For once, Akila thought, something in this wretched adventure is going smoothly. Druscilla had left her plain clothes, suitable for someone who had allegedly escaped from her home and been wandering in the woods ever since, and Akila had slipped unnoticed out of both the palace and the city. She had then bundled up the clothes, changed to her eagle shape, and flown high over the river until she sighted Druscilla's party. She couldn't see Druscilla, who was traveling in a closed litter, but Wesia and the dozen guards were easy to identify. She flew another few miles downstream and inland, then landed and changed back to human form.
Her body felt extremely strange. She wasn't surprised that her fingers were clumsy on her bodice laces—after all, that wasn't a skill she'd had much practice in lately, but it seemed to be further to the ground than it used to be, and her balance felt different and wrong. She rolled briefly in the dirt to mess her clothes suitably and grind dirt into all exposed skin, being thankful that they hadn't been able to do anything about her hair yet. It would certainly make her tale of months in the woods believable! She then headed toward the road, pausing to wash her hands and face as best she could in a stream she passed. She wanted to look as though she'd been surviving in the woods, but not as if she'd descended to the level of an animal—even though that was what she had done.
She reached the edge of a bluff overlooking the road and looked up the road. The travelers were just coming into view around a bend, so she started to scramble down the debris left from a recent rock slide to reach them. The late afternoon sun, descending toward the river, was in her eyes, but that couldn't be helped.
She quickly discovered that her rock-climbing reflexes were still adapted to four legs instead of two. For perhaps half a minute she managed to keep her footing among treacherously tilting rocks, but she knew she was starting to fall—and in front of the Queen's Guard, she didn't dare shift, though it took all her concentration to remain in human shape as she fell down the hill in a mass of sliding rocks. She heard her voice whimpering in terror, felt something strike her forehead...
"Easy, now, just lie still.” The voice was familiar, but she couldn't place it. “You had a nasty fall, but you're all right now."
A thin arm lifted her gently and a cup of cool water was held to her lips. “Here, drink some of this.” Akila swallowed the water gratefully; her lips were cracked and her mouth was horribly dry. She tried to speak, but only managed to croak.
"My name is Druscilla,” the voice said.
Oh, yes, of course, Akila thought. Slowly her memory began to return. They'd been in the woods, she and Briam, and Druscilla had come, and been afraid of the wolves—"Where's Briam?"
"What?” a voice demanded from across the room. Akila heard booted feet approach the bed. She tried to open her eyes, but the light hurt them and she closed them again. It was daytime, and there were two women near her, but that was all she could tell. “When did she come around?"
"Just now, Shield-Bearer,” Druscilla replied.
'Shield-Bearer'—she came to fetch Druscilla and they took Briam to the city ... “What did you do with my brother?"
"Briam is your brother?” the swordswoman asked.
You know he is, Akila thought, but it was too much trouble to say more than “Yes."
"He's in the city,” the Shield-Bearer said soothingly. “We'll send a message telling him you're safe; I know he was worrying about you. We were too; you've been unconscious for a full three days and then some."
"Oh,” Akila said, barely understanding the words as she fell asleep.
When she woke up again it was night, or rather just before dawn. She lay quietly trying to sort things out in her aching head. The rest of her memory had come back now; she knew that Briam was in the city as Year-King and she had less than four months to come up with a plan to save him—again, she thought wearily. Druscilla had been banished to her country estate, which must be where they were now, and Wesia, no, I'm not supposed to know her name, call her “Shield-Bearer," had escorted her and was still here. She cast her mind over what she'd said when she woke up before and decided she hadn't uttered anything too incriminating—after a knock on the head, “what have you done with my brother?” doesn't necessarily imply anything more than that I'm looking for him.
But what do I do now? She looked around in the dim light that was starting to come through the windows. She lay on a cot in what was presumably Druscilla's room; the furniture was arranged in the same way as her room in the city. The bed curtains were partly open on the side nearest her, and she could see a thick blond braid and a little bit of the top of Druscilla's head. The rest of Druscilla was buried under the blanket.
Akila turned her attention back to her own body and started taking stock. She felt battered and she ached all over, especially her head, and she was sure she would discover a fine crop of bruises when she tried to get up. She moved her hands in front of her face and studied them in the dim light. The palms were scratched, but healing, and the calluses had protected them somewhat—tough, hardened skin didn't tear as easily as the delicate soft skin a lady was supposed to have. Someone had obviously washed her and put her into one of Druscilla's nightgowns; she had never owned one with lace at the wrists. She reached up and felt her hair; it was still the tangled mess it had been when she changed back from being a wolf. No doubt they hadn't wanted to pull it about while she had a head injury.
A noise came from Druscilla's bed, something between a moan and a whimper. “Druscilla?” There was no reply, unless one counted Druscilla's continued whimpering.
Akila cautiously sat up and set her teeth against the pain. Her head felt ready to split open and her ribs felt as thought someone had been using them for drums. She managed to swing her feet over the side of the cot and reach the floor, but, when she tried to stand up, her legs refused to take her weight. Fortunately the space between her cot and Druscilla's bed was narrow, so when she pitched forward she landed on the bed—and, of course, on Druscilla. Druscilla awakened abruptly with a shriek.
It wasn't a loud shriek, but it produced a guard before Akila could move. “What's amiss, my Lady?"
"Nothing, thank you,” Druscilla replied hastily. “I had a bad dream, that's all.” Both girls held their breath, afraid that the guard would open the bed curtains, but she merely closed the door and returned to her post.
"How are you feeling, Akila?” Druscilla whispered softly. “I'm sorry your hair is still such a mess; I wanted to wash and comb it, but the Shield-Bearer wouldn't let me."
"That's all right,” Akila whispered back. “The way my head feels I don't even want to try to wash it now, to say nothing of trying to get the tangles out. I may have to cut it off."
"Oh, I hope not,” Druscilla said. “Briam has such beautiful hair, and you must too."
"Under all the dirt?” Akila's hair was not her major worry. “What day is it? How long have I been here?"
Druscilla reckoned it on her fingers. “You met us in the late afternoon on the first day of our journey—do you remember?"
"All I remember is that I saw your party on the road and then fell down with a rock slide."
"Yes. About a third of the rock slide came down with you—it's a mercy it was a small one. You were unconscious when we picked you up, and you stayed that way for the rest of the journey here, that's three more days, and you didn't wake up until the afternoon of the second day we were here. Then you were awake only a few minutes before you fell asleep again, and now it's,” she glanced out the window at the graying sky, “very early morning of the third day here, so you missed six nights and four days."
"Oh, no!” Akila whispered. “What's happening to Briam while I'm away?"
"Nothing,” said Druscilla in surprise. “It's a very bad omen if the Year-King dies before the appointed time. Believe me, the whole city will make sure nothing happens to Briam before Summer's End. Even when he goes out hunting his Companions go with him, and its their special job to make sure no harm comes to him."
"His Companions?"
"Eight youths of good family, who attend the Year-King whenever he's not with the Queen. It's considered a great honor, and unless the Year-King is a real pain, it's a pretty comfortable job."
"So they keep him safe until Summer's End,” Akila said, trying to make certain she understood the situation. “And then they kill him."
"The Companions don't kill him; the Queen and Shield-Bearer do—if we don't stop them,” Druscilla said through gritted teeth. “But we will stop them. Somehow."
She took a good look at Akila. “We'd better get you back to bed. Can you sit up?"
With a lot of help from Druscilla, Akila made it back to her cot, where she promptly fell asleep again.
When she woke again the sun was streaming in through the window across her bed. It was warm, and it felt wonderful. Druscilla was sitting on a cushion on the broad windowsill, still in her nightgown. Akila tried to speak aloud, but her voice came out as a croak.
"Oh, you're awake.” Druscilla jumped off the windowsill and went to the table, which held a pitcher and several cups. “Let me get you some water."
There was a noise of booted feet hurrying down the hall away from their door. “Brace yourself,” Druscilla warned softly. “We're about to have company.” She propped Akila up, using the pillows from both beds, and held the cup of water to her lips. Akila sipped it gratefully.
It was only a minute before they heard footsteps coming toward them. “Act dumb,” Druscilla advised hastily, just before the door opened.
I suppose that under the circumstances, that's good advice, Akila thought, but why does she always do it? Does she have enemies, or is it just that she doesn't get on with the Queen?
"So you're back with us,” the Shield-Bearer said pleasantly. “How are you feeling?"
"Battered,” Akila replied ruefully.
Wesia laughed. “I can well believe it. You're very lucky not to have broken bones. How is your sight?"
It took Akila a moment to make sense of that, to realize that Wesia was referring to eyesight rather than clairvoyance or the changes in vision that resulted from changing shape. “Fine, thank you."
"Good. Think you could eat something?” Akila considered that. She didn't feel hungry exactly, but she wasn't nauseous and she was obviously in need of fluids at least. She nodded, and hastily clutched her head. Nodding hurt!
"Better practice saying ‘yes'—you're not going to want to move your head much for a bit,” Wesia advised. She spoke to the guard at the door, who went off down the hall.
"So you're Briam's sister. You do resemble him."
"Yes, a bit,” Akila replied. “We're twins."
"Are you now?” That seemed to interest Wesia; Akila wasn't sure why. She glanced at Druscilla, who seemed unconcerned, so presumably it didn't have any relation to Briam's upcoming sacrifice.
If twins could be sacrificed in place of each other, Akila wondered, would Druscilla try to sacrifice me to save Briam? It was a disquieting thought. “Where did you meet Briam?” she asked.
"In the forest north of the City,” the Shield-Bearer replied, “saving Druscilla from her own stupidity."
"I'm not all that stupid,” Druscilla retorted indignantly. “I just have a horror of wolves, ever since one of the Year—"
"Enough!” The swordswoman cut her off sharply. Druscilla looked rebellious, but did not finish her sentence.
'Ever since one of the Year-Kings—’ what? Akila wondered. What could a Year-King have done to make Druscilla afraid of wolves?
"It's high time you dressed and went about your day's business,” Wesia told Druscilla firmly. “Genia,” she added to the guard who was returning with a tray of food. “Go call Lady Druscilla's maid to help her dress, please.” She took the tray from the guard, who promptly set off on her new errand.
Wesia set the tray on Akila's lap. It contained a bowl of some sort of porridge, which smelled delicious. “Can you hold a spoon, or shall I help you?"
"I can manage, thank you.” Akila was beginning to feel much better. She had always healed more quickly than most people around her, and apparently that hadn't changed. The smell of the food made her realize how hungry she really was, and she had to force herself not to gulp down the porridge like the wolf she had been.
"You're looking much better,” Wesia said approvingly. “If we put you in a litter, I think we can start back to the city today."
"But she was so badly hurt!” Druscilla protested. “She should stay here until she recovers."
"She survived three days in a litter immediately after being hurt,” Wesia pointed out. “I doubt that she's in worse shape now. And I do have to get back to the city; I've been here three days longer than I should have been already. The Queen will be worried."
"You sent her a messenger bird the night you got here,” Druscilla argued.
"There's no guarantee that the bird got to the city,” Wesia replied. “And, in any case, I have work to do there. We'll leave as soon as we can be ready. Please have your kitchen pack food for us."
"Very well,” Druscilla gave in to the inevitable with good grace. “Please tell the Queen my aunt that Akila can have my room at the palace. Since I won't be there, she might as well use it."
"Thank you, Lady Druscilla,” Akila said, carefully remembering to be formal.
Druscilla smiled at her. “You're welcome,” she said. “And I'll gather together some clothes for you, since yours got lost. We're pretty much the same size."
Akila murmured her thanks and ate another bite of porridge.
The guard Genia returned, followed by Druscilla's maid. Wesia promptly sent Genia off to set the guards to packing and loading the animals, but she remained where she was, sitting on the foot of Akila's bed. She doesn't want to leave me alone with Druscilla, Akila realized. She's afraid that Druscilla will tell me about Briam's being Year-King. I'd better remember that all I'm supposed to know about him is that he's in the city.
She ate her porridge quietly and watched Druscilla dress. The prospect of wearing such clothes did not cheer her; they appeared to be designed to make it impossible for the wearer to do much of anything. Over the lace-trimmed shift, loose and suitable for sleeping in, went three petticoats, so trimmed with lace and flounces that they stuck out and made Druscilla look like a hand bell. The maid put Druscilla into a corset, which, in addition to lacing in back, so that she couldn't dress unaided, laced up so tightly that Druscilla would be unable to run in it. Probably a fast walk would make her feel faint. Then there was an underskirt, heavily embroidered and coming to within an inch of the floor. Over that went an overdress of some sort of fabric with small designs woven into it. The bodice of this was boned and it laced up also, but at least it did so in the front. The sleeves, however, were long and loose, calculated to get caught in or dragged through everything one reached for. The skirt of it was split in a wide triangle so that the underskirt could be seen, and presumably admired. Well, it was a beautiful piece of embroidery, but the whole outfit was very confining. The maid had to kneel on the floor to put on Druscilla's shoes and stockings and tie the garters; there was no way Druscilla could bend over enough to reach her feet.
Some of what Akila felt must have showed in her face, for Wesia chuckled. “Don't worry, child, you don't have to get dressed for the journey. We'll just wrap you in blankets and put you in the litter, and you can sleep through the whole trip—we'll wake you up for meals."
"Thank you,” Akila said with heartfelt gratitude.
She did sleep through most of the trip. Since they kept the curtains of the litter closed, there was nothing to see. They camped out on the road each night, instead of staying with villagers as they had done when bringing Druscilla back from the forest. Akila supposed they were still trying to limit who she saw and talked to. Just wait until I recover and can change shape again, she thought, and then see how ignorant you can keep me! But she slept and ate and smiled and thanked them for the food and the care they were taking of her, and said nothing to any purpose. Best to play a waiting game until she knew more.
By the time they arrived in the city, four days later, she could walk a bit. She insisted on putting on one of Druscilla simplest dresses and walking into the palace leaning on Wesia's arm. She didn't want to be carried in and worry Briam.
Unfortunately her efforts to spare Briam any worry were wasted. When she tottered into the atrium, leaning on Wesia, the Queen was seated on the dais. Briam sat on a lower chair beside her, and on his forehead was a blue circle, just like the one Lord Ranulf bore. Akila took one look at him and promptly fainted.