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| Link | Quote | Stars | Tags | Author |
| 6e7a2fb | At some unseen signal the long line of guards around me stopped and their spears thudded to the floor with a noise that sounded like doom. Then a tall figure with a long black cloak walked past us, plumed and coroneted helm carried in his gloved right hand. For a moment I didn't recognize the Marquis; somewhere along the way he'd gotten rid of his anonymous clothing and was now clad in a long black battle tunic, Remalna's crowned sun stitch.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 42aa461 | What?" I yelled. And I opened my mouth to complain , but I recalled a certain interview, not long ago, that had ended rather abruptly when a candleholder had--ah--changed hands. Grimacing, I said in a more normal voice, "When did this happen?" "That's the joke on us." Bran laughed. "They've been at it as long as we have. Longer, even." I looked from father to son and read nothing in those bland, polite faces. "Then...why...didn't you respo.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 23503ce | The dining room was formidably elegant--I couldn't take it in all at once. A swift glance gave the impression of the family colors, augmented by gold, blended with artistry and grace. The table was high, probably to accommodate the elderly Prince. The chairs, one for each diner, were especially fine--no angles, everything curves and ovals and pleasing lines. The meal, of course, was just as good. Again I left the others to work at a polite.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| a4aa06e | When it was done and he took the mess away to bury, I lay back and breathed deeply, doing my best to settle my boiling stomach. "All right," he said, "that's that. Now it's time to go, if we're to reach Lumm by green-change." He whistled, and the dapple-gray trotted obediently up, head tossing. I realized I ought to have been more observant about chances for escape, and I wondered if there were any chance of taking him by surprise now. Fir.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| a95b19e | I was fighting drowsiness when they finally emerged and started riding southward, again across the hills. I stared after them until my eyes watered. They kept disappearing beyond the hills but then eventually reappeared, each time getting smaller and smaller. Then they disappeared for a long time: another village or town. I made myself wait and watch. Again I was trying not to nod off when I saw a second line appear on the crest of a hill d.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| d69042d | I state in my book Put Your Dream to the Test that the more valid reasons a person has to achieve their dream, the higher the odds are that they will. Valid reasons also increase the odds that a person will follow through with personal growth. | John C. Maxwell | ||
| f38ea58 | Then a step in the grass made me look up. The Marquis was right in front of me, and he was a lot taller than he looked seated across a campfire. In one hand were the horse's reins, and he held the other hand out in an offer to boost me up. I noticed again that his palm was crossed with calluses, indicating years of swordwork. I grimaced, reluctantly surrendering my image of the Court-bred fop who never lifted anything heavier than a fork. ".. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 88d9c78 | And as I watched the dancers moving unheeded around him, an idea formed in my mind, a reckless, useless, stupid idea, but one that promised such fun I could almost hear Bran's laughter. , I realized grimly. I was gloriously angry at the whole world--at the commander sitting there at his ease, at his numerous soldiery all looking for my dockside-rat self, at the Marquis for scorning us and our ideals, at the ordinary people for not caring th.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| e6b748d | If you're rebelling, then you must have someone in mind for the throne. Who?" Bran pointed across the table at Shevraeth. "He seems to want to do it, and I have to say, he'd be better at it than I." "No, he wouldn't," I said without thinking. Bran winced and rubbed his chin. "Mel..." "Please, my dear Lord Branaric," the Prince murmured. "Permit the lady to speak. I am interested to hear her thoughts on the matter." Rude as I'd been before, .. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 65620f0 | Waking to the sound of the bells for third-gold, I found myself staring up at a pair of interested brown eyes. "She's awake!" my watcher called over her shoulder. Then she turned back to me and grinned. She had a pointed face, curly dark hair escaping from two short braids, and a merry voice as she said, "Splat!" She clapped her hands lightly. "We were fair guffered when you toppled right off Drith, facedown in the chickenyard mud. Lucky it.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| f06d527 | Branaric filled his glass again. "So, what exactly is it you want from us?" "Alliance," Shevraeth said. "How that will translate into practical terms is this: You withdraw to your home, to all appearances willing to negotiate a truce. I shall do my best to prevail upon Galdran to accept this truce, and we can protract it on technicalities for as long as may be, which serves a double purpose--" "End the fighting, but honorably," Bran said, n.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 8c4ea0f | And after?" "As we discussed. Honor the Covenant. No more forced levies; tax reform; trade reestablished with the outside, minus the tariffs that went into the Merindar personal fortune. That's to start." Bran shrugged, rubbed his hands from his jaw to through his hair, then he turned to me. "Mel?" "I would prefer to discuss it later," I said. "What's to discuss?" Bran said, spreading his hands. "The little matter of the crown," Shevraeth s.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 5987883 | And you really are the Countess of Tlanth?" I nodded. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Emis over on Nikaru Farm is going to be jealous when she finds out. She thinks she's so very fine a lady, just because she has a cousin in service at Athanarel and her brother in the Guard. There no news from Athanarel if doesn't know it first, or more of it than anyone." "What is the news?" I asked, feeling the old fear close round me. She pursed h.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 63df570 | After a time Ara had to do her chores, leaving me on the porch with a fresh infusion of tea to drink, her garden to look at, and her words to consider. Not that I got very far. There were too many questions. Like: Where did those guards go? Azmus had overcome one, but I didn't remember having seen any more. Then there were the unlocked doors. The one to my cell could be explained away, but not the outside one. If there was a conspiracy, was.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 408660c | As I watched, two equerries in Renselaeus livery strode along the path, overtook the man, and addressed him. I watched with my heart thumping like a drum as the man spoke at some length, brushed his fingers against his face-- --and then gestured in the direction I had gone. Expecting the two equerries to immediately take off after me, I braced for a run. I thought, annoyed with myself. But the equerries both turned and walked swiftly bac.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 44deaa5 | Until that morning most of the journey had been made in silence, our stops to eat and change horses--again, Renselaeus beneficence: all we had to do was mention their name, and the horses were instantly available--too brief for much converse. When we did stop, we were both too tired to talk. But that day the roads were too muddy for fast travel, and Branaric suddenly turned to me and asked for my story, so I gave him a detailed description .. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 1583073 | When we were finished, the Prince said, "Have you any further questions concerning the matter we discussed last night?" "One." While I felt no qualms about being rude to his son, I was reluctant to treat the elderly man the same. "You really have been planning this for a long time?" "For most of my life." "Then why didn't you respond? Offer to help us--at least offer a place in your alliance--when Bran and I sent our letter to the King at t.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 9922818 | There's no use in talking about the plan, because of course nothing went the way it was supposed to. Even the passage of time was horribly distorted. At first the ride to the hill seemed endless, with me sneaking looks at my brother, who was increasingly unsteady in his saddle. The Marquis insisted on riding in front of us the last little distance, where we saw a row of four horse riders waiting--the outer two bearing banners, dripping from.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| af5804e | I found Bran in the courtyard below. Two fresh, mettlesome horses awaited us, and Bran had a bag at his belt. Shevraeth himself was there to bid us farewell--a courtesy I could have done without. Impatient to be gone, I stayed silent as he and my brother exchanged some last words. Then, at last, Shevraeth stepped back. "Do you remember the route?" Bran nodded. "Well enough. My thanks again--" He looked over at me, then sighed. "Another time.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| c72d62c | I do not like to remember that trip. Not that I was awake for much of it--for which I am grateful. I kept sliding in and out of consciousness, and believe me, the were much more welcome than the I knew that Chovilun Fortress lay at the base of the mountains on the Akaeriki River, which bisects the kingdom, but I didn't know how long it took to reach it. All I can report is that I felt pretty sick, nearly as sick as I'd been when I fell i.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 926587f | The less said about that morning's ride, the better. I would have been uncomfortable even if I'd been riding with Branaric, for my leg ached steadily from the jarring of the horse's pace. To be riding along in the clasp of an enemy just made my spirits feel the worse. We only had one conversation, right at the start, when he apologized for the discomfort of the ride and reminded me that there would be a carriage--and reasonable comfort--bef.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| f189a94 | Our horses plunged up the trail. "Go on...Go!" Bran jerked one hand toward the mountains, then swayed in his saddle. Another arrow sang overhead. "I won't leave you," I snapped. "Go. Our people...Carry on the fight." "Bran--" In answer he yanked the reins on his terrified horse, which lunged toward mine. Gritting his teeth, he leaned out and whipped the ends of his reins across the mare's shoulder. " " My mount panicked, leaped forward. My .. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| f404f40 | The riders fanned out, but my immediate escort rode straight to the overhanging rusty roof that formed a rudimentary barn. The Marquis dismounted and stretched out his hand to grip the bridle of my horse. "Inside," he said to me. I dismounted. Again the ground seemed to heave beneath my feet, but I leaned against the shoulders of my mount until the world steadied, and then I straightened up. The Marquis walked toward the open doorway. In a .. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| c3c2b74 | There was no time to react, of course. My heart gave one great thump and scampered like the rat they'd called me as the gray rode on unchecked, followed by the remainder of the cavalcade. Ahead of me, the oxen drivers and their children moved back slowly onto the road, the adults exclaiming and wondering what was going on, and the children whooping and waving imaginary swords. The only thought in my mind was to put as much distance as possi.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| c85420f | He was right! Said you'd go straight after 'em, sword and knife. What's with you?" "You said, 'A trap.' I thought it was " I muttered through suddenly numb lips. "Wasn't it?" "Didn't you see the riding of greeners?" Bran retorted. "It was Debegri, right enough. He had paid informants in those inns, for he was on the watch for your return. Why d'you think Vidanric sent the escort?" "Vidanric?" "His name," Branaric said, still staring at me .. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 018ae1a | I sat where I was and waged a short fierce inner battle. Either I could sit and sulk--in which case they would want to know why--or I could go out there, pretend nothing was amiss, and do what needed doing. The table in the Marquis's room was set for the three of us. I sniffed the air, which was pleasant with the summer-grass smell of brewing listerblossom. Somehow this eased my sore spirits just a little. I knelt down next to my brother, w.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| b3af8cf | When I reached the end of the patch of forest I was ready to run out into the bright sunshine--but before I'd passed the last tree I saw a line of riders racing across a distant field. Ducking instinctively behind the tree, I peered over a branch, shading my eyes against the glare of the sun, and saw that they rode in two-by-two formation, and that they were not following any road. Now, it have been the riders had nothing to do with me, b.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 6d92576 | When the guards cut me loose I fell like an old bundle of laundry onto the stone courtyard, and once again hands gripped my upper arms and yanked me upright. This time I made no pretense of walking as I was borne into a dank tunnel, then down steep steps into an even danker, nasty-smelling chamber. And what I saw around me was a real, true-to-nightmare dungeon. Shackles, iron baskets, various prods and knives and whips and other instrument.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| cd0132d | Ah, beloved," he murmured, his fingers caressing the faint lines in her brow, tracing the shadows at the sides of her lips. "How beautiful you are." She couldn't help a chortle. Inda heard the unsteadiness in her attempt at laughter, the disbelief, and beneath it, question. "Joret was never beautiful to me," he said. "Not ugly, either. She was just Joret. Pleased the eye, but beauty, it strikes you right here." He closed a fist lightly and .. | inda tdor | Sherwood Smith | |
| c09a588 | If you're going to be wrong, at least be hot. | Margaret Cho | ||
| d9c268b | Our plan depended on the Renselaeus warriors being fast and accurate and brave, for they were as outnumbered as Bran and I had been up in the mountains. I was also, therefore, intensely aware that my life was now in the hands of people I had considered enemies not two dawns ago. Did they still consider me one? I tried to calm my nerves by laughing at myself; for someone who so recently had tried her best to ride to her death, my innards wer.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 3643bed | There were no shouts, no trumpets, nothing but the ringing of iron-shod boots on the stones of the bridge, and the clank of ready weaponry. Could we rescue them? I could not see Khesot's face, but in the utter stillness with which they stood, I read hopelessness. I readied myself once again-- Then from the center of their forces stepped a single equerry, with a white scarf tied to a pole. He started up the path that we meant to descend. As .. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| ea79661 | It was a relief when we reached the village of Lumm. We did not go into it but rode on the outskirts. When the great mage-built bridge came into view I felt Shevraeth's arm tighten as he looked this way and that. On a grassy sward directly opposite the approach to the bridge a plain carriage waited with no markings on its sides, the wheels and lower portions muddy. The only sign that this might not be some inn's rental equipment were the fi.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| c152799 | Curse it," Bran said the next morning, standing before the fire in shirt and trousers with his shoulder stiffy bandaged. "You think this necessary?" He pointed at the mail coats lying on the table, their linked steel rings gleaming coldly in the light of two glowglobes. It was well before dawn. The Marquis had woken us himself, with the news that Galdran's forces were nigh. And his messengers had brought from Renselaeus the mail coats, newl.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 28faebd | I sat up, fought against dizziness. Somewhere in the distance a single bell rang out the pattern for gold-candles and the beginning of another day. "Drink." The cup was near to hand. I rose on one elbow and reached for it. Some sips later I felt immeasurably better. My eyesight cleared, and so did my thoughts. I remembered the interlude during the night, and frowned across the fire at my companion. He looked exactly the same as ever--as if .. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| db2a07b | So what's the plan?" "I believe that our best plan is to flush them out. If we can capture them both, there will be little reason for the others to fight." "But if they're in the midst of the army--" Bran started. "Bait," I said, seeing the plan at once. "There has to be bait to bring them to the front." Thinking rapidly, I added, "And I know who's to be the bait. Us, right? Only, how to get them to meet us?" "The letter," Branaric said. "T.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 7bf9693 | The Prince and Princess. Savona. Tamara. Bran and Nee. Elenet. Good people and bad, silly and smart, they would all be helpless victims. I'd left my sword in the saddle sheath, but I could still try. My heart crashed like a three-wheeled cart on a stone road. I thought, as I stepped forward. "Meliara," Vidanric said quickly. He didn't look at me, but kept his narrowed gaze on Flauvic. "Don't. He knows how to use that knife." Flauvic's smi.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 3b40731 | Expecting the two equerries to immediately take off after me, I braced for a run. I thought, annoyed with myself. But the equerries both turned and walked swiftly back in the direction they'd come, and the old man continued on his way. And the answer was not long in coming: They were going back to report. Which meant a whole lot of them searching. And soon. Yes, I'd really widened my perimeter, I thought furiously, cursing the Baron, mus.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| cc3ba7e | Branaric came in. "Ready?" "Nearly," I said, my fingers quickly starting the braid. I suppose you don't have extra gloves, or another hat?" I eyed the battered object he held in his hand. "No, obviously not. Well, I can ride bareheaded. Who's to see me that I care about?" He smiled briefly, then gave me a serious look. "Are you certain you don't want to join the alliance?" "Yes." He sank down heavily onto the bed and pulled from his tunic a.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| e6af9df | Then let's address the business before us. I hope and trust we'll have the remainder of our lives to talk all this over and compare misguided reactions, but for now..." He rose and pulled me to my feet. Still holding on to my hands, he continued, "...shall we agree to a fresh beginning?" I squeezed his hands back. "Agreed." "Then let me hear my name from you, just once, before we proceed further. My name, not any of the titles." "Vidanric,".. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| c95109b | She won't rat out on us. Let me talk to her, and she'll see reason." "I'd give her some time before you attempt it," came the wry answer. "She usually doesn't stay mad long," Bran said carelessly. Again habit urged me to move. I knew to stay made me a spy-ears, which no one over the age of four is excused in being, yet I didn't move. I move. So I stood there and listened--and thus proved the old proverb about eavesdroppers getting what th.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| a73ae3d | Looking down at the stiff, cream-colored rice paper--the good kind that came in the books that we had never been able to afford--I was both excited and apprehensive. Remembering my rather precipitous departure from that wood gatherer's house, I decided that much as I valued my friends, I wanted to read Bran's letter alone. No one followed me as I walked out. Behind, I heard Oria saying, in a voice very different from what I was used to hear.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| 4b2cd78 | I thought indignantly, then sighed. Of course, I managed to find enough coin to write to Ara's family, and to obtain through the father the name of a good bookseller. But the first was an obligation, I told myself. And as for the latter, it was merely the start of the education that Branaric had blabbed to the world that I lacked. I looked up at the ceiling as the words slowly sank in. "Personal fortune"? How much was that? Whatever it wa.. | Sherwood Smith | ||
| f31f0ec | I was still brooding over this question when I heard a polite tap outside the tapestry, and a moment later, there was the equally quiet impact of a boot heel on the new tile floor, then another. A weird feeling prickled down my spine, and I twisted around to face the Marquis of Shevraeth, who stood just inside the room. He raised his hands and said, "I am unarmed." I realized I was glaring. "I hate people creeping up behind me," I muttered... | Sherwood Smith |