The Vildecaz Talents: The complete set of Vildecaz Stories including Nimuar's Loss, The Deceptive Oracle and Agnith's Promise by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

evidence of it, but neither has he shown any disapproval of them.” said Erianthee, going on more briskly, “And speaking of Hoftstan, he is lending me his middle son for the morning – you know, the gamester?”
    “You mean Rimdoch? He’s a prankish lad, isn’t he? One who likes to take chances in gaming?” Ninianee asked. “I heard him as I came in shortly after dawn, boasting to the late-cooks. He seems to have done well with Bihn’s escort last night – won almost all their money. He said it was the first decent winnings he has had in months.”
    “Because almost no one here is fool enough to play against him; they know he has a talented advantage,” said Erianthee. “A pity he won’t agree to develop his talents – he could do so much more if he would submit to training. He’d rather waste them on cards and dice and tiles.”
    “He probably doesn’t see the harm in winning,” said Ninianee. “Well, he is a good assistant if he doesn’t gamble while in the city.”
    “He said he’s done well enough that he will not need to worry about money for weeks and weeks,” said Erianthee.
    Ninianee’s light-green eyes grew serious. “If he gambled only for money, that might be true. But he likes the thrill of risk as a hunter likes the chase, and as long as he seeks that thrill, he will game, if it be for nothing more than straws. It stirs his blood as nothing else can.” She looked down at the two broken nails on her left hand, the token of a badly jumped fence. “And speaking of hunters,” she went on somewhat remotely, “there was a party of them over in the game preserve, thrashing about in the rain. I wasted much time avoiding them. I doubt I was in much danger, given how they behaved. Maeshar of Otsinmohr has a party of guests, and you know what he’s like.”
    “I wish he wouldn’t treat that part of Vildecaz as his private hunting preserve,” said Erianthee, annoyed. “It is Vildecazin territory, not Otsinmohrine.”
    “Unless he can persuade the Porzalk Emperor to annex Vildecaz at last,” said Ninianee.
    “He hasn’t managed it so far, for all they are cousins,” said Erianthee.
    “And you suggested that I accept him as an official suitor,” Ninianee said, a bit pointedly. She smoothed her dolaj. “I suppose I’d best bathe and change the standard way; it’s not as risky as magical cleaning.”
    “Do so,” Erianthee recommended. “After you tell me about the hunting party.”
    “There were about twenty of them, on very good horses. There wasn’t very much game about, for they were noisy enough to be heard in Cazboarth. I think most of them were half-drunk, for they hurtled around in the forest as if they had no notion of the pandemonium they were causing. Once the rain began, they were completely hopeless. For the most part they got lost and milled about in the dark. They’re planning to come back tonight, so I’m planning to be there, too.”
    Erianthee paled. “Oh, Nin, no. You don’t know what they might do, and they wouldn’t know you aren’t really a deer . . . “ She trailed off. “You’re determined, aren’t you?”
    “I want to know if Maeshar is up to anything more than trespassing, in case his hunters in the forest and Yulko Bihn in the Great Hall are more than a disquieting coincidence,” said Ninianee. “If they are plotting together, I will find it out.”
    “I suppose you will,” said Erianthee with a fatalistic nod. “I’ll put clothes out for you – “
    ”You won’t have time, not if you’re going down into Valdihovee to look for entertainers,” said Ninianee with a knowing smile. “I wish you luck: most of the minstrels and jugglers will already be at Otsinmohr. You’ll need help finding anything more than amateurs.”
    “How did you –“ Erianthee began. “Oh, of course. You heard Rimdoch talking, and his father’s pledge to give his help last night.”
    “It’s a pity you can’t stay here and plan for your Shadowshow,”