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morning. Fawn had wondered at the effort, since Dag couldn t feel it but
somehow it did make him look less sick. So maybe the use of it was not for
Dag, but for the people who looked so anxiously after him. She had smiled
gratefully at Saun, anyhow.
Othan, on the other hand, glowered at her as he worked.
What? she finally demanded.
You re hovering. Back off, can t you? Half a mile would do.
I ve a right. He s my husband.
That hasn t been decided yet.
Fawn touched her marriage cord. Dag and I decided it. Quite a ways back down
the road.
You ll find out, farmer. Othan coaxed the last spoonful of broth down his
patient s throat, which moved just enough to swallow, and laid Dag s head back
down on the folded blanket that substituted, poorly, for a pillow. Fawn
considered collecting dry grass to stuff it with, later. Othan added, He was
a good patroller. Hoharie says he could be even more. They say you ve seduced
him from his duty and will be the ruination his life if the camp council
doesn t fix things.
Fawn sat up indignantly. They say?So letthem say it to my face, if they re
not cowards. And anyhow, I think we sort of seduced each other.
My uncle who s a patroller says it, and he s no coward!
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Fawn gritted her teeth as Othan safely ground-closed Othan stroked a strand
of sweat-dampened hair back from Dag s forehead. How dare he act as if he
owned Dag, just because he was Lakewalker-born and she wasn t! The, thestupid
boy was just a wet-behind-the-ears apprentice no older than she was. Younger,
likely. Her longing to shut Othan up, make him look nohow, was quelled by her
sudden realization that he might be a lead into just the sort of camp gossip
Dag had so carefully shielded her from. Also this was half an argument. Just
what all had Dag been saying back to Hickory Lake Camp? She recalled the day
he d made that poor plunkin into a porcupine with his bow and her arrows. Her
spinning mind settled on, I m not a patch on your malices, for ruination.
They re notour malices.
Fawn smiled blackly. Oh, yes, they are. She added after a fuming moment,
And there isn t anywas about it, unless you want to say hewas a good
patroller, and he nowis a really good captain! He took his company right
through that awful Raintree malice like a knife through butter, to hear Dirla
tell it. Despite being married to a farmer, so there!
Despite, yeah, Othan growled.
Fawn took a grip on her shredding temper as Mari and Hoharie came up. Othan
scrambled to his feet, giving over glaring at Fawn in order to look anxiously
at the medicine maker. Hoharie looked grim, and Mari grimmer.
Which one, then? said Mari.
Dag, said Hoharie. I ve worked on his ground enough to be most familiar
with it, and he s also the most recent to fall into the lock. If that counts
for anything. Othan, good, you re here, she continued without a pause. I m
going to enter this groundlock, and I want you to try to anchor me.
Othan looked alarmed. Are you sure, Hoharie?
No, but I ve tried everything else I can think of. And I won t walk away
from this.
No, you re leaving that dirty job to me, muttered Mari irritably. Hoharie
returned her the sort of sharp shrug that indicated a lengthy argument
concluded.
Hoharie went on, I ll set up a light link to you, Othan, and try for a
glimpse inside the groundlock, then pull back. If I can t disengage, you are
to break with me instantly andnot try to enter in after me, do you hear? She
caught her apprentice s gaze and held it sternly. Othan gulped and nodded.
Fawn scrunched back in the litter of dry grass and dead leaves on Dag s far
side, wrapping her arms around her knees and trying to make herself small, so
they wouldn t notice and exclude her.
Hoharie paused, then said, My knife is in my saddlebags, Mari, if it comes
to that.
When should it come to it, Hoharie? Don t leave me with that decision, too.
When the weakest start to die, I believe it will throw more strain on the
rest. So it will go faster toward the end. That poor maker who died before
Dag s patrol arrived showed that such deaths won t break the lock; if
anything, it may grow more concentrated. I think& once two or more of the
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nine no, ten are down, then start the sharing. And you ll just have to see
what happens next. She added after a moment, Start with me, of course.
That, said Mari distantly, will be my turn to pick.
Hoharie s lips thinned. Mm.
I don t recommend this, Hoharie.
I hear you.
Evidently not, because the medicine maker lowered herself cross-legged by the
head of Dag s bedroll, motioning Othan down beside her. He sat up on his
knees. She straightened her spine and shut her eyes for a moment, seeming to
center herself. She then took Othan s hand with her left hand; there
apparently followed another moment of invisible-to-Fawn ground adjustments.
Without further hesitation, Hoharie s right hand reached out and touched Dag s
forehead. Fawn thought she saw him grimace in his trance, but it was hard to
be sure.
Then Hoharie s eyes opened wide; with a yank, she pulled her hand from
Othan s and slammed the heel of it into his chest, pushing him over backward.
Her eyes rolled up, her face drained of color and expression, and she slumped
across Dag.
With a muted wail, Othan scrambled up and dove for her. Mari cursed and
caught Othan from behind, wrapping her arms around his torso and trapping his
hands. No! she yelled in his ear. Obey her! Close up! Close up, blight you,
boy!
Othan strained against her briefly, then, with a choke of despair, sprawled
back in her grip.
Ten, snarled Mari. That s it, that s all we re doing here. Not eleven, you
hear? She shook him.
Othan nodded dully, and she let him free. He leaned on his hands, staring at
his unconscious mentor in horror.
What did you feel? Mari demanded of him. Anything?
He shook his head. I nothing useful, I don t think. It was like I could feel
her ground being pulled away from me, into the dark& ! He turned a distraught
face to the patrol leader. I didn t let go, Mari, I didn t! She pushed me
away!
I saw, boy, sighed Mari. You did what you could. Slowly, she stood up,
and braced her legs apart and her hands on her hips, staring down at the two
enspelled in their heap. We ll lay her out with the rest. She s in there with
them now; maybe she can do something different. If this thing was weakening
with age, could we tell? If nothing else, she may have bought three more days
of time. Her voice fell to a savage mutter. Except I don t want more time. I
want this to beover.
Hoharie s bedroll was placed under the ash tree close to Dag s. Othan took up
a cross-legged station of guard, or grief, on the opposite side to Fawn, who
sat similarly beyond Dag. They didn t much look at each other.
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Toward sunset, Mari came and sat down between the two bedrolls.
Blight you two, she said conversationally to the unconscious pair, for
leaving this on me. This is company captain work, not patrol leader work. No
fair slithering out of it, Dag my boy. She looked up and caught Fawn s eye
from where she lay on her side near Dag. Fawn sat up and returned an inquiring
look. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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morning. Fawn had wondered at the effort, since Dag couldn t feel it but
somehow it did make him look less sick. So maybe the use of it was not for
Dag, but for the people who looked so anxiously after him. She had smiled
gratefully at Saun, anyhow.
Othan, on the other hand, glowered at her as he worked.
What? she finally demanded.
You re hovering. Back off, can t you? Half a mile would do.
I ve a right. He s my husband.
That hasn t been decided yet.
Fawn touched her marriage cord. Dag and I decided it. Quite a ways back down
the road.
You ll find out, farmer. Othan coaxed the last spoonful of broth down his
patient s throat, which moved just enough to swallow, and laid Dag s head back
down on the folded blanket that substituted, poorly, for a pillow. Fawn
considered collecting dry grass to stuff it with, later. Othan added, He was
a good patroller. Hoharie says he could be even more. They say you ve seduced
him from his duty and will be the ruination his life if the camp council
doesn t fix things.
Fawn sat up indignantly. They say?So letthem say it to my face, if they re
not cowards. And anyhow, I think we sort of seduced each other.
My uncle who s a patroller says it, and he s no coward!
Page 150
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Fawn gritted her teeth as Othan safely ground-closed Othan stroked a strand
of sweat-dampened hair back from Dag s forehead. How dare he act as if he
owned Dag, just because he was Lakewalker-born and she wasn t! The, thestupid
boy was just a wet-behind-the-ears apprentice no older than she was. Younger,
likely. Her longing to shut Othan up, make him look nohow, was quelled by her
sudden realization that he might be a lead into just the sort of camp gossip
Dag had so carefully shielded her from. Also this was half an argument. Just
what all had Dag been saying back to Hickory Lake Camp? She recalled the day
he d made that poor plunkin into a porcupine with his bow and her arrows. Her
spinning mind settled on, I m not a patch on your malices, for ruination.
They re notour malices.
Fawn smiled blackly. Oh, yes, they are. She added after a fuming moment,
And there isn t anywas about it, unless you want to say hewas a good
patroller, and he nowis a really good captain! He took his company right
through that awful Raintree malice like a knife through butter, to hear Dirla
tell it. Despite being married to a farmer, so there!
Despite, yeah, Othan growled.
Fawn took a grip on her shredding temper as Mari and Hoharie came up. Othan
scrambled to his feet, giving over glaring at Fawn in order to look anxiously
at the medicine maker. Hoharie looked grim, and Mari grimmer.
Which one, then? said Mari.
Dag, said Hoharie. I ve worked on his ground enough to be most familiar
with it, and he s also the most recent to fall into the lock. If that counts
for anything. Othan, good, you re here, she continued without a pause. I m
going to enter this groundlock, and I want you to try to anchor me.
Othan looked alarmed. Are you sure, Hoharie?
No, but I ve tried everything else I can think of. And I won t walk away
from this.
No, you re leaving that dirty job to me, muttered Mari irritably. Hoharie
returned her the sort of sharp shrug that indicated a lengthy argument
concluded.
Hoharie went on, I ll set up a light link to you, Othan, and try for a
glimpse inside the groundlock, then pull back. If I can t disengage, you are
to break with me instantly andnot try to enter in after me, do you hear? She
caught her apprentice s gaze and held it sternly. Othan gulped and nodded.
Fawn scrunched back in the litter of dry grass and dead leaves on Dag s far
side, wrapping her arms around her knees and trying to make herself small, so
they wouldn t notice and exclude her.
Hoharie paused, then said, My knife is in my saddlebags, Mari, if it comes
to that.
When should it come to it, Hoharie? Don t leave me with that decision, too.
When the weakest start to die, I believe it will throw more strain on the
rest. So it will go faster toward the end. That poor maker who died before
Dag s patrol arrived showed that such deaths won t break the lock; if
anything, it may grow more concentrated. I think& once two or more of the
Page 151
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
nine no, ten are down, then start the sharing. And you ll just have to see
what happens next. She added after a moment, Start with me, of course.
That, said Mari distantly, will be my turn to pick.
Hoharie s lips thinned. Mm.
I don t recommend this, Hoharie.
I hear you.
Evidently not, because the medicine maker lowered herself cross-legged by the
head of Dag s bedroll, motioning Othan down beside her. He sat up on his
knees. She straightened her spine and shut her eyes for a moment, seeming to
center herself. She then took Othan s hand with her left hand; there
apparently followed another moment of invisible-to-Fawn ground adjustments.
Without further hesitation, Hoharie s right hand reached out and touched Dag s
forehead. Fawn thought she saw him grimace in his trance, but it was hard to
be sure.
Then Hoharie s eyes opened wide; with a yank, she pulled her hand from
Othan s and slammed the heel of it into his chest, pushing him over backward.
Her eyes rolled up, her face drained of color and expression, and she slumped
across Dag.
With a muted wail, Othan scrambled up and dove for her. Mari cursed and
caught Othan from behind, wrapping her arms around his torso and trapping his
hands. No! she yelled in his ear. Obey her! Close up! Close up, blight you,
boy!
Othan strained against her briefly, then, with a choke of despair, sprawled
back in her grip.
Ten, snarled Mari. That s it, that s all we re doing here. Not eleven, you
hear? She shook him.
Othan nodded dully, and she let him free. He leaned on his hands, staring at
his unconscious mentor in horror.
What did you feel? Mari demanded of him. Anything?
He shook his head. I nothing useful, I don t think. It was like I could feel
her ground being pulled away from me, into the dark& ! He turned a distraught
face to the patrol leader. I didn t let go, Mari, I didn t! She pushed me
away!
I saw, boy, sighed Mari. You did what you could. Slowly, she stood up,
and braced her legs apart and her hands on her hips, staring down at the two
enspelled in their heap. We ll lay her out with the rest. She s in there with
them now; maybe she can do something different. If this thing was weakening
with age, could we tell? If nothing else, she may have bought three more days
of time. Her voice fell to a savage mutter. Except I don t want more time. I
want this to beover.
Hoharie s bedroll was placed under the ash tree close to Dag s. Othan took up
a cross-legged station of guard, or grief, on the opposite side to Fawn, who
sat similarly beyond Dag. They didn t much look at each other.
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Toward sunset, Mari came and sat down between the two bedrolls.
Blight you two, she said conversationally to the unconscious pair, for
leaving this on me. This is company captain work, not patrol leader work. No
fair slithering out of it, Dag my boy. She looked up and caught Fawn s eye
from where she lay on her side near Dag. Fawn sat up and returned an inquiring
look. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]