And now they were here . . .
“They wanted to meet you, Naelin,” Renet said, his voice trembling. “Please, I know you’re angry, but please listen to them, Naelin. They’ve been looking for you.”
She took a step backward, and the heels of her feet hit the hearth. Oh, no. He’d promised! He’d kissed her and promised, and she’d believed him.
“According to your husband, you controlled tree spirits and earth spirits yesterday, to protect your family,” the champion said.
All wonder at their presence drained out of her. It didn’t matter how legendary they were; what mattered was why they were here. “He lied,” Naelin said flatly.
“I know what I saw!” Renet cried. “You were surrounded, and you sent them away. How, if you didn’t control them? Admit it! You have powers.”
She shook her head, hard. I have to convince them. “Renet, what have you done? You lied to these good people, these important people, interrupted their day, took their time. I’m sure they have much more important things to be doing than visiting us.”
“Oh, please stay and visit!” Llor cried. He grabbed on to the wrist of the champion and hung there, dangling his full weight. The champion’s arm muscles tightened, supporting the child’s weight, but he didn’t shake him off or even look at him. The champion’s eyes bored into Naelin, as if he could see all her thoughts and all her secrets. Naelin looked away, at the woman, but the guardswoman’s eyes were no more comforting—in fact, they were almost hostile.
“I’m a simple woodswoman,” Naelin explained. “I make charms for my family and for sale. Over the years, I’ve gotten adept at it. As soon as the spirits came close enough to sense the charms, they fled. There was no power involved. No commands. I’m afraid my husband, in his enthusiasm, was mistaken.” Please, believe me, she thought.
The champion continued to study her, and she felt her face flush red. She wished she were a bird and could fly out the window. Her daughter pressed closer to her again, and Naelin put an arm around her, unsure which of them was comforting the other.
Kneeling in front of Llor, the champion asked, “Did your mother scare away the monsters?”
Llor shot a glance at her, and Naelin shook her head. “No,” Llor said.
Good boy, Naelin thought.
“We hid under there.” Llor pointed at the rug that covered the trap door. “When we came out, the monsters were gone, and Mama yelled at Father for a while. He let the spirits come, because he isn’t very smart.”
The guardswoman made a noise that nearly sounded like a laugh.
“Why do you say ‘he let the spirits come’? Why blame him?” The champion’s voice was gentle, and Naelin suddenly wondered if he had children. She’d never thought of champions as good with children.
“Because he didn’t put the new charms out, on purpose. Mama thought that was mean. And I think it was mean too.”
Renet’s face flushed red, then purple. “I only wanted to test—”
The champion held up a hand, cutting him off. “I’m speaking to your son right now. I’ve already talked to you. As I’m hearing it, you intentionally removed protections around your children and didn’t warn your wife.” Deliberately, he turned his back to Renet.
Renet shrank back, like a little kid who knew he was in trouble but couldn’t imagine what he’d done wrong, and Naelin wanted to shake him for not understanding. She’d explain, again, tonight why she hid her powers, why her parents had warned her about champions, why she’d never gone to any training school. Only the strongest used their powers against the spirits and survived. And she was not the strongest. She wouldn’t survive. No matter how wealthy it would make her family if she went to the capital, she believed her children were better off poor than motherless. It wasn’t such a hard concept to understand.
“Tell me about your mother,” the champion said to Llor.
“She smells nice,” Llor said.
“Good. What else?”
“She tells me stories at night, so I can sleep,” Llor said. “I have bad dreams sometimes.” Quickly, he added, “But I don’t cry. I’m not a baby.”
“You’re not,” the champion said seriously.
“Mama thinks I am. She doesn’t even let me walk to school by myself. All the other kids get to, but Mama—”
“That’s enough, Llor,” Naelin said crisply. She fixed her gaze on the champion. “I protect my family by being careful. Extra careful, perhaps, but we aren’t like you. People like us can’t afford to be fearless.”
He rose, and Naelin shrank back, again reminded of how tall he was. He was like a tree, with arm muscles as solid-looking as a trunk. “You think we are fearless?”
“You can fight spirits,” Naelin said. “We have to make do the best we can.”
“It sounds like you ‘make do’ well,” the guardswoman said.
Naelin inclined her head. “Thank you.” She began to hope that meant they believed her. She had practice in lying about her power, but never to people like these. She felt naked in front of them and was aware of every flaw, from her bony elbows to her too-thin eyebrows to her hair that had recently begun to show a few strands of gray. People like this shouldn’t be talking to people like me. They’re like roses, and I’m like . . . like dirt. Practical, ordinary dirt that never does anything extraordinary or even unexpected. She patted her hair, then forced her hand down. “Again, I’m sorry your visit was for nothing, but I’m not anyone the likes of you would ever be interested in.”
The champion executed a bow—to her, a bow! Flustered, she tried to curtsy and knocked into Erian. The champion seemed not to notice, or pretended not to. “We thank you for your time.” He turned toward the door, and the guardswoman followed him.
“Naelin!” Renet said, his voice a strangled cry. He hurried across the room, gripped her arm so hard that she flinched, and whispered in her ear. “You can’t just let them leave. This is our chance. Don’t be a coward! You could change our lives, right here and right now. These people have the power to offer us everything we’ve always wanted: safety, security, wealth.”
She pried his fingers off her arm and pushed his hand away. In a low whisper, barely a breath, she said, “And death.” He flinched.
She thought she saw the champion pause . . . but no, he was only turning to descend the ladder. Llor and Erian rushed to the door to watch them. Leaning out the door, Erian gasped, and Llor squealed in delight. Leaving Renet, Naelin hurried to join her children. Arm around each of them, she looked outside.
The champion and the guard had left the ladder and were leaping from tree to tree, higher and higher. In their wake, leaves shook and trembled.
“They’re leaving!” Renet cried.
“Good,” Naelin said firmly.
Naelin and her children watched until they disappeared from view. She told herself she was grateful that was over and glad they were gone, but still she continued to stare out at the trees long after the leaves stilled. It wasn’t every day one met heroes.
Chapter 7