"Put him down."

The youths hooted. One or two threw back their heads and howled. Darak shoved past them, seized the free arm of one of Bep's tormentors, and twisted it up behind his back. The boy gave a genuine howl of pain and dropped Bep who tumbled awkwardly to the ground. The laughter died, replaced by a far more menacing silence.

Darak's hand went to the dagger at his waist, but before he could pull it free, Bep shouted something in Zherosi that sounded like "Away, you beast!" and kicked him in the shins. Darak stumbled backward to renewed laughter, pursued by Bep who clouted him repeatedly with his grain-filled club, all the while yelling curses and hopping from foot to foot like a demented bear cub. Still laughing, the youths drifted away in search of other entertainment.

"Next time, stay out of it, Wild Man."

Before he could reply, Bep walked away. Only then did Darak realize he had spoken the language of the tribes.

When it happened at the next town, Urkiat urged him to follow Bep's advice, but the cruel laughter of the men and their obvious delight in persecuting Bep was more than he could stomach. This time, though, he took a lesson from Bep. He raced through the crowd, howling and grimacing and waving his stupid club. Even Bep looked startled, then shouted something back that made his tormentors nod eagerly.

Bep lowered his head and charged. Even braced for the impact, Darak's breath whooshed out as Bep b.u.t.ted him in the belly. He stumbled and fell. Bep leaped on top of him. Darak winced as a fist caught him on the cheekbone. He warded off another blow, promising never again to intervene on behalf of the ungrateful little demon. Suddenly, Bep crawled off him-giving him a good knee in the groin as he did-and leaped up, waving his fists triumphantly in the air.

"The Wild Man is vanquished!" he shouted, drawing whoops and cheers from the crowd. One man gave him an approving pat on the head, as if the little man were a dog.

Darak picked himself up, watching with disgust as Bep swaggered off with his former tormentors.

"He's not worth it," Urkiat muttered. "Come on. You'd better let Thikia take a look at that eye."

"It'll do."

"You don't want it swelling-"

"It'll do, Urkiat." Softening his voice, he added, "Just leave me be for a bit."

While the rest of the company headed to the inn, Darak wandered into the field. Thick, shorn stalks of the grain they called millet crunched underfoot. The richer farmers disdained it for some reason, preferring to plant barley. This year, they would regret that decision. The millet survived the drought while the barley withered. In some fields, he'd seen lines of people pa.s.sing water jugs in a vain effort to keep their crops alive. Even if the rains came now, it would be too late; there would be hunger in Zheros come winter.

He sat down with his back against a boulder and drew his sleeve across his forehead. Although the sun had vanished, the heat remained. The sunsets here were spectacular, but he missed the long, gentle twilights of the north. The light faded so slowly around Midsummer, as if the day were reluctant to surrender to night. And when it did, the reign of darkness was so brief that you could still be dozing off when the birds began to sing.

Here, the birds offered a few halfhearted cheeps and gave up. He'd seen hawks soaring overhead, crows and ravens picking over the carca.s.s of a dead animal, but the chorus of birdsong that greeted him in the mornings was missing. Like the trees. And instead of rolling hills, the land was so flat, he woke each morning thinking he was sure to spy the holy city looming ahead of them. But all he could make out was a dark mountain, shimmering in the haze.

I'm coming, Keirith. Wait for me.

The crunch of millet stalks alerted him to an intruder. He craned his head and made out a short, stout figure, silhouetted against the fading colors of the sky.

Bep leaned against the boulder and folded his arms. For once, their heads were nearly level. What must it feel like to stare up at everyone? To be a man in spirit with a body no taller than a child's?

"You're as stubborn as a bullock," Bep said.

That was another difference between the two little men: Bo's voice was soft and lilting, Bep's as musical as two stones grating together.

"Just couldn't keep out of it, could you?"

"I don't like bullies."

"As if you've ever had to put up with them."

"It was wrong."

Bep laughed, a deep bellow that sounded surprisingly friendly. "Right or wrong's got nothing to do with it. This is the world, Wild Man."

"It shouldn't be."

"Stubborn as a bullock," Bep mused. "And stupid as a sheep. Wait. I'm not through insulting you yet."

"Well, I'm through listening."

"Touchy, aren't we?"

"Don't think because you're shorter, I won't knock you on your a.r.s.e."

"The same a.r.s.e you were so eager to save these last two nights."

"It wasn't your a.r.s.e I was worried about."

"Nay. It was the principle of the thing."

Darak opened his mouth and shut it. Finally, he said, "I'm not always so self-righteous."

"Thank the Maker for small blessings."

"It's true, then? You're a child of the Oak and Holly?"

Bep's mouth twisted. "I'm n.o.body's child, Wild Man. And n.o.body's friend either."

"Nay, of course not. The man who offers you friendship gets a bruised cheek and sore ballocks."

For a moment, he thought Bep would strike him. Then his face relaxed. "At least you had the sense to make a game of it this time."

"So maybe I'm not as stupid as a sheep. Why . . . ?" He hesitated, then plunged ahead. "Why do you let them treat you that way?"

"Good G.o.ds, man. Isn't it obvious? Because they're too big and too many to fight." Bep shook his head, disgusted. "I spent my youth trying to prove myself with my fists. Now I play the fool. Instead of a beating, I earn laughter and coins. And women. Oh, aye, there's always one or two want to see what the little man's made of. And they find out quick enough that I'm a big man where it counts. I've got one waiting for me now. A farmer's wife whose husband's off to Pilozhat and left her to care for the fields. Tonight I'll be the one doing the plowing."

"I see."

"Do you, Wild Man? Can you imagine what it's like to have your face pillowed between two soft b.r.e.a.s.t.s and your c.o.c.k buried between two strong thighs?"

"Have a care you don't suffocate," Darak said shortly.

Bep laughed. "Skittish as a virgin, aren't you? Naught but blushes and lowered eyes."

"I'm not blushing," he said, furious because he was.

"Are you so skittish with your wife?"

"Nay. And it's none of your concern if I am." He rose.

"I told you why I play the fool," Bep said. "Suppose you tell me why you play the Wild Man for Olinio."

"It's not for him."

"Who, then?"

"Again, that's none of your concern."

"True. But I can't help wondering why the great Darak Spirit-Hunter should join a troupe of traveling players."

Darak froze. The players knew him as Reinek. He'd taken his father's name as a precaution, although both he and Urkiat thought it unlikely that anyone in Zheros had heard of Darak Spirit-Hunter. But a child of the Oak and Holly would know the tale. Even one as far from home as Bep.

"Could be he got bored in that little village of his," Bep speculated. "Wanted another adventure. But the Wild Man of the North? That's a bit lower than I'd expect him to go. So I ask myself, 'Why would the Spirit-Hunter be in Zheros? And in such a tearing hurry to get to Pilozhat?' "

He'd never said anything about wanting to go to Pilozhat. But Bep could have seen him scanning the horizon, could have overheard him asking Olinio how many days before they reached the holy city. Who'd have guessed such innocuous behavior could betray him?

Unless Urkiat had let it slip.

Nay, he wouldn't be so careless.

A satisfied smile lit Bep's craggy features. "I start to wonder if maybe the Spirit-Hunter is on another quest. Last time, he went looking for his brother. Maybe this time, it's his wife. She'd be a bit old for the pleasure houses, though. So maybe it's not his wife he's looking for, but his daughter. Or his son."

"What do you want?"

"Perhaps I'm just curious."

"Perhaps."

"Or perhaps I mean to betray you to the priests in Pilozhat. They might consider the Spirit-Hunter a valuable hostage."

"They might."

"Or perhaps I'm doing you the favor of warning you."

"About the priests?"

"About the world, my innocent Wild Man. Coins loosen tongues and scruples alike. Right or wrong matters less than turning a profit. Your height, your hands, your manner . . . they all make you stand out. That's a good thing when you're just a silly player. But not so good when you've got something to hide. So take the advice of a fool: watch your back, keep your dagger close, and play the Wild Man. He'll survive a lot longer in Zheros than Darak Spirit-Hunter will."

It would be easy enough to take him. Leave his body in the field. Blame his death on thieves or drunks or a jealous suitor. Instead, Darak watched Bep cross the field and disappear into one of the whitewashed houses.

"Wolf?" he whispered. "Can you hear me?"

He had to wait a long while for her to appear and when she did, she was as insubstantial as mist, the stalks of millet clearly visible through her body. But her tail still wagged in greeting as she padded over and lay down beside him.

"Is it too hard for you?" he asked. "I won't call you again if it is."

"It is hard, Little Brother. But good to share the night with you."

When he told her about his encounter with Bep, she surprised him by saying, "His warning was wise. And his behavior that of any pack leader seeking to demonstrate his dominance to a newcomer."

"But he's not the pack leader."

As he described Olinio, her head came up. "That one is weak. The small one is strong. That is why he tests you. To decide whether to accept you or chase you off." She whined softly. "Or kill you. That often happens to a lone wolf seeking a new pack."

"But I'm not alone. And I'm not seeking a new pack. I have you and Urkiat."

"Then tell the young one to be cautious. To watch for any signs of aggression." She lowered her head onto her paws again. "I am sorry I cannot help you, Little Brother."

"But you already have, Wolf."

He stared up at the sky and watched the stars appear. There was the Archer, pointing the way home. And there, the Boar's Tusk, pointing the way to Pilozhat. The road to the holy city was as straight as a spear, but the path to Keirith was full of pitfalls.

"Close your eyes, Little Brother. I will keep watch."

As she stretched and rose, he lay down on the warm earth. His fears would still be waiting in the morning. He would face them then. Tonight, he had Wolf. Tonight, at least, he was safe.

Please, G.o.ds, let Keirith be safe, too. And Griane and the children. Please, G.o.ds, let me reach my boy in time.

Chapter 31.

THE PALACE WAS UNUSUALLY quiet on the day of The Shedding; everyone was expected to spend the morning in contemplation and prayer. Only when the king and queen emerged from seclusion at midday did the celebrations begin. So Keirith had little to do but sit in his room, contemplate the floor, and pray that he was ready for Xevhan's entertainment. Malaq would be busy all day, but they had already discussed how he should behave tonight; it was only a matter of waiting for the interminable day to end.

He flinched when he heard the distant blare of horns; he always a.s.sociated the sound with death. But when the two guards loitering outside sketched spirals on their chests, he guessed the rite must be over.

As the afternoon wore on, he grew more restless. Finally, he walked to the doorway and suggested a game of dice. The younger guard brightened, but the older one shook his head. "Wouldn't be proper."

"But the praying is done, yes? And this is a day of happiness for your people. And if I just sit here, counting stones in the floor, I think I scream. So dice is good for all of us."

After a moment, the older guard nodded. The younger one raced off and returned with a leather cup and wooden dice. He plopped down on the floor and rattled the cup invitingly. The older one settled himself with a grunt.

The afternoon pa.s.sed pleasantly enough after that. They played for beans, but the young guard was as excited as if they were coins. His name was Ysal. He'd grown up in Pilozhat. His father had served in the palace guard before him. He had three sisters and two brothers. One brother was in the army and was certain to go far. The younger one-the clever one-was apprenticed to a metalworker. His sisters were all unmarried, but one was betrothed to the same craftsman who had taken on his brother as an apprentice. He was old-thirty at least-but very respectable and had offered an excellent bride price for his sister, who was no great beauty although she was the sweetest girl in the world. Another had her eyes on the son of a tanner, although how she could put up with the stink was more than he could imagine. He had served in the guards for three years and it was good, steady work, and he hoped to put enough money by so that when he was old, he could buy a house of his own and marry a rich wife and buy a pretty slave girl.

The older guard's name was Luzik.

It was the first time he'd really talked with a Zheroso other than Malaq. He couldn't help liking Ysal. He seemed so . . . ordinary. He loved his family. He dreamed of his future. He celebrated his people's festivals. Just like a child of the Oak and Holly.

"Tell me about The Shedding. I know little about the rite. It honors the adders who shed their skins, yes?"

Ysal nodded. "All night, the priests keep vigil in the temples. Save for the Pajhit-he stays with the king. And the Motixa is with the queen. They keep vigil, too. At dawn, the Qepo milks the adders. Everyone has to pray and fast until the king and queen Shed."

Ysal grimaced; clearly, neither praying nor fasting appealed to him.

"At midday," he continued, "the king and queen go to the throne room to greet the people. Well, the important people. Just for a few moments, though. Shedding their skins is very tiring. But everyone else celebrates. The parties go on all night. Dancing, singing. And the food . . ." He smacked his lips in antic.i.p.ation.

"Shedding their skins? Their clothes, you mean." Keirith felt the heat rise into his face as he imagined the queen standing naked in the throne room.