Jennifer Roberson Cheysuli 8 A Tapestry of Lions

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bush."
"But Hart has blue eyes. And only one hand; an enemy had the other one cut
off." Kellin followed
Brennan's lead, climbing down with less skill than his longer-legged
grandfather, and then he, too, was swallowed up by the crowd. Kellin could see
nothing, neither grandfather, great-uncle, nor steps.
He considered ducking under the bellies of all
A TAPESTRY OF LIONS 123
the horses, but reconsidered when he thought about the kicks he risked. Like
Brennan before him, if with less success, Kellin shoved his way through the
milling throng of baggage train and household attendants. Solindish, all of
them; he recognized the accent.
His path was more difficult, but at last Kellin reached the steps and climbed
to the top- His grandsire and great-uncle had left off hugging, but the warm
glints in their eyes one pair blue, the other yellow were identical.
So is everything else, except for Hart's missing hand. Kellin looked at the
leather-cuffed stump, wondering what it was like to be restricted to a single
hand. And Hart had lost more than a hand;
the old Cheysuli custom of kin-wrecking still held.
He was, because of his maiming, no longer consid-
ered in the clans to be a warrior despite his blood and his Ur, the great hawk
known as Rael.
Kellin glanced up. Spiraling in a lazy circle over the palace rooftops was the
massive raptor, black edging on each feather delineating wings against the
blue of the sky. / may have a hawk when I am a warrior
"Kellin!" Brennan's hand closed over a shoul-
der. "Kellin, here is your kinsman. You have never seen him, I know, but to
know who Hart is a man need only look at me."
"But you are different," Kellin said after a brief inspection. "You seem
older, grandsire."
It brought a shout of delighted laughter from
Hart, who struck his twin-born rujholli a sharp blow with his only hand.
"There. You see? I have said it myself "
"Nonsense." Brennan arched a single brow.
"You surely count more gray in your hair than I."
"No," Kellin said doubtfully, which moved Hart to laughter again.
124 Jennifer Roberson
"Well, we are very like," the Mujhar's twin said.
"If there are differences, it is because the Lion is a far more difficult
taskmaster than my own
Solinde."
"Has Solinde thrown you out?" Kellin asked. "Is that why you have come?"
Hart grinned. "And lose the best lord she ever had? No, I am not banished, nor
am I toppled as
Bellam was toppled by Carillon. The Solindish love me, now or, if not love,
they tolerate me well enough." He tapped the cuffed stump on top of Kellin's
head. "Erinnish eyes, Kellin. Where is the Cheysuli in you?"
"You have Homanan eyes," Kellin retorted, "And now your hair is gray; mine is
all over black."
"Sharp eyes, and a sharper wit," Brennan said dryly. "The Erinnish side, I
think."
Hart nodded, smiling, as he assessed his young kinsman, "You are small for
twelve, but your growth may come late. Corin's did."
"I am ten," Kellin corrected. "Tall enough for ten; grandsire says so."
"Ten." Hart shot a glance at Brennan. "I mis-
counted, then."
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"Aging, are you?" Brennan's eyes were alight.
"Forgetting things already?"
Hart demurred at once. "I merely lost track, no more. But I did think him
older."
"Does it matter?" Brennan asked, laughing- "I
am hardly infirm, rujho, The Lion will yet be mine a while. Kellin should be
well-grown before he inherits."
"I was not thinking of thrones, rujho, but of weddings."
"Weddings! Kellin's? By the gods, Hart "
"Wait you." Hart put up his hand to silence his brother. "Before you begin
shouting at me, A TAPESTRY OF LIONS
125
as you have always done " he grinned, eyes alight, " it is for you to say, of
course. And now that I see he is so young, perhaps it is too soon."
"Too soon for what?" Kellin asked. "A wedding?
Whose? Mine?"
Hart laughed- "So full of questions, harani."
"Mine?" Kellin repeated.
Hart sighed, scratching idly at his beardless chin. "I have a daughter "
Brennan interrupted in mock asperity. "You have four of them. Which one do you
mean?"
Hart's shrug was lopsided. "Dulcie is thirteen, which is closer to Kellin than
the twins. And "
He shrugged again, letting go what he had begun.
"There is reason for this, rujho ... we will speak
of it later."
"Too young," Brennan said.
Hart's eyes were speculative. "Too young to marry, perhaps, but not for a
betrothal."
"This can wait," Brennan said- "Let us be ruj-
holli again before we must be rulers."
Hart sighed heavily. "That may be difficult. I
have all of them with me."
"Who?"
"They wanted to come," Hart continued. "All but Biythe. She carries her first
child after all this time, so we thought it best she remain behind. It will be
my first grandchild, after all."
Diverted, Brennan stared at him. "Is she wed? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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