Page 16 (1/2)

Isana woke to the sounds of wind groaning over the valley and the hollow clanging of the stor outside

She frowned and rubbed at her eyes, struggling to orient herself Her lastto Bernard She must have slept for hours She didn&039;t feel thirsty, which was no surprise; Rill often tended to such rowled and roiled with an alh she&039;d not , Isana pushed aside the purely physical sensations, until she reached so deeper, , she focused on it, closing her eyes to shut out the miscellaneous emotional noise she always felt around her

So

It was a quiet, nauseating feeling deep down, so that made her think of funerals and sickbeds and the smell of burnt hair It felt fah her memory, to realize when she had found such a sensation within her before

Isana&039;s heart lurched in sudden panic She threw off the covers and rose, drawing a robe on over the shift she&039;d slept in Her hair hung down past her waist, loose and tangled, but she left it so She belted the robe and stepped toward her door Her balance swayed, and she had to lean against the door for a ained her balance

She opened the door, to find her brotherquietly out of his rooripping hiht e in her arht" She lifted her eyes to his and asked, anguish ht, "Is Tavi-"

"He&039;s all right," Bernard said "A little banged up, not terribly happy, but he&039;ll be fine"

Isana felt sudden tears blur her eyes, and she pressed her face against her brother&039;s chest and hugged hied her back and said, voice gruff, "Nothing I did He&039;d already taken care of himself and was on the way home"

"What happened?"

Bernard was silent for a moment, and she could feel the discomfort in hi out with hi I woke up in bed about an hour before sunrise"

Isana forced the tears back and stepped back fro traus"

Bernardsound "I don&039;t like it If what Tavi says is true-"

She tilted her head to one side "What does Tavi say?"

She listened as Bernard recounted Tavi&039;s story to her, and she could only shake her head "That boy" She closed her eyes "I don&039;t knohether to hug him or scream at him"

"But if ere attacked by one of the Marat-sis, this could be very bad We&039;d have to take word of it to Gram"

Isana bit her lip "I think you should Bernard, I&039;ve got a bad feeling So"

He frowned down at her "What do you ?"

She shook her head and knew that the frustration she felt showed in her voice "Bad Wrong I can&039;t explain it" She took a deep breath and told him very quietly, "I&039;ve only felt like this once before"

Bernard&039;s face went pale He was silent for a long minute before he said, "I don&039;t remember any Marat, &039;Sana I can&039;t take word of it to Gram His truthfinder would know"

"Then Tavi will have to do it," Isana said

"He&039;s a child You kno Gram is He&039;ll never take Tavi seriously"

Isana turned and paced a few steps, back and forth "He&039;ll have to We&039;ll make him"

Bernard shook his head "No one ht a bit, so that more of his body fell between Isana and the door to his roo to trifle with, or to let Gram&039;s stiff neck-" Isana frowned and leaned to look past her brother Without changing expression, he moved a bit more to block her vieith his body Isana let out an impatient breath and shouldered her brother a bit to one side, looking past hiirl in your bed?"

Her brother coughed and flushed "Isana, when you say it that way-"

She turned to blink up at hiirl in your bed"?"

He gri to lay her down on a cot by the fire, but she panicked Beggedlike she was afraid of so So I told her I wouldn&039;t, and she just passed out" He glanced back toward his rooht her up here"

"To your bed"

"Isana! Where else was I supposed to take her?"

"Just tell me you don&039;t think she&039;s actually a lost slave who Tavi happened to rescue"

"No," he said "I don&039;t Her story didn&039;t add up It sounded all right at first, but I cleaned out her cuts and didn&039;t give her anything for the pain She got tired fast Nearly collapsed"

"She&039;s hurt?"

"Nothing to kill her, so long as she doesn&039;t take fever But yes Her feet got cut up on rocks, and she&039;s got what looks like a blade wound on her arirl," Isana said She shook her head "Sounds like she&039;s soent of one of the Lords?"

"Who knows She seeh I suppose she could be what she says"

A quiet and desperate fear curled through her Isana felt her hands start to shake, and her knees "And she just happened to arrive that close to hihed and shook his head "I didn&039;t like that part, either And there&039;s ers, downstairs Three of the for shelter until the storm blows over"

"And they just happened to show up today" Isana sed "It&039;s happening, isn&039;t it"

"We knew it ht"

She swore softly "Furies, Bernard Crows and bloody furies"

His voice sounded pained "Isana-"

She held up her hand toward him "No, Bernard No There&039;s too ether for a ood I was hard on hi on Worried"

"We have to find out what&039;s going on We er"

"All right What do you want ers Be polite with them Get them some food Get their shoes off"

"Their shoes-?"

Isana snapped, "Have someone wash their feet, city-style Just do it" She closed her eyes, thinking "I&039;ll talk to Tavi And this Aht"

"She&039;s exhausted," he pointed out "Looks like she&039;s been run into the ground"