Cheysuli 6 A Daughter of Lion Roberson, Jennifer

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.I wondered,as I had countless other times, why the Cheysulidisdained it so, refusing to learn its use.Tradition,again; clan-born warriors felt men should fight faceto face, and very close, instead of at the greaterdistance a sword provided.It had something to dowith pride and skill; the belief that a man shouldtaste the strength of his opponent, and his blood, inorder to make the fight truly honorable.For thesame reason the bow had originated for hunting, notbattle, but Shaine's qu'mahlin had perverted its use.Yet tradition changed, if slowly.Now Cheysuli bornto the House of Homana learned the sword, and hadever-since my grandsire, Donal, inherited Carillon'sbroadsword with its massive pommel ruby.Eventhough my own father had given the sword to theWomb of the Earth on Donal's death, the legacysurvived.My father and my brothers had learnedthe art of the sword, and its strength.Certainly itsbeauty.So had I.And would go on learning it, regardless of myfather.Lio returned with his sword.He saw me with mine,sighed, shut one eye again."If he learns of this, Iwill be stripped of my rank.""You have no rank," I pointed out.My words put color in his face and prickles in histone."If I win the favor again this year, the Mujharmust make me an officer.It is well known.TheMujhar rewards excellence—in duty and swordskill."I eyed him sourly."Then consider this bout prac-tice for Summerfair.""At Summerfair, we fight men." Lio grinned as Imuttered imprecations against his parentage."Nowwe are even, lady."I pointed away from the door."There."We struck stances, tapped blades, prepared.Butbefore we could properly begin, Lio broke off, star-ing past my shoulder.He went red, then white, thenshut his eyes and muttered something beneath hisbreath.His blade was no longer at the ready; clearly,someone was approaching.Someone whose mere pres-ence was enough to stop the bout before it evenbegan.Oh, gods— not jehan—I turned.No, not jehan.But just as bad: Brennan.He calmly crossed the bailey at a pace eloquent inits idleness.Sunlight struck slashes of light from theheavy lir-bands on bare arms.He wore Cheysuli leath-ers dyed black, as he often did; Brennan says hemerely prefers unremarkable colors, but I think heknows perfectly well the color, on him, is dramatic:black leathers, black hair, dark skin, yellow eyes.Heis not Homanan handsome, as Corin is or our fatherhad been before Strahan's hawk had taken an eye,but all Cheysuli, with classic Cheysuli looks.Some might call such looks too bold, too fierce, tooarrogant.Too feral for their tastes.Others might recall the magnificence of a moun-tain cat in motion; the stoop of a hawk after prey.And know better.Brennan smiled.I frowned."Disobeying jehan's orders?" he asked cheerfully."Aye, well, you would hardly be Keely if you didnot."Lio muttered again.Crossly, I told him to go backinside the guardroom if he could not bear to face thePrince of Homana, who was not precisely his liegelord; not yet, and in no imminent danger of becom-ing so, since the Mujhar was in significantly excellenthealth.which meant, I pointed out, Brennancould hardly censure Lio for transgressions not yetcommitted, and likely not to be committed, now, sinceLio was sheathing his sword.Muttering.I scowled at Brennan."Jehan sent you."He smiled."No."He was blatantly unconcerned with what our fa-ther might think of my behavior, which was unlikehim.Brennan had been the dutiful heir for as longas I could' recall, even as a child aware of the respon-sibilities attendant upon his title.Although he hadfaced, as we all did, parental—and royal—disfavor inyounger years, such disfavor for Brennan was rare,and usually the result of actions taken on behalf ofHart or Corin.While not a talebearer, Brennan washardly reluctant to point out failings in comport-ment if he thought it warranted.Lio had not gone inside the guardroom.Probablybecause Brennan had not given him leave to, al-though none was required; Lio was ambitious.Alsogenuinely apprehensive."My lord." He inclined his head to Brennan, whosmiled at him vaguely and reached out to take mysword from me."May I?" Brennan asked.I gave the sword into his keeping, waiting suspi-ciously.Brennan tested the weight, the balance, examinedthe blade itself.Nodded thoughtfully, then glancedpast me to Lio.And gave my sword to him."Wouldyou sheathe it and tend it for the lady? We are goingriding, and have no need of swords.""Riding! Brennan, wait—""Leijhana tu'sai," Brennan said easily as Lio quicklydid as asked.Then he put a hand on my arm, turnedme away from the guardroom, guided me across thebailey."Aileen is feeling much better, thank the gods.I am taking her to Joyenne for the summer."It surprised me."You will stay away from Mujharathat long?"He shook his head."Not I, perhaps— jehan willhave things for me to do—but I think Aileen willenjoy the time away from the city.Away from—reminders."I glanced at him sidelong.With Aileen's continuedrecovery his own spirits revived, but he was still notentirely himself.Not yet.Perhaps the time at Joyennewould do him as much good as Aileen."Then you will be leaving Aidan here?""For a while.he is not at the moment strongenough to travel.Aileen will fret, of course, until hecan join us, but Deirdre will tend him, and jehan, andall the nurses.I think he will do well enough." Bren-nan tested a hand on my shoulder."I thought per-haps you might come with us for a while, to giveAileen company when I am called back to Homana-Mujhar.""Aye, of course.I enjoy Joyenne—" I stoppedwalking."Is that why you halted the match with Lio?To ask me this?" I sighed, biting back a strongerretort."It might have waited, Brennan.or didyou do it in lieu of jehan?" Pointedly, I paused."Asyou do so often."He started me walking again."I did not stop itbecause jehan has forbidden it.Such things as yourbehavior are your concern, not mine." My brothersmiled blandly."I came to ask you for your com-pany, at Joyenne and now.I thought we could matchmy colt against the new gray filly."Alarums rang."Colt," I echoed."Which colt?""The chestnut." He shrugged."It has been dayssince you brought him back, and I have yet to ridehim.He will need the work."Oh, gods, not the colt— I stopped dead in my tracks."Brennan—" But I broke it off, unable to tell him.'Not so baldly.Not after so much time.I had lied.Nowit had caught up to me, and I found I could not admit it.His brows rose."Aye?"I opened my mouth.Shut it.Then shook my head."No—I think another time.Not now.I—" I paused."There is something else I must do.Another time,rujho.""Now." One hand locked around my arm, held mein place, and he smiled all the while."Keely, I havebeen to the stables.The colt is missing." His tone wascalm, too calm."The grooms say you came back fromClankeep without him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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