The Copper Crown by Patricia Kennealy Morrison

Author:Patricia Kennealy Morrison [Morrison, Patricia Kennealy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
Published: 2012-06-23T02:59:36+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Full winter now on Tara. At Caerdroia, the prevailing winds had backed round into the north, blasting down through the high passes of the Stair, snow-laden, blue with chill from out of Northplain.

Up in the seaward tower, snow hissed against the windows. In the tapestry-curtained bed, it was warm and snug as a walled pleasaunce, and the last of the firelight flickered over a man and woman deep asleep.

Gwydion's arm even in sleep was laid protectively over Aeron, tanned skin contrasting with blue-veined ivory. But his sword arm was unencumbered, ready to reach at need for the weapon that lay on the chest beside the bed.

Aeron slept profoundly, totally trusting for once to another's strength rather than her own. The news of the coming Terran embassy, and the ensuing brangle with the Council, and above all the passage-of-arms with Straloch, had wearied and upset her, and even before that her dreams had been troubled with renewed prescience. So that Gwydion, coming to her from his own council with Morwen and the Terrans, had not the heart to waken her when at last she seemed peacefully asleep; he would tell her of the Terrans' suspicions in the morning.

In the dark cold predawn hours, everything seemed to happen at once. The automatic viewscreens lit with a sudden blaze of urgency, alarms sounded, and two cloaked people burst unceremoniously into the chamber.

Gwydion was awake with his sword in his hand before Aeron even moved, so great was the speed of his warrior's reflexes—and the measure of his protectiveness. When he saw that the intruders were Rohan and Morwen, he relaxed, but even so he was slow to lower the point of the sword.

Aeron, whose own instinct had told her almost as swiftly that only three people in the universe could enter her rooms unannounced and unchallenged—and one of those three was already beside her—was less startled, though a good deal angrier.

"Do not ever do so again… do not. But tell us quickly."

Morwen wasted no words. "The Curtain Wall has been breached, and an Imperial armada is on its way here. Get dressed at once, both of you are needed in the Commandery."

Without a word Gwydion began putting on trews and boots, and Aeron caught the black Dragon uniform that Morwen took from its peg in the wardrobe.

"What other word?"

"None as yet," admitted Rohan, holding boots and cloak ready for his sister like one of the royal dressers. "The verified signal has only just come through, as you heard; we were in the Commandery on other business when the preliminary alarms sounded from Murias station on the Wall, and we came here at once, thinking to warn you. We were something late… Also the Terran Tindal goes missing."

Aeron pulled the tunic over her head and came up shaking her hair from her eyes. "Declare a state of war, effective immediately."

"Already done, Ard-rían, and the order awaits only your sign-manual to be official."

"You say Tindal is missing?" Aeron sat on the bed to pull on her boots.

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