ancient crystal globes on her belt. In the Hall of the
Sleeping Spirits, they would be filled with sacred sand.
“Where is Riverwind?” she whispered to Hollow-sky as
he handed her a torch.
“I could not wake him, so I took both watches. The
sheep-herder sleeps like a rock,” he said, contempt in his
voice.
“Try again!” Goldmoon commanded.
Hollow-sky shrugged. “Why bother? The sheep-herder
is not a believer. The ceremony will mean nothing to him.
He may even spoil it. Let him sleep.”
Hollow-sky’s refusal to obey her orders angered the
priestess.
Goldmoon quickly knelt by Riverwind’s bedroll and
gave the warrior a shake. But he did not respond.
She spun about and stood to face Hollow-sky. “You’ve
drugged him,” she accused.
“Yes,” he admitted. “I couldn’t let him spoil my plans.”
“YOUR plans? What are you talking about?” The
princess suddenly felt chilled and even a little frightened in
the predawn darkness. She began to search through her
saddlebags for something, anything, that might bring
Riverwind around.
Hollow-sky shrugged. “I know you will think this
presumptuous of me, but I guarantee you will find my plans
infinitely preferable to my father’s.”
“I know about the book, if that’s what you mean.” She
could see nothing of use among her things.
Grabbing her arms, Hollow-sky forcibly turned her
back around to face him. “You have no idea, do you?” He
grinned and then said, as if explaining to a child,
“Goldmoon, my father wants the title of chieftain for
himself, but he can’t take it as long as Arrowthorn has an
heir. If you were out of the way, my sister Ravenhair would
be priestess, then my father would be chieftain.”
“Out of the way?” she asked in a sharp voice,
determined not to reveal the fear spreading through her.
“Yes. Gone. Dead!” He bit off the words as he drew a
sharp dagger from his belt and grabbed her roughly around
the waist. The knife’s edge glinted in the pale light as
Hollow-sky held it menacingly near her throat.
“So why didn’t you kill me in my sleep?” Goldmoon
demanded, feeling the world reel about her. Stubbornly she
forced herself to concentrate.
“I told you, I have other plans. I want you for myself,
though the gods know why. You really are an arrogant
witch sometimes. We’ll marry, and then I’LL be chieftain.
Loreman wants the power for himself, but the knowledge
that his son, and later his grandchildren, will rule should
satisfy him. In the meantime, he’ll be content with your
dowry.” He smiled slightly, a smile that made Goldmoon
shudder. “You should thank me for saving your life.”
With his free hand, Hollow-sky clenched her hair close
to the scalp, forcing her head to tilt back. As tears came to
her eyes, Loreman’s son kissed her as no man had ever
dared to kiss her before. His passion was not an expression
of affection, but an assault.
Struggling to wrench her face from him, Goldmoon
gasped, “You’re dreaming! I’ll never marry you.” Desperate,
she threatened the first thing that came to her:
“I’ll scream! I’ll – ”
“There is no one to hear you,” he said, sneering.
His crushing grip bruised her shoulders through the
silken cloth of her gown. She forced her arms down on the
hand holding the dagger and almost succeeded in thrusting
him away. He snatched at her and ripped the sleeve from
her shoulder. Holding her more firmly than before, his face
just inches from hers, the dagger point resting gently against
her chin, he said, “Of course, you love the peasant!” He
gave Riverwind’s unconscious body a sharp kick and smiled
cruelly when Goldmoon flinched. “That’s why we’ll ride
down to the Que-kiri this morning. Any woman a man can
drag to their priest, they’ll declare married. Then, if your
father ever wants to see you again, he’ll have to agree to my
worthiness and accept the vows of the Que-kiri as binding.”
HE IS INSANE! Goldmoon thought to herself. I will
humor him, stall him, until the doors to the hall open. Then
surely the ancestors will aid me!
Goldmoon felt the weight of the forever charm against
her breast. Her fingers closed around it. “Please, if this