FORBIDDEN TALENTS (41 page)

“
You can’t use it anymore.
”

“
Just once more. Dahl should know about our child.
”
A child who might grow up without a father, if the siege went badly. She couldn’t think that way. She wouldn’t. Celia bit her lip. She wanted to feel Dahl’s arms around her once more, even if only in a dream.

Ragni squeezed her shoulder and spoke gently.
“
You mustn’t endanger yourself, or your child. Besides, wouldn’t you rather tell him in person?
”

He was right, but she didn’t like it. She slowly pulled it out from under her clothes and gave it to him.

“
Now lie back,
”
Valender said.

Ragni moved and she lay down. One of Valender’s hands hovered above her head, the other over her chest. At first nothing seemed to happen, then a gradual warmth suffused her body. The nagging chill that she hadn’t been able to shake seemed to drain out her toes. Her breathing grew easy, and her eyes drifted shut.

The sun was glowing weakly through the gray clouds when Celia awoke. The trees were still gathered around closely, but they’d opened their bowed branches to the sky. Almost everyone was clustered around their small fire, talking softly. She sat up abruptly.
“
It’s late! Why didn’t you wake me?
”
Then she remembered the devastating fatigue, and Valender taking it from her.

Valender, Fender, and Ragni came over to her.

“
Better?
”
Ragni said, looking worried.

“
Terrific, actually.
”
She hadn’t felt this rested since she’d left Quartzholm. Celia looked at Valender.
“
Thank you.
”

“
Thank the gods,
”
Fender said, glancing at Valender.
“
I wasn’t looking forward to having to kill you if she’d come to harm.
”

Valender cast him a wry glance.
“
Nor I.
”
He turned to Celia.
“
Do you feel well enough to travel? The Praefect is anxious to speak with you all.
”

“
I’m great. Let’s go.
”

The men nodded and returned to the rest of the group waiting by the fire.

“
Ragni,
”
Celia called softly.

He heard, then knelt beside her as she gestured for him to come closer.
“
What is it?
”

She kept her voice soft, for his ear only.
“
It’s Dahl. I thought you ought to know
…
”
She hesitated, hating what she had to say.

“
What?
”
he whispered roughly, his gaze locked on to hers.
“
Is he all right?
”

“
He’s okay. But Vermin—Wirmund—knows. About us. That we’re Fey-marked. He’s blackmailing Dahleven into supporting his pogrom.
”
She looked away, guilty that she enjoyed the vindication of her dislike of the Overprest, pained that it came at the expense of those she loved.
“
What are we going to do?
”

The muscles jumped in Ragni’s jaw. Then he gave her a grim, almost frightening, smile.
“
Go to the Elvenholt.
”

*

Ragni sat on one of the richly embroidered pillows to the left of the Elven Praefect in a hall made of living trees. He still could hardly believe he was here. The trip to the Elvenholt had felt fractured and dream-like, his attention divided four ways. With Celia carrying Dahleven’s heir at long last, she was doubly precious. Saeun had been both happy yet oddly diffident with him, Utta alternately reserved and challenging, and Valender not at all forthcoming with any information.

Now here he was, warm, dry and sitting at the left hand of Lord Kaeron, the leader of this Elvenholt. Across from Ragni sat Che’veyo. Rien sat next to the Shaman, and Saeun sat between the Elven lady and Valender. Saeun seemed completely at ease with the Elves, though she’d only been among them for a few days. Was this what it meant to be Fey-marked? Would he, too, see this as normal in a few days time?

“
This is a remarkable time for us all,
”
Kaeron said.
“
Remarkable, and past due. Please know that you are welcome guests. I only regret that your need has brought you on such a difficult journey.
”

Ragni instinctively reached out with his Talent, then recoiled as he met the unnerving
nothing
he always found when he tried to touch the Fey. Frustrated he said,
“
Yes. Let us speak of that need.
”

Che’veyo interrupted.
“
We honor you for your hospitality, Lord Kaeron. We bring you greeting gifts, and hope you will accept them with our good will.
”
He nodded to Masale, who sat near the end of the table. The Tewakwe warrior rose and brought Che’veyo a bundle wrapped in oil cloth.

Ragni glanced ruefully at Che’veyo, glad one of them had remembered their manners.

Kaeron unwrapped the gift, revealing two pure white suede tunics. The first was carefully painted with stark black Tewakwe symbols, reminiscent of their pottery. The second, apparently meant for a woman, had intricately beaded fringe on the sleeves and hem that chimed with tiny bells. Ragni drew in a deep breath. They were stunning gifts.

“
Thank you. These are remarkable and most generous,
”
the Praefect said.

Thankful for Celia’s perspective and input on the Nuvinland gifts, Ragni gestured to Fender, who brought a gold-chased box and placed it in front of the Praefect.

Kaeron exclaimed as he examined the intricate clasp.
“
A puzzle!
”

“
I’m sorry. I meant to open that before.
”
Ragni gifted Fender with a brief glare.

“
I’m glad you did not.
”
Kaeron gave his full attention to the clasp for a moment.

Ragni waited, hoping this would not prove embarrassing for them all.

A moment later, Kaeron shifted a lever and flipped a latch before sliding the hidden drawer open.
“
Wonderful!
”

Ragni was distantly aware of Fender’s satisfaction.

Kaeron pulled another box from the drawer. Inside lay two matching torcs, one each for a man and a woman. Gold stylized boars chased along the silver arms of the man’s torc while in the center two mirrored images of Freyr held a blood red stone between them. On the woman’s neck-piece, two Freyas embraced a moonstone while knotted silver cats graced the golden arms. Through both was woven Sevond’s Talent for enhancing the beauty of those who wore them.

Not that these folk need any enhancement
.

“
These are gifts worthy of a prince. I thank you both.
”
Kaeron bowed his head, then signaled for a
gofle
to take them away.

Ragni watched the little creature with widened eyes. It wasn’t the first he’d seen since he’d arrived at the Elvenholt, but they’d take some getting used to. Baruq, with his attitude, seemed somehow more
…
normal. Ragni shook his head, feeling addled.

“
Now, what need has driven you to this journey?
”
Kaeron asked.

“
We have several concerns, which we hope you will address, but one is foremost in our minds,
”
Ragni said, preparing to ask about the Dark Elves’ siege of Quartzholm and their plans for starting Ragnarok.

“
Yes,
”
Tiva’ti said, directing her remarks to Rien.
“
Why have you stolen our people?
”

Ragni drew in a sharp breath, startled by her directness, by the fact that she had spoken at all. He still wasn’t used to the Tewakwe custom of giving precedence to their women in council.

Kaeron’s eye’s narrowed.
“
We do not take any mortal unwilling.
”
His voice was distinctly cool.

Ragni clenched his teeth, wishing again that his Talent could show him what the Praefect was feeling. How did the others stand it, going through life blind all the time?

Tiva’ti ignored the Praefect’s protest.
“
We honor Tiowa. Our
kopavi
are open to his guidance. Yet our people are
stolen
. And when they are returned,
if
they are returned, they are mere husks. We know it is your kind who have done this.
”

Kaeron frowned. Ragni found it hard to believe, but Tiva’ti wasn’t the least afraid.

Rien lifted a finger just as Kaeron opened his mouth and the Praefect remained silent.
“
Our kind, perhaps, but not the
Lios Alfar
,
”
she said. Her face was dispassionate. Ragni could read nothing of her reaction.

“
But you do take humans from their homes,
”
Saeun said.

“
Not unwillingly,
”
Treskin protested.

“
Then what of those who are?
”
Ragni asked.

“
It is the work of the Dark Ones,
”
Rien said.

“
Why?
”
Tiva’ti demanded.
“
How have we offended the gods? Why do they punish us?
”

Ragni didn’t have any trouble interpreting Kaeron’s expression. He looked out of patience. Ragni wondered what he could say to sooth the rising tempers.

“
The Dark Ones are not serving the gods in this,
”
Rien continued.
“
Indeed, they violate the oaths they gave when Freyr and Freya brought you here.
”

“
What do they want from us?
”
Che’veyo asked.
“
Some of our clans are proposing a cleansing war. They believe you will only be satisfied when those who do not honor Tiowa are gone from the land.
”

Ragni read Kaeron’s disgust almost as well as if his Talent worked.
Disgust for the Tewakwe or the Dark Elves
?

The Praefect shook his head.
“
That would indeed please the Dark Ones. They want all mortals gone from Alfheim. If you kill yourselves for them, all the better. But that is not Freyr’s will, nor Freya’s. It will not serve Tiowa nor Spider Grandmother. And
we
certainly do not wish it.
”

“
Baruq has said they want to bring about Ragnarok,
”
Ragni said softly, almost wishing the
pinnsvin
were at this meeting.

“
Even they would not be so foolish,
”
Kaeron said.
“
But they want you gone; at least, some of them do. And they intend to draw help from the Realm of Fire to do it.
”

“
But the way to Muspell is closed,
”
Fender said.

“
You thought the path from Midgard was closed, too,
”
Celia said.
“
Yet here I am.
”

Ragni shot her a quick look. She still looked well, thank the gods. The effects of Valender’s healing had lingered, keeping her strong even on their trek to the Elvenholt.
“
True enough.
”
He turned to Lord Kaeron.
“
So how are we going to stop them?
”

Kaeron raised his pale, finely arched eyebrows.
“
Stop them? I doubt you can.
”

Saeun sat up straighter. She was appalled.
“
Not alone, perhaps. But with your help
…
?
”

“
They may be Oath-breakers, but The Dark Ones have offered
us
no offense. It is not for the
Lios Alfar
to intervene.
”

Ragni had no trouble reading Saeun’s outrage. It flowed off her in hot waves.
“
You asked me for my help, and I gave it to you. You said you swore an oath to the gods not to harm us. But you do, through your inaction. If you allow the Dark Elves to continue without
intervening
, you might as well aid them.
”