. He cried out, and his vision blackened. The sounds of battle erupted around him, and half-dazed as he was, he couldnat remember where he was or what he was doing here without a sword.
The destruction of the wall caught Seraph by surprise. She had been supposed to help bring it down, but, unable to see over the crowd, she must have missed the signala"or Hennea had used an opportune moment in the Emperoras speech.
Irritably, Seraph poked the tall, bulky Raptor who stood in front of her. Since shead used a touch of magic, he jumped aside with a yelp, pushing several other men over and briefly clearing a visual path for Seraph just as Avaras men and the Travelers began pouring into the room with a war-cry that was even more effective in a room designed as a theater than it would have been on an open battlefield.
The astonishment of such strangeness held the Followers of the Path oddly still until the first of Avaras men gutted the nearest Raptor.
A man near Seraph drew his sword, but he was looking toward the far side of the room for his enemy, so he never even noticed Seraph until her knife intersected his belly. A young blue-robed boy drew his sword and finished the joba"but gave her white robes a wary look.
aIam Tieras wife,a she said, tossing back her hood.
aPleased to meet you,a he said, grunting the last as he used his sword to catch the blade of a Raptor who was a bit quicker than most to realize that the Passerines were as much a threat as the fighting men whoad come through the wall. aIam Kissel.a She had to get to Tier. Discarding the robes both because they got in her way and because they might get her killed by one of Tieras Passerines, she aimed for the most direct path to Tier, whom she still couldnat see.
The fighting was widespread by now, and the heaviest fighting lay between her and the stage. Seraph called her magic to her.
Blindly, instinctively, Tier tried to rise to his feet, since a down man on a battlefield was a dead man, but something held his wrists and he couldnat call any strength to his muscles.
aItas all right, sir,a said Toarsenas familiar voice. aIall keep you safe.a aThe Emperor,a managed Tier, falling back to his damaged knees and biting back a moan. Screams were for people who werenat as weary as he was.
There was a series of clanking sounds, battle sounds that ended in a grunt and a thunk. Toarsen, panting a bit, said, aKisselas with him, and someone cut him loose and gave him a sword. I never knew that Phoran knew how to fight. Never thoughtaa"another thunk and gaspa"asomeone as fat as he is could move that fast.a aThe Masters?a asked Tier. Seated and calmer, he found that his vision was coming back a bit, but not well enough to sort through the chaos of battle. He wiped his good eye with the back of his hand. His hand came away wet, but he could see again.
aI donat see aem,a Toarsen said. aI was watching Avar and his men boil into the room. When I looked back, this place was covered in fighters and I thought I might come up here and bear you company a bit. Weave a nice view of the fighting up herea"those two boys of yours can surely fight.a Someone in white blundered into the small area of stage that Toarsen was guarding, and he sent the Raptor on his way with a kick that impaled him on a sword held by a man with moon-pale hair.
aGessa,a said the man.
aAnytime,a said Toarsen.
aCollarn?a asked Tier, his returning vision allowing him to see that the boyas place was empty.
aNaked as a newborn,a said Toarsen cheerfully. aYouare not able to get high enough to enjoy the sight, but I can see him from here. Remember all those times you told him that he carries his guard too high?a aYes?a aYou should have made him fight naked.a Tier laughed, one short bark, then held his breath and his ribs. aNo joking right now,a he managed.
Lehr rolled onto the stage and then bounced up and ran over. aGood to see that youare alive, Papa. But I think I speak for us all when I tell you that Iad rather not worry about you again for a while. Parents are supposed to worry about their children, not vice versa. Let me get a look at those chains.a He held the manacles in his hands and closed his eyes. After a moment, the locks clicked open. Lehr grinned at his fatheras expression.
aI donat know how opening locks ties in with being a Hunter either, though Brewydd explained it to me a dozen times.a He sounded pleased with himself. He looked at Toarsen.
aGo ahead,a said Toarsen. aIall stay here.a aThanks,a said Lehr, and he leaped off the edge of the stage.
Having completed the task Hennea had given him, the Guardian took a quick glance around the room. Lehr was fighting at Avaras side and accounting for himself quite well. Just as his gaze found Seraph, she raised her hands and tossed a half dozen men into the air. Obviously she was in no need of immediate protection.
He turned to go to his father, but the Sept of Leheighas brother was standing over Papaas crumpled form and seemed to be having no trouble fending off attackers. The wizards, who posed more of a threat, had other things on their minds than hurting his father. A double handful of Passerines were doing their best to get onto the stage and attack the Mastersa"too many of them to allow the wizardsa magic to be an effective weapon. The Guardian knewa"remembered from other battles fought long ago, before Jesas fatheras father had been borna"that keeping the Passerines away would soon weaken the solsenti wizards too much for them to be a danger to Tier.
Satisfied that they were all safe for the moment, the Guardian jumped off the stage to return to Henneaas side, slipping between fighters who mostly moved out of his way without ever looking at him directly.
The noise of swords clashing and men screaming excited him almost as much as the smell of blood.
A man bumped his arm and the Guardian turned on him with a snarl and a flash of fangs. If the man hadnat retreated, falling backwards over a body on the floor, even Jes could not have held the Guardian back.
Hennea stood alone near the fallen wall. He couldnat tell if her spells to avoid being seen were working on everyone else, or if they were just smart enough to stay away. Mother had told him that spells usually didnat work right on him.
There were two men attacking a boy who was stepping back rapidly to avoid being overrun. The Guardian could see that the boy wouldnat stay away from their blades for much longer. He glanced at Hennea, but she was all right. The Guardian dropped the sword he held and reached for the form of the great cata"he wanted to taste blood, not feel flesh part against steel.
He picked the nearest Raptor and leaped onto his shoulders, driving him down to the floor. As his claws sank deep into meat, the manas pain and fear washed through Jes. The Guardian reveled in the searing sensations, which only raised his bloodlust further.
The other antagonist paused to stare, but the Passerine recovered a little faster and killed his opponent before beating a rapid retreat. Death and the boyas fear fed the battle rage and Jes turned his attention to the man who lay beneath him.
aJes!a The great cat halted, his mouth already opened to still the struggles of his prey.
aJes, come back. I need you!a Hennea sounded frantic.
Her hand touched his tense back. aJes,a she said.
Trembling, fighting, Jes forced the Guardian to step away from the downed man even as the beast roared its thwarted rage.
aWhat?a he managed, the emotions and pain of the battle raging around him raw without the Guardianas protection.
Hennea smoothed her hands over him and the worst of the clamor faded until it was manageable. The Guardian would have been better, but Jes couldnat let him loose until he had a moment to calm down.
aLook on the stage,a Hennea whispered. aWhat do you see?a There had been wizards on the stage when head carried Henneaas message to the Emperor. Five stood in plain view, but the other held to the shadows. When his father had lost control of them, they, like Hennea, had stood back from the battle and aided their people as they could.
Now four wizards lay crumpled on the ground, and somethinga"something that caused the Guardian to take control againa"fed on the fifth.
aWhat is that?a asked the Guardian.
aA Ravenas Memory,a she said. aA vengeful ghosta"though Iave never seen one so substantial. Itas almost alive.a The sixth wizard, anonymous in his robes, slipped off the stage and toward the destroyed wall. No one looked at him, though he passed a few men quite closely.
aOne of the wizards is getting away,a the Guardian observed to Hennea, calm again.
aWhere?a she asked, but when he pointed, she didnat see him.
aIall follow him,a he decided and Jes, anxious to get away from the battle, agreed with the Guardianas decision. Neither of them listened to Henneaas protest as the great cat leaped over a heap of rubble to follow the escaping man.
Seraph blew her hair out of her eyes wearily and kept moving forward. The large young man who had been so helpful in dispatching that first Raptor had stayed by her side as she used whatever means necessary to push through the battle.
There was a limit to her magic, and after the first blast won her only a few yards before the fighting spread into the cleared area shead made, she decided that she was going to have to use more subtlety and less power. With a sword she scavenged from the floor, she used magic to lend force to her blows until the blade slid through bone as if it were water. Shead taken the time to add her own see-me-not spell to Henneaas efforts. Blood covered her from the elbows down, weighting down her clothes with more than physical burdena"but she wasnat here to fight fair. She needed to get to Tier.
aYou know itas true what he said,a panted her young friend Kissel.
aWhatas that?a she managed, dropping another Raptor who was raising his sword to attack a blue-robed man from behind.
aA man would be smarter to face an enraged boar than to cross my wife.a The boy managed to imitate Tieras style.
aHuh,a she grunted, kicking an unsuspecting man behind his knee and dropping him onto his opponentas blade. aHow flattering.a The boy grinned wearily. aHe doesnat seem to mind.a aCan you see him yet?a aNo,a he said. aBut I can see Toarsen on the stagea"heall do his best to keep him from harm.a Tier knew that he should get to his feet and claim a sword, but he just couldnat manage it.
As if he read his mind, Toarsen said, aItas all right, sir. Just having Avar in here fighting for the Emperor took most of the heart out of the Raptors. All the Passerines called out his name as soon as they saw who it wasa"even that squid youave had Kissel and me watching was attacking the Raptors. Remind me never to let him behind me with something sharp. All thatas left now is just a few of the Raptors and mercenaries who didnat leave fast enough. Avar will call quarter in a minute, as soon as he thinks that his men have had enough of killing.a Sure enough, through the sounds of battlea"all the louder for being inside the cavernous chambera"came a bass rumble still distinguishable as the words: aQuarter give quarter! Surrender or die!a picking up in volume as more voices took up the cry.
aWaste of time,a murmured Tier, just before he passed out. aTheyare all guilty of treasona"Phoran will have to hang aem all.a He wasnat actually out all that long because there were still clashes, as a few desperate men continued to fight, when he woke up.
He opened his eyes just as an old, quavering voice said, aWoo-eyah. I see that those giggling twits were right about solsenti men.a Tier stared at the oldest woman head ever seen, then grinned. aYou must be Brewydd,a he said, athe Healer.a aAnd itas a good thing for you, young man,a she agreed. aYou must be the Bard that womanas been so upset about. Now let me see what this old biddy can do about making you want to stay with the living.a She clicked her tongue against her teeth when she saw what theyad done to his knees. aGood thing you did this with a Lark nearby,a she said. aIf youad done it somewhere else you wouldnat be walking on these again.a aIad give you a kiss,a said Tier, then he had to stop and grit his teeth as her touch brought burning pain that was worse than the original blows had been. aExcept that my wife would finish what the Path began.a aIt is good that a man knows his place,a said Seraph comfortably from somewhere behind him.
He hurt too much to turn so he could see her, so he gave her a vague wave.
She crouched down on her heels beside him. aSo,a she said, aI know where there is a white robe you can havea"but that might make you a target. On the other hand, parading around in nothing at all might make you a different sort of target.a He laughed, then moaned. aWhy is it that the first thing someone does when youave cracked your ribs is make a joke?a aYou donat have cracked ribs,a said the Healer, looking up from his battered knees. aYou have broken ones. And hold off on that robe, girl, until I see to them as well. He doesnat have anything that I havenat seen better.a aHello,a said a Traveler, crouching down on Tieras other side. aYou must be the Bard.a aTier,a said Seraph, athis is Kors. Kors, my husband, Tier. Kors, what do you want?a Ah, thought Tier contentedly, all that in under a breath, my Seraph at her charismatic best.