FIVE DAYS LAtER, ON to Castle Borso.

    All t last afternoon as tcains. Any cery lo  be aoando, t toregea and, t of all, over  wigana once had been.

    It e in to t same afternoon Isolla of Ygrat in the palace on Chiara.

    tting be spur of tains dyed to burgundy and red and a somber purple  summits till s of t.

    Devin could just make out t came do o th.

    In triarcaken deep root in Quileia trade across tains, and ty of time Ember Days ir of commercial life oress-castles  and vital too, because  no King of Quileia o lead an army nort esses standing by at o see ando te armies ly bloodied t eac ranged over generations and became tuff of legend.

    And triarco poer all, in time of Acesses self like a flo dusk and the caravans ended.

    ties do villages, or, if flexible and energetic enouger and turned to otoering court in tles became living anactles egral to ts in tial, t tter or vicious for t.

    to Devin, touring , it imes seemed t every second ballad ted soutred of tamed as ern les among the Braccio.

    And of ttle and blood and villages set afire, or lamenting parted lovers dro pools y  seemed to Devin,  in and around tle Borso hard under Braccio Pass.

    t been any neime, very fe since topped. But of fresories and rumors t t many. In icular le Borso he road.

    And if tories  love, as so many of ttle to do e on  crags, and rato tell about certain cle Borso itself. About deep s and tapestries, about imported silk and lace and

    velvet, and profoundly disconcerting  in rooms t  raids at trestle-tables, he floor.

    Riding beside Erlein in t, Devin dragged  s on t tle tucked into a fold of  around it and a small village just beyond, Borso  in t ligil the Ember Days.

    quot;Alienor is a friend,quot;  Alessan eered. quot;An old friend.”

    t muc least,  from ting sall and stooped,

    hall.

    Alessans color erestingly, epped back, smiling a little, to survey his companions.

    Sion. quot;elcome back, troubadour. t?”

    quot;Even so, my lady. I am  you remember.quot; Erleins boo theyd seen before Alessan had bound him.

    quot;You o see you now in such splendid company.”

    Erlein opened   replying. Alienor glanced at Alessan, a fleeting inquiry in her very dark eyes.

    Receiving no response surned to ty in fully s ilted ly to one side. tiny impassively.

    quot;Very ; said Alienor of Borso, softly so ts and t ;I imagine t Baerd aking you for a K.quot; e ravishing.

    Devin didnt knotled. An instant later t particular dilemma .

    quot;You dont kno; said Erlein di Senzio loudly. quot;A terrible oversigroduction. My lady, may I present to you the—”

    no further.

    Devin  to react,  aftero t o do— s as hard as he could in Erleins belly.

    As it o clap  of pain. turn ended effect of triana off balance and stumbling foro be smoot and braced by Alienor.

    taken perhree seconds.

    Erlein sank to  carpet. Devin knelt beside s from the room.

    quot;You are a fool!quot; Baerd snarled at the wizard.

    quot;ainly is,quot; Alienor agreed in a rat tone, all exaggerated petulance and flounce.

    quot; true identity of a disguised K; Sill riana around t, quite unnecessarily. Noreat.

    quot;You are an impetuous creature, arent you?quot; she murmured silk-ily.

    quot;Not especially,quot; said Catriana opping a fe away.

    Alienors moutriana up and do eye. quot;I am ; s lengt;And I  men you are traveling h!”

    quot;Are t; Catrianas voice , but her color was suddenly high.

    quot;Are t; Alienor ec;You mean you  establis for yourself? Dear c s? Of course t e your youth, my dear.”

    Catriana looked at ;I dont t; s;But I doubt  subject.”

    Devin  Alienors ans;Per,quot; s;But, in trutually be greater t; S;You may also find as you get older t ice is for deat for beginnings. Any kind of beginnings. On t; s ;t you s to keep you onight.”

    Erlein groaned, dragging Devins attention a;I tude,quot; but one   would be.

    ed Erleins o get hem.

    Sing Baerd noy—a tone t inctively, by Baerds oowards her.

    quot;Im sorry,quot; o Erlein. quot;I couldnt thing else.”

    Erlein ill-uned on removing tered tle. quot;Im sorry,quot; ;I forgot about ts.”

    ;I  ac us all killed. Not my idea of freedom, t. Nor, frankly, is ture my notion of middle-aged dignity. Since you knocked me do time Devin  note of amusement in troubadours voice. A survivor, Sandre had said.

    As tactfully as and.

    quot;tremely violent one,quot; Alessan ;is Devin dAsoli. he also sings. If you are very good he may sing for you.”

    Devin turned a perracted by o deal ered.

    t ty years old. caugo cover  forty and : Alienor er sando. tories and descriptions of tiful er t.

    t come even near to catc s anding before  udded endrils of lessly alloo fall free, framing t oval of  violet under te smile as s Devin.

    o meet t look. Doing so,  as tes in eep  an ever- increasing speed. e, as if sually see t ant.

    quot;I suppose,quot; said Alienor di Certando, before turning back to Alessan, quot;t I so try to be very good t o sing for me.”

    s  very lo  e fire.

    ing to clear it, a little s ion. told ernly. ed by tories told, ion rendered unruly by t, sensuous furnisraction and t.

    On t a stranger to t of love ed Adaons primal coupling  of Alienor and ting s as clearly—t s of rapture o being from asy.

    tars streaming all across t o look at t ing Catrianas glance just tic irony and a second t quite recognize. For all riana looked exceptionally young just t a c sagely, not yet fully realized or accomplished in her womanhood.

    tle Borso e in o trous iced belatedly, ed the same blue-black dangerous color as her gown.

    he swallowed, and looked away again.

    quot;I expected you yesterday,quot; Alienor o Alessan. quot;I ing for you and Id made myself beautiful for you but you didnt come.”

    quot;Just as ; Alessan murmured, smiling. quot;iful t never rengto leave.”

    urned to t;You see orments me? Not a quarter of an hour in my home and he speaks of leaving. Am I well served in such a friend?”

    tion  ly to Devin.  o to tongue. ing rat tuous and the imbecilic.

    ine, Devin t desperately. ive glass of something.

    As if summoned by an art of timing more subtle ts in blue livery reappeared, eacray. trays, Devin sa  certainly Certandan.

    t of glasses was blue.

    Devin turned to Alessan. t Alienor  spoke to somete and s. For a moment ered: as if sant ticement. And Devin, a far more perceptive man t  of a sadness in her eyes.

    tain t . In some subtle  calmed , milder lighe room.

    quot;It is not a to forget,quot; sly to Alessan, gesturing tohe blue wine.

    quot;Nor I,quot; ;Since it began here.”

    S a moment, eyelids lo passed. Alienors eyes ;I ion of letters for you. But one is very recent,quot; she said.

    quot;Broug of Eanna ime he was

    even stay t t sunset. I s  have feared Id have his robe off if he lingered for a meal.”

    quot;And would you ; Alessan grinned.

    S;Unlikely. Eannas sort are seldom rouble. tty. Almost as pretty as Baerd, come to t.”

    Baerd, quite unperturbed, simply smiled. Alienors glance lingered flirtatiously on oo, Devin noted. An exc spoke to events and t young suddenly, and out of h.

    quot;; Alessan asked.

    Alienor ated. quot;est,quot;  of tion in her eyes.

    Alessan noted it. quot;You may speak freely. I trust every man and o even look at Erlein. Devin did look, but if ed a reaction from ted.

    iture Alienor dismissed s. to see to tion of to a ing-table by one of t to Alessan.

    quot;It is from Danoleon ; s;From your o hear or say.”

    And t, Devin  expected at all.

    quot;Forgive me,quot; Alessan murmured. rode quickly to fire, tearing tter open as . Alienor became very busy offering glasses of took a long drink from his.

    ticed t Baerd  touc anding rigidly, staring into the fire.

    quot;Alessan?quot; Baerd said.

    Alienor turned sly at t. Alessan did not move; seemed not to have even heard.

    quot;Alessan?quot; Baerd said again, more urgently. quot; is it?”

    Sloigana turned from to look at t really at t Baerd. t involuntarily.

    quot;It is from Danoleon, Im afraid. From tuary.quot; Alessans voice . quot;My mother is dying.

    I art omorrow.”

    Baerds face e as Alessans. quot;ting?quot; ;ting tomorrow?”

    quot;t first,quot; Alessan said. quot;After ting, wever  ride home.”

    Given t ne Alessans  niging surprise.

    been asleep. quot;ait,quot; ly and struggled quickly into  on over ockings across t tones wing ended. he door.

    In tside,  cast weird, flickering she corridor wall was Alienor herself.

    quot;Come,quot;  ened at t but Devin could discern ts beneatumbling over her shoulders and down her back in a black

    cascade.

    Devin ated, tered and lagging.  up a o try to straigangle of his hair.

    S;Leave it like t,quot; s;Leave it,quot; surned.

    er one, ty public rooms t of stairs.

    At top of tairs an orange spill of ligle Borso. ime to register tricate ravagant carpets on treing dog, grey and graceful, regarded  did not rise.

    Alienor laid urned to  t he rush of his blood seemed loud in his veins.

    quot;I am burning up,quot; Alienor said.

    Someook sed to protest, even to be amused at suc. But as   s oouc was burning .

    it Alienor trapped eethe flesh of his palm.

    And  pain desire  never orted sound and realized it ook a ep toed in   raked to a point wed far away.

    Everytigana. Alessan, Alais, Catriana. self, t  led to this one. And her.

    ore at tenings of   until it came ahe skin along his back.

    ed  asted blood. he heard her laugh.

    Never, ever, hing before.

    Someo be on to oget t strove to cast t could be hurled.

    For an instant Devin t ood. In some untion  ure of   seemed to be.

    Given anot, a still place in t,  to put a name to it, a frame for the blurred awareness. he reached . . .

    S erated t, any straining to. it ually to one side and sered around tig, h forming soundless words.

    Devin began to drive o o drive as, all tal deadening trut  came left him

    s to wo w o be his name.

    softly, over and over. Sly out from under   move. S from  and belly, over iated sex and furthighs and legs, and down.

    By time  s to ts of artled and alarmed. ruggled. Uselessly—ted.

    quot;t,quot; said Alienor in a ;o a nigeac; S, flus somet it was she held.

    quot;You are binding me against my ; Devin said, a little desperately. quot;t my idea of o come toget; ed  she silken bonds held firm.

    Alienors ans moment tirred, primal and dangerous and terrifyingly arousing. , improbably soon, a quickening in . roked lig meditatively along umescence.

    quot;It ; murmured le Borso. ed se teetered taut firmness of o straddle  s by ts chem.

    quot;It ; Alienor said again. quot;trust me. Let me teac oget will be very soon.”

    S ed and truggled but only for a moment for   as s above raining of h.

    And before t   candles of er burning doerribly, over and over again. And at t o her own.

    t some time later. ted drifting of smoke. ttern of ligiced it. to its embers; till lay before it, its magnificent retc on its paws.

    quot;You ter go,quot; Alienor said, stroking ly. quot;o carry. It is easy to lose your he dark.”

    quot;You observe t; tle surprised at sucy. quot;No fires?”

    quot;No fires,quot; s;aif  even  to guess at enant farmers or torm tle. Call do curse ake tes seriously up here.”

    quot;As seriously as you take yours?”

    S t and stretc. quot;I suppose so. tonigomorro I prefer not to kno.quot; ition so of t by ts.  curve of we flesill showing red.

    Sraig felt abrupt, a dismissal, and Devin gave are, not moving. S t her hard nor dismissive.

    quot;Dont be angry,quot; Alienor said softly. quot;You oo splendid to be leaving in anger. Im telling you trutes and it is o find your  a lig; Sated a moment, t;And I  alone since my husband died.”

    Devin said not  , , a more complex ttered pillo e t ir his desire again.

    But as   t surfaced from  fe o claim one of the candles in a brass holder.

    Surned on o follo o  as a gift, a glory in ting lig, her smile generous, even kind.

    quot;Good-nig; s;I dont kno you are welcome back so come one day.”

    expected t.  o be told, t s ,  from before rong noermingled , alturn and nodded, it  .

    quot;Good-nig; urned to go.

    At topped and, as muc t er—Devin turned back to her.

    S moved. y of tood the room.

    quot;Is t o us?quot; Devin said tly, reaco frame t. quot; o our love?”

    ance and in t and dark. For a long time s him.

    quot;You are clever,quot; s;Alessan has chosen well in you.”

    ed.

    quot;A; said Alienor tily, simulating astonis. quot;ually s an ansrue ans t; It may rick of tain lig so look aood, even beyond tapestried walls of her room.

    quot;It is one of t o us,quot; s last. quot;A kind of insurrection in t someands against t bind us and cannot be broken now.”

    Devin t about it.

    quot;Possibly t,quot; ly,  t;Or else an admission some goes deeper. Since  free and ed t.”

    hen, and close her eyes.

    quot;Did I deserve t?quot; she asked.

    A terrible sadness passed over Devin. y. quot;No,quot; ;No, you didnt.”

    ill closed he room.

    ired; laden  of s, sloumbled going doair o brace  tone ion left t  out.

    It le terly still. Moving carefully, Devin reactom of tairs and  t flame do intervals, all t slanting moonlig t alloion.

    Briefly  ter standing still a moment to let , Devin set out along o be they had come.

    very soon, t really alarmed. In  mood to be somete about padding tly do le in t, tones cold against .

    turnings. Only pat kno to o urned into an unfamiliar corridor and passed tings. Part of t  of Morian at temple by augo read and do sums, and  t boy, t lessons in ts of harmony.

    No urnings, Devin t again. And t suppress,  t just t, it er, t of to walk abroad.

    tigana? Could a country, a province, be said to  be lost and mourned like a living soul?  of the Nievolene barn.

    stones of t and silent castle.

    It seemed to Devin t ime—or a time outside of time—passing no one,  tread of , before atue in an alcove.  by torc earlier in t ao t. Someirely tle Borso.

    tly opposite tatue of trianas.

    saer and lesser se moonligened, and .

    No urnings, Ploto t old him long ago.

    of Alienor, lying  cus o  ther was dying. his own was dead.

    Ice is for deato Catriana in the hall.

    ly on Catrianas door.

    Sless nigurbed  emanated from t sh Alessan and Baerd.

    Catriana ed unknoion ill didnt knoo do tomorroerious meeting in t, and ignorance made her uneasy and even, on a less acknowledged level, afraid.

    Simes, matcranquil acceptance of  iently ing to receive anotting togetiles of a childrens puzzle game.

    Sometimes s, sometimes it made emptuous to see ing of Alessans occasional reticence or Baerds criana needed to kno tiny fisibar. S t t time to be regained. Sometimes it made  to weep.

    t o a sen dreamt of , especially of her.

    time s after sunrise, passing t endos, so  cottage and repaired it and raised a family.

    In  already far out, tra seemed to be springtime. tage mending nets in t of t riana aken over t-time needle home.

    It iful morning in tones of t off ter. All ts  as aking advantage of t it o tell ood by ting for o look up and see o  er in her arms.

    only to gaze seaing to, to cion of t. An old , a nervous one, and one t o   small boat though.

    S see er at all. Catriana realized  she was invisible here.

    Because s t t acood t to see ired t of il tiena, ter t.

    It isnt fair, s, and in t heard.

    on a s, occasionally looking up to cion of one small boat among so many bobbing on tern sea so far from the one shed loved.

    Catriana ing violently as embedded in t image. Sing for beat to slos in a room in Castle Borso.

    Alienors castle.

    Alienor, ired mot truly  fair. , seeing sucful images in

    marked igana and by t symbols, and for no one else.

    t in telanquy in Ardin to up t from the village.

    S been a trusting person at eig rusted t  of to Baerd t had reassured her.

    It   told   tigana, and tilted anotime  moment, and  to know.

    At  evening after dinner, after to bed, sold s t s . And s o do to igana back, and ime in ime ruck her.

    ormed about to raging, and riad t  taken er ao be sucked back into t ancient grief now.

    And triana learned t had changed her life.

    t of tomped out ttling triana and  eacime riana  four years. Sion  ed to be t.

    Catriana  t-knoo  nig c t airs toified.

    So icipating a burden or a grief.

    quot;I am coming ; s;My fatend to make t up. I  sleep  rust you both?”

    Ale Borso s.  o t t.

    quot;Can you sing?quot;  Alessan had said.

    S music, about all time   er—about s est, sest joy. Diving for s summer tled flaser wrap her like a second skin.

    t ransition tregea again in a gater dark and errified to blame, o make redress for t t t and balance on tumultuous er far below,  . . .

    And ime just before tmare of  s of   her door.

    quot;?quot; she called.

    quot;Devin. ill you let me come in?”

    Abruptly s up in bed and pulled topmost blanket to her chin.

    quot; is it?quot; she called.

    quot;Im not sure, actually. May I come in?”

    quot;t locked,quot; ss  didnt really matter.

    Ser, but saline of his form.

    quot;t; ;You should lock your door, you know.”

    Sed being told t. quot;to be roaming tonigess, and so be coming for me. to your left.”

    S and sink back o t;I suppose ts true enoug; ;And Im sorry, you dont really need me to be telling you o take care of yourself.”

    Sened for irony but ;I seem to olerably  your guidance,quot; she said mildly.

    . t;Catriana, I ly dont knoonight. I feel ridiculously sad.”

    tremely odd in ated a moment, ting ts, reaco strike a flint.

    quot;You lig; he asked.

    quot;Evidently.”

    S t regretting t reply, added, quot;My moto lig one, as a reminder to triad, so say. tood er I met Alessan.”

    quot;ts strange. So did my fat; Devin said ;Ive never t about t. I never kne a man whings.”

    Surned to look at  he wings hid his face.

    quot;A reminder of tigana?quot; she said.

    quot;It  deserve full devotion or observance because of ; ative tone added, quot;Its anot it? Of t tiganese arrogance Sandre alalks about. e make bargains riad, ake aake a of tes.”

    quot;I suppose so,quot; s didnt really strike  alked like times.

    S see tion as one of pride, or bargaining, just as a reminder to t a wrong o pass. A reminder, like Alessans blue wine.

    quot;My mot a proud ; she said, surprising herself.

    quot;I dont kno;  tig;I dont even kno my fat know very muc ; he really did sound peculiar.

    quot;Devin,quot; s;lean for me look at you.quot; Ss; to the chin.

    Slo spilled across orn s and tceet a quick surge of anger, and ty t o do  directly.

    Sions be;So war.”

    it  t even by candlelight.

    It unsettled ; is it t; s;You tired  and came ing more? I can tell you—”

    quot;No,quot; ;No, it isnt t. It is ... , Catriana. It  night.”

    quot;You certainly look as if it ; sorted, s.

    ;Not t s so strange. So complicated. I think—”

    quot;Devin, I really dont  tails!quot; S of thing made her feel.

    quot;No, no. Not like t, t at t . . .quot; ;I t I learned  yrants o us. Not just Brandin, and not just in tigana. Alberico too. Boto all of us.”

    quot;Suc,quot; s;S be even more skillful than you imagined.”

    see  t followed hing grew calmer.

    quot;Im sorry,quot; s lengt;I didnt mean t. Im tired. Ive onig do you  from me, Devin?”

    quot;Im not sure,quot; ;I guess, to be a friend.”

    Again s pused an instinctive, nervous urge to suggest e a letter to one of Rovigos daug;Ive never been good at t, even as a child.”

    quot;Nor I,quot; ing for is more t bete me sometimes, dont you.”

    S  t;e do not o discuss t e you.”

    quot;Sometimes you do,quot;  strange, dogged tone. quot;Because of  man you ever made love h.”

    Sried, unsuccessfully, to  last sentence not to ;You knew?”

    quot;Not t out later.”

    Pieces of anotiently putting it toget. S ;And is it your idea t discussing teresting subject will make us friends?”

    ;Probably not. I dont kno Id tell you I  to be.quot; t;I ly dont knoriana. Im sorry.”

    Surprisingly, ed, and s t for a w .

    quot;I dont e you, Devin,quot; s;truly, I dont. Not. It is an a deny t, but I dont t  ters, isnt it?”

    quot;I suppose so,quot;  see ;If t is all t matters.”

    quot;I mean, its true  making friends.”

    quot;hy?”

    Pieces of t s;As a girl, Im not sure. Maybe I was shy, perhaps proud. I

    never felt easy in our village, even t  since Baerd named tigana for me, since I   counts for anyt all.”

    S  t.

    ;Ice is for endings.”

    ly ;You are still a living person, Catriana.

    it, a life to live, access to friendso love. o thing only?”

    And s;Because my fat. igana like a cotles at the river.”

    Songue bleeding from  at t, t she had spoken.

    quot;O; he said.

    quot;Not a  say a word!”

    ting very still, almost invisible in tly s t  lig rol of o move past t   took a long time in t eventually so draeady breat.

    quot;t; s entirely sure he silence.

    ted a moment tly called ened, and eventually o make out teady rise and fall of hing in sleep.

    So find t amusing. ly  nig just in the obvious ways.

    S about  certainly raise eyebrooget s really care. S sed t  trut  learned anot  really more about  t,  bother her more.

    Sting one of ts over  resisted t really  . Rovigos daug sort of t ser anding. t at miraculous speed and tucked it around e attaco t ory of ttern shed chosen.

    Catriana smiled to tled back to sleep. lessness seemed to  dream again.  after dail later just how far.