Page 10 of Keeper of the Word

“Forgive my companion.” Tolvar gritted his teeth as he spoke. “A heathen from Deogol, nothing more.”

She kept an eyebrow raised as she ushered Tolvar out of the room.

The corridors of Aura Hall were magnificent. The walls had been darkened with midnight blue silk with pinpricks of gold thread sewn and dotted throughout to give the appearance of a starry sky, especially in the torchlight. ’Twas clear this was a place that worshipped the night. They passed servants going about their tasks. They did not keep their heads down but nodded to Tolvar, emanating an air of dignity.

The stewardess ushered Tolvar into the Great Hall, a room he’d been in once before years ago during a visit to Ashwin with his father. The hall was whitewashed and had ten gigantic marble pillars, five on each side marking its length, and matching the marble of the floor. Though it was equal in size to the Great Hall in Castle Sidra, ’twas clear the halls had entirely different purposes. The most awe-striking feature of the hall was that the ceiling was made of glass. The afternoon light beamed through it, painting golden the walls and floor. Tolvar had forgotten the splendor of this room by half.

On the dais stood a tall, slender woman bathed, too, in the light of the afternoon sun. Her shoulders back, blonde hair hanging down her back below her waist, eyes peering straight ahead, there could be no doubt who she was: a StarSeer.

Tolvar bowed, and Lady Tara gave a slight incline of her head in return. His footsteps echoed through the hall until he stood before the dais. Close up, Lady Tara appeared older than the last time he’d met her—a meeting which had been only moments—with small wrinkles at her eyes and forehead, but her appearance was still maidenly, untouched by the world.

“Lord Tolvar, ’tis been eight years.”

“My Lady Tara.” Tolvar bowed again. When he gazed again into her eyes, he found them studying him with intensity.

“Have you found your forbearance?”

Tolvar didn’t hide his surprise that she remembered the only words she’d ever uttered to him:You shall require forbearance in your future,said in passing as she’d exited this very room.

“As much as I can,” Tolvar said, not entirely pleased at being in her presence.She could have helped me prevent the attack at Thorin Court.

But she hadn’t.

He still grieved sorely. He still wondered what had become of Crevan. He still itched for his revenge. He still didn’t know what his place was now.

And he still didn’t know exactly what he was doing here in Ashwin. “How may I be of service to the Five, Lady Tara?”

“A compelling question. One that has not yet been entirely Seen.” Lady Tara stepped down from the dais as if she floated and stood beside him. She was taller than most women he encountered, but his massive height still drowned her. Her pale eyes pierced him with the knowledge of foreSight. ’Twas not uncomfortable, but certainly weighty. “Will you not sit?” She gestured to two chairs set to the side that he hadn’t noticed.

Her face was emotionless. And it was said that no one could hide their emotions from the Wolf. But Lady Tara was no ordinary woman. StarSeers were ordained, blessed beings. Revered.

Neither spoke for a time. Tolvar was content to let Lady Tara work up to say why she had beckoned him here. His focus remained on disregarding his personal feelings.

“Sometimes, the stars allow us to request Sight about certain fortunes. I have pleaded with the stars to show me a hint of your own.”

Tolvar swallowed.

“We do not oft speak to others of their fortunes. One reason being that fortunes are never finite.”

Tolvar ignored how his palms sweat.

“I have not Seen much, and I will not tell you what I have Seen, but I do know this, Sir Tolvar—for I know that in your heart youmuch prefer your knight’s title to any noble one. You are a keeper of the word.”

The word “the”struck Tolvar. ’Twas well known that the Wolf was a keeper of his word. Yet Lady Tara had not said, “your word,” but, “theword.” StarSeers did not mince phrases.

Before Tolvar could ask Lady Tara what she meant, however, she continued.

“And so, I tell you this. The fourth StarSeer, Lady Elanna, is missing.”

“Missing?” Tolvar couldn’t keep the shock from his voice.

He was not one of the faithful. But he did know that StarSeers did not leave Ashwin. Once her gift was discovered and ordained, usually as a small child, she was brought to Aura Hall and seldom left. How would a StarSeer go missing?

Lady Tara inclined her head. “She fled Ashwin eighteen days ago. She is safe, but she is missing.”

“Eighteen days? How do you know she is safe?”

Her thin smile was brief. “The same starlight that passes through me passes through Elanna. It connects us Five together. She is safe for now. But something keeps her away. She waits for something or someone.”