Oracle by Jackie French

furs should be here any moment; you can snuggle up in those beside the fire—’ She broke off at a scratching on the door. A man came in, wearing the burnished kilt of a soldier, furs piled high in his arms.
    ‘Welcome back, Acrobat.’
    Orkestres nodded.
    He’s keeping his face away from the fire light so the soldier doesn’t see him with grey hair, thought Nikko. Suddenly he was glad Thetis was silent. How much would she have seen and spoken of already?
    For a second he had an image of her small body hanging bleeding and lifeless by the road that was so clear he shivered.
    ‘Time for baths, and then for bed,’ said Orkestres quietly, as the sound of the soldier’s footsteps faded away up the cobbled road.
    ‘Exactly,’ said Dora. She reached up on tiptoe and kissed her husband’s cheek. ‘I think I am happy with my little lambs,’ she said softly. ‘Far better than that rope of pearls.’
    The furs were soft, and thicker than any he’d ever felt. Maybe from one of those woolly animals, the sheep, thought Nikko. He could hear murmuring from the room next door, where Orkestres and Dora must be getting ready to sleep. Thetis was curled up against him, her breathing soft and steady. Her hair smelled of flowers from the bath, and from the scented oil Dora had combed through as it dried by the fire. He had just plaited his, without waiting for it to dry. The bath had made his body feel fresh and rested at the same time, and his stomach felt at peace with the good food.
    Life here seemed full of luxuries…
    …as long as you pleased the High King.

CHAPTER 12
    Orkestres had left already when they woke late the next morning, exhausted by the journey and the strangeness. Dora was sitting in the corner of the room, quietly spinning wool onto a distaff.
    ‘He’s off telling tales of his journey to his friends, and if they’re lucky some will even be true. But he won’t tell anyone about you. The less anyone suspects the greater the surprise when you first perform—assuming you have as much talent as he thinks. No food,’ she added quickly, as Nikko automatically reached for some of last night’s leftovers. ‘It’ll make you feel sick if you exercise hard straight after eating. Do your morning stretches first, then food after.’ She grinned. ‘Let’s see what I can teach you.’
    ‘You?’ He flushed. He hadn’t meant to sound insulting.
    But the fat little woman laughed. Her hair was out of its plaits today, held up with bronze clips in a tumble on top of her head. It looked even brighter in the daylight.…‘Look at your sister. She isn’t sitting there giggling at the idea that I might be an acrobat. You see something big brother doesn’t, don’t you, lambkin?’
    Thetis nodded.
    ‘You’re a knowing one, aren’t you? Well, it’ll stand you in good stead here.’ Dora stuck her head out the door and called up to one of the sentries on the walls. ‘Boasis! Lend me your sword, there’s a darling.’
    A sword? Why would a woman want a sword? And how dare a woman call out to a man like that?
    But to Nikko’s surprise the soldier just laughed. His voice was affectionate as he answered. ‘Anything for you, Pandora darling.’
    He threw his sword down. Dora caught it by its hilt before it hit the ground, then blew him a kiss.
    She came inside again, then wedged the sword’s point and handle between logs of firewood, edge upwards, and nudged it with her foot, as though to make sure it was firm. She looked at the children.
    ‘Watching? Good.’ She lifted the hem of her trousers, showing legs as thick as an ox’s with blue veins below her knees. She had put a faint red colour on her heels this morning. No, thought Nikko, those soft feet had never trod the dirt, harvesting barley.
    Suddenly her feet moved, back and forth in a strange bouncing dance step. Higher and higher, her feet flashing almost knee high now. And then she leaped—
    Nikko caught his breath. Beside him Thetis screamed, choking off