learned everything I could about your rituals and powers. By the time the Headmaster decided that whatever ability I'd had as a child was lost in puberty and sent me on my way, I was quite conversant with your secrets."
"But when you left, did they not give you a draught to make you forget everything you'd learned?"
"They did," he said. "But Qalor, Father's alchemist, devised a remedy. He's quite clever; you'll meet him soon."
"Will I? When I'm released from this prison, perhaps?"
"Prison? You wound me. Is this not a finer accommodation than your hovel at the Crosswaters?"
"It's certainly more sumptuous, but the bars and locked door do give one pause."
Torrant chuckled. "You won't be confined to this room forever. In time, you may even enjoy the run of the castle. But for now you must stay here." He stood. "If you'll excuse me; much as I enjoy your lovely presence, there are decisions to be made, and my brother cannot be trusted to make them on his own." He strode out of the room, pausing at the door to give her a smile and a bow before locking her in again.
She gave a strangled shriek, picked up a pillow, and threw it at the closed door, then turned and went to the window, clutching at the ornate bars. She was so tired of this room, of this castle, of the twins and their machinations!
"Arrogant pup."
Tolaria gasped and whirled, seeing a man in a hooded red cloak standing in the corner near the door. He knelt and picked up the pillow she had thrown, held it in his hands, examining it. "I could have struck him down where he sat."
"Who … who are you?"
"How unconscionably rude of me." The man tossed the pillow onto the bed, then slipped off his hood, revealing a narrow face, hollow cheeks, gleaming eyes. He sported a scruffy growth of beard; it looked out of place there, as if it had wandered over from someone else's chin and couldn't find its way back. "Most call me Orioke."
"A speaker of Words," she murmured.
"Why do you say that?"
Why had she? It had just come from her lips, unbidden, like an unexpected sneeze. "I don't know."
The man took a step forward. "Have you heard my name?"
"I don't think so."
"Well, I have heard yours. You are Tolaria, an oracle from the Crosswaters. You are an honored guest ; that is to say, a prisoner."
"Yes. What do you want with me? Why are you here?"
"I haven't decided yet." He studied her, idly scratching at his stubble. "Lord Dunshandrin hired me, along with several others, to remove some stones from a dragon's lair. We chose a time when the large dragon was away, slew its hatchlings, and made off with our prize. We returned in triumph to camp; but that night, Dunshandrin's men attempted to murder us in our sleep. I escaped and stayed hidden until the next day, then returned here along with Dunshandrin's booty."
"They brought you back after trying to kill you?"
The wizard smiled. "Dunshandrin's men didn't know I had accompanied them. They still don't. I have been going about the castle, uncovering what I can of their plans."
"Their plans are to start a war," she said.
"Yes, I know."
"It's madness. Barbareth will crush them, and hundreds or thousands will die for no reason."
"Is that what you predicted for them?"
"I don't remember what they asked or how I answered, but for some reason, they think they might win such a conflict."
"Indeed, they do think that. And I have learned some of the reasons for their confidence. One of them, fair lady, is you."
She watched as he went to the window and looked through the iron grillwork at the night beyond. Did he intend to harm her? If she screamed, her room would quickly fill up with guards; but she had the unsettling impression that this man was not concerned with being discovered.
"If I were to kill you," he said, "that would disrupt their plans, wouldn't it?" He spoke without looking at her; for some reason, this frightened her more than it would
"But when you left, did they not give you a draught to make you forget everything you'd learned?"
"They did," he said. "But Qalor, Father's alchemist, devised a remedy. He's quite clever; you'll meet him soon."
"Will I? When I'm released from this prison, perhaps?"
"Prison? You wound me. Is this not a finer accommodation than your hovel at the Crosswaters?"
"It's certainly more sumptuous, but the bars and locked door do give one pause."
Torrant chuckled. "You won't be confined to this room forever. In time, you may even enjoy the run of the castle. But for now you must stay here." He stood. "If you'll excuse me; much as I enjoy your lovely presence, there are decisions to be made, and my brother cannot be trusted to make them on his own." He strode out of the room, pausing at the door to give her a smile and a bow before locking her in again.
She gave a strangled shriek, picked up a pillow, and threw it at the closed door, then turned and went to the window, clutching at the ornate bars. She was so tired of this room, of this castle, of the twins and their machinations!
"Arrogant pup."
Tolaria gasped and whirled, seeing a man in a hooded red cloak standing in the corner near the door. He knelt and picked up the pillow she had thrown, held it in his hands, examining it. "I could have struck him down where he sat."
"Who … who are you?"
"How unconscionably rude of me." The man tossed the pillow onto the bed, then slipped off his hood, revealing a narrow face, hollow cheeks, gleaming eyes. He sported a scruffy growth of beard; it looked out of place there, as if it had wandered over from someone else's chin and couldn't find its way back. "Most call me Orioke."
"A speaker of Words," she murmured.
"Why do you say that?"
Why had she? It had just come from her lips, unbidden, like an unexpected sneeze. "I don't know."
The man took a step forward. "Have you heard my name?"
"I don't think so."
"Well, I have heard yours. You are Tolaria, an oracle from the Crosswaters. You are an honored guest ; that is to say, a prisoner."
"Yes. What do you want with me? Why are you here?"
"I haven't decided yet." He studied her, idly scratching at his stubble. "Lord Dunshandrin hired me, along with several others, to remove some stones from a dragon's lair. We chose a time when the large dragon was away, slew its hatchlings, and made off with our prize. We returned in triumph to camp; but that night, Dunshandrin's men attempted to murder us in our sleep. I escaped and stayed hidden until the next day, then returned here along with Dunshandrin's booty."
"They brought you back after trying to kill you?"
The wizard smiled. "Dunshandrin's men didn't know I had accompanied them. They still don't. I have been going about the castle, uncovering what I can of their plans."
"Their plans are to start a war," she said.
"Yes, I know."
"It's madness. Barbareth will crush them, and hundreds or thousands will die for no reason."
"Is that what you predicted for them?"
"I don't remember what they asked or how I answered, but for some reason, they think they might win such a conflict."
"Indeed, they do think that. And I have learned some of the reasons for their confidence. One of them, fair lady, is you."
She watched as he went to the window and looked through the iron grillwork at the night beyond. Did he intend to harm her? If she screamed, her room would quickly fill up with guards; but she had the unsettling impression that this man was not concerned with being discovered.
"If I were to kill you," he said, "that would disrupt their plans, wouldn't it?" He spoke without looking at her; for some reason, this frightened her more than it would
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