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.” He drew in a deep breath of the sea air, glad to change the subject.“Are the barbarians prepared for the fight? Raegar does not approve of this, you know.”“Raegar’s not having a good voyage, my lord,” said Zahakis with a smile.“All is in readiness.The men have their orders.”“Very well,” said Acronis.“Let whatever this is called begin.”Down in the hold, Raegar paced the small area, a difficult feat for a man of his height.He had to keep his head bowed and shoulders hunched.Aylaen would have ignored him, as usual, but she was curious to know what had happened last night.All the women knew was that there had been yelling and shouting and the ship had heeled violently, sending them both careening across the deck of the hold.Then the ship had righted itself and all had been quiet and the women had no idea what had happened.Aylaen was angry at herself for being curious, for wanting to know what had happened.Garn was dead.She shouldn’t be taking an interest in life.Yet she had to hide a smile when she heard Raegar claim that Wulfe had caused a jellyfish to leap on board the ship and attack Zahakis.Apparently she didn’t hide it well, because Treia cast her a rebuking glance.“The boy is a danger,” Raegar continued.“I have tried to warn these fools, but they won’t listen.Aelon commanded that I take action.I threw the boy in the sea—”“You did what?” Aylaen cried in shock.“Quite right,” said Treia severely.“Sister, how can you say that? Wulfe was just a boy and this man murdered him!”“He is not dead,” Raegar said.“His daemon friends saved him.A wave threw him back on board.”Aylaen opened her mouth to point out that this was ridiculous.Treia frowned at her, and Aylaen kept silent.Her sister was happy again.Raegar had forgiven Treia for the failure with the dragon and had once more deigned to honor her with his attentions.Aylaen might have been pleased about this for Treia’s sake, but she had noticed that Raegar was starting to favor her with his attentions, as well.He had said nothing, but she didn’t like the way he kept looking at her.“So are Sigurd and Skylan going to go ahead with this supposed Vutmana?” Treia was asking.“Why would the Legate permit it?”“The soldiers want amusement,” Raegar stated sourly.“They need a Bone Priestess, however.I told the Legate that neither of you will have anything to do with it.”“I might,” said Aylaen, just to be contrary and annoy Raegar.Treia cast her a shocked glance.“You will do no such thing.I forbid it.”“You might get hurt,” said Raegar in solicitous tones that made Aylaen’s skin crawl.“How could I possibly get hurt?” she asked tartly.Treia and Raegar exchanged glances.“It is all a plot by Skylan to escape.”“It is?” Aylaen stared at him.“Of course!” said Raegar dismissively.“But why would the Legate let them fight, then?”“Acronis is not stupid.He has taken precautions.”“But don’t you want to escape?” Aylaen asked Treia.“Don’t you want to go back home?”She saw Treia gazing up at Raegar with adoration and knew the answer.A wave of homesickness swept over Aylaen.She longed for her mother, who had not wanted her to go on this voyage, who had wept and pleaded with her to remain.She longed to be back in the fields where she and Garn had worked, to sit in the grove where they made love in the afternoon.She dreaded the thought of being a slave, dreaded what horrors the future might hold.Her heart leaped at the idea that they might have a chance for freedom.She hated Skylan, but she never doubted his courage and resolve.She wondered suddenly if the strange events of last night were a part of Skylan’s plan.Aylaen glanced sidelong at Raegar, who was sitting beside Treia, airing his grievances to an appreciative audience.Seeing that he was, for the moment, not paying any attention to her, Aylaen slid the small knife out of her boot and swiftly thrust it into the leather belt she wore and arranged the folds of the tunic she wore over it, making certain that it was well concealed.“You have not found the spiritbone?” Raegar was asking her sister.“No,” said Treia, and she shrugged.“I doubt if we will ever find it.The Dragon Kahg has abandoned us.”Raegar nodded in satisfaction.“That means your gods have given up.”A soldier shouted down into the hold.“Warrior-Priest Raegar, you and the women are wanted on deck.”Raegar assisted Treia to climb the ladder.He turned to assist Aylaen, but she drew back from his touch.He gave her a smile and shrugged and followed Treia.Aylaen came last, feeling the cold steel of the knife in her belt.Our gods won’t give up, she thought.And neither will we.Raegar stepped onto the deck.The Legate and Tribune Zahakis stood together in conversation in the place of honor near the dragonhead prow, watching while the soldiers erected an awning made of canvas on the deck, which would shade the Legate from the sun so that he could better enjoy the spectacle.Acronis should have invited Raegar to join them.He was, after all, the Warrior-Priest assigned by the Priest-General to serve on the Light of the Sea.Acronis saw Raegar and he said something to Zahakis, who grinned.Raegar guessed that they were discussing him.He gave a bow.Acronis inclined his head and turned away.Raegar was angered.As the representative of Aelon, Raegar was responsible for the souls of all those on board and that included the Legate and the Tribune [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]