[Lanen Kaelar 01] - Song in the Silence (11 page)

The bidding started high, as those who were left
knew this was the last of Hadron’s stock to be sold. It reached its limit soon
enough, and I was about to announce the bargain struck when a light, melodious
man’s voice rang out, sending shivers down my back and naming a price full five
silvers above the last call. It met with a stunned silence, and after repeating
the sum three times, I called out, “Deal! Come forward, sir, if you
please.”

The crowd dissolved like morning mist, and there
he stood.

He was smiling that heart-pounding smile and
holding out a purse. By the time I had counted out his silver—a ludicrous sum
for the mare, good as she was—all the other buyers were gone. The lad brought
her over and tied her to a post on the buyer’s side of the ring, then left to
enjoy himself.

I had been trying to think of something to say to
this man after I was certain he’d paid the bidding price, counting slowly to
let my fool heart slow down and my tongue unknot.

“You’ve quite a bargain even at this, my
lord,” I managed, giving the little mare a farewell pat and carefully not
looking at him. “She’s a good lass with a sweet temper—”

“You can stop now,” he said cheerfully,
“I’ve already paid for her.” He reached out a long-fingered hand and
took the reins from me. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

I couldn’t avoid looking at him, so close. By
daylight he seemed older—the sun found wrinkles the firelight had hidden—but
the glamour about him was in no way changed or lessened. Indeed, it seemed that
a touch of age sat well on his shoulders, adding an air of wisdom. His eyes
perched above that sharp nose seemed only a moment away from laughter. I had to
ask.

“Are you a bard, my lord?”

He did laugh then. It was like birdsong.
“What a lovely thing to say! No, mistress, I’m no bard, just a Merchant
with delusions of grandeur. I was told to find a good lady’s riding steed, and
I believe this mare of yours will suit perfectly.”

I barely heard what he said, lost in the
perilous, music of his voice. “I’m glad you found what you sought. I—I
never thanked you for the drink last night,” I said. “And I fear I
left rudely. I hope you will excuse me, I was so weary…”

“Rather I should ask your pardon, mistress—I
know not what to call you. Might I ask your name?”

“I am Lanen Hadronsdatter,” I said. It
was my old name, but in my confusion I forgot the newer one I had taken.
“And you?”

“Bors of Trissen,” he said. “I am
a lowly trader for a great marchant house in the East Mountain Kingdom. Surely,
Lanen Hadronsdatter, the youth that abandoned us just now is not your only
escort. Who accompanies you?”

“My father’s steward, Jameth of Arinoc. He
should be back at any moment.”

“I would like to meet him,” said Bors,
sounding as if he truly meant it. He smiled at me again, “Have you ever
been yo Illara before, Lanen?”

“No,” I said, and something made me
add, “I’ve never been away from home before.”

“Ah, so that is why you take everything in
with those wide grey eyes of yours. It would be my pleasure to show you the
fair,” said Bors. I longed to say yes, but hunger and weariness had caught
up with me; I would have accepted even then, but I caught sight of Jamie coming
towards me and waved to him. Bors, watching, quickly collected up his little
mare. “I’ll be wandering round the fair this afternoon; perhaps we will
meet then,” he said softly. He made a simple walk round the fair sound
wondrous desirable.

Jamie came up just then and asked if I was ready
to eat. By the time I had turned round again Bors was gone.

Jamie and I walked in silence for a few minutes,
heading back to the White Horse. Then I shot a sideways glance at Jamie and
found him looking at me from the corner of his eye. We laughed and that
thrilling fear I had felt around Bors was gone.

“So, my girl. I hardly saw him. Why did he
run off, and why did you blush when I looked at you?” asked Jamie with a
grin.

“His name is Bors of Trissen. He’s staying
at the White Horse, and I seem to spend all my time around him blushing.”

Jamie smiled still, but he looked puzzled.
“That’s not like you, Lanen. You, turning red around a man? I thought you
were over that years ago.”

“So did I,” I said. “But did you
hear his voice?”

“Barely. A bit high for a man, I
thought.”

“Oh, Jamie, how can you say that! It’s the
most beautiful voice in the world, I’ve never heard such music, even from the
bard who stayed at Hadronsstead all those years ago.”

Jamie said nothing to that, but changed the
subject to the price we had gotten for the horses. It wasn’t until we had eaten
and polished off a mug of ale that he brought up the subject again.

“And so, Lanen, where did you meet this Bors
of Trissen?”

“He joined me at the table last night after
you left.” I shivered with the memory. “I’ve never even imagined a
man like that. Every time I see him my heart races and my face turns red. I’ve
never blushed and stuttered around anyone! I swear, Jamie, I feel a complete
idiot when he’s about. Mind you, he is the most attractive man I’ve ever met,
and that voice, that smile—”

“What?” Jamie seemed startled—or
troubled. “Don’t you think he’s handsome?”

He didn’t reply to my question. “Lanen,
would you say he had a glamour about him?”

“Absolutely.”

Jamie’s voice grew hard. “Now would you
think about what you just said.”

I did and got no further. “What do you
mean?”

He muttered a few mild curses and looked up at me
with a dark frown. “I wonder if I shouldn’t tie you up and drag you back
to Hadronsstead for a year while I teach you a few things.” I returned his
glance steadily. He sighed. “No one has ever told you about amulets, have
they? No, I haven’t and it’s damn sure no one else would.” He shifted in
his seat to race me directly. “Lanen, you know of the minor demonlords,
don’t you? Sorcerers, demon callers?”

I nodded.

“Well, aside from meddling with more
dangerous things, I had often sell magical abjects made with the aid of minor
demons, to keep them in the materials they need for their damnable work. The
most popular are amulets of Glamour. Their single object is to make the wearer
irresistible to the opposite sex, and they work beautifully for that—but to
those of the same sex the wearer is not changed at all.” Jamie took my
hand. “My girl, you know there, is none would be more pleased than I to
see you happy with a man. But this Bors, if that’s his name—I only caught a
glimpse of him, but from what I could tell he’s no more handsome than I am, and
he looks nearer my age than yours. Now tell me, if you can: did he seem to have
a glow about him?”

“Yes, he did,” I said: As I spoke I
could see it, a faint outline of light around him: I didn’t remember noticing
it, but the memory was there.

And suddenly I was furious. Acting like an idiot
child from the nearness of an attractive man was silly but no harm to any.
Being made to do so was base deception and it made my blood boil.

Especially because I was deeply smitten with him.
Damnit. Jamie finished his drink and stood. “Right, then, my girl. Let’s
go.”

He surprised me out of some of my anger. Usually
when I was in this state he just let me stew. “Where?”

“Down to the river.” I stared at him.
“Or do you not want to learn when the boats set out for Corli?” he
asked.

My laugh surprised him. “I thought you were
going to help me find Bors and pitch him in!”

Jamie smiled, a gleam in his eye, “That’s an
idea whose time has come, sure enough, but I don’t think he’s worth the effort.”

I laughed again. “True enough. To the river
it is!” We strode out of the inn and down the street, laughing as we went.

It didn’t take us long to find the riverboats. We
still heard no word of a sailing from Corli, but several of the captains said
ward would never come so far north in any case, and we’d just have to go to
Corli herself to find out. When I asked about transport, I found that most of
them moved goods rather than people, but Jamie and I did find one that was
taking passengers all the way to the harbour at Corli. The owner and captain of
the riverboat Maid of Ilsa was a young man named Joss. He agreed to take me,
but where most were waiting until the fair was over some three days hence, he
was leaving the next day at sunrise. He said it would take the best part of
three weeks, which delighted me—it was less than half the time of overland
travel. I paid him and promised to be at the pier well before dawn.
 
.

Before we left, Jamie took him aside and spoke
with him. I strongly suspected that Joss was getting an earful of advice
regarding my safety and well—being on this journey—at any rate, both he and
Jamie seemed content when they parted.

As Jamie and I walked back to the fair, I was
surprised that I was not filled with pleasure at the idea of setting out on my
journey. Instead, sadness had claimed me; I left on the morrow, and from now
the rest of my journey must happen without Jamie. I had thought all this time
that being a wanderer on my own meant being alone, and the idea had seemed sweet.
Now I saw with eyes grown older by two weeks of travelling with one I loved. It
felt like years. I would miss him terribly.

As we drew nigh to the inn, Jamie said quietly,
“Well, my girl, you’re off at last.” A smile touched his face.
“At least you’ve the sense not to head into the mountains at this time of
year: I’ve done that much good at least.”

The sadness in his voice was hard to bear.

“Now mind yourself in Corli, my girl. The
docks are rough, and they’re not above cutting a purse in the streets in broad
daylight anywhere in the city, though they usually stop short of a throat
before dark. Corli is far larger than Illara, and that much more
dangerous.” He stopped, took my shoulders in his hands and stared into my
eyes. “Are you still determined to do this alone, Lanen? Could I not come
with you, as far as Corli? I could tell the lads to take the silver back,
they’re trustworthy, I’m sure that riverman has another berth for the
trip—”

I had dreaded this moment, but only truth would
do between us. “Jamie, I’ve had this argument with myself ever since we
left Hadronsstead.” I blinked fast to keep the tears from my eyes.
“You know I love you more than anyone alive. You’re my only family. But I
can’t rely on you forever, any more than I could stay at Hadronsstead. If ever
I am to live my own life, I must do this alone. I’m sorry.”

He closed his eyes and let his arms fall away
from my shoulders. “Aye, well. I thought I’d try.” He looked up
again, his expression echoing my own determination. “Lanen my girl, I hate
long goodbyes. If I’m not to go with you I’ve no more business here, and to be
honest I couldn’t bear sitting around tonight waiting for you to leave. I’m off
back to Hadronsstead tonight. I’ll only need long enough to pack.”

I stared at him. “But Jamie—”

“Now, don’t you do it. You’re right, it’s
best this way. You’ve the rest of the day to have a look at the fair, be sure
you do, it’s an amazing thing.” The White Horse’ Inn was before us.
“I’ll not be five minutes packing, just you off and find the lads and tell
them to get themselves ready. You get Shadow ready to go and I’ll meet you in
the tavern of the White Horse in a few minutes. Now be off with you!”

I left him in a daze. The lads I found all
together at a stall selling ale in the horse fair grounds and told them they
were leaving. I had expected to find them not best pleased, but they seemed not
to feel too hard done by. I brought one of them with me to the White Horse to
fetch Shadow, and left him to wait for the others while I talked with Jamie.

He was already in the tavern. We didn’t take long
to make our few arrangements. I decided that I had too much silver with me
already, and sent my share of the profits back with Jamie. I stood by miserably
while he had a farewell drink. He managed to chat lightly of the trip back, how
it was always so much faster and easier than the trip out; of what he would
have to tell Walther, of the new way things would be done now that he was
Walther’s partner rather than his foreman and more than partner, his overlord,
as I have your voice as well as my own, he said with a wicked smile.

“Now, Jamie, don’t rub his nose in it,”
I managed, trying to keep my voice light. “The poor soul is helpless
enough as it is.”

He grinned at me. “If I didn’t know better I’d
think you had a soft spot in your heart for him.”

“Soft enough to flatten him,” I
replied. “But I didn’t kick him when he was down. Perhaps you’re right, I
must like him better than I thought.”

Jamie finished his drink. “There now,
that’ll keep me on the road until nightfall. Time I was off.” I followed
him out into the yard. All three of the lads were there, idly chatting, and
holding Shadow and Jamie’s Blaze along with their own mounts. Jamie turned to
me. “Now, then, my girl, I’ll bid you farewell,” he said. “Mind
what I’ve taught you. Keep your wits about you, and try not to kill that Bors
if he cormes pestering you again.”