Jandria said grimly “I swear, I shall not sleep nor drink wine till Lyondri has been flayed alive.”
“Nor I; but that will not save Orain from his fate,” said Carolin. “You come when we have lost hope, and are almost ready to storm the city, so that Orain may have a death that is swift and clean. Yet somehow we must find out where they are keeping him, and he has managed to shield the city against laran. But we still have one sentry-bird, and we thought, perhaps – we could fly her; she has not been manageable since the battle, Ruyven could not handle her.”
Maura said, “And Ranald was killed in the final charge, where we thought you too had died. But Ruyven said you were not dead, that he would have felt you die – and the Swordswomen could not find your body. But we knew not where you had gone. Yet perhaps, if we can find out in what part of the city they have kenneled for their filthy work – if we enter the city, they have threatened, they will start to cut him to pieces at that moment, and we may have what is left by the time we have searched long enough to find him.” Her face twisted with dread and horror. “So we cannot search at random, and – and somehow his leronyn have guarded the city – but perhaps they would not notice a bird.”
“They would see a sentry-bird at once,” said Romilly. “Their leronyn would be aware of just such a plan.”
“That is what I told them,” Ruyven said, “but it seemed a chance – if you can handle Temperance-”
“Better that I should send Preciosa,” said Romilly. “She would not come into the army with me, but flew away – but I can call her.” Had she ever believed that she would not use her laran again? It was, like her body and her life, at Carolin’s service. No land could survive with a mountain-cat like Lyondri at its head. No; the cat killed because it was its nature from hunger or fear, but Rakhal and Lyondri for power alone.
“That might do,” said Carolin, “They might think her only a wild hawk – the Gods know there are enough of them in the country round Hali, and you might spy out where Orain is being held, so that we can make directly for that place, and they will have to surrender Orain or kill him quick and clean.”
Somewhere a horn blew; Carolin started and cringed. “That is their accursed summons,” he said weakly, “It was at this hour – just before sunset-that they came on the other two days, and while I sit here trying to summon courage to storm the city, Orain -” his voice failed again. Again the horn sounded, and Carolin went out of his tent. A common soldier came toward him, with insolent bearing. In his hand he bore a little packet of yellow silk. He bowed, and said, “Carolin, pretender to the throne of the Hasturs, I have the honor to return another portion of your faithfully sworn man. You may take pride in his bravery.”
He laughed, a jeering, raucous laugh, and Alderic leaped forward.
“Wretch whom I will honor by calling dog, I win at least rid you of that laugh-” he shouted, but Jandria flung her arms round him.
“No, Deric, they will only revenge themselves on Orain.”
The soldier said, “Do you not want to see what token they have sent you of your paxman’s bravery and devotion?”
Carolin’s hands were shaking. Jandria said, “Let me,” released Alderic and unwrapped the horrid packet. Inside there was another finger. The soldier said, “This is the message of Lyondri. We weary of this play. Tomorrow it will be an eye; the next day, the other eye; and the day after that, his testicles. Should you hold out beyond that, it will be a yard of skin flayed from his back.”
“Bastards! Sons of bastards!” cursed Carolin, but the soldier turned his back and, to the sound of the trumpet again, walked within the gates of the city.
“Follow him with laran!” commanded Carolin, but although Ruyven, Maura and Alderic all sought to do so – Romilly could sense it, tried to follow the man with her special senses – it was as if her body rammed against an impregnable wall of stone; as soon as the man was inside the gates, she could not reach him. Carolin was shaking with horror, unable to even shed tears; Maura held him tightly in her arms.