Ollo Masui ko Eltai
"My lord, I do not trust her, you know that." Derlian whirled from the window with a snap, And frowned at the slendiki, the great cat Sprawled on the chair and his mate's lap, While the third member of the Tereth stood behind, His flaming green eyes clearly showing his mind. "Yes, you do not trust her, I know that," Derlian said, "but could you draw me a map
"To the lands of your distrust? I know them not." The first slendiki sighed, and sat up, his tail Curling around his back, as though forgot. He received licks both from the other male And the female on whose lap he sprawled. Derlian waited. The Tereth, though so-called- A group of three- was, in all reality, not A group or separate, but united without fail,
One in everything they both did and said. At last the speaker looked at Derlian, His eyes calm and no longer flickering with red, His voice low and respectful of the lord's pain. "My lord, this is too convenient. You love Her, or so you told us. Do you think from above She dropped, and has been sent to strike you dead With her beauty? Do the stars favor you again?"
Derlian tensed, and ran a hand through his hair. "That was only the once; it does not happen twice," He said. "But yes, she is a stranger, and fair. But does that mean she has been sent to entice Me, or to bind me, or any other thing you fear? You, too, were refugees when you arrived here." The male dipped his head. "You are right there, My lord. But you did not trust us in a trice,
"As it seems that you are inclined to trust her. My lord, what do you want from her at all?" Derlian sighed, staring into the summer That had been carved into the wood of the wall To bloom forever, even in the season of snow. "Why I care for her so, I do not know," He answered in a voice like a candle's flicker That at any moment into the wax might fall.
"But I do know this: she set me free For a brief time, tonight, as though on wing I had flown to the lands I wanted to see. I could not only dance, but I could sing!" He looked up, and saw the staring Tereth, Staring as though to spring in the next breath. He snorted. "I am not about to flee. Save your snarls, your drama, and your spring.
"But she, somehow, broke the magic's spell. Is that not enough reason to keep her around, And see if she might do other things as well?" The speaker shook the others off with a bound, And came forward, staring into Derlian's eyes. Then he snorted. "It should not be such a surprise To see love staring back at me, but in starhell I would not trust her. My lord, on the ground
"Of such distrust I wish you to stand for a while, And wait to judge her final intentions Until you are sure that sincere is her smile, And until you have heard her journey's recollections. Is that acceptable?" Derlian inclined his head, And it was as good as if his word had been said. The Tereth slipped from his chamber, and exile And fleeing were only passing mentions
That they would not mention to anyone else. Derlian snorted quietly under his breath. They watched him for the ringing of ward-bells, But they still trusted him- every slendiki Tereth, Every Elwen within his walls, and every corama, And every other creature born of the wild drama The wild magic enacted everywhere else. They were frantic to prevent his flight or his death,
At least until he had done his duty and sired a son. But they trusted his word on matters like this. Derlian closed his eyes, and thought that in sun And sea far away only would he find his bliss. But his thoughts were shattered by a sharp knock. He called, "Come in!" The door had no lock, And no guard save magewinds, who would read one With hostile intentions and keep him or her from his
Throat and room while Derlian woke to defense. The door opened, and in stepped a slender woman, Her spine as straight as the pole of a fence, Her eyes promising battle to come once again. Derlian groaned under his breath. "I told you, Feyris, what I said last time was most true," He murmured. "While you shine with magnificence, I have to wed now no desire and no reason."
Feyris shut the door and leaned against it, Her green eyes shining, as fierce as his own, Equally sharp-bladed with luth, and more wit, Though they were a color that had never shone In any pair of eyes in Summerfire: green they seemed, But mingled with blue and purple. Since he had dreamed Of the sea, Derlian thought he could know it. That color was the sea's. It just made him more alone,
And lonely, and he wished his dreams to mourn. His tone sharpened. "My lady, why are you here?" Feyris, her face as sharp as a karkadann's horn, Took one step forward, and then said, "My lord, I fear You have been blinded by that stranger's face. You may think she has come in sheer grace, But she is no phoenix, and no unicorn. She has come to burn Summerfire, and sear
"Your heart beyond bearing. She is your foe." Derlian narrowed his eyes. "Why would she do Such a thing?" "My lord, the Stream's flow Is something that I cannot always read true, And her motives received in my mind no mention. But the Stream showed me her true intention. She is here to win your heart, then go Against you in treason; and when you flew
"With her in the dance, it only came closer To happening as the Stream said it must. My lord, I am not a waspish or whining loser In a contest to win you. I honestly distrust Her, and I think that you would as well Had not her beauty wound you in a fatal spell. Tell me, why is it so hard for you to refuse her? I have never known you to be blinded by lust."
Derlian trembled, ran a hand through his hair, And stared again at Feyris, who stared right back, Her face still uncompromising, harsh and fair. He wished that he could think this jealousy's attack, But he knew she truly only cared about duty. Had he only cared about a fair face or a beauty, He would have wed her the moment she came there, Of infinity Elwen blood, her hair blue-black,
Her skin pale blue, her eyes that shining sea-hue. She had knelt before him that day, and saw Through the Stream what his plight was for true. She rose, and offered herself to the rule of law And duty in Summerfire, if he wished a bride. Derlian had refused, but still Feyris would abide, A phantom of darkness and of pale blue, Refusing to react to him with fear or with awe.
She might have made the best Lady, in truth, But Derlian had not reached the point of his life When desperation overpowered pride's tooth. He would not yet risk cordial coldness or strife In both his close life and his marriage bed, Though if he died, all Summerfire would be dead. He sometimes thought it was a fault of his youth, But he did not want to wed just any wife.
His voice, when he answered, was tense and low. "My lady, I would thank you to say nothing at all, Until I have decided how far I wish this to go. If Alferia might mean mine or Summerfire's fall, Then I think it best to wait-" "Until you cannot win free?" Feyris stepped forward, looking at him with intensity That Derlian had never seen. Why did she look at him so? Her face was set, eyes burning like lamps on a wall.
"My lord, she means you no good, every harm. She has a purpose that will not turn ever aside. You might her cheeks but not her heart warm, And you will court disaster if you allow her to abide In your court for any length of time, even a day. My lord, turn on her now! Send her at once away! Your true enemy has turned to making her country arm, But she will not need to if you take Alferia as your bride.
"My lord, both of them are shining dangers, Though one of them has never been to Summerfire before, And the other one is not one of the strangers You constantly welcome to your table and door. My lord, turn on her, or burn at once with regret! You have time to heed my warning yet. You wield Change, but are not one of the changers, To be fickle to duty because of a store
"Of beauty or wit or charm or grace." Derlian closed his eyes, trembling a little, And before his inner eyes floated Alferia's face, Accompanied by the sound of Feyris's riddle. For a moment, he feared that Feyris was right, And that Alferia might pull him into an infinite night. He saw flames raging in Summerfire's place, And himself, his heart tearing, caught in the middle.
Then he caught his breath, and opened his eyes. "What can I say, Feyris, but that it is envy speaking? You have proven many times that you are wise, But are you wise enough to avoid seeking Reasons to beware when I gaze at one you think below Me?" "You are not looking at me, you know." Derlian stared at her in chagrin and surprise, And Feyris bowed to him, her last soft words speaking.
"My lord, you are in the grip of love and of lust, And you must beware which one is which in the end. I came to warn you, yes, out of fear and mistrust, But I also came to warn you as Summerfire's friend, And because though long ago I offered myself from duty, As time passes I have come to see in your eyes beauty." As Derlian looked up at her, she drifted soft as dust Out the door, saying, "You must yourself defend."
Or, if you like, on to the eleventh canto.
Or, if you want, back to the ninth canto.
