Page 88 of Tears of the Wolf
“The inland road, lady.”
They were approaching the longhouse from Olfirth’s lands, if she had to guess. Again.
Brynn stifled a sigh. Aelgar had told her that Ombra was isolated and remote and her contact with the outside world would be limited. It seemed he had lied. This was their third batch of surprise visitors in two weeks.
“What will you do, lady?” Esa’s voice held a note of fear, though she remained outwardly composed.
Brynn paused a moment to stroke Guin, held in Esa’s arms while Brynn had worked on the donkey. “It’s probably nothing. I will go to see, but just in case, wait here with Guin.”
Esa’s chin jerked in a shaky nod. “As you say.”
The puppy whined, trying to reach Brynn, but the sorceress wanted to keep her hands free just in case. She left the puppy and her ward in the shade of the stable, following Gannon.
Brynn strode up the hill toward the longhouse, stifling a sigh. What fresh ordeal was this?
Thorn came trotting after Brynn as she walked up the hill. The grey-speckled dog followed like a second shadow.
Brynn spied the group of riders as they wended down the path. Once again, Gannon had exaggerated.
Brynn counted perhaps ten riders, and a covered wagon pulled by a team of mules. White mules.
Brynn’s heart sank. Surely not. Surely it wasn’t…
She reached out with her sense ofkaas she drew nearer. As she felt thekasurrounding the newcomers, her fears were confirmed. They were using spells. Simple ones that appeared to be holding cloaks in place or soothing blisters on their hands, but spells nonetheless. At least three of the guards were sorcerers, if weak ones. There were also three others of considerable power.
Brynn’s heart raced as she drew nearer. She wished Cenric was here. Surely, he would have stood by her in this. If there was one thing she knew about him, it was that he hated disrespect.
Brynn marched into the yard as the caravan pulled in front of the longhouse. At least they had not beaten her to the front door.
“Lady Brynn!” called one of the riders encircling the caravan. She recognized him as one of Cenric’s thanes posted to guard the road after Olfirth’s surprise visit. The thane inclined his head to her. “They said they were here to see you.”
“Thank you.” Brynn raised her chin as the caravan trundled to a halt. She’d known this confrontation would come eventually. It might as well happen now.
One of the caravan guards dismounted and bowed to her. “It has been a long time.”
“Not long enough, Neirin.” Brynn cocked her head at the man. “Never long enough.”
Two women rode behind the wagon on two more white mules, wearing black dresses. Black and white, the colors of the moon goddess. The women were twins, almost identical in outward appearance. They dressed alike, had similar mannerisms, and trained their voices to sound alike.
Many made the mistake of thinking they were the same person in different bodies, but Brynn knew better. Tessaine was dispassionate, so aloof she seemed more like animated stone than living flesh. Anselma was like a dandelion on the breeze, ever flowing to and fro on gusts of emotion.
Brynn was never sure if those were their natural personalities, or if they had adopted mirrored ones for the sake of their performance. Because that was what their lives were, a performance. It was a farce to lend power and mystique to the woman they served.
“Lady Brynn!” Anselma cried, her face alight. “So good to see you!”
Brynn met the greeting with stony silence. She folded her arms across her chest. Perhaps she should feel some kinship. She didn’t.
Gaitha and the household girls gathered at the front of the longhouse, watching carefully. The stable boys peered from the entrances to the barns. All seemed to be waiting to see what Brynn would do. They were taking directions from her and accepted her as their leader, at least in Cenric’s absence.
Her husband’s dyrehunds barked and howled at the strangers like they did with all newcomers. Ash bounced around the wagon and tried to get pets from Neirin before trotting over to Brynn’s side and plopping down. Brynn stroked the dog’s ears, focusing on the silky fur of her coat to steady herself.
Thorn lumbered up to Brynn’s side. He didn’t growl, but his whole body was rigid as he remained standing.
Brynn was lady of Ombra. She was married to Cenric. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t bedded her yet, she was his wife in the eyes of the king and the people of this shire and that was all that mattered.
There was nothing anyone could do about it, not even Selene of the Istovari.
The curtains of the wagon stirred and out stepped a woman with raven black hair streaked with silver. As a child, Brynn had always wanted that raven black hair instead of her grandmother’s dirty blonde.
