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Marin nodded.  That s right. Makes a nice change for me and the inland folk.
 I used to live by the sea, she told him.  Caught my own dinner plenty of
times.
 Where d you live?
 A remote place. Didn t have a name. I hated it. Too far from anything. I left and
travelled to many places and learned my trade. But I always like to be near the
sea.
 What brings you to Dufin?
 Curiosity, she replied.  Work. She paused. Should she begin her search for
The Gull now?  I ve heard a story. An old story. I want to discover if it is true.
 Oh? What story is that?
 It s a story about a boy. A boy who never ages. Who knows everything there is
to know about the sea.
 Ah, Marin said, the sound more like a sigh than a word.  That is an old story.
 Do you know it?
He shrugged.  There are many, many stories about The Gull. Stories of him
saving men from drowning. Stories of him drowning men himself. He is like the
sea itself: both kind and cruel.
 Do you believe he exists?
 No, but I know people who do. They claim to have seen him.
 Tall tales? Stories of old folk grown fanciful in their retelling?
 Probably. Marin frowned.  I ve never known Old Grim to tell something any
way but as it was, and he says he crewed with The Gull as a boy.
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 I d like to meet Old Grim.
 I can arrange that. You might not like him, though. Marin looked back at her
and grimaced.  He has a foul mouth.
She chuckled.  I can handle that. I ve heard some words come out of the mouths
of women in childbirth that would burn the ears of most folk.
He nodded.  So have I. My wife s a quiet one most of the time, but when she s
in a fury&  He shuddered.  Then you know she s a fisherman s daughter.
They had reached the bottom of the hill now. Marin was silent for a while, then
he gave her another fleeting glance.
 So you want to discover if The Gull exists. What would it take for you to
believe in him?
 I don t know. To meet him, perhaps.
He laughed.  That would prove it.
 Do you think it s likely I ll meet him?
 No. What would you do if you did?
 Ask him about cures. There are many cures that come from the sea.
 Of course.
 I might never find him, but I ve got plenty of time. So long as there are people
there are always people who need cures. I ll work my way along the coast,
perhaps buy passage on ships.
 Most likely you ll meet some lucky man, have lots of pretty children and forget
all about The Gull.
She grimaced.  Hmph! I ve had enough of foolish romance.
He chuckled.  Have you, then?
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THE LAST OF THE WILDS
 Yes, she said firmly. As the tarn turned between two smaller hills and the
buildings of Dufin came into sight, Emerahl shifted into a more comfortable
position.
 So tell me some of these stories about The Gull, she prompted.
Marin, as she d guessed, was happy to oblige.
Auraya leaned against the window frame and looked down. The Temple grounds
were striped and patched with the long shadows cast by the late afternoon sun.
Where the rays touched the gardens they set bright drifts of autumn leaves
glowing. Juran, as First of the White, occupied the rooms of the Tower s
topmost floor. The view was little different to her own, the extra height only
giving a slightly greater vista.
 Try this, Juran murmured.
She turned away and accepted a goblet from Juran. Inside was a pale yellow
liquid. As she sipped a familiar tartness filled her mouth, followed by the flavor
of spices.
 It tastes a little like Teepi, she said.
Juran nodded.  It is made from the berries of the same tree the Siyee use to make
Teepi. When the first Toren settlers entered Si, the Siyee treated them as visitors.
The Toren took particular interest in Teepi, and learned to make a stronger
version of their own.
As he handed the other White glasses of the drink, they each took a sip. Dyara
grimaced, Mairae smiled, and Rian, who had no liking for intoxicating drinks,
shrugged and set the glass aside.
 It s simpler, Auraya said.  There s no flavor of nuts or wood.
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 They brew it in bottles, not barrels. Which is just as well. Wood is scarce in
Toren.
 So they plan to continue making it?
 Yes. One of the more enterprising of the settlers took a few bottles to Aime.
The wealthy have acquired a taste for it, and since there s not much about it is
selling for a high price. Many of the settlers brought cuttings and saplings of the
tree back with them, which are also selling for a high price.
 Good. Many of these Torens ordered to leave Si have left nearly all their assets
behind them. This trade will ease the trials of displacement, Dyara said quietly.
 And end any opportunity of the Siyee selling Teepi to the Toren, Auraya
added.
 It is not the same drink, Juran said.  The Torens may come to like Siyee Teepi
too. There is a demand here that the Siyee could still take advantage of.
Auraya nodded slowly as she began to consider how she might suggest this idea
to the Siyee, but something caught her attention and suddenly she was aware of
the magic about her. A familiar presence drew close and she felt an equally
familiar anxiety returning.
:Good evening, Auraya.
:Chaia.
:Why so anxious!
:You distract me sometimes at the least convenient moment, she confessed. As
soon as her mind formed the words, she felt ashamed and apologetic. A bubbling
wave of amusement came from Chaia, but it did nothing to dispel her unease.
:Do not fear to think, Auraya. Your reaction is spontaneous, so how can I be
offended by it? I prefer you to treat me like a mortal companion. Or one of your
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fellow White.
:But you re not. You re a god.
:That is true. You will have to learn to trust me. You are free to be angry with
me. Free to question my will. Free to argue. I want you to argue with me.
And he wants more than that, she thought.
This time she felt herself flush with embarrassment, and she turned back to the
window to hide her reaction from the other White. There was no hiding from
Chaia, however. Another wave of amusement washed over her.
:That is also true. I like you, Auraya. I ve been watching you for a long, long
time. I have been waiting until you had grown enough that I could tell you
without causing you distress.
This isn t causing me distress? she thought wryly. She remembered the kisses
she d evaded. For a being that had no physical form, he could be surprisingly
sensual. He often drew close to her as if to compensate for his lack of body. His
touch was the touch of magic, yet it was not an unpleasant sensation.
It s not causing me as much distress as it ought to, she thought. I should just [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]