"Did the crows wake you, Kiri?"
Kiram could only make out a vague shape in the darkness of the wagon, but he knew Rafie's voice.
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing that you or I could do anything about," Rafie said. Kiram didn't find the answer at all reassuring.
"What is it that's got them so alarmed?"
"No one is quite sure," Rafie replied. "Alizadeh and the other Bahiim all felt a shock of some kind. Something very powerful triggered all of their wards."
"The shadow curse?" Kiram couldn't help but fear the worst. Had it awoken and taken Fedeles? Had it assaulted Javier?
"No, it wasn't a mere shadow. This was something different. Much more powerful, I think." Rafie sat down beside Kiram. He was cold and his clothes were damp from rain. "I really can't tell you much more. I only know that Alizadeh woke up like lightning had just struck him and then the crows started screaming. Alizadeh, Liahn, Nakiesh and both the old mothers are outside now, replacing the wards that burned up. They're trying to trace the source of the assault." Rafie patted Kiram's shoulder gently. "Ybu think you can get back to sleep?"
"No," Kiram said.
"Me either." Rafie sighed heavily.
"Are they going to be all right?" Kiram asked. "I mean Alizadeh and Liahn and Nakiesh. They aren't in danger, are they?"
"I don't know." Fear tinged Rafie's voice. That, more than anything else, frightened Kiram. He had always held Rafie in such esteem that he had never been able to imagine anything disturbing him. "Whatever burned through the wards, it was stronger than any of the Bahiim, and it was searching."
"What for?"
"For Alizadeh probably. Nakiesh says it was concentrated very close to the Laughing Dog when it struck."
"Did it hurt him?" Kiram asked.
"No. It just struck powerfuly but blindly, though it seared through every ward anywhere near it. Liahn thinks it was meant as a warning from the man on the hill. He doesn't want any Bahiim involved in his business."
Kiram scowled at the surrounding darkness. "None of them are involved in his business."
"Both Alizadeh and Nakiesh breached his domain yesterday. Maybe he felt threatened enough to send out a warning." Rafie sighed and then straightened. "It's nearly sun up. You want to help me with breakfast?"
"Help? You mean, cooking it?" Kiram had never cooked anything in his life.
Rafie laughed, sounding more himself. "Yes. That great mystery: cooking. Come, I'll show you how to burn adhil bread and scald mare's milk."
Kiram dressed in the dark and then joined Rafie outside. The sky was pale with predawn light and a humid wind whipped Kiram's hair into his face. Most of the Irabiim were awake also. Women stoked their fires up to bright yellow blazes. Boys yawned and trudged out to their rangy horses, with brushes and bridles. Kiram guessed that they would be taking the animals to auction at the fair in an hour or so.
Kiram didn't see any of the Bahiim. When he asked, Rafie said that they were out in the woods, anchoring their wards in the wood of the trees. As he spoke Rafie frowned at the deep shadows of the forest then turned back to Kiram with a determined expression.
"Well, let's see about your first cooking lesson."
He kept Kiram running all over the camp, trading spices with Irabiim mothers and begging mare's milk from an older man with dozens of brilliant bangles on his wrists. Rafie taught him to mix adhil batter and cut onions. The sun peaked over the distant hills and the last of the night bells rang over Zancoda. People would be up and about their business in the city soon.
Rafie heated oil in an iron skillet and fried the bread. He flipped the thin disks of bread with a flick of the pan. Kiram watched, feeling his awe of his uncle grow. Rafie cracked several eggs into the pan, stirred black salt and spices into them and tossed in the onions. After a few minutes he turned the eggs and onion out onto the bread.
Kiram ate quickly, noting the fragrant spices but still too hungry to savor them.
Rafie ate his own breakfast much more slowly. "You need to be back at the city stable soon, don't you?"
"Master Ignacio wants us there by the first morning bell," Kiram said.
Rafie frowned into the deep shadows of the woods again.
"I can go by myself," Kiram said. "You should be here for Alizadeh, in case he needs you."
Rafie studied Kiram closely. Kiram could see him weighing his desire to be near Alizadeh in case he or any of the other Bahiim were injured against his need to prevent Kiram's escape.
"I won't run away," Kiram assured him.
Rafie studied him for a moment. "I need to have your word."
Kiram sighed, nodding his resignation. As clever as it might be, he just couldn't bring himself to use Rafie's fear for Alizadeh for his own gain. And in any case where would he run away to?
"I swear on Mother's blood," Kiram said. "I'm just going to check in with Master Ignacio and then attend the tournament races. If you don't come for me after the races then I'll come back here, all right?"
"All right," Rafie agreed. He ruffled Kiram's hair lightly. "Be careful."
Kiram hurried back toward Zancoda. The moist wind tossed his hair into his face and sent shudders across the back of his neck. He pulled up the collar of his coat, wondering if it would rain again today and what would be done should a downpour foul the race course. The sky looked both pale and gloomy, white clouds diffusing the sunlight into an eerie glow.
As he passed the Laughing Dog he paused to look for signs of the night's disturbance. At first he saw nothing unusual. The small stone building and its plank stable stood just as they had two days before. Crows perched in the nearby trees.
Kiram bowed his head from the wind and began to walk again. Then he noticed a few black lines cracked through the flagstones just outside the stable. The stone seemed glassy in places and when Kiram stepped back he saw that the black cracks formed a perfect circle around him. A wave of fear washed through Kiram and he quickly stepped out of the circle.
As he did so he noticed a crumpled dark form at the corner of the stable and nearly called out in alarm. His sharp gasp brought the shadowy form suddenly up into the shape of a man. Kiram recognized Javier with relief but didn't feel any less surprised.
He had no idea what Javier was doing here or why he had been hunched like broken firewood against the stable wall. Javier whispered something but Kiram didn't hear the word over the wind. Then Javier rushed forward and pulled Kiram to him, clutching him desperately.
"You weren't at the inn and I thought they had taken you away," Javier whispered into Kiram's neck. His skin was like ice.
"We stayed with the Irabiim," Kiram said. For a moment he let himself relax into Javier's embrace. He had wanted to be held like this yesterday. And it had been this nearness that he had longed for when he woke this morning. But now, feeling himself melt into Javier's arms, he couldn't help but resent Javier's importance to him and how Javier had withheld this closeness all of yesterday.
Kiram pushed him back. Javier released him immediately, glancing up and down the street for any sign of onlookers. There was no one. Javier jammed his hands into his coat pockets and eyed Kiram with an uncertain expression.
"What are you doing here?" Kiram demanded.
"I couldn't sleep. I thought I would meet you at the inn and we could walk together to the city stables."
"So that you can ignore me once we're there?" Kiram had wanted to sound cold and controlled, but instead the words came out sounding so hurt that it embarrassed Kiram. A wave of disgust at his own weakness washed over him.
He turned, bowing his head before the wind, and stalked towards the city stable. Javier fell in beside him. Only a few vendors were out, loading carts with their wares for trade at the fair. The merchants paid little attention to either of them as they passed.