Tigana by Guy Kay (novel24 txt) 📕

I chose freely in the Sandreni Woods last fall. You aren’t responsible for me.’

‘In a way I am.’

‘Not in a way that matters. I made my own choice.’

‘Doesn’t friendship matter?’

Devin was silent, rendered suddenly diffident. Alessan had a way of doing that to you. After a moment the Prince added, almost as an afterthought, ‘I was your age when I came back from Quileia.’

For a moment he seemed about to add something, but in the end he did not. Devin had an idea of what he meant though, and something kindled quietly within him like a candle.

For a moment longer they looked down at the dead man. Only a crescent, Vidomni’s pale light was still bright enough to show the staring pain in his face.

Devin said, ‘I chose freely, and I understand the need, but I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to this.’

‘I know I never have,’ said Alessan. He hesitated. ‘Either one of my brothers would have been so much better at what I was kept alive to do.’

Devin turned then, trying to read the expression on the Prince’s face in the shadows. After a moment he said, ‘I never knew them, but will you allow me to say that I doubt it? Truly I doubt it, Alessan.’

After a moment the Prince touched his shoulder. ‘Thank you. There are those who would disagree, I’m afraid. But thank you, none the less.’

And with those words he seemed to remember something, or be recalled to something. His voice changed. ‘We had better ride. I must speak with Ducas, and then we’ll have to catch up with Erlein and go on. We’ve a lot of ground to cover yet.’ He looked at Devin appraisingly. ‘You must be exhausted. I should have asked before: how is your leg? Can you ride?’

‘I’m fine,’ Devin protested quickly. ‘Of course I can ride.’

Someone behind them laughed sardonically. They both turned. To discover that Erlein and the others had, in fact, returned to the pass.

‘Tell me,’ the wizard said to Alessan, sharp mockery in his voice, ‘what did you expect him to say? Of course he’ll tell you he can ride. He’d ride all night, half-dead, for you. So would this one’—he gestured towards Naddo behind him—‘on barely an hour’s acquaintance. I wonder, Prince Alessan, how does it feel to have such a power over the hearts of men?’

Ducas had ridden over while Erlein was speaking. He said nothing though, and it was too dark now, with the torches extinguished, to make out anyone’s features clearly. One had to judge by the words, and the inflections given them.

Alessan said quietly, ‘I think you know my answer to that. In any case, I’m unlikely to think too highly of myself with you around to point these things out to me.’ He paused, then added, ‘Triad forfend you would ever volunteer to ride all night in any cause but your own.’

‘I,’ said Erlein flatly, ‘have no choice in the matter any more. Or have you forgotten?’

‘I have not. But I’ve no mind to repeat that quarrel now, Erlein. Ducas and his men have just put their lives at risk to save your own. If you—’

‘To save my own! I would never have been at risk if you hadn’t compelled me to—’

‘Erlein, enough! We have a great many things to do and I am not of a mind to debate.’

In the darkness Devin saw Erlein sketch a mocking bow on horseback. ‘I most humbly cry your pardon,’ he said in an exaggerated tone. ‘You really must let me know when you are of a mind to debate. You’ll concede it is an issue of some importance to me.’

Alessan was silent for what seemed a long time. Then, mildly, he said, ‘I think I can guess what is behind this now. I understand. It is meeting another wizard, isn’t it? With Sertino here you feel what has happened to you the more.’

‘Don’t pretend you understand me, Alessan!’ said Erlein furiously.

Still calmly, Alessan said, ‘Very well then, I won’t. In some ways I may never understand you and how you have lived your life—I told you that the evening we met. But for now this issue is a closed one. I will be prepared to discuss it the day the Tyrants are gone from the Palm. Not before.’

‘You will be dead before that. We will both be dead.’

‘Don’t touch him!’ Alessan said sharply. Belatedly Devin saw that Naddo had raised his good hand to strike the wizard. More quietly the Prince added, ‘If we are both dead, then our spirits can wrangle in Morian’s Halls, Erlein. Until then, no more. We will have a great deal to do together in the weeks to come.’

Ducas coughed. ‘As to that,’ he said, ‘we two also had better speak. There is a fair bit I’d like to know before I go further than this night’s work, much as it has pleased me.’

‘I know,’ said Alessan, turning to him in the dark. He hesitated. ‘Will you ride with us for a little? Only as far as the village. You and Naddo, because of his arm.’

‘Why there, and why because of the arm? I don’t understand,’ Ducas said. ‘You should know that we are not much welcome in the village. For obvious reasons.’

‘I can guess. It won’t matter. Not on an Ember Night. You will understand when we get there. Come. I want my good friend Erlein di Senzio to see something. And I suppose Sertino had better join us too.’

‘I wouldn’t miss this for all the blue wine in Astibar,’ said the pudgy Certandan wizard. It was interesting, at another time it might even have been amusing, to note what a healthy distance he continued to keep between himself and the Prince. The words he spoke were facetious, but his tone was deadly serious.

‘Come on then,’ said Alessan brusquely. He turned his horse past Erlein’s, almost brushing against the other man, and started west out of the pass. The ones he had named