The Shapechangers (25 page)

It angered her past caution. “I doubt you could accomplish it.”

His hand flashed to his knife. “Can I not, shapechanger witch? You do not frighten me with your sorcery. Only your warriors shift their shape, so you offer little threat.”

He grinned and lifted the knife. “What do you say now, witch?”

Alix said nothing. He effectively blocked the cave entrance with his mailed bulk, and as he moved slowly toward her she saw she had no chance to avoid him. The wall curved snuggly against her back.

“Do not,” she said softly.

Oran laughed silently and put his hand on the torque at her throat.

Alix summoned the magic and blurred herself into a wolf.

He gaped at her, then fell back with a cry of terror. The knife fell from limp fingers as he scrabbled on the floor. The wolf-bitch snarled and leaped over him, avoiding his body, but forcing
him flat on his back as she moved. She heard his scream of horror as she drove past his trembling body and into the darkened forest.

She paused a moment, free of the place, and sent an exultant howl soaring to the dark heavens.

Then she went on in
lir
-shape.

The wolf-bitch, silvered by moonlight, sifted out of the trees into the Cheysuli camp. She saw the huddled forms of blanketed, sleeping warriors and the shadowed lumps of
lir
scattered throughout the camp. She sent soothing patterns to the animals so they would not give the alarm and moved smoothly toward the fire. She heard Cai, perched in a tree, send a single word to his
lir.

Duncan rolled over instantly and sat up. His movement awoke Finn, next to him, and they got to their feet in silent unison. They parted smoothly, unsheathing knives, watching the wolf-bitch carefully.

Alix, realizing they thought her some wild creature, laughed within her mind.

And Duncan named me helpless…

She sensed his attentiveness. Finn, moving silently, stepped closer to her. She considered leaping at him in mock attack, but gave it up as she realized he would very likely slay her.

Instead, she blurred herself into human form.

Duncan blinked, then frowned.

Finn laughed. “Well,
rujho
, I have not given you proper credit. You are powerful indeed if she cannot even part with you for two days.”

Alix, suddenly chilled and wearied by the exertion and tension of the past hours, ignored him and walked to the glowing bed of coals. There she dropped to her knees and stretched her hands over the embers.

Duncan slid his knife home in its sheath. He said nothing.

Finn laughed again and gathered up his blanket, dropping it over her shoulders as he moved softly to her. “There,
rujholla
,” he said mockingly. “If he will let you freeze, at least I will not.”

She slid him a resentful glance and gathered the folds about her. Finn shrugged eloquently and returned to his sleeping place, settling himself cross-legged on the flattened earth.

Duncan stepped behind her, so close she could feel his knees against her back. “I suppose you will tell me why…eventually.”

“It was
not
what Finn said!”

“Well,” Duncan said, sighing, “it was too much to expect you to obey me. I should have put a spell on you.”

She jerked around so hard the blanket slid off a shoulder. “You can do that?”

He laughed and moved next to her, squatting down. He took a stick and stirred the coals. “You do not know all of our gifts yet,
cheysula.
There are three. The Cheysuli can assume
lir
-shape, borrow the earth magic to heal, and also force submission on any save an Ihlini.” He smiled. “But that we save for extremity.”

“Duncan!”

He grinned at the coals. “I would not truly do it,
cheysula.
But you tempt me, with your forward ways.”

She scowled at him. “You know I have come mostly because of you, Duncan.” She took a breath. “But also because of Carillon.”

His hand stopped stirring the coals. “Why?”

“He requires our help.”

“How would you know that? Or can you also read the minds of men in addition to the
lir
?”

She disliked the mocking glint in his eyes. “You know I cannot. But I met a man who says he saw Fergus slain and Carillon taken by Thorne, Keough of Atvia’s son. It was a bloody battle, from the appearance of his garments.”

“War is often bloody, Alix. Why else would I seek to keep you from it?”

“We must find Carillon.”

“The prince is no half-grown boy, Alix. And he is valuable. His captivity may well be unpleasant, but it will not be the death of him. Bellam—perhaps even Tynstar—will want him alive, for a time.”

She stared at him. “I begin to think you will allow this jealousy to prevent his rescue.”

“I am jealous of no one!” he snapped, and reddened as he heard Finn’s spurt of laughter.

“Duncan, we must go to him.”

“We go to Mujhara, to fight the Ihlini, They are a bigger threat than Keough.”

“Then you sentence Carillon to death!”

Duncan sighed heavily. “If his death is meant, it will happen. Carillon may not be Cheysuli, but he has his own sort of
tahlmorra.
”

“Duncan!” she cried incredulously, aware the others watched in silent interest. “You cannot mean to forsake him like this!”

He looked at her harshly. “The Ihlini have taken Mujhara. If the palace falls, Homana is in the hands of Tynstar. Do you not
see? Carillon will be kept alive while Bellam wants him, but if Homana-Mujhar falls he will slay all threats to his control. First Shaine, then Carillon.” He released a weary breath. “I know you care for him,
cheysula
, but we cannot seek out a single man when an entire city may be destroyed.”

“He is your prince,” she whispered.

“And I am your
cheysul.
”

She scowled at him. “Do you send me back, then?”

“Would you go if I did?”

“No.”

He grunted. “Then I will save my breath.” He raised her, removed Finn’s blanket and led her over to his pallet. He pressed her down with a hand on her shoulder. “Sleep,
cheysula
; we ride early.”

“Sleep?” she inquired impishly as he lowered himself next to her and encircled her with his hard arms.

He laughed softly. “Sleep. Would you give my
rujholli
more to make sport of?”

“It is ever Finn,” she said grumpily, pulling a blanket over them both.

Duncan settled her head upon his shoulder. After a moment he sighed. “If it pleases you, small one, I will send Cai to the prince. He can bring word of Carillon’s welfare.”

“Well,” she said after a silence, “it is something.”

His hand tightened threateningly on her throat. “Can you never be satisfied, Alix?”

“If I told you aye, you would cease trying to please me.” She spread her fingers against the hollow of his throat, feeling its pulse. “Duncan,” she whispered after a moment, “why have you never said you loved me?”

He was very still. “Because the Cheysuli do not speak of love.”

Alix sat bolt upright, dragging the blanket from him. “What do you say?”

His hand reached out and caught hers, pulling her back down against his chest. “I said we do not
speak
of love. It weakens a warrior, who should think of other matters.” He smiled into the darkness. “For all that, words do not always serve.”

“Then am I supposed to
guess
?”

He laughed softly and settled the blanket over them again. “There is no need for you to guess. I have given you answer enough, before.” His hand slid down to rest across her stomach as he whispered. “You bear my son, Alix. Is that not enough?”

She stared into the darkness. “For now…”

Alix spent her days on horseback behind Duncan, clasping his lean waist and anticipating what they would do when they reached Mujhara. She had decided not to bother Duncan with entreaties to go instead to Carillon, for he had sent Cai as promised four days before, and his arguments made sense. For all she still held great esteem and affection for Carillon, she knew even the prince would be more concerned with the welfare of Homana-Mujhar than himself.

Duncan was unusually solicitous of her, so much so that Finn, riding next to them, finally demanded an explanation. Alix, looking at him in surprise, realized Duncan had said nothing of the child.

“Well
meijha
?” he asked. “Have you sickened, or does my
rujho
simply worry himself over women’s things, now he has a
cheysula
?”

She felt color rise in her face. “I have not sickened.”

Duncan shot Finn a dark glance. “Do not plague her,
rujho.
You have done enough of that in the past.”

Finn kneed his horse closer. “Do you seek to tell me something without speaking?”

“No,” Alix said quickly.

Duncan laughed softly. “Perhaps it is time,
cheysula.
You will not be able to be silent about it much longer.”

“Duncan…” she protested.

Finn scowled at them. “What do you say?”

“Alix has conceived. She bears me a son in six months.”

She waited for Finn’s mocking words and twisted mouth, dreading what he might say. But he said nothing. He glanced at her quickly, then away, head bent as if he studied the ground beneath his horse’s hooves. His face was masklike, as if he feared to set free an emotion he could not control.

Duncan frowned. “Finn?”

Finn glanced up and smiled at his brother. His eyes slid to Alix, then away. “I wish you well of it, Duncan. It is a good thing to know the Cheysuli increase, even if only by one.”

“One is enough for now,” Alix said firmly.

His grin crept back. “Aye,
meijha
, perhaps it is. I will be glad enough to be uncle to one.”

She watched him, puzzled by his manner. He was a different man. She saw his yellow eyes settle broodingly on Duncan, then a strange regretful smile twisted his mouth. He glanced up and saw her watching him, then gestured expressively with a hand.

Tahlmorra.

Alix opened her mouth to ask a question, sensing something she could not quite understand. But she said nothing as Duncan stiffened before her. She felt the sudden tensing of his muscles as he shuddered once, violently.

“Duncan!”

He did not answer her. Instead he jerked the horse to a stop so unruly it slid Alix along smooth hindquarters until she clutched helplessly at Duncan, trying to stay horseback. It was futile. She landed awkwardly on her feet, hanging onto the stirrup to steady herself.

“Duncan!”

The horse side-stepped nervously. The reins were slack in Duncan’s hands as he bent over the pommel and shuddered again.

Alix stumbled back as the horse moved against her, nearly stepping on her. She grabbed Duncan’s leggings and tugged, trying to gain his attention.

Finn, on the other side, wrenched his mount to a halt and reached out. “
Rujho
?”

Duncan pushed himself upright and slid awkwardly off the horse. He hung onto the stirrup helplessly, unaware of Alix’s presence. He set his forehead against the saddle and sucked in air like a drowning man.

“Duncan…” she whispered, putting a hesitant hand on his rigid arm.
“Duncan!”

Finn dismounted rapidly and moved around the riderless horse to Duncan’s side. He gently pushed Alix out of the way, ignoring her protests, and took Duncan’s arm.

“What is it?” he asked.

Duncan turned his head, gazing blankly at Finn. His eyes were dilated and oddly confused. “Cai…” He gasped hoarsely, shuddering again.

Finn steered him away from the fretting horse to a tree stump, pushing him down on it as Duncan swayed on his feet. There he knelt in the leaves and looked into his brother’s face.

“Slain?” he whispered.

Alix, still standing by the horse, understood the implications of the question instantly. She fell to her knees next to Finn.

“Duncan…
no!
”

His face was strained and pale. His head dropped until he stared sightlessly at the ground, hands hanging limply against his thighs.

Alix touched his cold hand softly. “Duncan, say you are well.”

Finn set his hand on her shoulder, silencing her without a word. Then he grasped Duncan’s tensing forearm.

“
Rujho
, is he slain?”

Duncan raised his head and stared at them. His eyes were strange, dangerously feral in a hollowed face. Tautness moved through his body like a serpent, knotting sinews into rigidity. But color began to flow slowly back into his face.

“No,” he said at last. He swallowed against another shudder. “He is—injured. And far from this place.” He shoved a shaking hand through his black hair. “His
lir
-pattern is so weak I can barely touch him.”

Alix sent out her own call, trying to discover the hawk, but nothing, answered. She had spent time working on screening out the other
lir
so she could think in peace; perhaps it worked against her now.

Finn glanced over his shoulder at the gathered warriors. “We camp here until morning.” He turned back and looked at Alix out of a face suddenly old and weary. His smile held little reassurance, though he sought to soothe her. “Cai is not slain. Duncan will be well.”

She swallowed and felt some of the horrible fear slide out of her bones. But much of it remained, and when Finn pulled Duncan to his feet she nearly cried to see his spirit so diminished.

This is what it is to have a
lir, she thought miserably.
This is the price of the old gods’ magic…

Duncan was made to lie down, wrapped in blankets before a hastily laid fire. But he came out of his shock long enough to stare frowningly at his brother.

“We should go on,
rujho.
We do not reach Mujhara like this.”

Finn smiled and shook his head. “I know what you feel. When Storr nearly died of an arrow wound, I was close to death myself with the shock of it. You have never had to deal with it, so keep silent until you are better. I am second-leader, after you.”

Duncan pulled the blankets more closely around his shoulders, worn to the bone. “You have never led men, Finn,” he said crossly. “How can I know you will not get us into trouble?”