Shardik

Melathys was crying and he put his arm round her, unable to speak for the shock of surprise that filled him. Yet he was in no doubt and, as perception began to come upon him of all that her words imported, he felt like one looking out towards an unknown country half-hidden in the twilight and mist of early morning. Prcsently she said,

'We have to return to the Tuginda. She will need a message sent to Quiso and help with preparing for her journey. And Ankray -something must be done for him. But that wretched boy out there -' 'He's a murderer.' 'I know. Do you want to kill him?' 'No.'

'It's easier for me to pity him -I wasn't there. But he was a slave like the rest of them, wasn't he? I suppose he has no one at all?'

'I think we may find there are several like that. It's the unloved and deserted who get sold as slaves, you know.' 'I should know.' 'So should I. God forgive me! O God, forgive me!'

She checked him with a finger held to his lips. 'Fashioned again to His purpose. I believe I'm at last beginning to see.'

They could hear Dirion climbing the ladder. Melathys got up, bent over him and kissed his lips. Still holding her hand, he said, 'Then what are we to do?'

'Oh, Kelderek! My darling Kelderek, how many more times? It will be shown us, shown us, shown us what we are to do!' Next day his wounds were once more cnflamed and painful. He was feverish and kept his bed, but the following morning felt well enough to sit looking out over the river in the sunlight while he soaked his arm in warm water with herbs. The herbal smell mingled with wood-smoke from Dirion's fire, and some children below played and scuffled over their task of spreading nets to dry on the shore. Melathys had just finished binding his arm and tying a sling for it when suddenly they heard cheering break out some distance away on the edge of the village. There are as many kinds of cheering as of children's weeping; the sound tells plainly enough whether the cause be deep or shallow, great or small. These were not ironical cheers of derision, nor yet of sport nor of acclamation for a comrade or hero, but deep, sustained cries of joy, expressive of some long-held hope attained and relief conferred. They looked at each other; and Melathys went to the head of the ladder and called down to Dirion. The cheering was spreading through the village and they could hear feet running and men's voices shouting excitedly in Yeldashay. Melathys went down and he heard her calling to someone further off. Noise and excitement were blazing round the house like a fire and he had almost determined to try to go down himself when she returned, climbing the ladder as lightly as a squirrel. She took his good hand and, kneeling on the floor beside him, looked up into his face.

'Elleroth's here,' she said, 'and the news is that the war's over: but I don't know what that means any more than you.'

He kissed her and they waited in silence. Melathys laid her head on his knee and he stroked her hair, wondering to find himself so indifferent to his fate. He thought of Genshed, of the slave-children, of Shara and her coloured stones, of the death of Shardik and the burning raft. It seemed to matter little what might follow upon diese, except that come what might he would not leave Melathys. At length he said, 'Have you seen Shouter this morning?'

'Yes. At least he's no worse. Yesterday I paid a woman to look after him. She seems honest.'

Some time later they heard men entering below, and then Tan-Rion speaking quickly in words they could not catch. A few moments afterwards he appeared at the head of the ladder, followed by Radu. Both stood waiting, looking down at someone who was following them. There was a pause and then Elleroth climbed awkwardly into the room, stretching out his ungloved right hand for help before stepping off the rungs.

Kelderek and Melathys rose and stood side by side as the Ban of Sarkid and his companions came forward to meet them. Elleroth, who was as clean and impeccably dressed as when Kelderek had last seen him in Kabin, offered his hand and after a moment's hesitation Kelderek took it, though returning the other's look uncertainly.

'We meet as friends today, Crendrik,' said Elleroth. 'That is, if you are willing, as I am.'

'Your son is my friend,' replied Kelderek. 'I can truly say that. We suffered much together and believed we had lost our lives.'

'So he tells me. I have heard little about it as yet, but I know that you were wounded defending him and that you probably saved his life.'

'What happened,' replied Kelderek hesitantly, 'was – was confused. But it was Lord Shardik who laid down his life – it was he who saved us all.' 'That too Radu has told me. Well, I see that I have much still to hear; and perhaps something to learn as well.' He smiled at Melathys.

'Lord Kelderek has been gravely ill,' she said, 'and is still weak. I think we should sit down. I am only sorry that these are such rough quarters.'

'Mine have been worse these two nights past,' answered Elleroth cheerfully, 'and it seemed no hardship in the world, I can assure you. You are a priestess of Quiso, I take it?' Melathys looked confused and it was Kelderek who replied.

'This is the priestess Melathys, whom the Tuginda of Quiso sent as her deputy to conduct the last rites of Lord Shardik. The Tuginda was injured in Zeray and is still lying sick there.'

'I am sorry to hear it,' said Elleroth, 'for she is honoured as a healer from Ikat to Ortelga. But even she was taking too much danger on herself when she crossed the Vrako. Had I known, when she came to see me in Kabin, that she meant to go to Zeray, I would have prevented it. I hope she will soon be recovered.'

'Pray God she will,' replied Melathys. 'I left her out of danger and better than she had been.'

They sat together on the rough benches, in the gallery overlooking the Telthearna, while one of Tan-Rion's soldiers brought nuts, black bread and wine. Elleroth, who looked tired almost to the point of collapse, expressed concern for Kelderek's wounds and went on to enquire about the last rites of Shardik.

'Your soldiers did everything they could to help us,' answered Kelderek. 'They and the village people.' Then, wishing to avoid being questioned about the details of the ceremony, he said, 'You've marched from Kabin? You must have made great speed. Surely this is only the fourth day since Lord Shardik died?'

'The news was brought down the river to Zeray that evening,' replied Elleroth, 'and reached me in Kabin before noon of the next day. To march sixty miles in two and a half days is slow for a man whose son and heir was dead and is alive again, but then it's rough country and heavy going, as you'll know yourself.'

'But you have hardly been in Tissarn an hour,' said Melathys. 'You should have eaten a meal and rested before troubling yourself to come here.'

'On the contrary,' rejoined Elleroth, 'I would have come here sooner, but such is my vanity that I'm afraid I stopped to wash and change my clothes, though I confess I did not know that I was going to meet one of the beautiful priestesses of Quiso.'

Melathys laughed like a girl accustomed to be teased and to tease in return.

"Then why the haste? Are Yeldashay nobles always so punctilious?'

'Yeldashay, saiyett? I am from Sarkid of the Sheaves.' Then, gravely, he said, 'Well, I had a reason. I felt that you, Crendrik, deserved to receive my thanks and to hear my news as quickly as I could bring both to you.'