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CHAPTER SIX

Yule

A SPAR winced AS THE leic pulled the needle through his cheek a final time and tied off the gut.

'That's done,' the old man said. 'You were lucky in both wounds. The shoulder should heal well.'

'I'm not sure any wound is lucky,' Aspar said, relieved to find that the wind no longer whistled through his cheek when he talked.

'It is when another fingerbreadth could have brought your death,' the leic replied cheerfully. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I've more of you to tend to.'

'What about her?' Aspar said, pointing with his chin to where Leshya lay, bundled up in wools, her unconscious face pale even for her.

The leic shrugged. 'I don't know much about Sefry,' he said. 'The wound was pretty bad, and I did what I know to do. She's in the hands of the saints now.'

He patted Aspar's unwounded shoulder. 'You had better rest, especially if you're really so foolish as to try to ride tomorrow.'

Aspar nodded, still regarding the Sefry. The ride to the castle was a memory seen through a fog of pain and blood loss. Winna had stayed with him, though, keeping him in his saddle. She'd left only a few moments ago, answering a call from the princess.

i

Yule

He understood that Sir Neil and the Vitellians were pretty banged up, but Leshya had the worst of it by far. They'd found her pinned to a tree by an arrow.

He put his hands on his knees and pushed himself up, went over to stand by her in the candlelight. His shadow fell across her face, and she stirred.

'What'?' she gasped, eyes fluttering open. 'Be still,' Aspar said. 'You've been hurt. Do you remember?' She nodded. 'I'm cold.'

Aspar glanced over at the fireplace. He was sweating, himself. 'I thought you'd taken off,' he said.

'Yes,' she murmured, closing her eyes. 'Couldn't do that, could I?'

'I don't see why not.'

'Don't you? But'doesn't matter. I didn't.'

'Werlic. Thank you.'

She nodded, and her eyes opened again. They shone like violet lamps.

'I have to go with them tomorrow,' he said, 'to Eslen.'

'Sure,' she said. 'I know that.'

'Well, the thing is, I need you not to die while I'm gone,' he explained.

'' Don't take your orders, holter,' she said. 'But stay here with me until you leave, yes?'

Aspar nodded. 'Yah.'

He settled on the floor next to the bed, and soon fell asleep. When he woke again, it was morning, and Winna was gently shaking him awake.

'Its time to go,' she said.

'Yah,' Aspar said. He looked over at Leshya. She was still breathing, and her color looked better. 'Yah.'

Cazio dribbled a bit of water onto z'Acatto's lips. In his sleep, the old swordmaster grimaced and tried to spit it out.

'Well,' Cazio said, 'that's a good sign.'

'He has to drink,' the healer said. 'He's lost a lot of blood, and blood is made from water.' The Hornish healer spoke Vitellian with a funny accent, as if he were singing.

'Blood is made of wine,' z'Acatto contradicted, cracking one eye half-open. 'The original wine, the wine of Saint Fufiono, that's what flows in our veins. Water is what they drown babies in.'

The healer smiled. 'A little watered wine wouldn't hurt,' he said. 'I'll find some.'

'Wait,' z'Acatto wheezed. 'What country are we in?'

'You're in Hornladh and the Empire of Crotheny.'

Z'Acatto winced and let his hand drop. 'Cazio,' he said, 'do you know that no drinkable wine has ever been produced north of Tero Galle?'

'We don't find our wines difficult to drink,' the healer said.

'Please,' z'Acatto went on, 'I have no wish to insult, but that only means you have no sense of taste, at least not a cultivated one. How did I come to this hellish place? A man's last drink should remind him of all that was good in life, not send him to Lord Ontro weeping.'

'First of all,' the healer said, 'you aren't dying, not that I can tell.'

'No?' z'Acatto's brows lifted in surprise.

'No. You'll be long in bed, and longer recovering your strength, but I've stopped your bleeding, and none of your wounds seem likely to go septic.'

'You're mostly bone and gristle, in other words,' Cazio put in.

'If I didn't know better,' the healer said, 'I would say whoever shot you was intentionally trying to wound, not kill. Since no one is that good a shot, I'd say you have the saints to thank.'

'I'll thank Saint Fufiono if there's some Vitellian wine around here,' z'Acatto said, 'and much thank the man who brings it.'

'I believe there is some Gallean Barnice et Tarve in the cellar,' the healer replied. 'That will have to do.'

'Eh,' the swordmaster said. 'That could work out until I can come across something better.'

The healer left, and z'Acatto grumbled a little under his breath, then fixed his eyes on Cazio.

'We're both still alive, I've noticed.'

Yule

'Indeed,' Cazio said. 'Although it's unclear to me exactly how.'

'You're hardly scratched.'

Cazio glanced down at the copious bandages and dressings that covered his body.

'It's true,' he replied, 'All thanks to that practice we had.' He then explained, as best he could, the events of the night before.

'Well,' the old swordsman said, when Cazio had finished, 'these are matters that'' He trailed off, and for a moment seemed to fall asleep, but then he perked back up. 'When are we going home?'

'I thought you were the one who said I ought to get out and see the world.'

'Well, we've seen plenty of it,' z'Acatto replied. 'Now it's time to lie in the sun and drink something from a good year for a while, don't you think? It might even be safe to go back to Avella by now, but if it isn't, I'm sure the countess would take us in again.'

His eyes narrowed at the expression that must have crept across Cazio's face.

'What?'

'Well,' Cazio said, 'as it turns out, Anne is Princess of Crotheny.'

'You don't say?' z'Acatto snorted. 'Don't you remember when the news came about William's death, how those girls got so upset?'

'Well, yes, but I thought they were just upset because their emperor had died. I didn't know it was her father.' He remembered how when he'd first met Anne, he had held back his own minor title to impress her at the most opportune time. Now he felt silly about that, as about so many things.

'You might have told me,' Cazio said.

'If I don't make you use your own brain, it will turn into meal-mush,' z'Acatto retorted.

'Anyway,' Cazio pressed on, 'her kingdom has been usurped and her mother taken prisoner. She's asked me to come along and help reclaim the one and free the other.'

'Not your country,' z'Acatto said, suddenly serious. 'Not your business.'

'I feel as if it is,' Cazio said. 'I've come this far'I think I'll finish it.'

'There is no 'finishing it,' boy. What you're riding into is war, and that's something you don't want any experience with, I promise you.'

'I'm not afraid of war,' Cazio told him.

'Then you're a fool,' the swordmaster spat. 'Remember how I told you fighting a knight was nothing like one of your noontime duels?'

'I remember,' Cazio said. 'You were right, and thanks to your advice I've survived.'

'Then listen to me one more time, even if it's the last time,' z'Acatto said.

'Whatever you imagine war is, you're wrong. It's terrible, and being brave doesn't help. It's not dying in a war that's the worst thing, it's living through one.'

Cazio held his gaze firmly. 'I believe you,' he said. 'And I believe you speak from experience, though you won't talk about it. But I feel this has become my duty, z'Acatto. I think I belong in this fight, and I think I should have earned enough respect from you that you wouldn't imagine I still make decisions like a boy. I may not know exactly what I'm walking into, but my eyes are open.'

Z'Acatto sighed and nodded. 'You've traveled farther than your leagues, Cazio,'

he said at last. 'And you have learned some judgment. I finally see the character I knew you had in you starting to come through. But take my council on this. Go home with me.'

'You can't travel now,' Cazio said, 'but when we've set things right in Eslen, you can join us there.'

'No,' the old man said. 'As soon as I can travel, I'm returning to Vitellia. If you go north to this mess, you'll go without me.'

Cazio drew his damaged blade and raised it to attention. 'I salute you, old man,' he said. 'What you did last night was beyond belief. I will never forget it as long as I live.'

'You're going,' z'Acatto said flatly.

'I am.'

'Then go. No more pretty words. Go. Azdei.'

'Azdei, mestro,' Cazio replied. He was suddenly terribly afraid that he was going to cry.

Yule

Neil knelt before Anne and tried to hold himself steady on one knee, but his body, racked by pain and exhaustion, betrayed him, and he fell. He caught himself with his hands.

'Ease yourself, Sir Neil,' Princess Anne said. 'Sit, please.'

He hesitated, then stood and slumped onto the bench. Bright and dark spots danced before his eyes. 'I'm sorry, Your Highness,' he mumbled. 'I'm just out of breath.'

The princess nodded. 'You've been through much, Sir Neil,' she observed, 'and some of it has been because of me. I did not trust you in z'Espino.'

'That is clear to me, Your Highness.'

She tucked her hands behind her back and regarded him with a solid gaze. 'I wronged you,' she said. 'And you almost died. But I had my reasons. Do you doubt me?'

Neil found that he didn't.

'No, Your Majesty,' he said. 'I understand what your position was. I should have made more of an effort to convince you.'

'I am not queen, Sir Neil,' the princess said softly. 'You should not address me as 'Majesty.' '

'I understand, Your Highness,' Neil replied.

She lay a hand on his shoulder. 'I'm glad you survived, Sir Neil. I am most glad.'

Neil heard the apology there'an apology without weakness. A very regal sort of apology that sent a little thrill through him.

I serve someone worthy, he caught himself thinking. He hadn't known Anne before, not really. But he did know she hadn't been like this. Something basic in her had changed; she had been a girl. Now she was something much stronger.

'Ah, Cazio,' he heard Anne say. Neil glanced up to see the Vitel-lian had joined them.

'Mi Regatura,' Cazio said, a bit cockily. But then, as if the gesture pained him, he dropped to one knee.

Anne regarded him for a moment, then nodded and said something to Cazio in Vitellian.

'I must see someone else, now,' she told Neil.

Neil made the sign of blessing, and Cazio made a similar sign, then they both rose. As Anne left, the Vitellian looked at Neil.

'I speak not well your tongue,' he managed in an incredibly thick accent. 'But I listen, no? You brave man. You brother.' He held out his hand.

Neil clasped it. 'It was an honor to fight beside you,' he said.

'She'' the Vitellian pointed after Anne, struggling for words.

'Not the same,' he finally managed.

'No,' Neil breathed. 'She is a queen now.'

Anne gazed down at Rodericks corpse. Vespresern had already washed him and laid him in a winding-sheet. Now she stood weeping as Anne and Austra looked on.

'He died bravely,' Anne ventured.

Vespresern turned hard eyes on her. 'He died for you,' she said. 'I can't imagine you're worth it. He loved you. He was mad with love for you.'

Anne nodded, but she didn't have anything to say. After a moment, she left, with Austra following her.

The two women went up to the battlements, so Anne could feel the wind. The threat of rain was long gone, and stars blazed in the night sky.

'I thought I loved him,' Anne said, 'and then I thought I hated him. Now I don't feel much of anything but pity.'

'Why?' Austra said. 'Anne, his father must have told him to court you. They planned to kill you all along, and Roderick was an instrument of that plan.'

'I know. And if I hadn't cursed him with love, he would have killed me himself, I'm sure. But I did curse him, and cursed him again. He died for something he didn't even understand. Like that horse, remember? Duke Orien's horse? It broke its leg, and we were hiding in the hayloft and saw them kill it? You could see in its eyes, it didn't understand what was happening to it.'

'I suppose.'

'And if I had never been so foolish as to write him, still none of this would have happened. His love was first counterfeit, then shine-YULE

craft. Mine was neither'it was just a foolish girl's game. So whose shoulders should this all fall on?'

'You can't take it all on yourself.'

'Oh, but I can,' Anne said. 'I must. I went there again, Austra. I saw the fourth Faith, and she told me that my mother has been imprisoned and my father's throne usurped. That's why we're leaving here tomorrow.'

'That can't be true,' Austra said.

'I believe it,' Anne replied. 'First they kill half of us and then they take our throne. That seems like a pretty logical course of events. But they missed me, and they're going to regret that.'

Austra regarded her for a long moment. 'I believe they will,' she said. She started to say something else, but seemed to struggle for a moment. 'I'm sorry I disobeyed you,' she said finally.

Anne looked frankly at her. 'Austra, you are truly the only person I can claim to love. I know that now. I can't even say that about my mother or Charles, not honestly. You are the only one I love.'

'I love you, too,' Austra said.

'But you can't disobey me again,' Anne said, taking her hand. 'Ever. I might be right, and I might be wrong, and you may try to convince me when you think I'm wrong, but once my word is spoken, it is your word, too.'

'Because you're the princess and I'm a servant?' Austra murmured.

'Yes,' Anne replied.

They set out the next morning'Anne, Austra, Winna, Aspar, Neil, Cazio, and twenty horsemen from Dunmrogh. The clouds were back, and a midday snow began to fall, the first snow of winter. It was Yule; from now on, the days would only get longer.