“You are a stubborn young thing, that I’ll grant,” said the female then, somewhat out of breath. “Yet I have great faith in the power of the rod to drive the stubbornness from you. I shall return in no more than a hin, and should the room not have been seen to, you may expect a further acquaintance with the rod.”
Her steps then took her from me, and I sat as I was without moving, for movement would have increased the pain. I had been well beaten by her, that I’ll grant, and at last I lay my cheek to the cloth and stretched out full before the fire. I had wished to call to Mida when the blows grew heavy, yet had I refrained, for I knew my call would not have been answered. I lay alone before the fire, truly alone, and shivered somewhat despite the warmth.
Twice again did the female Lodda come to me, and twice again was I touched with pain. The second time she fetched with her something large and white, easily marked with charcoal. Meaningless lines did she make with the charcoal, insisting the lines held much meaning, yet was I beyond the ability to heed such nonsense. Silently did I turn my back upon her, and with much fury did she beat me, insisting that I would know the meaning of the meaningless, else would I know only pain. Pain was already well known to me; however it would become even more familiar, said this female, when Ceralt returned to the dwelling. He would frown upon my lack of obedience, and see me beaten further. “He shall use a lash!” said she, striking at me where I lay upon the cloth, my eyes shut against all sight. “Do you wish to feel a lash, girl? Obey me, obey me now!”
“Hold!” came Ceralt’s voice, and the blows ceased to rain upon me. “What do you do here, woman?”
As I writhed upon the cloth, the female said, “I have been able to do nothing with her, Ceralt! Her stubbornness is beyond belief, and a lash will be necessary. Have you one of your own, or shall I have one purchased?”
No answer did Ceralt make, and then his hand was upon my arm. I moved as I had not intended, for his fingers had closed where the stick had touched many times, and quickly his hand withdrew.
“I was led to believe you used only the leather,” said Ceralt, a tightness to his voice. “How many times have you done her so?”
“More times than with any other I was engaged to teach!” replied the female in annoyance. “But once was sufficient with the others, yet I knew full well that the leather would not do with this one! Even the rod has not reached her, therefore must it be the lash!”
“Must it indeed,” said Ceralt quite softly, and then I heard his movement. “Take your things and leave at once,” said he, “else I shall not be responsible for your safety!”
“How dare you address me so!” gasped the female in outrage. “Was I not engaged to teach her the ways of a well-bred woman? To be obedient and docile, to clean, to cook, to read? How else might such a thing be accomplished with an ignorant, filthy savage?”
“Another word,” said Ceralt chokingly, “and I shall happily forget that you be female! This—filthy, ignorant savage—is more precious to me than my life, and surely it was at Sigurr’s bidding that I gave to another to do what I was to have done myself! Now, get out!”
“Gladly,” responded the female icily. “My time may be more profitably spent elsewhere! Allow me to say how well suited you and she appear to be!”
With angry steps the female departed, and once again was Ceralt beside me. “Jalav, forgive me,” said he in a whisper, his hand upon my face. “Had I known she would treat you so—Ah, Sigurr take her, this is not what I wished you to learn! There has already been too much pain in your life, and the fault here is mine alone. Not again shall you be beaten, this I swear!”
I had no wish to open my eyes, for the sight of Ceralt was pain in itself. I lay upon the cloth, speaking no word, wishing with all my being that I might call upon Mida. My soul ached with the need to call, yet Mida wished no more of me. Ceralt sighed and rose to his feet, then he departed the room. I lay without movement till his return, then drank whatever he put to my lips. I did not care what it might be, though it was something I had never before had. Smoothly did it slide within me, and nothing else do I recall.
17
Renth—and the devise is sought
I sat upon the red silk seat, awaiting the pot of gruel to be placed before me. Two feyd had passed from the departure of the female Lodda, two feyd in which I had not been allowed from my room. I cared little that I was kept so, and spoke no word to Ceralt when he came. The hunter had many times fetched a herbal mixture to be applied to my back, and had seemed quite distressed that I would not lie upon the platform called bed. Time and again had he placed me thereupon, and time and again had I removed myself to the cloth by the fire, where I might more easily watch the dance of the flames. The gruel had been brought to me also by Ceralt, yet was there a young female about, one who tended to the hunter’s dwelling. No word had she addressed to me when in my room, and no word had I addressed to her. The pain of the beating had gone from me, yet the pain of emptiness remained, and no word did I wish to address to anyone.
Upon the third fey, Ceralt had come to take me from the room, and had led me to the place of red silk seats and square platform. Many and varied were the foods piled thereon, and a bloody chunk of nilno, as well. I sat upon the red silk seat as Ceralt had placed me, and awaited the pot of gruel that would be put before me.
“Now,” said Ceralt heartily as he took his own seat. “See what we have here, Jalav! Hot bread, spicy pemma roots, wrettan eggs—and nilno! Which of those do you wish to have first?”
I awaited the gruel and said nothing,
“See the wrettan eggs,” said Ceralt, turning my face with his hand. “Almost were two hunters lost in the fetching of them. Clear to the top of a tree did we climb, risking life and limb, only to find that the wrettan had chosen to nest in the tree beside ours. Down we climbed once more, and up the proper tree, only to be set upon by the she-wrettan, returning to the nest! With much difficulty were the eggs at last secured, and carefully did we bring them, only to nearly drop them just at the gates! After such a perilous quest, surely you cannot refuse them?”
The hunter’s eyes were entreatingly upon me, yet did I remove my face from his hand and say nothing.
“Jalav, you are merely a pale shadow!” Ceralt cried, turning my face to him again. “You say not a word, eat the gruel without protest, and grow thinner with each passing hin! The pain of seeing you so is beyond bearing! What may I do?”
There was nothing any might do, for who may speak with Mida of one from whom she had turned? Though my face was held tightly by Ceralt, my eyes dropped with sightlessness.
“Very well,” said Ceralt with great sadness. “Sooner would I see you gone from me than dead beside me. You may have your life sign, your freedom, and a kan. I shall see you to the gates and release you.”
Where once such words would have filled me with joy, then they brought only a very great pain. Where was I to be released to, with Mida’s face turned from me? My failure was clear, my condemnation certain.
“Do you hear my words?” asked Ceralt with a shake to my face. “I have said I shall release you!” Naught save silence greeted him, therefore was I released again, and Ceralt leaned farther back in his seat. “By Sigurr’s pointed ears, she hears not,” said he in a mutter. “This must be seen to.” He raised himself from the seat and departed the room, yet was he to return quite soon. He then seated himself once more and stared upon me, and so did we remain for nearly a hin. I had found the light of Mida to be high when first I had entered the room, and now it receded toward darkness. The silence was broken by the arrival of Telion, who entered followed by the female bearing a red-silk seat upon which he might sit. The seat was placed at the square side to the right of mine, and the female wordlessly departed as Telion sat wearily in the seat and reached for a wrettan egg. I saw that he, too, wore a life sign, and knew it for Larid’s.