Jayne Castle [Jayne Ann Krentz] (29 page)

that black glass pendant with you? The one you took off that man who attacked us?"

His eyes narrowed. "Yes."

"Get rid of it."

"Kalena, that's ridiculous. It's just a piece of glass. It can't possibly have anything to do with this

nonsense. This is women's trickery."

"And that glass is male trickery.
Get rid of it, Ridge."
She was absolutely certain now. "You must throw

it away before you can go through the mist."

"Dammit to both ends of the Spectrum," he sighed as he reached into his cloak. He removed the black

glass pendant and let it dangle from his fingers. "I don't see why you're so upset about this thing, but if it

makes you happy, I'll get rid of it." He turned and flung the pendant far behind him. It landed several

meters away on the trail. There was a tinkling sound as the glass broke.

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"Now," Kalena stated with conviction. "You can pass through the mist now" She reached for his hand.

"Let's justhope I don't lose my hand completely this time," Ridge muttered as he made to follow her once

more. "I have plans for this hand, you know"

But this time nothing stopped him. Leading his creet, Ridge followed Kalena into the shimmering veil and

out onto the other side.

"Well, I'll be damned." Ridge stood gazing down at the green valley below

"Remember this when it comes time to hand over my share of the Sand," Kalenasaid loftily. "I want it

clear that I earned it."

Kalena and Ridge were halfway down the trail that led into the green gem of a valley when they became

aware of the change in temperature. The closer they got to the valley floor, the warmer the atmosphere

became. Clearly, the valley of the High Healers was a warm oasis protected by a natural fortress of

mountains and snow.

"The people of Hot And Cold are right," Kalena decided aloud. "Somewhere in this valley lies the

source of the hot springs back in the caverns. I can feel it."

"Woman's intuition?" There was a faint mockery in Ridge's voice.

"Perhaps." Kalena shrugged. Ridge had been very silent since she had led him through the wall of white

mist. She had the distinct impression that the closer they got to the village of the High Healers, the more

uneasy he became. For her it was just the opposite. She knew her reaction was meant to counter his.

"Look, Ridge, there are people in the fields."

He reined in his creet and studied the gentle scene that lay before them. Women moved among the rows

of beautiful plants and flowers, tending the rich gardens. "I think," Ridge said finally, "that you had better

go first. I get the feeling it's expected around here." He shifted a bit in the saddle. "This is a female place."

"Yes," Kalena agreed with confidence. "It is." She urged her creet forward without any hesitation, aware

of a deep eagerness.

A few minutes later, they reached a narrow path that led between a row of perfectly plotted gardens. A

woman dressed in a full, flowing pastel tunic looked up and lifted her hand in welcome. She wore the

Healer's traditional tiny brazier and pouch of Sand on her belt. She was much older than Kalena, her

silvered hair caught in a white mesh snood. She moved with vigor and strength as she started toward

Kalena.

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Kalena drew the creet to a halt and dismounted as the woman approached. Inclining her head

respectfully, she introduced herself. "I am Kalena and this is my husband, Ridge. We have come a long

way to talk to you and your people."

The woman's smile was warm as she touched Kalena on the shoulder. "Welcome, Kalena, daughter of

the House of the Ice Harvest. We have waited a long time for you."

Kalena's hands tightened around the reins she was holding. "You know who I am?"

"We know. I am Valica of the High Healers. It is my honor to welcome you to our village." She turned

to Ridge. "And this is the man you have chosen?"

Ridge nodded, distantly polite as he swung down from the saddle. "I'm Kalena's husband. I'm here on

behalf of Trade Baron Quintel."

"Of course. So Lord Quintel finally grew impatient enough to act, hmm? He should have known that only

a very special woman and her chosen mate could make it through the barrier. We certainly gave him

enough hints. But men can be very stubborn." Valica turned, motioning with her hand. "Come with me. I

will show you to your cottage. You have had a long trip and you must rest. There will be time later to

talk."

Valica led them down the path toward one of the many little cottages that were scattered about the

valley. The small house was square and constructed of a warm colored stone. There were windows,

instead of wooden shutters, and a charming, flowering garden.

"There are stables for the creets. When you have unsaddled, I will take the birds and feed them for you."

Ridge's eyes narrowed faintly. "I'll see to the creets."

"It is not necessary, Trade Master Ridge. I will take care of them."

"I do not wish to be rude, Healer, but I make it a practice to take care of my own creets on a trip."

Ridge unbuckled the travel bags as he spoke.

"As you wish," Valica said politely. "The stables are over there." She pointed to a small structure behind

the cottage. "There is food and water for the birds. By the time the two of you have bathed and rested it

will be the hour of the evening meal. You are invited to join us. We meet in the large hall near the herb

gardens."

"Thank you, Valica," Kalena said quickly, before Ridge could find something else to argue about. "We

will see you at the evening meal."

Valica nodded and left. Kalena turned on Ridge, who was unpacking the travel gear with a grim air.

"You brought me along to deal with the Healers, Ridge. Please allow me to do my job. Things will go

much more smoothly if you don't argue over every little thing. She was only offering to care for the creets

out of politeness. There was no need for you to take a stand on the matter. Valica's hardly likely to steal

our birds."

Ridge shot her a cool glance as he picked up the bags and started toward the door. "How do you

know?"

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"Ridge, you're being ridiculous. What's the matter with you, anyway?"

He sighed, opening the door to reveal a room that was furnished with elegant simplicity. A pallet, a low,

round table, cushions, two fireside stools, and a graceful, flowering plant were laid out in serene order. "I

don't know," he admitted. "If you want to know the truth, I don't like this place. It makes me edgy."

"It doesn't take much to make you edgy, Trade Master," Kalena said with a small grin. "The least little

thing will do it sometimes. No wonder they call you Fire Whip." She followed him into the simply

furnished room.

"You don't seem to be having any problem," Ridge noted bluntly as he tossed the bags down onto the

tapestry carpet. "I get the feeling you're right at home here."

"I think that's exactly how I feel," Kalena said quietly. "At home." She walked through the small sitting

area, admiring the simple, uncluttered lines of the furnishings. "How do you think they knew I was

coming, Ridge? They say they've been waiting for me. It's strange, isn't it?"

"The High Healers have always seemed strange." As Ridge watched Kalena move about the small

cottage, his uneasiness grew. He knew from what other traders had told him that all males tended to feel

on edge and vaguely awkward in this beautiful valley. For men there was an unmistakable feeling of being

out of their proper element. The valley was female in every sense of the word.

Ridge had been prepared for the out-of-place sensation, but he was quickly coming to realize there was

more to his unease than that. The pull the valley exerted on Kalena was obvious. It occurred to him that

she had no real home or family to draw her back to Crosspurposes or even to the Interlock valley. Her

aunt Olara didn't seem to be much of a reason for Kalena to return. A rough and ready trade marriage to

a Houseless bastard probably didn't look like a much better reason for making the trip back out of the

mountains. The beautiful valley was a threat to him in a way he hadn't expected. Kalena could be

seduced with lures no mere male could match.

Ridge swung around and opened the door. "I'll take care of the creets," he muttered before stepping

outside. The sooner he could take Kalena and the Sand and leave this place, the better as far as he was

concerned.

Kalena was well aware of Ridge's wary, brooding mood at dinner that evening. He sat beside her,

lounging with a kind of challenging casualness on the embroidered pillows. Kalena made no attempt to

serve him in the normal manner. They both knew that in the valley table manners were egalitarian.

Everyone helped herself to the platters of beautifully prepared vegetables, bowls of soup and delicate

binda egg dishes. Kalena was quite sure Ridge knew how to fill his own plate from the main trays even if

he was surrounded by females.

He hesitated for an instant as the food was presented to him, slanting Kalena a speculative glance. But

when she made no move to do her wifely duty, he calmly helped himself to what he wanted. Kalena

smiled brilliantly and reached for a platter of jellied binda eggs.

"I knew you could do it if you tried," she murmured for his ears alone.

"This place is having a bad influence on your table manners."

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"An interesting observation. Might change them forever. Perhaps you'd better get used to serving

yourself. I rather like the new style."

"I can tell." He poured himself some wine. "What about the traditions, Kalena? Don't they mean anything

to you?"

"I'm more interested in starting new traditions, I think. In any event, you're a fine one to talk of traditions.

You weren't exactly born into them." As soon as the words left her lips, Kalena regretted them. She

lowered her eyes at once and apologized. "I'm sorry, Ridge. I meant no insult."

"There was no insult," he told her roughly. "You spoke only the truth. What you forget is that some

traditions have greater meaning for those of us who had to survive without them."

"Or for those such as my aunt who had only traditions to hold them together," Kalena said with a sigh.

Ridge picked up his fingerspear and lapsed back into silence as the conversation flowed around the six

or seven large, round tables that were arranged in the simple room. Kalena ignored them, concentrating

on adjusting her normal, kneeling position to something more comfortable. The idea of sprawling like a

man at table was novel. It was also rather difficult when one had spent her whole life eating in the

kneeling position. Kalena found herself shifting position several times.

"What in the name of the Stones is the matter with you?" Ridge growled at one point just after she

wriggled into another new position. "Can't you sit still?"

"I'm trying to get comfortable," she hissed softly.

"Try sitting the way you normally do," Ridge advised sardonically.

"No one else is sitting like that. And after all these years, I'm tired of sitting that way, too. Hand me that

platter of cheese, please."

He did so with a sharp movement that spoke volumes concerning his irritation.

"Thank you, Ridge. You did that very well. Perhaps you have a talent in the area of table service."

Kalena fingerspeared several slices of cheese and set the platter back down on the table. The woman

next to her reached for it with a smile.

"Valica tells me you brought the creets and the man with you through the veil this afternoon."

Kalena nodded. "It was simple enough. I don't understand why it's proven such a barrier to the other

women in the trading caravans."

"Ah, that's because it was tuned for one particular woman. You. I'm Arona, by the way. I am in charge

of the herb gardens." Arona smiled. She was a handsome woman, her features strong and intelligently

formed, her blue eyes warm and inquisitive. A few years older than. Kalena, her hair was still a rich,

vibrant black without any trace of gray. As was the case with all of the women in the valley, her body

was lithe and vigorous from the endless work in the fields.

"Arona, tell me how you knew I would be coming through the mist. I don't understand any of this."

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"You will learn more tonight after dinner. It is not my place to explain all of it to you." She quickly

glanced at Ridge's implacable profile. "Nor is it a thing that should be discussed in the presence of men."

Kalena noticed that the line of Ridge's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. As the meal continued for a

long while, the women asked both Kalena and Ridge many questions concerning matters in the outside

world. The women obviously liked to keep themselves informed of what was happening beyond the

valley, even though they chose not to participate in those events.