Deverry: Three Tales by Kerr Katharine

Author:Kerr, Katharine [Kerr, Katharine]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Book View Cafe
Published: 2014-12-28T16:00:00+00:00

~oOo~

With the first chill of autumn, Lovyan packed up her retinue and returned to the gwerbretal dun in Aberwyn. Although Evy and most of the other servants stayed behind, Nevyn travelled with her ladyship. He wanted to ferret out information about the ritual that had bound Evy to the dark aspect of the goddess. She of the sword-pierced heart, she who sees the world with the eyes of night—at times she seemed to look out of Evy’s eyes as well.

By that time Aberywn had grown large enough to shelter several holy temples. Nevyn visited them all. The priests of Bel told Nevyn that they knew nothing of such women’s matters. The priest of Wmm did know of the ritual, but he assured Nevyn that its details lay hidden, even from the scholar-priests on the Holy Isle of Wmmglaedd. Nevyn could practically smell the fear oozing from the various holy men when they spoke of the Dark Goddess. The priestesses of the Moon, who most likely knew a great deal, sent him brusquely away for daring to question their goddess’ doings.

“No help, no lore, naught,” Nevyn said to Lovyan. “A useless lot, these priests.”

“So it seems.” Lovyan paused for an exasperated sigh. “I’m shocked at those sailors, I truly am. Most Bardekians are such civilized people.”

“Just so. Still, terror will make men do barbaric things. No doubt they felt it was her life or theirs.”

“Well, that does seem likely, but still, I can’t help despising them for it.”

“Me, either.”

“If you want a horse for a sacrifice, I’m sure I can get Tingyr to give you one.”

“My thanks, but it wouldn’t do any good, even if I could find a blasted priest willing to get off his behind to work the ritual. The men on shipboard offered the Dark Goddess a human life, and despite the nasty way the Moon priestesses spoke to me, I did glean that a human life is what She’ll demand.”

Nevyn returned to Dun Cannobaen in a foul temper. Seeing Evy, oddly enough, only fed his bad mood, simply because she looked well and strong, a good stone heavier, with rosy cheeks and glossy hair. She should be looking forward to a long life, he thought. Those cursed cowardly priests! But she still looked on the world from some great distance away. Although she smiled from time to time, no answering spark flashed in her eyes. Whenever anyone spoke to her, she was as courteous and as reserved as some great lady making her way through a foreign court.

As the winter settled down over the dun, keeping the Cannobaen light burning became the center of everyone’s life, from the chamberlain who held his authority from Lovyan herself down to the lowliest forester who brought in a mule-load of firewood. Evy worked in the kitchen, scrubbing pots and chopping turnips, doing whatever the cook asked with her unvarying politeness and complete lack of interest in the life around her. She rarely spoke, or so the cook told Nevyn, even though she was learning how to speak Deverrian remarkably fast and well.

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