Cautiously, she waited to be sure that there were no guards nearby. When she was satisfied that she was the only one lurking in the nearby woods, Rialla tied the horses in a thicket of lilacs that grew on the edge of the woods. The heavy perfume of the flowers followed her as she crossed the log spanning the creek that ran behind Trisas home.

aLaeth? Tris?a she called softly as she opened the door.

A quiet-voiced reply led her into the back room, where she found Laeth, Tris and Marri waiting in the dark. Theyad left the lamps unlit so they didnat attract the notice of the patrols.

aGreetings,a Rialla said wearily, leaning against the door. aItas good to see you in one piece, Laeth.a aItas better to be in one piece than four,a he agreed gravely. aWhat took you so long?a aI was keeping Lord Jarroh and his men off your tail, so donat take that tone with me,a she told him.

Laeth grinned at her unrepentantly, and Rialla smiled back, picking a leaf out of her hair. She took a seat on the floor next to Trisas stool, since Laeth was sitting on the bed with Marri.

aThe horses are waiting in the grove of lilacs by the edge of the forest,a Rialla said, fighting the urge to close her eyes and sleep. aYouad better get going; itas almost dawn, and if youare found here, innocent people will suffer.a aArenat you coming too?a asked Laeth.

Rialla shook her head, having come to a decision as she rode through the night. aIam going to try to prove that Winterseine killed Lord Karsten.a aHow?a said Marri with a frown. aNo one is going to listen to Laethas slave.a aNo,a agreed Rialla, abut they donat have to. I intend to get the proof of Wintersieneas involvement to Ren in Sianim. If he can persuade me to come back to Darran as a slave, he can convince the regency council to convict Winterseine.a aWhere are you going to get this proof?a The healeras voice sounded tired, softer than usual.

aWinterseine wants his slave back. If Laeth disappears, he will have legal claim . . .a She noticed that there was a damp spot on the floor near Trisas chair, where she was resting her hand. She touched her fingers to her mouth and said, aDid you know that you are bleeding, Tris?a aNo, am I?a He sounded intrigued. aThat creature that we bumped into must have caught mea"I didnat notice.a A faint light appeared cupped in one of his hands. As he bent to examine his legs, Rialla noticed that his sleeve was suspiciously dark.

aItas your arm.a Tris pulled the knife from his boot and twisted to tuck the point of the knife under the material of his tunic.

aHere, let me,a offered Laeth, whoad crossed the room when Rialla first noticed that Tris was wounded. He took the knife and split the sleeve from shoulder to wrist.

aJust a cut,a said Tris after a quick look. aIave got some brandy and bandages out front.a Laeth stayed where he was while the healer left the room.

aBy the gods, Ria, I wouldnat take my brotheras estates if they were offered to me,a he said intently. aI enjoy being a mercenary much more than I ever did being a Darranian lord. Let Winterseine have the plague-ridden land. Donat do this.a Rialla leaned back against the wall and shook her head. aIam not doing this for you, Laeth; proving your innocence is a side benefit, but thatas all it is. If Winterseine gains the power of your brotheras estate and title, what happens to the alliance?a aIt fails, as he intends it to,a Laeth bit out angrily. aSlavery remains a part of Darranian culture. Thatas tragic, but slavery has been around a long time. Eliminating it in Darran isnat going to stop it elsewhere. Plague you, Ria, itas not worth the risk of your freedom.a aWhat freedom?a asked Rialla intensely. aI am a slave. I spend all of my time trying to prove to myself that I am not.a aNonsense,a commented Tris. Rialla hadnat noticed when he entered the room; he had dispensed with the magelight. aYou were supposed to come straight here, not engage in a series of highly unnecessary heroics, and lead the hold guards on a white stag hunt all over the countryside while we sat here and worried. A slave does as sheas told.a Laeth snickered. aI keep trying to tell her that, but she doesnat listen.a Rialla smiled, enjoying the exchangea"but not accepting it. They didnat know how insidious the slave mentality was, the fear of being beaten or worse: the need to please the Master.

aDid you clean your arm?a she asked.

Tris nodded. aI canat get the bandage tight, though. Itas in an awkward place.a He handed a long, narrow cloth to Rialla.

She hesitated then said, aIall need some light.a He produced another light, and she wrapped the cotton tightly around his upper arm.

aThis looks like you were raked with claws,a she commented.

aWe ran into something in the tower,a said Laeth. aI didnat notice whether it had claws or not.a aSomething that smelled like it came from a swamp,a added Tris. aApparently someone wanted to make certain that Laeth would die.a aI told Lord Winterseine I was going to stop Lord Jarroh,a said Marri hesitantly from the bed, aeven if I had to sleep with Jarroh to do it.a Laeth started laughing. aI bet you had him convinced that you were a mouse all this time. Did you call him a stupid mule too?a aNo,a said Marri, aI called him a murderer. I knew that you hadnat killed Karsten: you donat have it in you to commit such an act. The next most logical suspect was Winterseine. Especially since he was working so hard to convince everyone that you were the guilty one.a aI wonder what he sent after Marri,a mused Rialla. aI think that youad better take her with you to Sianim, Laeth.a aYes,a he agreed, aI had intended to do so. I wish you would come with us.a Rialla shook her head again. aNo.a aIall tell Ren what you are doing. He ought to be able to find you and get you out, if you canat do it on your own.a Laeth obviously wasnat happy, but he knew her well enough to understand that he couldnat change her mind.

aThank you,a said Rialla.

aI suppose, then, that we had best be out of here,a said Laeth briskly.

aLet me get some things together,a said Tris, heading to the front room. aIave got some sturdy clothes that might fit the lady, if sheas not too choosey. I wondered what I was going to do with them when the farmer gave them to me for healing his ewe. Iave traded bread as well. It should only take me a moment to find everything.a True to his word, Tris took only a short time to pack a pair of large saddlebags. He hefted the load and handed it to Laeth.

With the bags over his shoulder, Laeth took Riallaas hand and kissed it with a courtieras grace.

Rialla patted his cheek gently with her free hand, and then shoved him on the shoulder hard. aGet going before they find those horses. Keep it to a walk if you can; theyave had a hard night. If you bear northeast into Reth, you should be safe enough; most of the soldiers are searching in the southeast, toward Sianim.a aIad planned on it,a he said. aI have some friends in Reth that we can stay with and rest the horses. Luck to you, Ria.a aAnd to you,a she replied.

Laeth turned to Tris. aThank you for your aid this night.a Tris shrugged it off. aIf you and your lady reach Sianim in safety, that will be thanks enough.a Tris followed them out, saying that he could conceal the obvious tracks and if anyone saw him wandering around in the dark, they would think nothing of it. There were several plants that were more potent if picked at night.

Alone in the cottage, Rialla went back to the bedroom and fell on the bed with a moan; she couldnat believe how exhausted she felt. She closed her eyes and couldnat seem to open them; she groaned when Tris roused her again.

aSorry, I know,a he said apologetically. aBut I have to get you cleaned up before someone wonders why a badly wounded slave is covered with mud and tree limbs.a As he spoke, he pulled off her borrowed clothes.

She was just far enough out of her stupor to know that she should be objecting to his actions, but couldnat seem to find the energy to do it. He wiped her down with a damp cloth and put her slave tunic back on with minimal help from her.

It worried her to be so sluggish, and she fought free long enough to say in a frantic voice, aWhatas wrong with me?a aShh, itas all right. Healing is very wearing on the body. Normally after what I did, you would sleep for a whole day rather than leading a pack of hunt-mad guards on a will-oa-the-wisp chase.a As he spoke, he took a comb and began working it through her hair, ignoring her irritable complaints when he tugged too hard. aWeave got to get the rest of the leaves out.a Finally he laid her down in the bed, but he didnat cover her. Instead he sat beside her and said, aRialla. Wake up, just one more time. Come on, sweetheart.a Responding to the urgency of his voice, she just managed it. The dawn lit his craggy face, and she could read the reluctance in it.

aIf they see that Iave healed your leg, theyare going to be suspicious.a He seemed to be having trouble with what he was saying.

aWe need to give them a slave with a wounded leg,a she said.

Tris nodded.

Rialla worked up the energy to smile. aIf you have a knife, Iall do it.a He shook his head. aNo need for anything so crude, but itas still going to hurt.a Her eyes closed again, but she laughed anyway. aGive me a minute and I doubt that Iad feel it if a mule kicked me.a She was wrong. When he reopened it, she cried outa"too tired to be tough.

He carefully set stitches to keep it from scarring, then covered the wound with a numbing salve and wiped the involuntary tears from her cheek with his thumb.

aAll right now?a he asked.

She nodded and closed her eyes and didnat open them again for several hours.

SIX.

The sun was almost finished with its journey to the west when Rialla woke up. She still felt tired and her leg ached. With the instinct of the hunted, she knew that some noise had roused her from her healing slumber. She closed her eyes again and listened.

Someone was in the outer room; she could hear them talking. As they came closer to her room, she distinguished Winterseineas voice. She sat up and waited for the door to open.

Terran led the way, followed by Winterseine and Tris.

aMay I see the wound?a asked Winterseine. aNot that I doubt your skill, healer, but I want to see it for myself. If she is going to be badly scarred, she will be of no use to me.a Without a word Tris threw back her covers and cut the unbleached cloth off her leg. The inflammation was gone and neat stitches ran the length of her thigh. It wasnat healed, but it was obviously no longer serious.

Winterseine looked impressed. aYou do good work, healer. What did you use to draw the poison?a Tris stared at him long enough to be insolent, then said, aA poultice.a Winterseine smiled, but it didnat reach his eyes. aWe all have our trade secrets, donat we?a aWhen will she be able to travel?a asked Terran, breaking the tension in the room. Rialla had forgotten that Terran was there; he had a way of fading into the background.

aIt depends on how you are traveling,a answered Tris civilly enough. aShe can ride in about a seaennight. If you have a wagon, you could try it in two or three days, though five would be better. In a seaennight the risk of infection will be significantly lower.a Lord Winterseine nodded and ran a finger down the stitches, pushing to test for hidden infection. Rialla knew that her face retained its slave-impassive expression, but she could feel Trisas sudden rage. Startled by the first specific emotion shead caught from the healer, she shifted her gaze momentarily to look at him. There was nothing more in his face than there had been a minute before; it appeared that she wasnat the only one capable of hiding emotions. She lowered her protective barriers, but the brief flash of anger had faded and he was as veiled as ever.

aVery well,a said Lord Winterseine, aweall be back in a week for her. It will probably take at least that much time before everything else is cleared up anyway.a aRemember, Father,a said Terranas meek voice. aWe have to leave soon,a he continued. aThere is a shipment expected at Winterseine hold a fortnight from now. We can wait a week easily enough, but no longer than that.a Rialla started and stared at Terran, forgetting her role for a momenta"luckily no one noticed. She focused her gift tightly and probed, but the results were the same. Lord Winterseine was opaque, but she could sense his presence. Tris she was aware of on another level, but she couldnat sense Terranas presence at all.

aOf course.a Lord Winterseine turned to the healer and said, aI hope it is not an inconvenience for you to keep her here until we leave.a aNo,a replied Tris. aIall total your bill and have it sent to you. When you have paid it, you may have your slave back.a aCertainly,a said Winterseine. aSend it in care of my son.a He walked out, followed by both Terran and the healer.

Rialla stretched thoughtfully. Shead never met someone whom she couldnat sense at all. She was running into several things that were odd: first the healer and now Terran. It could be that her abilities were not as functional as shead thought. They certainly seemed to have a few quirks.

Tris had started through the doorway from the other room when another knock sounded. He smiled and shrugged, closing the door behind him.

Rialla listened as he put salve on a little girlas injured puppy, set a farmeras broken arm and arranged for someone to help the farmer out until the arm healed. A woman came in mumbling something about her kid (Rialla wasnat sure if it was a goat or a child) and Tris left with her.

Rialla slept as long as she could, then set up imaginary games of Steal the Dragon until she grew bored. Tris stopped in briefly as the sun was setting, but was called out again by the smith, whose wife was having difficulty delivering her third child.

Rialla threw the covers back restlessly and limped to the window. The sill was as wide as a narrow bench; she perched on it and stared into the night sky. It was nominally better than counting the fifty-seven boards that served as the ceiling, held down by four hundred and twelve nails.

Rialla fidgeted and finally got up to gimp across the floor again. She lacked any method of lighting the lanterns on the wall; she knew that Tris had flint and steel around, but it was hidden well enough that she couldnat find it. She searched both rooms twice, more for something to do than because she needed light. The moon was shining through the window, giving her almost as much illumination as a lantern would have.

Finally, she went to the wall in the bedroom. It took her a while to find the catch for the hidden closet, but not as long as it took to overcome her scruples and look. She salved her conscience by reasoning that if Tris were worried about her rummaging around, he wouldnat have shown her the secret door in the first place. At last the door slid open, divulging what it hid.

Most of the weapons she had used or at least seen used, but she was mystified by a short, forked stick with a strip of catgut connecting each prong of the fork.

aItas a spear thrower.a Tris sounded weary as he observed her from the open door and waved on the lights. aThe man who made it for me called it an atladl. If you look in the closet, you should find five small spears that match the design on the haft. The end of the spear fits on the thong, and you throw it almost the way that youad throw a javelin. Itas not quite as accurate as a bow and arrow, but itas faster to use and easier to hide from the gamekeepers.a Rialla nodded, trying not to look as guilty as she felt, and slipped the weapon back into the closet. She got to her feet easily, though she grimaced when her weight was on her bad leg.

aHave you had anything to eat?a she asked, when she got a closer look at his face. aI took the liberty of raiding your larder. Thereas a plate of cheese and sausage on the foot of the bed.a aThanks,a he said, sinking down beside the plate and looking at it with faint interest. He must have washed off in the creek, because his linen shirt was wet on the sleeves and collar.

aHow did the birthing go?a she asked, sitting on the floor when it became apparent that he wasnat going to move for a while.

aNot good,a he said and shook his head, staring at the piece of cheese he held in his hand, as if it had turned green. aThere were twins and the first one was a breech. It died before I got there. The second one is small, but the smithas cottage is clean and warm; he should be fine.a Rialla could see that the death bothered him more than weariness. She took a piece of goatas cheese and nibbled at it while she tried to think of something to say to distract him.

aTell me,a she asked, ahow did you become the healer here? All the stories say that shapeshifters keep to their own kind.a He looked at her, and faint amusement crept into his weary eyes. aI am not a shapeshifter. Shapeshifters get their amusement by eating innocent young virgins who stupidly wander alone in the forest. Mind you,a he said, taking a bite of the cheese with more enthusiasm than before, athatas not to say that they donat deserve it. Stupid young girls who get caught alone in the forest fall prey to anything that crosses their paths, be the beast animal, human or shapeshifter. The moral of the story is,a he took a piece of sausage, adonat be a stupid young virgin.a She grinned at him and said, aThanks for the advice. Iall remember that. So what are you, and why are you here? Iad think that if you were going to fraternize with humans, you would at least pick a group of people who werenat liable to burn you at the stake if they caught you working magic.a He snatched another round of sausage and shrugged. aIam healing people.a She rolled her eyes and grabbed the plate, setting it behind her. aNo more food until you tell.a Playing was a long-forgotten art, but the twinkle in his eyes encouraged her.

He looked forlornly at the remains of his piece of sausage and whined, aIall starve.a She showed no signs of softening, especially since he was looking less tired now, the grim lines around his mouth fading. aNot if you tell me what youare doing here.a He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms behind his head. aTorture will never make me divulge the secrets I keep.a She took a piece of cheese and waved it invitingly. aHow about bribery?a aThat might work,a he conceded. aWhy donat you try it?a It took her three times before the food that she tossed at him made it to his mouth.

aAll right,a he surrendered. aI am a sylvan.a Rialla waited but he didnat elaborate. aWhatas a sylvan?a aWhereas my bribe?a he replied.

She hit him in the nose with a piece of cheese. He caught it before it hit the bed and examined it with satisfaction before eating it.

aSylvans are users of natural magic like the shapeshifters, though our talents lie in different directions. They are closer to the animals of the forests, while we are guardians of the greenery. We are a simple folk, and it is easy enough for us to blend in with the humans, so our enclaves are not hidden the way those of the shapeshifters are.a He paused and closed his eyes, leaning against the wall, but he caught the small piece of hard sausage she threw at him anyway.

aThere are not many enclaves, though,a he said finally, rubbing his beard. aOver the centuries they have died out, one by one. The enclave that I belonged to is the only one left in Darran. We claimed to be a religious order, worshipping Naslen, lord of the forestsa"I suppose that the story is more true than not. There are many such groups of humans, caught in the past, holding to the old ways and the old languages. They are tolerated, even in Darran, because they have always been there. The sylvans blend in with the others.

aMy enclave is in a minor estate of a great noblea"so minor that in three generations the lord had not visited it. The old lord died, and his son decided to visit each of his new holdings; I believe that he had some debts, and was evaluating his lands for later sale.

aI was walking alone, and I came upon a child; a human girl-child that some of the lordas friends had found earlier. Her body was badly broken.a Tris looked grim.

aI knew her, had watched her grow from a toddler to an explorer. Her mother was an excellent weaver, and I had often gone to the human village to trade food for cloth. They had four grown boys, and this girl-child. You have to understand, Rialla. The reason that our enclave had survived as long as it had was that it was forbidden to work magic around humans. Absolutely forbidden. I knew this, and understood the reason for it.a His voice dropped almost to a whisper as he continued. aBut this was a child, a child that I knew and liked. She was dying as I watched. So I healed her body, until there was no evidence that any violence had occurred. Rape is as much a wound of the soul as a wound of the body, and I gifted her with forgetfulness. With luck no one would have ever known, not even the child.

aWhen I was through healing her, I woke her, teased her about sleeping in the woods and escorted her home. Her father I took aside and warned that I had seen one of the lordas guests eyeing her. He assured me that he would keep her in the cottage until the lord and his entourage were gone.

aWhen I returned to the enclave, I found that someone had seen me violate our law. I was tried and sentenced to banishment. They took me far from the enclave and bound me with magic and rope. If I managed to free myself, I could livea"but never be welcomed in any enclave.a aYou broke free?a asked Rialla.

He shook his head, smiling at the memory. aNo. I struggled for a while, but the man whoad tied the rope didnat want me to live. I was contemplating my probable fate when an old woman came upon me. She poked her finger in my face and said, aLook you, I have a bargain for you. You are a healer, and I have need of such. I have a knife, which you need as desperately.a a Tris grinned at Rialla. aShe was so scared her finger trembled with it, but she didnat let her fear stop her. When I agreed to help, she cut the rope; so here I am.a aHow did she know you were a healer?a asked Rialla.

aShe has a gift that occasionally allows her to see such things.a Rialla nodded, accepting his answer. aDo you like it here among humans?a He nodded slowly. aBetter than the enclave. They were wrong. It is an evil thing to have the power to help others, and not to do so.a aIs that why you helped rescue Laeth?a asked Rialla.

Tris gave her an enigmatic look then shrugged. aPart of it.a He rose restlessly from the bed and gave Rialla a hand up off the floor. Her leg had stiffened, so he helped her hobble to the bed. Then he slid the closet door closed, picked up the plate and waved the lights down.

aGood dreams, healer,a said Rialla.

He nodded and pulled the door closed behind him.

aSO WHAT WILL Lord Winterseine do with a newly recovered runaway?a They were deep into a game of Dragon that Rialla was winning when Tris spoke. Over the past few days, they had played a game whenever Tris had a moment to spare; not that Rialla minded. She enjoyed the game as much as he dida"even if he won most of the time.

aYouare just trying to distract me,a she complained at his interruption. aThis is the first time Iave had a ghost of a chance of winning since the first game we played, and now you want to take even that away from me.a aYou are getting paranoid, arenat you?a He commiserated with deepest sympathy. Rialla flashed him a rude hand gesture before she turned back to the game board.

Tris laughed, then said, aSeriously, Rialla, heas not going to hamstring you or beat you, is he?a Rialla moved her frog to an empty square on the board, and shook her head. aNo. That happens sometimes in Ynstrah and some of the provinces in the Alliance where they depend on slave labor in their agriculture. Occasionally theyall hamstring a runaway here, but only one of the less valuable slavesa"more to serve as an example than to keep the slave theyave crippled from running again. A dancer is too valuable to damage that way.a She smiled dryly at Tris. aThatas not to say that heall let me go unpunished. The Master has an aptitude for creative retribution.a Tris was staring at the game, but Rialla had the feeling that he wasnat really seeing it. He finally moved a piece and looked up. aAre you sure that you want to go back? Youare paying an awfully high price for a chance at vengeance.a Rialla nodded, moving the frog again. aItall be worth it if it works. If it doesnat . . .a she shrugged. aThere are other reasons as well. You told me that youave traveled. Have you ever been on the other side of the Great Swamp?a Tris shook his head.

Rialla shifted on the bed, trying to find a comfortable position for her leg. aDid you ever wonder why Sianim is so anxious to stop the fighting between Reth and Darran?a He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. aI should have. It is hardly in Sianimas best interest to prevent wars.a aExactly. When the Spymaster called me in to persuade me to accompany Laeth here, he explained his reasoning. Apparently there is a good possibility that there will be an invasion coming from the eastern side of the Great Swamp.a aThere are always wars among humans,a commented Tris. aI would have thought that Sianim, with its mercenary hoards, would be delighted at the thought of another one.a Sometimes Tris had a way of making the word ahumana sound like a name that gutter-bred children called each other to start a fight. Since he seemed not to hold her humanness against her, Rialla let it pass unremarked.

aI would have thought so too,a she agreed readily. aBut this isnat just any invading force. Itas an army that has conquered all the nations in the East in something less than a decade. The leader of the armies is a man who calls himself the Voice of Altis. He claims to be a prophet of the god Altis, and the religious revival is spreading faster than his armies. The Spymaster thinks that the only way to resist the invasion will be to unite all the Western countries against him; and he has a nasty habit of being right.a aSo he supports the alliance of Reth and Darran,a said Tris.

Rialla nodded and continued, aNone of this would have much bearing on what Iam going to be doing at Winterseineas hold, except for one thing. The people of the East apparently do not believe in magic; itas been so long since theyave had wizards that theyave long since dismissed the existence of magic as a childas fable.

aThe amiraclesa the Voice of Altis performs as a prophet of the old god bear a striking resemblance to the accomplishments of a trained magician. The Spymaster believes that the Voice is a trained mage from this side of the Swamp.a Rialla met Trisas gaze. aAnd I think I might have found him.a aWinterseine,a said Tris.

She nodded her head. aIf itas true, then maybe something can be done to prevent the invasion altogether. Laeth and I discovered enough of a link between Winterseine and this self-proclaimed prophet that even if heas not the Voice of Altis, he almost certainly knows who is.a aIam going with you,a Tris announced calmly, as he moved his snake a space beyond her frog.

Gods, she thought, wishing she could accept: to have someone she trusted with her, to have the healeras steady presence, to not be alone.

aNo,a she replied, her voice steady, maneuvering her bird to take his snake if it tried to eat her frog.

aIam afraid you donat have any voice in this,a his tone was matter-of-fact as he moved the snake out of danger, taking her stag as he did so.

aWhat about your bargain with the old woman?a aIave been at Tallonwood a little over two years,a he replied. aThe bargain was for one.a She opened her mouth to protest, but saw the resolution in his eyes. aPlague it, Tris. What are you doing this for?a He gave her an odd smile, and she was abruptly reminded that he was not human. aI told you the woman who rescued me had a gift for seeing things others cannot. She told me I should help you accomplish your task.a aShe just told you to help me, so you are?a asked Rialla incredulously.

aNothing so neat. The future is not unchangeable, Rialla. Trenna gave me a goal, a hint of the possible results of a course of action. Enough to persuade me the goal is worth pursuit.a aYouare not going to tell me why you are doing this, are you?a Rialla accused, but there was no heat in her voice.

aOf course,a Tris said blandly, aas I explained to Laeth, I am loath to give up the first person Iave found in a long time who is capable of defeating me at Dragon. Your move.a She gave the board a surprised look. aI thought I just moved; you must not have been watching.a He didnat take his gaze from her face. aI was watching; itas your move.a She shrugged and said, aI choose not to move.a He shook his head. aYou chose that five moves ago; you can only do that every six moves. Your move.a She smiled, moved her sparrow two spaces to the right and said, aFine. Theft.a He looked at the board. Her sparrow sat on the space with his dragon.

She raised an eyebrow at his exaggeratedly forlorn expression. aI told you that it wasnat my move, but when you insisted, you made it my move anyway.a aWhat did you move after I took your stag?a She smiled sweetly. aYour dragon.a He laughed and raised his hands in mock surrender. aThief. Your game.a aIt was about time,a she said darkly, helping him replace the pieces in the drawer.

aNow you only owe me two kingdoms, five horses and twelve pigs.a aFour horses,a she contested hotly.

aFive,a he corrected. aYou wagered five horses against the twelve pigs you lost before. It was supposed to be six horses, but you whined and I let it stand at five.a aWell,a she said, aat least I got my fifty chickens back.a He started to answer, but the sound of the outer door opening and the frantic crying of an infant called him back to duty.

Alone, Rialla picked absently at the stitching on the bed covering. The week had passed far too quickly. Her leg was almost healed; Tris had taken the stitches out that morning. It still pained her when she used it too much, but every day it improved. Tomorrow morning she would leave with Lord Winterseine.

Perhaps, she thought, it was a good thing that she would soon be going. If she spent much longer with the healer, it would be too hard to go back to being a slavea"and to survive, she had to be a slave againa"not a Sianim horse trainer pretending to be a slave.

She raised her hand to her cheek, feeling the scar beneath the illusion. She couldnat feel the tattoo, but she knew it was there: nose to ear, jaw to cheekbone. Sometimes she had felt as if it were tattooed on her soul, that she could never be anything but a slave.

She allowed herself to be drawn out of her bout of self-pity by the sound of a loud, angry voice and the healeras quiet reply. The front door shut with a slam, and Tris stalked into the bedroom with a black scowl on his face.

aWhatas wrong?a she asked.

His glower deepened. aI just finished setting a broken bone for one of the hedgefarmeras sons.a aHedgefarmer?a aThe hedgefarmers work the land in the hills and lower mountain slopes. Itas poor land, and gives a marginal living at besta"but thatas no reason to break a childas arm. At least once a month I treat one of his children or his wife for miscellaneous bruises and broken bones. Iave talked to him twice about it, and told him this was it. Next time he hits someone weaker than he is, Iall see to it that he wonat be in any condition to do it again.a aWill he listen?a she asked as he paced back and forth.

aNo, heall probably just not allow them to come to a healer for treatment, plague it! It was stupid to lose my temper. Iam sorry that I did it in front of the child too. That boy has to live with enough violence in his life; he doesnat need mine as well.a aYou are needed here.a Rialla spoke softly. aWho will set their bones and heal their animals if you arenat here?a He stretched and shed his anger as if it were a coat. When he looked at her, there was nothing of it left in his eyes. aThese people survived without me for most of their lives. The headmanas mother is a decent healer, as is her new daughter-in-law. Iave already informed them that I will be leaving shortly.a Rialla opened her mouth, and he held up his hand to forestall what she would have said. aRialla, if I stay here too long, someone will eventually notice I work magic, and that could be worse for the village than the lack of a healer. I was preparing to leave soon anyway.a Tris sat down on the end of the bed. aTomorrow, when Lord Winterseine takes you, Iall follow. It shouldnat be difficult to track a large group of humans through the woods.a Rialla snickered and Tris stopped talking.

aIam sorry,a she said, aIave just never heard anybody say ahumana when they meant amindless stinking mass of waste left undigested by a pig.a You do it well.a He made a half-bow and gave her the sweet smile that he used when head made a particularly devious maneuver in Dragon.

aThere is one more thing I need to take care of before you go.a He reached over and pulled off her earring. aThis comes off too easily. If Winterseine takes it off and your tattoo comes off as well, heas going to start wondering about you.a He pulled a small, very thin piece of kidskin out of his belt pouch. aI got this from the tanner this morning.a He closed his eyes, humming softly, folding the kidskin around the earring and tucking the resultant bundle neatly into his hands. After a moment he opened his eyes again and shook the fine leather open, displaying it for Rialla. The earring was gone, and the tattoo that had covered her cheek now covered the kidskin.

Leaning near her, he pressed the skin against her face and resumed his humming. Riallaas cheek grew cold. When he took his hands away, she touched her cheek. Her fingers detected smooth skin where her scars should be, and her cheek felt numb.