Lyra: Caught In Crystal Part 15

aI canata"a Kayl started, then stopped short as Glyndonas hoa.r.s.e voice broke in.

aTime,a said Glyndon in a pain-filled whisper. aThe Crystal. Youall have to use the Crystal.a aWhat does he mean?a the Magicseeker demanded.

Corrana bent over Glyndon. aHow?a she said urgently. aWhat did you do to use it before? Tell me, and Iall try!a aI donat know,a Glyndon said. aIam sorry, Kayl.a aItas all right,a Kayl said. She leaned closer, wanting to tell him while there was still time how much she cared for him, how much she had always cared for him. aI love youa seemed inadequate, too short a phrase to convey all the things she felt. aI love you,a she said.

Glyndon smiled. aI love you, too,a he said, and for a moment his voice sounded stronger. aUse the Crystal, Kayl. Itas the only way left.a Then his eyes closed and his head rolled sideways.

aUnconscious,a Corrana said before Kayl had time for more than a brief stab of fear. The Elder Sister looked at Kayl. aWell?a aIam not a magician.a aAt the moment, neither am I. But we have no choice but to try.a She gestured at the room, which was slowly darkening as the blackness covered one window after another.

aMother.a Kayl turned and saw Dara standing calmly with one hand resting on the Crystal. aDara, get away froma"a aIam all right, Mother, but I canat do it myself. You have to help.a Kayl hesitated, fighting her instinctive desire to pull Dara away from the Crystal, then stepped forward to join her daughter. She saw Mark standing beside Dara, his face blank and rigid with the effort not to disgrace himself by crying. Kayl felt Corrana beside her, and saw the remaining Magicseeker take up a position on the opposite side of the Crystal. Then her hand touched the cool, smooth surface of the cube.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, with a suddenness that left her dizzy, she was part of the crystal cube. She tried to shake herself, to dispel the vertigo, but she had lost all sensation from her body. Dara and Mark were with her, linked to Kayl by blood and to the Crystal by talent and heritage. Kayl could sense Corrana and the Magicseeker as well, but not as clearly. They, too, had become part of the Crystal, but Kayl could tell that they were not as closely linked to it as she and the children were.

Wondering what to do now, Kayl tried to look about her. The effort set off something in the magic of the cube. Pictures began flas.h.i.+ng before her, visions of strange people and stranger places. A tall woman with the hard hands of an artisan and golden skin knelt on a slender bridge made of crystal, hammering a band of silver into place along its edge. A blond man in a ragged tunic cut and stabbed at a huge, gray-green creature that snapped at him with foot-long fangs. A green-haired Neira boy swam cautiously through drifts of seaweed toward a delicate structure of coral and mother-of-pearl. A demon, dark-haired and human-looking, fought desperately against a faceless man in a dark cape, while behind him a muscular youth sent ravens into the battle. A human girl with the slanted green eyes of a Shee rode out of a snowstorm into a cave and collapsed. A black-furred Wyrd grinned fiercely and lifted a silver goblet in a toast to a Shee woman dressed in red silk. A slender woman with dark, fine hair raised a sword of fire in a triumphant gesture. A band of Thar raiders trudged across a wilderness of ice; a s.h.i.+p with blue sails ran before a storm; armies battled around the foot of a sinister black mountain; a strange, silver-hued moon cracked and broke aparta.

Kayl recoiled from the flood of images. They stopped as suddenly as they had begun, and once again she was a disembodied part of the cube. Kayl shook herself, remembering the description of the cube in the Ri Astar Diary. aWhenever a man stared into ita he would see what the Crystal would show.a The writer of the diary had understated the effect.

Kayl had not simply seen pictures; it was as if she had actually been present at each of the places she had been shown. She wondered whether she could control the phenomenon if she tried.

From somewhere outside herself, the knowledge floated up that Kayl could, indeed, control the visions. She was startled at first; then another phrase from the diary drifted through her mind: aaif the watcher fixed his heart on some one thing, past or present, that too he would see pictureda.a Again, the diarist had apparently understated. The Crystal was not limited to visions; it could provide information as well. Kayl considered briefly, then filled her mind with the desire to know how Glyndon had used the Crystal to save the remnant of the first expedition, sixteen years before, and how she might repeat it.

Pictures began unrolling before her once more, painfully familiar yet oddly skewed. Kayl realized after a moment that she was seeing her first visit to the Tower, but from a viewpoint inside the crystal cube. She watched Kevran, Beshara, Varevice and Glyndon arguing over the purpose of the cube; saw Kevran knock a corner from the cube with the hilt of his dagger; saw the black creature swallow Beshara and her demon; watched her younger self hacking uselessly at the oozing darknessa.

A soundless, twisting explosion rocked the room, and for an instant time stopped. In that moment, Kayl knew what Glyndon had done, and saw as well the price they had all paid as a result. For Gadeironas Crystal was far more than a simple scrying tool; in the hands of a wizard, it could actually manipulate the past. Glyndon had not been powerful enough to reach very far back in time, but he had been able to change things so that they had never reached the Crystal room. Enough so that some of them had survived.

But the Crystal could not alter what had happened to itself. Kevran had kept the corner he had chipped from it, without realizing any longer what it was. All of the survivors of the expedition had kept two sets of memories, though one was buried deep in their minds. And Glyndona Glyndon had remained unknowingly joined to the Crystal, unable either to use its power consciously or to sever the link. Kayl felt a pang of pity for him as she wondered why the Crystal had shown her all this. She was no wizard; she could take visions from the Crystal, and knowledge, but she could never use it as Glyndon had.

A mental nudge brought Kayl back to the present. Corrana was beside her, wordlessly demanding to know whether Kayl had found a solution to their problem. With a sense of surprise, Kayl realized that Corrana had seen and felt nothing of the vision Kayl had just had. She explained what she had learned, and its futility, and felt Corranaas denial.

aAlone, you could not use the power of the Crystal,a Corrana said. aBut with your daughter beside you, you can save us all. Hurry, before it is too late!a Kayl started to protest, but the knowledge of the Crystal confirmed Corranaas words. Dara was close beside her, and she could feel the power surging around them. All she had to do was reach out. Still, Kayl hesitated. If she repeated Glyndonas spell with the Crystal, was she not repeating his mistakes as well? And she could not help feeling that trying to change the past, to go back to what should be memory, was a mistake. If she had learned anything in the last year, it was that. There must be some other way to get out of the Tower, some other way to destroy the black thinga.

Knowledge poured into her mind. With a violent pull, Kayl wrenched herself and the others free of the Crystal. She stood panting for a moment, watching the confusion on their faces give way to surprise. aWhat are you doing?a Corrana cried.

aGetting rid of that thing for good,a Kayl said, nodding at the wall of blackness. It had moved closer while they were entranced by the Crystal; on one side it was little more than two paces from the base of the pedestal that supported Gadeironas Crystal. Kayl set her shoulder to the cube and pushed.

The Crystal did not move; it was heavier than she had thought. aDonat stand there; pus.h.!.+a Kayl panted, shoving at the cube again.

The children shook themselves out of their immobility and joined her. The Magicseeker hesitated, glanced at the blackness, and added his efforts to theirs. Corrana stared at them. aStop! Youall destroy the Crystal!a aWould you rather that creature destroyed us?a Kayl said. aTogether now; heave!a The Crystal slid a fingeras width, and the pedestal rocked. aAgain!a Kayl said. Together, they shoved at the Crystal. The pedestal teetered. Then, with a kind of majestic slowness, it toppled over. An instant later the crystal cube disappeared into the curtain of blackness.

The surface of the blackness twitched, then froze. Kayl held her breath, expecting something dramatic to follow. Nothing happened. Cautiously, she stepped forward. The black creature did not move; no tentacles lashed out to drag her into it. Kayl took another step and peered at the black wall. It looked as if it were made of smooth black stone.

Kayl heaved a sigh of relief and turned to her companions. aI think itasa"a The rest of her sentence was lost in a noise like thunder. The floor swayed beneath Kaylas feet. As she struggled to keep her balance, she saw the blackness crack. Shards began falling from the walls; great sheets split away from the windows that the blackness had covered. Kayl heard Corrana shouting, but the noise from the crumbling creature was too great for her to make out the words.

The floor itself began to break apart. Kayl jumped frantically back toward the children, but the stones beneath her feet fell even as she leaped. Then something caught her and lowered her slowly, knocking aside the wickedly pointed shards of blackness that filled the air, while the Twisted Tower came apart around her. When the air cleared, Kayl found herself standing atop a pile of rubble, blinking in the sunlight. Mark and Dara were a little way away with the Magicseeker and Corrana; Glyndon lay sprawled at their feet, still unconscious.

Corranaas face was split by the first broad smile Kayl had ever seen her wear. aI am a sorceress again!a she cried triumphantly.

CHAPTER.

THIRTY-ONE.

Kayl blinked at Corrana for a moment, unable to absorb the meaning of her words. aOh,a she said at last. aThen it was your spell that let us down, there at the end.a aOf course.a Corrana was the cool sorceress of the Sisterhood once more, but beneath the calm facade Kayl sensed an undercurrent of disappointment at her reaction.

aI am glad for you,a Kayl said quickly, abut I just canataa Her voice trailed off as her eyes were drawn irresistibly to Glyndonas rec.u.mbent form.

aYou are right,a Corrana said. aWe must find the others. Risper will be able to help him.a If she is still alive, Kayl thought, but she did not voice her doubts. She started across the s.h.i.+fting rubble, toward Glyndon and the children. As she reached them, Mark, who was facing away from her, shouted and began waving his arms. aHey! Weare up here!a Kayl put her hand on his shoulder in time to keep him from trying to jump up and down on such unsteady footing. She looked past him and saw a small group of figures near the foot of the pile of rubble.

aBarthelmyas down there,a Dara said positively. Kayl nodded, surprised to find that she felt none of the relief she would have expected even a few days before. That reaction, more than anything else, told Kayl that she was finished with the Sisterhood at last. The final tie had been broken when the crystal cube disappeared into the black thing; now she was free of her past. It didnat seem to matter as much as she had thought it would. She shrugged mentally and started carefully down the hill of rubble, hoping that one of the healers was among the survivors. Mark and Dara came sliding after her.

The first face Kayl made out as she neared the foot of the hill was Risperas, and a wave of relief swept her. aRisper! We need you. Glyndonas badly hurt.a Risper started up the treacherous heap of stones. She looked tired and drawn, and there were shadows in her eyes that made Kayl wonder whether she had lost one of the Sisters of her Star Cl.u.s.ter. aIf it was another one of his visions, I canat do much,a Risper said as she reached Kayl.

aItas a sword wound in his left arm, just below the shoulder,a Kayl replied. aIam not certain, but I think it hit the bone. Heas unconscious.a Risper began climbing more rapidly. aBlood loss or shock. Was anyone able to do anything for him?a Kayl turned and joined Risperas climb. aDara tried.a aDid she stop the bleeding?a aI think so,a Dara volunteered. She looked worriedly at Risper. aHeas going to be all right, isnat he?a aI wonat know that until I look at him.a Risper caught at the hand Corrana was reaching down to her, and scrambled the last few feet to the top of the pile of rubble. She hesitated briefly when she saw the Magicseeker, then glanced at Corrana. Corrana made an ambiguous gesture. Risper shrugged and squatted beside her patient.

aHeall live,a she said after a quick examination. aBut we have to get him down from here. If you two,a she waved at Corrana and Kayl, awill help me lift hima"a Kayl and Corrana bent to a.s.sist Risper. To Kaylas surprise, the Magicseeker joined them. Risper gave him one penetrating look, then went on with her instructions.

aShouldnat you be off to join your friends?a Kayl whispered to the Magicseeker.

aWhen weare finished here,a the man said. aI believe in paying my debts whenever possible.a They carried Glyndon carefully down the heap of shards and tumbled stone that was all that remained of the Twisted Tower. Elder Mother Miracote and three of the Sisters met them at the bottom. Miracote waited until Risper had established Glyndon in a sheltered spot, then drew Kayl and her companions a little way away. aWhat happened?a the Elder Mother demanded unceremoniously.

aWe found the crystal room, and Utrilo found us. He wounded Glyndon; the black creature killed Javieri, Utrilo, and one of Utriloas men. The Crystal and the creature destroyed each other.a Kayl paused. aThe details and the guesswork can wait until later. Whatas happened here?a Miracote frowned, but answered. aI a.s.sume Corrana told you of Ferianekas attempt to lift the spell that bound us? It failed quickly, and the Magicseekers overwhelmed us. Their leader took three of his followers and Javieri into the Tower; shortly after, aa a blackness swept out of it. The Magicseekers tried to fight it, butaa Miracote shrugged.

aWhat about Bryn? And Ferianek?a aThey are both alive, but we lost two Sisters and Mother Siran in the fighting with the Magicseekers, and four others to that creature. Fortunately, the black thing seemed to find Magicseekers more to its taste.a The man beside Kayl made a choking noise, and Miracote looked at him closely for the first time. aAnd what are we to do with him?a she asked Kayl disapprovingly.

aNeed we do anything?a Corrana said. aThere is nothing left here for us to fight over.a aTrue.a Miracote turned and addressed the Magicseeker directly. aAnd what is your opinion?a aOf you, or of your plans, star-witch?a the Magicseeker said with evident dislike.

Kayl broke in quickly, before Miracote could answer. aIf we let you leave, will you give us your word not to attack us?a The Magicseeker shrugged, but his tone was less hostile as he said, aI see no reason not to.a aCan you speak for your companions as well?a Miracote demanded.

aTheyare reasonable people,a the Magicseeker said, in a tone that implied Miracote wasnat. aAnd as your friend said a minute ago, thereas nothing left here for us to fight over.a aGo, then,a Corrana said.

Miracoteas eyes narrowed at Corranaas a.s.sumption of authority, but she was too shrewd to correct the Elder Sister in front of a stranger and enemy. The Magicseeker gave Corrana and Kayl each a brief nod of farewell, looked at Miracote with dislike, and strode off toward the forest that bordered the valley. aHeall find few of his companions to persuade,a Miracote said with some satisfaction as she watched him go. aThe creature killed most of them.a aWithout his help in the Tower, we would all have died,a Kayl said coldly.

Miracote looked at her. aHeas a Magicseeker. Donat ask me to feel sorry for him.a Kayl suppressed a wave of irritation and said, aI wonat. What can we help with here?a Miracote put them to work helping Risper with the wounded. The second healer had been among the fatalities, so Risper was forced to tend all of the most severely injured herself. She had little time or energy for anyone else. Kayl cleaned and bandaged flesh wounds, cuts and sc.r.a.pes for close to two hours. Then she joined the more able-bodied in burying the dead.

Alden and Xaya arrived shortly after the Toweras fall, drawn by the noise of the collapse. They were relieved to find Bryn only slightly injured, and volunteered almost at once to be part of a group heading back to the camp for supplies. By noon they had returned with Risperas bags of medicine, two tents to shelter the wounded, and enough flatbread and yellow cheese to provide lunch for everyone. They also brought several br.i.m.m.i.n.g waterskins, for which everyone was grateful. A brackish trickle at the far end of the valley was the only source of water near the Twisted Tower, and Risper, after one look at a sample, had refused to allow anyone to drink from it.

Several more trips were made back to the camp on the other side of the hills, for it quickly became evident that they would have to spend the night in the valley. Risper refused to allow certain of the wounded to be moved, Glyndon among them, and there no longer seemed to be a good reason to avoid camping in the valley. Kayl did not argue with the decision. As she set up the tent for herself and the children, however, she made sure that every particle of black stone had been removed from the ground beneath the tent. Most of the Sisters copied her precaution.

By evening, the camp had been moved to the valley. Things began to look more normal, though the atmosphere remained subdued. Neither grief nor victory had had time to penetrate the minds of the survivors; that, Kayl knew from experience, would come with the morrow.

Over dinner, Kayl and Corrana told their story to the remnant of the expedition, omitting only the exact details of their brief experience with the magic of the Crystal. When they finished, Elder Mother Alessa stirred. aSo the crystal cube is gone,a she said.

aItas such a waste,a Ferianek said in a mournful tone. aA thing that could actually show the past! We could have learned so much from it.a Alessa gave him a sharp look. aIndeed we could.a aWe had no other choice,a Kayl said firmly. aNot really.a aNo?a Alessa said skeptically. aYou could not have used it as the Varnan did, instead of destroying it?a Corranaas eyes met Kaylas briefly, and a message of understanding pa.s.sed between them. aNo,a said Corrana. aWe could not have used the Crystal.a aWhat we did was the only possible way to kill that black thing,a Kayl added. aAnd it had to be killed. You had a brief taste of it; imagine what it would have done if we hadnat stopped it here!a aBut how did it get out of the Twisted Tower?a one of the sorceresses asked. aIt shouldnat have been able to get out. The door was sealed; it shouldnat have come out.a Kayl recognized the woman and felt a deep pang of sympathy. Of the four members of her Star Cl.u.s.ter, two had been killed by the black creature. Kayl knew all too well what that was like.

aI cannot say for certain what set the creature free,a Corrana said. aI can, however, speculate. I believe the chip of crystal broke the seals that held the creature inside the Tower.a aI donat understand,a the woman said.

aWhen Kayl brought the chip into the Twisted Tower, Glyndon and Barthelmy had weakened the sealing spells. If they had not, the spells would have killed anyone who tried to enter. But when Glyndon realized that Magicseekers had also come into the Tower, he used the power of the crystal cube to renew the spells that sealed the doors. Thus, when Utriloas swordswoman tried to carry the chip out of the Tower, it pa.s.sed through the full strength of the spell. I think the spell could not hold against even a small piece of the Crystal which powered it, and so the sealing was broken.a aWhat of the chip itself?a Miracote said, leaning forward.

Corrana shrugged delicately. aI looked for it, but all I found was the body of the Magicseeker who carried it. Perhaps pa.s.sing through the seal was too great a strain for it to bear, and it crumbled like the Tower.a aAh.a Miracote sat back not bothering to hide her disappointment. aThen we have nothing to show for all our efforts.a aWe have our magic again,a Corrana said gently. aI think that is enough.a Her eyes flickered across Kaylas as she spoke.

Kayl nodded, acknowledging Corranaas unspoken message in a way that the others would take as agreement. She was careful to keep her hands in her lap, away from the small, hard lump under her belt. She was sure now that Corrana suspected Kayl of having the chip; this was Corranaas way of showing that she would not mention her suspicions to anyone else. Kayl was glad. She had been the first to find the body of the Magicseeker, and she had spotted the chip of crystal at once, lying in the dust less than a handas breadth from the outstretched fingers. She had taken it and gone on, leaving the body for someone else to discover.

What she would do with the chip, Kayl did not know. Touching it no longer brought her visions of her past, and she was not magician enough to discover and use whatever other powers it possessed. She only knew that she could not give it to the Sisterhood, and she did not want to spend any more of her time in fruitless arguments with them. She was grateful to Corrana for sparing her that.

aWe still do not know what took our magic from us, or how it was returned,a Alessa pointed out. She gave Barthelmy a sidelong glance as she spoke.

aYour spells came back with the destruction of the Twisted Tower,a Kayl contradicted sharply. aDo you have to know for certain whether it was the creature, the Crystal, or the Tower itself that took them?a aYes.a Alessaas voice was sharp, and there were nods of agreement among the Sisters. aWe must be sure it cannot happen again.a aIt cannot,a Corrana said quietly.

Alessaas attention snapped from Kayl to Corrana. aYou do not know that.a aMy knowledge comes from Gadeironas Crystal,a Corrana said, lifting her eyebrows fractionally. aI doubt that it is false.a Kayl looked at her, startled. So Corrana, too, had been able to draw information from the Crystal! Somehow it had not occurred to Kayl that the sorceress might have done so.

aExplain, then,a Miracote commanded.

aOur difficulty stemmed from the nature of our magic,a Corrana said. aOur founders chose to tie our powers to our names, as the magic of the sklathranasy is bound to theirs. In a way I do not completely understand, the black creature was an ancient enemy of the sklathranasy, and its attacks on them came most often through their magic. Through their names.

aWhen our Sisters,a Corrana nodded toward Kayl and Barthelmy, abreached the Tower sixteen years ago, and Gadeironas Crystal was broken, the spells that held the creature were weakened enough to let it wake, but it was still bound within the Tower. When it found no physical way out, it sought a magical means of escape.

aIt must have learned our ways when it killed Varevice and Evla, and since our magic is similar to that of the sklathranasy, the creature attacked us as it would have attacked a group of demons. But there are no demons in the Sisterhood, and it could not control us through our magic as it could have controlled sklathranasy. All it could do was to feed on our power. But its feeding disrupted our spells, and we felt its evil, and so we all but ceased to work magic. And when we did not call on our power, the creature could not reach it without great effort. That is why it took so long to grow strong enough to call someone to the Tower who would be morea amenable to its desires.a aUtrilo Levoil,a Kayl said.

Corrana nodded. aI think the creature was not able to convey very much, but it was enough to make the Magicseekers look more closely at what they knew of the Sisterhoodas two expeditions to the Tower. When they realized that one of those who had accompanied the first group had left the Sisterhood, they began searching for you.a Corrana smiled suddenly. aI do not think they quite believed that a common innkeeper could possibly be the woman they sought. It is why they watched you for so long, instead of taking you at once. A mistake would have been embarra.s.sing.a aThen when the black creaturea"we really must find some other way to name ita"was destroyed, it ceased feeding on our magic and we could use our power freely again,a Alessa said. aA tidy tale. But why was Elder Sister Barthelmy not affected?a Barthelmy stiffened, but Corrana only smiled again. aBarthelmy is a demon-friend, trained to teach sklathranasy to protect themselves from vulnerability through their names. I think the creature reached for her during the fight in the Tower, and she unconsciously used her skills to protect herself. Any of our demon-friends could have done as much, had they actually faced the creature. The creature learned quickly; its attack on the Sisterhood was subtle enough not to cause the same response in anyone else.a Elder Mother Miracote snorted in disgust. aIf we had known, we could have stopped that thing before it ever started.a aPerhaps.a Corranaas tone was thoughtful. aBut I think it would have found some other way.a aWe still donat know enough!a Barthelmy said in frustration. aWhat was that black thing, really? And why did touching the cube freeze it? Anda"a aThere is little point in worrying over answers we shall probably never get,a Corrana interrupted.

aAnd I, for one, have had a very long day,a Kayl said. aI want some rest.a There were smiles among the Sisters, and Miracote said, aSo do we all. Enough, for now; we will talk again later.a They spent nearly two weeks camping in the valley, while the wounded recovered and the Elder Mothers studied the ruins of the Twisted Tower. Four days after the Toweras fall, when most of the injured were well enough to attend, they held a memorial for their dead. The day after, they moved the camp to the forested slopes above the valley. They saw the remnant of the Magicseekers only once, when they came to the valley to bury their comrades. The two groups stayed well apart from each other, and there was no trouble.

Kayl divided her time almost equally between her children and Glyndon. She made sure that Mark and Dara both knew how proud she was of them, but she could see that, though they appreciated her words, they did not have the same need to hear them that they used to. They knew they had done well. There was a new confidence in both children; Kayl could see it in their eyes and in the way they carried themselves, even when they ran shrieking up and down the hills with Xaya. It made her prouder than ever, though a little sad. Mark and Dara were rapidly growing up.

The Wyrds expressed a firm determination to stay with the camp until the Sisters were ready to depart for Kith Alunel. Kayl did not bother trying to fathom their reasons; she was simply glad of their presence. Brynas skills as a handywoman were much in demand, and Alden made himself useful to the group studying the ruins of the Tower. Kayl found him there late one afternoon, sifting shards of night-black stone through his fingers.

aHo, Alden!a she greeted him. aBryn says to tell you that if youare late to dinner again, she and Xaya are going to eat your share.a aIt canat be that late already,a Alden said absently. aHave you looked at these?a He waved at the stones in front of him. aThere are two distinct types. Three, if you include the blocks the Tower itself was made of, but they seem to be ordinary granite.a aWhat are the other two?a Kayl asked, more out of friends.h.i.+p than curiosity.

aOneas a hard, jet-black rock; thatas all over. The other is a kind of brittle crystalline stuffa"a aYou mean youave found pieces of the cube?a Kayl broke in.

aI donat think so,a Alden said, undisturbed by her interruption. aYou described it as clear, didnat you? Well, look at this.a He held up a slender piece of stone. Kayl thought at first that it was the same as the rest of the black debris; then she looked more closely and saw that it was partially transparent. aIt looks like smoked crystal,a she said. aBut Iave never seen any so dark.a aIt does, doesnat it?a Alden lowered the stone and studied it again. aIt would cut well, I think; so would the other.a aCut well?a Kayl said, puzzled.

aI mean theyad be easy to shape.a aShape? You mean for jewelry?a Kayl shuddered, thinking of the black creature. aI wouldnat recommend it.a Alden looked up and grinned. aYouare quite right. Iam afraid I get carried away at times.a He tossed the smoky crystal back onto a pile of rubble, then rose and accompanied Kayl back to camp.

Ferianek Trone also remained with the camp, helping as best he could. Kayl considered it the least he could do after the way he had used them all, but she found it hard to be angry at the tall, deep-voiced scholar. The ties that held him to the Windhome Mountains had been broken at last, and he had already approached the Elder Mothers about accompanying them back to Kith Alunel.

The work at the Tower ruins uncovered little, and the Sisters began preparing to leave. Kayl watched them thoughtfully, then went off to the woods to hunt and think. When she returned, she sought out Elder Mother Miracote and spoke briefly with her. An hour later, Barthelmy came to find her.

Kayl looked up from the branch she was whittling a point on to replace a broken tent-stake. aWhat is it, Barthelmy?a aElder Mother Miracote says youare not coming back to Kith Alunel with us,a Barthelmy said. aIs that true?a aYes.a Barthelmy was silent for a moment. Then she said, aWhy?a aI thought it would be better. Thereas nothing waiting for me in Kith Alunel; thereas no point in going back.a aIt isnat because of me, is it?a Barthelmy asked, and looked away as if she was afraid to know the answer.

aNo,a Kayl said gently. aItas because of me. Iam not one of you anymore, Barthelmy, not even in my dreams. My sword and star-gem are buried out there under a mountain of rubble, if the black creature didnat destroy them completely, and Iam not sorry.a aThe att.i.tude of the other Sisters has changed since Corrana explained what really happened to their magic,a Barthelmy offered.

aIave noticed.a Most of the suspicion and resentment the Sisters felt toward Kayl and Barthelmy had died with the black creature. When the shock and grief that followed the battle had worn off, a few of the Sisters had made tentative, apologetic overtures toward Kayl. She had acknowledged them politely, but they had not brought her the satisfaction they once would have. aI just donat belong in the Sisterhood anymore.a aItas Glyndon, then, isnat it?a aBarthelmy!a Kayl let her irritation show. aGlyndon doesnat know about this yet, and I donat want him told. Iave given you my reasons for leaving the expedition; stop trying to find other excuses.a aYou mean it, donat you?a Barthelmy said. Kayl nodded emphatically. Barthelmyas shoulders moved unhappily. aI think I always knew you wouldnat come back, but I didnat want to believe it. I wanted things to be the way they used to be. The Sisterhood meant so much to both of usa. To me, it still does.a aI know. But you canat live in the past, Barthelmy, and you canat make the present into a reflection of it. It doesnat work.a aNo.a Barthelmy was quiet for a moment. aWhat will you do now?a Kayl grinned, feeling suddenly like a mischievous fifteen-year-old. aI donat know. Iall write when I find out, all right?a aYouad better.a Barthelmy said, returning the grin. aYouad just better.a Glyndon was recovering slowly. He had spent four days in bed, and only slowly begun moving around the camp. He had not had one of his visions since the Tower fell. His left arm was still in a sling; Risper had said in Kaylas hearing that he would have to wear it for five or six more weeks, at least. Kayl had done more than her share of the s.h.i.+fts of caring for him while he was bedridden, and visited him frequently once he was able to move about, but their conversations during that time had been carefully casual. Kayl had been half expecting, half hoping that he would seek her out before the expedition left. Finally, the day before the Sisters were to break camp, Glyndon did.

aWalk with me a bit, Kayl?a he said.

Kayl nodded, and together they left the camp. They headed up the mountain in companionable silence. aHowas the arm?a Kayl said after a little.

aSore,a Glyndon said, and winced. aRisper says Iall just have to wait; sheas hurried things along as much as she can.a He hesitated, then went on, aShe thinks Iall regain most of the use of the hand, but she says there wonat be much strength in it and thereas not much she can do about the shoulder. She showed me some exercises for it.a aIam sorry,a Kayl said quietly. She could not pretend to be surprised; though Risper had not told her the details, she had seen enough serious wounds to have some idea what to expect.

aItas a good thing Iam a wizard and not a swordsman,a Glyndon went on. aThere arenat many spells that really require two hands.a aAnd the visions?a Kayl asked. aDo you think theyarea"a aTheyare gone,a Glyndon said with certainty. He glanced down at his sling, then looked at Kayl and smiled. aThe trade was worth it.a aWhat will you do now?a aI donat know. Go home, maybe.a He hesitated, then said carefully, aAnd you?a aIn the long run? Iam not sure. Iam not going back to being an innkeeper, thatas sure. Maybe Iall try to find a way of helping the Wyrds and Shee wh.o.a.re leaving the southern countries. They might be able to use a good strategist.a Kayl smiled down at a tiny patch of unfamiliar blue flowers beside a boulder. aYou know, I used to think I had to know things like that, that once I made a decision I had to stick to it. I think thatas why I spend so much of my time mulling over the past.a aWhat?a Glyndon looked puzzled, but interested.

aI was trying to prove that the decisions Iad made were the right ones,a Kayl explained. She shrugged. aNowa Well, I have another twenty or thirty years left; I donat have to decide today exactly what theyare going to be like. I never really knew that before.a aUm.a Glyndon tilted his head backward to stare at the branches of the trees above them. aI hadnat really expected to talk philosophy with you today.a aOh?a aKayl, you know that I love you, and I want to stay with you. But I donat think I can face a four-month trip back to Kith Alunel with the Silver Sisters.a aNeither could I. So Iam not going with them.a aWhat?a Glyndon stared at her. aI thoughtaa Kayl smiled and shook her head. aYou and Barthelmy. I donat belong in the Sisterhood anymore, Glyndon. Iave known that for months. It just took me a while to stop wis.h.i.+ng I did, thatas all.a aBut if you arenat going to Kith Alunel, then what?a aI talked to Bryn and Alden last night. When the camp breaks up, theyare going on to that Waywalker settlement Ferianek told them about. The children and I are going with them. The whole group will be leaving for the coast soon, to hire a s.h.i.+p to take them to the island once the spring storms are over. I donat think it will be too hard to persuade them to stop and let us off somewhere on Varna.a aVarna? Kayl, are you sure?a aWell, if they wonat, we can find a s.h.i.+p thatas headed there,a Kayl said practically. aIt shouldnat be hard, at this time of year.a Glyndon laughed. aWhy didnat you tell me?a aYou didnat ask. Glyndon! Be careful; your shoulder!a aDemons take my shoulder,a Glyndon said. He pulled her to him with his good arm and fastened his lips over hers. aDoes this mean youall marry me?a he asked a few minutes later.

aDo you want me to?a Kayl laid a hand on his mouth to stop his immediate protest, and went on, aIam not going to spend the rest of my life on Varna, you know. And I meant it about trying to help the Wyrds.a aWeall do it together,a Glyndon promised. aAfter fifteen years of wandering, I donat think I could settle permanently on Varna even if I wanted to. Itall be nice to go home, though. Now, answer the question: Will you marry me?a aIf I donat want to set a bad example for the children, Iam going to have to.a Kayl tried to make her tone serious, but she could not keep a straight face. Her mouth insisted in stretching out into what felt like a remarkably foolish grin.

Glyndon laughed and started to kiss her again. He was interrupted by a m.u.f.fled cheer from a nearby clump of bushes. Startled, he and Kayl looked at each other; then Kayl shook her head and stepped away from him. aWe heard that,a she called in the sternest voice she could manage. aSo come out here, right now.a With a series of rustling noises, punctuated by crashes, the eavesdroppers made their appearance: first Mark, then Dara, then Xaya. Mark looked somewhat downcast but pleased; Dara and Xaya were trying hard to appear properly repentant in spite of their excitement. aI thought Iad taught you better than to listen to other peopleas conversations,a Kayl said, but she was too happy to put her heart into the scolding.

aWell, but it was important to us, too,a Dara said. aAnd oh, Mother, Iam glad!a aSo am I,a Glyndon confided.

aDonat encourage them, Glyndon,a Kayl warned. He gave her a smile that made her head swim, and she forced herself to look back at the children. aWhose idea was this, anyway?a aMine,a three voices said promptly.

Kayl rolled her eyes. aAll right, then, back to camp with the three of you. Iall figure out what to do with you later. Go on!a The children went. As they disappeared among the trees, a breath of wind brought Daraas satisfied voice back to Kayl and Glyndon: aI told you she was going to marry him. She just takes a long time to say so, thatas all.a aHuh,a was Markas comment, and the children were gone.

Glyndon looked at Kayl, his eyes dancing. aI can see that being a stepfather is going to be an enlightening experience. I wonder if I ought to ask Dara what you really think, the next time Iam not sure?a aYou do and Iall put salt in your ale for a week,a Kayl threatened.

aYour wish is my command,a Glyndon replied. He reached for her with his good arm. aNow, where were we?a

end.