Moons' Dreaming (Children of the Rock) (64 page)

“
Personally, I was rather relieved when Aage learned that we could stop bothering with the present rulers and wait for their children to produce the next generation of Dreamers. I think it was the hardship of the plague more than anything else which distorted the priorities of Hion and Dea and their peers. You children
—
you, Pirse, and Chasa and Jeyn and Vray and a half dozen near cousins, I believe
—
are more level-headed. And there are still enough Shapers to reproduce another generation of Shapers without your aid.
”
Savyea adjusted her robe with a complacent smile.
“
Healthy Dreamer babies. With the gods
’
blessings we might hope for several from each couple
—
and of course you
’
ll have the gods
’
blessings, since they were rather insistent that your families be the
ones to give us more Dreamers.”

Doron
’
s eyes narrowed.
“
Several?
”

“
Couples?
”
Pirse wanted to know.
“
Just what guarantee is there that my generation is going to be any more cooperative than my mother
’
s was?
”

Savyea looked meaningfully at Doron
’
s abdomen. Pirse felt himself blush up to the ears, and Doron laughed.

“
The power of the gods bends as it will,
”
Savyea continued, and looked again at Doron.
“
All any of us, Dreamer or Shaper or Keeper, can do is respond as we are able. You
’
re all old enough now. You
’
ll be making lots of babies before we know it.
”

Pirse was still puzzled, but not especially alarmed, when the black-robed Dreamer disappeared in a whiff of cherry blossoms. He gingerly stepped up to Doron.
“
Do you understand any of this?
”

“
Aye.
”
Doron heaved a gusty sigh and leaned back against the table.
“
Make babies. It really is all Greenmothers ever talk about. First it was several. Now it
’
s lots. I haven
’
t even had the one yet.
”

“
I really didn
’
t know,
”
Pirse said quietly.

“
That
’
s why I blame Palle. Farren may have banished Morb, but your uncle
’
s the one who suggested that Dea restrict the teachings of the Redmothers. Were you listening to Savyea? She as much as said that Palle wasn
’
t content with refusing to wed a Keeper. He arranged to eliminate the possibility altogether.
”

Pirse frowned.
“
That is what she implied, isn
’
t it?
”

“
I hate Shapers,
”
Doron said fervently. Then she touched his shoulder, a gentle caress of her fingers, and his arms encircled her. She tilted her head and regarded him.
“
Present company excepted, most times.
”

“
Thank you.
”
He held her close, happy when she clung to him as fiercely as he did her. He resisted the urge to make love to her for a few moments longer. He had something he had to say.
“
We
’
ll be having an announcement for the gathering, lass.
”

She stayed still and stubbornly silent in the circle of his arms.

He shook her a little.
“
Won
’
t we? Or must you make everything harder than it has to be?
”

She looked at him.
“
Duty or love, Pirse of Dherrica?
”

He smiled at the question.
“
Since when are you a romantic, Doron of Juniper Ridge?
”

“
Answer my question.
”

“
Both.
”

“
Good.
”

“
And if I ask you the same question?
”

She buried her head in his tunic, but he heard her muffled,
“
Both,
”
and knew better than to push for details. He swung her up in his arms. She yelped as her feet left the floor. He carried her toward the bed.
“
Pirse!
”

“
Hush,
”
he ordered.
“
I want to find how much the
—
lass, is it?
—
is going to get in our way.
”

“
Lass it is,
”
she announced as she began pulling off his tunic.
“
And not much, knowing us.
”

“
Good.
”

* * *

“
Is it too late for supper?
”
Ivey asked plaintively.

“
This is the king
’
s house.
”
Jeyn pulled on her second slipper.
“
The king is always hungry. Therefore it is never too late for supper.
”

“
Good. I worked up an appetite.
”

“
I hope so.
”

“
Aren
’
t you hungry, lass?
”
He found a clean tunic in the chest at the foot of his bed, and pulled it over his now-dry hair.

“
I
’
m the king
’
s daughter.
”

He glanced back at the rumpled bed.
“
I
’
ve been thinking about that.
”

“
Let
’
s go to the dining room. Someone will notice us if we sit at the table and look pitiful enough.
”

The rain had stopped, so they cut around the outside of the house on the terrace, hand in hand. Jeyn turned the corner first, then jerked Ivey back into the shadows.

To her relief, he didn
’
t argue, but whispered,
“
What?
”

“
There
’
s someone there,
”
she whispered back.

He bit her ear.
“
I guessed that. Who?
”

“
My father.
”

“
Let
’
s leave.
”
He tried to pull her away, but she stood on his foot.

“
He
’
s with someone.
”

“
Who?
”
he repeated, then added in a light-hearted way,
“
Do I sound like an owl?
”

“
Yes. Feather.
”

“
Oh.
”

Together they peered around the corner. Sene had just picked Feather up, his hands around her tiny waist, and settled her on the stone railing across from the dining room doors. He leaned against the pillar next to her, arms crossed over his broad chest. She smiled worshipfully into his face, and he beamed benignly back.

Ivey drew Jeyn back around the corner. His expression was distinctly puzzled.
“
Does he know he
’
s doing that?
”

“
Doing what?
”
she temporized, although she knew exactly what he meant. She
’
d been watching it most of the summer.

“
I know what we
’
ve been doing. Is that what they
’
re doing?
”

“
I don
’
t think so, exactly. At least, I hope not. She
’
s supposed to marry my brother.
”
She sighed.
“
But she
’
s in love with my father.
”

Ivey looked back around the corner. The quiet voices of the couple were audible, although Jeyn couldn
’
t make out any words. Ivey turned back to her.
“
Sene? He
’
s too old.
”

“
I don
’
t think Feather
’
s noticed. She avoids Chasa, and the way Dad dotes on her isn
’
t helping any.
”

“
Does he know what he
’
s doing?
”
Ivey repeated.

Jeyn shook her head.
“
For the sake of peace in this family, I hope not. I really hope not.
”
She took his hand again and turned them back the way they
’
d come.
“
Let
’
s take the hallway.
”

“
I think that
’
s a fine idea,
”
he agreed.

From horizon to horizon, only one speck moved against the prevailing pattern of the gray-green waves. A hint of dark coastline hugged the southern rim of the visible world, as unobtrusive as the few birds floating on the wind. Only the ship, tacking hard to port, its wake a jagged curve of white foam, and the huge mound of water that rose up beneath its keel, interrupted the otherwise monotonous scene.

The sea had been growing more choppy as the day progressed. Restless waves reflected the agitated clouds that scudded overhead. The fitful wind strengthened, blowing the tops off the waves and spattering drops of water against the ship.

It was just after they
’
d seen the first flash of lightning against the dark clouds on the northern horizon that the sea monster had come.

Chasa saw it as a challenge. Ivey insisted that minstrel lore defined it as a sea dragon. Chasa, launching his harpoon toward the sensitive gill-slit, didn
’
t waste breath replying.

After that, the battle became a blur to Chasa
’
s senses. The captain and crew of his ship performed as heroically as always, carrying him close enough for the attack, evading the monster
’
s attempts at retaliation. Ivey handed him two harpoons, one after the other. Both bounced harmlessly off the thick scales of the monster
’
s body. On the next pass, Chasa passed his sword to Ivey. To his credit, the minstrel grasped the sword without hesitation, although he flinched at the tingle of magic against his palms.

The dragon
’
s mighty tail whipped overhead, sending two seamen sprawling and threatening the mast. Ivey hacked halfway through it with his first blow. The monster
’
s head surged out of the water, jaws wide, its roar slamming against Chasa
’
s chest like a physical blow. Then it disappeared, taking its entire length below the waves. Ivey leaped to one side of the ship, Chasa to the other. A great mound of water rose beneath them, marking the precise location of the returning monster
’
s head.

At Chasa
’
s signal, the captain shouted instructions to his men. The ship slid backward. Chasa clambered over the rail, hooked a line in place, and leaned into his shoulder harness, feet braced against the side of the hull. Ivey balanced the sword in both hands, aiming at the dark green shape that grew larger and larger beneath them.

A child could have stood upright within the gaping mouth. The beast emitted a desperate scream as the minstrel pierced its right eye with the sword. Then its cry choked off, as Chasa
’
s harpoon buried half its length into the monster
’
s gill slit. The oarsmen backed them nimbly out of range of the spout of yellowish, faintly smoking blood that erupted from the triple nostrils. Chasa accepted Ivey
’
s helping hand and pulled himself back on deck.