Gate of Ivrel by C. J. Cherryh Read Free Book Online Page B

still pleaded, holding out each a hand.
     
    "We have enough to spare." Vanye directed his words to Morgaine, a request, for their saddlebags were still heavy with the frozen venison of days before. He pitied such as these children, loathsome as they were, always gave them charity when he could—for luck, remembering what he was.
     
    And when Morgaine consented with a nod he leaned across and lifted the saddlebag from Siptah's gray back and was about to open it when the girl, venturing close to Mai, snatched his saddleroll off the rear of the saddle, slashing one of its bindings.
     
    He cursed volubly, wiser than to drop their food and give chase to one while the boy lingered: he tossed the leather-wrapped packet at Morgaine, flung his leg over the horn. The boy fled too, vaulting the wall. Vanye went close after him.
     
    "Have a care," Morgaine wished him.
     
    But the fleeing urchins dropped his belongings. Content with that, he pushed to gather things up, annoyed that they returned to jeer at him like the naughty children they were, dancing about him.
     
    He snatched as the boy darted too close to him, meaning no more than to cuff him and shake him to sober sense; the boy twisted in his grip and gave forth a stream of curses, and the girl with a shriek rushed at him and clawed at his hold upon the boy—a bodkin in her hand. It pierced deep, enough that he snatched back his hand.
     
    They shrieked and ran, leaving him with the spoils, and vanished among the trees. He was still cursing under his breath when he returned to Morgaine, sucking at the painful wound the little minx had dealt his hand.
     
    "Children of imps," he muttered. "Thieves. Misgotten brigands." He had lost face before his liyo, his lady-lord, and swung up into Mai's saddle with sullen grace, having tied his gear behind. Until this time he had felt unworthily used, taken in treachery and unworthily on her part: it was the first time he had to feel that he had fallen short in his obligation, and that made him doubly debted, disgracing both himself and his liyo.
     
    And then he began to feel strangely, like a man having drunk too much wine, his head humming and his whole person strangely at variance with all that was about him.
     
    He gazed at Morgaine in alarm, reluctant to plead for help, but suddenly he felt he needed it. He could not understand what was the matter with his senses. It was like the onset of fever. He swayed in the saddle.
     
    Morgaine's slim arm stayed him. She put Siptah close to him, holding him. He heard her voice speaking sharply to him and sternly ordering him to hold himself up.
     
    He centered his weight and slumped, wit enough to do that, at least, distributing his failing body over Mai's neck. The saddlehorn was painful; the bending cut off his wind. He could not even summon the strength in his arms to deal with that.
     
    Morgaine was afoot. She had his injured hand. He felt pain in it, distantly, felt her warm mouth touch it. She dealt with it like snakebite, spitting out the poison, cursing at him or at her own fell spirits in a tongue he could not understand, which frightened him.
     
    He tried to help her. He could not think of anything for a time, and was surprised to find that she had moved again, and was upon Siptah, leading his horse by the reins, and that they were taking again to the snowy road. She had on his own plain cloak: the furs were warming him.
     
    He clung to the saddle until his numb body finally told him that she had bound him so that he could not fall. He let himself go then, and yielded to the horse's notion. Thirst plagued him. He could not summon the will to ask for anything. He was dimly aware of interludes of travel, interspersed with darkness.
     
    And the darkness was growing in the sky.
     
    He was dying. He became sure of it. It began to trouble him that he might die and she forget her promise and send him into the hereafter with alien rites. He was terrified at the thought: for that