said nothing.
"It's your turn, Brie," said Kled.
"I really don't...," Brie began.
"Come," said Aelwyn with a smile. Reluctantly Brie sat before the wyll, who gathered up her hands. Aelwyn started to close her eyes then seemed to change her mind, opening them. She gazed straight at Brie. The wyll's amber eyes were glittery, like faceted gemstones.
Suddenly a shudder went through Aelwyn, and she tightened her grip on Brie's hands. Her eyes seemed almost to spin, and she began speaking in a rasp, unlike the voice that she'd used with Collun. But she spoke in the language of Dungal.
Brie felt cold, as if an icy hand had clamped on to the nape of her neck. She wanted to withdraw her hands but was mesmerized by the wyll's eyes. The wyll continued to speak, the strange words flowing out of her mouth, almost like a melody.
Finally Aelwyn fell silent. Brie heard one of the soldiers nervously clear his throat.
Aelwyn gently released Brie's hands. She blinked several times, then smiled at the assembled group as if nothing untoward had happened.
There was an awkward silence. Kled muttered to Collun, "Haven't seen her do
that
before."
Then the soldier Renin said, "So, did you see anything?"
"I did."
"By Amergin, are you going to tell us or not?"
Aelwyn turned her now-still eyes on Brie. "Do you wish to hear what I saw?"
Brie wanted to say no, but it seemed cowardly. Besides, it was all foolishness anyway. She nodded.
"I saw a brave man hewed down in a forest while a girl"âthe wyll looked at Brieâ"watched."
She could have learned that from the soldiers, Brie thought.
Aelwyn continued. "There were many, but two struck the most, the deepest. A man with broad pale arms holding a black spear, and another, tall with eyes like saffron, part morg. And last, one who led them, with a dark covering over one eye. Evil." The wyll shivered slightly. She stopped speaking.
Brie drew a deep breath. She had told no one what the killers looked like except Collun, and she knew he would never speak of it. "That was in the past," she said, her voice high and stretched thin. "What of the future?"
The wyll's amber eyes widened. "That which you seek lies in Dungal," she said.
Brie's pulse quickened, and the invisible cold hand at the back of her neck tightened its grip. "My father's murderers?" she asked, locking eyes with Aelwyn.
"If that is what you seek."
The wyll adjusted the torque on her arm. "It has been long since a seeing took such hold of me. Do you yourself have draoicht?" Aelwyn asked, curious.
"You mean magic?" Brie gave a short laugh. "Of course not."
Collun spoke up, his hand on his trine. "I carry a stone...?"
Aelwyn shook her head briskly, uninterested in the cailceadon. "No, it is from her." She turned back to Brie. "What is your name?"
"Breo-Saight. Or Brie."
"'Fire arrow...,"' the wyll said thoughtfully. "Listen, there is more." She drew Brie closer and spoke softly into her ear. "Shifting water and earth. Sacred standing stones covered with seabirds. A crippled man. And a man of power. Treachery. I saw hatred, the lust to kill. I saw death." Her breath tickled Brie's ear. "And ... an arrowhead pointed at your own heart."
Abruptly she resumed her normal voice. "There. That is all." She reached up and smoothed a coppery braid. "Now, does someone have a bauble for Aelwyn?" she asked, flashing a catlike smile.
Brie was too dazed to respond. Kled nudged Collun, who had been watching Brie with a worried frown.
Aelwyn crossed to Collun and said in a teasing voice, "Didn't you say something about a stone?"
"Uh, no ... I mean..." He stumbled over his words, reluctantly tearing his gaze from Brie. "That stone is, uh, too precious..." He trailed off.
"Not the cailceadon," laughed the wyll. "I have no interest in so potent a stone. I mean the one in your other pocket."
Puzzled, Collun felt in his pocket and drew out a chunk of rock he had found while plowing several days ago. It had several large saphir gems
"It's your turn, Brie," said Kled.
"I really don't...," Brie began.
"Come," said Aelwyn with a smile. Reluctantly Brie sat before the wyll, who gathered up her hands. Aelwyn started to close her eyes then seemed to change her mind, opening them. She gazed straight at Brie. The wyll's amber eyes were glittery, like faceted gemstones.
Suddenly a shudder went through Aelwyn, and she tightened her grip on Brie's hands. Her eyes seemed almost to spin, and she began speaking in a rasp, unlike the voice that she'd used with Collun. But she spoke in the language of Dungal.
Brie felt cold, as if an icy hand had clamped on to the nape of her neck. She wanted to withdraw her hands but was mesmerized by the wyll's eyes. The wyll continued to speak, the strange words flowing out of her mouth, almost like a melody.
Finally Aelwyn fell silent. Brie heard one of the soldiers nervously clear his throat.
Aelwyn gently released Brie's hands. She blinked several times, then smiled at the assembled group as if nothing untoward had happened.
There was an awkward silence. Kled muttered to Collun, "Haven't seen her do
that
before."
Then the soldier Renin said, "So, did you see anything?"
"I did."
"By Amergin, are you going to tell us or not?"
Aelwyn turned her now-still eyes on Brie. "Do you wish to hear what I saw?"
Brie wanted to say no, but it seemed cowardly. Besides, it was all foolishness anyway. She nodded.
"I saw a brave man hewed down in a forest while a girl"âthe wyll looked at Brieâ"watched."
She could have learned that from the soldiers, Brie thought.
Aelwyn continued. "There were many, but two struck the most, the deepest. A man with broad pale arms holding a black spear, and another, tall with eyes like saffron, part morg. And last, one who led them, with a dark covering over one eye. Evil." The wyll shivered slightly. She stopped speaking.
Brie drew a deep breath. She had told no one what the killers looked like except Collun, and she knew he would never speak of it. "That was in the past," she said, her voice high and stretched thin. "What of the future?"
The wyll's amber eyes widened. "That which you seek lies in Dungal," she said.
Brie's pulse quickened, and the invisible cold hand at the back of her neck tightened its grip. "My father's murderers?" she asked, locking eyes with Aelwyn.
"If that is what you seek."
The wyll adjusted the torque on her arm. "It has been long since a seeing took such hold of me. Do you yourself have draoicht?" Aelwyn asked, curious.
"You mean magic?" Brie gave a short laugh. "Of course not."
Collun spoke up, his hand on his trine. "I carry a stone...?"
Aelwyn shook her head briskly, uninterested in the cailceadon. "No, it is from her." She turned back to Brie. "What is your name?"
"Breo-Saight. Or Brie."
"'Fire arrow...,"' the wyll said thoughtfully. "Listen, there is more." She drew Brie closer and spoke softly into her ear. "Shifting water and earth. Sacred standing stones covered with seabirds. A crippled man. And a man of power. Treachery. I saw hatred, the lust to kill. I saw death." Her breath tickled Brie's ear. "And ... an arrowhead pointed at your own heart."
Abruptly she resumed her normal voice. "There. That is all." She reached up and smoothed a coppery braid. "Now, does someone have a bauble for Aelwyn?" she asked, flashing a catlike smile.
Brie was too dazed to respond. Kled nudged Collun, who had been watching Brie with a worried frown.
Aelwyn crossed to Collun and said in a teasing voice, "Didn't you say something about a stone?"
"Uh, no ... I mean..." He stumbled over his words, reluctantly tearing his gaze from Brie. "That stone is, uh, too precious..." He trailed off.
"Not the cailceadon," laughed the wyll. "I have no interest in so potent a stone. I mean the one in your other pocket."
Puzzled, Collun felt in his pocket and drew out a chunk of rock he had found while plowing several days ago. It had several large saphir gems
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