and slid the satchel close. She undid the straps and folded back the leather flap. Then she took an
even deeper breath, slid in her hand, and grasped the crown of Elcho Falling.
She froze, staring down at the satchel and her wrist as it vanished under the flap.
The crown was alive.
It was all Ishbel could do to keep her hand on its cool metal.
Ishbel, the crown of Elcho Falling said, do you remember what Isaiah said to you when
first you met?
“No,” Ishbel muttered.
He said that you were the priestess of the Lord of Elcho Falling. That is why Maximilian
gave me to you to keep for the moment.
“Oh,” Ishbel said, as she realized the meaning of what Isaiah had said to her, and the
reason Maximilian had wanted her to have the crown.
“You should be the one to crown him,” said a voice behind her, and Ishbel whipped
about, pulling her hand from the satchel.
Lister stood there.
Ishbel stared at him, for the moment so angry at his intrusion that she could find nothing
to say.
He gave a little smile. “May I sit?”
“No.”
“Once you were pleased to see me. You hung off my every word.”
“You deceived me. You murdered my family in order to manipulate me into what you
wanted. Had you never thought to merely ask, Lister?”
“Don”t be so angry, Ishbel. I did what was needed, and I can still aid and advise you.
Besides, do not forget that you owe all your power to me—”
No, the crown said, and Ishbel understood that Lister could not hear it. You have far more
power than what he gave you. Far more. The blood of Elcho Falling runs in your veins, and he
envies it.
Then it hissed, again inaudible to Lister, and Ishbel involuntarily gave a small smile.
Lister mistook the reason for her smile. He relaxed, and reached for the back of a wooden
chair, meaning to lift it close and sit down. “It is all behind us now, Ishbel. Between us, you and
I can make of Maximilian what we need—”
“Get out.”
Lister froze in the act of sitting. “Ishbel—”
“Get out. You are nothing to me now, Lister. Meaningless. I suspect you are now very
meaningless to Maximilian and to Elcho Falling as well. Go. Find some other poor soul to
manipulate if you must, but leave us alone.”
“You will need me, Ishbel. Both you and Maximilian.”
“I can”t imagine the circumstances under which either of us would voluntarily call for
your aid, Lister. You have delivered the crown. I”m sure Maximilian is grateful. Now…just go.”
Lister stared at her for a long moment, then he turned on his heel and left.
Ishbel closed her eyes and forced the muscles of her shoulders and neck to relax. The
very sight of him made her feel nauseated.
All the people who had suffered and died due to his meddling.
And why? Would Maximilian have been any less the man he was now for not having
spent seventeen years existing in hell? Would she have been any less the woman had she been
allowed to grow within her loving family instead of living among their corpses?
Who was the greater fool? Lister for his meddling, or herself for perhaps alienating a
man, a god, who could aid Maximilian?
“Maxel,” Ishbel murmured, rolling her head a little to stretch her neck and shoulders, “I
hope I haven”t ruined this for you, too.”
Then she opened her eyes and looked at the satchel. Slowly, but now without any
hesitation, she slid her hand in once more, took hold of the crown of Elcho Falling, and drew it
forth.
For a long minute Ishbel held it in her hands, then she placed it atop the satchel on the
table.
Ishbel knew its shape and proportions from holding it in her hands: three heavy rolled
bands, probably of gold from the occasional glimpse she caught of them, twisted around each
other to create a simple yet elegant crown. But she could barely see the golden bands. The entire
crown was almost completely obscured by a roiling cloud of darkness.
“Why are you so dark?” she said. “Why the gloom?”
“Perhaps it sees you for what you are,” said another voice behind her.
Oh, for all the gods’ sakes! Ishbel turned about on her chair, hardly able to believe the
fact of another intruder.
Ravenna stood in the center of the tent, very dark, very still.
“Ishbel,” Ravenna said, “do you not know how dangerous you are to Maximilian? Can
you not see how—”
“Get out,” Ishbel said.
“Leave him,” Ravenna said. “Let him live.”
Ishbel rose from her chair and walked up to Ravenna. “Do you have nothing better to do
than rail against me?”
“You will destroy him.”
Ishbel”s hand twitched, and she kept it by her side only with the greatest effort. “I must
be a terrible threat to you, Ravenna. You hated me from the first moment you heard my name, I
think.”
To Ishbel”s surprise, Ravenna”s eyes gleamed with tears. “You think this is about you,
Ishbel? Only incidentally. All I want is Maximilian”s happiness and success. But you stand in the
way. Step aside, Ishbel.”
“If you cared this much then you should have stayed at Maximilian”s side, Ravenna. Not
abandoned him the moment you thought you”d found someone a little more powerful. What a
mistake Drava was, eh?”
“You think you love Maximilian, Ishbel, but you will inevitably betray him, and Elcho
Falling, and this land besides.”
“And this you have seen.”
“And this I have seen.”
“You are truly tedious,” Ishbel said. “Get out.”
This time Ravenna went.
“Ravenna.”
She turned about. A man approached her through the night.
“Lister,” she said, and gave a small bow of her head.
“Ishbel appears to have fallen out with both of us,” Lister said.
“Apparently.”
“You are being cautious,” said Lister, “but I wonder if we might talk. Your tent,
perhaps?”
“I share my tent with my mother, and she is more Maximilian”s ally than mine.”
“Then we shall speak here, and I shall be brief, that neither of us perish from the cold.
There is a rumor about this camp, Ravenna, that you aid the three Isembaardian generals against
Maximilian.”
“Many people are too willing to speak ill of me.”
Lister waited.
“I do not know what you want,” Ravenna said. “You have been Ishbel”s ally and mentor
for many years.”
Lister”s mouth curved in a sardonic smile. “Ishbel has not proved the loyal acolyte, I fear.
You seem somewhat…disenchanted with her yourself.”
“I fear that she will bring Maximilian nothing but sorrow.”
“In what way?”
Ravenna hesitated. She sensed that Lister was not antagonistic to her, and that he
entertained doubts, either about Maximilian or Ishbel.
“For months,” Ravenna said, “I have been troubled with a vision.”
“Can you share it?” Lister said.
Again Ravenna hesitated, but not so long this time. “Yes,” she said, and led Lister into
the Land of Dreams.
When the vision had faded, and Lister and Ravenna once more stood in the snow, Lister
spoke softly.
“Have you shown this vision to Maximilian?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“He prefers to ignore its clear warning. He is weak, and I worry.”
“He loves her.”
“A love you engineered.”
Lister chuckled. “Am I being blamed?”
“I want to know why you are here talking to me.”
“Are you aiding the generals?”
“Why do you wish to know?”
Lister did not answer immediately. “If Maximilian makes one misstep,” he said
eventually, “Elcho Falling will be destroyed. Ravenna, marsh witch, do you know what Elcho
Falling really is?”
“I have a good idea.”
Again Lister chuckled. “You do not allow your secrets to slip easily, Ravenna, and that is
a commendable quality.”
“We are both proving equally adept at this sidestepping dance, Lister. What do you want
from me? ”
“I think I may need an ally,” he said, leaning so close that his breath frosted in her face,
“as I think also do you. Tell me, Ravenna, is that a child you carry in your belly?”
“Yes.”
“Maximilian”s child?”
“Yes.”
“A son.”
“Yes.”
Lister smiled. “Have you met my friend and helper, Vorstus? No? Then perhaps we can
track him down, and find ourselves a fire, and talk some more.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
On the Road to Serpent’s Nest
Ravenna and Venetia packed away their night things, ready for the day”s march. They
worked in silence, each avoiding touching the other or catching the other”s eye. It was a
well-worn ritual, enacted as it had been every morning over the past week.
Whatever closeness had once bound them was now long dead.
Soldiers were standing about outside, stamping their feet and blowing on their hands,
waiting for the two women to leave the tent so they could pack it away for the day”s march.
There was a murmur of voices, a movement, and the tent flap lifted back.