“Should you stand there much longer, wench, Aysayn will think us missing,” came the voice of Mehrayn from behind me, more amusement than impatience to be heard. “As there is food awaiting us, I would reach his apartments as soon as possible. I have not eaten as recently as you, nor as well. This porch will continue to be here even after the feast.”
I sighed at the thought of provender and turned away from the skies, feeling a lingering trace of the deep, gnawing hunger which I had felt earlier. Though I had already eaten a full fey’s provender less than a hin earlier, I felt as though I were nearly ready to do the same again.
Mehrayn walked beside me as we entered the large dwelling containing Aysayn’s chambers, his hand upon my neck beneath my hair toying with the leather of my life sign. That life sign had been upon me when I had awakened at first light in Mehrayn’s dwelling, vital and alive and entirely unwounded after the passing of no more than a single darkness. Mehrayn had awakened as I moved about and sat up, and had given thanks to Sigurr that he had surmised correctly. After he and the others had found me in Aysayn’s chambers, it had been he who had forced the whereabouts of my life sign from an hysterical Ladayna, and then replaced it about my neck. It had come to him that my previous wound had been healed when the life sign had been upon me, and he had hoped to see the same thing done again. That bruises and light wounds were not similarly healed mattered not; it was the deep wounds which affected me most. He had then put his arms about me and pressed his lips to mine, thereby confirming a second surmise: I felt naught from his arms and lips, and had not the least desire for him. The strange life sign given me by Mida and Sigurr assured my survival even gravely wounded, yet also assured that I would find no interest in any male. The first condition was easily understandable; the second was not.
Those black-clad males passed in the halls gave Mehrayn small bows of respect and some, to my surprise, gave the same to me. The guardsmen standing without Aysayn’s doors allowed us immediate entry, and we quickly traversed the corridor which led to his chambers. Both doors stood widely opened, and a goodly number of males already made effort toward filling the large chamber. Platforms laden with fresh-cooked provender lined the walls of the chamber, tended by red-clad female slaves who hurried to and fro, seeing to the needs of the males who stood and sat about. Aysayn sat upon a seat to the right of the doors, other unoccupied seats near to his, and when we appeared, his eyes came to us immediately. Mehrayn wore the same thigh-length black covering as did he, therefore was the inspection of Sigurr’s Sword brief; I, clad in reclaimed breech of leather, Mida’s sword to my left and dagger in right leg bands, life sign swinging gently between my breasts, was accorded a longer inspection. This inspection too, however, was also relatively brief, and then Sigurr’s Shadow rose and came to greet us with a smile.
“I see you spoke the truth brother,” said he to Mehrayn, his hand touching the smooth, faintly marked skin of my left arm lightly. “She must surely be sent by Sigurr, to be cared for by him so well. Come and sit with me, and partake of our victory feast. ”
His arms about each of us, he conducted us to the seats which awaited us, then turned to the slaves to order that boards be filled for us. When he sat again, with Mehrayn to his left and I to Mehrayn’s left, Chaldrin appeared in the doorway, followed by three black-clad males. The large, broad male wore the white body cloth which was usual with him, and an unmarked cloth about his ribs covering his wound. He moved slowly, more by design than by need, and stopped at last before Aysayn, no expression to be seen upon his face.
“Chaldrin, why did you walk?” demanded Aysayn, rising again from his seat to look closely upon the other male. “Do you seek to open your wound again and end yourself? The six slaves I sent would have carried you here.”
“I am scarcely so frail that I need to be carried,” replied Chaldrin, folding leather-covered wrists across his chest. “And yet, should it be your wish, I will return to the Caverns and allow the slaves to carry me. I would not care to offend Sigurr’s Shadow.”
“I have no doubt that you would do just that,” grinned Aysayn, clapping the male upon the shoulder. “Yet not in fear of offending. Come and seat yourself, brother, and partake of our feast. The release of the others has been seen to?”
“Aye,” said Chaldrin, making for the seat to my left. “All save Treglin, who chooses to remain the while to see to those we leave behind. We have cared for them too long to merely abandon them.”
He crossed to his seat and lowered himself into it, then looked upon me where I sat stretched long in my chair. His eyes briefly examined my left arm, then a faint smile touched his lips.
“Chosen by the gods, indeed,” he murmured, leaning carelessly back in his seat. “Should you find the opportunity and desire, perhaps you would speak a word on my behalf.”
“Certainly,” I murmured in return with a nod, keeping my eyes from him. “Think upon the possible price and your willingness to pay it, and then ask me again. Should your choice be the same, I will gladly speak upon your behalf.”
“Price,” he echoed with a frown, at last hearing the requirement before falling silent. At last it had come to him that the favor of the gods was not without its drawbacks. Slaves came and handed to us boards of provender, and Aysayn turned to Mehrayn.
“Now that you are adequately provisioned, brother,” said Aysayn, “I would appreciate hearing what brought your expedition so quickly back to the city. From what Jalav had told me, you should not have returned till it was far too late to aid us.”
“So would it have gone had Sigurr not intervened,” nodded Mehrayn after tasting of the baked, pressed meat upon his board. I tasted the same, then set it aside in distaste. “We were fully prepared to travel the full distance to the city of our enemies, yet the third fey of our journey saw us face to face with them—for they journeyed to bedevil us. The battle was short and decisive, and few of them remained to lose themselves in the forests. Nearly did I continue on to their city despite all, yet too many of my warriors had been wounded by the numerically superior force we had bested. I waited two feyd to allow my men to regather strength, then led them home.
“Rather than ride directly into the city, I thought to save myself a bit of time and went in search of the place I had directed Jalav to wait. I intended taking her back with me and seeking you out again, yet I found not a single sign of her presence. Again I nearly rode directly into the city, yet vague suspicions upon many odd happenings caused me to send a single rider in instead, to go to my house and fetch forth Hesain, in whose keeping I had left Jalav. The rider returned with word that Hesain had been found emptied of lifeblood, and no further word had been heard of Jalav.”
Mehrayn paused to take a goblet of drink from the slave who offered it to him, and drank deeply under Aysayn’s sober stare. I, too, took a goblet and drank, yet only after assuring myself that the drink was not the thrai I had previously been offered. I discovered it to be nearer to daru than the renth of the northern cities, yet still unbrewed. Brewed daru would have gone down well just then, yet what may one expect when among males?
“It was then necessary to consider what next should be done,” said Mehrayn, putting his goblet aside in favor of a leg of roast lellin. “The rider I had sent had found that ‘Aysayn’ had returned to his apartments, yet had not sent me private Word of his return as he normally did. Also, word had traveled among the warriors, telling of the blasphemer who had attempted to present himself as the Shadow, foolishly thinking the Shadow still absent. It was mentioned how fortunate it was that the lady Ladayna had been there to consult, as the guardsmen approached were new to their posts, having only recently been appointed. Learning that the blasphemer had been sent to the Caverns, I dismissed the idea of taking my warriors to demand an audience with ‘Aysayn,’ and sent instead those who would watch over both the entrance to the Caverns and the gallery. I was considering in what manner I might force action of some sort from the enemy, when a rider returned in haste to inform me that a large number of warriors had appeared in the gallery early this fey, and had put themselves out of sight. Knowing that whatever battle was fought would be fought upon the Sands, I led my warriors to the Caverns. What occurred then, you are already aware of.”