[Lanen Kaelar 01] - Song in the Silence Read Free Page A

What a charming life you offer me, Walther! Marriage
without love or the comfort of your body, where you bring no more than my
father’s knowledge of horses as a bride-price.” I knew the progress of my
own anger by now, and tried to stop before my temper got the best of me.
    He sounded only vaguely guilty at being found
out. “Lanen, you don’t understand—”
    “Save your breath to fan the fire,” I
snapped. “You meant nothing else: You spent too much time with Hadron,
you’re beginning to sound like him.” I stopped my words there; but I
couldn’t stop my memories. Years, too many years of Hadron’s neglect; too many
times being told I was too plain, or too tall, or too manlike, or simply not
good enough to be my father’s daughter, piled on top of me like so much stone,
and just when I was beginning to learn my worth and value my solitude, Walther,
Walther of all people, insults me like this. I stood and fumed, I could feel my
eyes dancing with fury in the torchlight. “Why can’t you just marry her and
slay here?” I snarled my last valiant attempt to speak reasonably.
    He was long silent; when he finally spoke his
words had to fight their way past a knot of anger in his throat as great as the
one in mine. “And live my life as your paid servant? No thank you,
cousin,” he growled. “I haven’t the money to go elsewhere and start
fresh. I thought I could be your man, since you don’t seem to need one like a
real woman, and I could have the place and Alisonde, too.”
    That did it. I gave no warning, just drew back
and hit him.
    I am only a little under six feet tall and strong
with it, and Jamie’s lessons were not wasted. Walther measured his length on
the paving stones and I stood over him, battling my need to hit him again.
“How dare you tell me what I need or do not?” I spat, barely
resisting the urge to kick him. Repeatedly. “I am more a real woman than
ever you could know, you cowardly lout. If you covet this stead then say so,
but I do not take insults well. Shall I tell Alisonde what your marriage
proposals are worth?” He still did not speak, but now at least had the
grace to look ashamed. In a breath, my anger turned to disgust.
    “Ah, get to the Hells, Walther, all seven of
them, and take Alisonde with you,” I said, and was about to add a comment
on his manhood when I froze where I stood. Like the sun bursting into a dark
cellar, where all had been darkness there was blinding light. If I could have
spared the effort I would have laughed with delight, but too many other things
were crowding in on me.
    Dear Walther. Time wears down the sharp edges of
youth and memory. I have spoken to him since and thanked him. He it was who
made me see that things had truly changed, that my life could be my own. I had
kept my soul alive through dreams in the dark, even after Hadron’ s death,
until Wanher with his absurd proposal shattered the darkness.
    “Come, cousin,” I said, my anger gone
in the instant. I gave him my hand and helped him up. “Let us think of
this another way.”
    “What way?” he asked, suspiciously,
rubbing his jaw and watching my hands.
    “Why, you were partly right. I shall need
someone to look after the stock, to choose the right bloodlines for Hadron’s
horses, to care for them, to train them to harness and saddle. Surely you and
Jamie are best suited.”
    “But what of you?”
    I laughed. “I shall be gone, Walther. If you
see me once in the year it will be more than I expect. But I do not renounce my
inheritance; I am still Hadron’s heir, still the possessor of his house and
lands and all his goods. But I shall need funds.” I stared hard at him.
“This is what I propose, Walther. When the hands are paid and the year’s
accounts settled, any profits will be divided three ways, one share each to
you, me and Jamie. I shall simply ask Jamie to keep my shares for me until I
return to claim them. That way we are all three equals, you need not work for
me