[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
They continued onward, passing a house-owned farm that
did not thrive. Its outbuildings were dilapidated and its fields
failed. The soil cried out to her. What aid she could give, she
did not know, but she paused and knelt to let some dry red
231
Stone Maiden
by Ann Aquirre
earth trickle through her brown palm. Rodhlann was watching
her as if he still did not know what to make of her, and his
breath was labored, so she hurried on. She could not tarry
over dying dirt.
They did not pause for meals, as Rodhlann could not eat
and Muir had urgency in her blood. She saw the distance
pervading him; even as he made himself put one foot before
the other, he drifted farther from his moorings. Muir took his
hand to call him back and he turned his head slowly, looking
almost startled to see her. She wondered with a whisper of
terror what sights beyond the veil met his dying eyes.
It did not rain. By the time the sun faded behind the
clouds, nightfall came like the gradual dimming of a lamp. At
last, they reached the Enadi camp. Muir saw the tents and
wagons strewn haphazardly about, herd animals bleating
outside their tender's tent, quite unlike the almost fanatical
precision of the Bedu site. She removed her Bedu amulet and
dropped it into her bag, where it landed atop the tapestry
with a soft thud. Neither she nor Rodhlann looked Bedu, so
there was no point in antagonizing the Enadi. She half carried
him into the camp, the nearest Enadi settlement, and was
greeted by a man with a pocked copper face.
Your companion is ill?
Because the herder looked so alarmed, Muir worried that
she might be turned away from fear of contagion. No, she
said. I'm told you have an earthspeaker here, a worker of
charms. At his nod, she went on. Please hurry. My friend's
illness is not physical.
232
Stone Maiden
by Ann Aquirre
A curse? The man spoke as he led her toward a large
tent on the outskirts of the camp. My sister is the closest
thing we have to a speaker. She works in charms and curses,
and sometimes she claims to hear whispers from the earth.
Rodhlann went slack in her hold. Fire take it, not now. We
are almost there! Muir grunted and dug in her feet; she was a
short woman, but not a delicate one. Mouthing the old words,
she pulled the necessary strength and heaved him over her
shoulder. The herder gave her a strange look, but she did not
have the breath to explain. They pushed through the flap into
the tent.
Zillah! There are some travelers who
I know, Kejmeh. The woman was homely, but she had
the kindest eyes Muir had ever seen. I have been watching
them for days, and I know more of them than you. I have
work go!
The herder went, grumbling. Muir had no more than a
moment to take in the earthen oven and woven rugs before
Zillah was helping her lay Rodhlann down. She knelt beside
him his hands were cold in her grasp.
Can you help him? she asked, aware of desperate
gratitude that the woman seemed to know of their problem.
I can, Zillah said. But it will require a sacrifice from
you.
Whatever must be done.
There is a tenuous bond between you two already I do
not know how it came to be. But be very sure, for if I
complete it, you will be closer than lovers. And there is
something you must know before
233
Stone Maiden
by Ann Aquirre
Can you not see he is dying? Do it!
Something in Muir's gaze must have shaken Zillah because
she turned without another word and began gathering her
implements. She took lengths of virgin white wool and
strands of black and said, Lie beside him.
Muir could not see what Zillah was doing but she felt the
wool being wound and knotted about her limbs, pulled so
tight that she knew it would leave marks. Zillah murmured
and circled, weaving the two of them into a sentient tapestry,
and Muir felt the energy shimmering about them. Whatever
else this woman was, she was no impostor. The current
shimmered and burned; this thing being pulled together of
disparate parts had power. Fear fused with discomfort and
worry gnawed the whole, worry that she had been too late,
worry that she would be alone.
After a time, Muir was able to discern the whispered chant.
Bind white wool doubled in spinning on his bed, front and
sides, bind black wool doubled in spinning on her bed. On her
left hand, left hand to right let two be one. Let enter no evil
spirit, nor evil god, nor evil fiend, nor robber sprite, nor
incubus, nor succubus, nor sorcery, nor witchcraft, nor magic,
nor spells that are not good bind white wool to black white
wool to black that they may not lay their heads apart, her
hand to his, his to hers, his feet to hers, hers to his, and two
become one. Two ... become ... one!
Muir screamed as she felt her scalp separating from her
skull.
The world went out.
234
Stone Maiden
by Ann Aquirre
No. That was the wool draped over her eyes. She lay still,
trying not to disturb the work Zillah was completing. Once the
initial pain passed, she realized her scalp was still attached,
but Zillah had yanked a lock of hair out at the root. Muir felt a
small, hot trickle at the crown of her head, and she twitched
with the urge to assess the damage. She closed her eyes,
trying to think of something pleasant. She felt another pinch
at her shoulder, realizing that Zillah had removed the stitches
from the wound that had healed.
There. Zillah sounded weary.
Within moments, she freed Muir, who sat up, rubbing at
the bruises already forming. She touched her head gingerly
and found the bare patch to be quite small; the hair had just
been removed with great force. The light hurt her eyes, and
she felt exhausted, as if she had just run many miles. Almost
afraid of what she might find, she leaned over and looked at
Rodhlann's face. Already untied, he was beautiful and still, an
alabaster icon lacking life. Terror seized her.
Then his eyes opened.
What have you done, little maid? Something in his tone
made her cant her head; it was soft and ... stunned?
I am not certain. Muir glanced at Zillah, who was placidly
preparing three cups of tea. How do you feel?
Rodhlann sat up unaided. Already he looked stronger, his
movements more sure. His sculpted mouth twisted as he
replied, Almost ... human.
Perhaps now you are ready to hear me, Zillah said,
serving the drinks, to learn the nature of your sacrifice. And
what my payment must be.
235
Stone Maiden
by Ann Aquirre
Payment. Muir's heart sank. The kindness Muir had seen in
Zillah had been replaced by something else, something like
ambition or avarice. They had not even discussed a price, but
of course Zillah had not worked the charm for free. What did
Muir have of value, apart from the tapestry? She could not
part with that; the mere thought gave her an awful pain. My
throwing stones or my knife? Her club had been lost when she
fell, hunting lykos. So only the Bedu amulet, and that would
get her killed among the Enadi.
Instinctively, she shifted closer to Rodhlann. Just a twitch,
but he put an arm about her shoulders Warm, he is warm
again. Not the fever heat that had so alarmed her near the
red soul, but more natural warmth that felt comforting. It was [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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They continued onward, passing a house-owned farm that
did not thrive. Its outbuildings were dilapidated and its fields
failed. The soil cried out to her. What aid she could give, she
did not know, but she paused and knelt to let some dry red
231
Stone Maiden
by Ann Aquirre
earth trickle through her brown palm. Rodhlann was watching
her as if he still did not know what to make of her, and his
breath was labored, so she hurried on. She could not tarry
over dying dirt.
They did not pause for meals, as Rodhlann could not eat
and Muir had urgency in her blood. She saw the distance
pervading him; even as he made himself put one foot before
the other, he drifted farther from his moorings. Muir took his
hand to call him back and he turned his head slowly, looking
almost startled to see her. She wondered with a whisper of
terror what sights beyond the veil met his dying eyes.
It did not rain. By the time the sun faded behind the
clouds, nightfall came like the gradual dimming of a lamp. At
last, they reached the Enadi camp. Muir saw the tents and
wagons strewn haphazardly about, herd animals bleating
outside their tender's tent, quite unlike the almost fanatical
precision of the Bedu site. She removed her Bedu amulet and
dropped it into her bag, where it landed atop the tapestry
with a soft thud. Neither she nor Rodhlann looked Bedu, so
there was no point in antagonizing the Enadi. She half carried
him into the camp, the nearest Enadi settlement, and was
greeted by a man with a pocked copper face.
Your companion is ill?
Because the herder looked so alarmed, Muir worried that
she might be turned away from fear of contagion. No, she
said. I'm told you have an earthspeaker here, a worker of
charms. At his nod, she went on. Please hurry. My friend's
illness is not physical.
232
Stone Maiden
by Ann Aquirre
A curse? The man spoke as he led her toward a large
tent on the outskirts of the camp. My sister is the closest
thing we have to a speaker. She works in charms and curses,
and sometimes she claims to hear whispers from the earth.
Rodhlann went slack in her hold. Fire take it, not now. We
are almost there! Muir grunted and dug in her feet; she was a
short woman, but not a delicate one. Mouthing the old words,
she pulled the necessary strength and heaved him over her
shoulder. The herder gave her a strange look, but she did not
have the breath to explain. They pushed through the flap into
the tent.
Zillah! There are some travelers who
I know, Kejmeh. The woman was homely, but she had
the kindest eyes Muir had ever seen. I have been watching
them for days, and I know more of them than you. I have
work go!
The herder went, grumbling. Muir had no more than a
moment to take in the earthen oven and woven rugs before
Zillah was helping her lay Rodhlann down. She knelt beside
him his hands were cold in her grasp.
Can you help him? she asked, aware of desperate
gratitude that the woman seemed to know of their problem.
I can, Zillah said. But it will require a sacrifice from
you.
Whatever must be done.
There is a tenuous bond between you two already I do
not know how it came to be. But be very sure, for if I
complete it, you will be closer than lovers. And there is
something you must know before
233
Stone Maiden
by Ann Aquirre
Can you not see he is dying? Do it!
Something in Muir's gaze must have shaken Zillah because
she turned without another word and began gathering her
implements. She took lengths of virgin white wool and
strands of black and said, Lie beside him.
Muir could not see what Zillah was doing but she felt the
wool being wound and knotted about her limbs, pulled so
tight that she knew it would leave marks. Zillah murmured
and circled, weaving the two of them into a sentient tapestry,
and Muir felt the energy shimmering about them. Whatever
else this woman was, she was no impostor. The current
shimmered and burned; this thing being pulled together of
disparate parts had power. Fear fused with discomfort and
worry gnawed the whole, worry that she had been too late,
worry that she would be alone.
After a time, Muir was able to discern the whispered chant.
Bind white wool doubled in spinning on his bed, front and
sides, bind black wool doubled in spinning on her bed. On her
left hand, left hand to right let two be one. Let enter no evil
spirit, nor evil god, nor evil fiend, nor robber sprite, nor
incubus, nor succubus, nor sorcery, nor witchcraft, nor magic,
nor spells that are not good bind white wool to black white
wool to black that they may not lay their heads apart, her
hand to his, his to hers, his feet to hers, hers to his, and two
become one. Two ... become ... one!
Muir screamed as she felt her scalp separating from her
skull.
The world went out.
234
Stone Maiden
by Ann Aquirre
No. That was the wool draped over her eyes. She lay still,
trying not to disturb the work Zillah was completing. Once the
initial pain passed, she realized her scalp was still attached,
but Zillah had yanked a lock of hair out at the root. Muir felt a
small, hot trickle at the crown of her head, and she twitched
with the urge to assess the damage. She closed her eyes,
trying to think of something pleasant. She felt another pinch
at her shoulder, realizing that Zillah had removed the stitches
from the wound that had healed.
There. Zillah sounded weary.
Within moments, she freed Muir, who sat up, rubbing at
the bruises already forming. She touched her head gingerly
and found the bare patch to be quite small; the hair had just
been removed with great force. The light hurt her eyes, and
she felt exhausted, as if she had just run many miles. Almost
afraid of what she might find, she leaned over and looked at
Rodhlann's face. Already untied, he was beautiful and still, an
alabaster icon lacking life. Terror seized her.
Then his eyes opened.
What have you done, little maid? Something in his tone
made her cant her head; it was soft and ... stunned?
I am not certain. Muir glanced at Zillah, who was placidly
preparing three cups of tea. How do you feel?
Rodhlann sat up unaided. Already he looked stronger, his
movements more sure. His sculpted mouth twisted as he
replied, Almost ... human.
Perhaps now you are ready to hear me, Zillah said,
serving the drinks, to learn the nature of your sacrifice. And
what my payment must be.
235
Stone Maiden
by Ann Aquirre
Payment. Muir's heart sank. The kindness Muir had seen in
Zillah had been replaced by something else, something like
ambition or avarice. They had not even discussed a price, but
of course Zillah had not worked the charm for free. What did
Muir have of value, apart from the tapestry? She could not
part with that; the mere thought gave her an awful pain. My
throwing stones or my knife? Her club had been lost when she
fell, hunting lykos. So only the Bedu amulet, and that would
get her killed among the Enadi.
Instinctively, she shifted closer to Rodhlann. Just a twitch,
but he put an arm about her shoulders Warm, he is warm
again. Not the fever heat that had so alarmed her near the
red soul, but more natural warmth that felt comforting. It was [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]