Many Roads Home (21 page)

Yveni laughed at her innocent expression. “That’s evil.”

“Oh yes, but only what my father deserved, greedy bastard. Sorry, Sofia.”

Ferdi rolled his eyes. “Not for the first time, I feel a twinge of sympathy for her parents. Go on, miss, and mind your language. We have nobility with us.”

“But Yveni doesn’t count. Anyway, I ran away from Father and snuck in amongst a group travelling west to Horches. When the caravaners found me, I told them I knew how to physick kardips and horses and any other animal, so they let me stay. I remembered all you told me about Ferdi and the letter and the pendant and Gerd, so when I reached here, I came to him and asked for help.”

“Which, fool that I was, I gave her. The things I’ve done in your name, cousin Gil.”

“We’re in your debt,” Gil said gravely, but his hazel eyes twinkled. He seemed a man who smiled a good deal, the reason for Yveni’s abiding affection clear enough. Paole stepped on a twinge of jealousy. The man had raised Yveni. It was only natural they should be close.

“That reminds me.” Yveni undid his belt and extracted the pendant and letter that he’d shown Paole only two days ago. “You can have this back.” He handed the pretty necklace over to Sofia.

“Thank you, dear. I was sorry this had been lost, though we mourned you somewhat more.”

“Somewhat.” Gil patted her hand. “Your turn, Yveni.”

Yveni gave them an abbreviated description of events, skirting right over the quarrels and misunderstandings, only saying that Paole had freed him and that Yveni had put it to him to come to Horches. As he spoke, Gil watched Paole with a calm but speculative eye. Paole imagined the questions the man wanted to ask and only hoped he’d be given time to settle in before he had to answer them.

“Do you think it’s possible we could find his family?” Yveni asked when he’d finished his tale.

Ferdi rubbed his chin. “The governors have collected names of the stolen children for some time and have made representations several times to the Karvin king. To no avail, sadly, but we keep trying. Paole, your name may be on the list, but where your clan might be is a different matter.”

“It’s not important immediately, sir. I’d long ago given up hope.”

“We do things differently in Uemire,” Ferdi told him. “We never give up on family. But tell me, what are your plans?”

“I hoped to set up a practice here, or even train as a healer. I have gold—I removed all my savings before we crossed the border. Finding somewhere to stay is the first need.”

“Here.” Ferdi tapped the table for emphasis. “Both of you, I insist, even if I have to kick Raina onto the roof.”

“Master Ferdi!”

Gil laughed as Ferdi gazed serenely at his troublesome charge. “As for the rest, I can help. But you’re my honoured guests for as long as you wish it. Your Grace, you should remain incognito. There are one or two Karvi here in the city, more Tuelers, and we have no idea who is watching what or telling what tales.”

Yveni glanced at Paole before saying, “I understand. But I should reveal myself to the governors.”

“Agreed. I’ll arrange a meeting. Sofia, my dear, you’ve set up a room. Would you care to show our guests where they can lay their packs? Master Paole, I’ll have your wagon and horse brought to my own stables, with your permission.”

“Anything you like, sir. Thank you.”

Yveni grinned at Paole. “Told you everything would be fine. You worried all that time for nothing.”

Raina came over to Yveni and grabbed his hand. “Come on, I know where you’re to be put.”

“Raina, dear, be patient with the poor lad,” Sofia said. “He’s come a long way.”

“But not today. Come on.”

Gil glanced at Yveni and cleared his throat. “Paole, if you’re not too tired, perhaps you and I could sort out the stabling of your mount.”

“Go on, Paole. I’ll put your pack away. Better that only one of us has to deal with Raina at a time.” Yveni smirked as she whacked him on the arm, much to Ferdi’s horror. “The husbands in Grekil had a lucky escape, I think.”

Sofia freed Yveni from Raina’s possessive grip and took his arm instead. “This way, dear.”

Yveni left Paole with Gil. He hoped the two would get on. He couldn’t see any reason why they wouldn’t.

“When my Sight picked you up, I thought there was something wrong with it,” Sofia confided as they walked down the corridor. “Gil actually cried with joy.”

“Really?”

“Oh yes. He blamed himself, you know. For your supposed death and Gerd’s. He took it hard.”

Yveni nodded. Talking about it had brought the memories back, and the guilt.

They went up another flight of stairs, and Raina, ahead of them, flung open a door. “Your palace, Your Majesty.”

It wasn’t much like the palace, but Yveni had no complaints about the lovely room with thick, bright rugs on the wooden floor and heavy curtains to keep out the summer sun and the winter cold. The room had two good-sized beds. Raina sat on one and gave Yveni a mischievous smile. “I told Sofia that maybe you’d only need the one between the two of you. She wouldn’t believe me, but Master Paole is
very
good-looking, isn’t he?”

Sofia pursed her lips. “Raina, that’s rather tasteless. You shouldn’t presume about relationships based on so little observation.” Raina ducked her head at the reprimand. She, like Yveni, could tell when one was seriously meant.

Yveni didn’t know what to say. Paole and he weren’t lovers, but they were more than just friends. He had no idea how to explain it and he certainly didn’t want to do that right now.

“The beds are fine, Raina. The room’s fine, thank you. Sofia, you and Gil live here too?”

“Yes. The boys are working and living in the city, but Ferdi, by chance, had a need for a housekeeper and a stableman, so he offered us rooms in the servant quarters downstairs. We could live with Migel but Gil and Ferdi are great friends now, and it’s a fine house. His wife died last year, so he likes the company. He has no children, but Raina fills that lack.” Raina screwed up her nose, but Yveni had no reason to doubt it.

“I thought you wanted to train as a healer, Raina. Wasn’t that the reason you didn’t want to marry?”

“I
am
training. But I also help in his business. Tell me about Paole. He’s a healer too? Does he want a partner?”

Sofia told her off for being forward again, but Yveni was happy to talk about Paole and his plans. Nothing would please him more than to see his friends all well settled and happy. A more cheerful thing to dwell on, certainly, than what that bastard Konsatin was doing to Sardelsa while Yveni cooled his heels thousands of kilometres away. He wanted to learn about the situation there, but Gil’s information was out of date. Perhaps the governors of the city would know more. He ached to return and claim what was his, and rescue his sisters from Konsatin’s clutches. There had to be a way.

“This way. It’s quicker than fighting through the square.”

Paole followed Gil through the back lanes and narrow streets of the city. Kivnic was the largest place he’d ever visited and it was nothing compared to this. “I’ll be lost if I have to walk around here on my own.”

“You get used to it surprisingly fast. I can’t say I enjoy city living particularly, but Ferdi’s been very kind to me and mine. I’ve been lucky in my friends. So has Yveni,” he added, shooting a shrewd glance Paole’s way. “If anyone else had bought him from that market…”

“Oh, the brat…er…”

Gil’s lips twitched. “Go on.”

“He’d have escaped eventually.”

“Aye, but you kept him safe, for which I thank you. He and his sisters are as precious to my wife and me as our own sons are. I owe you.”

Paole couldn’t help but warm to this man, his affection for Yveni only one of the reasons to like him. “I owe him, so there’s no debt. You have sons?”

“Four, all grown. All employed too, thankfully, and settling in. They’re like you. They don’t know Uemire at all, but they’ve been accepted. They miss Sardelsa more than we do, but there’s no helping that.”

“I don’t miss Karvis. Your sons weren’t enslaved, at least.”

“No. On that you have my sympathies. I hope we can find your family.”

Paole honestly didn’t believe it would ever happen and had pinned no hopes on the prospect. All he wanted was to start a new life where he could walk tall and not be the eternal outsider.

They reached the stables. The sight of the gaily painted wagon took Gil aback. “Oh. You actually brought your shop with you. Where did you learn the craft?”

Paole explained. “Though mostly my patients seek my Healing Sight.”

“Yveni forgot to mention that. Did he tell you about Raina?”

“Yes. He has a knack for finding those of us with the gift, apparently.”

Gil laughed. “So it seems. Let’s look at your horse.”

He thought Denil a very fine animal. He ran his hands down the powerful legs and lifted each hoof to examine it. “Say what you like about the Karvi, they know their horses.”

“And they treat them better than they do their slaves, though that’s not saying much. He’s in good health. I Saw he had a slight inflammation in a back leg tendon, but we rested him for two days and he was fine.”

“Handy gift.”

“It has its moments.”

Paole wanted to pay the stable master for his trouble, but Gil insisted it should be at Ferdi’s expense, by Ferdi’s explicit command. Not wanting to offend, Paole didn’t argue, and let Gil drive since the wagon complicated the route back to Ferdi’s stables.

For a man who apparently lived alone apart from friends and servants, Ferdi had sizeable accommodation for horses. No kardips that he could see, and most of the stalls were empty, though two handsome workhorses poked their noses curiously out at the newcomer. Gil stored the wagon in the barn and set Denil up in his own well-appointed stall. Gil spent a good bit of time talking to him and making friends with him. Denil didn’t mind who fed him treats or scratched between his ears, and whinnied softly in approval as Gil courted him.

“Losing your position must have been hard,” Paole ventured as Gil washed his hands afterwards.

“Oh well. I had no stomach for the regent or his men, so I was glad to leave on that score. Leaving the lad’s sisters there without supporters was what I really minded.”

He shook his hands dry and faced Paole. “You realise Yveni must return to Sardelsa. The duchy needs him to restore what’s being destroyed and to carry on his father’s good work.”

“I’m fully aware of that. The boy must do what he wants. I only agreed to carry him this far.”

“So…it was just a matter of convenience for you? Travelling companions?”

“Whether it was or not, sir, Yveni’s made it completely clear where his destiny lies—to take up the throne, to marry and bear heirs. I have no role to play in any of that. Our paths crossed by chance, and now must diverge again.”

“Maybe so. But I tell you this. Yveni has his faults, though he’s always been mature for his age, and it’s pleasing to see him becoming a sensible man. But one thing he had in abundance—loyalty. He would never abandon a friend or forget a debt.”

“There is no debt,” Paole said firmly. “He saved my life, I brought him here. He goes where he wills.”

“I only mean to say that even if he does, you won’t be abandoned, Paole. Uemire won’t lose you twice.”

The sudden rush of anger he felt, surprised him. “Never lifted a hand to find me before, though, and I returned only because my old master gave me the wherewithal, not because of anything Uemire did for me.” Gil stared steadily at him, betraying no reaction, and Paole, realising how pointless and rude it was to bring all this up to him, fought to bring his temper under control. “Your support and kind words are welcome, friend Gil. But I’m not fool enough to think I’ll make my way by anything but my own two hands and my brain. I make no claim on Yveni. None at all.”

Gil shook his head. “We talk at cross purposes but I won’t push it. Come inside. My wife predicted you two would be hungry, and who am I to argue with one who has the Sight?”

“I can’t believe how well this has turned out.” Yveni flung himself on the far bed and kicked off his boots. “Ferdi’s such a nice man, and so generous. All Gil’s family seem to be nice.”