The Call of the Crown (Book 1) (26 page)

Ealian looked up towards her. “Really, sister, your concern for me is heart-warming, but can I not take a simple walk without question?” Ealian walked at a slow pace with his hands clasped behind him, looking around nonchalantly at the scenery, as though he were pleased with himself.

His voice was wrong, too.
Heart-warming. Without question. Where did that come from?
“What’s wrong with you, Ealian?” Elspeth kept pace with him, stumbling sideways, trying to catch his gaze. “You have been acting very strangely.”

“Nothing, nothing, I’m just enjoying the view. Do you not like it here? It is so peaceful and organized, wolves and men living together in harmony. Who would have thought such a thing
? In all my travels, never have I seen such a symbiotic union of species.”

“What?” Elspeth stopped trying to keep up. Standing still now, she watched as this… person walked away from her. “You are starting to bother me,
Ealian Tanner
.” Still, he carried on walking. “Don’t think the others haven’t noticed, too!”

Ealian stopped, turned, and was now but inches from Elspeth, his face in hers. “What do you mean ‘noticed?
’ Why are they concerning themselves with my business?”

“Back off!” Elspeth pushed him away and began to walk back to the hall. “You need to get control of yourself, Ealian. I will not take much more of this peculiar behaviour before I call for a doctor. You are not yourself. That illness has left you… strange.”

“What illness?” It was Ealian’s turn to play the sideways walking game. “What are you talking about?”

“In the forest, four nights back, tell me you remember that, or my suspicion of your ill health will be all but confirmed.” Elspeth stopped and looked squarely at him.

Ealian turned away and gazed at the floor. “Oh, that. That was not an illness, no more than a cold really—nerves, perhaps. Do not worry yourself about it. I’m sorry, sister. It has been a strange few days. I do not know fully if I have taken it all in. First the kidnap, then the marsh incident, now talking wolves!” He laughed awkwardly. “You understand, don’t you? I’m sorry.” He cupped his hands in front of him and with doting eyes, he pleaded.

Elspeth slowly shook her head. He was right, she supposed. “Come on. And enough with these riddles and capers. As you say, these are strange days. You can’t go w
andering off and expect not to be questioned.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Elspeth turned back towards the great hall and began walking. “It’s supper. Let’s go in before it has all gone.”

*  *  *

Elspeth blinked under the bright lamplight, as Ealian and she entered the hall. The room was almost full with folk, wolves for the most part, though there were a few men and women, too. And, of course, the rest of the travellers, Daric and the others sat at the table in the same places as earlier. Toban sat alone at the head of the table, five other wolves were on Daric’s side, and six more were sat opposite. The two caretakers, those Olam had mentioned meeting earlier, were also there and sat either side, nearest the door. Another man, a tall, old man, sat between the wolves and Grady.

The old man spoke to Grady as Elspeth walked past. He told him he used to be an adventurer, too, until he took an arrow in the knee
.

“Ouch! That must have hurt!” Grady told
him.

“Indeed it did!” the old man answered.

Elspeth laughed.

Daric saw her and waved them over. “Come on, you two, we’ve been waiting.” He spoke loudly and in a jovial manner, as if a little too much wine had passed his lips, or
he was just overcome with the occasion. Either way, it reminded her of her father on feast day.

Elspeth and Ealian took the same seats as before. Man and wolf alike bowed at her as she seated herself. She wished they hadn’t; it was embarrassing enough just walking around in the ridiculous robe. The cleaner must have left her things until last
. Everyone else was in their own clothes.

Sarai was the only other woman sat on her side of the table. She was next to Elspeth. “You found him, then?” she said.

“Yes, Sarai, he was wandering down by the lake.” Elspeth picked up some fruit from a bowl in the centre and a half roll of bread.

“Em… down by the lake?” Sarai asked, in the manner of questioning.

“Yes. He was just walking.” Elspeth paused midway to picking up another apple.
What does she mean by that?

Sarai simply nodded and took a drink.

Daric raised his goblet. “What do you think of all this, then, Elspeth? A feast in our honour, certainly never expected this when I woke this morning.” He tipped his goblet in salute to Toban, who bowed back.
Yes, he has definitely had too much.

“It is our pleasure, Daric. We cannot welcome you properly without a feast.”

“Much more of this and I won’t want to leave.” Daric laughed and raised his glass again.

A young wolf approached Toban and whispered in his ear. Toban nodded at the messenger as though he were expecting the message. “You’ll have to excuse me, Daric, everybody. I’ve been called away. Please continue.” Toban stood, bowed, and made his exit through the archway at the back of the room.

“Um… Always off somewhere, that one. Busy life, being a leader, I suppose,” Daric mused before continuing his drinking.

“You should slow down, my friend… and I can’t believe I’m telling
you
this.” Laughed Grady.

Daric turned to him, laughing. “You’re right
. I’ll stick to water after this.”

The evening continued in such a festive manner for a further two hours. All talked, laughed, and toasted each other; the travellers did indeed feel welcomed. Ealian joined in as though he had once again returned to his old self
. Elspeth was glad of that.

Wine was had, food eaten, even a song or two recited by a slightly drunken Daric—with Grady attempting harmonies. All being said, it was a good night. Presently, one by one, wolf, Rukin, and Surabhan alike retired to their beds. Elspeth decided to go, too. And left Daric and Grady to their singing—if you could call it that.

CHAPTER 18

Elspeth woke late. She lay on her back, snug, with the soft-wool blanket tucked under her chin. Her self-imposed pledge to beat  the others to breakfast hadn’t lasted long. In fact, her resolution never made it out of the Am’bieth marsh. But if she felt guilty, the comfort of her bed made up for it. Indeed, late as it was, she could have stayed another hour or two.

A faint
trickle of light from the grates in the wall—there were no windows in her room, just a few bricks of latticed fretwork—gave little indication of the time. The light breeze that filtered through was more than enough to gauge the heat, though. It was going to be another hot day.
I cannot remember a spring this hot. Summer is going to be torture if this keeps up.

With an
effort, she threw the blanket back and spun her feet over the side of the bed. While her attempt at early rising had failed, some of her habits—her morning routine, archery practice, arguing with her brother—were more resilient. Her morning routine was one of a scant few rituals that her mother had managed to instil. She fumbled around her bedside table for the Tup-sticks and lit the small lamp that hung above the iron brassier. After her stretching, she made her way to the washstand. Peering half-heartedly into the small round mirror, she gave a sigh at the state of her dishevelled hair. She picked up her brush and began her fifty strokes. Grabbing the blue-and-white jug of what was now tepid water, she filled the matching bowl to halfway. Still brushing her hair, she picked up her toothbrush and dipped it in the small dish of soda, left there for her by one of those Rukin women. There she stood, stretching her ankles, counting her brushstrokes—one hand working on her hair, the other cleaning her teeth—like every other morning.

A knock rattled the door. “Morning, miss. Can I come in? It is only me, Lanay.”

Lanay was one of the kitchen staff, one of the wonderful Rukin women who had brought their robes and fed them the previous morning. “Yes, Lanay, I’m up… just. Come in.” Elspeth straightened the nightdress she had borrowed and wiped soda bubbles from her chin.

Lanay, a large, motherly looking woman of an age with Elspeth’s own mother, pop
ped her head around the door. “Good morning, miss. Excuse me for disturbing you. I heard you moving about. I’ve run a bath for you, if you’re interested? It’s down the hall.” She nodded her head in the direction of the bathroom and smiled knowingly.

“I’m more than interested, Lanay. Thank you
. I will come now.” Elspeth spun around looking for a towel and a clean robe while juggling her brushes.

As though reading her mind, Lanay put in, “There’s a robe and towel in the room, miss. Everything is ready.”

Elspeth smiled. “Then lead on, please.”

Following Lanay out into the hall, she peered up and down, very much aware that she was still in her nightdress. “Is anyone else awake?”

“They’re up and out, miss. Mr. Re’adh and his lad are off about the village. Mr. Daleman is with Aleban, looking over the farm. Mr. O’lamb and Mr. Arfael are reading, I think. I don’t know where your brother has gone. Chasing a girl, maybe?” She smiled and gave a wink. “You know what young men are like. I have two his age, myself.”

“As long as he isn
’t getting himself into any trouble, that boy could test a monk’s patience.”

Lanay laughed. “Yes, boys that age
, they are all the same. Here we are, miss,” she said, pushing open a door to a steam-filled room.

Elspeth could barely
see the large copper bath, filled almost to the brim with steaming water. It was one of a row of three, and her tub was at the far end. The aroma of rose oil filled her head with its sweat scent; she couldn’t help but breathe it in. The blast of warm steam clung to her face and her hair was already damp by the time she reached the centre of the room.

“You go and have your bath, miss
,” Lanay said. “I will bring some breakfast to your room when you’re done. There is a latch on the door, no need to worry about anyone disturbing you. Oh, and if you could open the grates when you’re finished. It can get damp in here if not careful.” Lanay gave a shallow curtsy.

Elspeth w
ondered if the men had food brought to their room. A pang of guilt fluttered in her belly. She decided to ignore it. “Thank you, Lanay. This is going to be so relaxing.”

Lanay nodded before leaving and Elspeth drew the latch on the door.

She sank up to her ears in the hot water. Breathing deeply of the rose-scented vapour, she drifted into a restful trance and very nearly fell asleep again. “Relaxing was no exaggeration—a comfortable bed, and now a hot bath—how was she going to manage for the next four weeks?

“This is no good.” She laughed
, mumbling to herself. “Get yourself washed and sorted, Elspeth. You can’t stay here all day.” The small stand next to the bath had two—two!—different types of soap.
And this is the Hall of
Wolves?
I wonder how many the inn has.
She chose the lemon.

After thoroughly washing from head to foot, she looked in horror at the thick layer of dirt floating on top of the bath water. Begrudgingly, she pulled herself up. While the bath drained, she rinsed
off with one of the jugs of clean water and used the other one to swill the bath.
I cannot leave it in this state. What will they think?
She dried off and wrapped herself in the clean robe. Opening the door a crack, she checked the hallway was clear before scurrying back to her room.

After cleaning her brushes, she
inspected the pile of clothes folded neatly on the small table at the foot of her bed, and gave a nod of satisfaction. No silly robes today; all her own clothes were clean and smelled of lemon.

She barely had time to dress before another knock rattled the door.

“It’s me again, miss.”

“Come in, Lanay.”

Lanay entered carrying a covered tray. “Aye, you look fit for the ball, miss. I’ll bet that feels better.”

Elspeth blushed. “Yes, you have no idea, Lanay. But I don’t know about a ball.” Elspeth fussed with her breeches and straightened her hair.

“Pretty girls like you don’t need dresses, miss. Now come on, let’s have some hot food down you, too.” She placed the tray on the bedside table. “I didn’t know what you might like; miss, so I went with the porridge. Everybody likes my porridge,” she said, while nodding assertively. “There are prunes and a little bit of honey in it. The tea is fresh and so is the bread roll.”

“Thank you
, Lanay. This is has all been very kind of you. I hardly want this morning to end.”

“You are welcome, miss.”

Lanay took a long stare at Elspeth’s bow, which lay unstrung on the spare bed. “Skirmish bow? Unusual for a young woman. I would have thought…” She waved her hand dismissively. “Never mind. Listen to me, chatting away when you want to eat.” She curtsied and was about to leave…

“No, please. What were you
going to saying? I’m very interested in archery.”

“Very well, miss.
” Lanay seemed eager to continue. Archery must have been a preferred subject amongst the Rukin. “Skirmish bows are usually favoured by close combatants, soldiers who expect to be in the thick of it, so to speak. They’re thick, and can be used as a club. Most of our women favour the long bow. Supporting the soldiers and killing at a distance is a woman’s job.”

Elspeth felt her
eyes widened.
Gods, she sounds so serious
. “I—I never thought of it that way.” It seemed that living with wolves wasn’t the only unusual arrangement in Illeas’den. Women—not soldiers, just ordinary women—fighting in battles! If the town council back home heard of that….

Lanay continued.
“Toban is teaching some of the young boys and girls over at the range this morning—most mornings, actually. You should go and watch. They are very good, so I hear. I don’t get much spare time, myself, or I would be up there, too.”

“Toban is teaching archery? H
ow?”

“Oh, miss. You know shooting a straight arrow is more about the mind than the body. And Toban has a very good mind.”

“Of course. Yes. Yes, I think I will go and watch.”

“Good. Once you have eaten up
all
your breakfast, I will point you in the right direction. Just come through to the kitchen when you’re done.” Lanay bobbed a curtsy and left Elspeth to finish her breakfast, pulling the door closed behind her.

The porridge was surprisingly nice. Elspeth had always considered it a boring meal. Then again, her mother had never put prunes in it or laced it with honey. For that matter, her mother had never drawn her rose-scented baths, either.

Lanay was busy washing up when Elspeth took the tray through. After checking the bowl was empty, the motherly woman gave directions to the archery range.

Elspeth followed the path northwards to the edge of Illeas’den, until reaching the Red Barn
, then turned right along the track for another hundred paces and left at the fallen oak. She could hear the cheering from there. Maybe somebody had hit the bull’s-eye.

Turning into the field, she was surprised to see at least a dozen young children—very young, some could not have been more than nine or ten—and how far away the targets were set. The teacher—at least Elspeth thought he was the teacher
: a tall, older man she had seen with Toban the previous evening—had to kneel on the ground to correct the stance of one young girl.
Maybe I shouldn’t have brought my bow. By the gods, how can those children even shoot that far? Never mind aim!

“Good morning, Elspeth.” Toban bowed as he greeted her.

“Good morning to you, Mr. Toban.” Elspeth pretended a curtsy.

Toban coughed a laugh. “Please, Elspeth,
‘Toban’ will do. I have enough of titles at the village meetings.”

Elspeth smiled. “I understand. M
y father is an emissary. I don’t much like being called ‘lady,’ either.”

“At least that is short. We would get much more done if the village council kept to first names.” Toban
sniggered and shook his head slowly. “I see you have your bow. Did you want to practice?”

“I was thinking about it
until I saw what I might be up against. These children are incredible. They must be born with a bow in their hands.”

“We start them at five and practice an hour every morning. More than anything else, it is discipline they are learning, not just how to hit a target.
Come; let us see your technique. Maybe you can teach us something.”

The targets were made of woven straw, and the shortest distance was a good twenty paces. The one Elspeth chose to aim at was hanging from the branch of an
old oak tree. A red circle had been painted in the centre, a
larger
red circle than on the others. Maybe it was the beginner’s target.

She nocked the arrow and took her usual stance. Her heart thumped in her chest, as it appeared
the children had decided to stop what they were doing and watch the new girl. She drew the bow, held for her usual count to three, and loosed the arrow midway through an exhaled breath—just as she was taught, right to the letter. She felt a smile of relief crease her lips when the arrow hit dead centre. With a triumphant nod, she turned to Toban for approval. He hadn’t even looked at the target.

“Not bad, Elspeth
. You are halfway there. A week or two should fix that problem.”

“What problem
? I—I hit the centre!” Elspeth wiggled her outstretched finger at the target.

“Yes, Elspeth, but with that force, you wouldn’t have broken the skin, never mind
piercing armour.”

“But… uh… I don’t—”

“That bow is wrong for you. Arlec!” Toban shouted the other teacher over. “The bow you have is for a man a good hand taller than you are. Arlec here will fix it.”

Arlec pulled up from his run. “You bellowed, Toban.”

“Yes, Arlec. Measure Elspeth for a bow please, and see if we have something more suitable for her.”

“
No need for that, Toban.” The old man looked Elspeth up and down. “She is of a size with Lorne. Lorne!”

The young girl ran over. “Yes, sir.” She curtsied.

“If you don’t mind, let young Elspeth here borrow your bow for ten minutes?” the old man asked.

“Of course not, sir.” Lorne smiled and curtsied, too,
before handing over her bow. The
long
bow, ironically, was a good hand shorter than Elspeth’s old one.

Toban thanked the young girl before turning his attentions back to Elspeth. “Now, try again with that one.”

Elspeth did so. She did everything the same and missed, terribly.

“It’s all in the loosing, Elspeth,” Toban said. “That bow fits your size better and so is harder to draw than the longer
one you were using. You must compensate by thrusting your elbow back harder on your release. Try again.”

Elspeth huffed.
This is never going to work.
Reluctantly, she followed Toban’s instruction. And to her surprise, not only did she hit the dead centre of the target, but also the hanging circle of straw all but flipped over on itself. “Gods, that was good. I mean… Thank you, Toban. I cannot believe I have gone all this time with the wrong bow.”