|
bb25958
|
I feel stupid when people say 'You? You are so brave,' because I don't feel brave, I don't even know what brave is.
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
5aaf34a
|
I looked around for the tunic so I could leave the room; not for worlds would I go out dressed thus into the midst of a lot of staring Renselaeus warriors. The terrible thought froze me for a moment, but then I looked down at that fire and realized that if Galdran had beaten us, I'd hardly be in such comfortable surroundings again. More likely I'd have woken in some dungeon somewhere, with clanking chains attached to every limb. I held my ..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
0db4bb3
|
He'd spent his entire exile schooling himself to face that he would never get what he wanted. People didn't, sometimes. So you made a life as best you could.
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
8607a1c
|
Loss of prestige? In what way?" I asked. He sat back, his eyes glinting with amusement. "First there was the matter of a--very--public announcement of a pending execution, following which the intended victim escapes. Then...didn't you stop to consider that the countryside folk who endured many long days of constant martial interference in the form of searches, curfews, and threats might have a few questions about the justice of said threats..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
d5e454b
|
I don't know how long I had been sniffing and snorting there on my broken bunk (and I didn't care who heard me) when I became aware of furtive little sounds from the corridor. Nothing loud--no more than a slight scrape--then a soft grunt of surprise. I looked up, saw nothing in the darkness. A voice whispered, "Countess?" A voice I recognized. "Azmus!" "It is I," he whispered. "Quickly--before they figure out about the doors." "What?" "I've..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
226da1d
|
The traffic increased when I reached the village, and when I walked into the market square I saw a large crowd gathered at one end. For a few moments I stood uncertainly, wondering whether I ought to leave or find out what the crowd was gathered for. Suddenly they parted, and without warning two soldiers in brown and green rode side by side straight at me. Dropping my gaze to my dusty feet, I pressed back with the rest of the people on the ..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
58e4c6e
|
We're to have no communication with anyone outside of our own people," she said. My first reaction was disbelief. Then I thought of that letter of thanks I'd planned on writing, and even though I had not told anyone, humiliation burned through me, followed by anger all the more bright for the sense of betrayal that underlay it all. Why betrayal? Shevraeth had never pretended to be on my side. Therefore he had saved my life purely for his ow..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
1f6a0f5
|
When I did come to again, it was to the slow recognition of patterned movement. Next I realized that I was more or less upright, kept in place by the uncompromising grip of an arm. And at last I saw that I was on horseback and someone was with me. "Bran?" I murmured hopefully. The arm did not slacken its grip as its owner hesitated, then said, "It desolates me to disappoint you, but your brother is not here. Despite two really praiseworthy ..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
05de375
|
Beyond those to another hall, with four doors--not woven doors, but real colorwood ones--redwood, bluewood, goldwood, greenwood--beautifully carved and obviously ancient. The servants opened one and bowed me into a round-walled room that meant we were in a tower; windows on three sides looked out over the valley. The room was flooded with light, so much that I was dazzled for a moment and had to blink. Shading my eyes, I had a swift impress..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
2bb62be
|
Choose the duty that you can most effectively execute: that is, finally, all we can do in life.
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
1718c62
|
Wondering how I would make it through a hand-to-hand duel, I glanced around--and just then I saw one of Galdran's equerries fall from his saddle, his banner-spear spinning through the air toward me. Instinctively my free hand reached up and I caught the spear by the shaft. Ignoring the sting in my hand, I jammed my sword into its sheath and started whirling the spear round and round, making the banner snap and stream as my prancing, sidling..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
6546e97
|
He said the proclivities for indulging in gossip stems from the same impulse as the reading of novels, only gossip touches on real people. Therein lies the harm.
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
cc92542
|
Who in the universe halts when the enemy tells them to?
|
|
crown
enemy
funny
war
wise
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
62d1458
|
But I will never ask anyone from our village-from any village in Tlanth-to risk his or her life unless I'm willing to myself.
|
|
life
morals
war
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
aa3ffd6
|
Oria and I walked into the kitchen to find Julen staring at a handsome young man with curly black hair and fine new livery in Astiar colors. His chin was up, and he swept a cool glance over us all as he said, "My errand is with my lady, the Countess of Tlanth." "I am she." I stepped forward. He gave me one incredulous look, then hastily smoothed his face as he bowed low. In the background, Julen clucked rather audibly. Next to me Oria had h..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
77a68fd
|
He pulled one of his brands out of the fire and stepped toward me, raising it. The sharp smell of red-hot metal made me sneeze--and when I looked up, the man's mouth was open with surprise. My gaze dropped to the knife embedded squarely in his chest, which seemed to have sprouted there. I thought hazily, as the torturer fell heavily at my feet. I turned my head, half rising from the chair-- And saw the Marquis of Shevraeth standing frame..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
2ef08af
|
One thing I still remembered from my war days was how to move in shrubbery.
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
e1652f7
|
A faint movement distracted me as Oria elbow-crawled up to my side. Her profile was outlined by the light from those faraway torches as she looked down on the castle below. "I'm sorry, Oria," I breathed. She did not turn her head. "For what?" "All our plans when we were growing up. All the fine things we'd have had after we won. Making you a duchess--" She grunted softly. "That was no more than dream-weaving. I don't want to be a duchess. N..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
39c230f
|
We worked for the four days of that blizzard, loosening the mortar in the lower stones of Castle Munth. The wind and storm did the rest; after the walls fell, we melted snow from uphill with our combined Fire Sticks. The resulting flood was impressive. By the next morning, when the scouts we left behind saw the first of Debegri's soldiers march up the road, the whole mess had frozen into ice, with our ex-prisoners wandering around poking di..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
2758463
|
At the best of times I don't have the kind of voice anyone would want to hear mangling their favorite songs.
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
5b8a8ce
|
I'm exactly as unlikely to blab our secrets to an anonymous flunky as I am to a Court decoration with a reputation as a gambler and a fop," I said finally. "'Court decoration'?" he repeated, with a faint smile. The strengthening light of dawn revealed telltale marks under his eyes. So he tired. I was obscurely glad. "Yes," I said, pleased to expand on my insult. "My father's term." "You've never wished to meet a...Court decoration for you..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
479b356
|
I crossed the garden, staying near the hedgerow borders until the pathway debouched onto one of the lovely brick streets. A quick glance down the street revealed scarcely any traffic--but way up at the other end were two tall, armed individuals wearing blue and black-and-white livery. Which meant the Marquis was somewhere around. For a moment I indulged in a brief but satisfying daydream of scoring him off as I had off the Baron the night b..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
70857cd
|
Then the day came when a new column was spotted riding up behind Debegri's force. We almost missed them, for we had also begun staying in a tight group. But luckily Khesot, cautious since his days in the terrible Pirate Wars, still sent pairs of scouts on rounds in all four directions twice a day. It was Seliar, of my group, who spotted them first. She reported to me, and the rest of us crept down the hillside to watch the camp below. We s..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
b97e290
|
The huge, drafty building echoed with the clanks and thuds and shouts of mock battle. Khesot walked slowly up and back, his mild brown eyes narrowed, considering, as he watched us work. "Get that shield arm up," he said to a tough old stonemason. "Remember you will likely be fighting mounted warriors, and I very much fear that most of us will be afoot. The mounted fighter has the advantage; therefore you must unhorse your opponent before yo..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
55aa723
|
I closed my eyes, feeling sleep steal over me; but the pleasant lassitude fled when the tent flap opened again, this time pulled by a rough hand. Cold air swirled in. I blinked up at a burly helmeted soldier. He held the tent flap aside for a much lighter-boned man, who walked in wearing an anonymous black cloak. The guard let the flap fall, and I heard the gravel crunch under his boots as he took up position outside the tent. The new arriv..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
a9c935c
|
When you love something enough time races ahead like the wind chasing autumn leaves, sending them skipping and dancing out of reach, no matter how fast you run. But when you want something and must wait to get it, time stops
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
a5ed462
|
What is your name?" It took a moment for the words to register--for me to realize he did not know who I was! His eyes narrowed; he had seen my reaction, then--and I stirred, which effectively turned my surprise into a wince of pain. "Name?" he said again. His voice was vaguely familiar, but the vagueness remained when I tried to identify it. "I am very much afraid," he said presently, "that your probable future is not the kind to excite gen..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
4c68cfa
|
It took one long, desperate week to prove just how wrong was my prophecy. "The revolution is not over," Branaric said seriously some ten days later. But even this--after a long, horrible day of real fighting, a desperate run back into the familiar hills of Tlanth, and the advent of rain beating on the tent over our heads--failed to keep Branaric serious for long. His mouth curved wryly as he added, "And today's action was not a rout, it was..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
7e639cc
|
If everywhere you go everyone watches you, and wants you, can you truly be yourself?
|
|
princess-elestra
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
fc11a80
|
When I woke again, I was in darkness. Fighting my way to awareness, I realized I'd heard sharp voices. Yells echoed back and forth, calling commands to different ridings; from the distance there came the clang and clash of steel. I thought, elated and fearful. As if in answer, I heard his voice. "Mel! " I rolled to my knees, fighting against invisible knives of pain. One more cry of "Mel!" at slightly more of a distance enabled me to gat..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
2d9b799
|
Act'. How many good people do you really know? I discount those who mouth out platitudes for the edification of the young, and who truly are 'good', whatever that means?" What a strange subject, and from such a strange person!"Everyone I know is a mixture, some with more good than bad, and it varies on different days,"
|
|
beauty
flauvic-acting
good
princess-elestra
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
8e5fef3
|
He caught it one-handed, set it gently back in its place. I clenched my teeth together to keep from screaming. The Marquis stepped to the door, opened it. "Please bring Lord Branaric here." Then he sat down in one of the window seats and looked out as though nothing had happened. I turned my back and glared out the other window, and a long, terrible silence drained my wits entirely until the door was suddenly thrust open by an impatient han..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
c57fb54
|
Didn't Azmus say Galdran promised the Court our heads on poles after two days?" "So Debegri swore," Bran said, smiling a little. "That means we've held out all these weeks despite the enormous odds against us, and word of this has to be reaching the rest of the kingdom. Maybe those eastern Counts will decide to join us--and some of the other grass-backed vacillators as well," I finished stoutly. Bran grinned. "Maybe so," he said. "And you'r..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
f749942
|
When she was done, I said, "Thanks, Ria. That's as good as an afternoon nap in the summer." "A shame you have to put it up again," she said, smiling. "It's so pretty--the color of autumn leaves. Promise you'll never cut it." "I won't. It's the only thing I have left to share with my mother, the color of our hair. And she always wanted me to grow it out." My fingers worked quickly from old habit as I braided it up again, wrapped it twice aro..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
79559ce
|
Khesot was looking not at the map but at us, his old eyes sad. I winced, knowing what he'd say if asked: that he had not been trained for his position any more than nature had suited Bran and me for war. But there was no other choice. "So if Hrani takes her riding up here on Mount Elios, mayhap they can spy out Galdran's numbers better," Branaric said slowly. "Then we send out someone to lure 'em to the Ghost Fall Ravine." I forced my atten..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
6164daa
|
When I woke the air was hot and stuffy, and I was immediately aware of being shut up in a small painted-canvas box. But before I could react with more than that initial flash of distress, I realized that the carriage had stopped. I struggled up, wincing against a thumping great headache, just as the door opened. There was the Marquis, holding his hand out. I took it, making a sour face. At least, I thought as I recognized an innyard, he loo..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
a4e294a
|
In silence the man reined in his horse, dismounted, lifted me down to a high grassy spot that was scarcely damp. In the gathering gloom he tended to his horse, which presently cropped at the grass. My eyes had become accustomed to the darkness; the flare of light from a Fire Stick, and the reddish flicker of a fire, startled me. At first I turned away, for the unsteady flame hurt my eyes, but after a time the prospect of warmth brought me a..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
c8a3ecd
|
In silence the man reined in his horse, dismounted, lifted me down to a high grassy spot that was scarcely damp. In the gathering gloom he tended to his horse, which presently cropped at the grass. My eyes had become accustomed to the darkness; the flare of light from a Fire Stick, and the reddish flicker of a fire, startled me. At first I turned away, for the unsteady flame hurt my eyes, but after a time the prospect of warmth brought me a..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
bf18c1c
|
One of the others bore away Nessaren's clothes, and the third opened a door for me and bowed; and I walked through, feeling like a real fool. I was afraid I'd forget about the train dragging behind me, trip, and go rolling down the stairs, so I grabbed fistfuls of skirt at either side and walked carefully after her. "Ho, Mel! You look like you're treading on knives." Branaric's voice came from behind me. "Well, I don't want to ruin this gow..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
06a9e2d
|
By then the man had returned and set the kettle among the embers. Then he looked up, paused, then picked up his share of the bread and reached over to put it in front of me. "That's yours," I said. "You appear to need it more than I do," he said, looking amused. "Go ahead. I won't starve." I picked up the bread, feeling a weird sense of unreality: Did he expect me to be grateful? The situation was so strange I simply had to turn it into ab..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
d8f2b17
|
Did you really think you could take a few hundred ill-trained village people into war and expect anything but defeat?" I opened my mouth to retort, then realized I'd be spoiling what little strategy we did have. But then he said wryly, "Or did you expect the rest of the kingdom to follow your heroic example and rise up against the King?" Which is, of course, exactly what we expected."
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
35b196c
|
Report went to the King that the mysterious attack on Chovilun was by mountain raiders," he said. "So my lord must have been right about those greens." Flerac pulled thoughtfully at his thin mustache. I'd gathered, was their nickname for Galdran's warriors. "I'm just glad we didn't have to kill them," Snap put in, rolling her eyes. "Those two in the dungeon were sick as old oatmeal about being ordered to stand duty during torture. I can t..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
3562983
|
So they sit like overfed fowl and watch Galdran Merindar break the Covenant by making secret pacts to sell our woods overseas?" I retorted. He paused in the act of reaching for the camp jug. "Break the Covenant? How do you know about that? I don't recall you've ever been to Court." Tell him about Azmus, and the intercepted letter, and have him send minions to make certain both disappeared? No chance. "I just know. That's all need to know..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |
|
b205f0e
|
The man came around, set a cup down by my hand. "Are you very uncomfortable?" "Does it matter?" I said, and wrapped my chilled hands around the cup--which was not of the battered metal I'd expected, but very fine ceramic. Exquisite gilding ran round the lip, a stylized braid of argan leaves. "Whether it does or not, you shall have a better conveyance on the morrow," he said. "Drink your tea and sleep. We shall continue our discourse when yo..
|
|
|
Sherwood Smith |