hall. Only at the Abbey there would be no feasting nor burning of symbols, as the Dames allowed no such pagan ceremonies within their austere walls.
"I wonder whether our lords-and-masters-to-be welcome in the year's beginning in some such manner." Kildas broke the silence of our memories. "They worship not the Flames, since. Those by their very nature are alien to the Riders' world. To what gods do they bow? Or have they any gods at all?"
Solfinna gave a little gasp. "No gods! How may a man live without gods, a power greater than himself to trust upon?"
Aldeeth laughed scornfully. "Who says that they are men? They are not to be judged as we judge. Have you not yet bit full upon that truth, girl? It is time to throw away your cup of memory, since you and we were born under ill-fated stars which have determined we pass so out of one world into another, even as we pass from the old year into the new."
"Why do you deem that that which is unknown must likewise be ill?" I asked. "To look diligently for shadows is to find them. Throwing aside all rumour and story, what evil do we know of the Riders?"
They spoke then, several together, and Kildas, listening to that jumble of speech, laughed.
" 'They say'-'they say'-this and that they say! Now give full name and rank to they I'll warrant that this, our sister-comrade has the right of it. What do we know save rumour and ill-wishing? Never have the Were Riders lifted sword or let fly arrow against us-only have they ravaged the enemy in our behalf, after making covenant and bargain with our kin. Because a man grows black hair upon his head, wears a grey cloak, likes to live in a land of his own choosing, is he any different in blood, bone and spirit from he who had fair locks beneath his helm, goes with scarlet about his shoulders, and would ride in company along a port town street? Both have their part to play in the land. What evil of your own knowing has ever been from Rider hand?"
"But they are not men!" Aldeeth wished to make the worst of it.
"How know we that, either? They have powers which are not ours, but do all of us have talents alike? One may set 'broidery on silk so as to make one wish to pluck the stitched flowers and listen to the singing of the birds she has wrought. Another may draw her fingers across lute strings and voice such a song as to set us all a-dreaming. Do we each and every one of us do these things in a like measure? Therefore men may have gifts beyond our knowing and yet be men, apart from those talents."
Whether she believed what she spoke or not, yet she was doing valiant service here against the fear which sucked at us all.
"Lady Aldeeth," I broke in, "you wear upon your tabard a salamander easy among flames. Have you seen such a creature? Or does it not have a different meaning for you and your house-and its friends and enemies-than a lizard encouched on a fiery bed?"
"It means we may be menaced but not consumed." she replied as if by rote.
"And I see a basilisk here, a phoenix, a wyvern-do these exist in truth, or do they stand for ideas which each of your houses have made their guiding spirits? If this is true, then perhaps those we go to, have also symbols which may be misunderstood by those who are not lettered in their form of heraldry." So did I play Hildas' game, if game it was.
But still the green light glowed unchanged in the pass and Lord Imgry and his companions did not return. While waiting always frays the nerves of those who have only time to think.
We were sitting on stones, still huddled around the fire, when he who was Imgry's lieutenant returned with the message that we were to move on, into the Throat. And while I can not answer for the others, I believed that each of them shared what I was feeling, an excitement which was more than half fear.
But we rode not into any camp of men prepared to do us welcome. Rather did we find at the end of the pass a wide ledge
"I wonder whether our lords-and-masters-to-be welcome in the year's beginning in some such manner." Kildas broke the silence of our memories. "They worship not the Flames, since. Those by their very nature are alien to the Riders' world. To what gods do they bow? Or have they any gods at all?"
Solfinna gave a little gasp. "No gods! How may a man live without gods, a power greater than himself to trust upon?"
Aldeeth laughed scornfully. "Who says that they are men? They are not to be judged as we judge. Have you not yet bit full upon that truth, girl? It is time to throw away your cup of memory, since you and we were born under ill-fated stars which have determined we pass so out of one world into another, even as we pass from the old year into the new."
"Why do you deem that that which is unknown must likewise be ill?" I asked. "To look diligently for shadows is to find them. Throwing aside all rumour and story, what evil do we know of the Riders?"
They spoke then, several together, and Kildas, listening to that jumble of speech, laughed.
" 'They say'-'they say'-this and that they say! Now give full name and rank to they I'll warrant that this, our sister-comrade has the right of it. What do we know save rumour and ill-wishing? Never have the Were Riders lifted sword or let fly arrow against us-only have they ravaged the enemy in our behalf, after making covenant and bargain with our kin. Because a man grows black hair upon his head, wears a grey cloak, likes to live in a land of his own choosing, is he any different in blood, bone and spirit from he who had fair locks beneath his helm, goes with scarlet about his shoulders, and would ride in company along a port town street? Both have their part to play in the land. What evil of your own knowing has ever been from Rider hand?"
"But they are not men!" Aldeeth wished to make the worst of it.
"How know we that, either? They have powers which are not ours, but do all of us have talents alike? One may set 'broidery on silk so as to make one wish to pluck the stitched flowers and listen to the singing of the birds she has wrought. Another may draw her fingers across lute strings and voice such a song as to set us all a-dreaming. Do we each and every one of us do these things in a like measure? Therefore men may have gifts beyond our knowing and yet be men, apart from those talents."
Whether she believed what she spoke or not, yet she was doing valiant service here against the fear which sucked at us all.
"Lady Aldeeth," I broke in, "you wear upon your tabard a salamander easy among flames. Have you seen such a creature? Or does it not have a different meaning for you and your house-and its friends and enemies-than a lizard encouched on a fiery bed?"
"It means we may be menaced but not consumed." she replied as if by rote.
"And I see a basilisk here, a phoenix, a wyvern-do these exist in truth, or do they stand for ideas which each of your houses have made their guiding spirits? If this is true, then perhaps those we go to, have also symbols which may be misunderstood by those who are not lettered in their form of heraldry." So did I play Hildas' game, if game it was.
But still the green light glowed unchanged in the pass and Lord Imgry and his companions did not return. While waiting always frays the nerves of those who have only time to think.
We were sitting on stones, still huddled around the fire, when he who was Imgry's lieutenant returned with the message that we were to move on, into the Throat. And while I can not answer for the others, I believed that each of them shared what I was feeling, an excitement which was more than half fear.
But we rode not into any camp of men prepared to do us welcome. Rather did we find at the end of the pass a wide ledge
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