The bustle near the fire, and the advice, ceased when Menish entered the room. A member of the old folk’s group rose and walked towards them, smiling a greeting. One of the women by the hearth followed him.
“Sire! You've returned at last! For days now we've watched for you.”
The man’s eyes flicked to Adhara and Menish smiled.
“No doubt you had plenty of eyes willing to watch.” He turned to Azkun and Keashil. “This is Yarol, he's in charge of my house. He'll provide you with whatever you need while you stay here. If you need food or drink come to the hall. For clothing or other needs ask Yarol directly.”
Menish turned to the woman. “Neathy, I've some special duties for you. Here are Keashil, her son Olcish, and Tenari. I want you to take care of them. Keashil is blind, but she plays the harp better than any other I've heard. Tenari doesn't speak, we think she's suffered great harm. Take them to the women’s lodge and show them welcome.”
“Sire? The lad's a little old…”
“They don't know our ways, leave him with his mother a few days and we'll see.” Neathy nodded, though she looked concerned, and led the women and Olcish away. Tenari made no protest at being separated from Azkun and Azkun himself felt relieved to see her go. She was the eyes of the Monnar and he was out of her sight now.
Menish turned to Azkun.
“You have the freedom of my home. The hall is the place where we gather in the morning and evening for food and company. You may not wish the former but you're welcome to both.
“Althak and Drinagish will show you to the men’s lodge, a hall where the unmarried men sleep. The women’s lodge, where Neathy has taken Tenari and Keashil, is forbidden to men and the men’s lodge is forbidden to women. Do not take Tenari there under any circumstances and do not enter the women’s lodge yourself.
“Now that you know the rules, let's refresh ourselves and meet back here for the evening meal.”
The men’s lodge was much like the main hall, except it was smaller and there was a privy in one corner. A few forgotten sleeping furs lay on the straw and there were carved, wooden chests along the walls containing the personal effects of those who lived there. Althak and Drinagish found their chests and pulled out fresh clothing to replace their travel-stained garments. Hanging on the wall above Althak’s chest was a Vorthenki shield with a dragon painted on it. He hung the one he carried beside it.
“It was my father’s,” said Althak when he saw where Azkun was looking. “He brought it from the north. I don't use it myself but I keep it in his memory.”
Azkun changed into the clothes Vorish had given him to wear in Atonir, including the golden cord Tenari had tied about his waist.
“Where is Hrangil?”
“He has his own chamber, with all his books and things,” said Drinagish. “There aren't many such rooms here, most of us have to sleep in the lodges. Even me, though you'd think I'd get some preference now I'm the heir.”
“M'Lord said you could have your own chamber when you're twenty,” said Althak.
“And that's years away.”
“Little bitch!” said Neathy when they returned to the main hall. Tenari had a ripening black eye and Neathy’s face was scratched. “She seemed placid enough so I thought I’d help her to the privy and look what I got!” She ran her hand along the scratches on her face. “She can look after herself from now on. If she wasn’t simple I’d call her out.”
Keashil had said she needed sleep more than food so she had remained in the women’s lodge. Olcish had accompanied Neathy and Tenari back to the main hall. It was still almost empty and there was no sign of Menish.
“I don’t expect to see those two for hours yet. You know what they're like.” Neathy winked. “Olcish, you could get a bowl of mein and take it to your mother if you want. No one would mind.”
“I'll stay here,” the boy declared. “With the men.”
“You can come back,” said Althak. “But take her a bowl anyway. She'd like it.” Olcish nodded and silently fetched a bowl of mein for his mother.
Drinagish and Althak also fetched bowls of mein from the pots on the hearth. Tenari resumed her blank stare at Azkun. The bruise under her eye gave her a somewhat malevolent appearance.
“Have you eaten, Neathy?” asked Althak picking up a bowl for her and offering to fill it.
“No, I’m not hungry, but I suppose she is,” she said with a shrug. Althak put the bowl down.
“She doesn't eat.”
“What, never?”
“Not since we found her. That was weeks ago now.”
“She looks thin to me. Still, she won’t want the privy I suppose.”
“Probably not. All she does is follow Azkun around. The only time she seemed more alive than she does now was in the palace of Atonir. It seems Meyathal isn't so much to her liking.”
They sat at a bench near the fire and ate.
“What's been happening while we've been away?”
“Much and little.” Neathy shrugged. “Marayhir has been kicking up a stink about some cattle raid of Grath’s. He says it was illegal but his clan chief ruled against him so he wants to appeal to Menish. He refused to let Adhara make the judgement, which she was pretty annoyed about, so he's had to wait here until Menish arrived back. You can imagine how we all feel about that.
“Your friend isn't eating. Won’t you have some mein?”
“He doesn't eat either,” said Drinagish.
“It's becoming fashionable by the look of it. I suppose he doesn't talk either?”
“I speak. But food and drink are abhorrent to me.”
“So you'll starve yourself to death?”
“I do not need food. The dragons sustain me.”
Neathy nodded slowly.
“I thought you looked a bit Vorthenki. Be careful with talk of dragons in Meyathal. We don't like Vorthenki ways. There are few enough of us who will give Althak a civil greeting.”
Azkun said nothing. He would have liked to explain to Neathy that she had not understood but this did not seem the time or the place. Besides, he was distracted by something.
A tiny terror lurked in the far corner of the room. It was dimly lit there, the few windows did not light it well and the fire was too far away. He could hear a rustling and could see a grey shadow with murder in its heart. His attempts to shut it out were futile. He felt trapped. His back legs would not work and his front paws could only drag him across the straw on the floor while a gaping mouth leered over him. Something held his tail and he squeaked. The jaws closed on the back of his neck with a stab of fire. Darkness engulfed him.
He shuddered; his hand knocked Drinagish’s bowl. “Careful!”
“Oh, Kimi has a mouse!” shouted Neathy as a tawny cat carried its kill across the room towards them. “Here, Kimi, good boy.” The cat dropped the mouse on the floor near them and chirped with self-satisfaction. Neathy picked up the cat to stroke it but it wriggled free. Picking up its prey it carried it nearer the fire where it could devour it in comfort. Azkun was nearly sick.
“That's the third mouse he's caught this week. The cooler weather drives them indoors, of course, and they've forgotten their peril. And he loves it.” The last remark was half addressed to the cat who looked up, licking its lips. To Azkun it had a cruel beauty about it. The flecked, tawny coat was hard to see on the straw that covered the floor. He suspected it would blend into almost any background. Its large eyes and ears were ever alert for more victims even as it ate its present kill. Unlike Vorish’s indolent cat this one seemed terrifyingly predatory.
He felt two beasts being killed not long afterwards, reminding him that his friends were no less predatory, but they were far away and he felt them less than the mouse. Azkun stared at the fire and tried to forget death, willing down his fears with memories of the dragon.
Later, as the sun set, Menish’s folk began to arrive in the hall for the evening meal. Azkun did not want to stay. The death of the mouse had wounded his soul. He wanted to take his agony away to some quiet corner. But there were no quiet corners. As the evening deepened into night more and more people entered the palace. Many were Menish’s own folk, those who tended his herds and fields. Others were guests, either residents of the town beyond the walls come to welcome their King home, or visitors from the fringe of tents around about.