cross-legged on Tanaros' carpet. His mismatched gaze was disconcertingly level. "Malthus is plotting something."
"Aye," Tanaros said. "A wedding."
"No." Ushahin shook his head, lank silver-gilt hair stirring. "Something
more
."
Tanaros was awake, now. "You've heard it in the dreams of Men?"
"Would that I had." The Dreamspinner propped his chin on folded hands, frowning. "A little, yes. Only a little. Malthus the Counselor keeps his counsel well. I know only that he is assembling a Company, and it has naught to do with the wedding."
"A Company?" Tanaros sat a little straighter.
"Blaise of the Borderguard is to be in it," Ushahin said softly, watching him. "Altorus' second-in-command. He has dreamed of it. He's your kinsman, is he not?"
"Aye." Tanaros' jaw clenched and he reached, unthinking, for the
rhios
in the pocket of his dressing-robe. The smooth surfaces of it calmed his mind. "Descended on my father's side. They are mounting an attack on Darkhaven? Even now?"
"No." Ushahin noted his gesture, but did not speak of it. "That's the odd thing, cousin. It's naught to do with us, or so it would seem."
"The Sorceress?" Tanaros asked.
Ushahin shrugged unevenly. "She holds one of the Soumanie, which Malthus the Counselor would like to reclaim. Beyond that, I cannot say. Those who have been chosen do not know themselves. I know only that a call has gone out to Arduan, to ask the mightiest of their archers to join the Company."
"Arduan," Tanaros said slowly. Relinquishing the
rhios
, he ran a hand through his hair, still damp from his bath. The Archers of Arduan, which lay along the northern fringes of the Delta, were renowned for their skill with the bow. "Does his Lordship know?"
"Yes." Ushahin's eyes glittered in the lamplight. "He knows."
The taste of fear was back in Tanaros' mouth, the triumph of the day's exercise forgotten. "Does he think it has to do with—"
"The lost weapon of the Prophecy?" the half-breed asked bluntly. "How not?"
Both were silent, at that.
Dergail's Soumanie had risen in the west.
Dergail the Counselor had been one of three, once; three that Haomane First-Born had sent against Satoris in the Fourth Age of the Sundered World. And he had been armed, as they all had. Armed with the Soumanie, polished chips of the Souma with the force to Shape the world itself—and armed also with weapons of Haomane's devising. One, they knew well; the Helm of Shadows, that Ardrath the Counselor had borne, which had fallen into Lord Satoris' grasp, and been
changed
. One other, they knew and feared; the Spear of Light, that Malthus had hidden.
But the last was the Arrow of Fire, that had vanished when Dergail was defeated and flung himself into the sea, and no one knew where it was.
"Ravens bore it away," Tanaros said at length. "Do they know?"
Ushahin shook his head again. "They are as they are, cousin," he said; gently, for him. "Brief lives, measured against ours; a dark flash of feathers in the sun. They do not know. Nor do the Were, who remember. Ravens bore it east, but it did not reach the fastholds of Pelmar."
When it came to the Were, Ushahin alone among Men—or Ellylon—would know. Oronin's Children had raised him, when no one else would. Tanaros considered. "Then Malthus knows," he said.
"Malthus
suspects
," Ushahin corrected him. "And plots accordingly."
Tanaros spread his hands. "As it may be. I command troops, cousin. What would you have me do?"
"Do?" The half-breed grinned, his mood as mercurial as one of his madlings. "Why, cousin, do as you do! I have come to tell you what I know, and that I have done. You spoke, also, of ravens."
"Ravens." Tanaros smiled. "Is it time?"
"Time, and more." Ushahin uncoiled from the carpet, straightening as he rose. "There is a wedding afoot, after all, and the ravens have come home to roost, with their eyes filled with visions. Your friend is among them. Will you come with me to the rookery on the morrow, ere his Lordship summons them?"
"I will,"
"Aye," Tanaros said. "A wedding."
"No." Ushahin shook his head, lank silver-gilt hair stirring. "Something
more
."
Tanaros was awake, now. "You've heard it in the dreams of Men?"
"Would that I had." The Dreamspinner propped his chin on folded hands, frowning. "A little, yes. Only a little. Malthus the Counselor keeps his counsel well. I know only that he is assembling a Company, and it has naught to do with the wedding."
"A Company?" Tanaros sat a little straighter.
"Blaise of the Borderguard is to be in it," Ushahin said softly, watching him. "Altorus' second-in-command. He has dreamed of it. He's your kinsman, is he not?"
"Aye." Tanaros' jaw clenched and he reached, unthinking, for the
rhios
in the pocket of his dressing-robe. The smooth surfaces of it calmed his mind. "Descended on my father's side. They are mounting an attack on Darkhaven? Even now?"
"No." Ushahin noted his gesture, but did not speak of it. "That's the odd thing, cousin. It's naught to do with us, or so it would seem."
"The Sorceress?" Tanaros asked.
Ushahin shrugged unevenly. "She holds one of the Soumanie, which Malthus the Counselor would like to reclaim. Beyond that, I cannot say. Those who have been chosen do not know themselves. I know only that a call has gone out to Arduan, to ask the mightiest of their archers to join the Company."
"Arduan," Tanaros said slowly. Relinquishing the
rhios
, he ran a hand through his hair, still damp from his bath. The Archers of Arduan, which lay along the northern fringes of the Delta, were renowned for their skill with the bow. "Does his Lordship know?"
"Yes." Ushahin's eyes glittered in the lamplight. "He knows."
The taste of fear was back in Tanaros' mouth, the triumph of the day's exercise forgotten. "Does he think it has to do with—"
"The lost weapon of the Prophecy?" the half-breed asked bluntly. "How not?"
Both were silent, at that.
Dergail's Soumanie had risen in the west.
Dergail the Counselor had been one of three, once; three that Haomane First-Born had sent against Satoris in the Fourth Age of the Sundered World. And he had been armed, as they all had. Armed with the Soumanie, polished chips of the Souma with the force to Shape the world itself—and armed also with weapons of Haomane's devising. One, they knew well; the Helm of Shadows, that Ardrath the Counselor had borne, which had fallen into Lord Satoris' grasp, and been
changed
. One other, they knew and feared; the Spear of Light, that Malthus had hidden.
But the last was the Arrow of Fire, that had vanished when Dergail was defeated and flung himself into the sea, and no one knew where it was.
"Ravens bore it away," Tanaros said at length. "Do they know?"
Ushahin shook his head again. "They are as they are, cousin," he said; gently, for him. "Brief lives, measured against ours; a dark flash of feathers in the sun. They do not know. Nor do the Were, who remember. Ravens bore it east, but it did not reach the fastholds of Pelmar."
When it came to the Were, Ushahin alone among Men—or Ellylon—would know. Oronin's Children had raised him, when no one else would. Tanaros considered. "Then Malthus knows," he said.
"Malthus
suspects
," Ushahin corrected him. "And plots accordingly."
Tanaros spread his hands. "As it may be. I command troops, cousin. What would you have me do?"
"Do?" The half-breed grinned, his mood as mercurial as one of his madlings. "Why, cousin, do as you do! I have come to tell you what I know, and that I have done. You spoke, also, of ravens."
"Ravens." Tanaros smiled. "Is it time?"
"Time, and more." Ushahin uncoiled from the carpet, straightening as he rose. "There is a wedding afoot, after all, and the ravens have come home to roost, with their eyes filled with visions. Your friend is among them. Will you come with me to the rookery on the morrow, ere his Lordship summons them?"
"I will,"
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