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tucking his own away. He looked at Dain rather sharply for a moment, his hazel
green-and-blue eyes filled with questions.  Where did you get it?
 I know not, majesty, Dain answered, slipping his pendant back beneath his
doublet.  I have always had it.
 Strange, the king murmured. His thoughts seemed to flow away from Dain for a
moment.  It was a handsome gift someone gave you.
 Aye, your majesty, Dain agreed. He told himself to say nothing else, but
something about the occasion, the heat within the room, and the headiness of
standing here before the king made him say more on the subject than he ever
had to anyone other than Sulein and Lord Odfrey.  My sister had one as well.
Verence s brows shot up.  Your sister! he echoed.  Damne, and where is she?
 Dead, your majesty. Her bard crystal lies buried with her.
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 Bard crystal? You call it this?
Dain frowned a little.  Aye. You call it king s glass here in Mandria, but I 
 Quite so. Well, as Lord Odfrey said in his document, your origins are
mysterious. No doubt he questioned you thoroughly when you first came to him.
Memories, fresh and keen, flooded Dain. He smiled a little.  Aye, majesty, he
said ruefully.  Lord
Odfrey did.
 For my old friend to move past the memory of his lost son Hilard, to abandon
his grief and be willing to look once more to the future, speaks highly of
you, Dain, the king announced.  I have not forgotten the dispatch which came
from Thirst nearly a year past, saying that Lord Odfrey s life was spared in
battle by the quick actions of a half-wild boy of the eld folk. The king
smiled at Dain, who felt his throat choke up.  Nor have I forgotten a much
more recent dispatch from Thirst, saying that the life of my own son and heir,
Prince Gavril, was saved by the quick actions of a boy named Dain, a boy whom
Odfrey
wished to adopt.
The king rose to his feet and faced the assembly.  And today, not many hours
past, this same boy a stranger to my majesty, and indeed, a stranger to
Savroix did save the royal life of the king from a vicious attack by foreign
agents and enemies of this realm. Truly, all that Lord Odfrey wrote about you,
Dain, is fact and not mere praise. You have shown yourself to understand the
responsibilities of the rank offered to you. You have not shirked your duties.
You have displayed prowess with arms in today s contest much to the chagrin of
his royal highness.
Polite chuckles broke out, for the king was smiling as he spoke.
Dain smiled too, but not much. He felt frozen and weak-kneed, unable to
breathe properly. His head was buzzing, making it hard to listen to the king s
words.
 Were you anyone else, I would hasten to confer the adoption and titles which
you seek.
Dain blinked, caught by this unexpected remark. His heart fell like a stone
inside him.
 But you are part eld, Dain, and a mystery to us. The rank of chevard holds
within it a sworn duty to protect the borders of this realm. And Thirst is
special to us.
Dain blinked.  Aye, majesty.
The king frowned.  It has been said to me that you are studying our religion
in order to convert.
Dain s mouth was so dry he couldn t speak. Those lessons had fallen mostly by
the wayside, although
Sir Terent still made sure he practiced the few prayers he d learned before
leaving Thirst. Dain swallowed hard.  Aye, majesty.
The king glanced at the trio of priests, and his brow knot-ted. Anger,
possibly a trace of resentment, flashed in his eyes before he swept his gaze
down and concealed it.
 There is a test before you, the king said.  Will you take it?
Unease touched Dain as an expectant hush fell over the crowd. He glanced at
the trio of priests, waiting impassively for his answer. Somewhere among the
press of thoughts around him, Dain sensed a glimmer of a mind gloating at his
discomfiture. He frowned, but already the sensation was gone, as elusive as
smoke.
Meeting the king s gaze, Dain asked,  Do all petitioners take this test?
The king s eyes narrowed. Among the courtiers, someone gasped, as though
astonished that Dain would defy his majesty this way. Abruptly Verence threw
back his head and let out a great, boisterous guffaw.
 You have spirit, lad, I ll grant you that, he said, clapping Dain on the
shoulder with such force Dain nearly staggered.  No, not all petitioners take
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this test my priests have devised for you.
And there it was, the challenge laid forth in the cool appraising look the
king gave him.
This time Dain did not hesitate. It was not fair, but he knew life seldom was.
 I will take your test, he said.
The king stepped aside, and one of the priests beckoned to Dain.  Come
forward.
Wary now, for this felt like a trap, Dain obeyed.
One priest stepped forward with a small box in his hands. The man s light
brown, almost yellow eyes burned with a fanatic s zeal.  We shall test your
eld blood and your pagan heart.
 He is not pagan! Sir Terent said sharply from behind Dain.
The protector s alarm was plain, his denial too vehement. Someone in the crowd
laughed in disbelief.
Dain turned around and lifted his hand to quell Sir Terent s protest.
 Let them test me, he said with a reassuring smile he did not feel.  I won t
melt.
Looking worried, Sir Terent gnawed his lip. Beside him, Sir Polquin was
scowling and huffing beneath his mustache.  Superstitious lot, these
lowlanders, he muttered loud enough to be overheard.
 Is there refusal? the priest with the box asked. Dain heard hope in the
question and turned back to him quickly.  No refusal, he said.
 Your ambition burns hot, the priest said.  Now we will see what else burns
inside you.
As he spoke, he opened the lid of the box. Dain smelled the heat of the coals
within as the priest tipped the box to show him embers glowing red atop ashes.
 Purity fire, the priest announced. His yellow eyes blazed.  Put your hand
inside and bring forth one coal.
Dain felt the invisible lacings of magic tracing back and forth among the
three priests. The Reformed
Church of the Circle was officially opposed to magic, yet these priests were
highly trained in its use.
What hypocrites, Dain thought angrily, to forbid the upland Mandrians to
utilize proper magical safeguards against Nonkind raids, while the churchmen
did as they pleased here safely south of the
Charva River.
Well, as a test this was easy. He had learned this one when he was a young boy
barely tall enough to peer over the top of Jorb s forge. Anyone who was going
to work with fire needed to learn this simple trick to avoid getting seriously
burned.
He reached out, but Sir Terent said quickly,  Not your sword hand!
Dain nodded and stretched forth his other hand. The heat inside the box was
intense enough to make him flinch, but he did not draw back.
The priest s mesmerizing yellow eyes captured Dain s gaze until he realized
what the churchman was trying to do. Blinking, Dain shifted his eyes away and
focused his mind on his task.
Ignore the pain withering my fingers. Think instead of cool ice from the
mountain streams that freeze in winter. Become ice, so cold, so very cold.
Become impervious to flame. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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