There were a few tables against the wall with white-robed men who watched Tier mostly indifferently. But most of the people in the room were young men in blue robes who quieted as the procession passed them by. By the time they reached the stage, the room was eerily silent.

The wizards walked Tier onto the stage and stopped in the middle, turning as one to face the audience. As soon as they stood there, the lights in the Eyrie dimmed except for the stones that lined the edge of the stage.

Squinting against the odd light, Tier saw that everyone in the room was slowly moving down to the chairs set in front of the stage. When they had all gathered, a hollow boom made the Eyrie shudder, and in a cloud of smoke and magic, a fifth black-robed man appeared: Telleridge.

He stood bareheaded before the crowd so that every man there could see him.

aMy friends,a he said. aFor some of you, this will be the first introduction to the secrets of our path. Traveler Magic from the hands of the Five Gods.a He lifted his right hand up and displayed an implement that looked like a morningstar without the spiked ball. Instead, dangling on the end of the chain was a large, silver owl.

aOwl who is Bard,a he said.

The man on Tieras left front held up a similar item with a raven rather than an owl. aRaven who is Mage,a he said.

Five gods? thought Tier. If they were using the Orders they were missing one. The other wizards called out Lark, Cormorant, and Falcon; but there was no Eagle. He would have fretted about it more, but he remembered where head heard of the Five Gods before: the new priest in Redern. Seraph, he thought in panic, my childrena"who would they take next?

A flood of magic interrupted Tieras worrying.

aFor centuries,a Telleridge said, his voice carried to the far corners of the room by magic, athe Travelers hid their power from usa"just as the Emperor and his Septs hide their lands and titles away from us, thinking that they have rendered us powerless, helpless. But we are the Followers of the Secret Path and Hidden Gods: we worship the Birdsa"Raven for magic, Lark for life and death, Cormorant to rule the seas, Falcon to find our prey, and Owl to lead men into our darkness. Tonight, my friends we will all partake of darkness.a He took a step to the side so the audience had an unobstructed view of Tier; at the same time one of the wizards who stood behind Tier pulled off his robe. He said something as well, too soft for Tier to catch, but whatever it was, it froze Tier motionless.

aRaven is flown,a said the man who held the raven symbol. aGone from our keeping.a At his words Telleridge flung his free hand up and the whole room erupted into howls, like a pack of hunting dogs. Tier would have been impressed if the effect hadnat had a practiced polish. This was a response trained into the Passerines, a war cry without passion.

The wizards Tier could see put the chains over their shoulder, balancing their symbols with the handle hanging down their back, leaving the birds in front where they could be seen. With their hands free, they began to clap in a slow, restless rhythm. Fourteen beats into it there was an echo from the audience. By the twentieth beat the noise was loud enough to account for everyone in the room except for Tier. On the thirty-fifth beat, everyone stopped, leaving only Tieras heart beating still.

The wizard with the raven said, again, aRaven is flown.a An older man in white stood up and said, aSo farewell the Raven. What guest have you brought?a Telleridge said, aWe bring the Owl, cunning and beautiful, that he will give us the gift of music.a The Passerines replied then, as if one man spoke with a hundred mouths. aBy blood shall we bind him, by fire shall we seal our bargain. By blood shall we free him after a year and a day.a aAs you will,a said Telleridge. He touched the owl and a small blade shot out at the end of the owlas feet. With measured steps he walked to Tieras side. He took Tieras helpless wrist and made a shallow cut. Then he held the knife beneath the wound until the silver blade was completely covered in blood.

He went to the wizard with the raven and touched a finger to the blade and then touched the wizardas raven.

aBy blood,a said the Raven wizard.

Telleridge repeated the procedure with the others. When he was finished he resumed his former position to the right of the Raven wizard.

The ceremony was nonsense as far as magic went, Tier knew. The only magic that had been done was the spell that kept him stilla"but Tier could read audiences. Excitement filled the room like some heady wine.

aRaptors, Passerines, Masters all, I give you the Owl!a Telleridge called, and the audience roared to their feet.

When the cheering and hooting died down, Telleridge held up his hand, snapped his fingers, and a lute appeared in his hand.

aPlay for us, Bard,a said Telleridge. aAnd we will grant you guesting rights.a As easily as that Tier could move.

Quickly, he considered his options and chose the one that appealed to him the most. He took the lute the Owl Master held out to hima"a beautiful instrument to look ata"but when he played a few notes he shook his head.

aMyrceria, lass,a he said, letting his voice find her wherever she waited in the darkness that disguised the further rows of the audience. aHie you back to my rooms and bring my lute, please. This one your Masters provided is garbage for all itas pretty.a The problem with solemn ceremonies and young men, Tier knew, was that the urge to break the solemnity was almost irresistible. They greeted his informal request with a roar more spontaneous than the one theyad given Telleridge, if not as loud. As easily as that he took the crowd from the wizard and lessened the effect of the earlier ceremony in the minds of everyone present.

He wouldnat have tried it if his cell were far away, but it should only take a moment to retrieve the lutea"not long enough to make his audience restless.

aBard,a called a young man. aI thought that an Owl could play any instrument.a Tier nodded his head. aIave heard that, too. But no one ever said they would play any instrument just because they could.a It wasnat Myrceria, but one of the Passerines, who ran up with the lute from Tieras cell. Tier took up the battered lute and sat on the edge of the stage, one long leg hanging over the edge. Head only had her a night, but the lute felt like an old friend as he cradled her and coaxed her back into tune, again.

aNow,a he said, aWhat kind of song should it be?a He played a rippling series of scales so quickly it was hard to pick out the individual notes. aNo,a he shook his head, aNo one except another musician would like that.a He tightened a peg again to bring a string back into pitch. Head have to watch that one, he thought, probably a new string.

aWar songs sound stupid on a lute,a he said, picking enough of a familiar melody out that a few heads began to nod, aat least they sound stupid without a drum.a aPlay aShadowas Falla,a said someone over the suggestions in the crowd.

Tier shook his head. Itad be a while before he used that story again. aNo, everyone knows that. What about a love ballad?a He struck a few chords of a particularly flowery piece and laughed at the groans from the audience.

aFine,a he said, aTry this one for size.a And he began the song head intended to sing from the very first.

It was a wickedly funny story of a lowborn killer who, on impulse, stole the clothes of a rich young man head been paid to kill and set himself up as a nobleman. Tier smiled to himself as he saw that the young men in the audience enjoyed rude double meanings and clever wording as much as the soldiers head fought with.

The lute, for all that it was battered, was easily the finest head ever played. Responsive and clear-toned, it sang out, complementing his voice and lending just the right accent to the words.

He started into the third verse, the crowd silent, muffling their laughter so that they wouldnat miss a word. Even with such a fine instrument, it was difficult to get the volume he needed before this many people. With his encouragement, they joined in the final chorus, making the stage vibrate with the sheer volume.

He ended it with a flourish. He could sense the wizards moving forward, but he decided to end the performance without them.

aNow,a he said with a deliberately engaging grin. aCome join me for the feast and drink or twoa"and Iall do my best to be entertaining.a Lute in hand, he jumped off the high stage, away from the wizards, and led the horde to an invasion of the bar in the back of the room.

CHAPTER 10.

It was almost dark when Jes got back to the farm.

Gura greeted him from the porch and Jes ruffled his fingers through the wiry hair. The Guardian had been demanding today; Jes was tired and his head hurt. He tried not noticing that there was something wrong because he didnat know if he could keep the Guardian under control this time if there was.

Rinnie hadnat come out when Gura barked.

The Guardian also knew he was tired, and he was willing to wait until they knew for certain. So it was Jes who walked to the back of the cabin and saw that Rinnie had done a few hoursa worth of work before putting her tools away where they belonged.

Had Rinnie grown impatient and set out after Mother and Lehr? He didnat think so, especially since shead left Gura here. He followed Mother and Lehras tracks to the woods, but he couldnat see anything that indicated Rinnie had come here today. The ground around the cabin was too packed-down for him to follow a trail there.

Reluctantly he gave way to the Guardian.

He shouldnat have stayed so long watching the new temple, thought the Guardian unhappily. But head never seen anything like the taint that spread from the temple through Redern. Head been worried about Hennea; the forest king had made him responsible for her safety, and there was nothing safe about the temple. The geas that bound her made it impossible for him to stop her from going in, but head stayed and fretted over it until Jes had convinced him that Mother would know what to do about it.

In wolf form, the Guardian looked for Rinnieas scent along the edge of the forest, but Jes had been right. She hadnat followed Mother.

He went back to the cabin. Gura flattened himself submissively, but the Guardian ignored him. Gura shouldnat have let Rinnie go off alone. Dogs did not make good guardsa"they were taught to obey the commands of the people they guarded.

Rinnieas scent was here, but it was difficult to pick out one trail from another. He needed Lehr for this kind of job. He lifted his head from the porch step and cast an irritated glance toward the forest; judging by the time Hennea had taken to get from the village to the place where something had happened to Papa, Mother and Lehr should have been back by now. As he turned his head he caught a whiff of an odd scent.

What had Bandor been doing at the farm?

He seldom visited his aunta"both the Guardian and Jes found the village distressful. There were too many people for Jes, and he got confused by their unguarded emotions. To the Guardian, there were too many possible threats. Even so, he knew Bandoras scent of yeast, salt, and soap.

The sound of rapid footsteps made him blend into the side of the porch so that he remained unseen. The wind was coming from the wrong direction, so he couldnat tell who it was until Hennea came out in the open.

One sleeve was burned away and blisters started at her fingertips and trailed up fire-blackened flesh to her shoulder. She slowed to a walk, staggering slightly as she came in sight of the cabin.

aSeraph,a she said. aJes, are you here?a The Guardian shook with the implied violence of her condition, even though Jes tried to soothe him with the observation that she might have done the damage to herself because the hurt was concentrated on the wrist the geas band had been on. Hennea smelled of anger, fear, and pain, and Jes was tired. The beast snarled silently.

Hennea gasped slightly, and the Guardian knew that she felt the dread of his anger.

aJes,a she said, closing in on the cabin. aJes, I need to talk to you. Thereas none here to harm anyone. Please. I need to talk to you.a A tear slid down her face, and she wiped it away impatiently. aPlease. I need your help.a If the forest king hadnat given her to him, the Guardian could have ignored her; but she was one of his now. So he slunk away from the porch and let her see him clearly, though Jes would rather have resumed his usual form because he didnat want to frighten her anymore than she already was. Jes liked Hennea.

aJes,a she said, unfazed by the monstrous wolf that stalked toward her. aGuardian. Iam so sorry. Iave betrayed you all. I donat know what heas planned, but itas my fault.a It was difficult to get human speech out of his wolf throat, but the Guardian managed. aWho?a aHe planned it,a she said, holding her burnt arm awkwardly away from her body. aI thought I was so clever, figuring out that he was playing a game with your familya"but his game was more subtle than I expected. He set me up, all but sent me out to find Seraph and tell her that I thought your father hadnat been killed. He knew that shead go and take Lehr. He knew Rinnie would be left here unprotected. He didnat care about you, he doesnat know what you are. But he wants Rinnie.a Jes helped the Guardian cool his rage, and the beast welcomed the calm that would allow him to accomplish what was necessary.

aHe has her?a he asked.

aNot when I lefta"I thought I might beat him herea"but sheas gone, isnat she? Thatas why youare here and not Jes.a aMy uncle was here,a the Guardian said. aBandor, the village baker.a aLark take them all,a she whispered. aBandor is one of Volisas favorites. Would he turn your sister over to Volis?a aHe wouldnat hurt her knowingly,a said the Guardian after a moment. aBut his intentions are not important.a Since Jes controlled his savagery, the Guardian was able to think clearly again and focus his purpose. aWe need to find them. Can you run?a Lehr was right, it was late when they reached Redern, and Seraph was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. Only her obsessive need to force answers out of the solsenti priest gave her the fortitude to start up the steep street of Redern.

She almost walked right past the bakery. If there hadnat been a light in Alinathas room, she might have been able to do it. Alinath loved Tier, too. Seraph hesitated outside the door.

aShe wonat believe you, Mother,a offered Lehr.

aYes,a said Seraph, ashe willa"because she needs to believe it as much as I did.a She gave Lehr a tired smile. aSheall still think it is my faulta"but at least she wonat think heas dead. She has the right to know.a Seraph knocked briskly at the door. aAlinath, itas Seraph, open up.a She waited, and then knocked again. aAlinath? Bandor?a Lehr tested the air, aI smell blood. Is the door locked?a Seraph tried the latch and the door swung open easily. There was no light in the front room, nor the bakery, but Lehr didnat need light and she followed him to Alinathas room. The door was ajar and Lehr opened it cautiously.

aAunt Alinath?a he said, and the concern in his voice sent Seraph ducking under the arm he held the door open with.

Alinath was gagged and bound hand and foot on her bed. Her face was bruised; someone had hit her cheek and split the skin, which had bled copiously all over the bedding. When she saw them she began struggling furiously.

aShh,a said Seraph, sitting beside Alinath. She took out her knife and carefully slid it around swollen flesh to cut the ropes. aIall have you free in a moment.a aRinnie,a said Alinath as soon as the gag dropped from her mouth.

aWhat?a asked Seraph.

But Alinath had begun to shake and Seraph couldnat understand what she was saying.

aSlow down,a she said, keeping her voice calm so she didnat upset Alinath further. aWhat about Bandor and Rinnie? Did Bandor do this to you?a Alinath tried to sit up, but it was obviously painful and Seraph hurried to help support her.

aIt was Bandor,a Alinath said, breathing shallowly around sore ribs. aHeas gotten so strange latelya"I donat know whatas wrong with him. This afternoon, after the priest came, he started muttering about Rinnie and you.a She stopped and swallowed. aYou and I have never seen eye to eye, Serapha"but youad die to protect your children. I know that. So when he started saying dangerous things . . . things that would get the whole village riled up if they heard . . . Well, I told him he was a fool. That there was nothing evil about you, and he had no call to accuse you of being shadowed.a Seraphas stomach clenched.

Alinath turned her head away. aHe hit me. Heas done that a couple of times in the past month. Iam not saying Iam the easiest person to live with, but . . . you know Bandor; he was never like that.a aGo on,a said Seraph.

aThis time, it was more than a casual slap. I didnat know if he was going to stop. Ellevanal help me, I donat think he did either. Then he muttered a bit more and said something about not needing my interference. He tied me up and left. Seraph, I donat know what heas gone to do.a aHe started after the priest left? Volis, not Karadoc?a asked Seraph.

Alinath nodded. aI donat like that man. Did Bandor go out to the farm?a aDid he say that was what he was going to do?a asked Seraph.

aHe said that he was going to save Rinnie.a aWe havenat been there since early this afternoon,a said Seraph. aI left her with Gura, but Gura knows Bandor. I have to go find her. Will you be all right here?a Alinath nodded. aFind him before he hurts her,a she said.

aWhere would he take Rinnie,a said Lehr, aif he didnat come back here?a aThe priest,a said Seraph. aIf he thought she was shadowed head take her to the priest. Weall find them,a she told Alinath.

aBe careful,a said Tieras sister. aBe careful, Seraph. Bandoras not the man you know.a Outside the bakery, Seraph frowned in indecision; go to the temple or all the way out to the farm?

aCan you tell if Bandor and Rinnie came by here?a she asked Lehr.

He shook his head. aNot even if it were full noona"thereas too much . . .a He stiffened and looked around.

Seraph felt it, too, a cold chill fluttering down her spine and a lump in her throat that made it hard to swallow.

aJes,a she called. aAre you here?a aListen,a said Lehr. aSomeoneas riding a horse up the road.a She saw Skew first, his white spots clearly visible in the starlight as he leapfrogged up the steep corner, hooves slipping and sliding. As soon as he was on the more level part of the road he broke into a smooth trot and stopped in front of her.

aThe priest,a said Hennea tightly, sliding off the horse. aI was a fool. He sent me to get you to leave your daughter unprotected.a Seraph nodded. aIave come to that conclusion myself. Do you think theyad take her to the temple?a aYes.a aWeall leave Skew here,a said Seraph. aHeall lose his footing on the cobbles in the steep parts. Lehr, can you find some place to secure him?a aThereall be space by the woodshed,a he said and took the horse.

Hennea stood a little crookedly, as if she were in pain. Seraph called a magelight and took a good look at Henneaas burnt arm.

aThere are easier ways to break a geas,a she said dryly.

aI was in a hurry,a replied Hennea, her lips curving in a pale smile. aAnd I was angry.a aThatas going to hurt,a observed Seraph.

aIt already does. Iam not going to be much help in any kind of fight; my concentration is gone. I can feed your magic, though.a aGood enough,a Seraph said.

Lehr came back and Seraph turned and started up the road at a rapid walk. Jes and Lehr could probably run all the way to the temple, but she and Hennea would have to take it slower or they wouldnat be any good when they got there. She knew that Jes was with them by the clenching of her stomach, but she only caught a glimpse of him now and again out of the corner of her eye.

aTell me about Volis,a said Seraph. aWhatever you think will be useful.a aHeas smarter than I thought he was, obviously. The other mages in the Secret Path respected his powera"but heas young by solsenti standards and complex spells frustrate him. Because of that, he tends to use the Raven ring more than his own magic unless heas weaving an illusion.a They came to a steep bend in the road, and Hennea quit speaking until they were on flatter ground. aI told you that the wizards steal Orders and wear them. Usually as rings, but there are some stones set in earrings and necklaces. He told me that some of the rings are painful to use, and some of them donat work all the time. Most of the wizards can only use one ring at a time, but Volis has two he uses. The first one bears the Order of the Raven. With it he usually has an Owl, though Iave seen him with a Hunteras ring a time or two as well. Youall know which one he wears when you see him, just look.a aHow well does he bear the Orders?a aAbout as youad think,a she said. aHe seems to believe the Raven Order is just like his magic, except that he doesnat have to use rituals.a Seraph smiled in satisfaction. aTell me, does he have a bad temper?a As they got closer to the temple, Lehr stopped and bent down as if to touch the ground, but he pulled his hand back before it touched.

aWhatas this, Mother?a he asked.

aWhat?a Seraph stopped, too, but she didnat see anything.

aA taint,a said Jes. He must have been close to Hennea because she gave a nervous squeak.

aWhat does it look like?a aIt looks as if a foul substance was spilled over the ground,a said Lehr. aIt smells bad, too.a aShadowed,a said Hennea in a small voice. aIad wondered.a aIt comes from the temple,a said Jes. aItas darker there.a aItas really there?a asked Lehr. aWhy canat you see it, Mother?a aI donat know why Ravens canat see the Stalkeras influence, or why Larks canat either,a replied Seraph. aI can understand why the ancients didnat feel it necessary for Owls or Cormorants, but Larks and Ravens have to deal with shadowing.a aUnto each Order . . .a murmured Hennea.

a aAre the powers so givenaa"yes, yes, I know. It is still stupid. So Volis is most likely shadowed.a It was a very rare condition. Seraph had never dealt with someone who was shadowed, though her teacher had. Head died before he taught her much about it because there was so much else to learn. She knew the Stalker needed some destructive feeling or act to gain influence and the amount of influence varied. The Shadowed had been different, her teacher said, because the Shadowed had invoked the Stalkeras power and welcomed the shadowing.

aLetas go,a she said. aWe need to get to Rinnie.a They reached the temple finally, and Lehr tried the door.

aItas locked,a he said. aBarred from the inside, I think.a Seraph said something short and guttural, a summoning she would not have remembered if shead stopped to think about it, and the door blew apart, reduced to splinters and bits of metal that covered the floor of the inner chamber.

aCareful,a cautioned Hennea. aAnger and magic donat mix well.a aWhere will he take her?a Seraph knew that Hennea was right, but ever since the huntsman had come to tell her that Tier was dead shead been more frightened than shead been since the night her brother dieda"and fear, like grief, made her angry.

aFollow me.a The temple was brightly lit with wall sconces, so Seraph had no trouble picking her way through the debris left by the door. But the room on the other side of the curtain was quite different than the one she remembered. It was a rectangular room with a low ceiling. There were no flying birds, no arched ceiling.

aIs this the real room or is the chamber with the Orders the real room?a she asked Hennea.

aWhich do you think?a This room was more in keeping with a building that had been put up in less than a seasonas time. It was not too different from Willonas store, and she couldnat smell magic in it at all . . .but . . .

aThe other one is real,a she said with conviction.

That room had been too detailed to have been an illusion set up just for her, but he couldnat show that room to just anyone. This chamber looked just as the villagers would expect.

Hennea nodded her head. aAs I told you, he is a very good illusionist.a There was a small door set unobtrusively near the back wall and Hennea led them through it and down a narrow stairway.

aWeare close now,a Hennea said. aWe should be as quiet as we can.a aRinnieas been here,a whispered Lehr.