“As I said, half the Sisterhood seems to be quartered on us here,” Betta said, “and there are so many rumors in this place. Two nights ago we had women sleeping on the tables in here, and even under them, even though we who live here in the hostel slept two to a bed and gave up the emptied beds to the newcomers.”
“I have slept on the ground often enough;” Romilly said, “I can sleep somewhere on the floor.” At least this was out of the rain, and under a roof.
“Oh, I am sure that for the Lady Jandria they can find a bed somewhere,” Betta said. “Are you her lover?”
Romilly was too tired and confused even to know for certain what Betta meant. “No, no, certainly not.” Although, she supposed, the question was reasonable. Why would a woman seek the life of a Swordswoman, when she could just as well marry? There had been a time or two, since she had come among the Sisterhood, when she had begun to wonder if her constant rejection of the idea of marriage meant that at heart she was a lover of women. She felt no particular revulsion at the thought, but no particular attraction to it either. Fond as she had grown of Jandria during these days, it would never have occurred to her to seek her out as she had sought Orain. But now her attention had been forcibly drawn to the subject, she wondered again. Is this why I have never really wanted it man, and even with Orain, it was a matter of liking and kindness, not any real desire?
I am too tired to think clearly about anything, let alone anything as important as that! But she knew she must consider it some day, especially if her life was to be spent among the Sisterhood.
One by one, or in little groups of three and four, the women of the Sisterhood were leaving the table and going to seek their various beds. Blanket rolls stowed in a corner of the big room were unrolled on the floor, with some good-natured bickering for places near the log-fire; Tina came and found them and led them to a room with three beds, two of which were already occupied.
“You can sleep there,” she told them, “And the Housemother wants to see you, Lady Jandria.”
Janni said to Romilly, “Go to bed and sleep; I will be along later.” Romilly was so tired that, although she told herself it would be difficult to sleep in a room with four other women, some of whom were certain to snore, she was fast asleep even before her head hit the pillow, and did not remember, afterward, at what hour Jandria had come in.
But the next morning, when they were dressing, she said to Jandria, “They seemed to know who you were, and to be expecting us. How could you send a message that would come faster than we did ourselves?”
Jandria looked up, a stocking in her hand. She said, “There is a leronis of my acquaintance with Carolin’s army; this is why I dared not fall into the hands of Lyondri. I know too much. I sent word, and asked that news be sent to the hostel of the Sisterhood; so that they were ready to admit us. Do you really think they would open their doors after dark in a city full of soldiers, and readying for war?”
It seemed to Romilly that every day she learned something new about Jandria. So she had laran too? Laran of that curious kind which could link to send messages over the trackless miles? She felt shy and confused again – could Janni read what she was thinking, know all her rebellion, her fears? She kept her mind away from the implications of that.
“If I am to break horses here,” she said, “I suppose I should go at once to the stables and begin.”
Jandria laughed. “I think there will be time to have breakfast first,” she said, “The Housemother told me to sleep as long as I could after the long ride; and I think we have slept long enough that we can find someplace to eat in the dining-room without kicking the sleepers off tables. That was the only reason I did not want to sleep on the floor there – I knew the cooks and servers for this tenday would come in and rouse us at daybreak so they could get to their breakfast kettles!”