and we’ll kill him.”
Tharin gave him an unreadable look and Ki shut his mouth. If it hadn’t been for his foolishness, Tobin wouldn’t have been with Orun today at all.
Ulies returned with the basin, and Tharin took it from him. “Send someone for Chancellor Hylus and Lord Niryn.”
“No need for that.” The wizard stepped in and approached the bed with every appearance of concern. “A servant came after me with the news. How is the prince? He was perfectly well when I left them. They both were.”
Without thinking, Ki blocked his way before he could reach Tobin. Niryn’s eyes locked with his. Ki felt a nasty chill but he stood his ground.
“If you please, my lord, I’d rather we waited for the drysians before we disturb him,” Iya said, standing by Ki. She spoke respectfully, but Ki sensed it was not a request.
“Of course. Most wise.” Niryn took the chair by the hearth. Ki stationed himself at the foot of the bed, keeping a surreptitious eye on the wizard. Tobin had always been scared of Niryn, which was reason enough for Ki to distrust him. And now he was, by his own admission, the last person to see Orun and Tobin before they were struck down. Or so he claimed.
Niryn caught him looking and smiled. Another nasty, slithery feeling went through Ki and he hastily averted his eyes.
A moment later Tobin lurched up with a gasp. Ki clambered awkwardly onto the bed and grasped his hand. “Tob, you’re safe. I’m here, and Tharin and Iya.”
Tobin gripped his hand so hard it hurt. “How—how did I get here?” he asked in a hoarse whisper.
“I brought you.” Tharin sat down on the edge of the bed and put an arm around him. “Seems I’m always carrying you somewhere these days. It’s all right now. Can you tell us who hurt you?”
Tobin’s hand flew to his throat. “Orun. He was so angry—Hegrabbed me and—” He caught sight of Niryn and froze. “It was Orun.”
The wizard rose and came closer. “He offered you violence?”
Tobin nodded. “The king’s message,” he whispered. “He grabbed me and—I must have fainted.”
“I shouldn’t wonder,” said Iya. “It appears he tried to throttle you.”
Tobin nodded.
A brown-robed drysian arrived and ordered everyone but Iya and Niryn out of the room. Ki hovered in the doorway, watching anxiously as the woman examined Tobin. He crept back to the foot of the bed as she mixed a poultice for the bruises and she let him stay.
When she’d finished, she went out and spoke with Iya and Tharin for what seemed like a long time. Tharin came back in looking more concerned than ever.
“Lord Niryn, they’ve got Bisir in the hall and Chancellor Hylus just arrived.”
Tobin struggled up again. “Bisir didn’t do anything!”
“We just want to talk to him,” Tharin assured him. “You rest. Ki will keep you company.”
“Lord Niryn?” croaked Tobin.
The wizard paused in the doorway. “Yes, my prince?”
“That message you had from the king—I didn’t read it. Is Ki still my squire?”
“The king made no mention of the matter. For the time being, it seems your squire’s position is secure. See that you remain worthy of it, Sir Kirothius.”
“Yes, my lord.” Ki waited until the wizards and Tharin were gone, then shut the door and made a luck sign. “He looks like a snake when he smiles. But at least he brought some good news.” He sat down on the bed and tried to look into Tobin’s eyes, but his friend kept turning away. “How are you? Really?”
“I’m fine.” Tobin rubbed at the wet bandage around his neck. “This is helping.”
He was still hoarse, but Ki could hear the fear that Tobin was struggling to hide.
“So Orun finally laid hands on you?” Ki shook his head in wonder.
Tobin let out a shuddering sigh and his chin began to tremble.
Ki leaned closer and took his hand again. “There’s more to it than you let on, isn’t there?”
Tobin cast a frightened look at the door, then brought his lips to
Tharin gave him an unreadable look and Ki shut his mouth. If it hadn’t been for his foolishness, Tobin wouldn’t have been with Orun today at all.
Ulies returned with the basin, and Tharin took it from him. “Send someone for Chancellor Hylus and Lord Niryn.”
“No need for that.” The wizard stepped in and approached the bed with every appearance of concern. “A servant came after me with the news. How is the prince? He was perfectly well when I left them. They both were.”
Without thinking, Ki blocked his way before he could reach Tobin. Niryn’s eyes locked with his. Ki felt a nasty chill but he stood his ground.
“If you please, my lord, I’d rather we waited for the drysians before we disturb him,” Iya said, standing by Ki. She spoke respectfully, but Ki sensed it was not a request.
“Of course. Most wise.” Niryn took the chair by the hearth. Ki stationed himself at the foot of the bed, keeping a surreptitious eye on the wizard. Tobin had always been scared of Niryn, which was reason enough for Ki to distrust him. And now he was, by his own admission, the last person to see Orun and Tobin before they were struck down. Or so he claimed.
Niryn caught him looking and smiled. Another nasty, slithery feeling went through Ki and he hastily averted his eyes.
A moment later Tobin lurched up with a gasp. Ki clambered awkwardly onto the bed and grasped his hand. “Tob, you’re safe. I’m here, and Tharin and Iya.”
Tobin gripped his hand so hard it hurt. “How—how did I get here?” he asked in a hoarse whisper.
“I brought you.” Tharin sat down on the edge of the bed and put an arm around him. “Seems I’m always carrying you somewhere these days. It’s all right now. Can you tell us who hurt you?”
Tobin’s hand flew to his throat. “Orun. He was so angry—Hegrabbed me and—” He caught sight of Niryn and froze. “It was Orun.”
The wizard rose and came closer. “He offered you violence?”
Tobin nodded. “The king’s message,” he whispered. “He grabbed me and—I must have fainted.”
“I shouldn’t wonder,” said Iya. “It appears he tried to throttle you.”
Tobin nodded.
A brown-robed drysian arrived and ordered everyone but Iya and Niryn out of the room. Ki hovered in the doorway, watching anxiously as the woman examined Tobin. He crept back to the foot of the bed as she mixed a poultice for the bruises and she let him stay.
When she’d finished, she went out and spoke with Iya and Tharin for what seemed like a long time. Tharin came back in looking more concerned than ever.
“Lord Niryn, they’ve got Bisir in the hall and Chancellor Hylus just arrived.”
Tobin struggled up again. “Bisir didn’t do anything!”
“We just want to talk to him,” Tharin assured him. “You rest. Ki will keep you company.”
“Lord Niryn?” croaked Tobin.
The wizard paused in the doorway. “Yes, my prince?”
“That message you had from the king—I didn’t read it. Is Ki still my squire?”
“The king made no mention of the matter. For the time being, it seems your squire’s position is secure. See that you remain worthy of it, Sir Kirothius.”
“Yes, my lord.” Ki waited until the wizards and Tharin were gone, then shut the door and made a luck sign. “He looks like a snake when he smiles. But at least he brought some good news.” He sat down on the bed and tried to look into Tobin’s eyes, but his friend kept turning away. “How are you? Really?”
“I’m fine.” Tobin rubbed at the wet bandage around his neck. “This is helping.”
He was still hoarse, but Ki could hear the fear that Tobin was struggling to hide.
“So Orun finally laid hands on you?” Ki shook his head in wonder.
Tobin let out a shuddering sigh and his chin began to tremble.
Ki leaned closer and took his hand again. “There’s more to it than you let on, isn’t there?”
Tobin cast a frightened look at the door, then brought his lips to
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