>From: top@DIONYSUS.MR.AMS.COM (Twila Price)
Subject: Honor, Love, and Trust
Date: 23 Aug 91 13:59:42 GMT



>Frey's chin snapped up.  The fear was a lump of ice inside her,
>but she ignored it.  "I thought the Lady might need protecting," she
>said defiantly, grey eyes darting quickly to the elven-woman behind him.
>It was a half-truth only.  She doubted he would believe the other half.

Rain was impressed by the other's courage. She moved to where she
could study her face in the light.  One of the Sidhe, but strange,
standing a head shorter than Rain herself.  Through the Sight, Rain
Saw the answer to the mystery, that the other was one of the
half-children, begotten when one of her people dallied with a Human.
Even so, the woman's spirit shone bright as a new-minted war-blade,
and Rain would not stand by and allow Night to harm her.

She stepped forward, into the light herself, speaking quickly.  "Thou
art worthy to stand in Arthyr's warband.  Would thou accept a place in
mine?"  Rain said.  Night turned his head, staring at her, but he put
the gun away and made a gesture to the creature that held the woman.
It loosened its hold on her arms.

A moment of surprise, then the other woman laughed, and said, "Lady,
it would honor me." She stooped and picked up her sword. The creature
behind her tensed, but it didn't move to stop her. The sword blade
glowed with a faint light that told Rain it was magical.  "I swear to
serve," she paused, and raised one eyebrow at Rain.

"Rain of the house of Arthyr," Rain supplied.  This wording of the
ritual was strange to her, but she waited for the other to continue,
using one hand to work a bracelet over her other wrist and hand.

"Rain of the house of Arthyr with my sword and my honor," the other
woman finished.  She held the sword out, hilt first, to Rain.  Rain
touched it in token of her acceptance of the other's service.

Rain slipped the bracelet onto the other's wrist.  "This is for thee,"
she said, "to mark thy service.  What is thy name for this age of the
world?"

"Ber'ntilfrey," and the strange elf would have said more, but a shout
echoed down the street. River put up the barriers relaxed as Night had
proved to be no immediate threat.

"ANSWER ME YOU WHORE" Rain felt the man's anger, even this far away.
He was too far to focus the Sight upon, but she could see that he was
mistreating the woman in his hands.  Would that she were in her own
lands, for he would be dead for that disrespect to one who should be
honored for the Lady's sake.  She looked at the others, Night's
retainers. They seemed on their guard, but not inclined to leave their
lord. River buzzed, *i would kill him for you, but i will not leave
you unprotected among these savages.*

"Lord Night," Rain asked, as one who questioned an elder, "is it the
way of this place to allow such?"

"The way of this place, indeed. But it is not my way . . . "

Night's whisper dropped off strangely. He gazed intently at the pair
for a few seconds. his left hand came up, without his notice, and
absent-mindedly toyed with the short-cropped white beard at his chin,
in obvious puzzlement. Rain was surprised, and a bit moved to see such
a very "normal"-looking action in --- one such as he.

"But it is not my way to interfere in the business of others. Let us
be on our way.  "The door, please, Vlad."

The doors to the black automobile opened silently and an electronic
voice said, "Yes, boss."

Rain settled into the leather seat, beside Ber'ntilfrey.  Opposite
them, the silver-haired woman curled into Night's circling arm, her
face glowing with delight as he stroked her bare shoulder.  As the
car's engine roared to life, Rain felt the doubt she'd supressed in
the parking lot flood back. Why should Night have any concern for her?
He had no ties to the Land, not since Arthalin's death.

The woman, Honey, purred as Night's hand moved closer to her neck.
Why was the woman like this?  Rain looked at her closely with the
Other Sight, tracing the webs of fire that marked the alterations.
The rune they formed was unfamiliar to Rain, although she had seen one
very like in one of the old books that her father kept locked away in
the farthest parts of his library. The rune she'd seen had been one of
binding a person to the sexual wishes of the caster, and Rain looked
at Night with suddenly cold silver eyes.  He had been cast out for
things her father would not discuss.  Did he practice the Reversed Art?
She shifted uncomfortably in the seat.

"Little cousin, what's wrong?" She heard the amusement in his voice,
that perhaps others might not, and she knew that some of it was
laughter at her.  Rain did not like being laughed at.

She answered, "Lord Night, the --- disability --- you suffer I
understand.  But what have you done to these your servants?  This one,
this mockery of ---" She could not go on.  The anger choked her when
she would have been calm and imperious, a true child of her line.

<For a fraction of a second, anger flashes across Night's perfect
Elven face.  Too quickly for most to notice. Only the dark swirls in
the energy about him betray the fact to Rain's Other Sight. Then, once
again he smiles the smile that can melt hearts, or freeze them.>

"These, dear cousin, are my _friends_. They assist me because they
wish to do so, and I pay them well. We have been together for many
years, we have all come close to death for each other and I would no
more force them into what they have become than I would betray any
other loyalty. They are as they wish to be.  Well, except for this
one. She was . . . changed, before we met. I took her from one who
would profit from her pain. She has become . . . a great comfort to
me, and she needs protection in this world. I will probably kill
whomever did this to her. An object lesson for the greedy and
foolish."

<Rain's silver eyes widen at the revelation. The smile on Night's lips
becomes more amused once again.>

"And remember, my little girl, that my 'disability', as you put it,
has made me very rich, very powerful, and has already marked me as the
most dangerous individual in a world that, as you know so well, is
filled with very, very dangerous individuals."

<A quick flourish of the hand, and a pair of lead crystal champagne
flutes appear in Night's pale slim fingers.>

"Would you Ladies care for a glass of wine while you tell me how you
came to be here? We have almost an hour until we reach our
destination."

Ber'ntilfrey lifted a hand in front of Rain. "And what are *you*
drinking, Lord Night?"  she asked warily.

River spoke again. *i _like_ this one.  she shows some spirit.* Rain
was pleased that her companion approved, but she did not answer him in
the prescence of strangers.  She merely said, " Ber'ntilfrey, Lord
Night has sworn peace-bond with me.  He would not break that lightly.
Do not be so discourteous as to question him."

 Ber'ntilfrey looked at her as if she were a small child, and said,
"It's not my job to be courteous."
************************************************************************
Rain is copyright 1991 by Twila Oxley Price. Night & Company are Ken Aubey's,
and Ber'ntilfrey is Kathryn Andersen's.

Twila Oxley Price   |"Dreams of flight are universal among space-faring races.
Mathematical Reviews| Indeed, such dreams may form much of the motivation for
top@math.ams.com    | becoming space-faring." -- T'chaih Hrinach