“Orval of Xy, Queen Kara trusted me,” Ritathan said.“I swear to you that I consider myself bound by all agreements and will bring no harm to the Blood of Xy.”
Orval stared at him for a long moment, until the other goat stamped his foot, impatient, breaking the silence.
“Yes,” Orval said.“I will vouch for him and his companions, and take responsibility for their actions.”
“So be it, Lord High Baron,” Jerrold growled.“I needs must get back to the quarry.Lewald, you have the watch tonight?”
“Aye,” Lewald said.“And now we know the exact location, we can be in a better position if it opens again.”
“Sound the horns if it does.”Jerrold mounted.“Escort the Lord High Baron and his guests home,” he directed, then rode off without another word.
“Well, mount up,” Orval started to turn his cart.“Our Hearth is not far, and Amari will want plenty of warning for dinner.”
“Lynd, go with them and keep a sharp eye.”Lewald barked the order.
Halithe got to her feet and mounted, as did Aramal and Ritathan.They headed down the road, escorted by one of the horsemen who had arrived with Jerrold.The other stayed with the archers; Halithe assumed he would carry word to…Waerington, Jerrold had said.
Once they were out of sight of the guard-post, Orval called out, “Lynd, could you ride ahead and warn Amari of three more at the table?More food for all of us if she knows,” he said.“I promise not to escape or do anything dastardly in the meantime.I just don’t want to feel her wrath.”
“Aye, sir,” the man said with a laugh.He urged his horse to a gallop, racing off ahead.
Orval watched him go, then spoke, his voice hard.“That will buy us some privacy.So what brings the Royal Chained Mage to my Hearth and who did I just vouch for?”
“Forgive me,” Ritathan said.“Aramal is of Athelbryght, and this is Halithe, my apprentice.The rest, I fear, is a long story.”
“You are not wearing your chains,” Orval said.
“But I am bound,” Ritathan said.“You and Xydell are of the Airion Blood, and—”
“Xydell has gone to the snows,” Orval said bluntly.
Ritathan caught himself, then bowed his head.
Halithe opened her mouth to express condolences but, remembering Xydell, wasn’t sure what to say.
Orval was still speaking.“The Blood is more liability than asset.At least in the Black Hills.”He sighed.“We are tolerated, just, and that only because that my horrid, wonderful Aunt Xydell was known and loved in the Black Hills.”
“What?”Ritathan asked, sounding genuinely surprised.
“Long story,” Orval repeated.“Just know that every eye on us is a wary one.”
“Are those war goats?”Aramal asked.
“So Old Petro claims.”Orval chuckled.“He lets me use the cart when needed.Much easier for me than trying to ride a horse with this leg.Room for cargo as well, when I go to market.”
“Heard of such, but never seen them before.”
“Their names are Ornery and Stubborn.Stubborn has the broken horn.Petro showed us their old armor, in a trunk in the stable.”Orval shook his head.“They are so gentle though, it’s hard to believe.They seem to enjoy pulling me around, but I don’t push them too hard.Truth to tell, they’d do anything for a bit of dried apple.”Orval pointed.“We turn off here.”
“But—” Ritathan pointed ahead, to where Halithe could see the outline of a walled castle, rising ahead of them.
“We’re not living in the Keep,” Orval said.“The gatehouse is in decent shape, but the rest is in ruins.”He slowed the rams to make the turn.“I convinced Jerrold to put up scaffolding and scatter tools around, so it looks like we have started repairs.It’s more important to get the quarry working again.”Orval hesitated.“Besides, well, my wife is expecting again.”
“So soon?”Ritathan said.
“Yes, well,” Orval sounded both embarrassed and proud.“With that, and the fact that the twins are walking, we are going to have our hands full.The Keep is no place for children, not in its current state.”He glanced at Halithe and smiled.“So we were given permission to move to an old manor house that had been left abandoned since the conflicts.Plenty of room and land for gardens and livestock.”
“Given permission,” Ritathan said slowly.
