“No one travels this path,” whispered Caryl, “except for a few of the brothers who practice their mastery of the ordeals by living here, naked, and even if they knew you were here, they would not know or care who you were, they think only of the things of the heavenly realms, not of kings and wars. But oh, go carefully, my lords – there are dangers-”
“What dangers?” demanded Alaric, grabbing his throat Caryl squeaked softly, but did not cry out.
“No dangers of man; banshee-birds live here, though our Brothers have a pact with them, as they say the holy Saint Valentine-of-the-Snows had a pact when he preached to them and called them God’s little brothers.”
“You led us into a nest of banshee-birds, ye devil’s pup?” Alaric demanded, but Orain said, “Let him go, damn you, man; touch the boy again and I’ll give you something you’ll remember! The banshees are not of his calling, he thought to warn us, which is more than even the Father Master thought to do!”
“Take your hands from the boy, Alaric! Are you mad?” demanded a new voice, and Dom Carlo stood among them. Romilly did not see from whence he had come; he was simply there. Later she realized he must have come through another secret tunnel or path, but at the moment it was as if he jumped up among them like magic. Caryl gave a little startled cry; Romilly’s eyes were adjusting to the darkness now, and she could see the child’s face. He held out his arms to Dom Carlo for a kinsman’s embrace, saying simply, “Uncle. I am glad you are safe.”
“It makes my heart glad to know you are not my enemy,” said Carlo, not as if he spoke to a child, but as if he spoke to another noble, his equal in rank and age. He kissed the boy on either cheek. “Walk in the Light, lad, till we meet again.”
“Vai dom-” Caryl’s young high voice suddenly wavered, “I am your friend, not your enemy. But – I beg you – if my father is in your hands – spare him for my sake-”
Dom Carlo held Caryl’s shoulders gently between his hands. He said, “I wish I could promise you that, son. I do swear this, by the Lord of Light, whom I serve as you the Bearer of Burdens; I will make no quarrel with Lyondri while he makes none with me. For the rest, I will hope with all my heart that Lyondri stays afar from me; I wish him far less ill than he wishes me. He was once my friend, and the quarrel was none of my making.” He kissed Caryl again, and released him. “Now get you back to your bed, child, before your father hears that you have been abroad this night, or Father Master seeks to punish you, May the Gods walk with you, chiyu.”
“And with you, my lord.” Caryl turned and started back into the dark mouth of the passage. Then Alaric grabbed him around the waist. He struggled, but one quick blow from Alaric sent him sagging softly, with a little sigh, into the man’s arms.
“Are you mad, vai dom?’ he demanded, “Lyondri’s own son in our hands for hostage, and you’d let him free? With this whelp in our hands, we could bargain our way out of Rakhal’s very clutches, to say nothing of being secure against Lyondri Hastur!”
“And you would reward him like this for guiding us to safety?” Romilly cried in outrage, but Alaric’s face was hard and set.
“You’re a fool, boy. And you too, under favor, my lords,” he said to Orain and Dom Carlo. “The boy may have led us honestly – who’d seek to distrust a little one with angel face like this? But his elders have laran even if he means us no harm, how do we know they haven’t trailed us through the boy’s laran! I won’t hurt the least hair on his head, but he stays with us till we’re safe from glacier and Lyondri’s men! We can leave him in Caer Bonn, or some such place!”
“If you’ve hurt him-” Dom Carlo said with soft menace, and Romilly hoped his wrath would never be turned on her. He felt the boy’s forehead. “I wouldn’t reward the child’s loyalty like this! But we can’t leave him here unconscious, to die of the cold,” he added. “Bring him with you, then, if you must; we dare not delay for him to recover. But you’ll hear of this after, Alaric,” he said angrily, and turned his back on the man. “Set the boy on one of the horses, and you, young Rumal,” he added, beckoning to Romilly, “Ride behind him, for he cannot keep his saddle as he is now, and I am reluctant to tie him as if he were a prisoner. Now come, make haste!”