He nodded to me and my master. 'Greetings. Allow me to present Apprentice Hollin, in his eleventh year.'
Hollin bowed to us, his small dark eyes as shrewd as his master's. Next cycle he would become Ox Dragoneye, so for all intents and purposes he was my peer. I liked what I saw — he had a level gaze and a long-limbed awkwardness that undercut his air of self-possession.
'It has been a most interesting night,' Lord Tyron said. A real lesson in strategy, hey, Hollin?'
The younger man nodded, a wry smile easing the early worry lines on his face.
'Did our friend try it?' my master asked.
I looked from him to Tyron. Who were they talking about? The three men turned towards one another, blocking me from the conversation.
'He did,' Tyron said. 'But Dram countered with the older ruling. It stopped Ido in his tracks.
Now the decision has been delayed until your position is confirmed.'
My master's smile was tight. 'No doubt he will try again today Do we have enough votes?'
Tyron shrugged. 'We don't know which way Silvo goes.' He bowed and returned to the group he had left, Hollin at his heels like an elongated shadow.
My master shifted to see Lord Silvo more clearly. The handsome Rabbit Dragoneye was standing alone, his pink robes and pale skin a stark contrast against the dark green trees at his back. He noticed my master's scrutiny and nodded.
'He meets my eye,' my master murmured. 'Perhaps it is a good sign.'
'What are you trying to stop Lord Ido from doing?' I asked.
'Lower your voice.' He placed his hand on my shoulder in warning. 'This is not your concern.
I will inform you if you need to know.'
I glared down at the ground. How were we to survive this treacherous game if he kept me ignorant of his plans and strategies? Did he forget that we lived or died by each other's actions?
I shook off his hand. 'No,' I said softly, my boldness roiling in my stomach. 'How do you know when it is necessary? You are not always with me. I must understand what is happening if I am to play my part properly'
His eyes narrowed, but I set my jaw and forced myself to meet his anger.
'Lord Tyron trusts Hollin with his plans,' I pushed.
We stood for a moment, our wills locked in the silent struggle.
Finally, my master sighed. 'Yes, you are right.'
The victory startled the breath from me. He grabbed my sleeve and edged back, setting more space between us and the nearest group of Dragoneyes.
'Ido seeks to bend the Council into placing its power at the feet of Sethon and his army' he said, his voice so low I could barely hear it. 'We think Ascendant Ido aims to withhold the Council's power until Sethon can force the Right of 111 Fortune and replace his brother.'
I stared at my master, trying to absorb the import of his words. The very first Emperor, the Father of a Thousand Sons, proclaimed the Right of 111 Fortune to protect the land from a ruler abandoned by the gods. If an Emperor's reign was besieged by too many earth/water disasters, he could be denounced and replaced with a ruler whom the gods favoured.
'You mean Ido intends to block the Dragoneye control of the monsoon storms and earth angers?' Horror made my voice rise. We were fast approaching the worst season of floods, winds and earthshakes. It was the Dragoneyes' sacred duty to protect the land and the people from harm.
My master pulled me even further from the others, his eyes cautioning me. 'That is exactly what I am saying. And there is a very real fear that he aims to break the Covenant of Service.
To actually offer dragon power to Sethon for use in his warmongering.'
I gasped. It was forbidden for dragon power to be used in warfare. The dragons were agents of nurture and protection, not destruction. I swallowed, imagining the wild power of all the dragons in the control of one ambitious man. The Council and Covenant were meant to stop such madness.
My master patted my arm. 'I know. But I am working with Tyron and others to stop him. The best way you can help us is to
learn how to control your powers as quickly as possible.' His head snapped up. 'Abb., here is our host.'
Like sunflowers turning to the sun, everyone shifted to watch Lord Ido's progress through the courtyard. I fought the impulse, but found myself turning towards the force of his presence.
He topped all of the other men by more than a head, and as he bent to exchange a quick word or bow, his sheer size gave him an air of authority The deep blue of his Dragoneye robes was echoed in the oiled gloss of his beard and the tight loop of braids bound at the crown of his head. Behind him, in a matching blue tunic, was the slight figure of Dillon. He was scowling, the uncharacteristic expression etching sharp lines on his face. Lord Ido paused and searched the groups of men until his gaze found mine. I straightened; my body surged with a strange hot energy Something was drawing me to him. Was he using his power again? But as he approached, I could see no flick of silver in the amber of his eyes.
'Lord Eon,' he said. 'Greetings.'
I gave a quick bow, raising my head to find him standing over me. I wanted to step back, create some space between us, but knew it would be a surrender. Grimly, I held my ground.
He nodded graciously, including my master in the brief acknowledgement. Dillon stood at his elbow, eyes down.
'How do you find your first days as Mirror Dragoneye?' Lord Ido asked. Beside his thigh, his hand was flexing in and out of a tight fist.
'Busy, my lord,' I said. 'I have hardly had time to think.'
'It is set to become even busier,' he said. 'I must take a short journey in the next few days, but when I return we will start your training in the dragon arts.'
I could not help it; I stepped back.
'Train with you, my lord?' I turned to my master. 'But I thought you would be…'
My master shook his head, the strain around his eyes giving away his own unease. 'I no longer have a connection to a dragon,
Lord Eon. Since Lord Ido will be teaching his own apprentice the basics, it has been decided that he will take on your initial training as well.'
'Of course,' I said hollowly 'Thank you, Lord Ido.'
My hand was shaking, spilling wine onto the paving stones. How was I going to bluff the Ascendant Dragoneye? I looked around for somewhere to put the cup before I dropped it.
'I look forward to teaching you, Lord Eon,' he said.
There was a strange caressing tone in his voice. It thrust me back five years to the salt farm and the smiling face of the whipmaster. My body chilled. I knew that tone: Lord Ido was one of those who took his pleasure in the fear and pain of others.
He pushed Dillon in front of me. 'Take Lord Eon's wine away'
Dillon grudgingly took the bowl, still not lifting his gaze from the ground. This was not the boy that I knew — he had always jumped to attention at an order, eager to please his master.
What had Lord Ido done to him? He seemed easy in his movements and there were no visible marks apart from the cut above his eye. Perhaps he was just frightened. Then he bowed to us and I saw the discolouration on his neck: a rash of dark red dots. Was he ill?
Lord Ido turned and clapped his hands. 'Let us move into the meeting chamber and begin the formalities.'
Whether by chance or design, my master stepped between us and the short walk across the courtyard was completed in silence. A servant slid open the lacquered screen as we approached. Quickly, we slipped off our shoes and followed Lord Ido into the room. The air was immediately cooler and scented with Icmongrass, the green silk wall hangings and clean straw matting adding to the sense of lightness. The bright furnishings made me pause; in my mind, Lord Ido was smooth darkness and t hreatening shadow. As he led me and my master alongside a long oval table, I counted thirteen chairs, three set at the far end in the place of power, facing the door.