to roof and balcony to balcony across the streets. He half saw that panorama as he stood near the door, hesitant, not knowing if he should go forward to the group of people at the far end of the room.
The king saw him and came to him, greeted him kindly, led him to the others, and introduced them one by one.
There was a woman of fifty or so, small and very light-skinned, with greying hair and large grey eyes: Tenar, the king said smiling: Tenar of the Ring. She looked Alder in the eye and greeted him quietly.
There was a man of about the king’s age, dressed in velvet and airy linens, with jewels on his belt and at his throat and a great ruby stud in his earlobe: Shipmaster Tosla, said the king. Tosla’s face, dark as old oak wood, was keen and hard.
There was a middle-aged man, simply dressed, with a steady look that made Alder feel he could trust him: Prince Sege of the House of Havnor, said the king.
There was a man of forty or so who carried a wooden staff of his own height, by which Alder knew him as a wizard of the School on Roke. He had a rather worn face, fine hands, an aloof but courteous manner. Master Onyx, said the king.
There was a woman whom Alder took for a servant because she was very plainly dressed and stayed outside the group, turned half away as if looking out the windows. He saw the beautiful fall of her black hair, heavy and glossy as falling water, as Lebannen led her forward. “Tehanu of Gont,” the king said, and his voice rang out like a challenge.
The woman looked straight at Alder for a moment. She was young; the left side of her face was smooth copper-rose, a dark bright eye under an arched eyebrow. The right side had been destroyed and was ridged, slabby scar, eyeless. Her right hand was like a raven’s curled claw.
She put out her hand to Alder, in the manner of the people of Éa and the Enlades, as the others had done, but it was her left hand she held out. He touched his hand to hers, palm to palm. Hers was hot, fever hot. She looked at him again, an amazing glance from that one eye, bright, frowning, fierce. Then she looked down again and stood back as if she wished not to be one of them, wished not to be there.
“Master Alder bears a message for you from your father the Hawk of Gont,” the king said, seeing the messenger stand wordless.
Tehanu did not lift her head. The glossy black hair almost hid the ruin of her face.
“My lady,” Alder said, dry-mouthed and husky-voiced, “he bade me ask you two questions.” He paused, only because he had to wet his lips and get his breath in a moment of panic that he had forgotten what he was to say; but the pause became a waiting silence.
Tehanu said, in a voice hoarser than his, “Ask them.”
“He said to ask first:
Who are those who go to the dry land?
And as I took my leave of him, he said, ‘Ask my daughter also:
Will a dragon cross the wall of stones?
’”
Tehanu nodded her head in acknowledgment and stepped back a little more, as if to carry her riddles away with her, away from them.
“The dry land,” the king said, “and the dragons . . .”
His alert gaze went from face to face.
“Come,” he said, “let’s sit and talk.”
“Perhaps we could talk down in the gardens?” said the little grey-eyed woman, Tenar. The king agreed at once. Alder heard Tenar say to him as they went, “She finds it hard to be indoors all day. She wants the sky.”
Gardeners brought chairs for them in the shade of a huge old willow beside one of the pools. Tehanu went to stand by the pool, gazing down into the green water where a few big silver carp swam lazily. Clearly she wanted to think over her father’s message, not to talk, though she could hear what they said.
When the others were all settled, the king had Alder tell his story yet again. Their silence as they listened was compassionate, and he was able to speak without constraint or hurry. When he was done, they remained silent a while, and then the wizard Onyx asked
The king saw him and came to him, greeted him kindly, led him to the others, and introduced them one by one.
There was a woman of fifty or so, small and very light-skinned, with greying hair and large grey eyes: Tenar, the king said smiling: Tenar of the Ring. She looked Alder in the eye and greeted him quietly.
There was a man of about the king’s age, dressed in velvet and airy linens, with jewels on his belt and at his throat and a great ruby stud in his earlobe: Shipmaster Tosla, said the king. Tosla’s face, dark as old oak wood, was keen and hard.
There was a middle-aged man, simply dressed, with a steady look that made Alder feel he could trust him: Prince Sege of the House of Havnor, said the king.
There was a man of forty or so who carried a wooden staff of his own height, by which Alder knew him as a wizard of the School on Roke. He had a rather worn face, fine hands, an aloof but courteous manner. Master Onyx, said the king.
There was a woman whom Alder took for a servant because she was very plainly dressed and stayed outside the group, turned half away as if looking out the windows. He saw the beautiful fall of her black hair, heavy and glossy as falling water, as Lebannen led her forward. “Tehanu of Gont,” the king said, and his voice rang out like a challenge.
The woman looked straight at Alder for a moment. She was young; the left side of her face was smooth copper-rose, a dark bright eye under an arched eyebrow. The right side had been destroyed and was ridged, slabby scar, eyeless. Her right hand was like a raven’s curled claw.
She put out her hand to Alder, in the manner of the people of Éa and the Enlades, as the others had done, but it was her left hand she held out. He touched his hand to hers, palm to palm. Hers was hot, fever hot. She looked at him again, an amazing glance from that one eye, bright, frowning, fierce. Then she looked down again and stood back as if she wished not to be one of them, wished not to be there.
“Master Alder bears a message for you from your father the Hawk of Gont,” the king said, seeing the messenger stand wordless.
Tehanu did not lift her head. The glossy black hair almost hid the ruin of her face.
“My lady,” Alder said, dry-mouthed and husky-voiced, “he bade me ask you two questions.” He paused, only because he had to wet his lips and get his breath in a moment of panic that he had forgotten what he was to say; but the pause became a waiting silence.
Tehanu said, in a voice hoarser than his, “Ask them.”
“He said to ask first:
Who are those who go to the dry land?
And as I took my leave of him, he said, ‘Ask my daughter also:
Will a dragon cross the wall of stones?
’”
Tehanu nodded her head in acknowledgment and stepped back a little more, as if to carry her riddles away with her, away from them.
“The dry land,” the king said, “and the dragons . . .”
His alert gaze went from face to face.
“Come,” he said, “let’s sit and talk.”
“Perhaps we could talk down in the gardens?” said the little grey-eyed woman, Tenar. The king agreed at once. Alder heard Tenar say to him as they went, “She finds it hard to be indoors all day. She wants the sky.”
Gardeners brought chairs for them in the shade of a huge old willow beside one of the pools. Tehanu went to stand by the pool, gazing down into the green water where a few big silver carp swam lazily. Clearly she wanted to think over her father’s message, not to talk, though she could hear what they said.
When the others were all settled, the king had Alder tell his story yet again. Their silence as they listened was compassionate, and he was able to speak without constraint or hurry. When he was done, they remained silent a while, and then the wizard Onyx asked
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