“She’s pretty, eh?” Dayn said.
“Hmmm,” Eyan said absently.
Alicine suddenly bounded up, her hands extended. “Come on, dance with me,” she said.
Eyan and Dayn looked at each other, grimacing.
“Uh, no thanks,” Dayn said. “Eyan and I will just sit here and hold up the wall.”
Alicine huffed. “Very funny.” She grabbed Eyan’s hand. “Come on, Eyan. Dance with me.”
Eyan shook his head furiously.
She tried to pull him from his seat, but only succeeded in scraping the chair, and him with it, forward an inch or two. “I’ll show you what to do. Come on!” But Eyan had planted his heels firmly in the dirt.
“Don’t you have some other poor boy to pick on?” Dayn said. He leaned around Eyan and eyed a slender youth standing nearby. “How about him?” Dayn cocked a brow in the direction of the boy. “Hey, you there,” he called out. “You’d like to dance with my sister, right?” The boy’s face went positively gray. He slunk along the wall and scampered out the door.
Dayn burst into laughter. “Our sentiments exactly,” he said.
Alicine let go of Eyan’s hand and thrust her fists to her hips. “How’s Eyan supposed to learn how to dance if he doesn’t get out there and do it?” she demanded.
“Who says he wants to learn how to dance?” Dayn said.
Alicine leaned toward Eyan, her hands still planted. “Well, do you?”
Eyan frowned. “Why am I always caught in the middle of your arguments?” he said. He stood from his chair. “Maybe I do want to dance. Maybe I just want to dance with someone other than my cousin!” He shoved past her and marched into the crowd.
“Well. He told you,” Dayn said with a grin.
Alicine’s lips compressed into a jagged line. “Hmmph! He’s going to make an absolute fool of himself. He doesn’t know the first thing about asking a girl to dance, much less where to plant his big feet.”
“Well…” Dayn nodded toward the dance floor. “I’d say you’re wrong about the first part.”
Alicine spun to see what held Dayn’s attention. Eyan was stepping onto the dance floor, and in the palm of his hand were the fingers of a lovely young dance partner, the girl in sienna.
Alicine’s mouth dropped. “That’s Olwyn, Uaine’s niece.”
“Uaine, as in Chieftain Uaine?”
“Yes,” Alicine replied. She smirked. “Well, Quillan won’t be happy to see this. Serves him right.”
“Quillan? You mean the boy she was dancing with before?”
“Yes. He’s fairly well smitten with her, you know.”
“Uh-huh…” Dayn rose from his seat to take a better look. “So that’s Olwyn, eh? I wonder how Eyan got her to dance with him.”
“He got his backside out of the chair for a start.” Alicine grinned. “And now that your backside’s out of the chair—”
Dayn plopped back into the seat and crossed his arms. “Nice attempt.”
Alicine turned her attention back to the dance floor, biting her lip as she watched Eyan clumsily navigate the dance steps. But Dayn didn’t think Eyan was as worried about how he looked as Alicine was. His cousin frequently stepped in the wrong direction, then would practically run Olwyn over trying to get it right. But he always apologized to her, and then she would laugh. Fortunately, she did not seem to hold his awkwardness against him and would patiently demonstrate the step again and again until he knew what to do.
“He’s making a fool of himself,” Alicine repeated. “An absolute fool.”
“No he’s not,” Dayn said. “He’s doing fine, sort of.”
Alicine snorted. “Right. Well, let’s see how fast Olwyn runs out the door when the music stops.” Alicine redirected her attention. Standing on tiptoes, she gave a quick wave to a girl across the way. “I’m going to say hello to Gwynna,” she announced, and skipped off, leaving Dayn to himself.
Dayn growled inwardly. The only reason he’d come to this cursed party was to look after Eyan. Now his cousin was off dancing with some Chieftain’s daughter, and he himself was sitting there feeling like a ninny, as usual. It was then that Dayn’s gaze landed on the refreshment table. A plate of food and a mug of cider sounded good; it would give his hands something to do besides hide under his armpits. But as he looked in that direction, he realized the Sandright girl’s former dance partner was standing by it, watching Eyan intently.
Dayn turned his gaze to Eyan and Olwyn, trying to determine whether or not they were doing anything inappropriate. Their dancing seemed innocent enough, he thought; Eyan’s skills were certainly no threat. But the way the Crest boy stared at him…
“Dayn?”
Dayn rose at the unexpected greeting. “Eileis!” he said, and gave her a respectful bow.
“My boy, how glad I am to see you,” she said, embracing him. She glanced around and lowered her voice. “May we speak, Dayn? Privately?”
Dayn glanced at Eyan, who was still dancing, then at the refreshment table. The boy from the Crests was no longer there.
“Of course,” Dayn replied. “Outside?”
Eileis nodded and headed for the door. Dayn followed.
They stepped out and into the cool night air. Dayn filled his lungs, realizing how hot and stuffy the barn had been. The sky was canopied with a kaleidoscope of stars, and the surrounding area smelled fresh and clean and perfumed with the scent of pine needles and campfires.
Eileis motioned Dayn to follow. “Your family’s at the dance, or off visiting,” she said over her shoulder. “The house is the safest place to go.”
Dayn began to feel uneasy. What was so important that it needed this much secrecy?
They stepped onto the porch and Dayn opened the door for Eileis. She entered and quickly surveyed the room. “Good,” she said. “No one’s here.”
“Let me get you something to drink,” Dayn said, closing the door behind them.
“No need; no time.” Eileis reached into the side-seam pocket of her skirt and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. She pressed it into his hand. “For you,” she said.
“What is it?” he asked. The parchment appeared to have been hastily folded, but someone had at least taken the time to seal it with a blob of wax.
“It’s a letter, from Falyn,” Eileis said.
Dayn felt a surge of energy. “Falyn?”
“Yes. But no one’s to know I gave it to you, you hear?”
“Where—where’d you get it? I mean, when did she give it to you?”
“She was at my place when Haskel arrived. Poor child; she’d come to see if I could intervene on behalf of her brother. Lorcan’s been particularly harsh on the boy lately. Falyn has reason to fear for his life.”
“His life?” For a moment Dayn wasn’t sure whether or not he cared. Sheireadan had caused him so much misery over the years, it was hard to feel any sympathy for him. But then Dayn recalled the bruises on Sheireadan’s back and how Lorcan had treated him and Falyn that night at the springs. It was then that he realized if Sheireadan was suffering, then Falyn was, too. And that he would not tolerate.
“I’ll kill Lorcan with my bare hands,” he said. “I swear I will.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” Eileis scolded. “The man’s dangerous. You stay away from him.” She eyed his hands that were now curled into fists. “Do you intend to crumple it before you’ve even read it?” she asked.
Dayn looked down. “No,” he said. “Of course not.” He relaxed his grip. “So what did you do?”
“About Sheireadan you mean?” Eileis shook her head. “Not much I could do. Your uncle said it was urgent that I came to the Gathering, so I came.”
“What about Falyn?” Dayn asked.
“She went home, of course, but before she left she scribbled this note to you.”
“What does it say?”
The Spirit Keeper scoffed. “I didn’t read it, boy. I don’t go round reading other people’s letters.”
“Why
all the secrecy, then?”
“Your uncle didn’t want me to give it to you. Said it was too dangerous. He knows how you feel about the girl. He thought giving it to you might tempt you to see her again, and he’ll have none of that.”
“Well it’s not his decision,” Dayn said.
“Your uncle’s right in this, Dayn. Lorcan’ll see you dead before he allows you to go near his daughter again.”
“Then why’d you give me this if you don’t think I should see her. Why give me hope then snatch it away?”
“I didn’t give you the letter to give you hope boy. Falyn told me it was to thank you for helping her and her brother that night at the springs. I saw no reason to deny her the courtesy. But if it’s gonna get you all riled up and fill your skull with pig-headed notions, then you can just hand it back.”
Dayn stared at the note, fingering the wax that sealed it. “No, you’re right. I know I can’t see her. No sense wishing for things I can’t have, right?” He ran his finger under the wax and flicked it open. But as he read the brief message, his pulse quickened, for her words held more than simple gratitude. She wanted to meet him at the Well of Wishes. Her father would be attending a Vestry meeting, she said, and she could slip away then and—
“Dayn?”
He looked up. “As you said…a thank you.” He paused in thought, then said, “How many days ago did she give you this?”
“Why?”
“She says there’s to be a Vestry meeting.”
“Yes. There’s been one called for tomorrow night,” Eileis said. “Does she say anything else?”
“Just that I should stay as far from Kiradyn as possible. Do you think the meeting is about me?”
Eileis stroked her chin. “Hard to say. But knowing you confronted Lorcan at the springs…”
“Well it was time he was confronted!” Dayn said.
“Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean you had to go and stir the pot when you did!”
“That was two weeks ago. Why would they be calling it now? I mean, it seems if it were about me, they would have ordered it sooner.”
“Maybe they’re beginning to see the incident between the two of you as more than just an altercation.”
“What do you mean?”
“Much has been happening in Kirador lately, Dayn. Things that have stirred up fear and finger pointing. The awakening of the mountain was the first, but since then crops have been withering and livestock’s been dying. And people are getting sick.” She shook her head. “An entire family was found dead in their home just last week. No wounds, no sign of illness or trauma; just dead.”
“The lady at the plenum tonight mentioned something similar about the clan lands,” Dayn said. “About strange things happening with the wildlife and wells and such.”
“That’s right. What’s happening to the clans is happening to the folks around Kiradyn too. We might want to strike before the iron gets any hotter. The meeting tomorrow night might be the perfect time.”
“What are you saying—that you and the Chieftains might go to the Vestry meeting?”
“Yes. This evidence you spoke of earlier, is it enough to convince the Chieftains to go?”
“It should be.”
“Then in the morning we’ll tell them about the meeting. If the evidence is as valid as you say it is, I have no doubt the Plenum of Four will want to meet with the Vestry.”
“Then I’m going with them,” Dayn said.
“That you’ll not do,” Eileis ordered.
“But I know things that could help explain.”
Eileis eyed him darkly. “Now you listen to me, boy. I may have said fingers are pointing, but in truth it’s become much more than that. There have been executions.”
“Executions?”
“Yes. As much as I’d like to spare you the details, I suppose I’d best tell you, especially since you’ve got a mind to walk yourself into a pyre.”
“There have been burnings?” he exclaimed. “But who? Why?”
“The accusations started as soon as the mountain started rumbling. Daghadar was angry, people were heard saying. Someone had to be the cause of it. The Vestry called an immediate meeting; inquiries were made; names were taken.”
“The names of who? I mean, how could any individual be responsible for that?”
“Your name was at the top of the list, Dayn, but the Vestry knew better than to confront the clans too soon. The Kiradyns have never been at war, but they’re beginning to make preparations for it, and their vigilantism may be just enough to force the clans to take up arms.”
“So after me, who was next on their list?”
Eileis frowned. “Anyone they’d had problems with in the past. Suspected sinners, fornicators, inverts…pretty much anyone they thought was deviant or strange in the head.”
“There couldn’t have been many accused then.”
“Over a hundred so far.”
“What?”
“Course there wasn’t any proof to back up the claims. The Vestry said there was no need. They sent a ritual of prayer to Daghadar and figured if they were wrong, the Maker’d tell them so.”
“So how many were spared?”
“None.”
Dayn sank onto the nearby bench.
“Falyn was right to warn you away from Kiradyn, Dayn.”
Dayn looked down at Falyn’s letter. In truth, she hadn’t warned him away at all. She had asked him to meet her at the Well of Wishes, and though it was a long walk from Kiradyn, and even more than that from Haskel’s, she obviously wanted to see him.
Eileis stepped closer. “I meant what I said earlier, Dayn. No foolish notions about seeing Falyn, you hear? Lorcan’s not a man to be crossed, and with things as they are with the Vestry…”
“Of course not,” Dayn said. “No girl’s worth getting killed over.” Except maybe this one. He glanced toward the door. “I think I’d like to turn in now, Eileis. I’m really tired. Shall I escort you back to the dance?”
“No need,” she said. “You get some rest. You’ll need an early start if you’re taking us to the cave.”
Dayn nodded. The earlier he took the Chieftains to see the drawings, the earlier they would leave for Kiradyn. With that kind of evidence, they would have little choice but to go to the Vestry, and then Dayn could slip away to meet Falyn. But no matter what plans he set, he knew it was a waiting game. The next several hours would feel like a lifetime, but for one moment alone with Falyn, he would wait an eternity.
Back to ToC
Chapter 25: Against the Wall
Eyan danced till his lungs burned and his legs ached, but he had no intention of stopping. He let out a hoot—he couldn’t believe his luck! Just about every girl in the room had joined him on the dance floor tonight, and just about every boy had watched him on account of it. It gave him a sense of satisfaction he didn’t understand, but knowing they watched him was all that mattered. For too long he had been invisible. Now he held everyone’s attention.
His current dance partner smiled at him, then she skipped to her right. Eyan watched as she twirled. The girl was pretty, he thought, with her curls all a-swirl with pink ribbons, and her fingers so dainty and slender. He could not deny that he enjoyed looking at her. For that matter, he could not deny he’d enjoyed looking at all the girls he’d danced with that night. But as he thought on it now, he realized it wasn’t enough.
He had been watching the boys all evening, too, observing how they dressed and danced and behaved. One boy in particular had caught Eyan’s eye: the boy from the Crests that Dayn had pointed out earlier. The boy seemed well-liked. He was always surrounded by friends; girls vied for his attention; even the boys followed him around like lapdogs. He was nicely attired in a quilted tunic of blue, and appeared to be about Eyan’s age, though much taller and broader in the shoulders. He was an impressive figure, Eyan thought. The perfect model of what he himself wanted to become.
The boy’s name was also handsome: Quillan. E
yan knew because he had asked one of his dance partners earlier. He’d focused on the boy ever since, noting his mannerisms, how he interacted with others, the charm of his smile, the spark of his personality. Now there was someone to emulate. He was pleased when Quillan’s eyes had finally turned to his, and though the observance had been brief, Eyan was thrilled the boy had noticed him at all. Why, if Quillan was as curious about Eyan as he was about him, they might actually become friends.
The music ended with the thump of a drum and a friendly call for break. Eyan thanked his dance partner, who curtsied, then turned and headed for the nearest refreshment table. He grabbed up a mug of cider and plopped onto a nearby bench. How late was it? he wondered. He scanned the crowd, searching for Dayn, but his cousin was nowhere to be seen. Well, no matter, he thought; Dayn hated these things, though Eyan couldn’t imagine why. Alicine, on the other hand, was still making merry with a group of friends across the way. Eyan smiled. He liked seeing her so happy.
He tipped the mug to his lips and took a swig, catching sight of Quillan just over the rim. Quillan was staring back at him, he realized, and it sent exhilaration to his belly, but it quickly soured when Quillan’s expression turned hostile.
Eyan shifted his gaze and gulped down the contents of his mug. Why had Quillan looked at him like that? he wondered. Perhaps he was annoyed by Eyan’s earlier surveillance of him. It probably was bad manners to stare at a person like that. But Eyan couldn’t help it. Until now, what little he’d learned about boys and girls had been by watching them from the shadows, and he hadn’t had much opportunity to do even that. It was only on the rare occasion that company stopped by that he’d had a chance to spy on anyone. All he knew he’d pretty much pieced together; his parents had worked hard to keep him in a constant state of childhood. But he was nineteen now, a man, not a boy. No longer could he simply watch from the sidelines.
Souls of Aredyrah 3 - The Taking of the Dawn Page 23
