Well and good, thought Finist, that's settled. But he couldn't return to Kirtesk, not yet. There was still one matter to be finished.
And so, when Svyatoslav at last returned, alone, to his royal bedchamber, he found Finist standing there, waiting. But before the younger prince could say anything reassuring, he saw, to his disgust, that Svyatoslav was tensing, going on his guard once more.
«Prince Svyatoslav, please. I'm not here to attack you, or carry you off or steal away your soul! I am here to tell you where to find boyar Danilo. Or were you planning to simply search blindly for the man?»
Svyatoslav, embarrassed, shot him an angry glance. «All right, then, where is he?»
«In the forest, where— Now what is it?» The other's eyes had gone wild with alarm. «Is that it? Are you in league with the forest?»
«What?» Finist suddenly remembered the leshy, and the armored men, the mysterious hunters. «They were your men, then," he murmured; then, seeing Svyatoslav stare, hastily added, «No, I am not in league with the forest, or those who dwell within it. But I do know something about them. And I promise you this, if your men enter the forest in peace, the forest shall not harm them. Now, let me give you proper directions…»
When the messengers of Prince Svyatoslav rode, uneasy, into the forest, they were met by a stranger in an ugly deerskin robe, an amber-eyed stranger who bowed, polite as any wary peasant, and pointed the way to Danilo's farm. Watching those royal messengers ride away, Finist smiled.
Now they can't possibly miss the way. And his smile broadened a bit at me thought of the joy to come to Maria and her family. Soon they would be safe and honored and free.
If only he could be part of that joy…
Oh, nonsense. He had his own life and duties. This was nothing, the settling of a debt, that was all. Love—no, it was just gratitude.
Then why couldn't he believe himself? Confused, Finist searched till he found a small, still forest pool. Quickly the prince focused his will, fighting aside emotion; quickly he made the proper gestures, said the proper words, and watched his reflection mist and fade. The mist began to clear, obedient to his wish, and…
Maria was there before his eyes, Maria and Vasilissa. And he heard, faintly but clearly, Maria's patient, weary voice.
«Lissa, dear, listen to me. I was only gathering forest herbs, not communing with demons!»
«Don't jest!»
«Lissa, it's not evil out there! The forest is really very beautiful and — "
«And filled with pagan rites and sorcerers—ha, yes! Sorcerers like your Finn, appearing out of nowhere, disappearing into nowhere!»
«He wasn't a sorcerer, and you know it. Lissa, he saved our father's life, remember?»
«And what did he take in exchange, eh? Your virtue?»
«Is quite intact," the young woman snapped impatiently. «Finn took nothing from me but gratitude.»
«But where did he go? Answer me that, Maria! If he was so very innocent, why did he disappear as though— yes, as though by magic!»
Maria winced. But she said, calmly enough, «I'm sure there's some perfectly reasonable explanation for — "
«Stop it! I don't want to hear about him anymore! He's gone now, Heaven be praised! He's gone, and you're safe, and—and— Pray, Maria! Pray you never see him again! Maria, I love you! I—I don't want to see you doomed!»
«Lissa, really — "
«No! Remember this: magic is evil, evil, Maria! And all who practice it are damned!»
Argue with her, Finist silently urged. Akh, Maria, say something to defend me!
But she said not a word. Finist sighed, and lost his hold on the image. He found himself staring bleakly down at his own reflection once more.
«You fool," he told himself softly, «oh, you fool, to give your heart at last, but to someone who can't ever return your love, someone for whom you and your magic must always be of the Darkness.» Slowly he got to his feet, stretching stiff muscles. «You'll never know this, Maria, but I wish you joy and ever joy.»
With that, the prince resolutely turned his back on his own hope for joy, and began the long flight home.
Chapter XX
The Forest
«This can't be happening! It can't be happening!»
The dazed Alexei had been repeating that over and over through that nightmarish midnight ride back to the estate‑Danilo's estate once more.
Damn him. It was always Danilo.
Alexei glanced at the soldiers who'd been sent to escort him. They were all studiously bland of face, trying their best to ignore his ravings. Damn you all, too! thought Alexei savagely. This wasn't the end, not yet! He'd be back, he always landed on his feet, and then—oh, then, Danilo beware!
They'd reached the main house. «You, Sasha!» Alexei commanded imperiously. «See that my horse is made ready! And‑Did you hear me, man? Move!»
«Oh, I think not.» Sasha had plainly already heard the news of his banishment. Look at the man, fairly smirking at him, not moving a muscle. The insolence was more than Alexei's overwrought nerves could endure.
«How dare you!» he shrieked. «Obey me! I am your master!»
«Never that," replied Sasha coolly. «Certainly not now. Traitor.»
Shaking with fury, Alexei raised a hand to strike him, but Sasha calmly stepped back, just out of reach, leaving the young man staggering to regain his balance. «Tsk," said Sasha. «You never should have betrayed Master Danilo, now, should you?»
«Curse you, I — "
«Aren't you wasting time? Don't you think you'd better be out of here and away as soon as possible? That is, of course, assuming you really want to reach the border and safety before those three little days are up.»
That sent a chill through Alexei. He glanced in sudden unease at the impassive soldiers who were waiting to make sure he left, and turned away from the coolly smiling Sasha, wishing the man dead, desperately trying to plan what he'd need take with him. Clothes, of course, and gold. He would take as much of Danilo's gold as he could find.
It wasn't much. The servants, curse their treacherous souls, had simply hidden almost everything of value. And there was no time to worry about it. The dawn was almost here, and he'd have to be on the road and riding as soon as possible to clear the border before it was too late. Alexei shot another quick glance at the guards, and what he saw in their hard eyes made him shudder. If it's not already too late! Oh God, if they let me clear it! I'm going to have to escape them, and survive as well. The young man thought in sudden fierce determination, I will survive. Come what may, I will survive!
Svyatoslav hadn't been able to return to sleep, not with his mind racing as it was. Alone in his bedchamber, he sat and mulled over the bizarre events of the night.
Finist. The magician-prince had actually been here. But had he been telling the truth? Was that sorcerer really interested only in justice? Or had he been plotting something? Trying to find a way to use Svyatoslav? Looking for a chance to invade—no, that was impossible, there was too much wild land between Kirtesk and Stargorod. An army couldn't get through, and even a sorcerer couldn't hope to take an entire city all by himself!
But why was he so interested in Danilo? Was the boyar a spy? No, no, that didn't make any sense, either!
The prince sighed, confused and frustrated. Could he trust Danilo? Of course; it was madness to think otherwise. But just the same, he'd test the man. He'd set a watch on him, and at the first sign of betrayal—
Alexei had betrayed him; at least there was no doubt about that. Alexei had made him look like some ridiculous weak‑minded old man!