Lightnings Daughter

by Mary H. Herbert

Bregan glanced around. "What? The dog?"

  "I thought I heard---" She stopped.

  "What?" Piers asked, puzzled.

  The dog barked again, closer this time, and Gabria, Athlone, and Sayyed heard the words in their heads. Tam! Tam! I'm coming. I am free, and I am coming!

  Suddenly the Hunnuli neighed, and a huge, mottled dog charged into the firelight, barking with frantic joy. A frayed rope dangled from his neck. He leaped on Tam and knocked her flat, licking her and whining with delight. The girl hugged him fiercely.

  Gabria stared at the dog in amazement. "I can understand him!"

  "The dog?" Khan'di frowned.

  "Yes!" Sayyed agreed excitedly. "He is barking, but in my head I can hear his meaning."

  Piers said, "Well, I don't."

  "I do,” Athlone said, astonished. He sank back down to his seat.

  Khan'di crossed his arms. "That's ridiculous. It's just a dog. A scruffy looking one at that."

  "It's a Tesser,” Bregan told him. "A hunting dog from the northern forests. The Murjik breed them.

  These dogs are white in the winter and brown in the summer. He's shedding.”

  "Tesser or not, it's stil a dog and dogs do not talk," Khan'di insisted.

  Gabria shook her head. "No, he doesn't talk as we do, but something is translating his voice to us. I don't understand it. I've never heard of anything like this."

  The dog in question sat down beside Tam and wagged his plumed tail. His lips pul ed back in a wolfish grin. Carefully, Gabria held out her hand to let the dog sniff it. He woofed.

  Hello, the magic-wielders heard . I am Treader.

  "Treader,” Gabria repeated in wonder.

  Tam's pale face lit with a brilliant smile as if someone had just discovered her most wonderful achievement. Silently she tapped her chest then touched the dog.

  "Ah,” Gabria muttered, studying the child and the dog together.

  Athlone caught her thought. "Tam did it?"

  "She must have. Somehow she has put a spel on him to translate his voice, and because she used magic. . ."

  "We can understand him, too,” Sayyed finished.

  "So why can't we hear this remarkable dog?" Khan'di asked.

  "Tam's magic must be limited,” Gabria answered. "Her spell was probably intended to translate Treader's voice only to a magic-wielder. She didn't know she was going to meet more of us." Gabria fingered the frayed end of the rope tied to the dog's col ar. "I wonder whose dog it is?"

  Secen said with a smirk. "Lord Caurus's, maybe?"

  Tam shook her head and pointed to herself.

  "I doubt it's hers,” Bregan remarked. "It's a valuable dog. Should we take it back?"

  At that, Tam leaped to her feet and flung herself on the dog's shoulder. Treader rose, barking furiously.

  Athlone smiled lopsidedly. "Ah, no. He says he goes with Tam whether we like it or not. Besides, we don't have the time to go back."

  "Think they'l come looking for it?" Sayyed asked.

  The chieftain shrugged. He was exhausted again and ready for his blankets. "Probably not tonight,”

  he muttered. "And we'll be leaving at dawn." As Piers came to help him, he waved a hand at Tam. "Feed the child." In a moment, he sank into his rough bed with deep relief and was asleep before the others returned to the fire.

  Khan'di grumbled something about troublesome children and retired to his tent. The rest of the group gathered around the fire and brought out the remains of their meal. The Hunnuli foal tagged along.

  Sayyed grinned as he watched Tam dive into a bowl heaped high with bread, meat, and cheese.

  "She's so small. Where is she putting it all?"

  "She acts as if she hasn't eaten in days," Valar said.

  Bregan nodded. "Maybe she hasn't. She certainly doesn't look wel cared for."

  "Her kinswoman didn't even say goodbye,” Gabria said.

  "No,” agreed Piers. "But Tam doesn't appear to be upset about it."

  The little girl listened to them al and kept her thoughts hidden behind her bright eyes. When she was finally finished, she laid her plate down and smiled her thanks.

  The night was late by that time, and one by one the men went to their beds to sleep. Gabria collected the bundle of Tam's meager belongings and nestled her down in a small traveling tent. Nara and Eurus returned to grazing, but the foal stayed near Gabria's tent.

  Early the next morning, in the dim moments before the sun rose, Gabria awakened and found Tam's bed empty. Hastily she donned her pants and tunic, and ran outside, only to stop and smile with relief. Tam had not gone far. She slept curled up beside the Hunnuli foal, her head pillowed on his warm side, her hand resting on his leg. The dog lay at her feet, and Nara stood protectively over them all.

  The mare turned her dark eyes to Gabria. The child wil do wel . She has already tamed her Hunnuli.

  Gabria was pleased to agree.

  *****

  The travelers prepared to leave their camp soon after sunrise. Athlone was much stronger after a night's sleep, and he swore he could ride Eurus with no difficulty. Piers tried to convince him to rest another day, but the chieftain knew that they should not waste any more time. Although Gabria had said nothing, Athlone sensed her restlessness and recognized the way her eyes constantly turned to the north. Khan'di, too, was growing impatient. The danger in Pra Desh would not wait.

  So they packed their gear, obliterated their camp, and rode out of the Reidhar's valley. If anyone from the treld missed a dog, they did not bother to chase the Khulinin party.

  As they trotted over the line of hills marking the valley, Gabria glanced back at Tam riding behind her on Nara, and she wondered if the little girl was unhappy to be leaving her home. To her relief, Tam did not seem to be upset. The girl wagged her fingers at the Hunnuli foal trotting by her foot and stared out over the plains with a shy look of delight. Whatever Tam was leaving behind would not be missed.

  In the days that fol owed, Gabria had no reason to change her mind about Tam or regret that she had accepted the little girl. Tam was an intelligent child who tried to be helpful. She learned quickly not to annoy Khan'di, and she was wary of Athlone and the warriors, but Sayyed could bring a shining smile to her face and Gabria held her trust. She settled in to the difficult routine of the journey, and the steady food and attentive care soon filled out the hollows in her cheeks and erased the dark circles around her eyes.

  The humans in the party quickly discovered Tam would be no trouble for them. True to Athlone's word, Nara and Eurus guarded the little girl like one of their own offspring. One or both of them were always close by to keep her from harm.

  Nara's colt helped in his own way, for he tagged after Tam constantly, making it easier for his elders to guard them both. The dog, Treader, stayed with his mistress most of the time, but he liked Sayyed, too, and once in a while the Turic would take him hunting. Treader's catches helped supplement their supplies and more than made up for what he and Tam ate.

  For all these happy achievements, Gabria could not overcome the little girl's silence. She never made any noise at all.

  Even if she was a mute, Gabria thought Tam should be able to make some sound---a cry, a groan, or a whimper. But the girl was totally silent. She was so still the men often forgot she was there. When someone spoke, she sometimes flinched before she realized who was talking to her, then she would look at the ground and nod politely. Only when no one seemed to be paying attention to her would Tam lift her eyes and watch everyone with her grave, fascinated gaze.

  While Tam liked Gabria and seemed to be happy, she did not become deeply attached to any of the people in the party. Gabria thought the little girl had been so neglected in her past that she had withdrawn into the sanctuary of herself, a place where only pure and gentle creatures like the dog and the Hunnuli were al owed. Gabria could not help but wonder if any human would ever be able to draw her out from behind her walls.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Several days after le
aving Reidhar Treld, the travelers abandoned the caravan trail and struck across country for Calah. The traffic on the caravan route had in. creased with every passing league until the party found it impossible to avoid detection. At Khan'di's urging, they left the easy trail and sought a faint, seldom-used path that was shorter and much rougher than the caravan route.

  Here the grasslands and meadows gave way to higher hills, rock-strewn valleys, and thicker woods of oak, juniper, and pine. The tall prairie grass was replaced by brambles, brush, and vines. The Ramtharin Plains had come to an end in the Redstone Hil s, the boundary between the grasslands of Valorian's clans and the rich farmlands and forests of the kingdom of Calah.

  The travelers pushed on as fast as they could, the warmer winds of advancing spring coming swiftly on their heels. The closer they drew to Pra Desh the more Khan'di urged them on. He knew if the Fon stayed with her original plan for the invasion of Ponaoe, the party would arrive in Pra Desh with very little time to spare. There was also the possibility that the Fon had changed her plans or plotted some new outrage for the city. Khan'di had been gone from Pra Desh for over two months, and he was frantic to get home to lay plans of his own.

  Gabria, too, felt the urgency of the passing days. The memory of the terrible vision played in her memory time and again, driving her on toward Pra Desh like a goad in the hands of an unseen but brutal taskmaster.

  One afternoon, as she rode Nara along the rugged slopes of the Redstone Hills, Gabria thought again about her confrontation with Branth. She was not looking forward to that encounter. With luck and some cunning of their own, the company might be able to find the renegade chieftain and slip him out of the city before the Fon realized he was gone. Unfortunately, Gabria could not pin her hopes on things going that easily. Branth's magical powers were not only the Fon's greatest weapon, but her greatest peril, as well. She was certain to have him imprisoned and guarded like a dangerous animal.

  Gabria allowed herself a sigh. She was not ready for this confrontation. She had learned the basic skills of sorcery from the Woman of the Marsh in a hurried lesson that had lasted only two days. There had been no time to practice or prepare before she'd met Lord Medb for the duel, and her victory over him had been founded on tenacity and luck. Since that time she had only been able to practice during the months of her banishment---months that now seemed brief indeed. To al intents and purposes she was still an apprentice. Yet everyone expected her to face a sorcerer who was better prepared and had the Book of Matrah.

  She shot a look at Athlone and Sayyed on the trail ahead of her. It was too bad she did not feel ready to teach them the rudiments of sorcery. Athlone had the strength to wield his talent well. Gabria did not know about Sayyed's natural abilities, but if his determination and personality were any indication, he could be as powerful a sorcerer as Athlone. If only she felt capable enough to teach them!

  Her thoughts were still on sorcery and the future when the party crossed over a high, craggy ridge into the kingdom of Calah and looked down on the valley of a broad river.

  "There is Pra Desh,” Khan'di told his companions, pointing down the val ey to the south. The city was still leagues away, but from their vantage point, the travelers could make out the high towers, the white walls, and the vast harbor of the huge city.

  The river in the val ey, the Serentine, flowed from the forests far to the northwest. It ran east across the northern plains, past Amnok Treld, Bahedin Treld, and three of the Five Kingdoms, gaining substance and changing from a tumbling stream to a wide, majestic river. At the end of its long journey, the Serentine swept past the feet of the Redstone Hil s and into the finest natural harbor in the Sea of Tannis.

  Here, at this propitious meeting of river, land, and sea, the people of Calah built their capital and nourished it into the richest and most powerful maritime city on the Tannis. Their fleet control ed the northern and western coasts and roved the sea to its farthest reaches. The merchants of Pra Desh traded everything in the known world from raw materials such as grain, timber, and ore to livestock, slaves, and finely wrought crafts. They shipped silk, wool, and cotton, jewelry, spices, wines, pottery, weapons, and carpets. They brought anything that could be bought to the marketplaces of Pra Desh and filled their coffers with the gold coins of many realms.

  After a moment, Khan'di pointed to the right, and the travelers saw where their path wound down out of the hills to the valley and joined the caravan route as it paralleled the river to the city. They rode on to the last heavily wooded hil before the path dipped down to the open farmlands. There, Khan'di led the party into the shadows of the trees.

  He turned his horse around and addressed the others. "Pra Desh is only three leagues away, and I want to get you into the city unnoticed. The Fon's spies are on every street of Pra Desh and at every gate. They have orders to report anything unusual."

  Gabria sadly ran her hand down Nara's neck. She knew what she was about to say would be painful, but she had thought about it for days and there was no other way to maintain the party's anonymity.

  "We wil have to leave the Hunnuli," she said quietly.

  Khan'di bowed his head to her in mixed respect and relief. "Lady Gabria, you have saved me the pain of asking that favor. Unfortunately, there are no other Hunnuli in my country, and as far as anyone knows the only one in the clans belongs to the great Corin sorceress. You would not be safe for long on the streets of Pra Desh."

  The young woman nodded unhappily. Although she had made the suggestion, the thought of leaving Nara behind made her very uncomfortable. "Do you mind?" she asked the black mare.

  Of course I do, Nara answered. Leaving you goes against everything I am. But you are right. It must be done.

  If you real y need us, we wil come, Eurus added.

  "Thank you,” Gabria replied.

  "All right,” Khan'di said. "Listen. We wil separate here. I should not be seen with clansmen. It might also be best if you split up and enter the city in smal groups." He dismounted, found a stick, and drew a detailed map in the ditto

  "This is the Serentine River,” he explained to his listeners, pointing to the relevant marks with his stick. "This is the harbor; this, the Redstone Hil s. Here is the old city wal on the west side of the river. It extends around the Fon's palace here on Second Hil , the temple of Elaja on First Hill, and the older residential districts, warehouses, and merchant offices. This is the arsenal where the Fon's guards live and the weaponry is stored.

  "The city, of course, has long outgrown these walls, and you will find the markets, the auction houses, and the shipwrights' yards here, here, and here." He pointed to each spot on his map. "The rest of the city spreads out this way to the north along the river and up the slopes of the hil s. The land to the east is swampy and often floods. Only the poorer peasants, criminals, and runaway slaves live there. Do you understand so far?"

  The fascinated clanspeople nodded in unison.

  "Good. Now, there is a row of warehouses here in the old city. Follow this caravan road through the gate called the Sun Door. If you look for the tall buildings with the different colored flags on their towers, you will find the warehouses. Go to the fifth one in the row. It is a wool house and will be flying an orange flag. There is a wooden sheep hanging above the doors. Go there and wait for me. Do not wander around. Do not ask questions."

  "What wil you be doing?" Athlone demanded.

  "Seeking information." Khan'di's heavy face broke into a scheming grin. "I have spies on every street, too."

  "Whose warehouse is it?" Piers asked coldly.

  "My cousin's. He pretends to be a supporter of the Fon, but he has been helping me." The Pra Deshian actual y rubbed his hands together and chuckled. It was obvious he was delighted to be back in the midst of the intrigue and political scheming.

  "What do we say if we meet anyone at the warehouse?" Gabria asked.

  "Say nothing." He glanced at the sun through the tree branches. "By the time al of you get there, the warehouse
will be empty except for my cousin. He usually works late. He will know who you are."

  Athlone grunted. "Do you trust this man?"

  "Totally. His daughter is my son's wife. He knows what I will do to her if he betrays me."

  The travelers were quiet for a time as they studied Khan'di's map. The Pra Deshian mounted his horse. "Remember. The fifth warehouse." He spurred his horse back to the path.

  "Be careful, Khan'di Kadoa," Gabria called after him.

  He glanced back, hiding his pleasure at the concern in her voice. "You, too, Sorceress." Reluctantly Athlone, Gabria, and Tam dismounted from Eurus and Nara. The chieftain wiped out Khan'di's map with a leafy branch while the others unloaded one of the packhorses and secreted most of the traveling gear and tents in a dense thicket.

  Gabria was wearing her riding skirts that afternoon, so she brought out a long, cotton scarf and wrapped it like a veil over her head and across her mouth and nose. In her travel-stained garments, she would pass as a simple clanswoman. While she gathered a few belongings out of the packs for herself and Tam, someone bumped into her. Gabria turned and came face to face with Athlone.

  The chief was as dirty and travel-worn as she and stil bore the evidence of his recent battle. His face had lost its swelling and he could see out of both eyes, but the bruises were colorful shades of blue, green, and yellow.

  Gabria decided his bruises and his newly sprouted beard gave him a raffish look. Hesitantly she touched his arm. "You look like a border ruffian,” she teased.

  For a moment, he almost gathered her in his arms. He turned toward her, lifting his hands to caress her face, then he saw Sayyed standing close behind her with a strange glint in his black eyes. Athlone's impulse faltered in a rush of renewed doubts. His hands fell back to his sides.

  To hide his confusion, he patted Eurus, then swung up on his gray stal ion. "Mount up, you motley plains rats. Let's ride." His warriors grinned at him and sprang to obey.