Dryad named Ce’Vanne. The twins found that highly significant, and
they assured me that the marriage would result in the birth of the
Queen of the World. If they were right, and they almost always were,
this meant that when Geran reached adulthood and married, he’d become
the father of the one we’d all been waiting for.
Not long after that, Beldin came back to the Vale.
“I see that you finally got tired of watching that cave,” I said to him
after he had come up the stairs to my tower.
“Not really,” he replied.
“Some things have been happening, haven’t they?”
“A few. We’re getting closer to the birth of the Godslayer.”
“I thought it might be something like that. A few months back I
suddenly got a powerful urge to go out and have a look around. The
Murgos have a new king, Taur Urgas, and he’s as crazy as a loon.
There’s nothing new or startling about that; all the Urgas are crazy.
Taur Urgas carries it to extremes, though. I saw him once in Rak
Goska, and I think he’s going to figure in events.”
“Is there any sign of his Mallorean counterpart yet?”
He nodded.
“His name’s Zakath. He hasn’t been crowned emperor yet, but I don’t
think it’s going to be much longer. His father’s in failing health.
For an Angarak, Zakath’s a remarkably civilized man. From what I
gather, he’s extremely intelligent, and his tutors were able to
persuade his father to let him attend the university in Melcene. An
educated Mallorean Emperor’s going to be a novelty. How many of the
companions have showed up so far?”
“Six that I know of. The Guide and the Blind Man were born in 5335,
the Dreadful Bear in ’36, and the Horse-Lord and the Knight Protector
in ’37.”
“That’s only five.”
“I thought you already knew about the Man with Two Lives. He was born
earlier–5330, I think. He’s apprenticed to a blacksmith in Erat in
central Sendaria.”
“Any hints about the others?”
“The twins think that the present Tolnedran Emperor’s going to produce
the Godslayer’s wife.”
“That sort of nails things down, doesn’t it? How’s Pol?”
“Difficult, the same as always. She went to Nyissa a couple of years
ago, and she met Zedar down there.”
“And you let her?”
“Let is a term that doesn’t apply when you’re talking about Pol. You
should know that by now, Beldin. Actually, she didn’t bother to tell
me where she was going. She told me afterward that she and Zedar have
to know each other. She’s getting instructions from someplace other
than the Mrin.”
“I’m sure she is. Oh, I almost forgot. There’s a new king in Gar og
Nadrak, too. His name’s Drosta lek Thun, and he was only twelve when
they put him on the throne.”
“Did you see him?”
“No. I heard about it when I was in Rak Goska. Are the Algars going
to do anything about their Crown Prince?”
“What do you mean, “do anything about him”?”
“He’s a cripple, isn’t he? I don’t think the Algars are very likely to
accept a defective as king.”
“He’ll probably be all right. Once he’s on a horse, he’s as good as
any Algar alive.” I scratched at my beard.
“I’m a little concerned about it, though. The Mrin says that the
Horse-Lord’s going to be his son, and the Horse-Lord’s already been
born–into another clan. The twins are working on it. The Mrin’s
being very stubborn right now. Are you going to be around for a
while?”
“No. I think I’d better go back to southern Cthol Murgos and keep an
eye on Burnt-face. We’re getting close to the birth of the Godslayer,
and that might be the thing that wakes Torak up.”
“I’m not so sure about that. If it does, we’re going to be in trouble.
An infant wouldn’t pose all that much threat to Torak One-eye.”
“I still think we should be ready–just in case. If it does wake
Torak, you might have to take the baby out into the woods someplace and
hide him. Is Chamdar still poking around?”
“He’s in Tolnedra right now. Drasnian intelligence is keeping an eye
on him.”
“I thought you were supposed to do that.”
“It’s better this way. Chamdar knows me a little too well. He can
feel it when I’m in his general vicinity.”
“It’s up to you, I guess. I’m going to go talk with the twins for a
bit, and then I’d better get back to Cthol Murgos.” Then he turned
around and clumped back on down my stairs. It was only after he’d left
that I realized that he hadn’t once asked me for something to drink.
Our growing sense of anticipation was making us all behave a little
strangely.
The following year, the lame Cho-Hag was elevated to the position of
Chief of Clan-Chiefs of Algaria, and that gave me a lot of trouble. I
knew that Hettar would one day take that position, and I couldn’t for
the life of me see how that could happen–short of another clan war.
Considering what lay ahead, a clan war in Algaria was the last thing we
needed.
Everything was happening very fast now, with events piling on top of
each other everywhere I turned, and yet in a very real sense, I was
just marking time, waiting for Geran to grow up and get married. I
tend at times to get impatient, and just sitting around waiting drives
me right up the wall, so, though there wasn’t really any need for it, I
dusted off my storyteller costume and went out to have a look around.
My first stop was Annath, naturally. Geran was twelve or so now, and
he was growing like a weed. His hair had grown even darker, and his
voice was changing, sometimes coming out as a rich baritone and at
other times cracking and squeaking. Quite often he sounded like a
young rooster trying to crow.
“Has he started to notice girls yet?” I asked Pol when I had gotten
her off to one side.
“Give him time, father,” she replied.
“Ildera’s only nine. Let’s not rush things.”
“Ildera?”
“The girl he’s going to marry.”
“That doesn’t sound like a Sendarian name.”
“It’s not. Ildera’s the daughter of a Clan-Chief of Algaria. Their
pastures are just over on the other side of the border.”
I frowned.
“Are you sure, Pol? I’d always assumed that the Godslayer’s mother was
going to be a Sendar.”
“Whatever gave you that idea?”
“I’m not sure. He’s supposed to be born here in Sendaria, so I guess I
just jumped to the conclusion that his mother’d be a Sendar.”
“All you had to do was ask me, father. I could have told you she’d be
an Algar about six generations ago.”
“You’re sure she’s the right one?”
“Of course I’m sure.”
“Have you told Geran yet?”
“I don’t do that, father. You should know that by now. If you start
telling young people whom they’re supposed to marry, they tend to get
mule-headed about it.”
“The Godslayer’s going to know.”
“Not until I’m ready for him to know, he won’t.”
“Pol, it’s written down in the Accords of Vo Mimbre. It’s right there
in black and white that he’ll marry a Tolnedran Princess.”
“It won’t mean a thing to him, father.”
“How do you plan to keep it from him?”
“I’m not going to teach him how to read, that’s how.”
“You can’t do that! He has to know how to read! How’s he going to
know what he’s supposed to do if he can’t read the Mrin?”
“There’ll be time enough for him to learn to read later, Old Man. I
didn’t start learning until after Beldaran got married, remember? If
he’s the kind of person we think he’s going to be, he won’t have any
trouble picking it up.”
I had my doubts about that, but I kept them to myself.
“How much have you told Geran?” I asked her.
“Not very much. Young people have a tendency to blurt things out when
they get excited. I’d rather that the people here in Annath didn’t
know that they have royalty in their midst. Darral knows, of course,
but he knows how to keep his mouth shut.”
“Where is the boy this morning?”
“He’s at the stone quarry with his father–learning the trade.”
“Working in a quarry can be dangerous, Pol,” I objected.
“He’ll be fine, father. Darral’s keeping an eye on him.”
“I think I’ll go on over there.”
“Why?”
“I want to see if Darral might give his apprentice the rest of the day
off.”
“What for?”
“So the boy and I can go fishing.”
“Don’t you be getting him off alone and telling him things he doesn’t
need to know yet.”
“That wasn’t what I had in mind.”
“Why do you want to take him fishing then?”
“To catch fish, Pol. Isn’t that why people usually go fishing?”