The Warlock's Last Ride Read online

  Rod nodded. "She couldn't know you were safe, after all."

  "She must have had some suspicion of the sort," Magnus said. "She travelled near me for the next few days until she plucked up the courage to talk with me—and I had to be very careful not to say or do the slightest thing that could even seem to be threatening."

  "But you were a stranger, far too tall to be one of her own kind," Rod said, "and, I take it, too short to be a giant?"

  "For once in my life, yes." Magnus smiled.

  "So it must have taken a great deal of courage to trust you at all."

  "Great courage indeed." Magnus nodded. "That was what I first admired in her—her bravery in facing the wilds by herself: the savage animals, the unknown, the unexpected…"

  "Including you," Rod said. "How well could she survive by herself now?"

  "Oh, very well," Magnus assured him. "She knows how to fight, bare-handed or with a staff, and knows how to find food in the woods. Then too, she turned out to have some psi talent—how much, I'm still not sure…"

  "Which means it must be considerable."

  "Exactly. She has learned how to use her powers enough to be formidable in her own right—and she's sharp-tongued enough to scare off any animal that can understand speech."

  Rod glanced up quickly, looking for signs that Magnus had suffered the sharp edge of that tongue, but the young man's face was tranquil as he gazed into the fire, giving away nothing. "No chance she's an emotional basket case?"

  "Not once she recovered from the shock of betrayal and the two days' abuse that followed," Magnus said. "She grew up in a loving and supportive home—or so I'd judge from the odd comment she has made about her parents. Apparently she was devoted to them because they were devoted to her."

  "Not because she was starved for approval?"

  Magnus shook his head. "If anything, her parents made her feel so special that she had no idea how cruel the world could be."

  Rod wondered if he and Gwen had been guilty of that, then remembered his own rages with greater guilt. Maybe it would have been better for them all if he had left—but no, he'd considered that at the time, even tried it for a while when the delusions hit. "Your opinion of her seems to have grown with time."

  "Oh, it has." Surely it was the reflection of the fire that glowed in Magnus's eyes. "Herkimer dug up enough material on the healing process to give me some idea what to expect, so I was able to endure the months of anger and insult. Then on planet after planet, her courage showed clearly, then her loyalty and her willingness to try to understand the people we met, to learn what was best for them and work for it, and finally her aptitude for caring re-emerged, for trying to help other people. Sometimes I don't think she's even aware she's doing it."

  Rod studied his son's impassive face, hoping for some sign of his feelings. "Added to which, she's a handsome woman."

  "Once she recovered from abuse and exposure, yes. Once she was able to wash off the dirt and eat decently again." Magnus's voice sank low. "Very handsome indeed." Then quickly, as though he had revealed too much, "More importantly, she's a valiant shield-mate and fiercely loyal."

  "Maybe that is more important." Rod's shield-mate had been beautiful as well as ferocious and fearsome. Then he realized that Magnus's was, too. "You can't really be thinking that she's only a travelling companion."

  Magnus was quiet a moment, then turned to him with a frown. "I wouldn't say that a shield-mate was that small a thing to be."

  "Agreed," Rod said. "But you must realize that you care about her much more deeply."

  "I care about her immensely, of course," Magnus said, frowning, "but still only as the closest of my friends."

  Rod studied his face and decided that he'd hit the point of diminishing returns. "Then you're planning to take her home."

  "She doesn't want to go back to Midgard. She says that since her parents died, she has no home there."

  "So you're planning to find her one here?"

  Magnus turned away, shaken, and Rod saw that his son hadn't considered Alea's falling in love with someone else—but Magnus said gamely, "Of course."

  "Well, then, you'd better pay attention to what she means as well as to what she says." Rod ignored his son's puzzled look. "Just don't forget that you can't accuse a friend of not being willing to give if you aren't willing to take."

  "No, of course not," Magnus said, even more puzzled.

  "Good." Rod filled himself a bowl of stew. "Care for seconds?"

  Magnus stared, then laughed and shook his head. "No thank you, Dad. One bowl was enough to tide me over. I do have to get back to the castle." He looked up with a quizzical frown. "I thought I had come to ask your opinion about my siblings' insistence that I not give them orders."

  "They're grown up now." Rod smiled. "Are you?"

  Magnus laughed again, and loudly. He stood, nodding. "You're right—I'll treat them as I've treated all the other adults I've met on my travels."

  "Meaning that you'll manipulate them with respect." Rod smiled and set his bowl down. "Instead, we talked about something that must matter more to you. I take it you're planning dinner with Alea."

  "Of course." Magnus must have realized that he sounded domestic, because he said quickly, "Oh, and Dad—Alea picked up word of a little problem in Loguire."

  "Yes?" Rod looked up with interest. "What kind of problem?"

  "A poacher who's about to be hanged," Magnus said, "and it's Diarmid who has to pass judgement on him."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  "Of course," Rod said slowly. "He's the duke now, so any capital case would be referred to him."

  "I understand he's not terribly happy about it."

  "Sure," Rod said with a bleak smile. "Who would be? But it's part of being duke—he has to carry out his responsibilities."

  "The poacher's wife is on her way to plead with the judge—Diarmid—for her husband's life," Magnus said. "He's a squire, you see, and had a bad harvest, so he was bringing the peasants venison to smoke and store for the winter."

  "Deer?" Rod looked up. "Plural?"

  "Sixteen," Magnus said.

  Rod whistled. "Not much chance of claiming it was an accident or a drunken prank, is there? Or of promising he won't do it again."

  "Very little," Magnus agreed, "but it gets worse."

  "Worse?" Rod stared. "He's a squire who has purposefully poached sixteen deer, and it gets worse?"

  Magnus nodded. "He's Anselm Loguire's son."

  "You mean Diarmid has to pass judgment on his cousin?"

  "First cousin," Magnus said with a sardonic smile. "Thanks for taking care of it, Dad."

  Leaves rustled and he was gone. Rod stared after him, feeling numb.

  Then he sighed and turned back to the fire, but could see only a lovely face with flame-red hair in its place. He looked upward to the patch of sky visible between branches and thought, Sorry, dear—it's going to take a little longer than I expected. Have to take care of the children, you know.

  His body warmed as though wrapped in a loving embrace, and he felt fond reassurance fill him. Then it was gone, but he knew that Gwen understood. Even more, he knew she was waiting.

  Rod heard the sobbing before he could see anything but leaves. It was off to his left, but moving. "Fess, how far into the woods is that woman?"

  Fess turned his ears forward, triangulating from the space between them. "Approximately a hundred yards, Rod, but I hear also the sound of hooves—about a dozen horses, I would say—moving at the same rate as she, and in the same direction."

  "So she's riding with a small band." Rod frowned. "Just an escort, or is she a prisoner?"

  "I can only conjecture, Rod."

  "Which I know you abhor." Rod smiled. "Okay, I'll guess that she's a gentlewoman at least, riding with an honor guard. If they were her captors, I'd be hearing lewd jokes and loud conversation." Rod frowned, turning his attention to the realm of thoughts; it still didn't come as easily to him as it did to his children. Or th
eir mother… "Actually, she's a noblewoman with her guards, and something horrible has happened to her husband; she's on her way to see him. Do you hear crunching of leaves and twigs?"

  "None, Rod."

  "Then they're coming down a road that crosses ours. Let's see if we can't get there ahead of them, shall we?"

  Fess picked up the pace, extruding the rubber horseshoes that let him move almost silently. "I can see the intersection, Rod. It is at an acute angle."

  "Then let's step into that angle and spy through the leaves."

  "Reconnoiter, Rod, please! I have always told you not to spy."

  "Yes, Mama," Rod sighed. "Just so we can see what we'll be running into."

  Fess stepped off the shoulder and found a path that required the least amount of brushing against branches or stepping on sticks. Through the screen of leaves, Rod could see a young woman riding sidesaddle with six liveried men in half-armor before her and six behind. He nodded and said softly, "Okay. To the intersection."

  They rode out just before the first of the lady's guards reached the crossroads.

  "Ho, fellow!" barked the lead man.

  Rod turned back in polite surprise, then smiled with pleasure. "Company! Where are you bound, soldier?" Then he lifted his head as though seeing the young woman for the first time. "Oh! Riding escort?"

  "We are," growled another soldier, "and you keep a civil tongue in your head, for she's our squire's lady."

  All the other soldiers rumbled agreement even though, strictly, a squire's wife wasn't entitled to the title of "lady." This close, Rod noticed that the livery and the armor didn't quite fit the men who wore it. That, and their devotion to the lady in question, gave him a notion he was dealing with volunteers—and enthusiastic ones at that. "Good day to you, lady! Where are you bound?"

  "To Loguire, sir, to meet my husband." The lady lifted her veil to give him a close look; Rod caught his breath. The lady was gorgeous; her beauty was dazzling, even through the signs of recent tears. She seemed to decide he was relatively harmless. "And you?"

  "To Loguire, also, to speak with the reeve about my taxes." Rod fell in beside her. "I take it your husband is doing the same."

  "Nay." Her face clouded again. "Oh, he has gone there for the reeve, sure enough, but…" She choked on sobs and turned her head away.

  "That sounds as though it wasn't all his choice," Rod said gravely. "What manner of trouble is he in?"

  The lady seemed torn, wanting to speak of it but ashamed to—so a grizzled guardsman leaned forward and said, "Our people were looking at a winter of starvation, traveler. Our squire did as he should and sought to find ways to feed us."

  "Poaching?" Rod stared, then turned to the lady. "But surely, if he had a good reason…"

  "What matters that to the King?" she asked.

  "The Crown isn't unreasonable," Rod said. "Surely with someone to plead your husband's case…"

  "There is only his father," the lady said sadly, "and he is attainted."

  "Attainted?" Rod scowled. "Well, I'm not! Tell me a bit more about the case, and maybe I can help."

  The men muttered with interest, and the lady looked up at him as though afraid to hope. "If you are a knight, the reeve may hear you—but by your clothes, I would guess you to be only a yeoman."

  "Just travelling clothes," Rod said. "A man doesn't have to wear his rank openly and, personally, I believe that quality shows through the clothes, for better or for worse. I am indeed a knight, good woman, and my name is Rodney."

  "I am Rowena, Sir Rodney." Her face came alight with hope allowed. "Will you truly plead my husband's case?"

  "I can't say without knowing the facts. What kind of creatures did he kill, and how many of them?"

  "Sixteen," she said bitterly. "Stole sixteen of the King's precious deer, and must be hanged for any. Never mind that sixty good people were like to starve next winter if he did not!"

  "Never mind is exactly what the reeve may do." At least this was the party he'd come to find. "If he were a knight or a lord, he might be able to plead privilege, but a squire has far greater cause to fear the rope."

  "Not rope." The lady lifted her head with pride. "My Geordie will be hanged with a golden chain." Then, as if to explain her pride, she added, " 'Tis not the chain of many."

  "Yes, I know." Chains were reserved for nobility—but only someone related directly to the Crown warranted the dubious honor of being hanged with a golden one. "Your Geordie, then, is cousin to the Queen?"

  "To her husband," the lady explained. "He is the King's nephew—and first cousin to the Crown Prince."

  "A Loguire?" Rod nodded slowly. "Then there may be some grounds to plead privilege."

  "Not when his father is attainted," she said bitterly.

  Well, she hadn't married as a social climber, anyway. Geordie must be a very handsome young man to have attracted so lovely a bride when his prospects were so poor. "The harvest has been good this year, lady. Why would your people have been likely to starve?"

  "Mold in the bins," she answered, and proceeded to tell him the whole tale as they rode. When she was done, Rod said what he could to reassure her, but he had a bad feeling about the case. Unless the judge was merciful, Geordie would hang surely, and his father would lead a rebellion that none would blame him for.

  Of course, if Diarmid did grant mercy, someone was bound to cry favoritism and start a rebellion on the grounds of corruption.

  Still, one crisis at a time. Rod drew Rowena out as they rode on, and by the time they rode into the town that had grown up around Castle Loguire, Rod had decided that Geordie had unquestionably broken the law—but had equally unquestionably had only the best of reasons for doing so. Too bad he hadn't applied to the reeve for an official exception—but maybe he'd known he couldn't make this particular reeve listen to reason.

  Rod hoped he could.

  The last row of wheat fell, and the men dropped their scythe-bladed cradles with a whoop of joy, then turned to help with gathering the stalks into sheaves—and there would be many kisses shared as the sheaves were stacked, as there always were.

  None for Diru, though. He found a place in the line and bent, spreading his arms wide to scoop up an armful of stalks, then took another to bind them together.

  "If people could only gather as closely as their sheaves, eh, Diru?"

  Diru looked up in astonishment. It was Ria, one of the girls of the village, actually talking to him! "Why… why, yes," he stammered, and cudgeled his brain trying to think of something to say. His tongue seemed to tie a knot in itself, though, even though Ria wasn't the beauty that Lenar and her friends were. Still, she was pretty enough, and it was an amazing pleasure to have her talking to him.

  "Maybe we're all like stalks of wheat," Ria said, "no use unless we're all bound together."

  "I… I suppose that's what a village is," Diru stammered.

  "A good thought." Ria nodded with approval.

  Approval! of Diru!

  "But if we're a sheaf, then we ought to press against each other, shouldn't we?"

  Diru couldn't stop staring. She couldn't really be flirting with him! Not with him! But he told himself that it would be rude not to answer and said, "I suppose that's what we all want."

  "All?" Ria's eyelids flickered. "Folk say you're happier alone, Diru. Are you sure you want other stalks to press you?"

  "Oh, very sure!" Diru said fervently, then realized he was being too forthright. He tried to pull away a little. "I mean, I wouldn't want to be a hermit living alone in the woods."

  "How about a hermit with someone else living with you?"

  Diru couldn't believe his ears. She couldn't be hinting that she found him attractive. No woman could—could she? "I—I suppose that if you have someone living with you, you're not a hermit."

  "Still, it sounds lovely, being just two people alone out in the woods." Ria scooped up an armful of sheaves and went to carry them to the shock.

  Diru scooped up his own sheaves an
d hurried to keep up with her. "It would be good enough if we could all pull together the rest of the year, as we do at harvest."

  "But there should be some times when people can be alone together." Ria set her sheaves against the shock; as she turned away and Diru stepped up, her breast brushed against the back of his hand.

  Diru stood frozen an instant. No woman had ever touched him, let alone a touch like that! Then he hurried to set his sheaves and turned to catch up with Ria. "I've felt sorry whenever I've heard of a hermit," Diru said. "People aren't meant to live alone."

  "And they're not always meant to be serious." Ria turned to him with a smile, eyelashes flickering. "We're meant to do things together—aren't we, Diru?"

  Diru's heart leaped. "Why… of course," he stammered, "things like the Festival tomorrow night." He screwed up his courage and burst out, "Will you dance with me there, Ria?"

  "Dance with you?" He saw the delight in her eyes, and for a moment, his hopes soared.

  They came crashing down as she threw back her head and laughed. The other young folk looked up at the sound, already grinning.

  "Why, Diru!" she said very loudly. "Are you flirting with me?"

  Diru tried to answer, his mouth moved, but no words came.

  "Diru's flirting with me!" she called to the other young folk. "He's asked me to dance with him tomorrow night!"

  Hoots of derision came from every side, howls of laughter, and Diru's face burned.

  "Getting ideas a little above your station, aren't you, Diru?" Lenar came forward, eyes alight with merriment.

  "Yes, Diru!" one of her friends said, giggling. "You should be asking someone with your own kind of looks. An elk, perhaps?"

  "Oh, an elk's far too pretty!" another girl cried. "Diru should flirt with a bear!"

  "Yes, Diru!" Hirol stepped up behind Lenar. "Maybe a she-bear would let you cuddle up to hibernate with her!"

  "Yes, somebody must want you to cuddle!" Arker stepped up beside Ria and slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Nobody human, of course, but somebody." Ria laughed with him, clinging to his arm and pressing against him, eyes mocking as she looked at Diru.