thin layer of dust. Harald drew a shape in it with his finger, a rough U barbed at both ends. Stephen nodded.
"Not raiding, not guesting. Plains not woods. Ride at night, rest at day, through as quick as they can and south, that's my guess."
Harald's turn.
"Last night before feast, talking with a stranger, tall fellow, blond. Asked who I was with, said someone was hiring. Maybe not just cats."
Stephen gave him a worried look.
On his way to the stable, wallet full of apples lifted from store while their guardian carefully looked the other way, a royal servant found him.
"His Majesty would be glad of your company for the noon meal."
Harald nodded his assent.
"The terrace above great hall, a half hour past the noon bell. Shall I fetch you then?"
"I can find it."
His errand to the stable done, Harald found his way to the old orchard at the south end of the castle. Most of the stones were overgrown with moss. He sat looking at the one that was not until the noon bell roused him.
When he got to the terrace the King was waiting, the lady Anne seated at his side. Harald saw no reason to question the King's taste then, less by the end of the meal.
"They say your valleys are cold; is that why the wool is so good?"
"Upper end of the valleys for wool, lower end, out on the plains for mutton."
"The people on the plains. Nobody could tell me. How do they live? Who are they?"
"Westkin. Our word, not theirs; half the vales have relatives west. Wife's brother married a girl out of Fox clan. They call themselves Illash—People. Nomads mostly, herd sheep, horses, cattle. A little farming, places there's enough water—most of the plains pretty dry. Herd cattle for food, steal 'em from each other for fun. Pleasant life."
"There are a lot of them, aren't there?"
"Big plains. Kingdom, Vales—fit all of us in with room to spare."
"And fierce. What keeps them from coming over the pass, attacking, conquering us? Are they afraid of you?"
Harald laughed.
"We came over the pass, two hundred years odd back. The vales were empty. Westkin like flat land. Wouldn't mind your plains, but a lot of mountain between them and everywhere else they want to be. Clans raid each other. A few wild ones up into the lower vales, sometimes. With us over Northgate to raid the Kingdom, fifty years back. Ended when Henry, king that was, settled matters, thanks be."
He stopped. Looked down. When he looked up her eyes were on him, the King's on her. She watched Harald's face a moment, then went on.
"Is that why it's the Empire, not the plains, you've had to fight all these years?"
Harald waited for her to continue.
"I mean, they're farmers, like us. They want the same land. Your Westkin don't."
He looked her full in the face.
"His Majesty wants wisdom, hasn't far to look."
"But since the lady Anne is fair as well as wise and we have matters of moment to discuss, best we continue without the distraction of her beauty. Lady mine?"
Anne rose, nodded to both men, departed. They sat silent a while. At last the King spoke.
"Your Excellency took me to task last even for speaking of the Vales as though part of the Kingdom. Yet in law and justice they are; the first settlers were in allegiance to my ancestor. My father let the claim lapse. That does not mean I must."
"Law and Justice. Your Majesty's lands owe armed men, a month's service, so many from this province, so many from that. What get they in return?"
"Protection from their enemies. Justice to settle their quarrels."
"Your Majesty's grandfather, his father, his, back two hundred years. Half the year, the high pass closed, could not protect us if they would. Other half they didn't. Defended ourselves, settled our own quarrels. Still do. Your word runs this side the mountains. Our side, the law."
"That was then. If we can reach a settlement, we two, that's now. You want your law, you keep it—with my strength to settle matters if needed. My strength to protect
"Not raiding, not guesting. Plains not woods. Ride at night, rest at day, through as quick as they can and south, that's my guess."
Harald's turn.
"Last night before feast, talking with a stranger, tall fellow, blond. Asked who I was with, said someone was hiring. Maybe not just cats."
Stephen gave him a worried look.
On his way to the stable, wallet full of apples lifted from store while their guardian carefully looked the other way, a royal servant found him.
"His Majesty would be glad of your company for the noon meal."
Harald nodded his assent.
"The terrace above great hall, a half hour past the noon bell. Shall I fetch you then?"
"I can find it."
His errand to the stable done, Harald found his way to the old orchard at the south end of the castle. Most of the stones were overgrown with moss. He sat looking at the one that was not until the noon bell roused him.
When he got to the terrace the King was waiting, the lady Anne seated at his side. Harald saw no reason to question the King's taste then, less by the end of the meal.
"They say your valleys are cold; is that why the wool is so good?"
"Upper end of the valleys for wool, lower end, out on the plains for mutton."
"The people on the plains. Nobody could tell me. How do they live? Who are they?"
"Westkin. Our word, not theirs; half the vales have relatives west. Wife's brother married a girl out of Fox clan. They call themselves Illash—People. Nomads mostly, herd sheep, horses, cattle. A little farming, places there's enough water—most of the plains pretty dry. Herd cattle for food, steal 'em from each other for fun. Pleasant life."
"There are a lot of them, aren't there?"
"Big plains. Kingdom, Vales—fit all of us in with room to spare."
"And fierce. What keeps them from coming over the pass, attacking, conquering us? Are they afraid of you?"
Harald laughed.
"We came over the pass, two hundred years odd back. The vales were empty. Westkin like flat land. Wouldn't mind your plains, but a lot of mountain between them and everywhere else they want to be. Clans raid each other. A few wild ones up into the lower vales, sometimes. With us over Northgate to raid the Kingdom, fifty years back. Ended when Henry, king that was, settled matters, thanks be."
He stopped. Looked down. When he looked up her eyes were on him, the King's on her. She watched Harald's face a moment, then went on.
"Is that why it's the Empire, not the plains, you've had to fight all these years?"
Harald waited for her to continue.
"I mean, they're farmers, like us. They want the same land. Your Westkin don't."
He looked her full in the face.
"His Majesty wants wisdom, hasn't far to look."
"But since the lady Anne is fair as well as wise and we have matters of moment to discuss, best we continue without the distraction of her beauty. Lady mine?"
Anne rose, nodded to both men, departed. They sat silent a while. At last the King spoke.
"Your Excellency took me to task last even for speaking of the Vales as though part of the Kingdom. Yet in law and justice they are; the first settlers were in allegiance to my ancestor. My father let the claim lapse. That does not mean I must."
"Law and Justice. Your Majesty's lands owe armed men, a month's service, so many from this province, so many from that. What get they in return?"
"Protection from their enemies. Justice to settle their quarrels."
"Your Majesty's grandfather, his father, his, back two hundred years. Half the year, the high pass closed, could not protect us if they would. Other half they didn't. Defended ourselves, settled our own quarrels. Still do. Your word runs this side the mountains. Our side, the law."
"That was then. If we can reach a settlement, we two, that's now. You want your law, you keep it—with my strength to settle matters if needed. My strength to protect
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