“So here you are,” said Melora, almost with wonder, “and here I am. It was true. I had resigned myself, and when I knew I bore Jalak’s child again, and that child a son-I was ready to die.” Her eyes went to her daughter; Jaelle had finished walking the horse, and was standing beside him as he drank from the waterhole. “She is past twelve; at thirteen she would have been chained. I think if you had not come I would have killed her, somehow, and then myself—–”
Rohana saw the deep shudder that ran through her cousin’s body. She put out her hand quickly to clasp Melora’s. “It is past, love. All past. Now you can begin to forget.”
Forget? While I bear Jalak’s son? Melora did not speak the words aloud, but Rohana heard them anyway. She said very gently, “Well, for now-you can rest, and you are free, and safe for the moment. Try to sleep, dearest.”
“Sleep.” Melora’s smile was wry. “I cannot remember when I really slept last. And it seems a pity to sleep now, when I am with you again, and safe … and I am happy…. Tell me all the news of our kinfolk, Rohana. Does Marius Elhalyn still rule in Thendara? What of our people, our friends-tell me everything,” she said yearningly, and Rohana had not the heart to silence her.
“That is a long story and would take many days and hours in the telling. Dom Marius died the year after you were taken; Aran Elhalyn keeps the throne warm from year to year, and as usual the Lord of Hastur is the true ruler; not old Istvan, he is senile, but Lorill Hastur, who was his heir. You recall that Lorill and his sister Leonie were with us at the Dalereuth Tower, when we were girls; I thought perhaps Lorill would move against Jalak for your sake-”
Melora sighed. She said, “Even I knew better than that; the Hasturs must think of more important things than the cause of kin, or how are they better than the Dry-Towners with all their feuds and little wars? There is peace otherwise?”
“Peace, yes . . . Lorill has brought the Terrans from Aldaran to Thendara; they are building a spaceport there, and he has defended his move before the Council; some of them fought it all the way, but Lorill prevailed, as the Hasturs usually do.”
“The Terrans,” said Melora, slowly. “Yes, I had heard; men like us from another world, come on great ships from the stars. Jalak told such tales only to laugh at them; in the Dry Towns they do not know that the stars are suns like ours, lighting worlds not unlike our own, and Jalak loved to scoff at such tales and say these so-called off-worlders must be clever rogues indeed to fool the Seven Domains, but that no sensible man from the Drylands would be caught so….” She shut her eyes, and Rohana thought, for a moment, that she slept; and was grateful. Knowing that she, too, should try to rest, she closed her eyes, but a shadow fell across her face, and she opened them to see Jaelle standing there, looking down at them. She said in a whisper, “It is you who are my-our kinswoman, Lady Rohana?”
Rohana sat up and held out her arms; Jaelle gave her a quick, shy embrace. “How does my mother, kinswoman? Is she asleep?”
“Asleep; and very weary,” said Rohana, rising quickly to her feet. She drew the child away so the sound of their voices would not disturb Melora.
“I will not waken her, but I wanted to see-” and her voice trembled. Rohana looked down at the small serious face, the wide green eyes.
Comyn, she thought; she does not look like Melora, but her Comyn blood is unmistakable. It would have been wrong, entirely wrong, to leave her in Jalak’s hands… not only inhuman but wrong!
Jaelle said, almost in a whisper, “She should not ride now; the baby will be born so soon….”
“I know that, dear. But we are not safe here, except for a little rest. When we reach Carthon, we will be back in Domain country; and out of Jalak’s reach forever,” Rohana said quietly.