Moons' Dreaming (Children of the Rock) (57 page)

“
You don
’
t fight sea monsters, do you?
”

The king leaned toward her. His words were half solemn confession, half boyish mischief.
“
Actually, I get sea sick. I like my monsters land-bound.
”
He gave her a conspiratorial wink just as the door opened and Dektrieb, arms full, backed through.

In the presence of the servant Feather forced herself to stop staring at Sene. He had no right to be so charming. Perhaps he couldn
’
t help it. Perhaps he was born that way. Then why hadn
’
t he passed the trait on to his son?
Stop it
, Feather told herself desperately.
Chasa is a nice boy.

Who wants to marry a boy?

Sene washed up, and Dektrieb departed, towel draped over one arm.

The king said,
“
It might be the two-mile bridge. I hope not. We
’
ll need that road at harvest.
”

Out of the corner of her eye Feather watched his hands as he deftly quartered the green-skinned melon with a silver knife. Strong hands.

“
Bridge?
”
she repeated, looking up. To her relief, her head no longer ached.

“
A serious enough problem to call Jeyn away at this hour. If that
’
s the problem. I
’
m only speculating. Have you seen Ivey?
”

The door swung against the wall with a solid thunk, the noise a painful distraction. Feather uncovered her ears as Jeyn hurried up to the table.

“
We
’
ve more than a sea monster to worry about,
”
the princess announced.

“
Not the bridge,
”
Sene commented to Feather. To his daughter he said,
“
Tell me.
”

“
Phantom cats. A pair.
”

The succinct words left Feather voiceless with dread. Sene asked,
“
Where?
”

“
Forty miles east of Bren. They were seen following a herd of gazelle westward, but
—”

“
But,
”
Sene agreed. He used a spoon to scoop a juicy crescent of pulp from the melon, then raised it to his lips.
“
Where
’
s Chasa?
”

Jeyn said,
“
I
’
ll worry about Chasa and his monster. You
’
ll need help with the phantom cats.
”

“
I
’
ll take Ivey.
”

Jeyn sat down at the table. Her sardonic expression made her look suddenly very like her father.
“
He
’
ll be thrilled.
”

“
These were sweeter last year,
”
Sene said. He swallowed one mouthful of melon and dug out a second.

“
That stretch of cool weather,
”
Jeyn reminded him.
“
Why Ivey?
”

Sene
’
s smile showed his dimples, but his eyes caught and held his daughter
’
s with undisguised speculation.
“
He
’
s available.
”

“
I
’
ve noticed that.
”

“
I noticed you noticing at dinner last night.
”

Feather
’
s pulse hammered in her throat.
“
You can
’
t kill phantom cats.
”

“
Why not?
”
Sene
’
s eyebrows rose.
“
I have done it before.
”

“
But you
’
re the king.
”

“
Exactly.
”

Feather knew she sounded a fool. She couldn
’
t help herself.
“
Raisal needs you.
”

“
Raisal has Jeyn. And you.
”
He quickly cleaned the last of the melon from its rind and got to his feet.
“
Who made the sighting?
”
he asked Jeyn.

“
Felistinon
’
s troop. They were going to try to turn the gazelle herd south.
”

“
At this time of year? That won
’
t be easy.
”
He paused in the doorway.
“
Send someone after Ivey. Have him meet me at the stable.
”

“
You
’
ll watch out for him?
”
Jeyn seemed more annoyed than concerned.
“
He
’
s not much of a horseman.
”

“
He
’
ll be fine,
”
Sene promised cheerily as he left.

As the sound of his firm tread retreated, Feather turned angrily on the princess.
“
Why didn
’
t you send Chasa after the phantom cats?
”

“
There
’
s the sea monster, don
’
t forget.
”
Jeyn sounded distracted.

The princess picked a bell up off the table and rang it, then got up and paced. When Dektrieb appeared, she met him at the door and gave him swift, low-voiced orders. After he was gone she turned and met Feather
’
s eyes.

“
Chasa
’
s on his way to the border. Dad better not find out about this.
”

“
What?
”
Feather shook her dully aching head.
“
Why?
”

“
He left me a message about somebody needing to do something useful for once. I was going to send Aage after him anyway. Those two need to talk.
”
As if in response to her words, a sweet-smelling puff of smoke materialized by the terrace.
“
Aage! There you are!
”

Feather coughed. In all her years of living with Jenil she
’
d never gotten used to the magical fog the Dreamers brought with them when they traveled through the web of power.

“
Why can
’
t you use the door?
”
she snapped.

Aage ignored her. He stepped up to the princess and waved a square of parchment under her nose.
“
He wrote this?
”

“
That
’
s what I said in my note.
”

“
He can
’
t just ride up to a band of Abstainers and start a conversation!
”

“
I hope he
’
s got something more subtle in mind.
”

Chasa was not subtle. Feather kept her opinion to herself. Brave, impetuous, sincere, but not subtle.
Who did he think he was going to impress with a stunt like this?

Oh.

“
I have to stop him,
”
Aage said.

“
You most certainly do,
”
Jeyn agreed.
“
Find him and get him home. Dad
’
ll be furious if he gets himself killed.
”

Aage nodded.
“
I
’
ll find him. The sea monster?
”

Jeyn
’
s fingers drummed on the stone railing.
“
I
’
ll take care of it. It
’
s been a couple of years, but I haven
’
t forgotten my training. Chasa
’
s crew does most of the work anyway. Don
’
t worry.
”

“
I
’
ll worry.
”
Aage brushed his lips across the princess
’
s forehead.
“
Be careful, love.
”
He puffed off, leaving the scent of apple blossoms behind.

Feather stood.
“
You
’
re going to kill a monster?
”

“
I haven
’
t got much choice. That leaves you in charge of the kingdom,
”
she added, and walked back into the house before Feather could protest.

Feather sat back down. She wasn
’
t sure whether she should be more annoyed at Shapers or Dreamers or monsters. She settled on being furious with all of them.

“
You couldn
’
t listen, could you?
”
Aage muttered under his breath.

Below his vantage point, the largest band of Abstainers he had ever seen occupied the top and sides of a low rise, its grass cropped short or flattened by several days of intensive grazing. A stream, the border between Sitrine and Rhenlan, meandered along the foot of the hill. This far into the summer, it didn
’
t provide much of a barrier between the two kingdoms. In fact, its shallow water was barely sufficient to supply the band and its horses.

Once, the hill had been the center of a Rhenlan village. The stump of a broad chimney marked the site of a smithy or pottery. Scattered timbers and a few tumbled piles of stone were all that remained of the rest of the buildings, save one. Aage remembered the half-fallen ruin as a Brownmother house, renowned for the skill of the healers trained within its walls. Now, after years of vacancy, it gave succor once more
—
to Chasa.

In defiance of every argument Aage could muster, not to mention plain common sense, the prince had gone through with his plan to locate one of the bands of Abstainers that roamed the borderlands. Undeterred by the abnormal orderliness of the band
’
s camp, he had crept into the village under cover of darkness and taken possession of the upper story of the house. When dawn broke, he called to the nearest Abstainer and requested a conference with their leader.

They had tried to kill him, of course. Abstainers did that. Chasa, who was nine times a fool but not stupid, had chosen his refuge for its
defensibility
and didn
’
t even have to kill any of his attackers in order to protect himself. Late in the morning, his determination was rewarded. The Abstainer leader stood below his perch and spoke with him. Though it had been years since Aage had last seen him, the man
’
s square jaw and heavy brow, framed by a tangled mass of red hair, was unmistakable: Soen, brother to Queen Gallia of Rhenlan.

Aage hoped that Chasa was happy to have stumbled on such a choice tidbit of information. Soen, the most powerful Shaper to have gone Abstainer in the last thirty years, was still alive. Furthermore, as the afternoon wore on he demonstrated an unusual ability to maintain control over the mad men and women who lived with him. He never conversed with Chasa for more than a few minutes at a time. As soon as he lost interest, the rest of the band resumed their assault on the prince. Still, the fact that Soen could restrain their impulse to destroy, even if only for short periods, made Aage distinctly uneasy. Sene would have to be told.

As soon, that is, as Aage could devise a way to extricate Chasa from his fortress.

* * *

“
It
’
s very simple,
”
the king explained patiently.
“
I haven
’
t lost an assistant yet.
”

“
What if the horse can
’
t outrun them?
”