red bristleberries. When processed such that their thorns were
removed, these fruits often were stuffed into the homemade pastries that Lady
Donzala had been so fond of baking.
Adalginza recalled
the sweet aromas from the brick oven of her mother's mud brick home, now in
full view as the road rounded a hill.
The abode
with its surrounding rock walls filled Adalginza with such pain that she now
felt as though her heart was being pierced by the swords of an entire army of
Crescent knights.
Kalos saw
something in her face, and pulled back on the reins of the sturmons, halting
them even as the vanguard of mounted knights and sturmons continued onward.
"Are
you ill? Do you need to step down?"
"No."
Her voice was barely audible. "Just give me a moment."
One of the
knights in the leading vanguard turned back, and now galloped up to the wagon.
She saw that
it was Luzicos astride a lean black sturmon. It snorted twice in a fit of
temper seeming to match the expression of his rider, before Luzicos yanked the steed
to a halt.
"You
must stay within range of our protection." Then he paused. "What is
wrong with the lady?"
Adalginza
felt great shame that her distress was being witnessed not only by Kalos, but
by the loyal assistant who she had learned by now suffered no fools.
Luzicos'
frank opinion regarding the wisdom of bringing such a small force of Crescent
knights into the very heart of danger had been expressed more than once along
the trail.
Adalginza
also suspected that his surliness could be traced to the fact he had not been
informed of the purpose of their mission here, other than some vague reference
to scouting the terrain.
"I had
a moment of faintness," Adalginza replied vaguely.
Luzicos look
of contempt deepened.
He turned to
Kalos. "We have only the word of this lady that most of the savages who
dwell here are at the Festival of Blood. Even if they are in the next province,
others among them might still be in the vicinity."
"My
word is good." Adalginza found strength from her irritation at being
questioned so harshly. "The Festival of Blood is several days' journey
from here. Everyone goes. Even the elderly and those in fragile health are
taken by wagon."
"And
what assurance do we have of that?"
Luzicos
chose to address Kalos directly, and ignore her.
He was,
after all, a member of the House of the Fifth Crescent Moon — where women
should be seen, but their opinions kept to themselves.
"Mine,"
Adalginza insisted. "We are in my homeland now, sir. I know the habits of
the savages who live here as well as I know my own."
Finally, the
Crescent knight regarded her insolently.
"And
that knowledge was of great use, I see, when it came to protecting the life of
your own mother."
"Luzicos!
Enough!" Kalos waved his hand dismissively. "Go back to the troops.
Take them to the servant barracks behind the main house. Post a few guards, but
use this as an opportunity for rest."
"I
cannot leave you here alone, sir."
"Yes.
You can. We have sanctuary here. Lady Adalginza informs me that savages will
not occupy or ravage a dwelling where a murder has taken place."
Adalginza
added her own explanation. "They fear the spirits of the dead may linger
in search of an opportunity for revenge."
"Nonsense,"
Luzicos growled.
He yanked
the head of his sturmon in the direction of the abode and kicked the animal
into galloping obedience.
The
answering rage from the rebellious black washed over Adalginza, as real as
though the animal had found human words to shout out its frustration at being
in bondage.
This man and
beast had an uneasy alliance, maybe even a shared love. But Luzicos could be a
hard master.
"Now we
are alone." Kalos spoke again only after the delegation of knights had
disappeared behind the distant abode. His eyebrows were knitted in a scowl as
he scanned every scruffy desert tree, inspected every rock. "I hope, as
you say, that we are not being observed by Benfaaro or any of his people. Otherwise,
our
removed, these fruits often were stuffed into the homemade pastries that Lady
Donzala had been so fond of baking.
Adalginza recalled
the sweet aromas from the brick oven of her mother's mud brick home, now in
full view as the road rounded a hill.
The abode
with its surrounding rock walls filled Adalginza with such pain that she now
felt as though her heart was being pierced by the swords of an entire army of
Crescent knights.
Kalos saw
something in her face, and pulled back on the reins of the sturmons, halting
them even as the vanguard of mounted knights and sturmons continued onward.
"Are
you ill? Do you need to step down?"
"No."
Her voice was barely audible. "Just give me a moment."
One of the
knights in the leading vanguard turned back, and now galloped up to the wagon.
She saw that
it was Luzicos astride a lean black sturmon. It snorted twice in a fit of
temper seeming to match the expression of his rider, before Luzicos yanked the steed
to a halt.
"You
must stay within range of our protection." Then he paused. "What is
wrong with the lady?"
Adalginza
felt great shame that her distress was being witnessed not only by Kalos, but
by the loyal assistant who she had learned by now suffered no fools.
Luzicos'
frank opinion regarding the wisdom of bringing such a small force of Crescent
knights into the very heart of danger had been expressed more than once along
the trail.
Adalginza
also suspected that his surliness could be traced to the fact he had not been
informed of the purpose of their mission here, other than some vague reference
to scouting the terrain.
"I had
a moment of faintness," Adalginza replied vaguely.
Luzicos look
of contempt deepened.
He turned to
Kalos. "We have only the word of this lady that most of the savages who
dwell here are at the Festival of Blood. Even if they are in the next province,
others among them might still be in the vicinity."
"My
word is good." Adalginza found strength from her irritation at being
questioned so harshly. "The Festival of Blood is several days' journey
from here. Everyone goes. Even the elderly and those in fragile health are
taken by wagon."
"And
what assurance do we have of that?"
Luzicos
chose to address Kalos directly, and ignore her.
He was,
after all, a member of the House of the Fifth Crescent Moon — where women
should be seen, but their opinions kept to themselves.
"Mine,"
Adalginza insisted. "We are in my homeland now, sir. I know the habits of
the savages who live here as well as I know my own."
Finally, the
Crescent knight regarded her insolently.
"And
that knowledge was of great use, I see, when it came to protecting the life of
your own mother."
"Luzicos!
Enough!" Kalos waved his hand dismissively. "Go back to the troops.
Take them to the servant barracks behind the main house. Post a few guards, but
use this as an opportunity for rest."
"I
cannot leave you here alone, sir."
"Yes.
You can. We have sanctuary here. Lady Adalginza informs me that savages will
not occupy or ravage a dwelling where a murder has taken place."
Adalginza
added her own explanation. "They fear the spirits of the dead may linger
in search of an opportunity for revenge."
"Nonsense,"
Luzicos growled.
He yanked
the head of his sturmon in the direction of the abode and kicked the animal
into galloping obedience.
The
answering rage from the rebellious black washed over Adalginza, as real as
though the animal had found human words to shout out its frustration at being
in bondage.
This man and
beast had an uneasy alliance, maybe even a shared love. But Luzicos could be a
hard master.
"Now we
are alone." Kalos spoke again only after the delegation of knights had
disappeared behind the distant abode. His eyebrows were knitted in a scowl as
he scanned every scruffy desert tree, inspected every rock. "I hope, as
you say, that we are not being observed by Benfaaro or any of his people. Otherwise,
our
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