Looking up at Seregil, he raised an expectant eyebrow. "Was Torsin poisoned, do you think?"

"No. It's as we thought, a failure of the lungs."

The Ra'basi seemed to accept this. Even as he surreptitiously watched him, however, Seregil felt a twinge of regret, thinking again of Nyal's kindness to him after his ill-fated walk in Haman tupa. In spite of everything else he might suspect, somewhere along the way, he'd begun to like the man.

When Klia was settled in bed, Alec showed them a tiny spot of blue between her fingers. Even with the lissik, it was just a pinprick surrounded by a patch of bleached flesh.

"It's spreading," Nyal said, frowning as he pressed at the white skin.

"This is what apaki'nhag bites look like?" asked Seregil.

"Yes, but not until after the person has already sickened. The venom slowly kills the flesh around the bite. This area will turn black soon and may have to be cut away, if she survives."

No wonder they'd missed the bite on Torsin, thought Seregil. Not only was the hand bloated from being in the water, but Torsin had died too quickly for the telltale signs to appear.

"If?" Alec croaked. "But she's made it this long—"

Nyal placed a hand on his shoulder. "There are many kinds of apaki'nhag, some more venomous than others. The symptoms are the same, only the result differs. Some victims survive unscathed. Others are left blind or crippled."

Seregil pressed a hand to Klia's moist brow, then bent close to her ear. "No matter what happens, I'm not leaving Aurenen until I know who did this to you, and why."

He straightened and looked at Nyal a moment without speaking.

"What is it?" the older man asked.

"This is a dangerous time for us here. Your own clan may fall under suspicion before I'm finished. Will you stand by us?"

"As long as I can act with honor," Nyal assured him earnestly. "What of Beka's order, though? I'm not even supposed to be here."

"Keep to the barracks for now. I'll sort it out when she gets back. If you need to go out, be sure to let someone know in case Mydri needs you."

"I'll do whatever I can." With a last sad look at Klia, Nyal went out. Seregil counted to three, then peered around the doorframe in time to see the Ra'basi meet Sergeant Mercalle and several of her riders on the back staircase. They spoke briefly, then Nyal continued down.

Seregil stepped out to meet Mercalle.

"We're here to relieve Rhylin," she told him.

Mydri came out to join them. "Seregil, would you ask one of the cooks to send up a honey poultice, hot water, and clean rags? I'm going to do everything I can to save that hand."

Kheeta hurried up the front stairs. "Is Alec here? Saaban and the others are waiting out front."

"I'm here," Alec said, coming out to join them. "I'll be there in a moment."

"You'd better wear your sword," Seregil said.

Alec glanced down in surprise. "I've gotten out of the habit. It's upstairs."

Seregil clasped him by the shoulder. "Good hunting, tali, and be careful."

Alec smiled slightly. "I was about to say the same to you. I've got the easier task, I think."

"Probably. I doubt Ulan will be glad to see me again so soon."

He watched Alec out of sight, then went out the back way toward his sister's house.

Alec retrieved his sword belt from the bedpost and buckled it on as he hurried back down. In his haste, he nearly fell over Beka, who was sitting alone on the stairs just below the second-floor landing. She shifted closer to the wall but remained where she was, the picture of exhaustion.

"When did you get back?" he asked.

"Just now. I'm on my way up to see her, but I needed a moment alone. This seemed as good a place as any."

"There's no change."

"So I heard. It's good news in its way, I guess."

"Have the Haman done anything interesting?"

"Not a thing. Steb told me about Seregil's run-in with Emiel last night. Is he all right?"

"Oh, yes. Seems more his old self than he has for days, in fact." Alec hesitated, then said quietly, "About Nyal—"

"You think he has something to do with all this, don't you?" She looked down at her clasped hands.

"Seregil does, but so far it's just a hunch."

She sighed. "I've asked him to come back to Skala with me."

Alec blinked in surprise. "What did he say?"

"He asked me to stay. I can't."

"Are you—I mean, I heard—" Alec broke off, feeling himself blushing.

"Pregnant?" Beka favored him with a dark look. "Heard about the bounty, did you? It wasn't an order, just an opportunity. Kipa and Ileah think they may be. It's not the road for me." She yawned suddenly, pressing a hand over her mouth. "You'd better get moving."

"And you'd better get some rest." Alec started down, then paused a few steps below her and reached to grip her by the knee. "Just— well, be careful."

She gave him a sour scowl. "I'm not love blind, Alec. I just hope Seregil's wrong."

"So do I."

33 BACKTRACKING

A sizable entourage awaited Alec in front of the house. Saaban and Kheeta had half a dozen kinsmen with them, all with swords and bows. Braknil and his decuria flanked them, dressed for battle.

"Have you something of Klia's for me?" asked Saaban, his long face graver than usual beneath his dark green sen'gai.

Alec handed him the tunic Klia had worn to the hunt, still stained with dirt and blood. Saaban held it between his hands for a moment, then nodded. "Good. The feeling of her khi is strong. I can even sense her illness. If she touched some object that caused her harm and it is there, I should be able to sense it. It does take great concentration, however. I can't just ride along picking things out of the air."

"But if I show you where she fell, you could check the immediate area, couldn't you? Emiel may have dropped the ring or whatever it was into the stream."

Saaban shrugged. "It is possible."

Possible. Alec sighed, doubting they'd come back anything but empty-handed. "All right, then. Let's get going."

They followed the same route as before, riding hard for stretches, stopping when Alec recognized places they'd halted the previous day.

This was the first time since his arrival that he'd had the opportunity for any extended conversation with Saaban, and it occurred to Alec as they rode that if not for the standing ban against Seregil, he and Saaban would be calling each other kin.

The man's quiet demeanor made him easily overlooked at banquets. Today, however, he proved to be a valuable companion, a skilled and patient tracker. He reminded Alec of Micum Cavish, and the similarity was underscored by the sword at Saaban's side. The hilt was worn with use, the scabbard scarred and weathered.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," Alec said as they combed a site together on foot. "Killing is forbidden, and murder is rare among the 'faie, yet your sword has clearly seen some use."

"As has yours," Saaban replied with a knowing look at Alec's scabbard. "We fight Zengati raiders, mostly. The slavers grow bolder by the decade."

"I thought Seregil's father made peace with them?"

"With some, not all. They're a tribal people, not controlled by any one ruler. Rather like the Aurenfaie, I suppose," he added with a fleeting smile.

"And there are bandits in the mountains, too," said Kheeta, whose scabbard showed considerably less wear. "There's a troublesome band of them who range north of Bokthersa—a real mongrel pack: teth'brimash, mostly, with some Zengati and Dravnians mixed in. They steal, slave, whatever takes their fancy." He tugged proudly at his lock of white hair. "That's how I got this. The first time I went out to fight them, one of the faithless bastards tried to take my head off. I dodged just in time to get away with a nick, then returned the favor, but lower."