Moons' Dreaming (Children of the Rock) (15 page)

“
Centuries of centuries ago,
”
Pirse began,
“
there lived a Greenmother named Larkspur. Her special skill as a Dreamer was weather magic. Her home was the village of Hhehar, which is now part of Sitrine. Hhehar was a very nice place except for three problems. It was near the edge of the desert, and it attracted both phantom cats and wind demons.
”

“
Big problems.
”

“
Not in those days. The Shaper families of the village were very good about controlling the phantom cats. At the proper times of the year, Larkspur would bend her power and produce sufficient rain for the crops. And she was so watchful that no wind demon came within twenty miles of the village. Still, Larkspur wasn
’
t satisfied. She wanted a way to eliminate the wind demons
—
destroy them utterly
—
just as Shapers destroy phantom cats and dragons.

“
A new generation of Dreamers was born and came of age, and one skilled in weather magic came to live in Hhehar. Larkspur left her village in the new wizard
’
s care and transported herself to the Cave of the Rock. There she vowed before the Firstmother that she would find a way to rid the world of wind demons once and for all.

“
She traveled all over the world in search of a way to keep her vow. For a Dreamer, it
’
s only a single step from the port of Raisal to the heights of the Dherrican mountains, or from the shores of Lake Hari to the horse peoples
’
steppes. None of the Children of the Rock, the Keepers with their wisdom or the Shapers with their plans or the Dreamers with their gifts, knew of a way to eliminate the wind demons. Therefore, Larkspur sought an answer in lands unvisited by the Children.

“
She went into the northeast, beyond Sitrine, and followed the desert all the way to the sea. In the southeast, she traveled beyond the steppes of the horse people, where she found rolling hills and tumbled mountains, some covered with snow, some full of smoke and fiery rocks, covered with forest on their eastern flanks and dropping almost immediately into the sea. Then she went into the hills south of Rhenlan. She found lakes and forests and a river valley running from the hills toward the west. Beyond the river the land was dry and cold. In the far south, winter covered the sea with ice.

“
Larkspur traveled west beyond Dherrica. In the southwest she found only cold, rocky shores. In the northwest, the forests continued after the mountains had flattened out and became jungles, where the winter never comes.
”

Tob shot Pirse a skeptical look.
“
Never?
”

“
Never. The sun is always high in the sky, and the days hardly vary in length from one festival to the next. Food grows all year round, and strange animals and insects more numerous than I can name abound. Larkspur found villages of Keepers and Shapers on a few of the beaches where the fishing was especially good. They were familiar with dragons and sea serpents, but they couldn
’
t advise Larkspur about wind demons.

“
She bent the power to cross the ocean, and found the breeding grounds of the sea serpents. In the northern half of the world she found mountains and steppes and marshes and forests, animals and birds, but no Children of the Rock
—
and no inspiration.

“
Once each year, at the time of the Fall Festival, she transported herself back to Hhehar to tell what she had seen. And the wind demons continued to dance around the village as they
’
d always done.
”

Pirse paused. Ahead of them, Jordy turned into a gated yard and entered the wide door of the house. Tob guided Stockings and the wagon around a hole, then looked back at Pirse.
“
Go on.
”

“
Things went on in that fashion for eighty-six years. At the eighty-seventh Fall Festival
—”
He spread his hands.
“
No Larkspur. She was never seen again.
”

When Pirse fell silent, Tob protested,
“
That can
’
t be the end of the story!
”

“
I
’
m afraid it is. Hhehar was abandoned during the plague. When a village dies, its stories often die with it.
”

“
Where did you learn it, then?
”

“
I used to study the maps at the king
’
s estate in Sitrine, when I was a boy learning about dragon slaying from Gavea. I asked her just what you asked me: What lies beyond the mountains? Her answer was that story.
”

“
Lands with no winter, and mountains of fiery rock.
”

Pirse grinned at the skepticism in the boy
’
s voice.
“
Sorry you asked?
”

Tob looked back at him and grudgingly returned his smile.
“
I guess not.
”

* * *

Doron sang quietly to herself as she worked, one of her husband
’
s favorite melodies. Her dead husband
’
s favorite melodies. The familiar tightness filled her throat. Gods, how she missed him. They had been married only six years, but every hour of the day and night, every village path and building, contained memories of their life together.

She lifted another skein of wool from the vat. Too much yellow, she thought critically. Not unattractive, but not what she
’
d planned. She laid
the skein across the drying rack, then wiped her hands on her apron. Perhaps it was best to quit for the day, and go home and fix something to eat.

Betajj used to have supper ready for her when she came home in the evening. On some days, when he knew that she was having difficulty with a dye, he would come down from their cottage to escort her home. But Betajj was gone. She had feared for him when he failed to return from the Bronle fall market, but not until her wandering brother brought a full report of the accident on the river did she know that her husband was half-a-year dead.

A distinctive creaking and rattling drifted up the hill from the direction of the valley. Doron peered down the road, and a smile tugged at her mouth as the familiar, white-stockinged bay mare came into view. The black-haired boy at her head had to be Tob. Last year Jordy had mentioned that his son was eager to accompany him on the road. A black-haired man sat in the wagon. Doron did not recognize him.

Tob seemed to have already learned some of his father
’
s skills. As the road curved he tugged on the mare
’
s halter, drawing her into a tighter turn than she
’
d seemed inclined to make. Doron shook her head ruefully. The most slow-witted horse in three kingdoms. Jordy deserved better.

Jordy himself was already at her gate. The setting sun brought out a hint of red in his pale hair.

He lifted the gate latch and entered the yard.
“
Doron. I was hoping we
’
d catch you here.
”

She found herself returning the man
’
s ready smile.
“
A few minutes more and you wouldn
’
t have. Come inside while I clean up.
”
She opened the door of the shop and led Jordy inside. Glancing at him over her shoulder, she said,
“
We were beginning to think you weren
’
t coming this summer. No trouble on the road, I hope?
”

“
Actually, there was
—
and I need your help.
”

* * *

They reached the gate through which Jordy had passed and Tob turned in, the horse trailing dutifully behind him.
Another delivery made
, Pirse thought
, and about time, too. I
’
m tired of being one more parcel in the back of a wagon.

“
What do you mean!
”
a woman
’
s angry voice interrupted Pirse
’
s thoughts. He cocked his head toward the small building in the center of the yard. Each outburst from the woman was followed by the low mutter of Jordy
’
s voice.
“
I
’
ll do no such thing! What need have I for a man about the place? I
’
ve done well enough on my own. A wizard? How would a wizard know my name? Will this be Ivey
’
s doing, then?
”

“
Calm yourself!
”
Jordy
’
s stern roar carried through the closed door.

“
Calm is it? I
’
m as calm as I need to be!
”

“
The man
’
s sick. I can
’
t take him all over three kingdoms with me!
”

“
Am I a Brownmother? They
’
re the ones to nurse the homeless.
”

“
Dherrica hasn
’
t had a Brownmother settlement since before you were born.
”

“
That still doesn
’
t explain a Dreamer picking me out for this honor.
”

The door slammed open. Pirse knew that his potential guardian was a dyer and a widow. No one had mentioned that she was also young and handsome. And tall. She had several inches on the carter, who followed her out into the yard, a scowl accentuating the lines on his face.

“
I don
’
t explain Dreamer motives. I don
’
t pretend they have any. As far as I
’
m concerned, the wizard made a lucky guess. You are the most responsible person to look after this particular man between here and Garden Vale. And,
”
Jordy continued before the woman could interrupt,
“
no, I cannot take him to Garden Vale.
”

Her square jaw was already angrily set as she confronted the wagon. Blue eyes, Pirse noted. They were probably pretty when they weren
’
t crackling with rage.
“
Do you have any say in this, invalid?
”

It was Pirse
’
s turn to wince.
“
Not really, ma
’
am. I tried to convince Jordy not to bother.
”

“
You didn
’
t do a very good job, did you?
”

“
No, ma
’
am.
”

Jordy stood fearlessly at Doron
’
s elbow.
“
You
’
ll admit he
’
s polite.
”

“
He knows lots of stories,
”
Tob piped up from the relative safety of Stockings
’
shadow.

“
I
’
ve a polite story-teller of my own,
”
she answered.

“
Ivey
’
s hardly ever here,
”
Jordy shot back.

A new voice entered the conversation.
“
He is today.
”

* * *

Even in the deepening dusk, Doron had no trouble recognizing the mane of curly hair o
n the man who entered the yard.
Her brother was several years her junior and a good half a head shorter, but then, Doron was the tallest woman in Juniper Ridge.
“
Ivey!
”

Ivey wrapped her in a hug, then acknowledged Jordy with a nod.
“
Let
’
s finish this conversation at Doron
’
s cottage. You know the way, I think.
”

“
Aye.
”
Jordy took the horses
’
lead rope from his son
’
s hand.
“
We
’
ll meet you there.
”

“
Just a minute!
”
Doron protested.
“
Ivey, you don
’
t know
—”