do you believe that?" "Yes. Yes, I do, ma'am."
The Keeper sighed, and Thaile thought she replaced her hood, but she dared not glance up to make sure.
"You are the first to look on me for a long time. My name, when I had one, was Lain. I have been Keeper for seven years. How old do you suppose I am?"
"I don't know, ma'am."
"I am younger than your mother, Thaile!"
Astonished, she did look up then, but the Keeper's face was concealed again by the cowl.
"Child, I am the Keeper. I watch over Thume and I watch the world. I tell you now that there is a danger out there worse than all those demons you listed in your parrottalk. He is prophesied in our most holy lore-a dwarf. A gray-haired demon, if you like. He is the greatest threat that Thume has known since the time of Keef herself, a thousand years ago. His army has overthrown the wardens and usurped the Protocol, and even Ulien'quith could not achieve that. If he discovers us we are doomed, for he will assuredly seek to destroy us and even I have not the power to turn hirn away."
What had this to do with her? Thaile wondered. And why would the Keeper not speak of Leeb?
"You owe me your help, Thaile. All Thume requires your help. I ask you to go to the Defile tonight. Will you do that for me?"
That awful, leering gateway . . . "It is an evil place!" "It is a necessary evil."
"I want Leeb!"
There was a nerve-wracking pause, and then the Keeper uttered a sudden wry chuckle. "You are misguided, but you are most certainly not lacking in courage. Very well, I will make a deal with you, although I am the first of Keef's successors in a thousand years to stoop to bargaining. Yes, you loved a man named Leeb, and yes, he loved you, also."
Thaile felt a pang of doubt. "Loved?"
"He believes that you are dead, and he weeps sorely for you. But I will make you this promise. Walk the Defile tonight, as I ask, and tomorrow I shall restore you to him. I shall return your memories and remove his memory of seeing you dead. He will be lacking only a few days and will not notice."
Incredulous, Thaile stared at that mysterious hood, seeing only a hint of the crazily tormented eyes glinting in its shadow. "You will?"
"I will-if you wish me to."
So there was a catch? Of course there would be! "What happens in the Defile?" She remembered Mist's warning.
"You are given understanding." "Mist."
"Mist is a weakling. You are not. All of us in the College have walked the Defile at the full of the moon. Tomorrow you will comprehend why we do what we do, but if you still wish to leave the College and return to Leeb, then I will grant your request. I swear this by all the Gods. I swear it on Keef's tomb."
For a moment Thaile's mouth was too dry for speech. She nodded and finally whispered, "Thank you." She had won!
Won!
"Go inside now," the Keeper said softly. "There is a meal there, waiting. When the sky darkens, dress warmly and go to the Defile. The Way will take you. Do you want anyone to guide you?"
Thaile shook her head.
"I trust your courage, then. One warning you are given: Do not look behind you! I will meet you at the far end." Thaile watched the Keeper trudge off along the Way and disappear into the darkening woods. Then she rose unsteadily to her feet and went indoors.
She had won! Tomorrow she would meet Leeb, the man she loved, the man who loved her. She had won.
6
The way climbed steeply through the forest, unpleasantly familiar. Soon Thaile was again traversing the upland valley she had discovered on her first night in the College, the stony ground falling off steeply on her right and rising on her left, obscured by shrubbery and trees. The moon was bright through a hazy veil of cloud, and just knowing that she was supposed to be there made her far more confident than she had been the first time. The white path unwound before her feet, the sounds of a torrent below her grew louder. This time she did not try to turn back, so there were no bridges and no delays. Soon the
The Keeper sighed, and Thaile thought she replaced her hood, but she dared not glance up to make sure.
"You are the first to look on me for a long time. My name, when I had one, was Lain. I have been Keeper for seven years. How old do you suppose I am?"
"I don't know, ma'am."
"I am younger than your mother, Thaile!"
Astonished, she did look up then, but the Keeper's face was concealed again by the cowl.
"Child, I am the Keeper. I watch over Thume and I watch the world. I tell you now that there is a danger out there worse than all those demons you listed in your parrottalk. He is prophesied in our most holy lore-a dwarf. A gray-haired demon, if you like. He is the greatest threat that Thume has known since the time of Keef herself, a thousand years ago. His army has overthrown the wardens and usurped the Protocol, and even Ulien'quith could not achieve that. If he discovers us we are doomed, for he will assuredly seek to destroy us and even I have not the power to turn hirn away."
What had this to do with her? Thaile wondered. And why would the Keeper not speak of Leeb?
"You owe me your help, Thaile. All Thume requires your help. I ask you to go to the Defile tonight. Will you do that for me?"
That awful, leering gateway . . . "It is an evil place!" "It is a necessary evil."
"I want Leeb!"
There was a nerve-wracking pause, and then the Keeper uttered a sudden wry chuckle. "You are misguided, but you are most certainly not lacking in courage. Very well, I will make a deal with you, although I am the first of Keef's successors in a thousand years to stoop to bargaining. Yes, you loved a man named Leeb, and yes, he loved you, also."
Thaile felt a pang of doubt. "Loved?"
"He believes that you are dead, and he weeps sorely for you. But I will make you this promise. Walk the Defile tonight, as I ask, and tomorrow I shall restore you to him. I shall return your memories and remove his memory of seeing you dead. He will be lacking only a few days and will not notice."
Incredulous, Thaile stared at that mysterious hood, seeing only a hint of the crazily tormented eyes glinting in its shadow. "You will?"
"I will-if you wish me to."
So there was a catch? Of course there would be! "What happens in the Defile?" She remembered Mist's warning.
"You are given understanding." "Mist."
"Mist is a weakling. You are not. All of us in the College have walked the Defile at the full of the moon. Tomorrow you will comprehend why we do what we do, but if you still wish to leave the College and return to Leeb, then I will grant your request. I swear this by all the Gods. I swear it on Keef's tomb."
For a moment Thaile's mouth was too dry for speech. She nodded and finally whispered, "Thank you." She had won!
Won!
"Go inside now," the Keeper said softly. "There is a meal there, waiting. When the sky darkens, dress warmly and go to the Defile. The Way will take you. Do you want anyone to guide you?"
Thaile shook her head.
"I trust your courage, then. One warning you are given: Do not look behind you! I will meet you at the far end." Thaile watched the Keeper trudge off along the Way and disappear into the darkening woods. Then she rose unsteadily to her feet and went indoors.
She had won! Tomorrow she would meet Leeb, the man she loved, the man who loved her. She had won.
6
The way climbed steeply through the forest, unpleasantly familiar. Soon Thaile was again traversing the upland valley she had discovered on her first night in the College, the stony ground falling off steeply on her right and rising on her left, obscured by shrubbery and trees. The moon was bright through a hazy veil of cloud, and just knowing that she was supposed to be there made her far more confident than she had been the first time. The white path unwound before her feet, the sounds of a torrent below her grew louder. This time she did not try to turn back, so there were no bridges and no delays. Soon the
Similar Books
