land for a little square of garden.
But as I gazed through the eagle’s eyes, I became aware of another mind altogether. A human mind, this time, connected to the eagle just as I was.
Ly-haam. And he was terrified.
9: The Inn
Poor Ly-haam! Whatever the truth of the Blood Clans’ way of life, he was surely not accustomed to the high stone buildings and teeming roads of Bennamore. It took great bravery to make his way to Kingswell alone, but it was no surprise that the experience overwhelmed him. I could help, and perhaps a familiar face would raise his spirits.
After hastily summoning an escort and leaving a cryptic message for Yannassia, I rode out to meet him. By riding hard all afternoon, we caught up with him just an hour or so beyond Wemborth.
He wasn’t difficult to find. Traffic on the road was crawling at moundrat pace for many marks, so that we had to ride on the verge to get past. Wagons of vegetables, piglets and geese, all heading for the autumn lantern festival in Wemborth. There were public wagons, too, crowded with travellers, and a few private carriages. And it wasn’t the press of traffic which slowed them, it was the sight of a nondescript man accompanied by an entire troop of the Drashona’s Elite Guard that caused every passer-by to slow to walking pace and stare at the spectacle.
Poor Ly-haam. He was sitting on a marker stone beside the road, his head hanging low. Beyond him, the captains of the honour guard sent to accompany him had dismounted and were in animated discussion. With the sun low in the sky, they had stopped beside a sprawling inn set back from the road, with open fields behind for the excess horses, if the stables were too small. Plenty of room for everyone. Yet if they carried on, they would end up in Wemborth, in the middle of the lantern festival, and no accommodation anywhere. Not a difficult decision. Yet no move was made towards the inn.
We forced our way through the many wagons. The captains saw us first, their faces breaking into smiles as they recognised the signal pole.
I ignored them. All my attention was focused on Ly-haam. He looked up only as I slid from the saddle, and for a moment I saw nothing but misery in him. Then he recognised me and his face lit up like the moon.
“Princess!” he yelled, leaping to his feet and dashing across to me. For a moment, I thought he was going to sweep me into his arms, perhaps even kiss me, and who could guess how that would end? Would his touch set the fires raging again? But he stopped short, half bowing to me, one hand to his forehead. Then he tucked his hands under his arms, as if to stop them moving without his command.
“ Byan shar ,” I said. “How good to see you again. You have made good progress. You are no more than two or three suns from Kingswell. I trust your journey has not been difficult?”
“No. No, but…” He glanced at the two captains, who stood watchfully a few paces away. “They do not like me to sleep outside. But I do not like to sleep in a house.”
I tried not to look surprised. “You have been sleeping out of doors? Every night?”
“Of course.”
One of the captains coughed discreetly. “The byan shar does not like to be confined, Highness.”
“I see. But how will you manage at Kingswell? You cannot sleep outside there, you know.”
He looked at me anxiously. “No. I realise. I looked forward to seeing your great city, I was excited to come here. But… I do not like solid walls around me.”
“Well, let us try it, just for tonight.” I turned to the captains before Ly-haam could object. “Captain, secure a good room for us. Something large, preferably on the ground floor with a big window. You understand?”
He did, nodding and summoning a couple of guards with a few terse words. They vanished into the inn.
“Now, where is your luggage?” I said to Ly-haam.
“Luggage?”
“Bags. Spare clothes, or whatever you carry when you travel.”
“Oh, my travel roll. The
But as I gazed through the eagle’s eyes, I became aware of another mind altogether. A human mind, this time, connected to the eagle just as I was.
Ly-haam. And he was terrified.
9: The Inn
Poor Ly-haam! Whatever the truth of the Blood Clans’ way of life, he was surely not accustomed to the high stone buildings and teeming roads of Bennamore. It took great bravery to make his way to Kingswell alone, but it was no surprise that the experience overwhelmed him. I could help, and perhaps a familiar face would raise his spirits.
After hastily summoning an escort and leaving a cryptic message for Yannassia, I rode out to meet him. By riding hard all afternoon, we caught up with him just an hour or so beyond Wemborth.
He wasn’t difficult to find. Traffic on the road was crawling at moundrat pace for many marks, so that we had to ride on the verge to get past. Wagons of vegetables, piglets and geese, all heading for the autumn lantern festival in Wemborth. There were public wagons, too, crowded with travellers, and a few private carriages. And it wasn’t the press of traffic which slowed them, it was the sight of a nondescript man accompanied by an entire troop of the Drashona’s Elite Guard that caused every passer-by to slow to walking pace and stare at the spectacle.
Poor Ly-haam. He was sitting on a marker stone beside the road, his head hanging low. Beyond him, the captains of the honour guard sent to accompany him had dismounted and were in animated discussion. With the sun low in the sky, they had stopped beside a sprawling inn set back from the road, with open fields behind for the excess horses, if the stables were too small. Plenty of room for everyone. Yet if they carried on, they would end up in Wemborth, in the middle of the lantern festival, and no accommodation anywhere. Not a difficult decision. Yet no move was made towards the inn.
We forced our way through the many wagons. The captains saw us first, their faces breaking into smiles as they recognised the signal pole.
I ignored them. All my attention was focused on Ly-haam. He looked up only as I slid from the saddle, and for a moment I saw nothing but misery in him. Then he recognised me and his face lit up like the moon.
“Princess!” he yelled, leaping to his feet and dashing across to me. For a moment, I thought he was going to sweep me into his arms, perhaps even kiss me, and who could guess how that would end? Would his touch set the fires raging again? But he stopped short, half bowing to me, one hand to his forehead. Then he tucked his hands under his arms, as if to stop them moving without his command.
“ Byan shar ,” I said. “How good to see you again. You have made good progress. You are no more than two or three suns from Kingswell. I trust your journey has not been difficult?”
“No. No, but…” He glanced at the two captains, who stood watchfully a few paces away. “They do not like me to sleep outside. But I do not like to sleep in a house.”
I tried not to look surprised. “You have been sleeping out of doors? Every night?”
“Of course.”
One of the captains coughed discreetly. “The byan shar does not like to be confined, Highness.”
“I see. But how will you manage at Kingswell? You cannot sleep outside there, you know.”
He looked at me anxiously. “No. I realise. I looked forward to seeing your great city, I was excited to come here. But… I do not like solid walls around me.”
“Well, let us try it, just for tonight.” I turned to the captains before Ly-haam could object. “Captain, secure a good room for us. Something large, preferably on the ground floor with a big window. You understand?”
He did, nodding and summoning a couple of guards with a few terse words. They vanished into the inn.
“Now, where is your luggage?” I said to Ly-haam.
“Luggage?”
“Bags. Spare clothes, or whatever you carry when you travel.”
“Oh, my travel roll. The
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