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We must search the entire camp." "Sludig is doing that already," said Isgrimnur gently. "We will only confuse things." The prince slumped down again. "You are right. But it will be hard to wait." They had barely resumed the discussion when Sludig returned, his face grim. He handed Josua a piece of parchment. "This was in young Simon's tent." The prince read it quickly, then flung it down on the ground in disgust. A moment later he stooped for it, then handed it to the troll, his face stiff and angry. "I am sorry, Binabik, I should not have done that. It seems to be for you." He stood. "Hotvig?" "Yes, Prince Josua." The Thrithings-man also stood. "Miriamele has gone. Take as many of your riders as you can quickly find. The chances are good that she has headed toward Erkynland, so do most of your searching west of the camp. But do not ignore the possibility that she might go some other way to throw us off before she turns back to the west." "What?" Isgrimnur looked up in surprise. "What do you mean, gone?" Binabik looked up from the parchment. 'This was written by Simon. It is seeming that he has gone with her, but he also says he will try to bring her back." The troll's smile was thin and obviously forced. "There is some question in my head about who is leading who. I am doubting Simon will convince her for coming back very soon." Josua gestured impatiently. "Go, Hotvig. God only knows how long they have been gone. As a matter of fact, since you and your riders are the fastest horsemen we have here, go west; leave the other part of the search to the rest of us." He turned to Sludig. "We will ride around the camp, making our circle wider each time. I will saddle Vinyafod. Meet me there." He turned to the duke. "Are you coming?" "Of course." Silently, Isgrimnur cursed himself. I should have known something was coming, he thought. She has been so quiet, so sad, so distant since we came here. Josua hasn't seen the change as I have. But even if she thinks we should have marched on Erkynland, why would she go on her own? Fool of a headstrong child. And Simon. I thought better of that boy. Already unhappy at the thought of a night in the saddle and what it would do to his sore back, Isgrimnur grunted and rose to his feet. "Why won't she wake up!?" Jeremias demanded. "Can't you do something?" "Hush, boy, I'm doing what I can." Duchess Gutrun bent and felt Leieth's face again. "She is cool, not feverish." "Then what's wrong with her?" Jeremias seemed almost frantic. "I tried to wake her for a long time, but she just lay there." "Let me give another cover for her," Vorzheva said. She had made room in the bed for the girl to lie beside her, but Gutrun had disallowed it, frightened that Leieth had some sickness which Vorzheva might catch.

Instead, Jeremias had carefully set the girl's limp form on a blanket upon the ground. "You just lie still and I'll worry about the child," the duchess told her. "This is altogether too much noise and fretting." Prince Josua stepped through the door, unhappiness etched on his face. "Is there not enough gone wrong? The guard said someone was sick. Vorzheva? Are you well?" "It is not me, Josua. The little girl Leieth, she cannot be wakened." Duke Isgrimnur stumped in. "A damned long ride and no sign of Miriamele," he growled.

"We can only hope that Hotvig and his Thrithings-men have better luck than we did." "Miriamele?" Vorzheva asked. "Has something happened to her, also?" "She has ridden off with young Simon," Josua said grimly. "This is a cursed night," Vorzheva groaned. "Why does this all happen?" "To be fair, I don't think it was the lad's idea." Isgrimnur bent and put his arm about his wife's shoulders, then kissed her neck. "He left a letter which said he would try to bring her back." The duke's eyes narrowed. "Why is the girl here? Was she hurt in the fire?" "I brought her," Jeremias said miserably. "Duchess Gutrun asked me to look after her tonight." "I didn't want her underfoot with Vorzheva so sick." Gutrun could not entirely hide her own discomfort. "And it was just for a while, when Geloe was going to meet with you men." "I was with her all evening," Jeremias explained. "After she was asleep, I fell asleep, too. I didn't mean to. I was just tired." Josua turned and looked at the young man kindly. "You did nothing wrong to fall asleep. Go on." "I woke up when everyone was shouting about the fire. I thought Leieth would be frightened, so I went over to let her know I was still there. She was sitting up with her eyes open, but I don't think she heard a word I said. Then she fell back and her eyes closed, like she was sleeping.

But I couldn't wake her up! I tried for a long time. Then I brought her here to see if Duchess Gutrun could help." As Jeremias finished, he was on the verge of tears. "You did nothing wrong, Jeremias," the prince repeated. "Now, I need you to do something for me." The young man caught, his breath on the verge of a sob. "W-What, your Highness?" "Go to Isgrimnur's tent and see if Binabik has returned. The troll knows something of healing. We will have him look at young Leieth." Jeremias, only too glad to have something useful to do, hurried out. "In truth," Josua said, "I no longer know what to think of all that has happened tonight—but I must admit that I am very fearful for Miriamele. Damn her forwardness." He clutched Vorzheva's blanket in his fingers and twisted it in frustration. There had been no change in Leieth's condition when Jeremias returned with Binabik and Aditu. The little man inspected the girl closely. "I have seen her being like this before," he said. "She is gone away somewhere, to the Road of Dreams or some other place." "But surely she has never been tike this for so long," Josua said. "I cannot help but think it has something to do with the night's happenings. Could the Norn poison have made her this way, Aditu?" The Sitha kneeled beside Binabik and lifted the little girl's eyelids, then laid her slim fingers below Leieth's ear to feel how swiftly her heart beat. "I do not think so. Surely this one," she indicated Jeremias, "would also have been struck if the Kei-vishaa had spread so far." "Her lips are moving!" Jeremias said excitedly. "Look!" Although she stilt lay as if deeply asleep, Leieth's mouth was indeed opening and closing as though she would speak. "Silence.

" Josua leaned closer, as did most of the others in the room. Leieth's lips worked. A whisper of sound crept out. "...hear me ..." "She said something!" Jeremias exulted, but was stilled by a look from the prince. "...I will speak anyway. I am fading. I have only a short time left." The voice that issued from the little girl's mouth, though thin and breathy, had a familiar cadence. "...There is more to the Norns than we suspect, I think. They play some double game ... Tonight was not a feint, but something even more subtle ..." "What's wrong with the child?" Gutrun said nervously. "She's never spoken before—and she sounds wrong." "That is Geloe speaking." Aditu spoke calmly, as though she identified a familiar figure coming up the road. "What?" The duchess made the Tree sign, her eyes wide with fear. "What witchcraft is this?" The Sitha leaned close to Leieth's ear. "Geloe?'' she said. "Can you hear me?" If it was the wise woman, she did not seem to hear her friend's voice. "... Remember what Simon dreamed ... the false messenger." There was a pause. When the voice resumed it was quieter, so that all in the room held their breath in an effort not to obscure a word. "... I am dying. Leieth is here with me somehow, in this ... dark place. I have never understood her completely, and this is strangest of all. I think I can speak through her mouth, but I do not know if anyone is listening. My time is short. Remember: beware a false messenger....." There was another long, silent interval. When everyone was certain that they had heard the last, Leieth's lips moved again, 'I am going now. Do not mourn me. I have had a long life and did what I wished to do. If you would remember me, remember that the forest was my home. See that it is respected. I will try to send Leieth back, although she does not want to leave me. Farewell. Remember ..." The voice faded. The little girl again lay like one dead. Josua looked up. His eyes were bright with tears. "To the last," he said, almost in anger, "she tried to help us. Oh, God the Merciful, she was a brave soul." "An old soul," Aditu said quietly, but did not elaborate. She seemed shaken. Though they sat around the bedside in heavy, mournful silence for some time, Leieth did not stir any more. Geloe's absence seemed even more powerful, more devastating than it had earlier in the evening. Other eyes besides Josua's filled with tears of sorrow and fear as the realization of the company's loss settled in. The prince began to speak quietly of the forest woman, praising her bravery, wit, and kindness, but no one else seemed to have the heart to join in. At last he sent them all off to rest. Aditu, saying that she felt no need to sleep, stayed to watch over the child in case she awakened in the night.