Ravens, Owls and a nightingale

12. Sisters & Brother

It was getting late. The quiet of night was taking over Moydherr Castle, darkness was falling, and everyone was supposed to be settling down in their beds. In the comfortable room she shared with her elder sister, Bailenn an-Deleon had already done that, and only a slight snuffling sound indicated that she was indeed somewhere in there, totally hidden amongst the bed covers.

Benella an-Deleon, however, was finding it hard to calm down. She was sitting on her own trunk of clothes, trying to keep her bare toes inside the long nightgown, and brushing her long hair. Such a beautiful hair it would be too, so her Aunt Bialka would say, if only it weren't so curly; she ought to brush it a lot to make it straighter, like a fine lady's hair should be. Benella didn't much care for such advice, but nevertheless dutifully brushed it every day.

Right now she wasn't thinking about her hair at all, though, and hardly noticed the regular motion of her hand. She was restless, unable to tear her mind away from the odd things that had happened earlier that same evening — the strange groom who bore such an uncanny resemblance to her father Rhodan, the chilling words he'd whispered, and what she'd seen at the end of the dinner.

Benella bitterly regretted that she'd let her younger sister drag her outside in such a way, drawing everybody's attention to themselves and to the odd young man! All right, so Bailenn had seen him earlier and wanted to point him out to her sister, but surely there would've been other, less spectacular ways of doing that? He was a groom, grooms worked in the stables, and they both went near the stables several times a week anyway! Why hadn't she just told Bai to wait until the next day?

And the things he'd said... 'danger', 'careful', 'war'. Oh, sure she'd observed before that the number of soldiers in Moydherr had been steadily increasing, and that her uncle seemed to be all the time talking to this or that captain, or 'count' as the independent mercenary leaders with their own armies were called. But that the soldiers might be used against Deleon? Her own home? That hadn't crossed her mind at all. Moydherr and Deleon were friends, right?

Now, however, she couldn't help thinking 'what if'. Her mother, Lord Theren's sister-in-law, was dead. Benella felt a vague, hollow anxiety when she thought about it. Her mother, dead... The word twisted her insides, but that was all. She knew that she was supposed to be sad, but couldn't summon the feeling. Sad was what she'd felt leaving Deleon and her brother behind, but she didn't feel any sadness at the news. For all of Benella's life, her mother had been someone to obey and look up to, someone to be wary of, lest that sharp, appraising glance should find something amiss.

Mother had wanted them to become fine ladies, and so she had brought them here where they could learn to behave like ladies should. At first Benella had been almost relieved to have only the silly Lady Bialka there as an overseer — until the boredom really hit her. With her mother there, Lord Theren had put up such a lordly act to the girls as well, but he rarely bothered with just Lady Bialka around. So the girls were mostly ignored, and that had been when Benella had really started missing home. At least there was Bengor, clever little Bengor, and there was Father too. She had been downright afraid of him when she'd been smaller, the fearsome figure that he cut, but when she'd grown older she'd learned to see the smile. Benella missed it too.

So her mother was dead. That could mean that now there was nothing to hold Lord Theren back, should he want to go to war. Taking by force a castle destined to go to one's nephew was nothing unheard of, that much even Benella knew; there were, after all, numerous ballads testifying that such things had happened before. But the same ballads had also made her suddenly and unpleasantly aware of another thing: even though she had strong faith in the superior strength of Deleon and her father's tried and proven skills in wielding it, she and her sister were in a very precarious position.

Benella brushed her hair almost furiously and tried to think this through. If indeed there was going to be a war, then she and Bailenn were like daggers in Lord Theren's hands, daggers that could hit Lord Rhodan in places where very few other weapons could reach. Or, even worse, they might be the weapons with which Lord Theren could get a stranglehold of his enemy. They could be easily transported from place to place, displayed, humiliated, tortured, abused...

Benella swallowed hard. There had to be something she could do to prevent that from happening! She needed to know more of what was going on — and there was one person in the castle who just might be able to tell her more. The mystery groom, the one with curly black hair and eyes just like her father's... oh, he was from Deleon, she was certain of it. But where was he? Could he tell her more? And how could she find him?

A cold wave washed over Benella when she thought again of the captain of Moydherr's troops. She'd spotted him already when returning into the keep: as she had walked back in, loudly scolding her sister, the man had been standing not far from them, looking narrowly at the dark groom. Then, towards the end of the dinner, she'd seen him again, approaching Lord Theren with a deep bow. The two men had only exchanged a few words, speaking too low to be heard, but at least once her uncle had glanced towards her and her sister. Benella hadn't liked his expression at all, but she'd carefully kept her gaze on her meal.

Something evil was about to happen, Benella could feel it, and she couldn't stay in one place. She had to know. She had to find the groom. But how? Her idea of the entire castle's layout was vague at best... but at least she knew her way out, to the courtyard, and she knew where the stables were. The grooms probably lived somewhere near the stables, too. Would it be possible to find the man?

It was an absolutely mad idea, and she would never pull it through. Someone would spot her, and then she'd be in far worse trouble than she could even imagine... unless...

Unless she were a he. A boy. A boy wouldn't draw nearly so much attention.

Benella's hand stopped. Slowly she placed the brush on a table and chewed on her lip for a moment, then began to braid her long, dark tresses, breathing quickly. When the braid was ready she tied the end tightly and opened a trunk. She had a plan.

Even in a room illuminated by a single candle, it didn't take her long to find what she was looking for: the hose and breeches she habitually wore when riding. She slipped her feet into ankle-high shoes, then peered down at the result with some alarm. She wasn't used to looking at her own legs in such a garb. What she could see now was supposed to be hidden by a long skirt, wide enough to cover her legs even when she was sitting astride on a horse — but boys didn't wear skirts. So she'd just have to forget about that part, half naked though she felt.

After some deliberation, Benella picked the shortest shirt she could find and pulled it over her head, leaving her braid underneath. The hem still reached almost down to her knees. It really looked more like a minstrel's tunic... too bad that she was way too dark to pass for the blond Mioll even in the worst of lights. But this was the best she could get. And if anyone should see her, they just might take her for one of the three young page boys living in the castle.

Her sister sighed and mumbled something in the bed. Benella froze, hoping fervently that Bailenn would just go back to sleep and —

"What're you doing, Nella?"

Benella silently mouthed a word that would probably have made poor Lady Bialka scream and faint, if she ever happened to utter it in her aunt's hearing.

"I'll be back in a moment," she whispered. "Just sleep."

Unfortunately Bailenn happened to open an eye. When she saw her sister's peculiar attire, she was instantly awake. "Where are you going?"

Benella sighed.

"You be quiet and wait here!" she ordered. "I'll try to find out what's going on."

"Is it about the groom who looks like Dad?"

"Yes it is, and remember that you are not to breathe another word about him any more!" To Benella's immense relief, her volley of threats had actually managed to keep her little sister quiet all the way through dinner, but she reckoned that a reminder wouldn't do any harm. "You heard me? Now you stay here, and be quiet as a mouse. Understood?"

"I don't like mice," Bailenn said sulkily.

"Bai!"

"Yes yes yes, I'll be asleep."

That wasn't much of a promise, but it was the best Benella was going to get. She took a deep breath, eased the door open, and slunk into the hallway.

It was dark. Some light came from a tall candle that was burning in one end of the corridor behind her, and a pale stripe of moonlight trickled in through a window ahead. Benella tiptoed forward, listening with abated breath to the sounds that punctuated the night around her. One of her little cousins was crying back in the other end. Outside, the huge weathercock perched on the roof of the keep squeaked irregularly in the gusty wind. Even her steps, as softly and quietly as she treaded, seemed to echo unnaturally loud — but surely that was just her rampant imagination?

She reached the end of the corridor, descended the curving stairs to the next floor and stopped to think. To her right loomed a door that led to the walls, to her left was another hallway. That was a risky route, but at least she knew how to get down to the courtyard from there. The walls would've been a far less conspicuous choice and she knew there were stairs as well, the problem was just that she didn't know exactly how to find them, especially in the dark.

Benella bit her lip. The short hairs on her nape were standing up — why had she never realized before the evil hanging in the air around her, the ominous words it was whispering into her ear? And then she sensed a movement to her right, a quiet rustle... She gasped but bit back the scream that almost escaped her lips. Boys don't scream! She glanced quickly towards the voice and her eyes opened wide when she saw the paler oval of a face. It was the groom!

He gestured to her and she stepped closer, into the recess of the door leading to the walls, wary and yet somehow relieved.

"What are you doing here, Miss?" he asked in a low voice.

"I was going to look for you!" Benella hissed.

"In those clothes?"

Even in the minimal light Benella could see the groom's eyes raking up and down her body, then the gaze stopped pointedly at her chest level. She glanced down too, at the two perky mounds that had begun to emerge at an embarrassing rate a while ago, and felt heat flushing on her face.

"This was the best I could do!" she shot back testily.

"Not too bad, but it won't work anyway," the man said, then glanced around. "But no matter, since I found you now."

"What are you doing here then?" Benella asked suspiciously.

"Looking for you and your sister. Listen, Miss Benella. There's going to be a war between Moydherr and Deleon, and it's going to start soon. You understand what that means?"

Benella nodded, looking up at the man's face. "I do understand. But what can we do? Uncle won't let us leave!"

"We must get away from here," he growled. "I'm afraid we're running out of time."

"But who are you, and what are you doing here?" Benella realized, somewhat belatedly, that even though staying in Moydherr didn't seem like a good option, she was currently putting herself in an even more dangerous position. Here she was, in something like a disguise, all alone in the corridor, talking to a young man about whom she knew absolutely nothing!

He looked her straight into the eye. "My name's Karos and I'm your bastard brother."

"Brother..." Benella stared at Karos. Yes, she could easily believe that... too easily? What if this was just someone who was well aware of the resemblance between himself and Lord Rhodan and wanted to use it to his own obscure ends? What if he just wanted to lead her into some kind of a trap?

"Yes, but that's beside the point. The point is that I was here to spy on Moydherr, but your sister really poked the wasp's nest today." Karos was about to go on, then raised a finger and they both held their breath while a door opened and closed somewhere. He took her hand and squeezed it a little. "Miss Benella... half the castle saw and heard what happened outside. They saw us talking, and I guess they didn't quite believe my bluff, because someone has already tried to kill me once tonight. And I'm very much afraid that there's no guarantee about your safety, either."

"Kill you?"

Karos nodded. "Yes, kill me. Didn't succeed, but they'll try again, that for sure. Miss Benella, we have to get away from here. I'm not leaving you behind."

"Yes," Benella whispered. "Will you take us home, Karos?"

"I promise that," Karos said fiercely. "Come hell or high water, I will. Go get your sister now, and put her in a similar garb as what you're wearing, but take boots and something warm too. Keep her quiet. Gag her, if necessary. Then come here, and for heaven's sake be quick about it!"

Benella, her heart beating madly, got back to her room at a speed that surprised even herself, and shook her younger sister awake. Unfortunately Bailenn had had enough time to fall properly asleep and wasn't exactly easy to handle, and finally Benella practically dressed the sleepily blinking girl and just dragged her along, shushing warnings to her all the way.

Bailenn's eyes opened wide when she saw the man waiting tensely at the door, and her sister hastily clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Silent!" she breathed. "Come on, go after him!"

The girls followed the dark shape of their guide out of the door and along the wall, away from the keep and to the remotest corner of the bailey.

"We must go down here."

Benella took one look at the blackness looming below and squeaked, then automatically silenced Bailenn once more with her hand before the smaller girl had time to utter a sound.

"Down... here?"

"No choice," Karos said, pulled of his broad, thick leather belt and tied one end of a sturdy rope to it. "I managed to steal this rope from the stables... this won't feel nice, but there's no other way. Here we have a short way to run for cover."

Benella stared as the young man tugged hard at the knot, then nodded to her.

"You go down first, Miss Benella. Here, let me..."

She shuddered as he tied the belt securely around her waist and led her to the edge. "Hold with both hands to the rope and keep your legs in front of you. Imagine that you're walking down the wall, so you won't bump against it, and I'll lower you down. The belt is going to hurt, but that can't be helped now."

He braced his feet securely against the wall and threw the rope over his shoulder. Benella looked at him with large, frightened eyes, and Karos grabbed her wrist.

"Trust me," he said under his breath. "And be very very quiet. By morning we'll be well on our way to safety, all right? When you're down, take off the belt and tug twice. Understood?"

Benella had never been as madly afraid as she was when Karos helped her to the edge and the stones just disappeared from beneath her feet. The belt bit into her waist through the clothes so hard that she had trouble breathing and she hung to the rope, never turning her eyes from the faint light she could see over the top of the wall. The black outline was further and further above her, and then suddenly her trembling feet met ground. She fumbled the belt loose, pulled twice and then just leaned against the wall for support. For the first time in her life she thought she knew what it felt like to nearly faint.

The moments alone in the darkness felt endless, and they seemed even longer because Benella's heart did its best to jump out through her throat. Soon, however, she could see a shape above her. It got closer and closer, and finally she reached up to grab her sister. Bailenn had been incredibly quiet throughout the maneuver, and Benella realized the reason only when she managed to pry the younger girl's convulsively clutching hands away from the rope: Karos had gagged her. Bailenn was about to voice her indignation at such unpleasant treatment as soon as the scarf slid away from her mouth, but her big sister silenced her hastily — no doubt the precaution had been necessary.

A few moments more, and Karos himself appeared. The rope was a little too short to reach all the way down, doubled as it was around the supporting stone, but he let it slide loose and jumped down, landing close to the girls with a grunt.

"Are you all right?" Benella asked, alarmed. What would they do if their champion had broken a leg?

"Don't you worry about me." Karos quickly wound the rope into a coil and slipped it over his left shoulder, then retied his belt and glanced at the girls. "Now we go. Quick."

Luckily there's no moat, Benella thought as she grabbed her sister's hand and they followed Karos into the night. She couldn't swim anyway, and besides, she had seen the man grimace as he'd handled the rope. And Karos clearly favored his right arm, too...

"Can you ride?" Karos asked and stopped. Benella blinked, then realized that they were standing in front of a wooden rail fence, and her heart swelled. Hadn't her uncle said, more than once, what an accomplished horsewoman she was? She could do something useful!

"Oh yes!" She nodded eagerly. "So can Bai, though not quite so well."

"Can too!" Bailenn protested.

"Bareback?" Karos specified. Bailenn's face fell, but Benella nodded again, although with much less confidence. "Good, because there are no saddles here. Wait here."

Clearly these were animals that Karos knew, working horses that had been taken out to the field for the night. He soon returned with two horses and proceeded to use the rope and his knife to make a rudimentary bridle for both of them. Benella watched him closely. Yes, he was indeed having trouble with his left hand, but he got the bridles ready and put them on the horses.

Benella eyed the animals with some trepidation. They weren't very big, no proud mounts for ladies and gentlemen — these were ordinary workhorses. She couldn't help wondering if they'd ever carried a rider before, and said as much. Karos snorted.

"Sure they have," he said. "They are ridden to and from the fields every day. Come on, step on my hands, I'll hoist you up."

Indeed, the horses stood placidly in one place while Karos helped Benella up. She twined her fingers into the worn mane and sat up. No saddle, no stirrups... the horse's back felt surprisingly narrow and slippery, not to mention how sharp the backbone felt, but she clenched her teeth and swore to herself that she would stay where she was, no matter what. Bailenn, however, still didn't seem to quite understand their situation, and flatly refused to ride with Karos.

"No I won't!" She glared moodily at Karos. "You put a gag on me! I won't ride on the same horse with you."

"Be quiet, Bai, and do what he says!" Benella ordered, but the girl just shook her head. Karos sighed.

"Very well then." He wrapped an arm around Bailenn's waist and pushed her to sit behind her sister, then gasped when Bailenn hit him with a fist. Benella quickly grabbed the girl's hand.

"Bai, you idiot!" She held her breath as the man straightened himself slowly. "Karos, are you all right?"

"Yes..." But he didn't look up as he took the other horse to stand next to the fence, and Benella heard his breath hiss as he scrambled up to mount it. "Now we go. We can't ride fast while it's still dark, but the main thing is to keep going."

He spurred the horse and Benella's steed followed. She kept peering at Karos' hunched form as he rode ahead, and when they reached a broader section of a path, she kicked her horse and steered it beside the man.

"Are you hurt, Karos?" she asked.

"Just my shoulder. No reason to worry."

"What's wrong with your shoulder?"

"I told you — someone tried to kill me earlier today. It's just a scratch."

Benella frowned. She had very little idea of what exactly various kinds of wounds would do — but surely a badly wounded man couldn't possibly have got the three of them safely down the walls, and wouldn't now be riding through the night with them? Well, in the ballads the brave warriors seemed to perform their greatest deeds while just about mortally wounded, but Benella had always taken those stories with a pinch of salt. So Karos couldn't be very severely hurt... but still. "Does it hurt very much?"

"Not too much." Karos granted her a small smile. "My arm's just going a bit stiff. But don't you worry, it's nothing."

Benella nodded, and felt Bailenn's arms tighten around her waist. She squinted to see better in the darkness and wondered exactly how she'd got herself into this mess. Oh, this was an adventure that few young ladies could boast about, but it would be an adventure only if it had a happy ending, and at the moment that seemed an awful lot to hope for. Only the same morning she'd woken up next to her sister in a big, comfortable bed in their uncle's castle. Now she was riding through the night on a jaded nag, dressed as a boy, following an apparently wounded young man who claimed to be her bastard brother and who had just spirited them away from the castle. And she wasn't at all sure if she could actually believe a word that Karos had said. For one thing, were they even going towards Deleon?

Benella swallowed and decided not to think too much ahead. It was best to just see what would happen, and then act accordingly.