Treespeaker (17 page)

“The answer isn’t always immediately apparent. Let’s go and eat, then you can rest.”

“Will my father be all right?”

“Only Arrakesh knows. Unfortunately, you can’t expect Arrakesh to tell you his will, just because you wish to know. He has given you an answer of sorts. Maybe when we work out what it means, it will ease your mind.”

Dovan climbed to his feet and leaned back to stretch his muscles. His companion followed. “Don’t worry too much. Tomorrow you can help me mend the Veil. Then we have some planning to do for how to deal with our friend, Beldror. We’ll leave at first light, the next day.”

Don’t look now, but we’re being watched.
Putak kept walking, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Dovan tensed.
Watched? Where?
He scanned around as far as he could without turning his head, but could see nothing.

Behind the cottage we passed as we came in. There’s a man watching us.

Dovan’s stomach tied itself in a knot as they strode down the path to Megda’s cottage. Where was everyone? It was midday and there was no one about, except for the man spying. Not even any children playing amongst the trees.

Mending the Veil had taken time, with both Treespeakers weaving their thoughts with those of Arrakesh until the hole had been drawn together and sealed over. Exhausted, they had slept past dawn, before taking most of the day to walk to the village. How could so much have changed during his short absence?

Dovan feigned ignorance of the watcher and pointed the way to Putak, who smiled and turned down the path towards Megda’s door without a word. As they reached the door, the older man paused.
Let’s save thoughtspeak for conversations we don’t want overheard. It’s important that no one suspects you’re a Treespeaker for now. They will wonder why we never speak if we always use thoughtspeak.

Dovan gave a slight nod and tapped on the door. He didn’t want his arrival back in the village to come as too much of a surprise to Megda. If he walked straight in he might frighten her.

Megda’s face, pale and tense, alarmed him. As she saw Dovan, tears sprang to her eyes. They narrowed a little as she saw Putak, then her shoulders dropped and she smiled. “Putakash! I remember you from the Lake Gathering. Welcome. Dovan, it’s good to see you safe.”

She was whispering. Stepping back from the door, she urged them inside with a shake of her hand, then shut the door swiftly behind them.

Dovan frowned as he looked about the dim interior of the cottage. Megda loved fresh air and flung the shutters open wide every morning, as soon as she rose from her bed. Now they were shut and the cottage smelled musty, as if they had been that way since Dovan left. The only light came through the cracks around the door and windows. Megda’s rumpled bedroll lay on the floor in the corner. Dovan turned and looked at her, his eyebrows raised. “What’s wrong? Are you ill?”

Megda wiped her eyes and rushed forward to give him a quick hug. “I’m so relieved you’re safe. It’s seemed such a long time since you went. So much has happened. Your father. Any news of him?”

Dovan squeezed her arm. “He’s fine. He’s gone to find Varyd.”

“Varyd? But how? He can’t leave the forest.”

“Putak helped him. There was a way.”

Megda put her hand to her breast and took a deep breath. She went to Putak, who still stood by the door, took his hand in both hers and shook it. “I’m glad to see you too, Putak, though I fear there’s little you can do for us here.”

Dovan shivered. What could have happened in such a short time? Before he could ask, Megda put her finger to her lips and walked over to the entrance of her sleeping quarters. She beckoned through the doorway with an encouraging smile. A few moments later, a woman came into the living area. She peered about her and gasped when she saw Dovan.

“Kelsha! What are you doing here?” Dovan’s surprise made him forget that he should use her full title out of respect for her rank as Elder. Kelsha did not answer but gazed through the gloom at Putak.

Dovan stepped forward and looked from the Treespeaker to Kelsha. “Putakash, Treespeaker of the Second Tribe, this is Kankelsha, an Elder of this village.” He did not go on. Until he knew why Kelsha hid in Megda’s cottage, he would say nothing of Putak’s reasons for coming.

Kelsha smiled. “We have met at the Green Lake. Good day, Putak.” She bowed her head a little in respect.

As Dovan’s eyes became accustomed to the darkness, he could see that Kelsha looked ill. Her shoulders were hunched and her hair, usually brushed and tied to perfection, hung limply on her shoulders. She sighed as she took a seat on the cushion Megda offered her at the table and kept casting worried glances at the door. Dovan soon found himself doing the same, though he had no idea what he might be looking for.

Megda beckoned the two men to sit also and moved to the cupboard under the window to bring the jug of water.

Putak, what do you think is going on?

The old Treespeaker’s face showed no sign of having heard. It did not move as he answered.
Patience. They will tell us soon enough.

At last, having given everyone a cup of water, Megda lowered herself to a cushion. She, too, looked unwell.

Dovan sat up straight and leaned towards her across the table. “Megda, what’s happening?” He stretched out his hand to take hers. With a jolt, he felt her fear and sorrow as if it were his own. She had pulled her hand away to wipe a tear before he remembered that, as a Treespeaker, he could have passed her a healing of calm.

Megda cast a quick look at Kelsha and licked her lips. “Everything went awry the morning after you left,” she said. “When the villagers realised your father was missing, some, Kelsha included, began calling for a search party to be formed. But, as we suspected, the number was very small. The rest seemed to accept Beldror’s opinion that Jakan’s mind had already been lost before ‘the accident’ as he called it, and that there was no point in going out to look for a madman.” Dovan tensed at the description and she gave his hand a quick pat, shaking her head. “That very afternoon, Grifad called a meeting of the Elders. With no leader in the village, he said, they needed to do as Beldror suggested and hold an election. So an election was held. With Beldror present.”

Dovan let out a long breath. “Let me guess. Grifad was elected.”

Megda nodded. “He was elected, almost unopposed.” She moved her head towards Kelsha.

“Almost?” Dovan turned to Kelsha. “You were the only one who objected?”

Kelsha looked close to tears. “And Grifad’s first act as Chief Elder was to banish me from the village.”

Putak sat up straight, his face red, his fists clenched on the table. “But that can’t be! A Chief Elder is decided by Arrakesh and only Arrakesh can say who must leave a village.”

 “The Will of Arrakesh seems to have been forgotten in this village,” Kelsha said. “Here, it is the Will of Grifad or, I should say, the Will of Beldror.”

Putak drew in his lips and breathed deeply. “What grounds did he give for banishing you?”

“Apparently, I do not have the good of my people at heart.”

“Because you didn’t vote for him?”

“Because I didn’t want to hold an election, but preferred to go in search of the one man who knew who should be leader.”

Dovan leaned forward. “You think Father knew?”

 “I’m sure he knew,” Kelsha said. “Even though he didn’t tell, he never actually said ‘Arrakesh hasn’t told me’. It was always ‘The answer isn’t clear’.”

“But Jakan is believed to have lost his mind,” said Putak. “How could you trust his word?” Dovan stared at him.
I need to know what she thinks, Dovan.
Putak’s face remained impassive.

Kelsha shook her head. “No!” She almost shouted, but at a look from Megda her voice sank, once more, to a whisper. “No, there is nothing wrong with Jakan’s mind. Wherever he’s gone, Beldror has something to do with it.”

Dovan cast Megda a questioning look. She nodded. “I have told her.”

“Everything?”

Megda looked quickly at Kelsha and back to Dovan and gave a quick nod of her head.

Putak rested his head on his clasped hands. “So, if you’ve been banished, how do you come to be here?”

Instead of answering, Kelsha burst into tears, sobbing quietly into her hands. It was Megda who spoke. “She left as she was told to, but where was there to go? She was born of the Seventh Tribe, but they are days away and it’s a dangerous trip for a woman, or even a man, on their own. So, she hid in the forest and crept back in the middle of the night. She knew I’d help. Jakan’s like a son to me. So I’ve told others I’m feeling unwell and wish to be left alone. Melni, kind soul that she is, brings me a pot of soup each day, but no one else comes near.”

Dovan played with his water cup as he spoke, running his finger around the rim. “But these are your people. Surely someone objected to you being sent away?”
Why would they? They abandoned Father.
“What about Maden? Did he not make a fuss?”

Kelsha wiped her face with her hands, shaking her head. “Those who might have objected were too scared. Grifad threatened to banish anyone who defied him. He has ordered everyone to stay in their cottages, for all but an hour a day, unless they’re out hunting with a party he chooses. As for Maden, I’m sure that was another reason Beldror was in a hurry to be rid of me.”

Putak and Dovan remained silent but gazed at her, waiting for her to go on. She sat up and rested her arms on the table, twisting and untwisting her fingers. “Beldror has a hold over people. I don’t know what he does, but somehow he makes them do what he wants. Some people seem to be able to resist, but Maden couldn’t. He took Beldror to Fashmanek, even though he knew it to be wrong. With Maden though, the hold seems to wear off sometimes, when he hasn’t seen Beldror for a while. The day of…the fire…he was himself again. He told me about that day when Beldror went hunting with them. Apparently, Beldror filled his hands with healing stones and boasted that one day these stones would make him the most popular man in all Carlika. Somehow, I’m certain, Beldror knows that I know.”

A firm knock on the door made them all jump. Kelsha gasped and leapt up. She hurried off on light feet to Megda’s sleeping quarters. Megda, too, rose quickly, hid Kelsha’s cup in a box and threw her cushion against the far wall.

Putak gave Dovan a mental nudge.
You’re distressed.
Dovan frowned. Putak cocked his head towards the door, eyebrows raised. Dovan nodded his understanding and rubbed his eyes hard with his knuckles to redden them. Megda stood by the door, waiting for him to finish before she opened it.

Dovan kept his head down, resting his face in his hands. He felt no surprise when it was Grifad’s voice he recognised.

“Good day to you, Bekmegda. I hope you’re feeling a little better?”

“Yes, thank you, Grifad.”

There was silence for a moment. Dovan could imagine Grifad craning his neck to see around Megda into the cottage.

“Hmm, I couldn’t help but notice that Dovan has returned. With a visitor?” There was accusation in Grifad’s voice.

Dovan looked up now. The brightness of the daylight streaming through the door made his eyes water. He wiped them on his hand, hoping Grifad would mistake it for grief. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he saw a shadow next to Grifad and Beldror stepped into view.

“May we come in, Megda?” Beldror’s voice sounded polite, but Dovan doubted if he would take no for an answer. Dovan and Putak both stood to face the two men.

Beldror entered first with a confident stride. He looked at Dovan without expression, but his eyes narrowed as he saw Putak. Grifad scurried in after him, an inane smile on his face. Megda didn’t shut the door, but stood by it, her arms folded.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment. At last, Beldror spoke. “Welcome back, Dovan. Did you find any sign of your father?”

Dovan felt a chill at the tactlessness of his words, but maintained his mask of distress. He shook his head.

“Too bad. It must all have been a great shock to him.” Beldror’s lip curled a little as he spoke.

Dovan swallowed the bad taste in his mouth. How had he ever been taken in by the charm of this man? He had killed his mother and banished his father and he could still spin such smooth words?