Assassin's Quest

You do not have to come with me. This call from my king binds me, not you.

In that, you are wrong. What binds you, binds me.

I do not understand how that could be, I said carefully.

Nor do I. But it is so. "Come to me, " he called to us. And for a time, I could ignore it. But no more.

I am sorry. I groped for a way to express it. He has no right to you. I know that. I do not think he intended to call you. I do not think he intended to bind me. But it happened, and I must go to him.

I stood up and dusted off the snow that was starting to melt on me. I felt ashamed. Verity, a man whom I trusted, had done this to me. That was bad enough. But through me it was imposed on the wolf. Verity had no right to put any demands on Nighteyes. For that matter, I had no right to put any demands on him. What had been between us had always been entered into voluntarily, a mutual giving on both sides with no laying-on of obligations. Now, through me, he was entrapped as surely as if I had caged him.

We share a cage, then.

I wish it were otherwise. I wish there were someway I could free you of this. But I do not even know how to free myself. Not knowing how you are bound, I do not know how to loose you. You and I, we share the Wit. Verity and I share the Skill. How could his Skill-sending have gone through me to seize you? You were not even with me when he summoned me.

Nighteyes sat very still in the snow. The wind had come up, and in the faint starlight I could see it ruffling his coat. I am always with you, brother. You may not always be aware of me, but I am always with you. We are one.

We share many things, I agreed. Uneasiness itched at me.

No. He turned to face me squarely, met my eyes as no wild wolf would have. We do not share. We are one. I am no longer a wolf, you are no longer a man. What we are together, I have no name for. Perhaps the one who spoke to us of the Old Blood would have a word to explain it. He paused. See how much a man I am, that I speak of having a word for an idea? No word is needed. We exist, and we are whatever we are.

I would set you free if I could.

Would you? I would not part from you.

That is not what I meant. I meant I would have for you a life of your own.

He yawned, then stretched. I will have for us a life of our own. We shall win it together. So. Do we travel by night or by day?

We travel by day.

He sensed what I meant. You will stay with this huge pack to travel? Why not break free of it and run with me? We shall go faster.

I shook my head. It is not that simple. To travel where we must, I will need shelter, and I have none that is mine alone. I need the aid of this pack to survive in this weather.

There followed a difficult half hour, as I tried to explain to him that I would need the support of the others in the caravan to reach the Mountains. Had I had a horse and provisions of my own, I would not have hesitated to trust to luck and strike out with the wolf. But on foot with only what I could carry myself, facing the deep snows and deeper cold of the Mountains, not to mention a river crossing? I would not be that great a fool.

We could hunt, Nighteyes insisted. We would curl together in the snow at night. He could take care of me as he always had. With persistence, I was able to convince him that I must continue to travel as I did. Then I shall have to continue to sneak along like a stray dog, following all these folk?

"Tom? Tom, are you out there?" There was irritated annoyance and worry in Nik's voice.

"Right here!" I stepped out of the bushes.

"What were you doing?" he demanded suspiciously.

"Pissing," I told him. I made a sudden decision. "And my dog has followed me from town and caught up with us here. I left him with friends, but he must have chewed his rope. Here, boy, come to heel."

I'll chew your heel off for you, Nighteyes offered savagely, but he came, following me out into the cleared yard.

"Damn big dog," Nik observed. He leaned forward. "Looks more than half a wolf to me."

"Some in Farrow have told me that. It's a Buck breed. We use them for herding sheep."

You will pay for this. I promise you.

In answer I leaned down to pat his shoulder and then scratch his ears. Wag your tail, Nighteyes. "He's a loyal old dog. I should have known he wouldn't be left behind."

The things I endure for you. He wagged his tail. Once.

"I see. Well. You'd best get yourself inside and get some sleep. And next time, don't go off by yourself. For anything. At least, not without letting me know first. When my men are on watch, they get jumpy. They might cut your throat before they knew you."

"I understand."

I walked right past two of them.

"Nik, you don't mind, do you? The dog, I mean." I tried to act affably abashed. "He can stay outside. He's a real good watchdog, actually."

"Just don't expect me to feed him for you," Nik growled. "And don't let him be any trouble to us."

"Oh, I'm sure he won't. Will you, boy?"

Starling chose that moment to come to the door. "Nik? Tom?"