「OH, MORIAN," ALESSAN WHISPERED, WISTFUL REGRET INfusing his voice. "I could have sent him to your judgment even now. A child could have put an arrow in his eye from here.」
Not this child, Devin thought ruefully, gauging the distand the light from where they were hidden among the trees north of the ribbon of road the Barbadians had just ridden along. He looked with even more respect than before at Alessan and the crossbow hed picked up from a cache theyd looped past on the way here.
"She will claim him when she is ready," Baerd said prosaically. "And you are the one who has spent his life saying that it will be to no good if either one of them dies too soon.」
Alessan grunted. "Did I shoot?" he asked pointedly.
Baerds teeth flashed briefly in the moonlight. "I would have stopped you in any case.」
Alessan swore suctly. Then, a moment later, relaxed into quiet amusement. The two men had a manner with each other that spoke to long familiarity. Catriana, Devin saw, had not smiled. Certainly not at him. Oher hand, he reminded himself, he was supposed to be the one who was angry. The present circumstances made it a little hard though. He felt anxious and proud aed, all at once.
He was also the only one of the four of them who hadnt noticed Tomasso, bound at wrist and ao his horse.
"Wed better check the lodge," Baerd said as the tra mood slipped away. "Then I think we will have to travel very fast. Sandres son will name you and the boy.」
"We had better have a talk about the boy first," Catriana said in a tohat made it suddenly very easy for Devin to reclaim his anger.
"The boy?" he repeated, raising his eyebrows. "I think you have evideo the trary." He let his gaze rest coldly on hers, and was rewarded to see her flush and turn away. Briefly rewarded.
"Unworthy, Devin," Alessan said. "I hope not to hear that note from you again. Catriana violated all I know of her nature in doing what she did this m. If you are intelligent enough to have e here you will be more than intelligent enough to now uand why she did it. You might suspend your own pride long enough to think about how she is feeling.」
It was mildly said, but Devi as if he had just been punched iomach. Swallowing awkwardly, he looked from Alessan back to Catriana, but her gaze was fixed oars, away from and above them all. Finally, shamed, he looked down at the darkened forest floor. He felt fourteen years old again.
"I dont particularly appreciate that, Alessan," he heard Catriana saying coldly. "I fight my own wars.
You know it.」
"Not to mention," Baerd added casually, "the dazzling inappro-priateness of your chastising anyone alive for having too much pride.」
Alessan chose to ighat. To Catriana he said, "Bright star of Eanna, do you think I dont know how you fight? This is different though. What happehis m ot be allowed to matter. I t have this being a battle between you if Devin is to be one of us.」
"If he what?" Catriana wheeled on him. "Are you mad? Is it the music? Because he sing? Why should someone from Asoli possibly be—」
"Hold peace!" Alessan said sharply. Catriana fell abruptly silent. Not having any good idea where to look or what to feel, Devin tio simulate an inteerest in the loamy forest soil beh his feet. His mind a were whirling with fusion.
Alessans voice was gentler when he resumed. "Catriana, what happehis m was not his fault either. You are not