FIVE DAYS LAtER, ON to Castle Borso.

        All t last afternoon as ts. Any cery lo    be aoando, t tea and, t of all, over    wigana once had been.

        It e in to t same afternoon Isolla of Ygrat in the pala Chiara.

        tting be spur of tains dyed tundy and red and a somber purple    summits till s of t.

        Devin could just make out t came do o th.

        In triar deep root in Quileia trade across tains, and ty of time Ember Days ir of ercial life oress-castles    and vital too, because    no King of Quileia o lead an army nort esses standing by at o see ando te armies ly bloodied t eaged eions and became tuff of legend.

        And triarco poer all, in time of Acesses self like a flo dusk and the caravans ended.

        ties do villages, or, if flexible and eiouger and turo    court in tles became living anactles egral to ts in tial, t tter or vicious for t.

        to Devin, t , it imes seemed t every sed ballad ted soutred of tamed as ern les among the Braccio.

        And of ttle and blood and villages set afire, or lamenting parted lovers dro pools y    seemed to Devin,    in and around tle Borso hard under Braccio Pass.

        t been any neime, very fe siopped. But of fresories and rumors t t many. In icular le Borso he road.

        And if tories    love, as so many of ttle to do e on    crags, and rato tell about certain cle Borso itself. About deep s and tapestries, about imported silk and lad

        velvet, and profoundly discerting    in rooms t    raids at trestle-tables, he floor.

        Riding beside Erlein in t, Devin dragged    s on t tle tucked into a fold of    around it and a small village just beyond, Borso    in t ligil the Ember Days.

        "Alienor is a friend,"    Alessan eered. "An old friend.”

        t muc least,    from ting sall and stooped,        hall.

        Alessans color erestingly, epped back, smiling a little, to survey his panions.

        Sion. "ele back, troubadour. t?”

        "Even so, my lady. I am    you remember." Erleins boo theyd seen before Alessan had bound him.

        "You o see you now in such splendid pany.”

        Erlein opened     replying. Alienla Alessan, a fleeting inquiry in her very dark eyes.

        Receiving no response suro ty in fully s ilted ly to one side. tiny impassively.

        "Very ; said Alienor of Borso, softly so ts and t ;I imagi Baerd aking you for a K." e ravishing.

        Devin didnt knotled. An instant later t particular dilemma .

        "You dont kno; said Erlein di Senzio loudly. "A terrible roduy lady, may I present to you the—”

        no further.

        Devin    to react,    aftero t o do— s as hard as he could in Erleins belly.

        As it o clap    of pain. turn ended effect of triana off baland stumbling foro be smoot and braced by Alienor.

        taken perhree seds.

        Erlein sank to    carpet. Devi beside s from the room.

        "You are a fool!" Baerd s the wizard.

        "ainly is," Alienreed in a rat tone, all exaggerated petuland flounce.

        " true identity of a disguised K; Sill riana around t, quite unnecessarily. .

        "You are an impetuous creature, arent you?" she murmured silk-ily.

        "Not especially," said Catriana opping a fe away.

        Alienors moutriana up and do eye. "I am ; s lengt;And I    men you are traveling h!”

        "Are t; Catrianas voice , but her color was suddenly high.

        "Are t; Alienor eean you    establis for yourself? Dear c s? Of course t e your youth, my dear.”

        Catriana looked at ;I dont t; s;But I doubt    subject.”

        Devin    Alienors ans;Per," s;But, in trutually be greater t; S;You may also find as you get older t ice is for deat finnings. Any kind of beginnings. On t; s ;t you s to keep you onight.”

        Erlein groaned, dragging Devins attention a;I tude," but one     would be.

        ed Erleins o get hem.

        Sing Baerd noy—a to inctively, by Baerds oowards her.

        "Im sorry," o Erlein. "I couldnt thing else.”

        Erlein ill-uned on removing tered tle. "Im sorry," ;I fot about ts.”

        ;I    ac us all killed. Not my idea of freedom, t. Nor, frankly, is ture my notion of middle-aged dignity. Since you knocked me do time Devin    note of amusement in troubadours voice. A survivor, Sandre had said.

        As tactfully as and.

        "tremely violent one," Alessan ;is Devin dAsoli. he also sings. If you are very good he may sing for you.”

        Devin turned a perracted by o deal ered.

        t ty years old. caugo cover    forty and : Alienor er sando. tories and descriptions of tiful er t.

        t e eveo catc s anding before    udded endrils of lessly alloo fall free, framing t oval of    violet ue smile as s Devin.

        o meet t look. Doing so,    as tes in eep    an ever- increasing speed. e, as if sually see t ant.

        "I suppose," said Alienor di Certando, before turning back to Alessan, "t I so try to be very good t o sing for me.”

        s    very lo    e fire.

        ing to clear it, a little s ion. told ernly. ed by tories told, ion rendered unruly by t, sensuous furnisra and t.

        On t a strao t of love ed Adaons primal coupling    of Alienor and ting s as clearly—t s of rapture o being from asy.

        tars streaming all across t o look at t ing Catrianas glance just tic irony and a sed t quite reize. For all riana looked exceptionally young just t a c sagely, not yet fully realized or aplished in her womanhood.

        tle Borso e in o trous iced belatedly, ed the same blue-black dangerous color as her gown.

        he swallowed, and looked away again.

        "I expected you yesterday," Alienor o Alessan. "I ing for you and Id made myself beautiful for you but you didnt e.”

        "Just as ; Alessan murmured, smiling. "iful t never rengto leave.”

        uro t;You see orments me? Not a quarter of an hour in my home and he speaks of leaving. Am I well served in such a friend?”

        tion    ly to Devin.    o to tongue. ing rat tuous and the imbecilic.

        ine, Devin t desperately. ive glass of something.

        As if summoned by an art of timing more subtle ts in blue livery reappeared, eacray. trays, Devin sa    certainly Certandan.

        t of glasses was blue.

        Devin turo Alessan. t Alienor    spoke to somete and s. For a moment ered: as if sant tit. And Devin, a far more perceptive man t    of a sadness in her eyes.

        tain t . In some subtle    calmed , milder lighe room.

        "It is not a tet," sly to Alessauring tohe blue wine.

        "Nor I," ;Si began here.”

        S a moment, eyelids lo passed. Alienors eyes ;I ion of letters for you. But one is very ret," she said.

        &qu of Eanna ime he was

        even stay t t su. I s    have feared Id have his robe off if he lingered for a meal.”

        "And would you ; Alessan grinned.

        S;Unlikely. Eannas sort are seldom rouble. tty. Almost as pretty as Baerd, e to t.”

        Baerd, quite uurbed, simply smiled. Alienlance lingered flirtatiously on oo, Devin noted. An exc spoke to events and t young suddenly, and out of h.

        "; Alessan asked.

        Alienor ated. "est,"    of tion in her eyes.

        Alessan . "You may speak freely. I trust every man and o even look at Erlein. Devin did look, but if ed a rea from ted.

        iture Alienor dismissed s. to see to tion of to a ing-table by one of t to Alessan.

        "It is from Danoleon ; s;From your o hear or say.”

        And t, Devin    expected at all.

        "Five me," Alessan murmured. rode quickly to fire, tearing tter open as . Alienor became very busy    glasses of took a long drink from his.

        ticed t Baerd    touding rigidly, staring into the fire.

        "Alessan?" Baerd said.

        Alienor turned sly at t. Alessan did not move; seemed not to have even heard.

        "Alessan?" Baerd said again, more urgently. " is it?”

        Sloigana turned from to look at t really at t Baerd. t involuntarily.

        "It is from Danoleon, Im afraid. From tuary." Alessans voice . "My mother is dying.

        I art omorrow.”

        Baerds face e as Alessans. "ting?" ;ting tomorrow?”

        "t first," Alessan said. "After ting, wever    ride home.”

        Given t ne Alessans    niging surprise.

        been asleep. "ait," ly and struggled quickly into    on over ogs across t tones wing ended. he door.

        In tside,    cast weird, flickering she corridor wall was Alienor herself.

        "e,"    e t but Devin could dis ts beumbling over her shoulders and down her ba a black

        cascade.

        Deviered and lagging.    up a o try tangle of his hair.

        S;Leave it like t," s;Leave it," surned.

        er oy publis t of stairs.

        At top of tairs an e spill of ligle Borso. ime tister tricate ravagant carpets    dog, grey and graceful, regarded    did not rise.

        Alienor laid uro    t he rush of his blood seemed loud in his veins.

        "I am burning up," Alienor said.

        Someook sed to protest, even to be amused at suc. But as     s oouc was burning .

        it Alienor trapped eethe flesh of his palm.

        And    pain desire    never orted sound and realized it ook a ep toed in     raked to a point wed far away.

        Everytigana. Alessan, Alais, Catriana. self, t    led to this one. And her.

        ore at tenings of     until it came ahe skin along his back.

        ed    asted blood. he heard her laugh.

        Never, ever, hing before.

        Someo be on to oget t strove to cast t could be hurled.

        For an instant Devin t ood. In some untion    ure of     seemed to be.

        Given anot, a still pla t,    to put a o it, a frame for the blurred awareness. he reached . . .

        S erated t, any straining to. it ually to one side and sered around tig, h f soundless words.

        Devin began to drive o o drive as, all tal deadening trut    came left him

        s to wo w o be his name.

        softly, over and over. Sly out from under     move. S from    and belly, over iated sex and furthighs and legs, and down.

        By time    s to ts of artled and alarmed. ruggled. Uselessly—ted.

        "t," said Alienor in a ;o a nigeac; S, flus somet it was she held.

        "You are binding me against my ; Devin said, a little desperately. "t my idea of o e toget; ed    she silken bonds held firm.

        Alienors ans moment tirred, primal and dangerous and terrifyingly arousing. , improbably soon, a quiing in . roked lig meditatively along umesce.

        "It ; murmured le Borso. ed se teetered taut firmness of o straddle    s by ts chem.

        "It ; Alienor said again. "trust me. Let me teac oget will be very soon.”

        S ed and truggled but only for a moment for     as s above raining of h.

        And before t     dles of er burning doerribly, over and ain. And at t o her own.

        t some time later. ted drifting of smoke. ttern of ligiced it. to its embers; till lay before it, its magnifit ret its paws.

        "You ter go," Alienor said, stroking ly. "o carry. It is easy to lose your he dark.”

        "You observe t; tle surprised at sucy. "No fires?”

        "No fires," s;aif    even    to guess at enant farmers or torm tle. Call do curse ake tes seriously up here.”

        "As seriously as you take yours?”

        S t and stretc. "I suppose so. tonigomorro I prefer not to kno." ition so of t by ts.    curve of we flesill showing red.

        Sraig felt abrupt, a dismissal, and Devin gave are, not moving. S t her hard nor dismissive.

        "Dont be angry," Alienor said softly. "You oo splendid to be leaving in anger. Im telling you trutes and it is o find your    a lig; Sated a moment, t;And I    alone since my husband died.”

        Devin said not    , , a more plex ttered pillo e t ir his desire again.

        But as     t surfaced from    fe o claim one of the dles in a brass holder.

        Surned on o follo o    as a gift, a glory in ting lig, her smile generous, even kind.

        "Good-nig; s;I dont kno you are wele bae one day.”

        expected t.    o be told, t s ,    from bef nled , alturn and nodded, it    .

        "Good-nig; uro go.

        At topped and, as muc t er—Devin turned back to her.

        S moved. y of tood the room.

        "Is t o us?" Devin said tly, reaco frame t. " o our love?”

        and in t and dark. For a long time s him.

        "You are clever," s;Alessan has chosen well in you.”

        ed.

        "A; said Alienor tily, simulating astonis. "ually s an ansrue ans t; It may rick of tain lig so look aood, even beyond tapestried walls of her room.

        "It is one of t o us," s last. "A kind of insurre in t someands against t bind us and ot be broken now.”

        Devin t about it.

        "Possibly t," ly,    t;Or else an admission some goes deeper. Since    free a.”

        hen, and close her eyes.

        "Did I deserve t?" she asked.

        A terrible sadness passed over Devin. y. "No," ;No, you didnt.”

        ill closed he room.

        ired; laden    of s, sloumbled going doair o brace    tone io    out.

        It le terly still. Moving carefully, Deviom of tairs and    t flame do intervals, all t slanting moonlig t alloion.

        Briefly    ter standing still a moment to let , Devi out along o be they had e.

        very soon, t really alarmed. In    mood to be somete about padding tly do le in t, tones cold against .

        turnings. Only pat kno to o urned into an unfamiliar corridor and passed tings. Part of t    of Morian at temple by augo read and do sums, and    t boy, t lessons in ts of harmony.

        Ns, Devin t again. And t suppress,    t just t, it er, t of to walk abroad.

        tigana? Could a try, a province, be said to    be lost and mourned like a living soul?    of the Nievolene barn.

        stones of t and silent castle.

        It seemed to Devin t ime—or a time outside of time—passing no oread of , before atue in an alcove.    by torc earlier in t ao t. Someirely tle Borso.

        tly opposite tatue of trianas.

        saer and lesser se moonligened, and .

        Ns, Ploto t old him long ago.

        of Alienor, lying    cus o    ther was dying. his own was dead.

        Ice is for deato Catriana in the hall.

        ly on Catrianas door.

        Sless nigurbed    emanated from t sh Alessan and Baerd.

        Catriana ed unknoion ill didnt knoo do tomorroerious meeting in t, and ignorance made her uneasy and even, on a less aowledged level, afraid.

        Simes, matquil acceptance of    iently ing to receive anotting togetiles of a childrens puzzle game.

        Sometimes s, sometimes it made emptuous to see ing of Alessans occasional retice or Baerds a o kno tiny fisibar. S t t time to be regained. Sometimes it made    to weep.

        t o a se of , especially of her.

        time s after sunrise, passing t endos, so    cottage and repaired it and raised a family.

        In    already far out, tra seemed to be springtime. tage mendis in t of t riana ake-time needle home.

        It iful m in tones of t off ter. All ts    as aking advantage of t it o tell ood by ting for o look up and see o    er in her arms.

        only to gaze seaing to, to    of t. An old , a nervous one, and o o     small boat though.

        S see er at all. Catriana realized    she was invisible here.

        Because s t t acood t to see ired t of il tiena, ter t.

        It isnt fair, s, and in t heard.

        on a s, occasionally looking up to    of one small boat among so many bobbing on tern sea so far from the one shed loved.

        Catriana ing violently as embedded in t image. Sing for beat to slos in a room in Castle Borso.

        Alienors castle.

        Alienor, ired mot truly    fair. , seeing sucful images in

        marked igana and by t symbols, and for no one else.

        t in telanquy in Ardin to up t from the village.

        S been a trusting person at eig rusted t    of to Baerd t had reassured her.

        It     told     tigana, and tilted anotime    moment, and    to know.

        At    evening after dinner, after to bed, sold s t s . And s o do to igana back, and ime in ime ruck her.

        ormed about ting, and riad t    taken er ao be sucked bato t a grief now.

        And triana lear had ged her life.

        t of tomped out ttling triana and    eacime riana    four years. Sioo be t.

        Catriana    t-knoo    nig c t airs toified.

        So icipating a burden rief.

        "I am ing ; s;My fatend to make t up. I    sleep    rust you both?”

        Ale Borso s.    o t t.

        " you sing?"    Alessan had said.

        S music, about all time     er—about s est, sest joy. Diving for s summer tled flaser    her like a sed skin.

        t ransitiea again in a gater dark and errified to blame, o make redress for t t t and balan tumultuous er far below,    . . .

        And ime just before tmare of    s of     her door.

        "?" she called.

        "Devin. ill you let me e in?”

        Abruptly s up in bed and pulled topmost blao her .

        " is it?" she called.

        "Im not sure, actually. May I e in?”

        "t locked," ss    didnt really matter.

        Ser, but saline of his form.

        "t; ;You should lock your door, you know.”

        Sed being told t. "to be roaming tonigess, and so be ing for me. to your left.”

        S and sink back o t;I suppose ts true enoug; ;And Im sorry, you dont really need me to be telling you o take care of yourself.”

        Sened for irony but ;I seem to olerably    yuidance," she said mildly.

        . t;Catriana, I ly dont knoonight. I feel ridiculously sad.”

        tremely odd in ated a moment, ting ts, reaco strike a flint.

        "You lig; he asked.

        "Evidently.”

        S t regretting t reply, added, "My moto lig one, as a remio triad, so say. tood er I met Alessan.”

        "ts strange. So did my fat; Devin said ;Ive    about t. I never kne a man whings.”

        Suro look at    he wings hid his face.

        "A reminder of tigana?" she said.

        "It    deserve full devotion or observance because of ; ative tone added, "Its anot it? Of t tiganese arrogance Sandre alalks about. e make bargains riad, ake aake a of tes.”

        "I suppose so," s didnt really strike    alked like times.

        S see tion as one of pride, or bargaining, just as a remio t a wrong o pass. A reminder, like Alessans blue wine.

        "My mot a proud ; she said, surprising herself.

        "I dont kno;    tig;I dont even kno my fat know very muc ; he really did sound peculiar.

        "Devin," s;lean for me look at you." Ss; to the .

        Slo spilled across orn s and tceet a quick surge of anger, and ty t o do    directly.

        Sions be;So war.”

        it    t even by dlelight.

        It uled ; is it t; s;You tired    and came ing more? I    tell you—”

        "No," ;No, it isnt t. It is ... , Catriana. It    night.”

        "You certainly look as if it ; sorted, s.

        ;Not t s se. So plicated. I think—”

        "Devin, I really dont    tails!" S of thing made her feel.

        "No, no. Not like t, t at t . . ." ;I t I learned    yrants o us. Not just Brandin, and not just in tigana. Alberico too. Boto all of us.”

        "Suc," s;S be even more skillful than you imagined.”

        see    t followed hing grew calmer.

        "Im sorry," s lengt;I did. Im tired. Ive onig do you    from me, Devin?”

        "Im not sure," ;I guess, to be a friend.”

        Again s pused an instinctive, nervous urge to suggest e a letter to one os daug;Ive never been good at t, even as a child.”

        "Nor I," ing for is more t bete me sometimes, dont you.”

        S    t;e do not o discuss t e you.”

        "Sometimes you do,"    strange, dogged tone. "Because of    man you ever made love h.”

        Sried, unsuccessfully, to    last sente to ;You knew?”

        "Not t out later.”

        Pieces of aly putting it toget. S ;And is it your idea t discussiing subject will make us friends?”

        ;Probably not. I dont kno Id tell you I    to be." t;I ly dont knoriana. Im sorry.”

        Surprisingly, ed, and s t for a w .

        "I dont e you, Devin," s;truly, I dont. Not. It is an a deny t, but I dont t    ters, isnt it?”

        "I suppose so,"    see ;If t is all t matters.”

        "I mean, its true    making friends.”

        "hy?”

        Pieces of t s;As a girl, Im not sure. Maybe I was shy, perhaps proud. I

        never felt easy in our village, even t    since Baerd igana for me, since I     ts for anyt all.”

        S    t.

        ;Ice is for endings.”

        ly ;You are still a living person, Catriana.

        it, a life to live, access to friendso love. o thing only?”

        And s;Because my fat. igana like a cotles at the river.”

        Songue bleeding from    at t, t she had spoken.

        "O; he said.

        "Not a    say a word!”

        ting very still, almost invisible in tly s t    lig rol of o move past t     took a long time iually so draeady breat.

        "t; s entirely sure he silence.

        ted a moment tly called ened, aually o make out teady rise and fall of hing in sleep.

        So find t amusing. ly    nig just in the obvious ways.

        S about    certainly raise eyebrooget s really care. S sed t    trut    learned anot    really more about    t,    bother her more.

        Sting one of ts over    resisted t really    . Rovigos daug sort of t ser anding. t at miraculous speed and tucked it arouaco t ory of ttern shed chosen.

        Catriana smiled to tled back to sleep. lessness seemed to    dream again.    after dail later just how far.
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