pressing closer about me.
I think I heard myself say, “L’on sahir, ti’vati ,” before the world winked out.
V
I awoke in the wide bed where the girl had lain. I was, alone. There was no sign of the girl, nor of Jorddyn and Rhegenn. Nor of Cullin, either. I had no idea how long I’d been sleeping, but the day outside the narrow window was bright and clear, and the sun high in the sky. No trace of a headache fogged my mind as I sat up, and nothing remained of the weariness and exhaustion. Obviously, I had slept for a long time.
I found the innkeeper’s wife in the common room, supervising a small boy who turned a spit by the hearth. The smell of roasting meat filled the air and my mouth watered. The woman looked up, saw me, and smiled.
“Ah, awake, are ye?” she said. “There’s bread and cheese to break your fast, and nice fresh apples. Picked ‘em myself this morning.” She led me to a table and fussed over me while I ate.
“Where is everybody?” I asked wolfing down bites of bread and cheese. I was ravenously hungry, and the bread was still warm from the oven, and the cheese golden yellow and well aged.
“The girl and her father left with the other man two days ago,” the woman replied.
I looked up at her. “Two days? I slept for two days?”
“Closer to three,” she replied.
“And the others left already?”
She nodded. “Aye. In the morning, right after they awoke. Your friend was still asleep, too. Two days ago. Ye’ve been sleeping a long time, laddie. Ye must have been nigh exhausted.”
“I suppose I was,” I said. “I’ve never done that before. Healed someone, I mean. I didn’t realize I could do it.”
“Well, the child was still sleeping, too, when they took her with them. For the coast, her father said. They had to meet a ship.”
I finished the last of the bread and cheese, then picked up an apple and bit into it. The taste of the juice, tart and sweet, filled my mouth like a burst of sunshine. “Where’s Cullin? My friend? He didn’t leave, too, did he?”
She laughed. “Leave you here by yourself?” she asked. “He’s not likely to do that, is he?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Where is he?”
She made a motion with her head toward the door. “Out there, behind the stable. He left word for you to join him when you were able.”
Picking up a second apple, I thanked her and went outside. I found Cullin right where the innkeeper’s wife said he would be, behind the stable on an open patch of short grass, practicing with his sword. He had stripped off his plaid and his shirt. His bare chest gleamed with the sweat of exertion, but his face was calm and relaxed, showing no sign at all of the strain of his efforts. He moved lightly on the balls of his feet, lithe and flexible as a dancer. He skipped with sinuous grace through the last form of the sequence, then spun to face me.
“Pick that up,” he said, pointing to the sword I had taken from the bounty hunter. It lay atop Cullin’s neatly folded shirt and plaid at the edge of the small lawn. “You say you’re untrained. We’re about to change that.”
I finished the last of my apple and went to pick up the sword. The hilt fit my hand easily and naturally. The balance of the blade felt perfect as I hefted it. Before I could turn, I heard Cullin shout, “Guard yourself!”
I whirled around to see him coming at me, his sword describing a glittering and deadly arc through the air as it swung toward my head. Without thinking, acting on pure instinct alone, I flung up my arm, met the slashing blade with my own. My weight balanced on the balls of my feet, I bent and swung my blade down as he stepped back and swept his sword backhanded in a wicked slice aimed at my legs. Somehow, my sword was there, and his slithered harmlessly off the blade I thrust down to catch it. Three more times Cullin attacked and three times I parried successfully. Finally, he lowered his sword and stood there, watching me with
I think I heard myself say, “L’on sahir, ti’vati ,” before the world winked out.
V
I awoke in the wide bed where the girl had lain. I was, alone. There was no sign of the girl, nor of Jorddyn and Rhegenn. Nor of Cullin, either. I had no idea how long I’d been sleeping, but the day outside the narrow window was bright and clear, and the sun high in the sky. No trace of a headache fogged my mind as I sat up, and nothing remained of the weariness and exhaustion. Obviously, I had slept for a long time.
I found the innkeeper’s wife in the common room, supervising a small boy who turned a spit by the hearth. The smell of roasting meat filled the air and my mouth watered. The woman looked up, saw me, and smiled.
“Ah, awake, are ye?” she said. “There’s bread and cheese to break your fast, and nice fresh apples. Picked ‘em myself this morning.” She led me to a table and fussed over me while I ate.
“Where is everybody?” I asked wolfing down bites of bread and cheese. I was ravenously hungry, and the bread was still warm from the oven, and the cheese golden yellow and well aged.
“The girl and her father left with the other man two days ago,” the woman replied.
I looked up at her. “Two days? I slept for two days?”
“Closer to three,” she replied.
“And the others left already?”
She nodded. “Aye. In the morning, right after they awoke. Your friend was still asleep, too. Two days ago. Ye’ve been sleeping a long time, laddie. Ye must have been nigh exhausted.”
“I suppose I was,” I said. “I’ve never done that before. Healed someone, I mean. I didn’t realize I could do it.”
“Well, the child was still sleeping, too, when they took her with them. For the coast, her father said. They had to meet a ship.”
I finished the last of the bread and cheese, then picked up an apple and bit into it. The taste of the juice, tart and sweet, filled my mouth like a burst of sunshine. “Where’s Cullin? My friend? He didn’t leave, too, did he?”
She laughed. “Leave you here by yourself?” she asked. “He’s not likely to do that, is he?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Where is he?”
She made a motion with her head toward the door. “Out there, behind the stable. He left word for you to join him when you were able.”
Picking up a second apple, I thanked her and went outside. I found Cullin right where the innkeeper’s wife said he would be, behind the stable on an open patch of short grass, practicing with his sword. He had stripped off his plaid and his shirt. His bare chest gleamed with the sweat of exertion, but his face was calm and relaxed, showing no sign at all of the strain of his efforts. He moved lightly on the balls of his feet, lithe and flexible as a dancer. He skipped with sinuous grace through the last form of the sequence, then spun to face me.
“Pick that up,” he said, pointing to the sword I had taken from the bounty hunter. It lay atop Cullin’s neatly folded shirt and plaid at the edge of the small lawn. “You say you’re untrained. We’re about to change that.”
I finished the last of my apple and went to pick up the sword. The hilt fit my hand easily and naturally. The balance of the blade felt perfect as I hefted it. Before I could turn, I heard Cullin shout, “Guard yourself!”
I whirled around to see him coming at me, his sword describing a glittering and deadly arc through the air as it swung toward my head. Without thinking, acting on pure instinct alone, I flung up my arm, met the slashing blade with my own. My weight balanced on the balls of my feet, I bent and swung my blade down as he stepped back and swept his sword backhanded in a wicked slice aimed at my legs. Somehow, my sword was there, and his slithered harmlessly off the blade I thrust down to catch it. Three more times Cullin attacked and three times I parried successfully. Finally, he lowered his sword and stood there, watching me with
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