not proud of that. But it must be done, if we are to survive. But there are some of us who feel
tahlmorra
more clearly than others.” He brought her hand up, smoothing his thumb over the back of her palm. “Mine has told me what will come. When we reach the Keep I will seek out the
shar tahl
and have him show me the prophecy runes to be certain. But I know it already.”
Alix withdrew her hand, uneasy. “It has nothing to do with me.”
“It is never wrong. The prophecy was given to us by the Firstborn, who were sired by the old gods. It unveils itself in the fullness of time, and to those who listen and understand. I am one of those who follow its path, Alix. I would give my life to see the prophecy fulfilled.” He smiled suddenly. “I
will
give my life to see the prophecy fulfilled. That much is clear.”
“You know your own death?” she whispered.
“Only that I will die as I am meant, serving the
tahlmorra
of the prophecy. The Firstborn have said.”
Alix looked away from the steadiness of his gaze. “You confuse me.”
“When you have spoken with the
shar tahl
, the confusion will leave you. Be sure of that.”
“And does Finn serve this same
tahlmorra
?”
Duncan laughed. “Finn follows a
sort
of
tahlmorra.
I think he makes his own.”
“I am no part of it,” she told him severely.
His eyes were gentle, “Of Finn’s…no. The threads of your
tahlmorra
are entwined with those of another man.”
“Carillon?” she asked in a blaze of sudden hope.
He did not answer. She understood him then. Her head came up until she met his gaze squarely. Then she got to her feet and shook out her tattered skirts.
“If I am Cheysuli, I make my own
tahlmorra.
Like Finn.” She looked down on him. “You cannot force me, Duncan.”
“I would not.” He shook his head and rose, looming over her in the darkness. “There is no need.”
“You will not force me!”
His hand touched her face gently. “I would not, small one. Your own
tahlmorra
will.”
Alix stepped away from him, holding his eyes with her own and denying him what she saw in his face. Then her resolution wavered.
She turned and fled into the shadows of the camp.
Chapter Nine
The warning came as the warrior band rode through the thick forest, making their own track. Cai broke through the thin veil of tree limbs and foliage to seek out Duncan. Alix, glancing up in surprise, saw the hawk wing down and light upon a branch.
They come
, lir, the bird said.
Mounted men in the Mujhar’s colors. Half-a-league; no more.
Duncan pulled his horse to a halt. Alix, seeking to remain upright on the animal, caught at Duncan’s waist. She felt the tension in his body as if it were her own.
He half-turned in the saddle, muttering something under his breath. Then, “I must find a place for you.”
“You will fight them?”
“They will give us no choice, Alix. Why do you think they come, save to slay us all?”
Alix opened her mouth to retort but suddenly could find no words. Her mind was ablaze with sound so intense she knew it was not something she heard with her ears. She thought her head would burst with words, and it was only grabbing at Duncan’s waist that kept her on the horse. She mumbled something, closing her eyes against the weight of voices, and vaguely heard the approach of a horse. Duncan took no note of her sudden weakness.
“Well,
rujho
,” Finn’s voice said, “the princeling did not lie. He has given us little time.”
Alix forced her eyes open and glared at him, though a part of her attention was still claimed by the multitude of voices.
Do they not hear them?
she wondered.
Duncan reached around and caught her arm, easing her down from the horse until she had to scramble to stay upright. “Take her,” he told Finn.
Alix forcibly detached her mind from the other voices. “No! Not with him!”
“See to her,
rujho
,” Duncan said calmly. “I will not have her harmed. These men will see only a shapechanger woman, and
tahlmorra
more clearly than others.” He brought her hand up, smoothing his thumb over the back of her palm. “Mine has told me what will come. When we reach the Keep I will seek out the
shar tahl
and have him show me the prophecy runes to be certain. But I know it already.”
Alix withdrew her hand, uneasy. “It has nothing to do with me.”
“It is never wrong. The prophecy was given to us by the Firstborn, who were sired by the old gods. It unveils itself in the fullness of time, and to those who listen and understand. I am one of those who follow its path, Alix. I would give my life to see the prophecy fulfilled.” He smiled suddenly. “I
will
give my life to see the prophecy fulfilled. That much is clear.”
“You know your own death?” she whispered.
“Only that I will die as I am meant, serving the
tahlmorra
of the prophecy. The Firstborn have said.”
Alix looked away from the steadiness of his gaze. “You confuse me.”
“When you have spoken with the
shar tahl
, the confusion will leave you. Be sure of that.”
“And does Finn serve this same
tahlmorra
?”
Duncan laughed. “Finn follows a
sort
of
tahlmorra.
I think he makes his own.”
“I am no part of it,” she told him severely.
His eyes were gentle, “Of Finn’s…no. The threads of your
tahlmorra
are entwined with those of another man.”
“Carillon?” she asked in a blaze of sudden hope.
He did not answer. She understood him then. Her head came up until she met his gaze squarely. Then she got to her feet and shook out her tattered skirts.
“If I am Cheysuli, I make my own
tahlmorra.
Like Finn.” She looked down on him. “You cannot force me, Duncan.”
“I would not.” He shook his head and rose, looming over her in the darkness. “There is no need.”
“You will not force me!”
His hand touched her face gently. “I would not, small one. Your own
tahlmorra
will.”
Alix stepped away from him, holding his eyes with her own and denying him what she saw in his face. Then her resolution wavered.
She turned and fled into the shadows of the camp.
Chapter Nine
The warning came as the warrior band rode through the thick forest, making their own track. Cai broke through the thin veil of tree limbs and foliage to seek out Duncan. Alix, glancing up in surprise, saw the hawk wing down and light upon a branch.
They come
, lir, the bird said.
Mounted men in the Mujhar’s colors. Half-a-league; no more.
Duncan pulled his horse to a halt. Alix, seeking to remain upright on the animal, caught at Duncan’s waist. She felt the tension in his body as if it were her own.
He half-turned in the saddle, muttering something under his breath. Then, “I must find a place for you.”
“You will fight them?”
“They will give us no choice, Alix. Why do you think they come, save to slay us all?”
Alix opened her mouth to retort but suddenly could find no words. Her mind was ablaze with sound so intense she knew it was not something she heard with her ears. She thought her head would burst with words, and it was only grabbing at Duncan’s waist that kept her on the horse. She mumbled something, closing her eyes against the weight of voices, and vaguely heard the approach of a horse. Duncan took no note of her sudden weakness.
“Well,
rujho
,” Finn’s voice said, “the princeling did not lie. He has given us little time.”
Alix forced her eyes open and glared at him, though a part of her attention was still claimed by the multitude of voices.
Do they not hear them?
she wondered.
Duncan reached around and caught her arm, easing her down from the horse until she had to scramble to stay upright. “Take her,” he told Finn.
Alix forcibly detached her mind from the other voices. “No! Not with him!”
“See to her,
rujho
,” Duncan said calmly. “I will not have her harmed. These men will see only a shapechanger woman, and
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