Midwinter

"I'm sorry, father. I won't do it."

"You won't do it."

"No."

Purane leaned back as far as his chair would allow and gazed at the ceiling. "Son, who sent the order for Purane-La to reduce the town of Stilbel to ashes?"

Purane-Es moved backward as if he'd been slapped. "What kind of question is that?"

"An important one. Who sent the order?"

"Mauritane sent the order."

Purane stood and edged around the table. "Mauritane sent no such order, and you know it. I was there, Purane-Es. I saw the look on Mauritane's face when he came upon the two of you. Had I been him, I might have slain your brother myself. He was enjoying himself a bit much for such a loathsome task."

"What are you suggesting, Father?"

"Only one person could have forged those orders. Only one person was in a position to do so."

Purane-Es lowered his head. "How long have you known it was l?"

Purane's lips pursed. He leaned close into his son's face, and Purane-Es could smell the wine on his breath. "I did not know it for certain until this very moment."

"I only wanted to cause trouble for Purane-La. I wanted everyone… you, to see how cruel he'd become. If I had known how much trouble it would have caused I would never have done it."

With a speed that belied his age, the Elder Purane lashed out at PuraneEs with the back of his hand, sending the younger man sprawling backward onto the floor. "Why would you go out of your way to shame your own brother?"

Purane-Es pulled himself up onto his elbows. "I hated Purane-La. With every bit of me, I despised him. I wanted to hurt him. I regret it now. Not a day goes by that I do not think of it."

"How nice," said Purane. "And all it cost was the life of your brother and the career of one of our finest Guard Captains."

Purane-Es stood, shaking with rage. "I see that you have not suffered overmuch as a result," he sneered.

"I made the best of an ugly situation. As I am doing now. If you are not in Sylvan in four days, I will go to the Queen Herself and tell her what I know about you and our dear Mauritane."

"You wouldn't! You'd be ruined along with me."

"Anything less than complete success is ruin, son. Your brother knew that, if nothing else. Before you had him killed." Purane stood and adjusted his long coat. "Now, will you go break the news to your lovely new wife, or shall l?"

Purane-Es swiped a tear away with his sleeve. "I'm glad Purane-La is dead," he snapped.

Purane brushed past him to open the door. "I can't tell you, boy," he whispered, "how many times I've wished it had been you instead."

the number of interpretations!

a relative's commendation

The Castle Laco straddled the rim of Sylvan's valley. From its southern terraces, the Temple Aba-e and the mountains beyond created a lavish backdrop to the city below. To the north, at the edge of vision, was the outpost of Selafae. Beyond it lay the Unseelie lands. Mauritane glimpsed both views as they were marched through the palace and into its cellars.

In centuries past, the palace had served for a time as headquarters for the Seelie Army's western division. An ancient wine cellar had been converted into a stockade and it was here that Kallmer's men led Mauritane, Raieve, Silverdun, and Satterly, prodding them into a wide cell with the tips of their lances. The far wall was packed earth, the bars narrowly set and of polished hardened silver.

Kallmer stood outside the cell clucking his tongue while a pair of soldiers removed the prisoners' manacles and withdrew, locking the door behind them.

"Who would have believed this tableau three years ago, eh, Captain?" said Kallmer. He laced his fingers behind his back and began to pace. "I, the-how did you put it in your review?-the undisciplined and unreliable lieutenant, now promoted to Commander of the Sylvan region, standing watch over you, now fugitive and traitor. The Arcadians say that Aba's will is rarely what we predict, and I am tempted to believe them."

Mauritane strode forward and took the bars in his hands, furious at being thus imprisoned twice in a week. "Are these your orders, Kallmer? Or are you writing your own?"

Kallmer smiled. "As one's distance from the City Emerald increases, so does the number of interpretations one may discover in his orders. I believe I may have been instructed simply to send you on your merry way, but there was no provision against detaining you briefly for a chat, was there?" He stopped pacing. "Anyway, my position is a self-auditing one, so if I feel I have made a breach of conduct, you can be certain that I will chastise myself appropriately once all is said and done."

Mauritane loosened his grip on the bars with some effort. "What do you want?" he said. "I have orders as well, and mine are less open to interpretation."