The Crow God's Girl (29 page)

Her crows glanced at one another, and one of the crows stepped forward. “My lady, we have a meeting.”

She turned to the crow. “I know. I won’t be long. Just a few minutes.”

“Here,” Colar said. Instead of taking her hand, he nodded toward an alcove with a small bench set against the wall. He wanted them to have privacy, even though at this point the news was likely racing through the farthest reaches of the House and the province of Salt proper.

She followed him and they sat. The crows stood several paces away, scanning the crowd. Casting about for something to say, Colar looked them over. There was the ugly scarred fellow, the handsome one, and a girl. He nodded at the handsome one.

“Was he the one who rescued Yare?” He tried to hide his jealousy. His little brother’s hero worship had been nettling.

She followed his gaze and laughed out loud. She pointed her chin at the girl. “Not Grigar. Ossen.”

“What?” What in the name of the high god...Why had no one told him?

“No one knew, except me. Well, and the merchant Mitain, but that’s another story. All anyone ever saw was the crow, not the girl.” Her voice got momentarily hard. “I wasn’t even allowed to be friends with her, because they all thought I was cheating on you, and I couldn’t tell anyone because it was her secret. “

He tried to sort all that out, and failed. She twisted her hands and said abruptly,

“So, how is Eri? And your mom? And the boys?”

She sounded eager and worried both.

“I left them well and in good spirits. Eri misses you.”

“I miss her too. I promised her I would write and I haven’t done. If I wrote a letter, could you carry it to her?”

“Of course,” he said. She was so concerned, he reached out and touched her hand, and for a moment they clasped fingers. Almost immediately, she withdrew her hand.

“Why? Why did you do it?”

All of the excuses and reasons jumbled together. “I don’t know,” he managed at last. “I wish I hadn’t. I wish that every day. I got your letter and I know–I must have hurt you. And I’m sorry. Really, truly sorry.”

She looked away and for a moment her eyes gleamed in the distant lamplight. “I hear she’s pretty.” The hurt in her voice was plain and clear.

“She doesn’t matter. That’s not why.” He couldn’t explain. “I’m sorry, Kate. I am truly sorry.”

“‘Truly?’” she repeated, the same way she repeated it when he said Hi. “Truly, Colar? Do you know what I went through?”

“Kate–”

“They hated me. The only protection I had was you. You never wrote. You never told me. I had to hear it from your mother.”

Her words were low so only he could hear them, and they were thick with unfallen tears. She looked down at her hands. All he could see were the small pearls nestled in her hair.

“That’s why I wanted you to stay at Red Gold Bridge,” he said. He lifted her chin so she could see he was serious. “If you had stayed–”

She yanked her face away.

“What, Colar? You would have sent for me to be your mistress? Where did you get the idea that I would go for that? Oh right, last year, in the war camp.”

Her voice was sharp with fury now. He knew what she meant, that everyone thought she was the general’s mistress. He felt a rush of anger. He wasn’t like the general. It wasn’t the same thing at all.

“It would have been better than this!” he retorted, indicating her crows.

She smacked him across the cheek, the sound ringing out in the open air. The sting brought tears into his eyes and he shook his head to clear it. The crows stepped in, to make sure he wouldn’t retaliate, and he felt their menacing presence behind him. Somewhere someone laughed, and he remembered with a rush that they were not alone, they had an audience. He stood, knowing he looked a right fool.

She got to her feet. “I didn’t mean that,” she said, and her voice was shaking. “Colar–”

“My lady,” said the handsome crow again. He put his hand on Colar’s chest, not pushing, just moving him away. Colar felt rage fill him but he stepped back. Now was not the time for a fight, but he looked at the crow and let him know that a fight would come. The crow gave him a crooked smile in acknowledgement.

Kate regained her composure. “I apologize, Colar. That was ill-mannered of me,” she said in her clear, new voice. Her Lady Temia voice.

He was being dismissed.

“I’ll have a letter for you to take to Eri. If you could, could you also deliver Hotshot to her? My gift. She’s outgrowing her pony.”

“Of course,” he managed. His cheek burned from the slap and his lips were a little numb. “Kate–”

“I have an appointment.”

He watched her and her escort go. After a bit, everyone in the palazzo turned away and went about their business.

At first no one said a word as they made their way to the Trieve contingent’s quarters in an annex of the great House. Kate felt the impact of the slap against her palm, and she rubbed it against her thigh, trying to wipe away the memory. She had never hit anyone in her life.

That didn’t even come close to being malcra, but she didn’t like it. And worse, when he had taken her chin the way he had–

She had liked that. She almost closed her eyes, almost kissed him, almost forgave him.

And then! Her breath came hard again, just remembering. Being his mistress would have been better than being Lady Temia. The idea of it!

“Calm yourself,” Grigar said in her ear. “You have an alliance to make.”

“I’ll be fine,” she muttered. “He made me so mad.”

“Really,” he said drily, and she had to laugh.

“He’s nothing,” Balafray rasped. “You have risen higher than he can ever hope to.”

“‘Cause Favor’s a jumped-up pigsty,” Ossen chimed in loudly, forgetting they were in Trieve territory. They all shhhd! her, and Kate felt a rush of fondness for them all. She squeezed Ossen’s hand, and with the other, took B
alafray’s worn, calloused hand.

“All right,” she said. “Let’s make an alliance.”

Two guards waited at the entrance to Trieve’s chambers. She couldn’t help but notice the hard looks between the guards and her crows, especially with Balafray. The scarred crow growled something, and she put a hand on his arm. He settled reluctantly. They were admitted and filled the room.

Kate was glad she dressed for the occasion. Lady Trieve was certainly dressed to impress in an Aeritan gown, not the usual tunic and skirt that was for everyday. Kate was reminded of Lady Beatra. She had dressed to work, and she worked hard. Why wasn’t she at Council when so many ladies were?
Oh, right. That would be because her husband and son were stealing another lord’s House
. Perhaps Lady Beatra disapproved.

She bowed to her ladyship, equal to equal, and received a patrician nod in return. Kate pretended to ignore the snub.

“Thank you for coming to see me, Lady Temia,” Lady Trieve said. She gestured for her to sit on a pretty carved bench. Kate sat, and Ossen started to but suddenly stood straight and scowled, as Grigar hauled her up by the back of her collar. They arrayed themselves around her, as did Lady Trieve’s men, and her captain-husband Crae.

“Thank you for seeing me, Lady Trieve,” Kate said. She turned to Crae. ““I never got the chance to thank you last summer for coming to my rescue. So I thank you now.”

He gave a courteous smile and a polite bow of his head, but he and Lady Trieve exchanged the smallest of glances.

“I was honored to come to your aid, Lady Temia, even before knowing who you are.”

I’m not anyone, she almost said, but didn’t. They didn’t need to know her self-doubt.

“I was happy to help you in Council, Lady Trieve,” she began. “I hope that this alliance will be fruitful for both of us.”

“Oh, I think it will. This begins to make up a small part for the attack on my land by your crows.”

Kate could tell her that they weren’t her crows then, but she didn’t think that Lady Trieve would listen.

“I see,” she said, as calm as she could be. She had foolishly expected more gratitude. “Of course I hope we’re square, but there’s still a little matter of quid pro quo.”

As if Aeritan understood Latin. Except that Lady Trieve understood very well.

“So for turning the whole Council on its ear, you want something else from Trieve?” Lady Trieve sounded skeptical.

“An alliance cuts both ways. I hope more than anything that just by turning the Council on its ear, as you say, I’ve upended Terrick’s plans for Favor, because I don’t want war. But if there is war, I’d like to know that I can count on Trieve to come to Temia’s aid in time of need.”

Lady Trieve laughed, as if she had asked for the impossible. “My captain saved your life last summer and we fended off your crows from a vile attack. Where does that stand in your calculation? Haven’t we done enough? Goodness, girl, how much more do we owe you?”

Don’t get angry, get tricky, her mother had once said. She hated losing cases. Kate didn’t want to lose this one.

“I’m sorry, Lady Trieve. I appear to have offended you. Let’s start again. I walked into Council and prevented your childhood House from being stolen out from underneath your nose. I don’t owe you anything, not even my life, because one could say that your husband, by saving mine, also saved Favor.”

There was a charged silence.

“I suppose that if I don’t agree to this alliance, you will renege on your promise to come to Favor’s aid, if necessary.” Lady Trieve’s tone was sharp.

“Well,” Kate said cheerfully. “You could always pay us.”

Maybe she could follow in the general’s footsteps, and be the mercenary general of the craziest army known in Aeritan. Of course, that all depended on how well she could control the crows, and she was mindful of Grigar’s warnings.

There was another charged silence, and then Jessamy laughed. This time it wasn’t incredulous, but honest.

“Many a lord has started out with less and finished with far more,” Lady Trieve said. “I like you, Lady Temia. Well, not exactly like, but you are a precocious child.” She waved a hand at one of the silent servants standing in the background and they bustled into action, setting out food. “Tonight I had hoped to thank you in person for your help today. I tell you frankly, an alliance may be problematic.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” Kate said.

“No, but that’s the reality.”

“Why not?” Kate pushed, stubborn. Lady Temia looked irritated.

“Do you want me to say it in front of your crows, girl? I don’t trust them, and I don’t trust you to hold them.”

Kate froze. She could hardly say in front of Balafray that she was perfectly capable of controlling her crows, when Balafray would take offense, and probably go malcra right there. Hostility radiated off of him as it was.

With a self-satisfied little moue, Lady
Trieve
poured a cup of aromatic vesh and handed it over to Kate. “Vesh?”

The interview was over. Kate bowed gracefully, and sipped her vesh. They all ate, even Lady Trieve’s men at arms and the crows, for which she was grateful–they had been on short rations and Ossen’s face was looking more sharp and pinched than usual. The girl ate with fierce concentration; Kate tried to mind her manners. The rest of the evening was spent in small talk and bits of gossip that Kate filed away, even while she mulled over what she had accomplished. Lady Trieve wanted Kate to commit her crows, but she did not want to commit her House to anything involving Temia.

We can always walk away, she thought. Just fade back to Temia, and let the rest of Aeritan sort it out. Except that they would be sitting ducks. The Council had no qualms about ganging up on any one of the Houses–witness what happened to Red Gold Bridge when it went renegade the year before. They had to establish alliances within the Council or the fledgling House would not survive.

All that was running through her head while she smiled and chatted, and listened, and ate as genteelly as possible.

The sky was dark overhead and only a
few lamps burned on the palazzo when they made their way back to the crow camp. The fires of the crow army burned low and peacefully. The men and women stood guard, the oldsters and the children tucked away in rough tents. They were vulnerable; Kate felt tension spring up again just thinking about it. This was what she needed alliances for, to protect them.

Her musty, damp tent provided respite from the cold night air, with its small brazier and lamp throwing out welcome warmth. She sat down on her bedroll, which was doubled up against the chill damp of the ground. A conquering lord’s pavilion it was not. She groaned. The day had been almost too much.

Ossen, still energetic, flopped down next to her.

“Are we going to fight for Favor?” she said brightly.

“Crow god, I hope not,” Kate said. She tried to draw off her boot, but it got stuck. Grigar knelt and pulled it off. He held out his hand impatiently for her other foot. Her cheeks heated but she put out her boot, and he took that one off too. No one else noticed the surprisingly intimate moment. She tried to pull her foot away without making a scene. He held on for a second, and then let her go. She drew her feet in and sat cross-legged. “At this moment, I don’t care what happens to Favor or Lady Trieve, or anyone, for that matter.”