people in the forest, but I had three pennons with me, half an ala!"
"Did you see anything of Marchel?" I asked.
"Marchel?" His eyebrows rose in astonishment. "No. Isn't she in Narlahena?"
As I was explaining the new situation to him as best I could, a servant came up and announced that the dinner I had ordered was ready. I remembered the cook asking me about it that afternoon and agreeing to all his suggestions.
Veniva came out of the accounts room, announcing that she would need to find a new steward.
Emlin and I
followed her to the eating alcove, where Duncan and Emer soon joined us. Emer looked terrible, her eyes red-rimmed from weeping and with shadows under them so dark they were almost blue. The old scar on her cheek showed angrily red as if she had been scrubbing her face hard. Duncan was looking tired, and I
suddenly wondered how old he was. He still went out to the practice yard regularly, though he had not been war-leader since my father died.
We talked about the troubles as we ate. Emer ate nothing but bread, sometimes dipping it in her broth for politeness. I was hungry, but with so many questions I talked more than I ate.
When I mentioned Marchel's supposed invasion, Duncan clicked his tongue.
"Where are her children?" he asked. "Are they at Nant Gefalion with ap Wyn the Smith? We should send swift riders up there to seize them as hostages for her good conduct, and ap Wyn as well."
"What good conduct?" I asked, swallowing. "She is exiled on pain of death, she can't be here in honor."
"No," Emer agreed, "but Duncan is right. Having hostages might well prevent her moving against us directly."
"If she doesn't move against us, she will still move against Urdo, which is as bad; nothing will work but defeating her. She needs to be killed. Her alae could leave, but how could we persuade her to pretend she'd never been here and just take her alae right away back to Narlahena or off to Caer Custenn or—or Rigatona!" I
said.
Veniva raised her chin. "Well. But a threat to her children might be enough to do that. Without her what could the levies of Magor and Tathal do against the alae?"
"I don't like it," I said. "Either the boys are our enemies, in which case they won't be at Nant Gefalion but away at Tal-garth or Caer Gloran preparing to fight us, or, if they are there, then they are innocent or very
Page 24
stupid."
"We needn't harm them," Veniva said. "Only tell Marchel that we have them in our keeping."
"And Urdo has taken hostages into the ala many times without harming them," Emlin said.
"People usually have a choice whether or not to give hostages," I protested. "They are given as a pledge of faith, not kidnaped."
"These days, perhaps," Duncan said, looking sternly at his plate.
"She is an exile, and has no faith." Veniva shrugged. "And we're not talking about little children; the boys are grown men now. They are our enemies by their connections, and we should take them if we can. We have killed Daldaf; all his kin will be against us."
"If they mean us harm they won't be waiting there tamely to be taken," I said. "No. That is wrong and I won't have anything to do with it."
"Maybe we could invite them," Veniva said. "It would be safer for them here than up in the hills, if there is trouble. They would not be hostages, but honored guests. And if there is any restraining Marchel then it serves the same purpose."
I chewed and swallowed the last of my preserved apples, thinking about this. When I looked up all dieir eyes were on me. "I will send a pennon up to see if they are there, and to warn Nant Gefalion of the danger coming. If Cinvar invades from Caer Gloran they will come that way. I will have them offer ap Wyn and his sons our hospitality, but there will be no coercion in it."
Duncan sighed, but none of them argued with.me.
When we finished eating I went out to the center of the hall and looked at my household, gathered in the alcoves. Being Lord of Derwen and obliged to do it often
"Did you see anything of Marchel?" I asked.
"Marchel?" His eyebrows rose in astonishment. "No. Isn't she in Narlahena?"
As I was explaining the new situation to him as best I could, a servant came up and announced that the dinner I had ordered was ready. I remembered the cook asking me about it that afternoon and agreeing to all his suggestions.
Veniva came out of the accounts room, announcing that she would need to find a new steward.
Emlin and I
followed her to the eating alcove, where Duncan and Emer soon joined us. Emer looked terrible, her eyes red-rimmed from weeping and with shadows under them so dark they were almost blue. The old scar on her cheek showed angrily red as if she had been scrubbing her face hard. Duncan was looking tired, and I
suddenly wondered how old he was. He still went out to the practice yard regularly, though he had not been war-leader since my father died.
We talked about the troubles as we ate. Emer ate nothing but bread, sometimes dipping it in her broth for politeness. I was hungry, but with so many questions I talked more than I ate.
When I mentioned Marchel's supposed invasion, Duncan clicked his tongue.
"Where are her children?" he asked. "Are they at Nant Gefalion with ap Wyn the Smith? We should send swift riders up there to seize them as hostages for her good conduct, and ap Wyn as well."
"What good conduct?" I asked, swallowing. "She is exiled on pain of death, she can't be here in honor."
"No," Emer agreed, "but Duncan is right. Having hostages might well prevent her moving against us directly."
"If she doesn't move against us, she will still move against Urdo, which is as bad; nothing will work but defeating her. She needs to be killed. Her alae could leave, but how could we persuade her to pretend she'd never been here and just take her alae right away back to Narlahena or off to Caer Custenn or—or Rigatona!" I
said.
Veniva raised her chin. "Well. But a threat to her children might be enough to do that. Without her what could the levies of Magor and Tathal do against the alae?"
"I don't like it," I said. "Either the boys are our enemies, in which case they won't be at Nant Gefalion but away at Tal-garth or Caer Gloran preparing to fight us, or, if they are there, then they are innocent or very
Page 24
stupid."
"We needn't harm them," Veniva said. "Only tell Marchel that we have them in our keeping."
"And Urdo has taken hostages into the ala many times without harming them," Emlin said.
"People usually have a choice whether or not to give hostages," I protested. "They are given as a pledge of faith, not kidnaped."
"These days, perhaps," Duncan said, looking sternly at his plate.
"She is an exile, and has no faith." Veniva shrugged. "And we're not talking about little children; the boys are grown men now. They are our enemies by their connections, and we should take them if we can. We have killed Daldaf; all his kin will be against us."
"If they mean us harm they won't be waiting there tamely to be taken," I said. "No. That is wrong and I won't have anything to do with it."
"Maybe we could invite them," Veniva said. "It would be safer for them here than up in the hills, if there is trouble. They would not be hostages, but honored guests. And if there is any restraining Marchel then it serves the same purpose."
I chewed and swallowed the last of my preserved apples, thinking about this. When I looked up all dieir eyes were on me. "I will send a pennon up to see if they are there, and to warn Nant Gefalion of the danger coming. If Cinvar invades from Caer Gloran they will come that way. I will have them offer ap Wyn and his sons our hospitality, but there will be no coercion in it."
Duncan sighed, but none of them argued with.me.
When we finished eating I went out to the center of the hall and looked at my household, gathered in the alcoves. Being Lord of Derwen and obliged to do it often
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