The Bard's Blade by Brian D. Anderson

Author:Brian D. Anderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

15

HOPE AND PORRIDGE

It takes not a firm hand but a gentle touch and a soft kiss to bring the hopeless back into the light.

Book of Kylor, Chapter Five, Verse Twenty-Six

The sweet scent of wine mingling with the salty air invited Mariyah to open her eyes. She had been having that dream again, of the man and the mist. He had been saying something that had seemed quite urgent, though what it might have been was lost in a groggy haze.

Her vision was blurred as she woke, and she was conscious only of the soft warmth of a proper bed—a sensation she had thought she’d never feel again. As the world came more into focus, she could see that she was in a small cabin, not much larger than the one she had previously occupied, although that was where any similarity between them ended. A square table to her left had been positioned beside a round window that let in glorious daylight. There was a wooden chest and a dresser, though this was all the room could hold and still allow for free movement. Trysilia was sitting beside the bed, sipping on a glass of wine while reading a book. She smiled when she noticed that Mariyah had awakened.

“I assume you’re hungry?” she said.

Mariyah nodded, then tried to rise.

Trysilia gestured for her to be still. “Not until you’ve recovered your strength. We still have a week before we arrive.”

“Where are we going?”

“Ubania.”

Mariyah noticed a bowl and cup on the nightstand. As she reached out, she found her hand trembling.

Taking the bowl, Trysilia fed Mariyah a spoonful of thick porridge. “Not the best fare, but I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to handle anything too rich after starving yourself for so long. Though the cuisine aboard ship, even at its best, is somewhat lacking.”

Mariyah said nothing, though she allowed Trysilia to feed her the entire bowl. While it was not by any standards appetizing, Mariyah felt some of her strength return.

“I have to ask that you remain in the cabin unless I’m with you,” Trysilia said. “The captain is not the most understanding of men. I paid him well for you to be housed in my quarters, but he would be quite upset if you were to wander around the ship alone. Strictly speaking, you’re still a prisoner of the Hedran until we arrive.”

Mariyah slowly nodded her acceptance of this condition. What other choice did she have? “Can you tell me something about where we’re going?”

“Ubania is one of two city-states that are controlled by the Archbishop.”

“Is it true the laws are different elsewhere?”

“Yes. Beyond Ralmarstad, Kylorian law is only enforced in Ubania and Gothmora. The Archbishop has no power over other nations.”

“But where we’re going, he does?”

“Yes. But Lady Camdon is far too powerful a noble to be intimidated. You’ll live more or less a normal life, free to worship as you choose.”

“I don’t worship anything.”

“Is that right? Interesting.”

“Why is that interesting?”

“Little is known about Vylari,” she explained. “Most don’t believe it exists.

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