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Kellin and Urchin exchanged glances. Urchin was stiff, as he always was before
the queen or the
Mujhar, but his smile was relaxed and genuine.
Cleaned up, he was altogether presentable, even for a spit-boy. The weeks had
improved him in many ways.
76 Jennifer Roberson
"In fact," the queen went on, "he told me yester-
day he was quite impressed with both of you. Ur-
chin is yet behind you, Kellin, but 'tis to be expected. He's had no proper
lessons before now."
Her expression softened as she glanced at the taller boy. "You are to be
commended for your diligence."
Urchin's face reddened. "Kellin helps me."
"But he leams on his own," Kellin put in quickly. "I only point out a few
things here and there. He does most of it himself."
"I know." Aileen of Homana had lost none of her vividness with the passage of
time, though her color had dimmed a trifle from the brilliant red of youth to
a rusted silver. But she was still Erin-
nish. born of an island kingdom, and she still boasted the tenacity and fiery
outspokenness that had nearly caused a political incident between her realm
and Homana when she had professed to love Niall's third-born son in place of
the prince she was meant to wed; Conn himself had pre-
vented it by taking up his tahlmorra in Atvia, and
Aileen had married Brennan after all. "He's as quick at his learning as he is
his duties at the spit;
'twill not be long before he outgrows the kitchens and enters into more
personal service."
"With me?" Kellin blurted.
Aileen laughed. "In time, Kellin first he must leam the household. Then we'll
be seeing if he's ready to become the Prince of Homana's personal squire."
"But he has to be," Kellin insisted- "I want to make him commander of the
Mujharan Guard."
"Oh?" Rusty brows lifted. "I think Harlech might be wishing to keep his post."
"Oh, not yet." Kellin waved a hand. "When he is older- When I am Mujhar."
Aileen's mouth crimped only slightly. "Indeed."
A TAPESTRY OF LIONS 77
She looked at Urchin. "Do you feel yourself fit for such duty?"
"Not yet," Urchin replied promptly. "But I
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will be." He cast a sidelong glance at Kellin. "I
mean to guard him against the Lion."
Aileen's smiled faded. Her glance went beyond the boys to the man in the
doorway.
"The Lion," echoed the Mujhar; both boys swung at once. "The Lion is no
threat, as I have said many times. It is a throne, no more. Symbolic of
Homana, the Cheysuli, and our tahlmorra, which is of no little import " he
smiled faintly, " but as-
suredly it offers nothing more than the dusty odor of history and the
burdensome weight of tradition."
Kellin knew better than to protest; let them be-
lieve as they would. He knew better.
Now, so did Urchin.
"I, too, am pleased/' the Mujhar declared. "Rogan has brought good tidings of
your progress." He glanced briefly at his wife, passing a silent mes-
sage, then touched each boy-on the shoulder. "Now, surely you can find better
ways to spend your time than with women and women's things," he grinned at the
queen to show he meant no gibe, "so I suggest you be about it. Rogan has the
day to himself and has gone into the city; I suggest you see if Harlech has
something to teach you of a commander's duties."
Urchin bowed quick acquiesence, then followed
Kellin from the chamber.
"Wait." Kellin stepped rapidly aside to the wall beside the still-open door,
catching Urchin's arm to halt him. "Listen," he whispered.
Urchin's expression was dubious; blue eyes flicked in alarm toward the door.
"But "
Kellin mashed a silencing hand into his friend's mouth. He barely moved his
lips. "There is some-
78 Jennifer Roberson thing he wants to tell her . . . something I am not to
hear " Kellin bit off his sentence as his grand-
mother began speaking-
" Tis Aidan, isn't it?" she asked tensely in the room beyond- "You've heard."
"A message." The Mujhar's tone was curiously flat, squashed all out of shape.
Without seeing his grandsire, Kellin heard the layered emotions: res-
ignation, impatience, a raw desperation. "Aidan says, 'Not yet.' "
His granddame was not nearly so self-controlled.
"Didn't ye tell him, then?"
"I did. In the strongest terms possible. 'Send for your son,' I said, 'Kellin
needs his father.' "
"And?"
"And he says, 'Not yet." "
Urchin's breath hissed. Kellin waved him into silence.
"Gods," Aileen breathed. "Has he gone mad, as they say?"
"I want to think not. I want to disbelieve the rumors. I want very much to
believe there is a rea-
son for what he does."
"To keep himself isolate "
"He is a shar tahl, Aileen. They are unlike other
Cheysuli "
Her tone was rough, as if she suppressed tears.
"There's Erinnish in him, too, my braw boyo or are you forgetting that?"
"No." The Mujhar sighed. "He shapes others, Aidan says, to understand the old
ways must be altered by the new."
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