FORBIDDEN TALENTS (6 page)

Celia blushed more deeply and felt Dahleven stiffen at her side. It still bothered him that he hadn’t been able to protect her from that.

Sangor’s version of events grew from exaggeration to fabrication, and Celia held back a snort as the skald wrapped up his florid tale.

“
…
Broken magic takes payment where it will, leaving only ash scattered by a bitter wind.
”

Nice and tidy. No mention of my mistakes, or the Hidden Talents, or the Elves
. Of course, no one knew about the Elves. Not even Neven. Well, almost no one. Only Angrim and Eirik and Fender, and they’d all sworn fealty—and secrecy—to Dahleven.

“
Thus did Freyr’s gift, our Valkyrie Lady Celia, save Quartzholm. Nuvinland returned to peace with our steadfast Tewakwe friends, and Kon Neven opened his arms to the Lady as a daughter-by-marriage,
”
Sangor concluded.

Celia jumped as Dahleven whooped loudly, echoed by Ragni on her right. They both stood, pulling her to her feet. The Nuvinlanders began cheering and stamping. Celia wanted to hide. She didn’t deserve the praise. Her mistakes had very nearly brought disaster and death on everyone present. The Tewakwe added their ululating voices to the din. Dahleven pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She stiffened. This wasn’t his usual warm, affectionate embrace. This was an act of possession, of ownership.
He’s using me like a politician uses a photo-op
. Anger supplanted her embarrassment and she tried to push away. Dahleven didn’t seem to notice.
He bent her backward in a dip, forcing her to clutch his shoulders to steady herself. The Nuvinlanders shouted all the louder, stomping and whistling their approval.

When Dahleven finally broke contact and straightened, Celia forced a glacial smile, all too aware that everyone present was watching. Now was not the time to vent her anger and hurt at being used that way.
But later, she’d leave no doubt left in Dahleven’s mind that
he’d stepped over a line.

*

Dahleven released Celia and grinned, not letting his confusion show.
What put a burr under her blanket
? Sangor’s tale had been quite flattering. She had nothing to complain about there. And he’d just publicly reinforced her position in the Kon’s family. So why was she sitting as if she had a poker strapped to her back?

On the other side of Celia, Ragni was grinning.
Odin’s Eye
. Dahleven glared at him. Sometimes he hated having a brother who knew his every feeling.

Ragni pulled a face.
“
You wound me, brother.
”
He didn’t look wounded.

Celia glanced curiously at his brother, then turned back to Dahleven. He could see her trying to pull free of her anger.

“
Your mother has had me practicing a lot of your dances. Will you dance with me tonight?
”
she asked Dahleven.

“
Do Valkyries dance outside of Valhalla?
”
Ragni asked.

Celia lifted her chin and arched her eyebrows.
“
I wasn’t talking to you.
”

Ragni laughed.
“
Spoken like a true sister.
”

“
Unfortunately, no,
”
Dahleven said, wishing he could accept her offer of truce.
“
Only the men dance tonight.
”

Celia’s frown returned.

“
At Winterfest we’ll be feasting for three nights running,
”
Dahleven said.
“
We can dance the nights through, then.
”

Celia nodded, and smiled flatly.

His father and Loloma met in the center of the floor and began to step to the music, opening with the dance traditionally performed at trade gatherings. After they’d completed one pattern, he and Ragni joined them. Other men rose, and soon all the men present were stamping and twining in the complex pattern, clapping and shouting in time.

The music and pattern shifted and Neven and the Kikmongwi stepped out to watch the younger men dance. The steps repeated three times, then the drumbeat and the pace accelerated.

One of the Nuvinlanders faltered and stepped out of the dance.

The beat picked up. Dahleven’s feet flew with the cadence. He’d danced this many times and enjoyed the challenge even if he wasn’t one of the better dancers.

The pattern twisted. The tempo increased. The insistent drumbeat pulsed in his blood, quickening his steps. Two Tewakwe fell out of the pattern and withdrew. Dahleven grinned, reveling in his muscles’ response to the dance with the same primitive joy he felt wielding a sword in a good practice session. The drums hastened. He barely noted when another Nuvinlander bowed out. He was deep in the dance; nothing existed but the strong rapid beat of the drums and fierce joy of competition.

The rhythm hurried faster yet, and his misstep jarred him out of his trance. With a groan and a rueful grin he stepped back, letting the circle of dancers tighten.

Only seven left
. He didn’t often last so long. One of the seven was Ragni, as usual. The dance would end when only five remained; the victory going to the side with at least three dancers.

Another Tewa left the dance.
Even odds
.

The six circled, feet flashing too rapidly to see. The rhythm escalated; the dancers responded. A Nuvinlander fell out of the pattern, leaving three Tewakwe, Ragni, and another Nuvinlander still dancing.
This round to the Tewakwe, then
.

The triumphant five clapped and shouted, then linked arms over shoulders and danced the final, slower pattern, while the audience clapped in time.

*

Saeun sat in the loose half-circle of women and tried to keep her attention focused on the conversation. The music had changed. The dancing was no longer directly competitive, but the men were competing nevertheless. They challenged one another with athletic exaggerations and elaborate footwork improvisations in an otherwise simple pattern.

Ragni danced as if he had a second Talent for it. He made everything he did look smooth and effortless, even as his footwork drew a shout of approval from the other dancers. She loved watching him move. She loved—him.

What was she going to do? Her own vision had warned her of loss. Thora’s reading of the stones had promised opportunity, but they’d also warned her to act quickly when the time came.
To do what
?

She was staring again. Saeun pulled her gaze back to the women she sat with.

“
…
through the night, but the flames offer no protection.
”
Nai’awika said.

“
And your warriors cannot stop them?
”
Lady Ingirid, on Lady Celia’s right, asked.

“
Like the wind, the
katsinas
move unseen, except for their effect. Few can see into the spirit world to challenge them, and the shamans counsel against it.
”

“
What do your shamans recommend?
”
Gudrun asked softly.

“
They do not speak with one voice. Some call for a cleansing. It is because the ways of Tiowa have been abandoned, they say, that this sorrow has fallen upon us.
”
Nai’awika looked steadily at Gudrun.

Gudrun shook her head slightly.
“
I doubt any lack of faith has brought this on you.
”

“
So I think also. Our
kopavi
are open. Yet the spirits walk among us. It is a great honor, yet great sorrow comes from it.
”

Saeun clenched her hand in her skirts, then forced herself to relax. Her mind buzzed with questions.
What has this got to do with us
?
Why did they come so far to tell us this
?
What kind of magic do the Tewakwe have to protect them
? She thought of her own magic. Magic that the priests did not know of. Magic they would exile her for using.
Do the Tewa women also have magic that their shamans know nothing about
?

“
But what can you do if you are already open to Tiowa’s voice? What cleansing do the shamans expect of you?
”
Lady Celia asked.

“
It is not only we who must be cleansed, Newborn; it is all of you, as well.
”

“
Us?
”
Ingirid asked.
“
We’ve done nothing—
”

“
What sort of cleansing do they require?
”
Gudrun interrupted her oldest daughter.

“
That, they have not decided,
”
Nai’awika answered.

“
SAEUN!
”

Saeun froze for a moment at the sound of Ragni’s voice. What could she say if he questioned her fears again? She had no better answer than she had yesterday, despite lying awake most of the night. She turned to greet him and froze a second time.

Lord Dahleven was with him. She had rarely seen him in the last five months, and then only at a distance. They hadn’t spoken since he’d come to her rooms to thank her for her help in rescuing Lady Celia. His gratitude had been sincere enough, though he’d almost balked at using her unsanctioned magic to do it. She swallowed her fear. His risk was nearly as great as hers if the truth came out. And though he’d made no promise to her, he’d kept their secret. So far.

In a way, she was relieved to see him. At least his presence would keep Ragni’s conversation off awkward topics. Though they hadn’t gone to any great measure to be secret, they’d been more discreet than most lovers to keep gossip at a minimum. Especially family gossip.

Saeun curtsied.
“
Welcome back, Lord Dahleven. Good morning, Father Ragnar.
”

Ragni’s grin split his light brown beard as he stepped close and ran his hand lightly down her arm to her elbow.
“
Such formality! How does the morning find you, Saeun?
”

Her hope of an impersonal encounter faded like mist in sunlight.
He might as well have kissed me
. Saeun blushed at Ragni’s familiar touch but didn’t pull away. If the family had ever doubted their relationship before, they wouldn’t now. She glanced at Lord Dahleven. His expression was politely neutral, but she thought she saw dismay in his ever so slightly widened eyes.
He won’t rejoice for us. Not knowing what he does about me
.

Ragni’s hand remained on her arm.
“
Have you breakfasted yet?
”
he asked.
“
Will you join us?
”

“
I ate with Lady Kaidlin and the boys.
”

“
Join us anyway.
”

She shook her head, glad of an honest excuse.
“
I’m fetching a piece of stitchery for your sister. She expects me back.
”
She knew Ragni sensed every fleeting bit of fear and relief she felt and hoped he’d hold his questions until they were alone.

Ragni’s eyes frowned, though he kept the smile on his lips. He held her gaze a little too long, then turned to his brother.
“
We’re on our own then.
”
He did kiss her then, lightly, on the lips.
“
Until later,
”
he promised softly.

“
Lady Saeun.
”
Lord Dahleven nodded politely then turned and kept pace with his brother as they continued down the corridor.

A little further down the hall, Saeun stepped into her room.
I wish I knew what Lord Dahleven was saying
. But she could guess well enough.
“
Your lover is a lying sorceress
.
”
And,
“
Escape her while you can
!
”
How betrayed Ragni would feel.

I should have told him
. But she hadn’t. At first she’d had no reason to. She’d known Ragni’s reputation. He never tarried long with any woman, so she’d thought to just enjoy the dalliance. But he’d started to care—and so had she.
I should have broken it off. Or told him
. But how could she? She didn’t want him to turn from her, as he surely would have if she’d told him that she practiced forbidden magic. He was a priest of Baldur, sworn to enforce the Laws of Sanction. Laws she defied, as had her mother before her.