{"id":337,"date":"2014-01-10T01:00:56","date_gmt":"2014-01-10T01:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paulinemross.co.uk\/?p=337"},"modified":"2014-08-16T08:57:25","modified_gmt":"2014-08-16T08:57:25","slug":"the-plains-of-kallanash-chapters-1-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paulinemross.co.uk\/index.php\/2014\/01\/the-plains-of-kallanash-chapters-1-6\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Plains of Kallanash’: Chapters 1-6"},"content":{"rendered":"

For backgound information on the book, click here<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 1: A Death (Mia)<\/span><\/p>\n

The hour bells sounded, reverberating through the tower, then faded to silence. Mia and both her husbands were on time. Tella, her co-wife and sister, was late.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hands folded in her lap, Mia sat perfectly still. <\/span><\/p>\n

Across the table, Hurst tapped his fingers on the polished wood. Jonnor rose, paced twice round the room, pausing to look through the tower window at the everyday life of the Karning below, then took his seat again. Although they were cousins, the two men were not alike. Hurst\u2019s rough features and plain brown jacket made him look like an ordinary Skirmisher, rather than a Karningholder. Beside him, Jonnor looked like a prince from the old stories, his blue woollen coat enhancing his figure. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mia forced herself to take her eyes off him. She smoothed away a crease in her russet tunic, then stilled her hands.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think perhaps we should begin without Tella?\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s wait a little longer,\u201d Jonnor said. \u201cShe\u2019s only just back from the Ring, so she\u2019s bound to be a bit unsettled today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid she tell you what the Voices wanted?\u201d Hurst asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor\u2019s hands clenched for a moment. \u201cWe\u2026 discussed it.\u201d Discussed! That was a mild word for the shouting Mia had tried very hard not to listen to. \u201cShe wasn\u2019t very forthcoming.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI imagine it was just the usual,\u201d Mia said quickly. \u201cShe missed her interview last winter, because of the baby.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe usual interference, you mean,\u201d Hurst said, one eyebrow raised. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mia clucked at him, scandalised. \u201cThe Voices are there to help us. They have to ask searching questions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst grunted, shifting his bad leg to a more comfortable position. \u201cIf you say so. I\u2019d just like to know if anything out of the ordinary came up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGods, Hurst! You do go on. She\u2019d tell us if there was anything to worry about,\u201d Jonnor said, rubbing his eyes. He looked as if he hadn\u2019t slept well, but then he was just back from a difficult skirmish, and that always made him a little tetchy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia wished she could soothe him, but he rarely accepted her help. Still, she knew countless little ways to increase his comfort. She would order his favourite dishes for meat that evening, and have plenty of good northern wine to hand. That always helped him to relax and return to his affable self. \u2018Ah, there\u2019s nothing finer life can offer than red meat, red wine and the company of both my wives.\u2019 How often had she heard him say so?<\/span><\/p>\n

The small bells sounded, and they too faded to silence.<\/span><\/p>\n

The door flew open, and Mia\u2019s co-wife stood framed in the doorway, her curves clad in shimmering green silk. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello, little sister,\u201d she said languidly, nodding to the two men. \u201cHusband. Husband.\u201d She crossed the room to a window, skirts swishing. A faint haze of perfume drifted after her. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. \u201cRight, now that we\u2019re all here, let\u2019s talk about Tella\u2019s interview.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia opened her mouth, then thought better of it. She\u2019d seen that determined look on Hurst\u2019s face before.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor shook his head, his lips pressed together. <\/span><\/p>\n

Swirling to face them, Tella sighed. \u201cWhat is there to talk about?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia looked from one to the other, pressing her hands together. If only they could pretend nothing had happened, then they could all be easy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst pressed on, his tone even. \u201cWhy you were summoned to the Ring at mid-summer, for one thing. What was so urgent it couldn\u2019t wait for the winter quiet?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She hesitated. \u201cNothing that need concern any of you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not going to break the marriage, then?\u201d Hurst asked. \u201cOr change the skirmish schedule?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia\u2019s heart fluttered in alarm. Break them? Split them apart and give their Karning to another set of Karningholders? That dreadful possibility had never occurred to her. She shivered.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tella laughed, a dry, brittle sound. \u201cOh no, you\u2019re quite safe. The marriage will go on. You can carry on with your precious skirmishes and\u2026 Oh, who cares anyway?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor got up, and walked across to Tella, putting his arms round her. \u201cDearest, we only want to help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She pushed him away and folded her arms, her gaze sweeping the room. \u201cYou can\u2019t help! It\u2019s done with, finished, you understand? Interviews are always evil, but whatever went on, it\u2019s my business, not yours, and I\u2019ve dealt with it. None of you can help, so you can just stay out of my affairs. All of you.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Mia put in quickly. \u201cInterviews are a private matter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

No one spoke. Mia held her breath, blinking hard to keep the tears at bay. They mustn\u2019t quarrel, not today, not when the other three had only returned the day before. Surely they could have a few days of calm? <\/span><\/p>\n

It was Hurst who broke the silence. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mia. We\u2019re upsetting you. Shall we deal with other matters?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She breathed out. When she looked at Hurst again, he was smiling at her, his harsh features softened. <\/span><\/p>\n

They worked methodically through the list of items prepared by the secretaries for their attention. Food shortages, servants employed, dismissed or sick, taxes received, charity to be disbursed, petitions allowed or refused. Mia read out each item, she and Hurst agreed what was to be done, and she noted it down. Then on to the next. The repetition soothed her, and gradually she calmed down. This would all blow over, and they would be peaceful again.<\/span><\/p>\n

All the while, Tella paced silently from one window to the other. Back and forth, back and forth, never still. <\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor sat at the table watching her every move, turning his head to follow her. He contributed little to the discussion until a problem concerning the roof of the great hall was mentioned. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds like fun,\u201d he said, brightening. \u201cI\u2019ll talk to the builders, shall I?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re sure it won\u2019t be too unpleasant for you,\u201d Mia said. \u201cYou\u2019re only just back from the skirmishes. You should be resting, not clambering about on roofs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I like to help out when I can. You have enough to do, little Mia.\u201d He gave her a beaming smile which made her warm inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst coughed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s the last of the Karninghold business,\u201d Mia said. \u201cJust the villages now, and only one for a change. Village Twelve Fifty-Six Eighteen has swamp encroachment again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTwelve Fifty-Six Eighteen?\u201d Hurst asked. \u201cRemind me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe locals call it Red Bear. It\u2019s about half a day\u2019s ride south of here, just west of the road.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tella stopped pacing. She stared out of the window, although there was nothing visible from there except the golden dome of the Karninghold temple. \u201cSo small,\u201d she said in a quiet voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mystified, Mia glanced across at Hurst, who gave the tiniest of shrugs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDearest?\u201d Jonnor said, frowning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom here, they look so small,\u201d she whispered. \u201cThe Slaves, scurrying about down below like so many tiny grey mice. Rushing here and there, into the temple and out again, so busy. Busy little mice. So small, so insignificant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They were all silent. Mia\u2019s head spun at the abrupt change in mood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tella swung round to face them. \u201cThis village \u2013 I\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia\u2019s eyebrows flew upwards. \u201cYou? But why?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tella lifted a languid shoulder. \u201cWhy not? I\u2019m bored, I could do with a decent long ride.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy love, you\u2019ve only just returned from the Ring.\u201d Jonnor jumped up and strode across to her. \u201cYou\u2019ll be exhausted\u2026 and it\u2019s too far\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t fuss!\u201d She raised her hands and slipped out of his grasp. \u201cI need to get away from this place, and a swampy village is as good an excuse as any other. Are we finished? Can I sign now?\u201d She strode to the table and picked up Mia\u2019s pen.<\/span><\/p>\n

In silence Mia slid the paper to her. Tella scrawled her signature, and with quick steps left the room, her embroidered slippers making no sound, only a thread of perfume trailing behind. <\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor scribbled his name and skidded out of the room after her, his long coat flying, boots echoing on the stair.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that all about?\u201d Hurst raised his hands in entreaty. \u201cWhen did Tella ever take an interest in village affairs?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia could only shrug. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s very secretive about this interview,\u201d Hurst went on. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you really concerned about it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA little. Our skirmish results have been so poor lately. The Voices are bound to wonder why. Then there\u2019s the two of us \u2013 still downstairs, still no more than glorified servants.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia concentrated on straightening her sleeves. \u201cThat\u2019s not so unusual. Some second husbands and wives never move upstairs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTrue enough. Although now that Tella\u2019s got her three children, I\u2019ve been half-expecting things to change. But so long as everyone\u2019s happy with it.\u201d He paused, watching her.<\/span><\/p>\n

Happy? After ten years of marriage, they were all contented enough, weren\u2019t they? Tella and Jonnor had their quarrels, but they\u2019d had three children together, and they got along pretty well as lead husband and wife. Better than many Karningholders, anyway. It wasn\u2019t easy to marry someone chosen for you. <\/span><\/p>\n

As for Mia herself, she had no particular expectations of happiness. There were the quiet satisfactions of her life to sustain her, like watching the children grow, the company of her Companions, the temple rituals and the daily round of her Karninghold duties. Whatever hopes she had, she kept to herself. So she made no answer to Hurst\u2019s gentle probing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d just like to know what that interview was for,\u201d he went on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure there\u2019s nothing to worry about. Sometimes what happens at the Ring\u2026 what the Servants of the Gods and their Voices do\u2026 it seems very strange to us, but it comes direct from the Word of the Gods.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

She pushed the paper across the table to him. \u201cThere. Sign your name, and then I can tell you about one of the petitions I heard yesterday while you were riding back from the lines.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He drew his chair closer to hers, bending his head to listen with a little smile, and his face softened. Hurst was not a good-looking man, and had none of Jonnor\u2019s style or grace. He wore Skirmisher\u2019s uniform whenever he could, but even in formal dress he looked rumpled, as if he\u2019d just come from the training yard. He was a good man, though, and never complained about his withered leg, although Mia knew how much pain it gave him. A good man, and a good friend, too. No more than that, but then she had never wanted more from him. Friends they remained, helping to rule the Karninghold, but not quite a full part of this marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n

She moved nearer to Hurst, and leaned forward. \u201cThis petition \u2013 I wasn\u2019t sure what to do, but you always say that I should trust my intuition, so I did.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

He nodded, listening intently, and slowly she relaxed. Hurst was such a comfort to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

That afternoon, Mia was in the family hall, reading to the older children, the hum of conversation around her. A gaggle of servants murmured over their stitch-work, two of the younger children chased each other squealing around the work table, some of the Companions giggled together. The afternoon sun radiated through high windows, painting blocks of colour over the stone floor and reflecting from polished wood and mirrors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then the afternoon peace was shattered like glass.<\/span><\/p>\n

The death alarm sounded. It rumbled, low and sonorous, through the Karninghold, the tone so deep that even the stone walls seemed to shudder. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mia froze, the book sliding from her fingers, fear clutching her heart. How she hated that sound! Unlike the welcoming chime of the arrival bells, or the frantic wail signalling a fire, the death alarm was slow, deep and dreadful. <\/span><\/p>\n

It could only be tolling for one of the family. Yet who? And how could the Gods take one of them, who had all woken that morning young, well and filled with life?<\/span><\/p>\n

She spun, scanning the room, her eyes flitting from face to face, counting. All around her, activity had ceased. Mouths gaped, eyes widened, hands clutched throats. White-faced servants turned to face her, waiting for orders. Her three Companions moved protectively around her. The children looked from one adult to another, puzzled. She tried to count them, her numb mind struggling. One, two, three\u2026 where was the baby? There! Thank the Gods, they were all in view.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who else? Tella had ridden off to that village to the south, and must be far away by now. So it couldn\u2019t be her.<\/span><\/p>\n

It must be one of the two men. Something must have happened in the training yard, some accident \u2013 a wayward arrow, perhaps, or a badly wielded sword. <\/span><\/p>\n

She turned and ran. <\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor! Sweet Gods, let it not be Jonnor! But it would be just as bad if it were Hurst. She didn\u2019t want to lose either of her husbands. By the grace of the Nine, preserve us all from harm this day. Too late for that. On and on the alarm tolled, the slow beat of death.<\/span><\/p>\n

Through the guest hall she ran, gasping for breath. On to the inner and middle halls. Servants jumped aside for her, white-eyed. Guards snapped to attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

She had just reached the great hall when Hurst entered at a run through the opposite door, dishevelled and sweating. His limp gave him a strange rolling gait, but it didn\u2019t slow him down. He crossed the room in great strides, and swept her into his arms.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThank the Gods!\u201d he whispered. \u201cI was so afraid\u2026\u201d Then, just as abruptly, he released her. \u201cThe children?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll fine. Is it Jonnor?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo. No\u2026\u201d His voice became puzzled. \u201cIt can\u2019t be Tella, surely?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But it was.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

The Karninghold Slave, the most senior of the Slaves to the Gods at the Karninghold, came to tell them. His deep set eyes glinted unfathomably above the hooked nose, grey hood pushed back to expose his shaven head. Mia still retained a trace of her childhood fear of the Slaves and their sinister tattooed skulls, and this one was more macabre than most, despite the comforting tang of incense clinging to his grey robes. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome children collecting berries found her,\u201d the Karninghold Slave said, his voice deep and placid. \u201cMost High Tella was lying at the edge of woodland an hour\u2019s ride north of here, her horse grazing loose. They thought she was asleep at first, she was so peaceful. When they realised, they ran back to their village to fetch help. The elders recognised the torc of her rank, and sent a rider to the Karninghold. The Silent Guards have gone to bring her back to the temple in proper state.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s not even the right direction,\u201d Mia wailed, unable to comprehend anything about it. \u201cShe should have been riding south.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWho knows why Tella does anything?\u201d Hurst said, shaking his head. \u201c\u2026did anything. Gods, this is bad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They had retreated to the family hall. The servants were gone, the children gathered up and taken off somewhere. Hurst and Jonnor were still in their mail, hair matted with sweat, having come straight from the training yard. Jonnor sat, head in hands, white faced. The men\u2019s Companions stood in an awkward semi-circle, faces serious. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nearby, Tella\u2019s Companions were sobbing, while her own comforted them as best they could. It was a terrible business for them, so sudden, so hard to accept, so young. It was an honour to be a Companion, of course, to become part of a Karningholder family, knowing that you would always be together, even in the Life Beyond Death. But at such a moment it felt like a terrible price to pay for that glory.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would the Gods take her? She\u2019s too young for them,\u201d Mia said, forcing herself to speak calmly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe may not question the will of the Nine,\u201d the Karninghold Slave said, touching his forehead in the ritual gesture, which Mia repeated reflexively.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have never understood why they take anyone, Mia,\u201d Hurst said slowly. \u201cIf I had the ordering of the world, everyone would die in their beds, fast asleep and unknowing. But accidents will happen, you can\u2019t avoid them altogether. I suppose she was just riding fast, as she so often does – did, and her horse missed his footing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose so,\u201d Mia said. \u201cShe was such a good rider, though\u2026 It\u2019s surprising.\u201d She turned to the Slave. \u201cThe Healers will be able to tell, won\u2019t they, Most Humble? When they examine her? So we will find out what happened to her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUndoubtedly, Most High.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMay I go to the temple? To see her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It was Hurst who answered, one hand resting on her shoulder. \u201cLet the Slaves do their work, Mia. They have to\u2026 prepare her. You can see her later, at the proper time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Karninghold Slave nodded, tucking his hands into his sleeves. \u201cThe dead await their journey to the Life Beyond Death away from all eyes. However, the rituals of the temple may comfort you in this most difficult time. You may ask the Nine for an easy passage for your sister.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst made a tutting sound. \u201cThere will be time enough for that. Let\u2019s take care of the living first. Mia, do you think you could look after Jonnor? He\u2019s struggling with this. Will you get him to the high tower and get a drink inside him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course.\u201d Something useful to do. \u201cWhat about you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are things to do, announcements to make, messages to send.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So practical; she should have thought of that herself. Such a relief to leave such matters in Hurst\u2019s capable hands. She was lucky in both her husbands, she reminded herself, as she guided Jonnor up the stairs to the high tower. <\/span><\/p>\n

Poor Jonnor. He had been so in love with Tella, and who could blame him? With her pale skin, voluptuous curves and dark hair, Tella had always reminded Mia of a ravishing sword-maiden of the old stories. But then Jonnor looked like a warlord himself, so they were well matched. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now his handsome features were marred by trickling tears, his face blotched. He allowed Mia to lead him to an armchair without protest. She pushed a goblet of wine into his hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDrink.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He lifted it to his lips at once and took a deep draught.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow could this happen?\u201d His voice was high, cracking. \u201cShe was so full of life! She can\u2019t be dead!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Another mouthful of wine. \u201cIt\u2019s impossible! There must have been a mistake. That\u2019s it! It\u2019s a mistake! She\u2019ll come galloping into the yard, and laugh at all this fuss.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

He raised the goblet again. \u201cHow she\u2019ll tease us about this! Is there more wine?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In silence she poured. She didn\u2019t like to contradict him, but this line of thought was unwise. <\/span><\/p>\n

Taking a deep breath, she said, \u201cI think we must accept that \u2013 that she is gone. It does no good to pretend.\u201d Tears prickled, but she forced them away. She had to be strong now, to support Jonnor.<\/span><\/p>\n

He grabbed her hand so hard she winced. \u201cHow can I go on without her?\u201d More tears trickled down, running unheeded over his full lips and down his chin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou must.\u201d She knelt down beside him, lifting a drooping curl of hair away from his face. \u201cRemember that she will be in the Life Beyond Death with her Companions and the Nine. That is such a comfort, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Her voice shook a little.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t comfort me!\u201d He thrust her hand away and gave a great sob. <\/span><\/p>\n

She wasn\u2019t sure what to do for him. Such an agony to stand and watch, helpless to relieve his suffering. She wanted to hold him in her arms, but probably he would rebuff her. Even Tella was repulsed when he was out of sorts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want anything to eat?\u201d she suggested. That brought a shake of the head. <\/span><\/p>\n

What else? He was still sweaty and dishevelled from the training yard. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShall I run you a bath?\u201d A hesitation, then a tentative nod.<\/span><\/p>\n

She ascended the stairs to the bedroom floor. At last, something practical she could do for him. Her own tears stung her eyes, but the need to help Jonnor kept them at bay. <\/span><\/p>\n

The upper floor of the high tower was divided into four bedroom suites around an atrium. Out in the border Karnings, where the unending war against the barbarians was waged and more Skirmishers were needed, there were three floors of bedrooms to accommodate marriages of up to twelve, but their inner Karning only needed the four of them. Three, she corrected herself, her stomach twisting at the thought. Only three now.<\/span><\/p>\n

She went into Jonnor\u2019s bedroom, through the dressing room and into the water room, opening valves to draw water from the boilers several floors below and lighting burners to keep it hot. While she waited for the water to rise, she crept back to his bedroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

A strongly masculine room, she thought it, with its dark walls and only two wardrobes \u2013 one for his combat gear and the other for ordinary clothes. There was little furniture, and no wall hangings or paintings on the wooden panels. No books, either; Jonnor was a man of action, not contemplation. The room was tidy, for she and the Companions had been through only that morning, sweeping, dusting and straightening; the servants were not allowed in the high tower. The only smell in the room was wax polish.<\/span><\/p>\n

On impulse she tiptoed through to Tella\u2019s room. It was crammed with little tables and decorative dressers, several wardrobes along one white-painted wall, their doors ajar, and mirrors everywhere. Discarded tunics, trousers, coats and scarves lay over chairs, and every surface was littered with the various jars of cream with which her sister had hoped to stave off any sign of advancing age. Tella\u2019s favourite perfume lingered in the air, as if she had just that moment left the room. It was hard to believe she was gone for ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

She picked up a gown from the floor, the silk ordered specially from the northern coast, she recalled, a vivid purple she would never wear herself. Mia held the fabric, as soft and delicate as petals, against her cheek. When she closed her eyes and breathed in the scent, she could see Tella wearing it, her curves filling the bodice, her dark hair falling loose almost to her waist at the back, the skirts swirling round her long legs. She was laughing, her brilliant eyes sparkling; in memory Tella was always laughing, although less so in life, at least lately.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia held the gown against her, the skirts trailing along the floor at her feet, and stared at her reflection in one of the mirrors. She looked like an ashen-faced stranger, not herself at all. She had none of Tella\u2019s beauty or liveliness or allure, yet at the end of the month of mourning she would move upstairs into this room and become the lead wife in the marriage. <\/span><\/p>\n

The only wife from now on. <\/span><\/p>\n

But such thoughts were unseemly. She tidied away the gown into one of the wardrobes and shut the door with a snap.<\/span><\/p>\n

She ran Jonnor\u2019s bath and went back down to the living floor. He was sprawled in the armchair, his leather combat gear and chain mail in a heap on the floor. One hand held the goblet and the other clutched the nearly empty wine decanter resting on his stomach. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI heard you.\u201d His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. He sat immobile, not looking at her. \u201cCreeping around in her room. She\u2019s barely cold and you\u2019re already taking over.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She couldn\u2019t breathe, blinking away tears. His grief was so deep, and she was increasing his misery with her thoughtlessness. Everything would remind him of Tella for a while, but if she was careful and bided her time, surely one day he would turn to her? Surely they could comfort each other in their sorrow?<\/span><\/p>\n

He stood up, slamming goblet and decanter down onto a table, sloshing a little wine over the side. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo what you like, I don\u2019t care,\u201d he spat. \u201cBut don\u2019t imagine for one instant that you can ever replace her.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

He turned towards the stairs. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mia crumpled into the chair and wept, for Tella, for Jonnor and for herself. <\/span><\/p>\n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 2: Funeral (Hurst)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan you believe it, there\u2019s a crowd outside the gate already,\u201d Hurst said, dropping onto a sofa, legs stretched out. \u201cHow do they know?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gantor, his senior Companion, shrugged. \u201cSame way vultures gather over a battlefield. Here, have some wine. Did you get your messages sent?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst took the glass from Gantor\u2019s hand. \u201cThe secretaries are taking care of it. They know the proper form better than I do.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

They were in Gantor\u2019s sitting room, called a library in honour of its few rows of books. Hurst had chosen Walst and Trimon, his two younger Companions, for their ability with sword and bow. Gantor was quite different, closer to Hurst in both age and temperament. He came from a family of scholars, which made him an improbable Skirmisher, but perfectly suited to the role of Companion and advisor to a Karningholder.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you ask at the temple about Tella? How she died?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes. Probably a fall from her horse, the Healers think.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cProbably? Broken neck, then? Head smashed in?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t mention anything like that. You know what they\u2019re like. It was the will of the Gods, and so on. Mustn\u2019t question the will of the Gods.\u201d Hurst ran his fingers through his hair. \u201cBut it must have been a fall. What else could it have been?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHmm. So now what?\u201d Gantor asked, leaning against the fireplace, one arm resting on the mantle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA funeral at dusk and\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTsk. After that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA burning at dawn, and a month of mourning.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst leaned back and closed his eyes. He had bathed and changed, but it felt odd to be sitting around in the afternoon, instead of tearing about the training yard with sword or spear.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHurst!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d He sat up and sipped the wine, avoiding Gantor\u2019s gaze. \u201cThis is good stuff. Vilkorani?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Trellian, and don\u2019t change the subject. Be serious, will you. You have to face up to it sooner or later. Everything will change now. Mia will be lead wife and she could be with either you or Jonnor. Or both, come to that. Any arrangement is possible, but Mia won\u2019t say a word and Jonnor will get the final say if you don\u2019t assert yourself.\u201d He strode across the room, whisking the wine from Hurst\u2019s hand. \u201cListen to me! Are you going to sit tamely on your backside and let Jonnor walk off with the woman you love?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst\u2019s stomach twisted, but he tried to keep his tone light. \u201cHe\u2019s the lead husband, and she\u2019ll be lead wife. Seems logical to me.\u201d He snatched the wine back and took another mouthful, allowing it to trickle down his throat. That was it, focus on the wine, don\u2019t think about Mia. Such excellent wine. Gantor always had the best northern vintages.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not right,\u201d Gantor persisted, hauling a chair across the rug and sitting a sword\u2019s length from Hurst. \u201cTen years you\u2019ve played the dutiful second husband, letting Jonnor do what he likes. Look where that\u2019s got us \u2013 stuck on the third line, pretending to smile while younger marriages thrash us in the skirmishes and gallop past us towards border Karnings. You\u2019re older than him, far more experienced \u2013 you\u2019ve had battle experience, by the Nine! You\u2019ve washed barbarian blood from your sword. You should be in charge of the skirmishes, and as for Mia\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst shifted restlessly, but said nothing. What was there to say? His throat constricted at the thought of her. She was so dainty, so precise, her birdlike movements always a pleasure to observe. And her hair, he loved her hair. Usually she tucked it neatly under entwined head-scarves, but sometimes he\u2019d seen it loose, falling across her face like a cowl the colour of a harvest mouse. <\/span><\/p>\n

He swirled the wine round in his glass, watching it spin and churn. \u201cIt\u2019s too soon to talk about this,\u201d he said at last, sombrely. \u201cTella \u2013 I had no great love for her, you know that, but let\u2019s mourn her before we worry about the future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a Karningholder,\u201d Gantor said briskly, \u201cyou\u2019re not expected to love your wives. What you are expected to do, though, is show some planning ability. And what I\u2019m expected to do is advise you. Which I\u2019m doing. You have a month to reach an arrangement between the three of you. If you don\u2019t, the Voices will break the marriage.\u201d Gantor stabbed a finger in the air. \u201cDo you want Jonnor to have her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst sighed, running a hand through tousled hair. \u201cMia would be happy with that.\u201d Was his voice steady? He thought it was.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would she be?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst grunted. \u201cHe\u2019s better looking than me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHurst, everyone\u2019s better looking than you. Even I have a certain rugged attraction\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That made him smile. Women fluttered round Gantor like moths.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026but that\u2019s hardly the point,\u201d Gantor went on. \u201cYou\u2019re worth ten of that snivelling waster, and Mia\u2019s a fool if she doesn\u2019t realise that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t ever call her a fool!\u201d he snapped, leaning forward so he was inches from Gantor\u2019s nose. \u201cShe\u2019s an innocent who thinks the best of everyone. Honestly, look at me. I have a face like the back end of a donkey, and a deformed leg. She\u2019s as delicate and exquisite as a butterfly. She\u2019s never seen me as more than a friend, and why would she? So I\u2019m not going to force myself on her. If Jonnor chooses to have her, I can live with that. She\u2019ll make him happy, you know, which Tella, for all her charms, never did, not truly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAh, but will he make her happy?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst chewed his lip. \u201cLook, she\u2019s waited ten years for him to notice her. Ten years of running round after the pair of them, carrying the burden of the Karninghold almost single-handed, not even having children of her own. Now she\u2019ll have that possibility, at least.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

He took a sip of wine, before forcing himself to say the words. \u201cYes, he\u2019ll make her happy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

They gathered at day\u2019s end, the fiery sun painting half the courtyard in brilliant gold. Hurst, Mia and Jonnor stood in a little cluster, their Companions behind them. They were all in white, the colour of the Gods, the colour the dead wore when they went to meet them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst hated the funeral robes. The stiffness, the constricting length, the vast amount of material wrapped around him, so that he felt he couldn\u2019t breathe. Just getting up and down stairs was a ridiculous effort. How women managed their gowns so effortlessly he couldn\u2019t imagine. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mia usually chose practical trousers and tunic, but she wore gown or robe with equal grace. For a Skirmisher, though, robes were too effeminate. It was all very well for the male Slaves, who gave up their masculinity with their names when they took their vows, but he found it very trying. <\/span><\/p>\n

Across the yard in the shadow cast by the high walls, the servants and guards and Skirmishers stood, still and quiet. A few women sniffled. Tella\u2019s three Companions huddled at the funeral gate, heads down, sobbing quietly. Hurst could see Mia watching them, her hands clenching and unclenching, but unable to comfort them. What comfort could anyone offer? <\/span><\/p>\n

He inched closer, and wrapped his hand around hers, as fragile as a child\u2019s in his giant bear\u2019s-paw. She didn\u2019t acknowledge him, but her hands relaxed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The torch-lit procession emerged from the temple, the Karninghold Slave leading the Silent Guards carrying the bier, and a long line of other Slaves following. The grey of the Slaves\u2019 robes blended into the gloom, but the Silent Guards\u2019 golden armour reflected and magnified the flickering torchlight. Odd to see them out in the open, the courtyard and the crowds making them seem smaller, more fragile, the gleaming armour as delicate as a buttercup. In their usual role in the temple, standing watchful and immobile around the perimeter, they were as solid as stone pillars. Here, pacing slowly across the courtyard in perfect synchrony, their faces expressionless beneath their helms, there was something light and insubstantial about them, as if they could transform themselves into golden birds and fly into the setting sun.<\/span><\/p>\n

They were an odd group altogether, though. Sinister, even, although perhaps that was to be expected when they were secreted away at the age of five and trained relentlessly to this passionless discipline. How was it achieved, that silent perfection? Hurst was familiar with Skirmishers and household guards, and knew them to be normal men and women, with the same range of faults and strengths as any group of people. But the Silent Guards showed no weaknesses, never spoke or trained or made a misstep in public, revealed nothing of themselves. It was said that they had their own secret language, their own beliefs, their own plans but who could tell? They were a mystery.<\/span><\/p>\n

The column stopped in front of the three Karningholders, and the bier-carriers set down their burden. Jonnor made a convulsive noise at the sight of the shrouded figure. Mia lowered her head, and clutched Hurst\u2019s hand tightly. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst wished there was more he could do to offer her solace. Jonnor, too. It was dreadful to see him so consumed by grief. If only they could share the burden, the three of them. A touch here, an embrace there; surely after ten years they could manage that, at such a dreadful moment for all of them? Yet he hesitated to make the first move. Jonnor was still angry about the outcome of the last skirmish. As for Mia\u2026 he contented himself with the warmth of her little hand in his, a small consolation for his own sorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Karninghold Slave was smiling. \u201cI bring comfort in your grief. The Gods have chosen Most High Tella for a special purpose. She will be esteemed above all others in the Life Beyond Death, for the Nine have marked her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia\u2019s stricken face lit up. \u201cOh! How wonderful,\u201d she whispered. She stepped forward eagerly, releasing his hand, but Hurst followed. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Karninghold Slave drew back the shroud for them to see the dead woman\u2019s face, just as lovely in death as in life, but stiller, frozen in a moment of tranquillity. <\/span><\/p>\n

Beside him, Mia swayed as if she might fall, and Hurst put out his arm, steadying her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you all right? Do you want to sit down?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo. No, it\u2019s just\u2026 I\u2019ve never seen her immobile like this. She was always such an active soul, even as a child\u2026 Like a blur of motion, never quiet. Now there\u2019s nothing.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst gazed down at Tella, his throat tight. He had seen it before, this stillness of death, with not the flicker of an eyelash, not a breath, not the slightest movement of hand or chest or lips. Many good men died in battle, but it was especially tragic in a beautiful young woman. He had to blink back tears.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d the Karninghold Slave said softly, bending his head down to catch Mia\u2019s eye. \u201cSee the mark of the Gods.\u201d He pushed the shroud further down and pointed.<\/span><\/p>\n

There on Tella\u2019s upper arm was the mark, an irregular star shape, deep blue. In the centre was a tiny point of some darker colour.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTouch it,\u201d said the Karninghold Slave. <\/span><\/p>\n

Obediently Mia put a finger to it. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour whole hand,\u201d he insisted. \u201cCover it. Take succour from the power of the Nine.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

So she did, and Hurst followed her lead, although he thought it odd. Tella\u2019s skin was soft and smooth; warm, too, although the air was cool and the sun almost gone. Hurst took a deep breath; such an intimate moment, that touch. <\/span><\/p>\n

After them came Jonnor, his face creased with grief, hesitant and uncertain. When he rested his hand on his dead wife\u2019s arm, he crumpled and fell to his knees, crying out \u201cNo! No! No!\u201d over and over, tears rolling unheeded down his cheeks. Hurst and Mia had to coax him away, one on either side to support him.<\/span><\/p>\n

After that, many others came to gaze at Tella\u2019s pale face and touch the mark in awe. It was a rare thing for a woman to be chosen, and something to be remembered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSuch a comfort,\u201d Mia murmured.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs it?\u201d Hurst said, without conviction.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course! She has been chosen by the Gods. There is some reason for her death, it wasn\u2019t just an accident. And it means she was not alone. If no one else is there, one of the Servants to the Gods will be present, to offer comfort and ensure a glorious and painless death. Those who are chosen never die alone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst said nothing. He had seen men marked by the Gods before, after skirmishes and once after a battle. A man would fall with some trivial injury, and by the time the Slave Healers got to him, he\u2019d be dead, with the mark somewhere on neck or shoulder or arm. Chosen by the Gods, the Slaves said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes the Gods\u2019 choices were puzzling. <\/span><\/p>\n

Once they chose one of his most inept Skirmishers, a man without skill or strength, or the wit to improve either. When he wondered aloud why, the Slave Healer had frowned. \u201cWho dares to question the Gods on such a matter? They have their own reasons, and choose who they wish, not always the best or cleverest or most beautiful, but needed by the Gods for some ineffable purpose in the Life Beyond Death.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst kept his thoughts to himself after that. Whatever his own doubts, Mia believed it all and drew comfort from it, and he was content with that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eventually, the Karninghold Slave murmured, \u201cIt is time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor was still lost in his grief, so it was Hurst who nodded acknowledgement, and the Silent Guards lifted the bier. The courtyard was in darkness now, the sun lower than the surrounding walls. The narrow funeral gate opened, casting a shaft of golden light across the yard.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Karninghold Slave took a torch from one of his acolytes and led the way through the gate. The bier followed, then Tella\u2019s three Companions, clinging to each other, and another Slave with a torch. A sad procession they made, Hurst thought, the Slaves in their grey robes, the Silent Guards in gold, and Tella and her three Companions in the white robes of death. The gate clanged shut behind them, shrouding the yard in gloom again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst, Mia, Jonnor and their Companions climbed a narrow stair set into the wall beside the gate, emerging onto a covered balcony overlooking the meadow and fields beyond it. At first the low sun set the Silent Guards\u2019 armour aflame and the group was easy to follow, but then they passed into shadow. Soon only the flickering torches were visible, passing into the funeral tower on its small knoll, and climbing the stairs inside. <\/span><\/p>\n

When the torches reached the top of the funeral tower, the blue lights were lit inside, strange ethereal shimmers in the darkness, bright enough to see shadows moving here and there behind. There was such finality in those blue lights. <\/span><\/p>\n

The family was expected to stand vigil for a while, and braziers had been lit, cloaks and blankets brought, and food and wine provided. Jonnor sat on a stone bench, head down, wrapped in his own arms. Mia brought a cushion to sit on, watching the blue lamps in the distance. Hurst poured wine for them all, and silently stood beside her. <\/span><\/p>\n

He ached to take her in his arms, to let her weep on his shoulder, to cry himself \u2013 for Tella and for all of them. Yet he dared not. Mia would be Jonnor\u2019s now, and that was the end of it. Unless\u2026 but it was better not to think about that, not to create any impossible hope in his mind. So he stood beside her, so close he could smell the herbal scent of the soap she used.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Karninghold Slave returned from the funeral tower, and acolytes lit incense sticks around the balcony, chanting. Mia joined in at the appropriate points, sitting passively, her hands still. Even Jonnor drank some wine and asked for a little fruit. Then all the Slaves withdrew, and one by one the Companions left too, until only the three of them were left on the chill stone balcony. Together they sat, looking out into the darkness at the otherworldly blue lights hovering.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia stared mesmerised at those glowing lamps. Hurst left her to the cushions and withdrew to the bench with his wine. How grieved was she? Tella was her sister, but they had never been close. In the early days of the marriage, it was clear they knew very little about each other, and Tella had never made much effort to change that, focusing on Jonnor. When she tired of him, she grew restless and unsettled, disappearing for days at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n

In some ways, they would all miss Tella\u2019s Companions more than Tella herself. Well, not Jonnor perhaps, but the rest of them. They were friends for Mia and her own Companions, and to the men, something more than friends. Unlike Tella, they had always been around the Karninghold, working with Mia and her own Companions, dealing with the domestic matters, helping with the children. <\/span><\/p>\n

Gods, the children! That was a bad business. Of the nine children, seven would lose their mothers with the dawn and the flames in the funeral tower. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s getting late,\u201d Hurst whispered in Mia\u2019s ear. \u201cYou will be exhausted. Why not go to bed for a while? We will be awakened well before dawn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf Jonnor will go, then I will too,\u201d she said, moving to the bench and sitting next to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe was my wife,\u201d Jonnor said tearfully. \u201cMy beloved wife. I\u2019ll not leave her. I\u2019ll stay here and watch over her. I couldn\u2019t sleep anyway.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia put an arm round his shoulders, and he sat, hunched in misery, beside her. \u201cI\u2019ll wait with him,\u201d Mia whispered. \u201cBut there\u2019s no need for all of us to stay. You go and get some sleep, Hurst. You were so late back last night, you must be tired.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll keep you company if you wish.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She shook her head. \u201cThere\u2019s no need. I can look after Jonnor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It was true, he realised in sudden anguish. That was her role now, to take care of Jonnor, to be the wife he needed, even if he didn\u2019t appreciate his good fortune. There was no place for Hurst in this new arrangement, and if he hovered round the two of them, it would only confuse things.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brushing the tips of his fingers gently across her arm, he crept away. <\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

With the first faint hint of dawn, Hurst returned. Jonnor had fallen into a restless sleep, but Mia stood, gazing towards the funeral tower.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you?\u201d Hurst asked, placing a hand in the small of her back. \u201cHave you had any rest at all?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She stood unmoving under his touch. \u201cDo they come themselves? The Gods \u2013 do they come for the dead?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Strange question. What had been going through her mind while she stood vigil through the long, dark hours? <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think so. I never heard of anything like that. The Gods are never seen, they never intervene, that\u2019s why they have their Servants, and the Voices of the Servants and their Slaves, to carry out their wishes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I thought too. But\u2026\u201d She hesitated. \u201cYou\u2019ll think me insane, I daresay.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTry me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI saw\u2026 something. People. At the top of the tower, not long ago. Several of them, moving about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be the Companions, I expect. They\u2026 the Slaves give them poison, you know, so they don\u2019t need to be awake for the flames, but they don\u2019t have to take it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFive of them. I saw five.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s\u2026 Mia, that\u2019s not possible. There couldn\u2019t be more than three, just the Companions. No one else is there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCould anyone get in?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, the doors are locked and the Silent Guards stand vigil around the outside of the tower. No one could get in. Besides, you can\u2019t see anything for certain from here. In this half-light, it\u2019s easy for the eyes to be tricked.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI expect you\u2019re right,\u201d she said, her voice tired and dull. <\/span><\/p>\n

The sky was soon a blaze of angry reds and golds and washed out blues. The funeral tower stood out stark and clear, rising like a slender finger from the morning mist below. In the room at the top, the blue lamps were dim against the strength of the rising sun. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Companions returned one by one to the stone balcony, and then the Slaves, the acolytes lighting scented oil burners and positioning the great brass gong. The Karninghold Slave began to chant, but almost at once a bulky acolyte swung his hammer against the gong. The sound echoed through their heads and reverberated off the walls, making them all jump. <\/span><\/p>\n

Across the meadow, the upper floor of the funeral tower was engulfed by vivid blue flames, so that for an instant a brilliant pulsing globe sat atop a thin stone pillar. <\/span><\/p>\n

Then the blaze was gone, and Tella and her Companions with it. <\/span><\/p>\n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 3: Mourning (Mia)<\/span><\/p>\n

An acolyte ignited the ornate brass brazier with a torch lit from the temple fire. Thick stone walls and high south-facing windows kept the temple\u2019s side-chamber cool despite the summer warmth outside. A gong tolled, and Mia took her place on one of the cushions around the brazier. Jonnor, grey-faced, sat to one side of her with Hurst on the other, and she reached to clasp their hands. Just three of them, now, and a little further for their arms to stretch to circle the fire. Their first family communion since the funeral burning, and it didn\u2019t even feel strange, since Tella had been away so often lately. It was almost normal, a return to the comforting daily rituals of the Karninghold.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia always liked family communion, with the joined hands, the fire, the incense, the chanting of the Slaves. Around them, the Companions stood in a ring with the children. One held the baby asleep in her arms, tufts of white hair peeking out from her shawl. The two oldest boys stood together solemn-faced, their dark curls mingling, heads bowed, eyes closed. Two of the girls quietly held hands, but the younger ones were restless. Nine children in the family, and seven of them had lost their mothers in the funeral burning, she thought with a tremor; Tella\u2019s three, and her Companions\u2019 four. The children would barely notice Tella\u2019s absence, perhaps, but her Companions had helped to take care of all the little ones, not just their own. Already Tersia\u2019s eldest was asking where she was. Now Mia and her own Companions would have to be enough for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

She bowed her head, breathing deeply to inhale the fragrant smoke of the brazier and the heady musk of the incense. Then she allowed her mind to float free.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was Jonnor who filled her thoughts. Not today\u2019s Jonnor, a silent ghost of himself, creeping about in the shadows, wild-eyed, or masking his despair with wine. She remembered the month of discovery, that time when they got to know each other before they married, the mornings riding out together, all four of them, the long walks through her mother\u2019s perfumed gardens, the evenings of laughter and promise. For a very short time, Jonnor had been hers, had looked at her in a way that made her warm inside, a time when he had brought her the prettiest flower, or the choicest sweetmeat. Hurst and Tella were to be lead husband and wife, and she and Jonnor were to be a couple, too. But then Jonnor\u2019s father had intervened, and turned everything upside down. Her own father had agreed to the change, and Hurst\u2019s too, so there must have been good reason for it, but she didn\u2019t know what. So Tella got Jonnor, and she and Hurst got nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The final gong jolted her back to awareness. Jonnor leapt up and strode off. Everyone else began to drift away to their morning duties. Mia took a deep breath, trying to focus her mind again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShall we check the accounting,\u201d Hurst said gently, as he appeared at her side, \u201cor would you rather start on some letters?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She sighed. \u201cOne day. That\u2019s all the time we\u2019ve had to grieve.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably better to be busy. Less time to think.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She bowed her head in acceptance, too weary to argue. \u201cAccounting, then.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

They moved from the side-chamber into the temple. The line of Slaves passed by on one of their circuits, one in front jingling the bells, another at the rear waving the censer, and the third in the centre holding the book of hours, reciting the familiar lines. It was Gaminor just now, the seventh day and the third hour. Mia murmured the words under her breath as they walked towards the exit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst stopped beside the great wooden doors, which stood open to the warmth outside. Turning to face her, he wrapped one of her hands in both of his. \u201cThis is hard for you, I know,\u201d he said. \u201cWould you like to stay here for a while? I\u2019ll deal with the accounting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So tempting, to lose herself in the words of the Nine. The temple soothed her spirits, with its constant incantations and tinkling bells, incense heavy in the air, and the Silent Guards in their protective circle around the perimeter. But she couldn\u2019t give way to her grief. It was bad enough to have Jonnor distraught; she had to be brave for his sake, for the children, for the Karning. She took a deep breath. \u201cNo, you\u2019re right, as usual. Better to have plenty to do than to brood. Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor\u2019s father was the first of the official mourners to arrive, for his Karning was no more than a few days away. He was only forty-four, since Jonnor had been born when he was just sixteen. If anything he was even more handsome than his son, tall and fit, with a full head of dark hair. He had a certain charm which reminded Mia of thieves and rogues in the old stories who managed to talk themselves out of every difficulty.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow you must miss dear Tella!\u201d he said. \u201cSuch a wonderful woman she was. And such a fine horsewoman. I remember a particularly spirited grey she had at one time, and she rode with such style! I could barely keep up with her. There was one occasion when we went east, and\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia recalled that he had always got on well with Tella, although they met rarely. They had certainly had a rapport, both of them being lively, physical people. Since he was a strong horseman, they had often ridden out together when he visited the Karning. Such memories were too much for Jonnor, who leapt up and dashed out of the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was fond of her, then?\u201d his father remarked, one eyebrow raised. \u201cBut then she was so captivating, everyone must have loved her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor\u2019s mother was very different, plain-faced and as thin as a stick, who sat in pinched silence during the mourners\u2019 official ceremonies. Mia was surprised when she asked to walk round the ladies\u2019 garden.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, my dear,\u201d she said, wrapping Mia\u2019s hand around her bony arm. \u201cWe must have a chat, for you will be lead wife now, you know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh. Yes, I suppose I will be.\u201d Of course she had thought about it. How could she not? At last she would move upstairs, and perhaps Jonnor\u2026 She was annoyed with herself for blushing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, my dear, you look\u2026! Surely you have\u2026? You mean you are still not active? Well! How old are you now? Twenty-one? Twenty-two?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m twenty-five.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy dear! But you know, it was only supposed to be three years that you were downstairs. Such a child you were then, everyone thought it was for the best. But we never intended\u2026 We\u2019re not living under the Petty Kings, you know, there\u2019s no need to lock yourself away from men altogether. Oh, such pretty leaves, such an unusual colour!\u201d She stopped, fingering a small bush beside the path. Mia stood in silence until she moved on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose none of the Companions appealed to you? No? Well, perhaps you\u2019re right. These Skirmishers, they\u2019re built like trees and with brains to match, most of them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia tried to keep her expression blank, but it was hard not to be insulted. She was a Karningholder and a Higher, her role to be a wife to her two husbands, not to amuse herself with the Lower-born Companions. It was permitted, for they were a part of the marriage too, but such dalliances held no attraction for her.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor\u2019s mother rattled on, without waiting for an answer. \u201cAnd Jonnor never wanted to change things? But I suppose he had his reasons.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was always very content with Tella,\u201d she murmured.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed, indeed. And so he kept you downstairs. Oh goodness, is that a moonrose?\u201d She dived abruptly off the path into a weedy area of shrubs. \u201cI\u2019ve never been able to grow them, you know. How did you do it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt just appeared,\u201d Mia said. \u201cThis garden does whatever it wishes.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, mine\u2019s the same,\u201d Jonnor\u2019s mother said. \u201cIt\u2019s hopeless, nothing but root vegetables grow so far south. Even so \u2013 a moonrose! A pity I won\u2019t be here to see it flower. Where were we? Oh, yes. So \u2013 you never wanted to be made active? You could have asked any time after the three years. You never thought of that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

How could she possibly explain it? The waiting, hoping that Jonnor would tire of Tella, or at least hunger for some variety. Then Tella\u2019s increasing volatility, and the fear that a change would be too disruptive. They\u2019d had such a fragile arrangement, Tella and Jonnor, but it worked, if they were left to themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n

Then there was Hurst, who had never shown any signs of wanting to move upstairs. Well, he had other outlets, he didn\u2019t need a wife in his bed. And if they were all upstairs, there was no knowing how things might end up. Not that she would mind being with Hurst, if that was asked of her, he was a sweet man, but she\u2019d always hoped it would be Jonnor, or at least that she would have a choice. But she couldn\u2019t begin to explain any of that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, looking at the ground, Mia said, \u201cWe were all quite content.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy dear child! What a timid little mouse you are. Well, perhaps it\u2019s for the best.\u201d She paused, then took Mia\u2019s arm again, patting her hand. \u201cYes, indeed. But now things will be different. Such a change for you! But you must be careful, and not allow too many liberties, if you understand me. Oh, you\u2019re such an innocent child, aren\u2019t you? I mean, of course, that you must keep to Jonnor, and not allow\u2026 well, I know it\u2019s for all three of you to decide, of course, but you must make your voice heard. You must convince Jonnor not to allow the other one near you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe other one? Do you mean Hurst?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHurst, that\u2019s it. Better not to, you know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026 Hurst is my husband, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, of course, of course, but\u2026 my dear, since we\u2019re alone let\u2019s speak frankly. You wouldn\u2019t want a child like that, would you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike\u2026 like Hurst? Why ever not?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, but\u2026\u201d She tittered. \u201cI suppose you don\u2019t see it, but\u2026 so ugly, and that leg\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Had Mia ever thought him ugly? He wasn\u2019t handsome like Jonnor, certainly, but he wasn\u2019t so bad looking. When she\u2019d first met Hurst, she\u2019d thought him an intimidating man, the limp rather disconcerting. Probably that was just his age, for he was twenty-six to her fifteen, a Skirmisher with battle experience against the Vahsi. Once she got to know him better, she stopped noticing his looks, especially when he smiled and the corners of his eyes crinkled pleasingly. The limp was just part of him, and she never thought about it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe leg was a childhood illness,\u201d she said eventually.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut there must be a susceptibility, a weakness. Take my advice, dear, stick to Jonnor. Much better babies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

Brothers and sisters were not obliged to visit after a death, but many of them did so anyway. Two of Hurst\u2019s older brothers came from a nearby Karning, slapping the men vigorously on the back, and drinking vast amounts of wine. Mia\u2019s sisters came in twos and threes, wearing the white sash of mourning, accompanied by all their Companions, who filled the guest hall with tears and reminiscences and emotional hugs, clustering in big gossipy groups. It cheered Mia hugely, and only partly because of the constant bustle and activity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Later came Mia\u2019s own parents from the northern border, a tiring journey, which left them exhausted. Mia noticed for the first time that they looked almost old \u2013 her vigorous father, always riding off somewhere at speed, and her energetic mother, never still, suddenly had grey hair and wrinkles. How had she never seen that before? Mia hugged them both, and cried a little, not for Tella this time, but for her own happy childhood and the sheer pleasure of seeing them again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGoodness, but it\u2019s cold here,\u201d Bellissa said. \u201cHave you anywhere we can warm ourselves?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

There were few places in the stone-built Karninghold free from chills and drafts, even in high summer. Mia had grown used to the damp southern air, but for her parents, newly arrived from the warm north, it was torture. Mia took them through to the inner hall, where a fire burned year-round, and rugs and wall hangings kept the heat in. She arranged chairs close to the fire and wrapped them in shawls.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTell me everything that\u2019s been happening,\u201d Mia said eagerly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, the usual,\u201d Kendron said. \u201cThe Vahsi have been quite active this year, but they haven\u2019t caught us at a disadvantage yet.\u201d He gazed around the room at the many large wall hangings, pocked with moth holes and faded with age, depicting great victories against the plains barbarians. \u201cThese are strange images of them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A savage race they looked, with their antlered helmets and painted faces, wrapped in furs and waving their curved blades. Mia loved to read stories about them, thrilling tales of their brutality which had her shivering in delicious fear, while knowing herself to be quite safe. The barbarians were always defeated, in the legends just as in the real battles along the border. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re a strange race, though, aren\u2019t they?\u201d Mia said. \u201cThey must be, to fight a perpetual war they can never win.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps,\u201d Kendron said. \u201cI certainly don\u2019t understand them. But it\u2019s the depiction of them that\u2019s strange. The Vahsi I\u2019ve fought against weren\u2019t like this at all. They looked just like scruffy, bearded Skirmishers, only more disorganised. But enough of the barbarians. We have news for you, child. We\u2019ve decided\u2026 we will be breaking this winter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBreaking? No! Not you!\u201d Mia stared at them, her hands covering her mouth. It happened to every Karningholder marriage eventually. Still, it was hard to think of her own parents and all their husbands and wives scattering to different Karnings, broken apart just because they became too old to rule. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know, I always thought I would die with a sword in my hand, too,\u201d Kendron smiled, one eyebrow jinking upwards. \u201cBut it hasn\u2019t happened, and we\u2019re getting too decrepit for the border. And I\u2019ll be honest with you, child, I\u2019m tired of it. More than twenty years we\u2019ve been on the northern border, and we\u2019ve made a good job of it, on the whole, but these last two or three years\u2026 Time to let someone else have a stab at the barbarians.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut where will you go? I don\u2019t see you at the Ring, somehow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not there. We will never have to go there again, I hope. But there are some of your brothers we could go and annoy, and two of them are far enough north to be warm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wish you could come here,\u201d she said. But the remnants of broken marriages never went to daughters, only to sons or to the Ring, living out a twilight life with no proper role, dwindling towards death.<\/span><\/p>\n

They had little to say about Tella.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI remember her, of course,\u201d Kendron said. \u201cAn active child, always flitting here and there, never still, and such a beauty as she grew up. But there were so many children, over the years, and she was never close to either of us. Who was her mother, do you remember, my dear?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Bellissa shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m not sure. She might have been the third wife\u2019s, the one who died. She was a good looking woman, too. Or one of the Companions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kendron turned to Mia with a smile. \u201cWe remember our own much better.\u201d He put an arm round her, and she snuggled contentedly against him. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow,\u201d he went on, \u201cyou must understand, child, that you are in a very dangerous situation with Tella gone. With four, a marriage falls naturally into two couples, or else there is just one couple and the others help out, as you have done. Or\u2026 well, there are other arrangements, of course. But three \u2013 that is more problematic. If a husband dies, the Voices have to replace him for the skirmishes. But a wife\u2026 It is not so easy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia said nothing, puzzled. She already knew that Tella would not be replaced, so she would be lead wife. What would happen after that\u2026 well, they would settle it after the month of mourning. She would be upstairs and sleeping with one or other of her husbands, that was certain. Or perhaps they would share her. That wasn\u2019t uncommon. She would accept whatever the men decided. But what could be dangerous about it?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat will most likely happen, you see,\u201d Bellissa said, leaning forwards, \u201cis that you and Jonnor will become a couple and Hurst\u2026\u201d She glanced at her husband.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf Hurst feels excluded, he may take it badly,\u201d Kendron said. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHurst\u2026? I don\u2019t think you know him very well,\u201d Mia said, floundering a little, not sure where this train of thought was leading.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know his reputation,\u201d he said. \u201cI know he\u2019s clever and ambitious. It\u2019s been a concern to us right from the start. Jonnor should watch out for him, that\u2019s all I say. He should watch out for blue arrows.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia shivered, her stomach churning. \u201cNo,\u201d she whispered. \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t. Would he?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe not, but he has the right. If he feels slighted, he might ask for the blue arrows, and then you\u2019ll lose one of your husbands to the funeral flames as well.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

4: Upstairs (Hurst)<\/span><\/p>\n

Whenever Hurst wanted to hide away from the world, he retreated to his senior Companion\u2019s small library. Gantor was the son of scholars, and a great reader. He had books hanging on his wall that had nothing to do with skirmishes or battles or strategy or swordwork, and didn\u2019t even have pictures in them. The room was also provided with maps and models for skirmish strategy planning, and was kept well stocked with cakes and wine. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst usually hid to avoid the Slaves trying to drag him to the temple for some ceremony or other, but this time the cause was his own father. Tanist was the last of the official mourners to arrive, after a long and arduous journey from the far western border, beyond the reach of the sky ship way. He was something of a hero nowadays, having scored a famous victory over the Vahsi barbarians only two years earlier.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love my father dearly,\u201d Hurst said to Gantor. \u201cHe taught me everything I know about skirmishing, and the barbarians too, but I wish he\u2019d remember that I\u2019m not a child any more. Improve your skirmish results, Hurst. Stand up to Jonnor, Hurst. Look at your younger brothers, Hurst, already promoted to the fourth line. Trouble is, ever since he got rid of the Vahsi in his patch, he\u2019s had too much time on his hands. He has nothing to do now except hand out unwanted advice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gantor snorted. \u201cAnd what part of that advice would you argue with? You\u2019re only cross because he\u2019s right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course he\u2019s right. We should be further than the third line by now, maybe even at the border. I know that as well as anyone. After all, you\u2019ve been saying it for years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not jealous of Klemmast and Jallinast? Making the fourth line before you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGods, no! They deserve it. I\u2019m really pleased for them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be interesting to see how things work out, with a third couple in the marriage,\u201d Gantor said, his face thoughtful. \u201cThey\u2019re so close, those two, they\u2019ll find it unsettling.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Hurst said breezily. \u201cYou always anticipate the worst, my friend. Mind you, I didn\u2019t expect Roonast to be the new husband. Fifteen! That makes me feel so old. I remember him being born. But he\u2019s easy going, he\u2019ll fit right in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you ever think about it? Moving to the fourth line? Getting a third couple?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst shrugged uneasily. Of course he\u2019d thought about it, about the way it would change things, how could he not? But he\u2019d grown up in a border Karning, the eighth line to start with and later the ninth, with the full complement of six couples in the marriage, and everything relatively stable. Early marriages, with only two or three couples, were much more fluid. Less predictable. He\u2019d worry about it when it happened.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOr you could get another couple now,\u201d Gantor went on. \u201cIf you ask for the blue arrows.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, don\u2019t you start! You\u2019re as bad as Tanist. Take the blue arrows, Hurst. Get rid of Jonnor, then you\u2019ll be lead, Hurst.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMia was asking, you know,\u201d Gantor said, staring into the distance. \u201cAbout the blue arrows.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you tell her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat you had not divulged your thoughts on the subject to me. Which is the truth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll be the first to know, I assure you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gantor folded his arms, and scowled at Hurst. \u201cWe do have an interest in the matter. If we\u2019re to be incinerated in the near future, we\u2019d like a chance to get our affairs in order.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst laughed and shook his head. \u201cIf it comes to that, I don\u2019t think we are at any risk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t make assumptions,\u201d Gantor said seriously. \u201cOnce the arrows start flying, who knows how things might turn out. And even if you don\u2019t ask for the blue arrows, Jonnor might. Or the Voices might send an agent to sort things out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAn agent? Not likely,\u201d Hurst said at once. \u201cJonnor or I can ask at any time, but the Voices try not to interfere.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAh. You\u2019ve been looking up the rules about all this. That\u2019s interesting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I have, of course I have. But there are very few absolutes about it – it\u2019s all \u2018may\u2019 and \u2018could\u2019 and such like. As for Jonnor \u2013 why would he want me out of the way? He\u2019s the lead \u2013 he does what he wants, and I tidy up after him.\u201d He couldn\u2019t quite keep the bitterness out of his voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTanist\u2019s right, you know,\u201d Gantor said, watching him. \u201cThis is an opportunity to take charge. I don\u2019t want to influence you either way, but it would solve all the problems. Take the blue arrows, remove Jonnor \u2013 you would have everything you want.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not about what I want! Well\u2026 not just that, it\u2019s about the family, about stability. We\u2019ve gone on fine for ten years, because nobody got confrontational. I have nothing against Jonnor, you know that. I\u2019d like a more equal part in this marriage, but I don\u2019t want him dead. I\u2019ll kill barbarians if need be, but not my own kin. And another death so soon after Tella\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be soon. You have three years to ask for the blue arrows, don\u2019t you? Well, then. You could wait. But if Mia and Jonnor\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst stood. He was weary, he realised, weary of these same arguments revolving without resolution in his own head. Of course he wanted Jonnor out of the way, then he could make his own decisions on the skirmishes, he could play his own strategies. He could mark up some successes, as he had for the first three or four years of the marriage, when Jonnor lacked confidence and took his advice. Those had been good years. And Mia\u2026 Mia would be his. And yet… Always he hesitated, knowing how it would affect Mia. Or rather, not knowing at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gantor grunted and tilted his head to the side, looking up at him. \u201cYou know what the men say of you? That you\u2019re a lion on the line, but you\u2019re a mouse in your own home. It may be time to roar, Hurst.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

The month of mourning had its trials, but to Hurst it was a time of unexpected solace. The days were full of dull ritual, but they were shared with Mia, which made them bearable, and the tedium was broken by the afternoon stillness. The custom was a throwback to a hotter climate when everyone rested from the sun, but now it was an hour of freedom from duty, an hour with Mia. Often they sat companionably opposite each other with their books spread out. He liked skirmish strategies or battle histories, while she would read some romantic tale or a melodramatic adventure from the Petty Kingdoms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then each evening he, Jonnor and Mia retired to the high tower for their meat, just the three of them. Jonnor was no company. He toyed with his food for a while, saying almost nothing, and then took a full decanter of wine upstairs to drink himself to sleep. After that, Hurst sat with Mia, and they talked, or read, or played crowns, as they felt inclined, and these quiet hours brought him an indescribable deep pleasure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes they would talk over the day\u2019s events, or perhaps it would be the children and how they were coping with the changes, and then the conversation would get round to Tella and her Companions. Tessa, Tenya and Tersia. Such stupid names, he thought them. He had never liked the women\u2019s habit of renaming their Companions to match their own name. <\/span><\/p>\n

One evening Mia said to him, \u201cYou must miss Tersia, Hurst. You and she were\u2026 close, weren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cClose? Well, she was an affectionate woman,\u201d he said, uncomfortably. \u201cShe was\u2026 very obliging. But there was nothing more to it than that.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

All Tella\u2019s Companions had been very obliging, and had entered enthusiastically into certain aspects of their duties. All six of the male Companions, and Hurst too, had cause to mourn their loss. Walst and Tenya had been lovers almost from the start of the marriage, and Tersia had been particularly accommodating to Hurst himself. In fact, he had good reason to wonder whether her first two children looked anything like him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia was a romantic soul, though. She probably imagined that his willingness to sleep with Tersia implied some great passion, rather than a simple need for sex. He would miss Tersia, naturally, and all of the Companions. But his heart had always been elsewhere, even if Mia herself was quite unaware of it. Perhaps it was better that way. Her pity would be unbearable.<\/span><\/p>\n

One evening, as soon as Jonnor had gone up to his room, she came and sat next to Hurst, her face anxious.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMay I ask your advice about something?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, of course,\u201d he said, folding his book away.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI found something. In Tella\u2019s room.\u201d Her hands moved restlessly. \u201cI was going through her things, her clothes and so on, sorting everything out. Deciding what to keep and what to take to the Ring to be passed on.\u201d She stopped, pressing a hand against her mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you found something?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

She nodded, raising big eyes to his face. \u201cA letter. Will you\u2026 will you read it? Tell me what you think?\u201d She pulled a folded paper from her sleeve, smoothing it before handing it to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

He frowned. \u201cIf it\u2019s something private\u2026\u201d A love letter, perhaps? Tella had always had admirers, before and after she married. He wasn\u2019t sure he wanted to read such a thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, nothing like that.\u201d She twisted her hands again. \u201cIt\u2019s to me, from Tella. But\u2026 I don\u2019t know what to make of it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He looked down at the crumpled papers, two folded sheets, with the broken seal still visible. On the outside, in Tella\u2019s sprawling hand was written \u2018Mia\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would Tella write to you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what\u2019s so odd. She could have talked to me any time she wanted. And I don\u2019t understand what she\u2019s trying to say. Please. Will you read it?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Without a word he unfolded the papers, and began to read.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy dear sister,\u201d he read, \u201cI suppose you will be surprised to find this. I hope you will find it, and not toss everything straight out for burning! That would be just my luck! Little Mia, are you wondering what this is about? Don\u2019t worry, I\u2019m not about to confess to some dreadful crime. Whatever I may have done is finished with now, gone beyond repairing and cannot be changed so there\u2019s not much point in regret, is there? Sweet sister, you think me a terrible mother, I know, but be assured that I do love my children, all of them. But I know my limitations, too, and I know that sitting around day after day with a drooling infant in my lap, changing soiled cloths and mopping up vomit are not my strengths. Being at home at all, being faithful and sensible and domesticated, all those things you do so effortlessly, little sister, these I cannot do. So I want\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The first sheet ended, and Hurst tossed it aside impatiently. The next sheet was less neatly written, and blotched, as if\u2026 but surely Tella could not have been crying as she wrote? Hurst had never seen her cry, except once when a favourite horse fell and broke its neck.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cyou to know that I am very happy for you to \u2026 charge of the domestic sphere. You are \u2026 better than me in every way, my dearest, so much more fitted to this life of ours, that it is \u2026 proper for you to have all the rights and privileges that are your due. You are so patient, so good, you deserve everything. I know you will always \u2026 care of everyone in the family, won\u2019t you? You will continue to look after Jonnor and Hurst, \u2026 nurture Tellon and Jaslia and poor little Jinnia \u2013 especially Jinnia \u2013 just as you have for years, without complaint. It is \u2026 one comfort. Your loving sister, Tella.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst frowned, and read both pages again. \u201cWhat do you make of this?\u201d he asked her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothing! I can\u2019t understand it at all! What does it mean? What does \u2018especially Jinnia\u2019 mean? Have you any idea?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you notice the date?\u201d He showed her the symbols scrawled in one corner, half overwritten by a line of writing. \u201cIt looks to me like the day before she died.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2013 that\u2019s such a coincidence. Isn\u2019t it?\u201d She got up, paced about the room a few times, then sat again, her eyes on his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

He shook his head a little, lost in thought. He folded the pages up, and set them down on the table. Then he got up and poured himself some wine, and stood beside the window, looking out absently. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHave you ever read about the battles at the border?\u201d he asked at last, turning to her. She shook her head. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing for weeks or months, just the empty plains and the wind and sometimes a group of kishorn lumbering by. But then you see the dust, away in the distance, and you start to hear a deep rumbling which gradually gets louder, and there\u2019s singing and pipes playing, and there they are, streaming out of the crevices they hide in. Suddenly there\u2019s a whole sea of them. The Vahsi. As dark falls there are campfires and torches and voices\u2026 you can hear snatches of talk or laughter or music. You know, then, there\u2019ll be battle the next day. That\u2019s when men suddenly decide to write messages to wives or lovers or parents. Sometimes it\u2019s practical\u2026 tell my brother he can have my clothes, that sort of thing. But often it\u2019s just\u2026 those things he always meant to say but never quite managed to find the words for. That\u2019s what this reminds me of.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut Tella wasn\u2019t going into battle!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo. But she was going to die. And I think she knew that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia raised her hands helplessly. \u201cHow is that possible? She couldn\u2019t have known!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019d just had that interview. Maybe the Voices told her something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cImpossible,\u201d Mia said, with a vehement shake of the head. \u201cThe Gods never tell anyone when they\u2019re going to die. It\u2019s one of the Fundamental Tenets. No one may know the moment of their own death. Even you must remember being taught that, Hurst.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI never listened to all that temple stuff. Well. It can\u2019t be that, then.\u201d Even as he spoke, Hurst realised there were other ways Tella could have known she was about to die. Could she have taken her own life? Or did she know of someone determined to kill her? But he said nothing to Mia. \u201cPut the letter away somewhere safe,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t let Jonnor see it, it would only upset him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

As soon as the month of mourning was over, there was a ceremony to raise both Mia and Hurst to active status, and thus make Mia the lead wife. The Karninghold Slave and his most senior acolyte brought their incense and chanting first to the living floor of the high tower, and then to the bedroom floor, after which they bowed low and left in as much haste as was decent. Even Slaves disliked such business, for what went on in a marriage was usually a private matter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor immediately withdrew to his own bedroom, whisking behind the privacy screen. Had there been any door fitted, perhaps he would have slammed it. After a moment\u2019s hesitation, Mia, head down, went into her own room. Hurst watched her go, wondering if she\u2019d thought to change the furnishings, or whether everything was exactly as Tella left it.<\/span><\/p>\n

He went into his own new room, and walked across to the window, gazing down to the training grounds below. How pleasant to have a decent view at last, instead of the narrow windows and drainage spouts at the rear of the family wing. And space, that was a novelty, too, after the tiny room he\u2019d enjoyed downstairs. He looked around at the blank walls, working out where to arrange his pictures. There were already hooks in neat rows waiting for his books. Not that his were works of great learning, like Gantor\u2019s, or sweeping sagas from plains history, like Mia\u2019s, but his collection of illustrated erotica was extensive and much in demand amongst the guards and Skirmishers.<\/span><\/p>\n

The room might be different, but his situation was just the same. He was still the third person in this marriage. Even if he and Mia had moved upstairs years ago, would it really have been any different? And what if they\u2019d kept to the original arrangement, and he\u2019d been paired with Tella? Could he have kept her happy? She was such a vibrant woman, so full of life, but perhaps he could have loved her, if things had been different. For a while, he had thought himself quite close to her. But she wasn\u2019t made for the domestic life, not like Mia, so perhaps she would always have been restless in time. Perhaps it was just in her nature to wander, to be dissatisfied with life. But Jonnor and Mia\u2026 that would have been a good pairing, the right pairing. <\/span><\/p>\n

No point in thinking about what might have been. Jonnor had got Tella, and although he was overawed by her at first, after Tellon was born he\u2019d grown in confidence and started to assert himself both at home and on the lines. And he had wanted to keep Mia and Hurst downstairs, and they had tamely gone along with his wishes.<\/span><\/p>\n

But now they were left with this peculiar situation, three of them upstairs and no clear arrangement. Given Jonnor\u2019s grief over Tella, it was logical that Mia should end up with Hurst, but would Jonnor accept it? All was uncertainty, but it had to be settled, and soon.<\/span><\/p>\n

After a while, Hurst heard Mia\u2019s light feet cross the atrium and patter down the stairs. He walked over to Jonnor\u2019s rooms and knocked on the wooden privacy screen, walking in without waiting for a response. Jonnor was huddled on the window seat, knees pulled up to his chest, head drooping.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBrother, we have to talk about Mia,\u201d Hurst said briskly. \u201cWe have to decide what approach to take.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor looked at him bleakly. \u201cWhich of us will fuck her, you mean?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst raised an eyebrow. \u201cWell\u2026 if you want to put it that way. Or we could share her. If she is happy with that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot her decision, cousin,\u201d Jonnor said, turning to gaze out of the window.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst suppressed his irritation. He\u2019d grown used to Jonnor\u2019s refusal to acknowledge him as a brother in marriage, and he was determined not to let it rile him now. \u201cHave you talked to her about it? Asked her what she wants?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll do what she\u2019s told.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst took a deep breath. Getting angry wouldn\u2019t help, and deep down he knew it was true \u2013 Mia would accept whatever Jonnor decided. She would never say openly what she wanted. He knew her feelings, though, and he\u2019d already decided he wouldn\u2019t try to come between the two of them. And yet\u2026 if Jonnor was reluctant, perhaps Hurst had a chance, after all? His heart turned over in sudden hope.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook, I know how you feel about Tella, I understand. I can deal with Mia for you, if you like, it doesn\u2019t have to be you, I can take that responsibility off your hands.\u201d Was that too pleading, too desperate? <\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor turned to face him again, and now his expression was icy cold. \u201cYou have no idea how I feel, cousin, none at all. And don\u2019t lecture me about responsibility. I\u2019m lead husband, I will deal with Mia tonight, and after that\u2026 Well, we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst\u2019s stomach clenched violently, but he tried his best to keep his face under control. Not his voice, however; he didn\u2019t trust himself to speak, so without a word he turned on his heel and stumbled out. <\/span><\/p>\n

As he left, Jonnor called after him, \u201cYou can tell her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 5: Village (Mia)<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia had prepared a haunch of venison and a pair of ducks for meat. They were laid out on the pan for roasting, waiting for the oven to heat up. Most of the dishes came from the main kitchens below, but she liked to cook for the men. She was stuffing the ducks with herbs when Hurst came down the stairs. He looked very pale, and for a moment she thought perhaps he was ill. But then she remembered that he was grieving for Tersia just as Jonnor was grieving for Tella, and the change in situation must be just as difficult for him. She decided not to mention it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe rooms are nice, aren\u2019t they?\u201d she ventured. \u201cWhat will we do with so much space?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

He gave her a wan smile. Scraping a chair across the bare marble floor, he sat down at the table, but he said nothing, so she chattered on as she worked.<\/span><\/p>\n

She\u2019d thought it would upset her, seeing Tella\u2019s room again. The perfumes and brushes and pots of this and that were gone, but Tella\u2019s furniture and cupboards still stood exactly where she had placed them \u2013 the bed near the fire for warmth, several wardrobes for all her clothes, the large mirrors angled so she could check her rear view when she dressed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Yet somehow it was comforting to be there, to touch the velvet curtains brought from the Ring, or the little writing table of exotic carved wood Tella had imported so expensively from the northern coast. In the cupboards and drawers, all her clothes, the silks and fine linens she liked to wear, soft rustling trousers and floating tunics, still exuding a drift of her perfume. Mia liked plainer, more practical, clothes but there were a few that might suit her, if she altered them to fit, and perhaps she would wear some of the delicate undergarments. <\/span><\/p>\n

At length she ran out of tasks to occupy her hands. Hurst still sat, drooped over one end of the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan I fetch you some wine?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

He agreed to it, which she recognised as a sign that he was nervous. But when she had placed the goblet before him, he twirled it with unseeing eyes. She sat down opposite him and waited.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMia\u2026\u201d he began, and then stopped.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJonnor and I have been talking\u2026\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Again he stopped, but at least now she understood his discomfiture. A ripple of anxiety clutched at her. Perhaps Jonnor was not going to\u2026 Perhaps it would be Hurst. Part of her had always been prepared for that eventuality, but it was one thing to know it might happen and quite another to face up to the inevitability of it. She tried not to let her disappointment show.<\/span><\/p>\n

He began once more. \u201cJonnor\u2026\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d she said again, willing him to get it over with, just wanting to know.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJonnor will come to your room tonight.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The relief! It would be Jonnor after all! She could feel her face lighting up with pleasure, and tried as best she could not to insult him by showing it. But he was watching her, his face unreadable. He must see her excitement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what about you?\u201d she murmured, dropping her eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJonnor hasn\u2019t decided,\u201d he said. Then he made an excuse and left.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

The men were both silent over meat. Jonnor drank more than usual, Hurst nothing at all. Mia drank a whole glass of wine and felt wonderful \u2013 vivacious, witty, charming. She knew it wasn\u2019t true, she knew she was babbling inanely, but she couldn\u2019t suppress her emotions. She was the most even-tempered of people as a rule, yet here she was, with everything she had ever wanted finally coming to her. Despite her grief at Tella\u2019s death, she couldn\u2019t hide her joy.<\/span><\/p>\n

They all lingered at the table, even Mia\u2019s chatter fading to silence, but the time came when the moment could not be put off any longer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tidy up down here,\u201d Hurst said, avoiding their eyes. \u201cThere\u2019s some reading I want to do. You two go on up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Even in her happiness, she thought it odd that he should be so embarrassed. Surely he could not dislike the change in their relationship? He was her friend. Wasn\u2019t he pleased for her? But she was too excited to dwell on it.<\/span><\/p>\n

She skipped up the stairs, and into her room. She wasn\u2019t sure how much light there should be, so she lit all the lamps, just in case. Her nightgown was already set out on the bed. She\u2019d chosen one of Tella\u2019s, much finer than anything she owned, to pay the occasion the proper respect. She shrugged out of her tunic and trousers, tossing them over a chair, and pulled the silk gown over her head. It was such a delicate fabric, she almost felt naked. Then she sat on the edge of the bed and waited. She heard Jonnor\u2019s heavy tread on the stairs, crossing the atrium, entering his own room. There was silence for a long time.<\/span><\/p>\n

After a while, she got up and hung her discarded clothes in one of the wardrobes. She waited again. Eventually, she realised she was shivering so she got into bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

It must have been the best part of an hour before he came, although the bells had stopped so it was hard to tell. He had a wine goblet in one hand and a half-full decanter in the other. He stopped dead as he came into the room and gazed about, a bewildered expression on his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

As soon as she went downstairs the next morning, she found Hurst waiting, sitting at the table pretending to read. He realised at once that something was wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever happened?\u201d he said, leaping up and putting gentle arms about her. To her shame, she wept, pressing her face into his broad shoulder. \u201cDid he hurt you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, oh no. But\u2026 nothing happened. He sat on the window seat for an age, just crying. Then he left.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too soon. Too soon after Tella\u2019s death. It\u2019s the room \u2013 it\u2019s more or less exactly as she left it, and\u2026 and it distresses him, naturally.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst made soothing noises and stroked her hair, and she was comforted, a little. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou could use the other bedroom, I suppose,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh no, that wouldn\u2019t do!\u201d Mia said. \u201cThe rooms are marked for the lead and second, it\u2019s tradition. It wouldn\u2019t be right to do things differently.\u201d She sighed. \u201cI can move the furniture round a bit, perhaps.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Not long afterwards, Jonnor came down, stony-faced. They went downstairs for the communion ceremony, and nothing more was said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia\u2019s distress evaporated sooner than she had expected. Jonnor\u2019s grief gave her an easy explanation for his reluctance. She had bided her time for ten years, and could wait a little longer. She was not lively or beautiful like Tella, so Jonnor was bound to find her less desirable. Each night she hoped he would come to her, and each night she was a little less surprised when he didn’t. Then she had the normal routine of the household to steady her, and wrap her in its familiarity.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the month of mourning over, the skirmishes resumed, and Hurst and three Hundreds of Skirmishers took off for the northern boundary line. Mia and Jonnor were left to deal with the daily affairs of the Karninghold.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s another message from village Twelve Fifty-Six Eighteen,\u201d she said, as they sat in the watch tower meeting room one morning. \u201cTheir swamp problem is getting worse, and they ask if one of us could visit to authorise drainage work.\u201d She tried to keep her tone business-like, and not remind him that this was the village Tella had set out to visit the day she died. <\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor gave no sign that he remembered. \u201cI suppose it can\u2019t wait, with winter not far away.\u201d A heavy sigh. \u201cI\u2019m not sure I feel up to it. Besides, we have our own swamp problem here, with those blocked overflow pipes above the family hall. I\u2019ve been keeping an eye on the builders\u2019 work. You won\u2019t mind dealing with the village, will you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot at all. I\u2019ve been there many times before. It\u2019s a recurring problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re so good with the villagers, too,\u201d he said, with such a charming smile that Mia couldn\u2019t stop herself from blushing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t ride as fast as\u2026 I mean, I\u2019ll have to stay overnight,\u201d she said, cursing herself for almost mentioning Tella. \u201cDo you mind?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not at all.\u201d He looked down, straightening the papers on the table. \u201cJust don\u2019t go alone.\u201d A quick glance up at her. \u201cDon\u2019t ever ride alone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her heart fluttered. He was concerned for her safety! That was a good sign, surely? <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh no, I always take guards with me, I\u2019ll have a couple of engineers, too, and one of my Companions. I\u2019ll take Marna this time, I think. Ever since\u2026 I mean, she spends so much time with the children, it will do her good to get away.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s the only mother left here now,\u201d Jonnor said sombrely. \u201cShe feels responsible for all the motherless little ones. But you\u2019ll be a mother one day.\u201d He reached across the table and took her hand, looking into her eyes. \u201cIt will happen, you know that, don\u2019t you? I \u2013 I\u2019ve needed a little time, but\u2026 soon, I promise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Warmth flooded her whole body, and she smiled widely at him. \u201cI\u2026 I\u2019ll leave for the village today, then.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia was not a fast rider like her sister, but she was competent on horseback, as every Karningholder had to be, since few villages were conveniently situated beside a paved road. Her horse was a placid mare, capable of long journeys at a steady amble, as Mia preferred. <\/span><\/p>\n

It was unfortunate that every step of the journey south reminded her of Tella, and that dreadful day. She had been found to the north of the Karninghold, so what had happened? Had she changed her mind, or had she never intended to go to the village at all? Why did she write that odd letter the day before? Impossible to know. And then there were the figures Mia had seen in the funeral tower\u2026 She shook herself out of her reverie. It was no good brooding. She and Hurst had talked all round the problems many times, without resolution. <\/span><\/p>\n

It was well into the afternoon before the group reached the village, where Mia spent at least two hours walking around the worst of the bogs, and hopping nimbly from one dry hummock to the next. The whole Karningplain was prone to such swamps, which appeared and disappeared from one season to the next, it seemed at random. A village could be perfectly dry for a generation, and then be swallowed whole within two or three years. <\/span><\/p>\n

She left her advisors considering options, and rode with her guards and junior Companion, Marna, into the village itself. Like most such places, it was a sprawl of tyholds, their hedge-defined fields tended by a single family group, together with larger communal lands for grain. Dotted about were ramshackle patched wooden cottages and barns, set in a criss-crossing web of muddy dung-spattered lanes. Chickens, sheep and children skittered aside as the group passed by. In a cluster to one side were the stone buildings of stables, smithy, mill, water house and alehouse, and, a little apart, the Slave\u2019s house. The guards went off to the alehouse for the evening, but Mia and Marna were to stay with the Slave.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a child, Mia had always been terrified of the Karninghold Slave, a very elderly man with a dried-up face. When she read stories of ancient peoples who left their dead out to shrivel in the sun, she had no struggle imagining the result. The swirling robes, the shaven tattooed head, the incense and chanting had given her nightmares. It was only after she began spending half of each year with the scholars at the Ring at the age of ten and understood the ways of the Gods a little better that she began to take comfort from the ritual. <\/span><\/p>\n

But Mia knew this village Slave well, and found her a much less formidable matter. She only shaved part of her head, for one thing, rarely wore the traditional hooded robes and was much more pragmatic. She had to be, living amongst the relative poverty of the villagers. She was both leader and friend, dispensing advice and instruction, comfort and punishment in equal measure. The Slave was the only literate person in the village, the only one able to summon help from the Karninghold, the only one with any knowledge of history and politics and science and the law, the only one with healing skills. Like all Slaves, she was not allowed to have children or marry, but lovers were tolerated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia had met this particular Slave several times before, and she was the first who had ever explained to her why she had chosen that path, forsaking even her name in submission to the Gods. It was not, she said with her throaty laugh, from any virtue or an excess of devotion. But she had grown up in a village herself, and decided that anything was better than grubbing in the earth for turnips all year round, surrounded by a whining cloud of children.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you like children?\u201d Mia had asked, rather shocked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love them,” the Slave had replied, “so long as they belong to someone else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At supper, they sat cross-legged on the earth floor, Mia, Marna, the Slave and the two acolytes, who, like all such, were not named, but identified by village and number. They were quiet young men, one tall, one short, both skinny, passing around bowls and spoons and tankards in silence. They all shared a solid stew, mostly vegetables with a little meat, and the dark unleavened bread eaten in most villages. There was no wine, just thick foamy ale which Mia rather liked, although Marna pulled a face.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the meal Marna went off to the alehouse to be with the guards, and the acolytes disappeared. The Slave watched Mia in silence, her head tilted to one side. She was perhaps in her mid-forties, a well-rounded woman, gentle and sociable, whose ample flesh wobbled when she laughed, which was often.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are very quiet, Most High,” the Slave said. “Do you want to talk about it? Whatever it is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want to listen, Most Humble?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlways, my friend,\u201d she replied, spreading her hands wide in invitation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell then,\u201d Mia began, shifting so she could lean against the wall, \u201cI will tell you what I saw at the funeral tower after my sister died, and you can tell me that I imagined it.\u201d And so, in simple terms, she described the five figures silhouetted at the windows against the blue glow of the lamps, and although the Slave\u2019s eyebrows rose, she listened without interruption.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather to Mia\u2019s surprise, she then said, \u201cAnd who else have you told about this?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOnly Hurst. He told me it was impossible, just the light playing tricks on my tired eyes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Slave closed her eyes for a moment, as if considering. \u201cWhen the dead \u2013 and their Companions \u2013 are left at the funeral tower, the doors are locked.\u201d She opened her eyes again, looking straight at Mia. \u201cThere is no way for anyone to get in from the outside. There is no way for those inside to get back out. That is what the Silent Guards are there for, to prevent it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou think I imagined it, then?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think you saw what you saw, Mia. I just don\u2019t know what that might be. And I\u2019m not sure it is very \u2013 helpful, whatever it was.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia laughed. \u201cNo, you\u2019re right about that. But it bothers me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMia\u2026\u201d The Slave watched her intently. \u201cI would never presume to advise a Karningholder, but if I were to do so\u2026\u201d Again she eyed Mia, then sighed. \u201cNo, it\u2019s not my place.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou may speak freely, my friend.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell then, I will. I think you should forget about this. There is nothing to be gained by worrying over such matters. Life holds many mysteries, and it\u2019s not\u2026 not always useful to pursue them. Set it down as a secret of the Gods, and think no more about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Slave was unusually serious, so Mia nodded. \u201cBut this isn\u2019t what you expected me to want to talk about, is it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot really. After all, there have been some changes at the Karninghold, haven\u2019t there?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia bowed her head a little in acknowledgement, but she was not sure quite what she could say about it. She could hardly tell a village Slave that her husband couldn\u2019t quite bring himself to share her bed. It was too humiliating. Eventually, she said, \u201cWell, things are still\u2026 a bit unsettled.\u201d Then she fell into silence.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the end, it was the Slave who spoke. \u201cThere is a lot of chatter in the village about blue arrows. I have told them the Karningholders are too sensible to try that, but the oldest villagers remember the last time Karningholders settled things that way. One of the wives died in childbirth, and within a few weeks the arrows were flying. But there is always a lot of chatter about the Karningholders. I don\u2019t regard it much. The villagers need something to talk about, after all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea whether it will come to that,\u201d Mia said. She tried to keep her tone light, but she couldn’t help shivering. \u201cI hope not, but \u2013 who knows? It\u2019s for the men to decide.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a strange business,\u201d the Slave said, eyeing Mia. \u201cKarninghold marriages are a mystery to me. Why don\u2019t they send another wife to make up the numbers?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not allowed, it has to be pairs, and a new pair has to be earned by promotion to a Karning that needs it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but why isn\u2019t it allowed?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia chuckled. \u201cOne of the scholars once told me that it\u2019s because a woman is not necessary to the marriage, except to have children. If one wife dies, there is still another.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYet having only one wife is regarded as so intolerable that the husbands are allowed to try to kill each other!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it isn\u2019t quite like that!\u201d Mia said, with a half-smile. \u201cAnd you can\u2019t actually kill anyone with a blue arrow \u2013 or so I\u2019ve read. You mark them with it, and then the Gods decide.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs they decide everything under the sun,\u201d the Slave said piously, touching her forehead in the ritual prayer movement. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mia bowed her head, and made the same gesture. \u201cLet us hope they have no plans to take Jonnor or Hurst just yet.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 6: Skirmishes (Hurst)<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst\u2019s horse shifted under him, sensing his excitement. He stroked her neck absently. \u201cEasy, girl. We\u2019ll be moving soon enough.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Alongside him, Gantor murmured, \u201cAlmost time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They formed part of a ring of mounted Skirmishers defending their flag hill, rather a grandiose name for such a scuffed and weatherbeaten mound of earth, the summit not much higher than Hurst\u2019s head. In front of them was the skirmish field, a quarter-mile of churned mud. Beyond that a line of battered wooden poles marked the boundary between their own Karning and their northern neighbour, with its matching skirmish field and flag hill. In the distance, Hurst could just make out the coloured tabard of Kelmannor, his opposite number, to one side of his hill.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gantor\u2019s role was to keep his eyes fixed on a third hill some distance away, positioned directly on the boundary line. It boasted a small wooden hut for the observers, and the clock pole for the flags which marked the hours and sixths. \u201cThe last small flag is going up\u2026 now. It\u2019s time.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBegin,\u201d Hurst said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Gantor scratched his nose. Further off, a Skirmisher closed his visor with a snap. Hurst dared not turn his head to watch in case it alerted Kelmannor, but he knew his eccentric signals were being conveyed from one group of men to the next. Eventually the message would reach a cluster of riders milling about on the edge of a copse some distance away. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst felt the familiar flutter of excitement. Too late now to wonder whether his strategy would work. As always, his mind cleared and he began to focus on these last, crucial few moments before the end of the flag phase of the skirmish. He waited.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes! There he was! A single horseman in Hurst\u2019s colours burst into the open from the copse, his head hunched low over his mount\u2019s neck. He tore across the skirmish field towards the opposition\u2019s flag hill, a brightly coloured flag tied to his saddle. Across the boundary, a group of Kelmannor\u2019s Skirmishers spurred into action, racing to intercept him, but they were sluggish by comparison.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst watched in silence, rather impressed. The rider was Walst, one of his two younger Companions, a skilled swordsman, but not normally noted for his ability on horseback.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gantor laughed. \u201cLook at him go! He\u2019s across the boundary already. Gods, I think he\u2019s actually going to make it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It looked as if Kelmannor\u2019s riders had misjudged Walst\u2019s speed, and sheer momentum would carry him all the way to the flag hill. Hurst heard shouts, and saw arms waved frantically. Then, the moment he\u2019d been waiting for. Kelmannor himself took a group of riders to deal with the intruder. The flag hill was almost undefended, and everyone\u2019s attention was on Walst.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour turn,\u201d Gantor said, grinning at him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst lowered his visor and urged his horse into action. She sprang forward enthusiastically. Then there was nothing but the gallop, the roar of the wind rattling his visor, the rhythm of the horse beneath him, the enemy flag hill directly opposite him. He was vaguely aware of horses moving here and there, of shouts and whinnying, a crashing sound. A rider came into view nearby, then fell behind. Hurst stormed onwards. More riders ahead, and a group on foot, swords out. A quick swerve and he was past. Another group, more determined, forced him off course to the left. He smiled under his helmet. All part of the plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Abruptly he was surrounded, his horse rearing, voices yelling, something clanging against his helmet. He held on, his horse dancing to avoid crashing into others, snorting her disgust at the abrupt end to her race. Then a huge weight thumped against his chest and he was falling, curling by instinct into a ball, rolling in the mud, kicked once, twice. He lay still, gasping for breath until it was over.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before he dared open his eyes, there was a shriek. \u201cAnother one! Over there!\u201d Then pandemonium. The sound of many men mounting up, riding off, frantic cries. He smiled. That would be Trimon, another of his Companions, and the final part of his plan. While Walst and Hurst had been showily distracting Kelmannor to one side of his flag hill, Trimon had been sneaking round the back. Moments later, he heard the horns signalling his success. Trimon had set his flag on the summit of their opponents\u2019 flag hill. Hurst laughed out loud.<\/span><\/p>\n

A hand flipped his visor up, and an amused face peered at him. \u201cYou all right? Most of the horses missed you, I think.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gingerly, Hurst uncurled himself and the hand hauled him to his feet, making him wince. \u201cKelmannor?\u201d He pulled his helmet off, and cautiously stretched arms and legs, and wiggled his fingers. \u201cI\u2019m fine. The others? Walst?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone else had the common sense to stay on their horses. Gods, Hurst, how do you always put one over on me? Three last minute flag runners? And next time it will be some other new idea. Can I have Jonnor back, please? He\u2019s much easier to deal with.\u201d The younger man laughed and clapped Hurst on the back, making him wince again. \u201cThank the Nine this is the last skirmish before the quiet. We\u2019ve got so few flags this time that you\u2019ll wipe us out in the melee.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst smiled and said all that was proper. For a while the excitement lifted his spirits, but inside he was empty. He knew as well as Kelmannor that these few small victories came too late to offset the many losses of this year. When the Voices assessed the skirmish results, it would be Kelmannor moving on to the fourth line, and Hurst would be left on the third yet again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, the skirmishes kept him busy, and that was as close to happiness as he could get at the moment. He\u2019d had so little skirmish time the last two or three years, and he was grateful that Jonnor\u2019s low mood kept him at home. Of course, he was careful to ask Jonnor\u2019s advice on strategy and sometimes he even took it, if it matched his own ideas. <\/span><\/p>\n

It was satisfying to be in control again, but in truth, he found the skirmishes a strange and sterile business. On the border the battles against the barbaric Vahsi were infrequent but bloody, and men learned to fight for their lives or else died in the attempt. The skirmishes along the interior boundary lines were artificial, with their protocols and flags and odd truncated encounters, no more effective a training for the reality of the Vahsi than a game of crowns was a recreation of the Petty Kingdom wars of old. At least they enforced the necessary skills and fitness, and encouraged a degree of strategic thinking.<\/span><\/p>\n

Autumn was not the best time to be manning the lines, but the grey skies and shortened days suited his mood. He had never been one to direct his men from a distance, and he ended each day as wet and muddy and chilled as anyone. He would tend his horse, just like the rest, rinse his clothes in the same bog, and eat the same half raw, half burned meat. Then he would wrap himself, fully dressed, in cloak and blanket to sleep under a thin skin tent like any other Skirmisher.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not that he did sleep. Exhaustion would give him two or three hours of oblivion, and then he would wake and lie half dozing until he heard the first movements of the camp and could stop pretending. And when he did manage to sleep, he dreamt of her. Of Mia. Or rather, he dreamt of Jonnor with her, touching her, inside her, his face livid with hatred or crying because she wasn\u2019t Tella, wasn\u2019t the woman he loved, while she gazed at him with rapture. And then he would wake, shaking and anguished, only to find even then his mind filled with her beloved image. It was unbearable.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

The skirmishes came to an end, the final prisoners were exchanged, and he had no option but to return to the Karninghold. One glance at Jonnor\u2019s face told him nothing had changed. And there waiting for him were the messages from the Ring; the travel arrangements and appointments for interviews. The winter quiet was upon them and all at once they were out of time. Mia was away, dealing with one village or another, so he determined to resolve matters once and for all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tonight, the roast came up in the lifter from the kitchens below with all the other dishes, and their own oven was cold. Maybe it was his imagination, but the meat from the lower kitchen never tasted as good as it did when Mia cooked it. Today it was stringy and flavourless. Jonnor carved and ate in silence, while Hurst gave him all the details of the last few days on the lines. It always took a while to draw Jonnor out of his abstracted state, but wine and some amusing anecdotes had their effect. Hurst was diplomatic about his skirmish successes, ascribing whatever he could to Jonnor\u2019s advice or the idiocy of the opposition, while minimising his own role as best he could. By the time he had exhausted his stock of tales, Jonnor was relaxed and smiling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Collecting the plates, Hurst reached for his most casual tones. \u201cSo how are you getting along with Mia?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In an instant, Jonnor\u2019s face was wiped of all good humour. \u201cIf you are going to offer to help out again, cousin\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Hurst said quietly, hoping he didn\u2019t sound too regretful. \u201cBut nothing\u2019s changed, has it? We have to talk about it, brother.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

While Jonnor scowled, Hurst moved round the table in silence, carrying dishes to the lifter and sending them down to the servants below. Then he went into the pantry and brought out a full decanter of wine and two of the glasses they kept for celebrations. Sitting down opposite Jonnor he filled the glasses, pushed one across the table, and drank a little from his own.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet us put all our crowns on the board.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For a moment Jonnor just stared at him, then he nodded and took a deep gulp of wine.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am thirty-six years old,\u201d Hurst began, \u201cand I\u2019m running out of time to reach the border. My father made it, my younger brothers are well on their way, and I want to get there too. It\u2019s all I\u2019ve ever wanted, my whole life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor was watching him, his face suspicious, not sure where this was going. It was clear that he hadn\u2019t expected this approach.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had other marriage possibilities,\u201d Hurst went on. \u201cBut this one \u2013 I felt straight away that you were my best hope. We\u2019re a good match in the skirmishes, you and I. You\u2019re terrific at defence, and you\u2019ve always managed the negotiations well too. Whereas I\u2026 I can move quickly and produce the unexpected attack. We did well when we worked together, as we did when we first came here, and these last few weeks, too.\u201d It was not quite a lie, he felt, more a smudging of the truth. He took another swallow of wine. \u201cI think we can move on to the fourth line quite swiftly if we continue to combine our strengths. Not this year, perhaps, but next year\u2026 I believe it would be possible. But let me be honest with you, Jonnor. I won\u2019t stand by and watch it all drift away. You\u2019re not the only one with ability on the line, and I want to do my fair share. Together we can do better than either of us alone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Again he drank. Jonnor was drinking steadily as he listened, his face calmer now, and Hurst refilled his own glass and slid the decanter across the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs for Mia\u2026\u201d Another mouthful of wine to steady him. He shifted a little, trying to find a comfortable position for his bad leg. \u201cYou know how I feel about her, brother. Gods, the whole world knows how I feel, except for Mia herself. But she\u2019s never looked twice at me. Well, who would? It\u2019s you she\u2019s always wanted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t you realise?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I… Really?\u201d Jonnor looked doubtful. Had he truly never noticed, never looked at Mia and seen the hope in her eyes? Perhaps not. He\u2019d only ever seen Tella, never looked any further, never seen beyond Mia\u2019s apparent contentment with her role. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst gave a little laugh. He wondered if Jonnor heard the bitterness in him, or whether he sounded quite normal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019m sure. And I find I\u2019d rather see her happy than have her myself. So I won\u2019t press you to share her, brother. If she\u2019s happy with you, I can be content. I\u2019ll take my share of the skirmishes and you can have Mia. But you have to do the business with her, and soon. If we go to the Ring without a settled arrangement in place…\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know, I know, they\u2019ll break us. Do you think I don\u2019t realise that? Gods, how I hate the interviews!\u201d Jonnor drained his wine again and poured more. \u201cThose pods! I can\u2019t breathe in there, and the globes\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing to fear from them if we tell the truth,\u201d Hurst said, although his stomach contracted at the thought of it. Everyone hated the interviews. \u201cSo it has to be done. You and Mia.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor nodded. \u201cIt\u2019s ironic, isn\u2019t it? I\u2019ve always envied you, you know, Hurst.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou envied me? Handsome, perfectly formed me?\u201d He flapped one hand at his leg and the other towards his face.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor managed a half-smile. \u201cYou have this way with women, somehow, so effortless.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now Hurst was astonished. \u201cMe? What under the sun\u2026?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, come on, don\u2019t play the innocent! You\u2019ve always had this air of self-assurance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026 Really?\u201d He scratched his nose, frowning. \u201cWell, I like women, naturally. I enjoy being with them, who doesn’t? But I’ve never been particularly confident around them, not like some men. Swordwork \u2013 that was different. I\u2019ve been in battle on the border with my father, so I admit to being quite cocky about my fighting skills. But with women \u2013 not really.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, whatever you do, it seems to work. I hear about all these conquests of yours. One of the cooks. That girl from the stables. A couple of Commanders\u2019 daughters.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst shifted uncomfortably. He never thought of them as conquests, as if he\u2019d fought for them and won, fending off rivals or their own reluctance. Rather they\u2019d come to him. He wasn\u2019t quite sure what they saw in him, but he\u2019d been very happy to oblige them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then there were Tella\u2019s Companions,\u201d Jonnor went on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh but \u2013 it\u2019s part of their job, isn\u2019t it?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven Tersia? Oh. I never thought of that. But the thing is, Hurst\u2026\u201d He gulped down his wine, and refilled his glass again. \u201cThe thing is\u2026 I\u2019ve never had much luck with women. Not even a bit of fumbling in the stables, and everyone manages that, don\u2019t they? So Tella\u2026 well, Tella was\u2026\u201d He broke off, red faced with embarrassment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour first?\u201d Hurst prompted.<\/span><\/p>\n

He nodded, staring down into his wine. \u201cAnd actually, I liked the whole arrangement\u2026 you know, having exclusive access. She was there whenever I wanted her, mine, no dancing around, no wondering\u2026. And with Mia\u2026 I think the same thing would work best, don\u2019t you? Not sharing. It\u2019s\u2026 less confusing. And if you\u2019re happy with that too\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurst\u2019s stomach lurched. Happy with it? Could he ever be happy with Jonnor in Mia\u2019s bed? Yes, he told himself firmly, if that made her happy, then yes. So he tried to keep his tone even. \u201cWhatever pleases Mia, and if it works better for you too, brother… But it must be soon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes, I know. But\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so difficult\u2026 being in Tella\u2019s room, in her very bed.\u201d He heaved a sigh.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen go somewhere else,\u201d Hurst said, acid-toned. \u201cTake her to your room, or do it on the floor of the atrium. Do it standing up, if you must. I have some books, if it would help. With pictures.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGods, Hurst, are you suggesting\u2026? It\u2019s not that I can\u2019t, you know. You never miss an opportunity to insult me\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, no, I didn\u2019t mean\u2026\u201d Hurst ran a hand through his unruly hair. \u201cI\u2019m not your enemy, brother,\u201d he said tiredly, \u201cand I\u2019m not trying to insult you. I understand how painful this must be for you.\u201d Although he didn\u2019t, not entirely. How difficult could it be? \u201cI thought it might help get things moving, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonnor looked at him suspiciously. \u201cHmm. Books, eh? I\u2019ll fetch some more wine and you can show me these books of yours.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia was agitated when she returned, and took the first opportunity to draw Hurst aside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothing\u2019s happened! I mean, I know he\u2019s grieving, and I\u2019m no match for Tella, but still\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right. We\u2019ve talked about it. He\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure? Because he\u2019s had weeks and\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt has to be done before we travel\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know. He understands. He\u2019ll do it.\u201d He saw her disbelieving face, and he had his own doubts, but he had to do his best to reassure her. \u201cLook, I\u2019m off the day after tomorrow, and then there\u2019s one night before you leave\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne night!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll do it, Mia. He knows what\u2019s at stake here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if he doesn\u2019t?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe will.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but if he doesn\u2019t?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen we\u2019ll find a way at the Ring. It\u2019s difficult, but it\u2019s not impossible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf he can\u2019t do anything here, how is he going to manage at the Ring?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf he can\u2019t, I can. I\u2019ve done it before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cReally? You\u2019ve had sex at the Ring?\u201d And she smiled, as sudden a radiance as the sun coming out from behind a cloud. \u201cBut it\u2019s supposed to be a time of abstinence and spiritual contemplation!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, for two months? That\u2019s an awful lot of spiritual contemplation, and far too much abstinence for any normal man. Besides, I used to regard it as a challenge.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She giggled, hand over mouth. \u201cBut how\u2026? Where\u2026?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, in the library, one time. There are some very secluded spots, if you know where to look. Up in the poetry section, for example. And in one of the ladies\u2019 gardens another time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGoodness! But how did you get in?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cActually, the getting in is considerably easier than the getting out, as I recall, but that\u2019s a long story.\u201d And a dark one, too, he thought uneasily. That was a bad time, not one he wanted to be reminded about.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mia giggled again. He loved these intimate little moments with her, and the memory of them kept him from too much introspection. Whatever happened, they would always be friends, and perhaps that was enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then she frowned and tipped her head to one side. \u201cUsed to? Don\u2019t you do this sort of thing anymore, then?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, not so much. When you\u2019re sixteen, the risk is part of the attraction, but at thirty-six\u2026 well, I wouldn\u2019t claim greater maturity, but climbing over walls and evading guards is more effort and less fun, and the reward less\u2026 enticing. Or perhaps I just prefer the comfort of a bed these days.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She smiled, but he could see concern in her eyes. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHurst, may I ask\u2026?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnything, you know that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat have you and Jonnor decided\u2026 about you? And me, I mean.\u201d She flushed a little, but still looked him straight in the eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

He tried to respond in the same calm way, but his heart was racing. \u201cJonnor feels it would be better if it were just the two of you. Less confusing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She nodded, and he could read nothing in her face. \u201cYou\u2019ve always\u2026 made your own arrangements, haven\u2019t you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes. I have the Companions, after all. And there are\u2026 other options.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re\u2026 comfortable with that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am.\u201d Was there any hesitation there? He hoped not.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause… I wouldn\u2019t want you to think\u2026 I mean, I wouldn\u2019t mind, you know\u2026 whatever the situation\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He smiled then, loving her more than ever. He leaned forward and stroked her cheek. \u201cThank you, Mia. But it\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And she beamed back at him. \u201cIf all goes well, perhaps I will have a child of my own by this time next year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHmm. Don\u2019t depend on that. It took Tella a long time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, but that was Tella. No reason I should have the same trouble.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He hesitated. Should he say anything? But he had no wish to worry her, and after all, it might happen. So he let it pass, smiled and said nothing. <\/span><\/p>\n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For backgound information on the book, click here.   Chapter 1: A Death (Mia) The hour bells sounded, reverberating through the tower, then faded to silence. Mia and both her husbands were on time. Tella, her co-wife and sister, was late. Hands folded in her lap, Mia sat perfectly still. Across the table, Hurst tapped his fingers on the polished wood. Jonnor rose, paced twice round the room, pausing to look through the tower window at the everyday life of the Karning below, then took his seat again. Although they were cousins, the two men were not alike. Hurst\u2019s rough features and plain brown jacket made him look like an ordinary Skirmisher, rather than a Karningholder. Beside him, Jonnor looked like a prince from the old stories, his blue woollen coat enhancing his figure. Mia forced herself to take her eyes off him. She smoothed away a crease in her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[23],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulinemross.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulinemross.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulinemross.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulinemross.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulinemross.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=337"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/paulinemross.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":989,"href":"https:\/\/paulinemross.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337\/revisions\/989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulinemross.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulinemross.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulinemross.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}