Marcus hurried from the common room as the knights exchanged glances. “Provisions for the journey ahead?” Quinnguessed.
“Nieces and daughters,” Niall suggested with awink.
“More wine!” Lucsaid.
But Marcus brought gifts. He set them upon the table in the middle of the room and the knights leaned forward as one, their squires appearing from the shadows to peer at the small heap of presents, as well. There were several wooden boxes, a collection of small bags of velvet in different colors, a small glass vial, and a large dark decanter. “My wife is said to have the gift of seeing the future, a gift from the angels themselves. When I spoke to her of all of you, she prepared these gifts, telling me which was for each of you and why. It seems my wife knows something of yourreputations.”
Smiles were exchanged as Marcus chose a small red velvet sack and presented it to Amaury. At his nod, Amaury opened it and poured its contents into his palm. It was a stone the size of a very small egg of a mottled green color. He raised his gaze to Marcus, his questionclear.
“A stone to detect poison, found in the gullet of a winged lion,” Marcus said. “Place it in any food or drink that you fear to be poisoned. If it remains the same, all is well. If it turns black, do not consume thatsubstance.”
Amaury nodded, hiding his skepticism. “I thank you,Marcus.”
“My wife says you will face treachery upon your return home, and you will have need ofit.”
Amaury’s eyes narrowed and he tucked the stone away with care after thanking Marcus again. Rolfe wondered if there was someone at Montvieux who Amaury did not fullytrust.
Next was a glass vial with a swirled stopper, sealed with wax. “A perfume that will win the heart of the most reluctant maiden,” Marcus said. Niall grinned and stretched out a hand, but Marcus scoffed at him. “You have no need of this gift!” he said, then passed it to Bayard. That knight flushed, for his clumsy manner with women was a jest with theothers.
“I have no need of a maiden’s heart, so long as I have no home of my own,” hesaid.
“You will have both, otherwise the gift would not have been meant for you,” Marcusreplied.
Bayard bowed and thanked the keeper, his appreciationclear.
Rolfe knew he was not the only one whose curiosity had been whetted. It seemed the gifts gave some hint of their respectivefutures.
Marcus handed Quinn a small box with a pattern of small flowers inlaid on the lid. He made to open it but the keeper stopped him. “You must keep it. When you have found the residence where you mean to remain forever, then open it and have your home blessedforevermore.”
Quinn frowned a little, then smiled and nodded. Rolfe’s sense redoubled that Quinn believed some trouble awaited him at Sayerne. Perhaps the overlord’s messenger had told him more than he hadshared.
Another velvet sack was given to Lothair, this one made of dark green silk. At Marcus’ nod of encouragement, Lothair opened it and spilled the contents into his hand. It was a gold coin, but one unlike any Rolfe had seen before. It had a square hole in the middle and a swirling design that might have been script in another language. “A coin, stolen from a dragon’s hoard, and one that can buy your very soul,” Marcussaid.
“Though none of us are surprised that it is for sale,” Niall muttered, earning a quick look and a grin fromLothair.
The Viking thanked the keeper graciously and tucked the coinaway.
A blade in a heavily ornamented sheath was passed then to Luc, who regarded it with awe. “A dagger that always strikes true,” Marcus said. “For it has a hilt of dragonbone.”
“So it can see where you cannot,” Thierry said, making a reference to Luc’s injuredeye.
“A welcome gift. And a fine blade, as well,” Luc said, turning it so that it caught the light. “This is fine steel. I thank you,Marcus!”
Thierry was given another of the small velvet sacks, this one being blue. He opened it and immediately light flooded from inside it. He removed the contents with care and the knights gasped as one at the stone that hung like a pendant from a fine silver chain. It was as clear as a drop of water, but it shone with inner light. The squires nudged each other and pushed closer to see itbetter.
“The Virgin’s Tear,” Marcus said softly. “Said to have been gathered from a maiden when the unicorn that had laid its head in her lap was snared and slaughtered.” He nodded. “Its luminosity indicates the future of the bearer. When it is radiant, as it is now, all prospects are fine. But when it clouds over or turns dark, takewarning.”
“Thank you, Marcus,” Thierry said, the awe in his voice echoing what Rolfe felt. “I will treasure this forever.” Rolfe guessed he was not the only one glad to see the light shining brightly from thestone.
“This is for you,” Marcus said, offering a smaller carved box to Niall. At his nod, Niall opened the box, revealing black seeds as large as a man’s thumbnail. “The red bloom of passion. It grows only when a destined lover appears in the life of the bearer. Plant it and it will grow, a mark of your heart’s trueimpulse.”
“It will wait a long time for Niall to experience true love,” Lothair teased. “Do the seeds become infertile in time?” The knights laughed atthis.
“Whatever do you mean?” Niall asked in mock outrage. “I feel true love daily. Hourly! Each woman I meet, I cherish from the depths of mysoul!”
They laughed again and Marcus shook his head. “There will be one, and you will have need of this gift to win her to yourside.”
“If she is clever, that will certainly be so,” Niall agreed easily. He bowed. “I thank you,Marcus.”
