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on a visit to the keep? Is there anything I should know before we leave?"
He huffed once for yes.
"Fair enough.Wynn, get out the talking hide while I dress. I'll join you
shortly."
Wynn thought Leesil should be involved as well, but Magiere practically
pushed her out the door, scooting Chap out behind her. Not until she was out
in the hall did Wynn realize the sickly sweet smell had not grown stronger
near Magiere.Which meant it had come from Leesil.
A scraping sound woke Hedí. She sat upright in the large bed.
Julia knelt by the hearth, working to start a fire. The maid wore the same
housedress and apron from the night before, but now her hair hung down her
back in a red-brown braid. She jumped slightly at Hedí's movement.
"Oh, I'm sorry, my lady. I was trying to be quiet."
"Do not concern yourself. Is the sun up?"
Julia smiled. "Yes, and breakfast is prepared in the lower meal hall, when
you're ready."
Hedí considered this. Yes, she was hungry, and she would be expected to
appear. Better to hurry down now than to have Darmouth come looking for her
again, alone in this room.
She climbed out of the bed, and Julia immediately opened the wardrobe. All of
her clothes had been properly arranged there. It seemed Hedí had slept right
through Julia emptying the travel chest.
Hedí normally did not like being tended at dressing, but she allowed Julia to
help her into a pale blue gown. The maid arranged her hair in a twisted bun,
leaving a few loose curls at her temples. The teeth marks on her throat were
red and lightly scabbed, but they were healing. Julia neatly fastened the
velvet ribbon around her throat to hide them again.
"Very fine, my lady," Julia said. "You look lovely."
Hedí was uncertain about the bun but did not argue. "Thank you. I can find my
own way to the hall."
Stepping out in the corridor brought relief, as if she needed a reminder that
she was not a prisoner of her room. She followed the corridor to the stairs
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and wound her way down to the main floor and the vast meal hall, hoping
Darmouth had already eaten and left.
She looked in to see several long tables and an enormous hearth. The
household did not seem to stand on ceremony at breakfast, as several servants
and four common soldiers were milling about, eating bread and sipping from
pottery cups. There was no sign of Lord Darmouth.
Lieutenant Omasta stood with several of his soldiers, a large hunk of
buttered bread in one hand and crumbs in his blond beard. He looked over when
she entered and nodded, pointing to a chair.
"Here, lady, come and sit."
Although Omasta was Darmouth's lapdog, Hedí still preferred him to his lord
and master. The lieutenant was clearly most at ease in the company of other
men. Simple as he was, he did not pretend to be anything other than a soldier.
He was dutiful, perhaps with some semblance of propriety, and Hedí wondered
what made such a man loyal to the likes of Darmouth. To the best of her
knowledge, Omasta had no family. She sat down and poured herself some tea.
She took her first sip as Darmouth strode into the hall like a barbarian out
of place in his polished and oiled armor. His men straightened to attention,
but he ignored them and walked straight to her. She could smell him before he
closed on her.
"Did you sleep well, lady?" he asked.
"Yes, very," she answered with forced politeness, and put down her cup.
He seemed preoccupied and glanced once at Omasta as if some important matter
kept distracting his thoughts. Then he asked her, "Do you need anything more
from the inn?"
This caught her unprepared for the opportunity, but she quickly took
advantage.
"I have my belongings, but I did leave behind unfinished affairs. There are
several letters to be completed and a few matters for thebarons family. If I
could speak with Emêl, I am certain he could handle these for me. Could you
send word to him?"
Her heart pounded as Darmouth stared at her. He did not say "yes," but he did
not refuse either. Instead, he raised his eyes to the cluster of soldiers.
"Omasta!Come with me. You're to meet the hunter at the gatehouse by noon." He
looked down at the ribbon about her throat. "We will finish the beast that did
this to you."
Hedí smiled sweetly with a shy nod. "Thank you. That is a great comfort. Then
I may be safely returned to the Bronze Bell."
Again he did not answer, and turned to stride out of the hall. Hedí wondered
who this hunter was, this "dhampir" Viscount Andraso had mentioned.
Omasta dropped his bread on the table and followed his lord. Darmouth stopped
in the arched doorway and looked back at Hedí. Omasta had to sidestep out of
his way.
"I don't like your hair this morning," Darmouth said. "Don't wear it that way
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again."
Hedí lowered her eyes in obeisance, and Darmouth left without further
comment. Under the table, she crushed the fabric of her gown's skirt in her
hand.
Perhaps she should shave her head and see how he liked it. She'd hated
Darmouth more than any other person except for the one who had murdered her
father in his sleep. All eyes in the room were upon her now, and her appetite
faded.
She stood up and walked out into the main entryway, wondering what to do
withherself . Directly across the way was the council hall, where she had sat
at dinner two nights before next to the true monster in this land. She had no
intention of visiting there.
To either side of the staircase were corridors leading left and right behind
the halls. As far as she could see, there were no other passages, and no
stairs leading downward. She stepped around the central stairs and into the
left corridor that headed north. It stretched a good way,then turned right.
She followed it, stopping short of the corner to peek around the turn. At the
end of another long passage, two soldiers stood guarding a door. She retreated
and retraced her steps to the entryway.
The right-hand corridor heading south produced the same result two guards
standing before an identical door. Perhaps one or both doorways led beneath [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]