Master Porion and the others are already in the Companion"s hall. Ki hit Mago!"
"O G.o.ds! Why?" Tobin asked in alarm as they strode down the corridor.
"I don"t know, but I hope he knocked his teeth out!" the boy exclaimed tearfully. "He"s always been mean to the pages."
A few lamps at one end lit the hall. Ki sat on a bench, looking defiant. Porion stood grimly beside him.
On a second bench Alben sat with Mago, looking no happier. The squire"s nose was swollen and his lip was split. Quirion and Arius stood with them. The rest of the Companions stood at attention across the room.
"He did this!" Alben shouted at Tobin, pointing an accusing finger at Ki.
"That"s enough!" snapped Porion.
"What happened?" Tobin asked, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Ki shrugged. "Mago insulted me."
"But why didn"t you say? Why didn"t you tell me and bring it to the circle as we"re supposed to?"
"He surprised me, my lord, and I lost my temper. I"m very sorry to have dishonored you and I"m ready to take my punishment at your hand."
Porion sighed. "That"s all he"ll say, Prince Tobin. He won"t even repeat what Mago said."
"It doesn"t matter," Ki muttered.
"It does," snapped Porion. "If it"s only you he insulted that"s one thing. If he said anything about your lord or some other-" He cast a baleful look at Mago. "-then it"s another matter altogether. Prince Tobin, command him to speak."
"Ki, please."
Ki shot Mago a disdainful glance. "He called me a b.a.s.t.a.r.d and a gra.s.s knight. And he called my father a horse thief."
Porion stared at him in disbelief. "And for that you hit him?"
"I didn"t like the way he said it."
Tobin looked around at the others again, wondering why Ki seemed the calmest of the lot.
The arms master gave Mago and Arius a hard look. "Is this so?"
The two boys quailed under that scrutiny. "Yes, Arms Master. It"s as he said."
They"re lying, thought Tobin. But why would Ki protect them?
Porion threw up his hands. "Very well. Prince Tobin, I give Ki into your charge. Alben, I give Mago over to you. Before the offering tomorrow Prince Tobin will mete out Ki"s punishment on the Sakor steps. First offense is ten strokes of the lash, and a day and night of fasting vigil. Mago, a fasting vigil might curb that unruly tongue of yours, too, so the same for you. Now get out of my sight!"
^etreating to their chamber, Tobin sent the servants out and rounded on Ki. "What happened? How could you do such a thing?"
"Just being a stupid gra.s.s knight, I guess." Tobin grabbed him by the front of his damp tunic and shook him angrily. "Don"t you ever call yourself that! That"s not what you are!"
Ki covered Tobin"s hands with his own and eased them away. "I did what they said, Tob. I lost my temper like a fool. But they wanted me to. I think they did it on purpose to embarra.s.s you. Don"t give them the satisfaction."
"What do you mean?" Tobin demanded. "And how can I do that to you? If I"d been there I"d have hit him myself, and then they could beat the both of us together!"
"Yes, I"m sure you would have. But that"s no good. They forced my hand, made me do something against my will, and now they think they"ve got the laugh on me."
He went to the bed and sat down. "I didn"t tell Porion everything. This wasn"t the first time, and Mago isn"t the only one who"s said things. I don"t even have to say who, do I? To them, I"m just a gra.s.s knight who grew up sleeping in the dirt." He looked up and forced a tired grin. "That"s true enough I guess, but the lucky thing is, it makes you strong. Stronger than they are. Ruan told me Arius cried when he got his beating a while back. You don"t have enough strength in that arm of yours to make me bawl."
Tobin stared at him, aghast. "I won"t hurt you!"
Ki shook his head. "You"re going to have to try, though. We have to give "em a good show, like we always do. If they think that you"re too soft to keep me in line, then the king may think again about letting me stay on as your squire. That"s what Tharin said. I asked him already. So put your back into it tomorrow and show them that we"re tough as mountain oak."
Tobin was trembling now. Ki rose and gripped him by the shoulders. "This is for us, Tob, so we can stay together. You don"t want Moriel in here, instead of me, do you?"
"No." Tobin, trying hard not to cry. If Tharin said they could still send Ki away, then it must be so. "But Ki, I don"t want-"
"I know that. This is all my fault." He knelt before Tobin as he had with Tharin. "Can you forgive me?"
Tobin couldn"t bear it. Weeping, he grabbed Ki and hugged him close.
Ki hugged him back, but his voice was hard as he said, "Listen to me, Tobin, you can"t act like this tomorrow, you hear? It"s just what they want, the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Don"t you give them the satisfaction!"
Tobin pulled back and looked down at Ki; the same warm brown eyes, golden skin, and prominent teeth under the dark lip scruff, but Ki looked almost man grown suddenly. "You"re not scared?"
Ki stood up and grinned at him again. "I told you, you"re not going to hurt me. You should have seen the hidings my father used to give us. Bilairy"s b.a.l.l.s, I"ll probably doze off before you"re finished. Besides, it was worth it to finally shut Mago"s foul mouth!"
Tobin tried to match that grin, but it wouldn"t come.
It was still raining the next morning. They jogged to the temple under a cold grey canopy of clouds.
Tobin gripped the heavy whip in his hands as he ran and tried to think of nothing but the solid feel of the wet earth beneath his feet; not the hot st.i.tch throbbing in his side, or Ki running like a silent shadow beside him.
Neither of them had slept well and, when morning came, Tobin was dismayed to find his friend curled up in a blanket on the alcove bed across the room. Tobin had almost forgotten that it was there. Ki mumbled something about being restless, and they"d dressed in silence.
They were among the first to appear that morning, and Porion took Tobin aside as they waited in the portico for the rest of the Companions to arrive.
The arms master placed a stiff leather lash in Tobin"s hands. It was about three feet long and as thick as his thumb, with a stiff core and a hilt like that of a sword.
"This is no toy," he warned. "Ki doesn"t have a man"s muscle on him yet. Strike too hard or too often in the same place and you"ll open him to the bone and lay him up for days. No one wants that. Stand to his left for five strokes and to his right for the other five, and s.p.a.ce them wide. Strike this hard-" Porion slapped the base of the whip against Tobin"s palm, "and the tip strikes ten times as hard. When you"re done he must kiss your hand, still kneeling, and ask your pardon."
Tobin"s stomach turned over at the thought. V." he Temple of the Four resolved from the curtain of rain ahead of them, square and forbidding above its steep stairs. It stood at the center of the Palatine and was a nexus for business as well as worship. At this early hour, however, it was- frequented mostly by the devout making their offerings at the altars inside.
Broad stairs led up each of the Temple"s four sides. The Altar of Sakor stood on the west, and it was on these stairs that the Companions gathered for Ki"s ordeal after making their offerings. The priest of Sakor stood in the open doorway at the top of the stairs. "Who has broken the Companions" peace and brought disgrace on his lord"s name?" he asked, attracting a small crowd of onlookers.
Tobin looked around. There were soldiers mostly, but Aliya and her friends were there, too, m.u.f.fled in veils and cloaks against the rain. So were Lord Orun and Moriel. Any goodwill Tobin had had for the boy evaporated as he recognized the gloating look in Moriel"s eyes. Tharin was not there, or anyone else from Tobin"s household.
"I broke the peace," Ki replied in a loud, steady voice. "I, Kirothius, son of Larenth, unworthy squire of Prince Tobin, am guilty of striking a fellow Companion. I stand ready to take my punishment."
The other Companions formed a box on the stairs around them as Ki stripped off his jerkin and shirt.
Kneeling, he leaned forward and braced his hands on a step above him. Tobin took his place on Ki"s right and gripped the whip.
"I beg your pardon, my prince," Ki said, his voice carrying clear and strong on the morning air.
Tobin rested the whip across Ki"s back, then froze, unable for a moment to get any air into his lungs.
He knew what was expected, that Ki would hold no grudge, that there was no turning back. But looking down at that familiar back, with its downy golden line down the spine and the catamount shoulder blades motionless under the sun-browned skin, he thought he wasn"t going to be able to move at all. Then Ki whispered, "Come on, Job, let"s give "em a show."
Trying to gauge as Porion had shown him, Tobin raised the whip and brought it down across Ki"s shoulders. Ki didn"t flinch, but an angry red welt burned where the whip had bitten.
"One," said Ki, quite clearly.
"No one expects you to count the strokes," Porion said quietly.
Tobin brought the whip down again, a few inches lower. It was too hard; Ki shuddered this time, and droplets of blood beaded the new welt.
"Two," Ki announced, just as clearly.
Someone murmured in the crowd. Tobin thought he recognized Orun"s voice and hated the man all the more.
He brought the whip down three more times on that side, ending just above Ki"s waist. They were both sweating, but Ki"s voice stayed steady as he counted off each stroke.
Tobin changed sides and began again at Ki"s shoulders, crosshatching the welts he"d already made.
"Six," said Ki, but this time it came out a hiss. Tobin had drawn blood again. The whip cut into the swollen flesh where the two stripes met and a trickle of blood inched away toward Ki"s armpit.
You see blood Tobin"s empty stomach lurched again. He made seven too light, then eight and nine too fast so that Ki had to gasp out the count. By "Ten" his voice was ragged but it was over.
Ki sat back on his heels and reached for Tobin"s hand. "Forgive me, my prince, for disgracing you."
Before he could kiss it, Tobin pulled him up onto his feet and clasped his hand like a warrior. "I forgive you, Ki."
Confused by this break with ritual, Ki bent uncertainly to complete the ceremony, pressing his lips to the back of Tobin"s hand as they stood facing each other. Another murmur went through the crowd.
Tobin saw Prince Korin and Porion both giving them curious but approving looks.
The priest was less happy about the breach. His voice was harsh as he called out, "Come and be cleansed, Squire Kirothius."
The Companions parted silently and Ki climbed the remaining stairs with his head held high, the ten uneven welts showing like fire on his bloodied back. Mago followed to begin his punishment vigil, looking a good deal less heroic.
When they"d disappeared inside Tobin looked down at the whip he still held, then over at Alben, whostood with Quirion and Urmanis. Were they smirking at him? At what he"d just done? He tossed the whip down. "I challenge you, Alben. Meet me in the practice ring. Unless you"re afraid of getting your pretty clothes dirty."
Gathering up Ki"s discarded jerkin and shirt, he turned on his heel and walked away.
i-lben had little choice but to accept Tobin"s challenge, though he didn"t look too happy about it.
The rain had slackened to a sullen drizzle by the time they squared off in the stone circle. A crowd had followed them from the temple to watch what was all too clearly a grudge match.
Tobin had practiced against Alben often since his arrival in Ero and hadn"t often bested the older boy, once Alben had learned to watch for tricks. But today he was driven by pent-up fury, and his years of rough practice with Ki served him well. He battered Alben down into the cold mud again and again. As he swung the wooden sword, it felt almost like the heavy whip in his hand and he wished he could bring it down on Alben"s back just once. Instead, he broke through the older boy"s guard and hit him across the nasal of his helmet hard enough to b.l.o.o.d.y his nose. Alben went to his knees and yielded.
Tobin bent to help him up. As he leaned close, he whispered just loud enough for Alben to hear. "I"m a prince, Alben, and I"ll remember you when I"m grown. Teach your squire to keep a civil tongue in his head. And you can tell Lord Orun the same."
Alben pulled away angrily, then bowed and left the circle.
"You." Tobin pointed his sword at Quirion. "Will you fight me?"
"I have no quarrel with you. And no desire to catch the plague out here in the rain." He helped Alben back toward the Palace and their friends drifted off with them.
"I"ll fight you," said Korin, stepping into the ring.
"Korin, no-" Porion warned, but Korin waved him off.
"It"s all right, Arms Master. Come on, Tobin. Give me your best."
Tobin hesitated. He wanted to fight someone he was angry with, not his cousin. But Korin was already in the circle and saluting. He faced Korin and raised his blade.
Fighting Korin was like fighting against a wall. Tobin threw himself into it, wanting to give the prince his best, but Korin met every attack with a block like an iron bar. But he didn"t return the attacks, just let Tobin wear himself out until he fell back panting and called a yield.
"There now, do you feel any better?"
"Maybe a little."
Korin leaned on his sword and grinned at him. "You two always have to have things your own way, don"t you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the kiss, for one thing. You wouldn"t let Ki kneel."
Tobin shrugged. He hadn"t planned that. It had just seemed the thing to do at the moment. "Only equals do that."
"Ki is my equal."
"He"s not, you know. You"re a prince."
"He"s my friend."
Korin shook his head. "What a funny little fellow you are. I think I"ll have you for my Lord Chancellor when I"m king. Come on. Let"s go eat. Ki and Mago must starve for their sins, but we don"t have to."
"I"d rather stay out for a while, if you don"t mind, cousin."
Korin looked to Porion and laughed. "Stubborn as his father! Or mine. Suit yourself, then, coz, but don"t catch your death. I"ll be needing you, as I said before." Korin and the older Companions strode away, followed by their squires.
Lutha and Nikides hung back. "Would you like company?" Lutha asked.
Tobin shook his head. All he wanted right now was to be left alone to miss Ki. He"d have ridden down to the sea if he could, but it was forbidden for Companions to leave the Palatine alone and he didn"t have the heart to face Tharin yet. Instead he spent the rest of the day walking the citadel in the rain. It was a gloomy pastime and suited his mood.
He avoided the Temple, telling himself he didn"t want to embarra.s.s Ki by intruding on his vigil, but thetruth was he wasn"t ready to face his friend, either. The memory of the red welts rising on that smooth brown back was enough to make the bile rise in his throat.