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hive.

      ‘I know Cradoc favored you as if you were his daughter,’ Malyc said. ‘Your heart must be heavy.’

      ‘It is, sir, heavy and near breaking. At moments I remember that I’ll never see him again.’ She paused to wipe her eyes on her sleeve. ‘I’ll honor his memory always.’

      ‘As I will, myself. It vexes me, that he died for so little. All we asked of the gwerbret was a fair hearing on this matter of the law courts and the nobility. The bard is the voice of his people under the laws, is he not? That voice has the legal right to be heard.’

      ‘True spoken. But it’s not a small thing, that right. If the bards are silenced, the people have no voice, and the lords may do as they please with no one to shame them.’

      Malyc smiled and nodded. ‘Good answer,’ he said. ‘You do understand. Their precious honor tarnishes more easily than silver for all that they value it higher than gold. At any rate, you may rest assured that I shan’t let this matter end here.’

      ‘That gladdens my heart.’

      ‘I thought it would. Huh, it’s getting chilly out here. Let’s not keep Lady Tay waiting.’

      They walked on in silence. When they entered the hive, Lady Tay was standing near the door to greet the penvardd and escort him to the head table. Alyssa took her place with the other senior students. A servant brought the head table wine, and another brought the students boiled water with a bit of wine in it for flavor.

      Up at the front of the hall, Malyc announced, in his ringing voice that carried through half the hive, that he had ordered Cradoc’s apprentice to abandon the starvation siege at the gwerbretal gates.

      ‘We’ve lost one of our best men already,’ Malyc said. ‘No use in losing two. Ladoic has made it clear that he won’t give in, for all his talk about respecting custom and law. I am both shocked and heartsick over Cradoc’s death, my lady. I should have stopped this deadly ritual. Had I only known how far the gwerbret would go—’ He paused to make one sharp sob. ‘I never dreamt it would end this way.’

      Lady Tay made a reply that Alyssa couldn’t quite hear. She did catch the words ‘dreadful shock’.

      ‘His note about Cradoc’s body was that last drop of water that ruins the ale,’ Malyc continued. ‘I intend to make him pay for that.’

      And how can you? Alyssa thought. Apparently Lady Tay asked something similar, because Malyc said, ‘I have a weapon that will make His Grace tremble, were I to use it, but by the gods, I’ll pray it doesn’t come to that! Too many innocent persons would suffer.’

      ‘Ye gods!’ In her surprise Lady Tay spoke almost as loudly as the chief bard.

      Malyc merely smiled and speared a fragment of pork with his table dagger. After that he spoke somewhat more quietly, and only of the funereal details.

      Alyssa left the table as soon as she could. She needed to pack supplies for her journey north. Dovina took charge of wheedling provisions out of the hive’s cook. Mavva gathered bits of spare clothing from those women who could afford to give it. One of the other senior students handed over a pair of fine leather saddlebags.

      ‘You’d best take as much clothing as you can in the saddlebags,’ Dovina said. ‘You’ll have to make a decent appearance in Cerrmor, you see. I’ve scrounged up what coin I can for the first part of your journey. Once you get to Haen Marn and use the draft, you’ll be able to buy what you need.’

      ‘We’d best travel as fast as possible, anyway,’ Alyssa said. ‘If we can get over the border into the Bear clan’s demesne, we’ll be out of your father’s reach.’

      ‘True, but you’ll have to get the book to Cerrmor. I wish you could go by ship, but you won’t dare return to Eldidd. Best go overland to Dun Trebyc and down from there, though ye gods, it’ll take so long!’

      ‘Better a long journey than one that ends too soon. In your father’s gaol.’

      Later that night, before the chaperones locked the doors into the women’s hall, Dovina, Mavva, and Alyssa met Cavan and Rhys out on the lawn. Travaberiel joined them at Rhys’s invitation. By the light of candle lanterns they all walked down to the back wall where they were less likely to be overheard.

      ‘Be cursed careful once you reach the Bear lands,’ Travaberiel said. ‘If this feud turns into a war, Standyc’s likely to arrest anyone from Eldidd. Lie if you have to. He’s a suspicious man, Standyc, sure that he has hidden enemies somewhere.’

      ‘Is he right about that?’ Alyssa said.

      ‘Not to my knowledge. He’s got plenty of enemies right out in the open among my folk. You’d think that would be enough for him.’

      ‘My thanks.’ Cavan made him a half-bow. ‘I’ll remember that.’

      Alyssa felt the night air turn cold around her. Dovina held up her punched-tin lantern and cast spangles of gold light over the silver dagger.

      ‘Will you keep her safe?’ The cold in her voice made Alyssa shiver again. ‘If I find out you haven’t, I’ll turn you in to my father.’

      ‘On my honor, my lady.’ Cavan made her a full bow. ‘I swear it on my silver dagger, and that’s the truest oath a man like me can swear.’

      Rhys glanced at Travaberiel, who murmured, ‘I believe him.’

      ‘Done, then,’ Rhys said. ‘But you might remember that Wmm’s priesthood is like a net cast over the kingdom. Messages do travel.’

      ‘I know it well.’ Cavan laid a hand on the pommel of his dagger. ‘Fear not. I swore I’d guard the lady, and I cursed well will! I may be a silver dagger and scum of the road, but I’ve still got some sense of honor.’

      Dovina and Rhys nodded in satisfaction.

      ‘Lyss, I’ve got summat for you.’ Rhys reached into his shirt and brought out some sheets of pabrus, folded into a square in the Bardekian fashion. ‘If you find yourself needing help, show these around at the nearest temple of Wmm.’ He dropped his voice to whisper. ‘Two copies, both signed by a couple of the masters here. Not a word of their names to anyone outside the priesthood, mind. And a third one only for the Advocates’ Guild.’

      ‘A thousand thanks!’ Alyssa took the packet. ‘Please tell those men who don’t exist that I’m truly grateful, not that they’ve done anything.’

      ‘Lyss!’ Mavva broke in. ‘Do you really want to do this? It’s horribly dangerous. I don’t think I realized it at first. It was all like a gerthddyn’s tale or suchlike. But—’

      Alyssa gathered her breath with a gulp. ‘I will not let Cradoc die in vain. If this book will help bring the gwerbret round, then I’ll do my best to get it to Cerrmor and the advocates there. Our cause is just, and justice we shall have.’

      When she glanced at Cavan, she found him smiling at her in honest admiration. She felt, very briefly, brave.

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