“No. I’m fine. Don’t attack, Skandar, there’s no need. They can’t hurt us.”
There were sounds from behind them, and Skade came running. “Arenadd!”
Arenadd grabbed her arm. “It’s all right. I’m not hurt. But these three—”
Saeddryn was watching him and Skandar, poised to run. “Who are ye?” she said, reverting to Cymrian. “Why are ye here?”
“Do not tell her,” Skade hissed, in griffish. “Arenadd, they have seen us—we should kill them.”
Arenadd put a hand on her shoulder. “No. They know Caedmon. I think they could help us. They’re not going to tell the griffiners about us.”
“We’ll tell the griffiners nothing,” Saeddryn spat. “We are their enemies and always shall be. Now tell us who ye are. Tell us the truth.”
Arenadd nodded. “Yes. I think it’s time. I am …” He hesitated. “I’m—well, this is Skandar, and this is Skade. And I’m …”
“And ye?” Saeddryn said intently. “Who are ye?”
“I’m Arenadd. Arenadd Taranisäii of Eagleholm.”
Saeddryn drew back for a moment, and then she nodded with a kind of joyful certainty. “I knew it.” She bowed to him. “And I am Saeddryn Taranisäii. Welcome home, Arenadd.”
30
Parting
S
aeddryn’s home turned out to be the largest in the village, with a tall peaked roof and a barn attached. Saeddryn led all three of them to it, reassuring them that the villagers could be trusted not to say anything if guards or griffiners ever came to Eitheinn again.
“They’re not likely to,” she added confidently. “We’re too far away, too small, an’ we keep watchers on the road. Moment anyone comes this way, ground or sky, we go up to the mountains f’r shelter, an’ there’s neither man nor griffin could find us there.”
“Don’t tax gatherers come here, at least?” said Arenadd.
“From time to time, but they don’t usually take the trouble,” said Saeddryn. “Too tiny, too poor, too out of the way.”
She bade Arenadd, Skade and Skandar wait outside the barn while Saeddryn’s two friends went in.
“Horses,” she explained. “We keep some in here. Got to move them b’fore you go in.”
Arenadd nodded. Griffins’ hatred of horses was legendary, and Skandar was hungry besides.
Saeddryn peered into the barn, and then nodded. “We can go in now.”
The barn was large and full of the smell of horses, though the animals themselves had been removed, presumably via the door in the opposite wall. A lantern was hanging from a beam at the centre, and Saeddryn dragged a bucket and a crate over to it and gestured at Arenadd to sit. He chose the crate, and she sat on the bucket, opposite him.
Skade looked askance at them and sat on the floor, cross-legged. Skandar wandered around the barn, sniffing in the corners, before making a sudden leap onto the ledge that lined the wall high above. The wood creaked alarmingly under his weight, but he dug his talons in and clung there, balancing on his narrow perch.
Saeddryn looked up at him. “He’s magnificent.”
“He’s my best friend,” said Arenadd. He looked keenly at her. “You know griffins? You obviously know griffish.”
She nodded. “Some of us speak it a little.”
“How? Who taught you?”
Saeddryn was looking at Skade. “I trust ye, Arenadd. Ye’re a Taranisäii, one of us. But who are ye, Southerner?”
“Skade of Withypool,” said Skade. She clicked her teeth nervously. “I come in peace, without designs on your territory, your mates or your food.”
Saeddryn snickered. “What does
that
mean?”
Skade glared at her. “I come in peace,” she repeated. “I am no threat.”
“She can be trusted,” Arenadd put in hastily. “Skade is an outcast. We met while I was on my way here, and she helped me.”
“Outcast?” said Saeddryn. “Why? What was it ye did, Skade?”
“I killed a man,” said Skade. “More than one.”
Saeddryn hissed to herself. “A murderer, then, is it?”
“They had killed someone close to me,” Skade snapped. “He was a Northerner, like yourself. A slave. I was his friend, and I tried to set him free, but he was murdered. In revenge, I killed the ones who killed him. Now I have no home, but Arenadd brought me to hide with him here.”
“It’s the truth,” said Arenadd.
Saeddryn still looked suspicious, but apparently deciding that she was satisfied for the time being, she turned to Arenadd. “Tell me about yerself. Why have ye come here? Why did ye leave? Why are ye with a griffin?”
Arenadd chewed his lip. “How much do you know? About Eagleholm? About what happened there?”
“Rumours. It’s said something happened, some kind of disaster,” said Saeddryn. “Some said it was an attack from Canran.” She shook her head. “We go unnoticed, but that means we don’t know much of what’s happenin’ in the South. What d’ye know about it?”
Skade gave him a warning glance. “Arenadd, we should be cautious.”
“No, Skade. She’s a friend.” Arenadd looked at Saeddryn. “At least, I hope you are.”
“A Taranisäii is always a friend to another Taranisäii,” said Saeddryn. “Tell me yer story, Arenadd.”
She sat still, watching him intently, and Arenadd told her everything from the beginning. He told her about his life in Eagleholm, Rannagon’s plot, the death of Eluna, his persecution at Rannagon’s hands and the pact with Skandar, and finally gave an account of how he had come back for revenge. He left out the fall from the edge of the city and its consequences.
Saeddryn stayed silent the whole time, but an expression of shock quickly appeared on her face, and deepened every moment.
“… and I set fire to the room to help me escape,” continued Arenadd, “and Skandar and I flew away. Later on I found out the entire Eyrie burned down, and dozens of griffiners died, including the Mistress.”
Saeddryn rubbed her hands over her face. “Ye destroyed the Eyrie?”
“Yes. I didn’t mean to, but I did.”
“An’ ye killed Lord Rannagon.”
“Yes.”
Saeddryn looked up. “How do I know ye’re tellin’ the truth?”
“Here.” Arenadd took his sword from his back. “Here, look.”
Saeddryn took it and laid it across her lap, examining the blade and the bronze hilt with its pattern of flying griffins.
“Lord Rannagon’s sword,” said Arenadd. “I took it from his body.”
Saeddryn fingered the sword, apparently deep in thought. “So,” she said at length. “So, now ye’ve come here, then. Ye destroyed an Eyrie, ye and this griffin, an’ ye murdered Lord Rannagon.”
Arenadd shivered. “Yes. Afterward I knew I had to find somewhere to hide, and fast, and this was the only place I could think of to come.”
“An’ Caedmon?” said Saeddryn. “How did ye meet him?”
“It was at Herbstitt …” Arenadd, feeling decidedly uneasy now, briefly told the tale of his capture and the escape of the slaves, and how he had led them to Guard’s Post and overrun it with their help. “And afterward I knew they deserved a reward, and I couldn’t very well bring them with me, so I set them free and told them to go wherever they wanted.”
“Ye freed them?”
“Yes, including Caedmon. I found a way to break the collars off. Afterward Caedmon told me he was a Taranisäii, and he said that I should come here to be safe. That was the last time I saw him.”
Saeddryn stood up abruptly. “Ye an’ Caedmon …”
Arenadd stood, too. “I did what I thought was—
oof!
”
Without any warning, Saeddryn had dropped the sword and taken him in a fierce embrace. He tried to break free, but she held on, squeezing all the breath out of him, and then she kissed him on both cheeks, again and again.
There was an offended screech from Skandar and a shout from Skade. “What are you doing?”
Saeddryn let go and backed off hastily. “Forgive me,” she said, bright-eyed. “Forgive me for not trusting ye, Arenadd, an’ forgive me for not givin’ ye the welcome ye deserved.”
Arenadd dabbed at his face. “It’s all right. I wouldn’t have expected anything else.”
“But ye’re
welcome
,” said Saeddryn, still completely ignoring Skade and Skandar. “Ye’re more’n welcome. After what ye’ve done …” She shook her head. “Come. Come with me. Ye’ve come so far—my home is yer own. Come with me. I’ll give ye new clothes an’ we can burn that foul rag yer wearin’, an’ ye’ll have food an’ a bed an’ anythin’ else ye need. An’ tomorrow I’ll take ye to the circle myself, so ye can see it.”
“What about my friends?” said Arenadd.
Saeddryn favoured both Skade and Skandar with a brief smile. “Friends of yers are friends of mine. Skandar,” she said, speaking griffish now and bowing, “Skandar, this place is yours, an’ I will be honoured to have you here. You’ll be brought meat an’ clean straw an’ anythin’ else you need.”
Skandar clicked his beak. “Human speak.”
“Yes, Skandar, she’s a friend,” said Arenadd. “She’ll bring you food.”
“Not stay,” the griffin hissed. “Not live here. We go. Mountain.”
“Yes, tomorrow, as we agreed,” said Arenadd. “Just for tonight we can sleep here, all right? And Saeddryn will bring food, lots of food, just for you.”
“A whole deer,” Saeddryn put in. “Killed just today. All for you, Skandar.”
Skandar leapt down from his perch, making the floorboards shudder violently. “Food?”
“Food and straw,” said Arenadd. “And then tomorrow we’ll go to the mountains.”
Saeddryn nodded. “Good. Now, Arenadd, ye come with me into the house, an’ ye, Skade—”
Skandar screeched. “Not go!”
Arenadd moved closer to him. “Look, I’m sorry, but I really should stay here with him. He’s not used to being indoors, and he tends to get worked up if I’m not there. He’s come a long way, carrying two people—he’s at the end of his strength.”
Saeddryn nodded stiffly. “As ye wish. Stay here, then, and I’ll bring food and clothes.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s a small thing to ask,” said Saeddryn. She bowed to them all and left.
Once she’d gone, Arenadd heaved a deep sigh. “Well, that was … unexpected.”
Skade gave the door a narrow-eyed look. “I do not trust her.”
“What’s she going to do?” said Arenadd. “Call the guards? Don’t be ridiculous. There can’t be more than fifty people living in this village, and they wouldn’t dare attack us with Skandar here. Anyway, if she wanted to kill me she could have done it twice by now.”
“Not like,” said Skandar.
“Skandar, you don’t like
anybody
,” said Arenadd. “And I think you’ll like Saeddryn a lot more after she brings you food.” He noticed the look Skade was giving him. “Oh, don’t do that, Skade. This is a
good
thing! We found Eitheinn without being caught or seen, and what’s more we’ve found exactly the right person. We’ve got an ally now—probably more than one—and we’ve got shelter and food. There’s no griffiners about. This is the perfect place for us to hide.”
“But this stone circle,” said Skade. “Why is she so intent on taking you there?”
“It’s an important place,” said Arenadd. “To us. I want to see it. And I have a feeling that those rebels Caedmon mentioned might be hiding up there; Saeddryn obviously thinks we’ve come to join them.”
“Which we have not,” said Skade.
“They could help us,” said Arenadd. “Think about it, Skade; if griffiners ever come here looking for us, we’ll need help if we’re going to hide from them. Have you thought of that? And besides, I can’t stay here. Can I, Skandar?”
“Not stay,” the griffin agreed. “You, me, go mountains.”
“And
me
?” said Skade. “What about me? Where shall I go?”
Arenadd stared at her, caught off guard. “Uh, well, where do you want to go?”
Skade hissed. “Do not mock me.”
“I wasn’t mocking you; I wanted to know,” said Arenadd.
“Not come,” said Skandar.
They both looked at him.
“What, Skandar?” said Arenadd.
The griffin moved forward, thrusting his beak at Skade. “Female not come. Not want her. She stay, not come. I go to mountains, take human with me. Take Arren. Not take her.”
“What?” said Arenadd. “Skandar, why?”
“Not like silver human,” said Skandar. “Arren friend, magic human. Show me where go. You say if I fly here, bring female, I have mountain. Have mountain now.”
Skade had gone pale. “You told him to bring me?” she said to Arenadd.
“Arren tell,” Skandar confirmed. “Arren say, ‘You bring female, I show you the way, we go mountain. You, me, live together.’ You say fly, I fly. You say fight, I fight. Now you give me what I want, you do what I say, human.”