Mystic and Rider (Twelve Houses) (63 page)

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Authors: Sharon Shinn

BOOK: Mystic and Rider (Twelve Houses)
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“But are you done, then? With your mission? Weren’t you supposed to be off touring the southern Houses or some such thing?”
The artless question caught Senneth’s attention and made her lift her eyes. Not so good to be gossiping about such a topic in such a public place. Even through his thicket of friends, Tayse managed to give Senneth a reassuring glance. “Still on the mission, escorting friends of the king’s,” he said in a soft voice. “And it’s not to be talked of just now.”
“But who are—where—are
these
the king’s friends?” said the good-looking one who had been roughhousing with Justin. Young and tactless, but Senneth couldn’t blame him. His gaze rested first on her, then, with patent disbelief, on Cammon and Donnal.
“Mind your manners,” came the sharp words from one of the older men standing beside Tayse. “You’re pretty disreputable-looking yourself, and the king seems to hold
you
in high regard, though I don’t know why.”
A muffled laugh from the crowd, and the young man shuffled his feet. “Sorry,” he muttered.
“These are some of my companions of the road,” Tayse said in a calm voice. “But
she’s
the one who’s led us most of the way.”
“Ahhhh—” came from more than one throat, and Senneth knew without looking that Kirra must be making her way down the gangplank. Kirra would have seen the knot of soldiers and guessed as quickly as Senneth who they were, and she had no doubt assumed her most regal air and most golden aura. “Danalustrous, that one.”
“And you’re still not done riding?” one irrepressible soul asked. “
I’ll
come join you if you need another sword.”
“Thank you,” said Tayse, sounding amused. “So far we have managed to defend ourselves tolerably well without you.”
“Where are you headed now?” inquired one of the older men. “Or shouldn’t I ask?”
“Ghosenhall,” Tayse said.
“So are we!” the Rider exclaimed. “Can we travel together? Or is there a reason you should be a smaller party on the road?”
Senneth felt her heart grow tinier and harder inside her chest. No reason at all their party shouldn’t be augmented by Riders. In fact, Tayse was certain to see that as a good thing, an extra ring of protection around the companions he could never make safe enough.
“We’d be happy to have your escort,” Tayse said. “In truth, we’ve drawn more—attention—than I had expected. I’d like to think that, this far north, we would be wholly unmolested, but I wouldn’t mind sharing a few watches for the last leg of the journey.”
“Excellent,” said the other Rider. “How much time do you need? We’re ready to leave now.”
“So are we,” said Tayse. “As soon as we mount.”
Kirra had by this time joined the group and bestowed her radiant smile on all the newcomers. Even the women seemed dazzled by her obvious charm. “Tayse, have you found friends?” she asked lightly. “And all this time I thought you didn’t have any.”
More laughter for that. Tayse was grinning. “Plenty of friends, though they’re astonished that I’d spend so much effort guarding
you,
” he replied. “They’ve offered to escort us back to Ghosenhall, and I’ve accepted, assuming you have no objection.”
Like Tayse, Kirra was quick to realize that Senneth did not want the Brassenthwaite name spoken in this crowd, and she had no hesitation in accepting her role. “How could I object? I’m happy to be surrounded by King’s Riders. When can we leave?”
“Now,” Tayse said, swinging himself to the back of his horse. Three of the new Riders hurried forward to offer Kirra help into the saddle. Kirra dimpled and allowed one of them to lift her up.
Senneth briefly exchanged glances with Cammon, who was grinning, and Donnal, who was seething. “Time to go,” she said. She managed to mount her horse without anyone’s aid, and then they were on their way.
CHAPTER 34
 
T
HEY were in Ghosenhall six days later. Cutting through Storian lands and traveling on the well-maintained highways of the middle regions, they made excellent time, better than Senneth would have expected from such a large group. She had reluctantly concluded that she must keep the raelynx confined to its cage for the whole trip, now that their numbers were so expanded and it would be harder to keep track of it during all the confusion of travel. Cammon begged her to release it but did not seem to think he would be able to change her mind. Their progress was slowed a bit by accommodating the cart that carried the wild creature, but even so, they accomplished their journey very efficiently.
Kirra quickly became the darling of the camp as all the male Riders jostled for a chance to flirt with her. Donnal scowled through most of the journey, dropping back toward the rear guard to avoid watching her smile and laugh with the strangers. “Don’t change shapes—don’t draw attention to yourself,” Senneth warned him, so he stayed in human form, but he glowered so much she thought he might as well have been a bear.
Cammon enjoyed himself thoroughly and proved to be almost as popular with the Riders as Kirra. This was no doubt because of the way Justin treated him, like a younger brother of whom he was inordinately fond. The women among the Riders instantly adopted him and fussed over him like adoring aunts. Senneth could not help but smile to see him so happy, practicing new sword moves in the evening, listening raptly to the tales told around the fires. Yes, she should probably leave him in Ghosenhall, whether or not she sought out a mystic to train him. The Riders would take him in, one way or another; he would be safe among them.
As for herself, for this leg of the journey, Senneth made herself as inconspicuous as possible. She did not go quite so far as to conjure the spells that would make her disappear, but she never spoke unless someone else addressed her, never made overtures to any of the other Riders, never offered to start a fire, and didn’t even bother to keep the campsite warm at night. She guessed that their new companions assumed she was Kirra’s maid or impoverished companion, when they thought of her at all, and she was content to have it that way. Everyone was civil to her, though completely indifferent; she thought, if she wanted, she could slip away entirely.
Except that, on the day she was feeling most glum about her near-invisibility, Cammon sought her out to ride beside her for two solid hours. Except that, over every meal as she was being most outrageous, Kirra would send a look and a smile her way. Except that, when a Rider accidentally bumped Senneth on horseback, Justin was instantly beside her, calling the other young man by all sorts of furious names and making sure Senneth was entirely unhurt.
Except that, every night as he made his circuit around the campfire, Tayse looked first for her. And every morning as they all mounted up again, Tayse watched to make sure she was steady in the saddle before he took to the road. And half a dozen times during the day, every day, Senneth would look up to find Tayse turned on his horse, glancing back at her. She had the eerie sensation that if, at any point during the night or day, she cried out in sudden terror, Tayse and Justin and Cammon and Kirra would be at her side almost before her voice had sounded.
Donnal, of course, would be at Kirra’s side, but Senneth had no quarrel with that.
The knowledge that, even lost within this larger party, her small group of friends were still tightly bound to her made her squelch the urge to vanish. But she could not say she truly enjoyed any part of that final trip.
THEY reached Ghosenhall on a sunny day that showed off all the charms of the royal city. It lay on a wide, flat plain and stretched out over the gentle land like a pretty mistress too lazy to rise from bed. Most of its buildings were low and rambling, built of warm granite or a honey-colored marble; in the public districts, the streets were wide and well-maintained. Parks and fountains and flower gardens were spread liberally throughout the streets, and though none of them were particularly beautiful at this time of year, they did contribute to the city’s open, uncrowded air. There were people everywhere, hurrying down the ample boulevards, calling out to each other, shouting at careless drivers, announcing their wares, waving to the Riders. Yet everything was so ordered and civilized that it was a joy to travel through the streets.
The royal palace was situated at the center of town, on a slight rise of ground that allowed it to be seen from almost every corner of the city. It, too, was built of a rusty granite, heavily ornamented by spires and arches and turrets, and it consisted of so many wings and additions that there seemed to be no formal plan to its construction at all. It was situated at the center of a huge compound that was completely encircled by a high wall; the gates were guarded by royal soldiers. Inside the wall were so many fenced gardens and ornamental ponds and graceful follies that it was said even the head groundskeeper could not keep track of them all.
Senneth could not help it. She loved Ghosenhall, and she particularly loved the palace. If she would ever have any temptation to marry Halchon Gisseltess and pursue the throne, it would be for the pleasure of living here every day of her life.
As expected, their party was greeted cordially at the gate and instantly waved on through. “Here’s where we part,” Tayse said to the other Riders once they passed into the courtyard. “For I think Justin and I must be present when Kirra makes her report to the king.”
Cammon pressed forward. “What about the raelynx? Should I stay out here with it?”
Tayse glanced first at Senneth, who shook her head. “No. All six of us must go in together,” he said.
“But I’m worried. He’s been caged so long. Is there someplace that we can set it free?”
Tayse’s friend, one of the older Riders, looked skeptical. “We’ll take it back to the stables with us, but I don’t know about setting it free just yet.”
“Maybe tonight, then,” Cammon said. “After we’re done with this audience.” He sounded impatient, and everyone listening had to smother a grin. “You can tell me someplace safe that I can let him out for a while. I’ll stay and guard him then.”
“We’ll figure something out,” Tayse said. “But first we must go in to meet with our king.”
The other Riders drifted away, waving and calling out farewells. The six of them continued on up the long path of crushed white stone that led to the door of the palace.
“Couldn’t we get cleaned up first?” Kirra asked. “I don’t feel quite fit for royalty just yet.”
“We’ll see what Milo says,” Tayse replied.
“Who?” Cammon said.
“Milo. He’s the king’s secretary, and he decides who has an audience with King Baryn and who does not. And when.”
Cammon crowded his horse closer to Tayse’s. For the first time on this long journey, Senneth thought, he looked a little awed. “You aren’t going to leave us, are you?” he asked anxiously. “You’ll be with us when we go in to see the king?”
Tayse smiled down at him. “I won’t leave you,” he said. And then, as if he couldn’t help himself, he glanced back at Senneth. “Not just yet.”
As soon as they approached the door, a pack of servants came swarming out. Some lifted their bedrolls and saddlebags from the horses; others helped the women from the saddle; others gathered up the reins and led the horses away.
One man stood on the threshold, framed by the open door, and waited majestically for them to climb the two flights of quarried marble stairs. He was of medium height and heavyset, mostly bald, and he wore both his elegant clothes and his air of authority with perfect ease.

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