The mournful harp-chords were very soft, the woman’s voice very sweet.
We sat at feast, we fought in jest,
Sister, I vow to thee;
A berserker’s rage came in my hand,
And I slew them shamefully.
Lew said, “Enough of this, you are tired and anxious about Dani, and you must have some rest. When you are well recovered, I want you to know all about what we are doing. Then you will know why those who are really loyal to Darkover may serve us all best by putting some check on the Comyn powers.”
Regis could feel Lew’s sincerity through the touch on his hand, yet there was some hesitation too. He slid his hand up Lew’s arm to touch the tattooed mark there. He said, “You’re not completely sure of this either, Lew. You are sworn, sealed to Comyn.”
Lew took his hand away, saying bitterly, “Sworn? No. Vows in which I had no part were sworn for me when I was five years old. But come, we’ll talk of this another time. If you’ve been imagining Danilo a prisoner it will reassure you to find him in the best guest suite, the only one, I suppose, fit to entertain a Hastur. If he’s your sworn man he should be lodged with you.”
He turned, briefly making his excuses to the women. In his sensitized state Regis could feel their emotions, too: sharp resentment from the older, the singer. The younger one seemed aware of nothing but Lew. Regis didn’t want to be part of these complexities! He was glad when they were alone in the corridor.
“Regis, what’s really wrong with you? You’re ill!”
Regis tried—he knew he didn’t succeed too well—to cut off the rapport entirely. He knew that if he told Lew he had threshold sickness on the road, Lew would be immensely concerned. Even Javanne had treated it as a serious matter. For some reason he was anxious to avoid this. He said, “Nothing much; I’m very tired. I’m not used to mountain riding and I may have a chill.” Actively he resisted Lew’s solicitude. He could feel his kinsman’s anxiety about him, and it made him irritible for some unknown reason. He wasn’t a child nowl And he could sense the bafflement with which Lew gently but definitely withdrew.
Lew paused at an ornate double door, scowling at the guard stationed there. “You guard a guest, sir?”
“Safeguard, Dom Lewis. Lord Beltran ordered me to see that no one disturbed him. Everybody’s not friendly to the valley folk here. See?” the guard said, thrusting the door open. “He’s not locked in.”
Lew went in and called, “Danilo?” Regis, following him, took in at a glance the luxurious old-fashioned surroundings. Danilo came from an inner room, stopped short.
Regis felt overwhelming relief. He couldn’t speak. Lew smiled. “You see,” he said, “alive and well and unharmed.”
Danilo flung back his head in an aggressive gesture. He said, “Did you send to have him captured, too?”
“How suspicious you are, Dani,” Lew said. “Ask him yourself. I’ll send servants to look after you.”
He touched Regis lightly on the arm. “My own honor pledged on it, no harm shall come to either of you, and you shall depart unharmed when you are able to travel.” He added, “Take good care of him, Dani,” and withdrew, closing the door.
Chapter EIGHTEEN
When I came back to the fireside room, Thyra was still playing her harp, and I realized how short a time I had been away; she was still singing the ballad of the outlaw berserker.
And when will you come back again,
Brother, tell me, tell me?
When the sun and the moon rise together in the West,
And that shall never be.
It must be immeasurably old, I thought, and alien, to speak of one moon instead of four! Beltran had returned and was gazing into the fire, looking angry and remote. He must have gotten the scolding he deserved from Kermiac. Before this, the old man’s illness had kept any of us from telling Kermiac what Beltran had done. I was distressed because Beltran was distressed—I couldn’t help it, I liked him, I understood what had prompted his rash orders. But what he had done to Danilo was unforgivable, and I was angry with him, too.