“I see a wench shivers with the coming cold,” said he. “Soon shall the winter descend upon us, to make this fey seem warm, and then shall the breasts of foolish wenches freeze in the points the cold causes. Yet Jalav shall not be forced to give over her bit of cloth till she wishes it. A man enjoys the sight of points.”
Most miserably did I see that Ceralt spoke the truth, for indeed had the chill reached out to touch me. Should the cold grow greater still, the Hosta would not be seen, for which of them would shun clan colors for comfort? Too slowly did we walk toward Ceralt’s dwelling, yet the hunter seemed unhurried in his pace, his arm about me holding me to his stride. The thought came that he walked so with a purpose, though the nature of the purpose was not clear. Surely Ceralt knew a Hosta would not forsake clan colors of herself, and Jalav was yet Hosta.
At last we entered the dwelling of Ceralt, and most welcome was its warmth. I stood upon the entrance cloth, of a brown and green like the forests, thinking to return to the room which was mine so that I might consider what I had learned, yet Ceralt looked upon me again with a frown.
“You appear unreasonably thin, wench,” said he in disapproval. “What was given you to eat in the Palace of the High Seat?”
“Naught was given me,” I answered, thinking instead, of the Palace in Bellinard. Where, below ground, did the Crystal lie hidden, and how might the Hosta claim it as their own? Were we able to escape the city of Ranistard, enter Bellinard, find the remaining Crystal, and return it to our own land, surely would the other clans of the Midanna return with us to once again free the other Crystals. Yet would it be necessary to make very sure that Ceralt was not harmed during the attack, for I would see him live as safely as might be. He was a strange male, this hunter, and strange were the feelings he produced within me.
“You were given nothing?” Ceralt repeated in outrage. “Does the High Seat think to save his coppers? I shall speak to him of this, Sigurr take me if I fail to do so!” Then he turned to me sternly. “Jalav,” said he, his hands upon my arms, “you shall this moment request the sharing of my food, else shall I be greatly angered! Do you wish to see me angered?”
So sternly did he look upon me, yet was there a faint worry in his eyes as well. Unbidden, a smile came to my lips, and my hand touched his covering. “Jalav does not wish to see Ceralt angered,” said I quite softly. “Therefore does she request the sharing of his provender.”
“Beautifully done,” laughed Ceralt gently, pulling me to him so that he might hold me. “I must continue with your lessons, for I would see you civilized as quickly as may be. The process shall not be overly painful.”
“I am to be given further pain?” said I, raising my eyes to look up toward his. “Ceralt is displeased with Jalav?”
“No, no,” said Ceralt quickly, his arms full tight about me. “I merely meant the remark as humor. There shall be no further pain given you.”
“Ceralt finds humor in pain?” I asked, my cheek against his covering. Strange indeed were the ways of males.
Ceralt sighed, then chuckled a bit. “No, my Jalav,” said he, stroking my hair. “There is little humor in pain, and I shall not attempt such foolishness again. Come, Inala shall fetch our meal for us.”
Wordlessly did I go with Ceralt to the room of red silk, where the female Inala was bidden to fetch food. She nodded in obedience to Ceralt’s order, then paused as she was about to depart. “Master,” said she, in innocence, “shall I fetch a pitcher of renth as well?”
Ceralt winced at the mention of renth, and quickly shook his head. “Not yet am I able to face further renth,” said he. “Still do I feel the touch of it in my head, therefore shall I drink only water.”
“As Master wishes,” Inala murmured, then she turned to me. “Does Mistress alone wish a flagon, then?”
“I would be pleased at the taste of some renth,” said I, and then saw the female’s amusement at the look Ceralt gave me.
Wide-eyed was the hunter, and disbelieving, yet then he nodded as though touched by a thought.
“Of course,” said he in satisfaction. “Jalav could not have drunk as much of the renth as Telion and I, therefore did it have less effect on her.”
“Oh, no, Master,” said the female, her amusement again masked behind innocence. “The Mistress had as much renth as the Master, yet was she entirely untouched by it. Never before have I seen the like of it!”
Ceralt frowned and dismissed the female, then he slid low within his seat, his eyes unhappily upon me. Many times did he shake his head, as though to deny some thought which had come to him, yet did the thought persist in its return, for he continued to stare and shake his head. The meal proved to be a silent one, and each time Inala refilled my pot of renth, Ceralt closed his eyes and muttered to himself.
With the meal done, Ceralt had the platform cleared so that he might fetch a large piece of stiffened cloth and a stick of charcoal, much as the female Lodda had had. I felt quite pleased that my hunger was gone, therefore I refrained from laughter when Ceralt made strokes with the charcoal, and then informed me that the strokes said the name, Jalav. Jalav sat beside a foolish Ceralt, not upon a stiffened bit of cloth, therefore how were the strokes to be termed Jalav? As Ceralt formed other strokes, called “letters” by him, I thought again upon the problem of the Crystal. That Hosta must depart from Ranistard was clear, yet how was that to be accomplished? Long did I think upon the matter, and truly angered was Ceralt that I had failed to heed him, as he learned upon speaking to me of the strokes. Naught had I heard of the foolishness of the strokes, and Ceralt sent me from him, saying that I would know the foolishness, else I would know a punishment. His anger saddened me quite a bit, and in silence did I bathe in the large pot filled by Inala, for soon would I find the need to leave Ceralt again. Though it was not my wish to leave the hunter with anger, all my efforts seemed to accomplish this undesired end. Perhaps that was due to the displeasure of Mida, and therefore was I unable to change the matter. I knew not, yet did it trouble me.
Darkness had come when my hair was dried and combed at last, and Ceralt called me to another meal. His anger at the foolishness of the strokes was still upon him, and I began to feel a great annoyance. I cared nothing for strokes and letters, and had little patience for the matter. I raised my renth to the male each time I drank, and pleased was I to see annoyance at such action displace the anger of the strokes. By meal’s end the hunter glared upon my smile, and abruptly did he rise to stand quite straight.
“As darkness is upon us, my wench,” said he, “I feel it best that we retire. The new light shall see you again with your letters, and I shall see that you learn them.”
“Jalav has learned many things,” said I, and also rose to my feet. “Jalav knows the ways of the hadat, and the lenga, and the falth, the song of the lellin, the flight of the wrettan, the temper of the gando. Jalav knows the means by which to feed herself, to see to her safety in the forests, to search out water. Jalav knows the bending of a bow, the casting of a spear, the flashing of a sword. May the strokes you speak of compare with the knowledge already held by Jalav?”
“The—‘strokes’ contain all such things and more beside,” said Ceralt with a smile, “Does Jalav know the manner in which metal may be found, the way that stone must be placed to form a building which will stand, the proper season for the ground to take a seed, the manner in which men’s words may be sent to one another by mirrors? These things do the—strokes—contain, and these things may you also learn, should you first learn your letters.”
“Jalav has little need of such,” I informed him firmly. “Think you the Hosta be city folk, to wish metal, buildings and seedlings?”
“The Hosta now are indeed city wenches,” laughed Ceralt, and his arm came to me. “They must learn the things their men know of, else shall their men be displeased with them. Come you now, for the time of darkness passes too swiftly.”