Squire (32 page)

“Wear it in health and victory,” Queen Thayet said. “Now, show the nice people.”

Kel turned, and showed them.

Her family and friends offered to wait in the courtyard while she put her new shield away: Raoul had arranged for a dinner at the city’s best eating-house as a celebration. Since horses had to be saddled and brought, Kel decided to tidy up again once she had placed her new shield on the bed for the animals to admire. Nari had already left some droppings on the Mindelan owl.

“I hope that’s a comment on owls and not my family,” Kel told her as she combed her hair and cleaned her teeth. When she looked at the bed next, Jump stood on the shield, using his nose to rub a wet cloth over the besmirched owl.

Kel, laughing, almost missed the very quiet knock on the door that connected her rooms to Raoul’s. Puzzled, since he was with the others, Kel opened the door.

Lady Alanna stood there, a sheathed longsword in one hand. “I asked Raoul if I could see you privately,” she explained to the baffled Kel. “May I come in?”

“My - my lady, of course,” Kel stammered. “Please. I would brew tea - “

“Please don’t,” Alanna said with a smile. “I know you have people waiting.” Once inside, she knelt and gave Jump a moment’s attention - from the way the dog carried on, Kel thought, they must have made friends on progress.

At last the King’s Champion straightened with a groan, her free hand going to her lower back. “Nobody ever says that, even with healers, your body still adds up your breaks and bruises, then gives you the bill in your mid-thirties,” she said wryly. She sat in Kel’s chair and offered the sword to her. “You’ve grown since the last sword I gave you, and I got a better idea of your fighting style on progress.”

Kel took the blade in hands that shook. How casually this woman answered a question that had bothered her for eight years! “It was you?” she whispered. “The bruise balm, the exercise balls, the dagger, the -?”

Alanna nodded. “It nearly killed me, that I couldn’t help you. Not with magic, like those mammering conservatives claimed, but with things like what works best on heavy opponents, and how to build up shoulder muscle. So I did what I could.”

Thinking of all those gifts over the years, truly expensive things chosen with so much thought about what she would need, Kel shook her head.

“Neal mentioned there were times when you thought I didn’t care,” the lady said, violet eyes serious. “I wanted to tell you, it was the opposite. And you went so far beyond what I hoped, for the next girl page, and squire, and knight. All those tournaments, and those girls in the stands, right down by the field, watching you hungrily - “

“Oh, my lady, no!” protested Kel, shocked.

“Yes,” the King’s Champion said firmly. “I had the magic, don’t you see, and the hand of the Goddess on me. Everyone could and did say I was a freak, one of those once-a-century people. No one else needs to strive for what I did, because they couldn’t reach it.” Alanna smiled crookedly. “But you, bless you, you are real. Those girls watched you, and talked about your style in the saddle, and the things you did. They swore they’d take up archery, or riding, or Shang combat, because you had shown them it was all right. I was so proud.” She cleared her throat. Kel realized that the Champion was beet red. “You know, those things look better out of the sheath,” she remarked, pointing to the sword Kel held.

“Oh!” She had forgotten it was in her hand. Looking at it, she admired the style of the plain black leather sheath and neat, wire-wrapped hilt: they matched the sword and the dagger Alanna had given her. She looked under the cross-guard. There it was: the stylized enamel raven that was the sign of Raven Armory.

The blade, when she worked up the nerve to draw it, did not match the sword and dagger. It showed the blue wave tempering of the finest Yamani steel. She held a fortune in metal in her hands.

“My lady, you can’t - I can’t - ” she stammered, trembling. Her hands ached from the tree she had climbed for so long during her Ordeal, and the blade teetered in her grip. Forgetting herself, Kel grabbed the metal and sliced the thick muscle at the base of her thumb. She flinched and dug for a handkerchief to wipe the blade.

“Now you have to keep it,” Alanna said, presenting her own handkerchief. “You’ve bled on it; it’s yours. You know sword lore as well as I do.”

Kel had to smile: she did know. She ducked her head and finished wiping that lovely blade. It was heavier and longer than her present sword, better suited to her hand and height.

“I do wish you’d been a runt like me.” Alanna was straight-faced, her eyes mischievous. “That would have made it perfect.”

Kel sighed and told the lady solemnly, “I would have been smaller if I could, Lioness.” Alanna laughed. She laid a small, hard hand over Kel’s as Kel gripped the hilt of her wonderful new sword. “Gods all bless, Lady Knight,” she said quietly.

Jump chose that moment to flop on the woman’s feet in a play for attention. Kel was grateful to him - her feelings, and she suspected Alanna’s, were just too intense to bear. With Jump to act the clown, they were able to catch their wind.

Alanna scratched his belly and told him he was a rogue, then turned to go.

“Lady Alanna,” Kel said, “would you like to come to supper with us? Someone has to keep Neal from making speeches.”

Alanna cackled. “Well, I’m definitely the woman to do that,” she admitted. “I thank you, and I accept.”

After she left to get a coat, Kel remained for a moment, looking at her sword. The blue tempering shone in the light from her candles, pulling her eye to that elegant blade.

“I dub thee Griffin,” she whispered, running her fingertips along its length. “We have work to do.”

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Aiden sergeant/squad leader, Third Company of the King’s Own

Alanna of Pirate’s Swoop the King’s Champion, and Olau also called “the Lioness,” born Alanna of Trebond

Ansil of Groten conservative knight

Arrow one of Kel’s sparrow flock

Baird of Queenscove duke, chief of Tortall’s healers, Neal’s father

Balduin of Disart acquaintance of Kel’s

Balim sergeant/squad leader, Third Company of the King’s Own

Burchard of Stone Mountain Joren’s father, conservative

Buriram Tourakom called Buri, commander of the Queen’s Riders

Clean of Kennan squire to Inness of Mindelan, Kel’s friend

Crown female sparrow who leads Kel’s flock

Cythera of Naxen wife of Sir Gareth the Younger

Derom corporal in Dom’s squad, Third Company of the King’s Own

Domitan of Masbolle called Dom; sergeant/squad leader, Third Company of the King’s Own; Neal’s cousin

Ebroin of Genlith steward for Stone Mountain holdings in Corus

Eitaro nob Nakuji prince, head of Yamani delegation to Tortall

Emmet of Fenrigh in Aiden’s squad, Third Company of the King’s Own

Pianola twelve-year-old noble girl, wants to be a page

Flyndan Whiteford called Flyn; captain, Third Company of the King’s Own; second-in-command to Lord Raoul

Freckle male sparrow with white-spotted head in Kel’s flock

Fukher in Dom’s squad, Third Company of the King’s Own

Gareth of Naxen called “the Younger,” one of King Jonathan’s most trusted counselors, married to Cythera

Garvey of Runnerspring squire to Jerel of Nenan, Joren’s crony

Gavan Haresfield youth

George of Pirate’s Swoop baron, born George Cooper, a commoner, married to Alanna

Glides of Veldine in Dom’s squad, Third Company of the King’s Own

Glaisdan of Haryse captain, First Company of the King’s Own

Graystreak centaur herd leader

Haname noh Ajikuro Yamani lady-in-waiting

Harailt of Aili mage, head of the royal university in Corus

Hildrec of Meron heir to fief Meron

Hoshi brown mare with white socks, star on forehead, placid, Kel’s riding horse

Ilane of Mindelan baroness, Kel’s mother

Imrah of Legann lord, knight-master to Prince Roald

Inness of Mindelan Kel’s second-oldest brother, knight-master to Cleon of Kennan

Iriseyes female centaur

Ivath Brand convicted criminal

Jasson of Conte called “the Old King”, King Jonathan’s deceased grandfather

Jealousani rebel centaur

Jerel of Nenan knight-master to Garvey of Runnerspring

Jonathan of Conte King of Tortall, co-ruler with his queen, Thayet

Joren of Stone Mountain squire, old foe of Kel’s

Jump bull terrier, Kel’s friend

Kaddar Iliniat emperor of Carthak

Kalasin of Conte oldest princess of Tortall

Keladry of Mindelan known as Kel, youngest daughter of Piers and Ilane of Mindelan, first girl to openly serve as page and squire in over a century

Lachran of Mindelan Kel’s brother Anders’s oldest son

Lalasa Isran Kel’s former maid, now a dressmaker

Lerant of Eldorne standard-bearer, Third Company of the King’s Own

Macorm Haresfield renegade

Maggur Rathhausak newest Scanran warlord

Maresgift rebel centaur

Merric of Hollyrose squire, Kel’s friend

Muirgen of Sigis Hold master advocate (attorney)

Myles of Olau baron, head of royal intelligence service

Nealan of Queenscove called Neal, squire, Kel’s friend and page sponsor, son of Baird of Queenscove, Dom’s cousin

Noack servingman, Third Company of the King’s Own

Nualt of Rosemark knight-master to Vinson of Genlith

Numair Salmalin mage, born Arram Draper, Daine’s lover

Onua Chamtong horsemistress to the Queen’s Riders

Osbern sergeant/squad leader, Third Company of the King’s Own

Owen of Jesslaia Page, then squire, Kel’s friend

Padraig haMinch senior member of powerful haMinch clan

Paxton of Nond knight-master to Joren of Stone Mountain

Peachblossom cross-grained strawberry-roan gelding destrier

Peg one-footed female sparrow in Kel’s flock

Piers of Mindelan baron, Kel’s father

Prosper of Tameran squire, Kel’s friend

Qasim ibn Zirhud Bazhir corporal, Third Company of the King’s Own

Raoul of Goldenlake and lord, Knight Commander

Malorie’s Peak of the King’s Own, Tortallan hero, known as “the Giant Killer”

Roald of Conte prince, squire to Imrah of Legann, heir to the Tortallan throne

Salma Aynnar head of servants in the pages’ and squires’ wings

Seaver of Tasride squire, Kel’s friend

Sebila of Disart Raoul’s great-aunt

Shinkokami Yamani princess, betrothed to Roald, called Shinko by her friends

Stigand of Fenrigh conservative knight

Symric corporal in Dom’s squad, Third Company of the King’s Own

Thayet of Conte Queen of Tortall, co-ruler with her husband, King Jonathan

Tianine Plowman called Tian, maid, Lalasa’s friend

Turomot of Wettam duke, Lord Magistrate, chief examiner of pages

Ulliver of Linden captain, Second Company of the King’s Own

Upton Oakbridge palace master of ceremonies

Urfan Noll convicted criminal

Vanget haMinch general in command of northern army

Veralidaine Sarrasri called Daine or “the Wildmage”

Voelden of Tirrsmont conservative knight

Volorin sergeant/squad leader, Third Company of the King’s Own

Wayland of Darroch conservative knight

Wolset in Dom’s squad, Third Company of the King’s Own

Wyldon of Cavall lord, full-time training master to pages, part-time training master to squires

Yancen of Renroha squire, acquaintance of Kel’s

Yukimi noh Daiomoru called Yuki, Yamani lady-in-waiting to Princess Shinkokami

Yvenne ten-year-old noble girl

GLOSSARY

Balor’s Needle: a tower, the highest part of the royal palace in Corus, used mostly by astronomers and mages.

basilisk: an immortal that resembles a seven-to-eight-foot-tall lizard, with slit-pupiled eyes that face forward and silver talons. It walks upright on its hind feet. Its hobby is travel; it loves gossip and learns languages easily. It possesses some magical skills, including a kind of screech that turns people to stone. Its colors are various shades of gray and white.

Bazhir: the collective name for the nomadic tribes of Tortall’s Great Southern Desert.

Bonnett River: runs through the Royal Forest near Owlshollow.

Carthak: the slaveholding empire that includes all of the Southern Lands, ancient and powerful, a storehouse of learning, sophistication, and culture. Its university was at one time without a rival for teaching. Its people reflect the many lands that have been consumed by the empire, their colors ranging from white to brown to black. Its former emperor Ozorne Tasikhe was forced to abdicate when he was turned into a Stormwing. (He was later killed.) He was succeeded by his nephew Kaddar Iliniat, who is still getting his farflung lands under control.

centaur: an immortal shaped like a human from the waist up, with the body of a horse from the waist down. Like humans, centaurs can be good, bad, or a mixture of both. For a male to keep females in his herd, he must constantly provide them with presents: if he does not, they will turn on him. Among the gods worshiped by centaurs are the Mares with Bloody Teeth, goddesses of vengeance. Centaurs consider horses to be slaves.

charcoal burners: people who make charcoal by cutting logs and building them into large, layered stacks that are set on fire and made to burn slowly, without consuming the wood.

Code of Ten: the set of laws that form the basis of government for most of the Eastern Lands.

Copper Isles: a slaveholding island nation to the south and west of Tortall. The Isles’ lowlands are hot, wet jungles, their highlands cold and rocky. Traditionally their ties are to Carthak rather than Tortall, and their pirates often raid along the Tortallan coast. There is a strain of insanity in their ruling line. The Isles hold an old grudge against Tortall, since one of their princesses was killed there the day that Jonathan was crowned.

coromanel: a flat, crown-shaped piece fitted over the tip of a lance. It spreads the power of a lance’s impact in several directions, to make the force less severe.