let herself slide back down into sleep, and this time she was in no hurry to wake.
Some indefinable time later Kayli awoke slowly, luxuriously, relishing the soft warmth of the bed in which she lay, the familiar crackling of a fire somewhere nearby. She sighed with pleasure and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Endra’s face, a deep cut down one cheek and a large purple bruise framing her left eye, but Endra nonetheless.
“Well, good morn to you, lady, or good afternoon, rather.” Endra chuckled. “You’ve had everyone dithering, most of them afraid the fragile lady would drop dead of a simple chill. I knew you were a tougher weed than that, eh, lady?”
“Most assuredly.” Her voice was rough and hoarse; Kayli cleared her throat, and Endra poured her a cup of water from a pitcher on the bedside table. Kayli pushed the cup aside. “How long has it been since the attack?”
“Two days.” Endra pushed the cup back into Kayli’s hand and gazed at her sternly until Kayli, drank. “I lit out close on your trail—what I could see of it in such a storm—with three of the guards. Once they knew you were headed for Tarkesh, we did the same, but you still bested us by half a day.”
Kayli swallowed the last of the water and impatiently pushed herself up into a sitting position.
“What of the other maids?” she asked.
“The guards said three rode off toward Bregond,” Endra said. “When the last of the raiders fled, Anida and Devra and Brother Santee rode ahead with some of the guards. They’ve arrived. There’s no news of the three who rode west.”
“But the other?” Kayli pressed.
“The guards say Dena was taken by the raiders,” Endra said quietly. “I’m sorry, my lady.”
Kayli knew what that meant. By now Dena would have ended her own life, as would any Bregondish citizen captured by enemies, so she could not be made to betray her country’s secrets. In Dena’s case, however, a quick death would have spared her other torments.
“I will send word to my father,” Kayli said grimly. “Much Sarkondish blood will spill for this.”
“Don’t trouble yourself, my lady,” Endra said gently. “There was nothing any of us could have done. Are you well enough to rise and dress? Lord Randon is eager to meet you.”
Kayli nodded, for once glad that there were Anida and Devra and Endra to help her dress and arrange her hair. When she looked in the mirror, she was dismayed at her appearance—there were huge dark circles under her eyes, her lips were dry, and her cheeks were hollow; beneath her golden-brown skin, she was pale and wan. In the Order she had never worn the powders, creams, and rouges some of her sisters used to enhance their beauty, but now she was glad Endra had brought them. As she was, Lord Randon would likely think her diseased and half-dead.
When Kayli was as presentable as Endra and the maids could make her, she opened the door. To her surprise, there were two guards outside her door—was she a prisoner? She was somewhat reassured when both guards bowed deeply to her, and one of them said (in slow, careful Agrondish, as if to a child), “Good afternoon, Lady Kayli. We have been assigned to guard and protect you. May we be of any service?”
Did Lord Randon fear assassins in his very castle?
“I thank you,” Kayli said in Agrondish, bowing in return. “I would be grateful if you would escort me to Lord Randon.”
“He will be greatly pleased by your recovery,” the first guard said, smiling. “Come, I’ll take you to him now.”
One of the guards remained outside the door to her room (so no assassin could enter? Kayli wondered), and the other led her through corridors and down a flight of stairs. He stopped at a set of large double doors and knocked, then opened the door.
“My lords, the lady Kayli of the High House of Bregond,” the guard said, standing aside for Kayli to enter. Kayli took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The room was a study
Some indefinable time later Kayli awoke slowly, luxuriously, relishing the soft warmth of the bed in which she lay, the familiar crackling of a fire somewhere nearby. She sighed with pleasure and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Endra’s face, a deep cut down one cheek and a large purple bruise framing her left eye, but Endra nonetheless.
“Well, good morn to you, lady, or good afternoon, rather.” Endra chuckled. “You’ve had everyone dithering, most of them afraid the fragile lady would drop dead of a simple chill. I knew you were a tougher weed than that, eh, lady?”
“Most assuredly.” Her voice was rough and hoarse; Kayli cleared her throat, and Endra poured her a cup of water from a pitcher on the bedside table. Kayli pushed the cup aside. “How long has it been since the attack?”
“Two days.” Endra pushed the cup back into Kayli’s hand and gazed at her sternly until Kayli, drank. “I lit out close on your trail—what I could see of it in such a storm—with three of the guards. Once they knew you were headed for Tarkesh, we did the same, but you still bested us by half a day.”
Kayli swallowed the last of the water and impatiently pushed herself up into a sitting position.
“What of the other maids?” she asked.
“The guards said three rode off toward Bregond,” Endra said. “When the last of the raiders fled, Anida and Devra and Brother Santee rode ahead with some of the guards. They’ve arrived. There’s no news of the three who rode west.”
“But the other?” Kayli pressed.
“The guards say Dena was taken by the raiders,” Endra said quietly. “I’m sorry, my lady.”
Kayli knew what that meant. By now Dena would have ended her own life, as would any Bregondish citizen captured by enemies, so she could not be made to betray her country’s secrets. In Dena’s case, however, a quick death would have spared her other torments.
“I will send word to my father,” Kayli said grimly. “Much Sarkondish blood will spill for this.”
“Don’t trouble yourself, my lady,” Endra said gently. “There was nothing any of us could have done. Are you well enough to rise and dress? Lord Randon is eager to meet you.”
Kayli nodded, for once glad that there were Anida and Devra and Endra to help her dress and arrange her hair. When she looked in the mirror, she was dismayed at her appearance—there were huge dark circles under her eyes, her lips were dry, and her cheeks were hollow; beneath her golden-brown skin, she was pale and wan. In the Order she had never worn the powders, creams, and rouges some of her sisters used to enhance their beauty, but now she was glad Endra had brought them. As she was, Lord Randon would likely think her diseased and half-dead.
When Kayli was as presentable as Endra and the maids could make her, she opened the door. To her surprise, there were two guards outside her door—was she a prisoner? She was somewhat reassured when both guards bowed deeply to her, and one of them said (in slow, careful Agrondish, as if to a child), “Good afternoon, Lady Kayli. We have been assigned to guard and protect you. May we be of any service?”
Did Lord Randon fear assassins in his very castle?
“I thank you,” Kayli said in Agrondish, bowing in return. “I would be grateful if you would escort me to Lord Randon.”
“He will be greatly pleased by your recovery,” the first guard said, smiling. “Come, I’ll take you to him now.”
One of the guards remained outside the door to her room (so no assassin could enter? Kayli wondered), and the other led her through corridors and down a flight of stairs. He stopped at a set of large double doors and knocked, then opened the door.
“My lords, the lady Kayli of the High House of Bregond,” the guard said, standing aside for Kayli to enter. Kayli took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The room was a study
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