This one hadnat been strong enough to remove the spell, but it had done a great deal to mitigate the effects. Likely whatever it was, it had felt her meddling and was watching from nearby.

aMmm,a she murmured, smiling in pleasure as she leaned forward and pressed her hands onto the field, sinking her hands into the soft ground where the magic held in the grains of dirt made her fingers tingle.

Seraph sent out a drift of Seeking magic again, this time looking for a creature not human. She found something almost immediately, but it was different than she expected: darkness but not shadow, somehow more natural, more elemental than the woods around her, something frightening. It could only be Jes.

The time had come whether Lehr was finished or not. She set the mystery of the farmas protector aside and began her show.

She stood up and held both arms out theatrically, calling out in the Old Tongue. They werenat words of powera"she didnat need them for this. She didnat know many words of the Old Tongue, but she was willing to bet that Benroln knew even less.

Theatrics, her father would have scolded her, but her grandfather would have understood. Some people wouldnat believe in magic until it came with light and sounds.

The merchant himself had given her the idea for this, and the magic embedded in the soil gave her the power. She called light filaments to sparkle and grow like cobwebs on the wheat, dancing from stalk to stalk until the whole field glittered in light that shifted rapidly through the shades of the rainbow in waves. It was a pretty effect, she thought, though it was merely light.

But there wouldnat be a solsenti alive who would turn their heads from the field to look behind them when Seraphas children approached. Benroln and the merchant stepped out of the trees, but a flicker of magic held them where they were.

Now to leave the merchant in no doubt of what his gold had purchased for him. This was more difficult and she would never have even attempted it if it hadnat been for that dark, tingling soil that ached to aid the growth of the plants rooted in it.

Slowly she raised her arms together as she pushed her magic into plants. Grow, she urged them, grow and be strong.

Stalks thickened slowly and stretched up . . .

A defter hand than hers touched them and straightened and strengthened; balancing root, stalk, and bearding head in a way that Seraph would not have, though she knew, from the rightness of the path of magic, that this was how plants ought to grow.

Since her magic was not needed, she glanced toward the source of the magework and saw it, sitting near a fencepost. It wasnat much bigger than a cat, a small, mossy creature with rounded, droopy ears and large eyes that gleamed with power. Its coloring matched the earth and wood so closely that she doubted that she would have seen it if the field hadnat been thrumming with its power.

aEarthkit,a she said softly to herself. aThis farmer must keep to the old ways.a aWhen he had naught but old bread and milk for his own children he didnat forget me,a agreed a voice she felt as much as heard. aSuch acts are to be rewarded.a aIndeed,a agreed Seraph. Since she wasnat doing anything else, she added a crackle to the lights so that the merchant and Benroln wouldnat hear her talking to the creature. aI would not have been able to heal this so well without you.a aNor could I break that other spelling,a said the earthkit in its rusty voice. aBut I am done now.a The magic ceased abruptly and it left in a scuttling run that her eyes could not quite follow.

The wheat swayed under Seraphas lights, ready to harvest nowa"at least two months early. She lowered her arms and allowed the glitter and noise to die away slowly.

aI wonat do the work of petty criminals,a she said clearly.

aRaven,a spat Benroln. aFine. See what happens to your children now. And as for this,a he waved a hand at the field, aYou may be Raven, but I am Cormorant.a Electricity began gathering in the air.

Stupid, stupid, arrogant Raven, Seraph thought, bitterly ashamed. A storm with the heavy wheat heads atop slender, drying stalks would be disastrous.

If shead just left the field alone once shead broken the curse, the earthkit would have seen to it that the wheat grew normally. She knew what Benroln was, and being a farmeras wife she should have remembered what disasters the weather can bring.

aBenroln,a she said harshly, ayou are a fool. This man has assassins in the woodsa"do you think they lurk there to watch the magic?a aI donat know what youare talking about,a said the merchant.

Benroln stopped his casting and looked at the other man.

aWhy do you think that a man like this would come here without guards?a said Seraph. aThere has always been a problem doing the work of solsenti who are willing to hire Travelers to make evil upon others of their kind.a aWhat do you suggest?a Benroln said bitterly. aMy people will starve. I tried it your way. We were driven from one place to another, sometimes by people who feared what we might do and sometimes by people because we wouldnat do as they asked. Iave had foura"foura"mermori come to me. Four more clans dead and gone.a aDo not air our quarrels before solsenti,a she said sharply.

Benroln glanced at the merchant and bit his lip.

aLehr took care of three of the men who were watching,a said Hennea, coming out of the woods with Gura at her side. aJes has the other one immobilized.a aSo what do we do with him?a Benroln asked.

Jes appeared and grabbed the merchantas hand.

aYou donat want to draw that knife,a Jes said quietly. aMy brotheras over there with one of your menas bows. No use anyone else dying tonight.a The merchant all but collapsed at Jesas touch, and Seraphas oldest son relieved him of several throwing knives.

aAsherstal,a said Seraph, snapping her fingers. aThe owner of this field. He has managed to survive this long; I suspect he can handle this one if we deliver him. Hennea, Jes, could you escort him there?a She turned to Benroln and said, aI need you to call a meeting of your people tonight. Iad like to tell you some things that you need to know.a If she could persuade the entire clan to follow her to Taela, shead have the clanas healer for her husband when she found him. She just wished she were as good at persuading people as Tier was.

Benroln didnat wait for her, but stomped off, angry at her, at the merchant, and at a responsibility he didnat know how to fulfill.

When Benroln was gone, Jes said, aHe bears no open wounds, Mother, but Lehr is hurt.a Seraph nodded. aTake this one to the farmhouse and donat get anyone hurt in the process, and Iall do my best for Lehr.a She waited until Jes and Hennea were halfway to the cabin, but before she called out, Lehr came. It was too dark to see him well, but she could smell the blood on him.

aThank you,a she said. aIf you had not been here tonight, Benroln and I would doubtless have been dead.a aThere are three men dead instead,a he said. aJes tied the fourth one up before I got to him.a aThey were men who were willing to kill for no cause but gold,a said Seraph. Words were not her strength, but for Lehr she searched for the right ones. aThey have doubtless killed others on the merchantas orders. Now they will not kill anyone again.a aWhen I killed them,a whispered Lehr, coming toward her, ait was so easy. Easier than hunting deer. What am I, Mother?a aThis is what it means to be an Order-Bearer,a she told him. aNone of the Orders are easy. You are Hunter, and among the tasks of the Hunter is the bringing of death.a She opened her arms, and, when he dropped to his knees in front of her, she pulled him close. He buried his face in the crook of her neck.

aI donat like it,a he said.

aShh,a she held him and rocked lightly back and forth, as she had when head been a child. aShh.a aSomeoneas waiting in front of our tent,a said Jes just as Gura gave a happy bark and ran forward with his tail wagging.

aSo,a said Brewydd from a bench someone must have carried over for her. aYou stopped Benroln from his folly. Thatas more than Iave managed to do.a Gura sat beside her and put his big black muzzle on her knee and heaved a contented sigh.

aHardly,a said Seraph. aI just pointed out that the merchant he chose to do business with was a thief and a killera"and that any other solsenti head find to pay for the same sort of favor will probably be equally bad.a The old woman cackled, aI never thought of that.a aIt wonat stop him,a said Seraph. aHeas obviously done similar things before; heall do them again.a aMost of them werenat this bad,a said Brewydd. aThough making certain that a village was dry a month or more in high summer, then forcing them to pay him to bring the rain is no noble deed.a aNo,a agreed Hennea dryly.

aTalk to him at this meeting tonight,a Brewydd told Seraph. aMake him understand what he does is folly.a aWhat good will talking do?a asked Lehr. aHavenat you told him what heas been doing is wrong? Why would he listen to Mother when he wonat listen to you?a aHah!a exclaimed Brewydd. aA man would rather listen to a beautiful woman than a wrinkled old crone. You, boy,a she said pointing at Lehr. aYou can help an old woman to her home.a Lehr took a deep breath, tightened his jaw, and nodded his head. When he took her arm, Brewydd patted his biceps lightly before using him to lever herself up. aYour mother teaches you well, boy. It is good when a youngling is kind to old women.a She winked at Seraph and continued to mutter at Lehr as he led her back to her wagon.

aRight,a said Seraph, hoping Brewydd could do better for Lehr than shead managed. aLetas go find Benroln.a aSeraph,a said Hennea, aif you go and start attacking Benroln for what heas done, youall make Lehr happy and weall all go our separate ways tomorrow. Benroln will still take gold from the next solsenti who wants to pay to have his neighboras fields destroyed, and youall have the satisfaction of telling them what you think of them.a aYou have another suggestion?a said Seraph.

aThe Secret Path is very powerful,a said Hennea. aThey claim that they run the Empire, and that might very well be true. Having more people to call on for help could be very useful.a aIave thought of that,a said Seraph. aButa"Hennea, I am not a Bard. Yelling I can do, but persuasion is another matter entirely. Would you try?a She shook her head. aTo Benroln and his people, you are our leader. To have me speak to them would be an insult. You can do this. Just remember that Benroln is frustrated because thereas nothing he can do to keep his people safe. Give him something to do other than rob the solsenti of their gold, some way to strike back, and heall forget about the games.a Isfain was angry with Hennea, Seraph observed as she sipped her hot tea. But Hennea had told her the state shead found Jes in, and Seraph didnat mind seeing him grit his teeth when Hennea got too close. What chance had given Hennea the knowledge of loosing the foundrael, Seraph didnat know, but she was grateful for it all the same.

Hennea had certainly impressed a few people with her freeing of Jes. The whole Rongier clan, at least those present at the small gathering in front of Benrolnas tent, were treating Hennea as if shead grown a third head.

Or maybe Hennea was just sitting too close to Jes.

Jes had no intention of forgiving anyone for imprisoning him. He lurked in a wolfish form only half-revealed by the flickering light of the bonfire. It might have been easier if head chosen to be wolf in whole, but the wolfas muzzle and eyes in an otherwise human body was particularly disturbing. Low growls told everyone that he was unhappy with them all. Seraph rather thought the shape was an illusion, but it was difficult to tell.

Brewydd had brought Lehr with her. He looked tired, but the sickness had faded from his eyes. When the old woman griped at him and ordered him to move her camp chair three times before she sat in it, he actually grinned.

Benroln came out of his tent at last, and looked around to see that everyone was there. He sat down directly opposite Seraph and nodded his head at her: so the meeting would begin with her comments.

Unhappy people, all, she thought, glancing around at the faces of the clan.

aWe could spend the night throwing accusations and debating ancient history,a said Seraph. aIf you were not honest with what you wanted of us, well then, we were not entirely honest either.a aIad like to rage at you, and tell you how wrong what youave been doing is, but you already know what I think.a She took a deep breath. aSo Iam going to tell you the things that we didnat tell you when you invited us to journey with you to Taela. It will take a while, and I am no Bard. I ask for your patience just the same.a aI am Seraph, Raven of Isolda the Silent and wife to Tieragan of Redern, Owl in his own right, though he has not a drop of Traveler blood . . .a By the time she brought them into the present she was hoarse. Benroln refilled her cup and urged it upon her solicitouslya"as if they had not just fought a battle over a farmeras field.

As clan leader, it was his place to respond, so everyone sat silently while he considered her story.

aThis Path,a he said, athey have been taking our people for years and stealing their Orders?a Seraph nodded.

aYou have some of the stones?a asked Brewydd.

Seraph had thought the old Healer was asleep.

aYes.a aIad like to see them,a Brewydd murmured. aBring them here when we are done and weall sit in the Librarianas home, you and I, Hennea and Benroln, and see just what evil the solsenti have wrought.a aAll right,a Seraph said and then changed the subject. aTomorrow, my family and I will continue on to Taela where my husband is being kept.a aYou say your husband is Ordered,a said Isfain. aBut he is a solsenti?a aThatas right.a aCould this Secret Path you told us about be the reason that the solsenti laws have become so stringent against us?a asked Kors.

Seraph thought that they could look to themselves and to other clans who had gone after gold rather than fighting evil for the cause of the antipathy solsenti had toward Travelers, but she wasnat such a fool as to say so.

Benroln, unaware of Seraphas thoughts, nodded intently. aIt could be. If what we have heard tonight is true, this Path could be very powerful.a He nodded his head once more. aThen this is what we will do. Isfain, send out messages to the other clans we know of and warn them of this Path and their methods. See to it that they in turn pass the message on.a He waited until Isfain nodded. aTomorrow we also strike out at speed for Taela.a He turned to Seraph. aThere are things that we can do to help. We have friends in Taela.a Seraph looked at his eager face. aI would be very grateful for any help you can give,a she said.

Seraph was exhausted, but she found herself as unable to say no to the old Healer as everyone else was. Besides, she wanted to know what the Healer could tell her about the rings. So it was that she found herself inside the house of Rongier the Librarian with Hennea, Benroln, and Brewydd.

Rongieras home had been larger and more prosperous than Isoldaas. His library had a table large enough to seat eight or ten people.

Seraph took the seat next to Brewydd and dumped the bag of rings on the table.

Brewydd hesitated and lightly fingered each ring before settling on an old ring set with a stone of rose quartz.

aWell,a she murmured, ahow did they do that then? You told me that they took the Orders and bound them to a ring.a aRight,a said Seraph. aThatas what Hennea said, and thatas what seems to have happened.a aIndeed.a Brewydd put the ring down and pushed it away from her. Her hand was shaking a little. aSo thatas one of the reasons,a she murmured.

aReasons for what, Brewydd?a asked Benroln. Head made no move to look closer at the rings.

aThere were only ever so many Orders,a she said. aI donat know the numbers, Iam not certain where to find an exact count of most of thema"but there were only ever ten healers. One would die and another would be born. But now there are only six.a She pointed at the ring shead been handling. aThat one is one of the missing.a aDo you mean to say that the Orders are . . . like a . . .a Seraph searched for a proper comparison.

aLike a suit of armor,a said Brewydd. aOne that is fitted at birth and stays with you, grows to be a part of you until it is like your skin. When you die, the skin sloughs off and cleanses itself of everything that was yoursa"your scent, your shape, the sound of your voice. Then, once more only a suit of armor, it goes off and seeks the next person to fit itself to.a She folded her hands and rested her chin on them. aThe Orders donat go to just anyone.a She nodded her head toward Seraph. aYou would have been a mage even if you hadnat been Raven. Your husband would still have sung. Benroln would have been one of those people who always seems to know when a bad storm is coming in. The Orders go where they will be welcomed.a aSo when they made these stones,a said Benroln somberly, aeach ring was another Traveler born without an Order.a Brewydd nodded her head. She looked at Hennea. aYou said that the wizards of the Path, these Masters, find that they cannot use some of these. I believe that they took the Order too soon, that there are bits of personality still clinging to the stones. The only time Iave ever seen something similar is when I had to deal with a Ravenas Memory.a aA Ravenas Memory?a asked Benroln.

aA Ravenas Memory,a said Brewydd, ahappens only when a Raven is murdered. A Raven can take the power that always comes with death and a part of himself to the Order and bind the result to a false life until it carries out vengeance against his murderer.a aBut itas not only the Raven stones that . . .a Seraphas voice trailed off because she wasnat certain how to explain it.

aNo.a Brewydd sorted out a half dozen rings. aHere is the Lark, a couple of Ravens, a Hunter and Bard, these all contain part of their last Order-Bearer. Theyare bound, tied to the stones so they canat act like Raven Memoriesa"but I bet the wizards who tried to wear them got a rude surprise.a aDo you know what to do with them?a asked Hennea.

aNot yet,a said Brewydd. aDo you mind if I keep these?a She indicated the jewelry.

aNo,a said Seraph. aIf you can figure out what to do with them, how to free the Orders, it is more than Hennea and I have managed.a Brewydd nodded and collected the rings into Seraphas bag. aTell that boy of yours to come to my wagon tomorrow when we stop to camp,a she said.

aLehr?a asked Seraph cautiously.

Brewydd nodded. aI know a few odd things about Hunters he might be interested in.a She got to her feet. aI know a lot more than I let on,a she said. aBut I only share with those I like. Your boy was exhausted and heartsick, not to mention tired of taking orders and angry with the whole of my clana"yet he still was courteous and gentle. I like him.a She glared at Benroln.

He got up off the chair with a crack of laughter. aI love you, old woman.a He leaned over and kissed her cheek. aIam going to get some sleep before I fall over. Youall want to keep the mermora until youave solved this puzzle with the rings, and you are welcome to it, Brewydd. Good night.a Brewydd turned to Seraph. aIam an honest woman, so Iall tell you that Iam not used to learning wisdom from those younger than I. I thought that I had to convince him that what he was doing to earn gold was wrong. I never considered trying to find something else for him to do instead. Thank you.a Seraph shook her head. aIam afraid you have Hennea to thank for that.a Hennea smiled and got up. aYouare welcome to any bits of wisdom I pick up. Now, Iam with Benroln; itas time to sleep. Can I escort you to your wagon?a Brewydd laughed and winked at Seraph. aIall say yes, only because that handsome young Guardian whoas been waiting outside will come, too.a Seraph laughed, yawned, and left for their tent.

aSeraph, wake up,a Henneaas voice was soft and disappeared into the dream.

aMother,a murmured Jes.

At the sound, Seraph sat up and opened her eyes almost in the same motion. aJes, are you all right?a He smiled his sweet smile. aFine, Mother, but youare going to wake the camp.a Seraph yawned and tried to find the reason theyad woken her up in what Jes had just said. It was still dark out and everyone except her was lying down. Hennea had a gentle grip on Seraphas arm.

aYou were having nightmares,a said Lehr, rolling on his side so he could see her more easily.

When he said it, she remembered. Tier had been sitting on a throne of oak, ash, and rowan while a spell was worked around him. Head been playing one of the songs he played often at the tavern, though she couldnat remember which one it was. Shead run to him, knelt at his feet, and set her head in his lap as she had sometimes when the nightmares had been so bad after her brother had died. But there had been something wrong. Head kept playing, ignoring her entirely. Finally shead reached up to touch the skin of his arm and screamed. His flesh had been warm, she could feel blood pulse under her fingertips, but she knew that he was dead.

Nervously she ran her fingers in her hair. aThank you for waking me,a she said, lying down again.

aWhat did you dream of?a asked Hennea.

aI donat remember,a Seraph lied. She had no talent for foreseeing, she reminded herself firmly. It had only been a dream.

She lay back and stared at the top of the tent. She knew that Jes and Lehr assumed theyad find Tier hale and whole and the only problem would be getting him out, but Seraph had too much experience to believe in happy endings.

He might be dead.

Shead never told Tier that she loved him. Never once.

She had done her best to turn herself into a good wife, tried to become the person he needed as helpmeet. She knew head assume that shead never told him that she loved him because she didnat.

He was wrong.

Tier felt guilty for so much: that shead been forced to marry him, that shead been so young. Their marriage had freed him from the burden of taking over the family bakery and he felt guilty about that, too. Head gained his freedom and shead lost hers, lost her chance to rejoin her people. If shead ever told him that she loved him, head have told her that he loved her, too.

Head have lied for her.

Tier was the most truthful person she knew. Head have lied to her out of guilt, and she couldnat abide that, so shead never told him.

Dry-eyed, she stared at the tent ceiling and hoped that shead get the chance to hear him lie to her.

CHAPTER 13.

Phoran nervously caressed the stack of parchment on his bed. He had already carefully organized it, placing the one that would make his first bid for power fifteenth down. Far enough down that many of the Septs would have relaxed their guard, but not so far that they would have quit listening entirely.

A light tap at his door made him take three quick steps away from the bed. Then he realized that the bed was an odd place for formal documents, so he ran back, snatched them up, and placed them on his writing desk. He wouldnat want anyone to think that head spent all day and most of the night going through them. Most of the Septs would think that he was merely tormenting Douver, the council secretary: everyone knew that Phoran couldnat stand the worm.

The quiet tap sounded again. aYour Highness?a said the guard who stood his watch at the door to the Emperoras bedchamber. aMy lord, Avar, Sept of Leheigh, begs entrance.a aAvar?a Phoran said distractedly. Now that he thought of it, the writing desk was an odd choice as well. He couldnat remember ever actually sitting at ita"something Avar would have noticed.

aYes, Your Highness.a aYes, yes, let him in.a It was too late to change anything anyway.

The door opened and Avar made his entrance. aPhoran,a he said as soon as the door was closed behind him. aIave been looking for you since yesterday afternoon. Did you really take all the proposed laws and run off with them?a Surprisingly, Phoran didnat have a prepared reply. He hadnat even thought about what Avar would say. Not that he didnat carea"but it didnat seem as important anymore.

Avar misread his hesitation.

aNot that you didnat have every right toa"but you might have warned someone you intended to take a closer look. It wasnat necessary to give poor Douver an anxiety attack.a Phoran found himself smiling. aWasnat it? Youall have to forgive me if Iave forgotten that I could have just called the things into my review. I suspect everyone else has forgotten as well.a A frown chased itself across Avaras perfect brow. aWhat are you up to, my friend?a aDo you know anything about the Secret Path?a It was an impulsive question born of years of trust, blind trust he was no longer certain he felt. But even after the question left his lips, Phoran didnat regret it.

aThe secret, secret club that everyone knows about?a asked Avar with a grin. aWhere a bunch of young hotheads go to pretend they are villainous Travelers? My brother, Toarsen, and his tagalong, muscle-bound friend, Kissel, belong to it.a Phoran walked back to his bed and perched on the end, offering a nearby padded bench to Avar with his hand. aTell me everything you know.a aDoes this have something to do with taking the proposals?a asked Avar as he availed himself of the offered seat and leaned back against the wall.

aI donat know,a said Phoran truthfully.

aWell then.a Avar put his head back and relaxed. aThey choose young men of noble blood when theyare fifteen or sixteen and induct them in some sort of secret ceremony. They donat pick a lot of boysa"no more than five or ten a year. I donat know what they do at the ceremonya"but my brother carried bruises from it for a week or more. The people they choose are usually the ones who are . . . well, problems for their families.a He looked at Phoran a moment, then sighed. aI know they had something to do with that mess last year when some young thugs destroyed the weaversa market. I saw Toarsen coming home in the wee hours of the morning, dead drunk with a hatchet in his hand. I should have said something, butaa"he shrugged ruefullya"aheas my brother.a aDo you know any of the older members?a asked Phoran. aThe Raptors?a aSome,a answered Avar with a quick grin. aThe ones my brother gripes the most about. The council leadera"the Sept of Gorrish is one of them and Telleridge is another. My father wasa"I think thatas how my brother was selected.a Phoran closed his eyes and thought. aDidnat the Weaversa Guild file a complaint against Gorrish just before the market was destroyed? They dropped it because he was instrumental in getting funds to help them rebuild it.a aYouare right,a said Avar in an arrested voice. aI never thought to look for a deeper motive. Iave always thought of the Secret Path as a game for boys who are at loose ends.a aI have heard that you cannot be an heir to a Sept and belong to the Path,a said Phoran.

aGorrishas father and three older brothers died in the plague that hit the Empire about twenty years ago,a said Avar. aHeas not the only younger son who has inherited.a He smiled. aMy own father was a second son.a Phoran had a terrible thought. Maybe it was because head just spent the night talking to a bard that head thought of the old story of the Shadowed. How the first magic the Shadowed had loosed was plague. Maybe it was all the talk of magica"or maybe it was his current affliction of Memory. aHow many of those second and third sons, or cousins who inherited a Sept were members of the Path?a he asked.

aI donat know exactlya"I was about four at the time, Phoran. The younger sons who inherited unexpectedly . . . oh, Seal Hold, Telleridge, Jenne, and a few others. You arenat going to tell me that the Secret Path is responsible for the plague, are you?a Avar shook his head. aA lot of people died, Phoran. Most of them werenat Septs with heirs who happened to be members of the Secret Club.a aDoubtless, youare right.a Phoran smiled and changed the subject. aI am calling a Council Seating for tomorrow,a he said.