She had made a promise to herself on the night Mequen died.
About to surprise herself and her father, Aly hesitated-and then she saw it.
"You," she said furiously to Kyprioth.
He actually batted his eyes at her. "Yes, dear?"
George rested a hand on Aly"s shoulder. "La.s.s, I don"t like the look on your face."
Aly still spoke to Kyprioth. "You knew this would happen, curse you. You wove me into your festering, pustulant great trick. You didn"t wager my summer. You bet that I wouldn"t want to leave."
"Well, I didn"twager, actually," the G.o.d said modestly. "I hoped, that was all, with all the hope in my withered G.o.d"s heart. You know, I do owe you a boon. I could repay it now, erase all memory of this place and these people and send you back to Tortall. No doubt your queen needs a lady-in-waiting who"s good with lock picks. Or her daughter, who"s now Empress of Carthak, might need you even more. Say the word, and I will let you go."
Aly scowled at him. "I"m going to make your life a misery," she informed him.
"I look forward to it," said Kyprioth.
George sighed. "I think it"s very good of me to wait whilst the two of you talk in a code I don"t know. I"ll say this-I"m starting to dislike what I hear."
"Return his boon," Aly ordered the G.o.d. "You can"t cheat and make him use it when I won"t go along."
Kyprioth delivered himself of a broad, dramatic sigh. "Very well," he said, and looked at George. "I still owe you a boon, since I can"t grant this one, not without her agreement." He looked at Aly. "This summer was just a trial run, and an easy one at that. Things will be much more difficult from here on. There will be more to lose, and more elements to keep track of."
Aly shrugged. "In for a garnet, in for a ruby," she said. "They"re both the same to me. And it"s not like I won"t have plenty of help."
George crossed his arms over his chest. "You"re staying? Why?"
Aly stood and hugged him. "You"d do the same in my place. So would Mother," she explained softly. "These are good people, Da. I want to keep them alive so Kyprioth can complete his great trick-putting a raka queen, not a luarin king, on the throne. You and Mother wanted me to do something with my life. Well, here it is. He-" She looked at Kyprioth. The G.o.d had vanished. I"ll deal withyou later, she thought. She looked back into her father"s eyes and smiled slyly.
"I"m sure Their Majesties will be interested in knowing that the raka plan to rise."
George raised his brows. "Will you spy for us here, then?" he asked drily.
"Since seemingly I"ve no choice but to accommodate you."
Aly shook her head. "I can"t, Da. The Balitangs don"t know what my real family is, and I want to keep it that way. You"re a merchant to them, and Mother a Player who left us after bearing me." In response to her father"s shocked look, Aly shrugged. "I wasn"t about to say she was dead, that"s all. For now, I remain in service to the Balitangs. They would never allow me to stay if they thought I worked for a rival kingdom. No, this will be for them, and the raka. For all those with luarin blood who might die if the revolt can"t be, um,guided into a shape that fits old blood and new." She swallowed hard. "I think Mother will understand."
George Cooper sighed. "And so she and I get what we"d wished for, only to find we don"t care for the form it"s taken. We asked you to a.s.sume your place in the world, to live and work as a woman. You have done so, but it"s a bitter reward for us. Your mother will understand all too well. I should have known that no daughter of hers would choose the easy road." He kissed the top of her head.
"Anything for a poor traveling man to eat, then?" he asked.
Aly looked around to see if a servant was nearby, or if she"d have to go beg Chenaol for something. To her surprise, she saw that one of the double doors was open. Nawat stood there, an arrow shaft in one hand, watching her as she held another man.
"Oh, my," Aly said, releasing her father. "Um. Da, there"s someone you should meet. Nawat?" She beckoned to him.
"Nawat?" George asked as the crow-man walked over to them.
"Nawat Crow, Da. He"s a friend of mine." When Nawat reached her, she rested a hand on his arm. "Nawat, this is my father."
George inspected the younger man from head to toe, then looked at his daughter.
Without a word he c.o.c.ked one eyebrow.
She raised one of hers in reply.
George remained for three days, charming the Balitangs and talking with his daughter on long walks. At last it came time for the merchant caravan to leave, before the first snows closed the road through the pa.s.s. George went with them, waving to his daughter until he could no longer see her. Aly watched him until, even with her Sight, she could no longer see him. When he was gone from view, she wiped her eyes on her sleeve and called herself various kinds of stupid for allowing herself to be drawn into revolution.
A shadow pa.s.sed over her. Instinctively she looked up. There, high overhead, a kudarung circled, riding the columns of hot air that rose from the rocky hills at the edge of the plateau. Alone it glided, chestnut wings cutting through the golden air of early fall.
"It"s going to be an interesting spring," she muttered.
The air around her filled with Kyprioth"s rich, merry chuckle.
GLOSSARY.
Ambririp:harbor on northern tip of Imahyn Island.
Arak:distilled palm-sap liquor.
Azure Sea:body of water between Imahyn, Jerykun, Ikang, and Lombyn islands, known for its calm, bright blue waters.
Bay Cove:village one day"s sail southeast of Pirate"s Swoop.
Bazhir:collective name for the nomadic tribes of Tortall"s Great Southern Desert.
Black G.o.d, the:the hooded and robed G.o.d of death, recognized as such throughout the Eastern and Southern Lands.
Carthak:slaveholding empire that includes all of the Southern Lands, ancient and powerful, a storehouse of learning, sophistication, and culture. Its university was at one time without rival for teaching.
centaur:an immortal (cannot be killed by old age or disease), half horse, half human; att.i.tudes to mortal humans vary.
Conqueror"s Laws:laws enacted by the luarin conquerors of the Copper Isles, exacting heavy penalties (seizure of lands and monies, slavery for rebel families, executions of leaders of any rebellion, ma.s.s executions where a n.o.ble luarin is killed) paid by members of the subject raka people should any harm befall their luarin masters.
Copper Isles:originally named the Kyprish Isles, once ruled by queens of the Haiming n.o.ble house, presently ruled by the Rittevon dynasty. The Isles form a slaveholding nation south and west of Tortall. The lowlands are hot, wet jungles; the highlands cold and rocky. Traditionally their ties are to Carthak rather than Tortall. Kyprish pirates often raid along the Tortallan coast. There is a strain of insanity in the Rittevon line. The Rittevons hold a grudge against Tortall (one of their princesses was killed there the day that Jonathan was crowned).
Corus:capital city of Tortall, on the banks of the River Olorun. Corus is the home of the new royal university as well as the royal palace.
Dawn Crow:male G.o.d of the crows.
Dimari:eastern harbor town on the island of Lombyn.
Divine Realms:home to the G.o.ds and to many immortals.
Dominion Jewel:magical artifact presently held by the Tortallan kings, a round purple gem that draws those under its influence to form tighter national bonds and tighter connections between the wielder of the Jewel and the land that forms the nation under its influence.
Eastern Lands:name used to refer to those lands north of the Inland Sea and east of the Emerald Ocean: Scanra, Tortall, Tyra, Tusaine, Galla, Maren, Sarain.
Original home of the luarin n.o.bility and kings of the Copper Isles.
Ekallatum:one of the most ancient kingdoms in the history of the Southern Lands, now part of the Carthaki Empire.
Emerald Ocean:body of water west of the Eastern and Southern Lands, containing the Yamani Islands and the Copper Isles, among others.
Fief Tameran:neighboring fiefdom to Pirate"s Swoop.
Frasrlund:Tortallan port city at the mouth of the Va.s.sa, straddling the border with Scanra.
Galla:country to the north and east of Tortall, famous for its mountains and forests, with an ancient royal line. Daine was born there.
Gempang:island in the Copper Isles, on the opposite side of the Long Strait from Kypriang.
Gift, the:human, academic magic, the use of which must be taught.
Gigit:a copper coin, smallest coin of the Copper Isles.
Grand Progress, the:a two-year circuit (457H.E .458H.E. ) of the realm of Tortall made by the monarchs King Jonathan and Queen Thayet, accompanied by their heir, Roald, and his betrothed, Princess Shinkokami, of the Yamani Islands. The Progress included tournaments; festivities; scholarly, medical, and legal research; aid for areas afflicted by nature or attack; meetings with immortal residents; and appraisal of worsening military relations with Scanra.
Great Mother G.o.ddess:chief G.o.ddess in the pantheon of the Eastern Lands, protector of women. Her symbol is the moon.
griffin:a feathered immortal with a catlike body, wings, and a beak. Males grow to a height of six and a half to seven feet at the shoulder; females are slightly bigger. No one can tell lies in a griffin"s vicinity (a range of about a hundred feet). Their young have bright orange feathers to make them more visible. If adult griffin parents sense that a human has handled their infant griffin, they will try to kill that human.
Gunapi the Sunrose:raka warrior G.o.ddess of volcanoes, war, and molten rock.
healer:a health-care professional with varying degrees of education, magic, and skill.
his realm"s spies:network of a kingdom"s agents, charged with gathering intelligence at home and abroad; spies in service to a particular country.
hostler:one who cares for horses: their feed, medicine, grooming, cleanliness, saddling.
Human Era (H.E.):the calendar in use in the Eastern and Southern Lands and in the Copper Isles is dated the Human Era to commemorate the years since the one in which the immortals were originally sealed into the Divine Realms, over four hundred and fifty years previous to the years covered by Protector of the Small.
hurrok:immortal shaped like a horse with leathery bat wings, claws, and fangs.
Ikang:island to the southwest of Lombyn (the northernmost island).
Imahyn:island just northwest of the Long Strait and Gempang.
Immortals War:short, vicious war fought in 452H.E ., named for the number of immortal creatures that fought, but also waged by Carthakis (rebels against the new emperor Kaddar), Copper Islanders, and Scanran raiders. These forces were defeated by the residents of the Eastern Lands, particularly Tortall, but recovery is slow.
Inti:westernmost village on Tanair estates on the island of Lombyn. Inti is astride the road leading down to the west coast of Lombyn.
Kellaura Pa.s.s:opening on the Dimari Road through the Turnshe Mountains on Lombyn, leads to Tanair and other estates.
King"s Council:the monarch"s private council of advisors, made up of those people he trusts the most.
King"s Own:cavalry/police group answering to the king, whose members serve as royal bodyguards and as protective troops throughout the realm. Their Knight Commander is Lord Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie"s Peak. The ranks are filled by younger sons of n.o.ble houses, Bazhir, and the sons of wealthy merchants. The Own is made of three companies of one hundred fighters each, in addition to the servingmen, who care for supplies and remounts. First Company, a show company, traditionally provides palace bodyguards and security for the monarchs. Under Lord Raoul, Second and Third Company were added and dedicated to active service away from the palace, helping to guard the realm.
kudarung:Kyprin (raka) term for winged horses.
Kypriang:capital island of the Copper Isles, holding the capital, Rajmuat, and its harbor. Location of the Plain of Sorrows, site of the last great defeat of the raka by the luarin.
Kyprioth:the Trickster, greatest of the trickster G.o.ds, former patron G.o.d of the Copper Isles, overthrown by his brother Mithros and his sister the Great G.o.ddess, now relegated in the Isles to rulership over the seas that surround them. Cousin to the Carthaki G.o.ddess the Graveyard Hag.
Lombyn:northernmost island of the Copper Isles, home to the Tanair estates of Lady Saraiyu and Lady Dove Balitang, the legacy of their mother Sarugani. The location of the Turnshe Mountains, Kellaura Pa.s.s, Dimari town and harbor, and the villages of Tanair, Inti, and Pohon.
Long Strait:the narrow, tricky body of water between Kypriang and Gempang Islands.
luarin:raka (native of the Copper Isles) term for the white-skinned invaders from the Eastern Lands, now used in the Isles to indicate anyone with white skin.
mage:a wizard, male or female.
Maren:large, powerful country east of Tusaine and Tyra; the grain basket of the Eastern Lands, with plenty of farms and trade.
Mastiff:fort that serves Lord Wyldon as command post during events inLady Knight .
matcher:a slavebroker who deals in matching experienced slaves with owners who will pay top price for them; some owners insist that matchers only sell slaves to buyers who will treat them well. Many are also talent spotters, operating schools at which they groom slaves for particular tasks before they are sold at a higher rate than the slave would have gotten originally. Some matchers have magical Gifts that help them to spot talent, both magical and non-magical.
Midwinter Festival:seven-day holiday centering around the longest night of the year and the sun"s rebirth afterward. It is the beginning of the new year. Gifts are exchanged and feasts held.
Mithros:chief G.o.d of the Tortallan pantheon, G.o.d of war and the law. His symbol is the sun.
Plain of Sorrows:site of the biggest and last defeat of the Copper Isles" native raka people by the white, or luarin, invaders (opportunists from the Eastern Lands). The battle that broke the power of the Haiming royal line and of the great n.o.ble houses of the Copper Isles, and set the Rittevon kings on the Isles"
throne.
Pohon:village on the northern border of the Tanair estates on the island of Lombyn. The raka of Pohon are notoriously inhospitable to their luarin overlords.
Port Caynn:port city that serves the Tortallan capital of Corus.
Port Legann:the southwestern port city of Tortall, ruled by Lord Imrah and his lady.
Queen"s Riders:cavalry/police group that protects Tortallans who live in hard-to-reach parts of the country. They enforce the law and teach local residents to defend themselves. The basic unit is a Rider Group, with eight to nine members. Rank in a Group is simply that of commander and second-in-command; the head of the Riders is the Commander. They accept both women and men in their ranks, unlike the army, the navy, and the King"s Own. Their headquarters lies between the palace and the Royal Forest.
Rajmuat:capital of the Copper Isles under both the raka and the luarin.
raka:copper/brown-skinned natives of the Copper Isles, under the lordship of the luarin arrivals from the Eastern Lands for nearly three hundred years.
Royal Forest:vast forest that blankets land south and west of Corus for several days" ride.
Scanra:country to the north of Tortall; wild, rocky, and cold, with very little land that can be farmed. Scanrans are masters of the sea and are feared anywhere there is a coastline. They also frequently raid over land. In recent years, their Great Council (formerly the Council of Ten, expanded in the disruptions following the Immortals War), made up of the heads of the clans, elected the warlord Maggur Rathhausak to be their king. The war with Tortall began in 460H.E . (the events are covered inLady Knight ) and has moved into its second year, though Scanra is visibly weakening.
scry:to look into the present, future, or past using magic and, sometimes, a bowl of water, a mirror, fire, or some other device to peer into.