Jo Clayton - Duel of Sorcery 01 by Moongather

Author:Moongather [Moongather]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-07-08T13:33:28+00:00

The Woman: VIII

The double line of small fires went north and south as far as Serroi could see. “I didn’t quite expect this,” she said quietly. She tugged at the strap of the boy’s cap as the bright dots blurred then steadied. The Tarr was beginning to wear off. She straightened her back and looked around.

“What are those fires?” Dinafar sounded awed.

“Pilgrim campfires. Along the Highroad. On their way to Oras, walking, I imagine.”

Clouds were gathering overhead. The first half of the Gather was up over the horizon and still free of cloudcover, touching the hillsides with silver light. The moon-knot was pulling tighter. For a moment Serroi was tempted to renew her clingy with another Tarr button and keep riding. There was certainly enough light. No time, no time, she thought. She looked to the North. A day and a half riding, longer if I walk. And there’s Dinafar to deal with. She looked at the girl beside her. “Dina.”

“Yes, meie?”

“The Highroad goes south almost the whole way to the Biserica valley. You could be there in half a passage, twenty days of steady riding. There and safe.” She waited for questions, but Dinafar was silent, watching her. “The other way, that goes to Oras. You’ve seen the danger I’m in. Go south, little one. Knock at the Biserica gates, they’ll take you in. You don’t need me anymore—if you ever did.”

“I’m going with you.” In the moonlight Serroi could see Dinafar’s face take on its sullen, stubborn scowl. “If you won’t take me with you,” she went on, “I’ll follow you.”

Serroi shivered. “We’d better camp.” She scanned the hillside below. There was a small grove of brellim about a quarter of a mile ahead. “There,” she said, pointing.

They tied one groundsheet on a slant against the wind and spread out their blankets on the other after Serroi weighted it down with a few rocks, some of the many dredged up by the brellim’s mobile roots. As Dinafar gathered wood for the fire, Serroi unsaddled the macain and turned them loose to graze.

They worked in silence, putting aside the quarrel that lay between them until they’d eaten.

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