Chapter 18.4.1

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Curtains of sleep drifted aside, and I still had my lady in my arms. I opened my eyes and stared at the rough-planked ceiling above me. From below came the sound of voices – the boys were getting ready for bed. I was very, very happy.

"Are you quite finished?" spoke someone on the other side of the room.

Wallen sat on the bed on the other side of the room, tired and ragged. A fresh bruise marked his cheek, high above his thick blond beard.

I rolled over and freed my hands. "My Lord, I don’t think that this is the time."

"There’s no other time. Sharp is in a drunken stupor. He has forbidden me to speak to you."

"We are away from Rockridge," I signed. "There is no longer a danger in speaking to me."

"The danger comes from Sharp." Wallen touched his cheek.

"Did Sharp give that to you?"

"This was from Master Marlin, for raising my fist to my elder and – better. The Masters here are stricter than they ever were in my old school."

I sat up, to make signing easier. "The Masters of your old school knew who you were. The Masters here don’t – fortunately."

His gaze drifted into the distance. "No – my teachers knew no more than the Masters of the Guidlhall. My father told me, and I thought it was all a game, to pretend that I was a rich merchant’s son, sent to school with all the other rich merchant’s sons. Just a game. But tonight, if Charles had revealed me as his Lord, they would have killed me – wouldn’t they?"

I nodded. "You remain in great danger. Take the Lady Laurice and go to her father – I doubt he will be angry when he knows who you are, and you’ll be safe from the Bards."

Wallen stared at his hands, sore and split by their recent ill-treatment, then up at the rough beams. His gaze then returned to my face, the eyes of the young boy on the marble steps of the Bardhall, so many years before. "I should, first, apologize for my actions of tonight. I was drunk, I was angry, I was hurt. God, was I hurt, when you held yourself away from me at Rockridge. I felt so lonely, so – little."

Welcome to the life of a beggar. But I kept my hands still.

I don't think I'll get an installment on this story today, either. The kid is home sick for the third time this week, plus there was the election on Tuesday.

Chapter 18.3

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Up in the room, Elise told me what had happened with Sharp and Wallen. They had come to the Warlocker’s house in the middle of the night with Lady Laurice, announced that they had to leave immediately, and that I would be joining them on the road. Once out, however, they told her nothing more about me.

By morning they had reached Goshawk river, a small town on the Goshawk River. There Wallen and Laurice were married by a local priest while Sharp hired a boat to carry them all downstream. The happy couple consummated their union on the riverbank that evening, with mud and grass for a bridal bower. Afterwards they feasted on Journeycakes and water.

"I thank ye for leaving Geldswan with me," Elise added. "That Bard thought I should be a lady to him, and only the length of steel kept him off. And when he tried to name him lady on the Bardhall steps, it was all I could do to merely run away."

"You did well," I signed, and kissed her.

"That’s quite a tale," Master Iving said. I had forgotten that the two Masters were still with us. "Gerard, you should write that up as a Ballad and sing it before the Masters when you sit for your string."

Grandmaster Meiltung glowered. "Sit for his string? Why? He has no more chance of earning it than Breck!"

Were Breck’s chances as poor as mine? Was he also lacking a voice?

"I rather think..." Master Iving was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in."

Treble entered, followed by an slightly younger man whose face was covered with freckles. They both carried trays laden with food and drink.

"What’s this?" asked the Grandmaster.

"They were chased out before they could get their supper," Treble explained. The other boy simply stared at the floor.

"How kind of you, Treble, Breck." Master Iving gestured for them to put the trays on the desk. They did so, and quickly left.

"It seems you have all you need, then," Grandmaster Meiltung stated. He straightened his back and crossed his arms. "And I have other business. Stay out of trouble."

He left, but Master Iving pulled out the chair and sat down. He watched us eat, laughed as Charles made a few lame jokes, and then asked me to put the dirty dishes out in the hallway. "One of the boys will collect it later."

I nodded.

Then he looked at me, quite seriously. "Gerard, we will sing in the Winter in just three days. You must work very hard to be ready by then."

I shrugged.

"No, Gerard, you must sit before the Masters. When you played at St William’s, you showed your path, and it is one you must walk. It would be a terrible thing if you did not."

I thought of the command of the Master of Paths. Earning my string might be impossible, but I was to at least try. I nodded.

"Then that is settled. You will sit along with Breck." He rose to his feet.

"One thing," I signed. Peter quickly spoke for me. "Elise and I have not been properly sung together, and I would not have her wait any longer. Will you do this for us tomorrow?"

My lady flung her arms around my shoulders, then looked up hopefully at the old Master.

"I would be delighted, Gerard. Meet me on the steps at sunrise." With that he left.

My lady kissed me happily, enthusiastically. I responded to her warmth and pulled her tighter. She felt so good, so warm, and I was hungry. My hand stroked up her thigh.

"Peter!" Charles said, a bit too loud. "It’s time for evening prayers!"

The door closed behind them.

No river flowed as swift or as strong, no spring ever tasted as sweet or as clear, no breeze ever touched as delicately, no flower was ever so fragrant... We lay on the grass in the spirit world, with moss beneath us and flowers all about, her, I ...and just the whisper of another, of a promise to come.

Chapter 18.2

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Elise was waiting in the shadow of the great bronze doors. She looked pale and lost, glancing about the Bardhall as if afraid that it might swallow her – but when she saw us she brightened like the morning sun that had just cleared the horizion. Hugging a bundle to her chest, she ran to me. Stopping just long enough to set the parcel down gently, she threw herself into my arms. No silk or satin ever felt as good as my lady’s skin; no wine ever tasted as good as her lips.

Some time later, Charles coughed. I looked up to see Grandmaster Meiltung standing before me, his arms crossed. He looked from me to Elise, and then back again. "Gerard, what is this?"
My hands were tangled in my lady’s clothing. I just smiled foolishly, like a Bard-in-training caught with a serving wench.

"That’s his wife," Charles explained. "Elise is a good woman."

Grandmaster Meiltung mouthed the Christian word, wife, then flicked a glance over the knight’s crucifix. Then he looked straight at Elise. "I thought Sharp claimed you as his lady."
My lady tossed her hair back. "And Aye thought my response to his claim was clear.

Journeyman Sharp is a scoundrel and a theif: he’d claim me, the harp, the sword, and Gerard’s good clothing. A pretty voice he has, but my Bard has more than he’ll ever have."

She stared at the Grandmaster firmly as he reddened.

By the Gods, someone who would stand up to the Grandmaster – and a woman at that. Grandmaster Meiltung reddened, but behind him, Master Iving smiled in amusement. "She has a tongue, hasn’t she?"

Enough for both of us.

"When you care to take a pause," Grandmaster Meiltung said with an edge to his voice, "follow me. I’ve decided that it would not be good for your friends to sleep in the open hall, nor for you to be among the children, Gerard. Journeymen Sieg and Van will lend you their room for as long as you need to stay. Does this please you?"

A Journeyman’s room with two beds was more than we had at Rockridge, that first time. I nodded as I freed myself from Elise.