She had come awake enough to realize that her child was gone. Though she should have gone back to sleep, for her body had been battered terribly, she could not. She sat in the quiet darkness of theSaudi Jacintha's hold.
Colleen Kilronney entered the small room a short while later, but Pony didn't acknowledge her, just sat, swaying, staring into the darkness.
"It's good that ye're awake," Colleen said.
No response.
"Ah, but the devil he is," the warrior woman spat. "Father Abbot? Bah! He's a devil, and I'll be payin' him back for ye, don't ye doubt!"
No response.
"And me own cousin," Colleen went on, "captain o' the King's soldiers, all bright and shiny on the outside, and with a heart that's as dark as the wretched Bishop's on the inside. Oh, but I'll be payin' that one back, too!"
No response - Pony didn't even look her way, and Colleen surrendered, moving out of the room.
"Suren that she's in a bad way," the red-haired woman said to Belster and Captain Al'u'met as she joined them in the the captain's stateroom. "He took it from her, the devil, and left a hole that'll be a long time in mendin'."
"I tried to tell her not to fight him," Belster interjected.
"Her cause was just," Al'u'met insisted.
"Indeed, and no arguing from me," the innkeeper replied. "But you cannot wage war without a chance of winning. He is too strong, is Mark-wart; as is the Bishop."
"That does not mean that she was wrong to try," Al'u'met argued.
"Not wrong, perhaps, but surely foolish," Belster remarked, turning away. He knew that he would not convince the Behrenese sailor, but nei-ther did he have any intention of changing his mind.
"Perhaps you merely believe that her cause was not worth the risk," Al'u'met remarked bluntly.
Belster winced, knowing that he was vulnerable here against the likes of a black-skinned Behrenese. Indeed, he had to admit he might have been more anxious to wage war against the Church if the people it persecuted had been friends of his: Bearmen, as citizens of Honce-the-Bear were some-times called; and with lineage to match Belster's own. He thought to simply ignore the captain, but, in thinking of Pony, he realized that the time had come to face the truth.
He looked Al'u'met in the eye. "Perhaps your reasoning is sound," he said. "I, like so many of the folk of Palmaris, have never been fond of your kind, Captain Al'u'met."
"Wouldn't it be doin' Pony's heart good to hear us fightin' each other," Colleen remarked dryly.
Neither man paid her any heed; they just continued staring at each other. It was no contest of wills, but rather the two taking an honest measure of each other.
Al'u'met broke the stare first, giving a chuckle. "Well then, Master O'Comely, we will have to show you the truth of us, that you might learn better."
Belster smiled and nodded; perhaps it was time for him to take a clearer and more honest look at the folks from the southern kingdom.
That would be a lesson for another day, though, as they were both reminded when the door unexpectedly swung open, and a haggard-looking Pony stood in the doorway. "I need to go to Elbryan," she whispered.
"He is far to the north," Belster replied, moving to her side and put-ting an arm about her to support her - and she looked as if she needed the support.
Pony shook her head. "I need to go to Elbryan," she repeated matter-of- factly, as if no amount of distance mattered, "now."
Belster looked from her to Colleen and Al'u'met.
"Ye get yer strength, girl," Colleen said determinedly. "Ye get yer strength and I'll take ye to the north to find yer lover."
"Colleen - " Belster started to protest, but Al'u'met cut him short.
"I can get them north of the city by sea," he said.
"What nonsense are we talking?" Belster demanded. "She was almost killed, and now you are planning to send her on a long journey, and with winter not even past?"
"Ye think her safer in Palmaris?" Colleen replied. "Better that she's runnin' to her lover, I say, than stayin' here where the devil Markwart's sure to find her."
"I can speak for myself," Pony said coldly, "and choose my own road. I will rest for another day or two, no more. And then I will go to Elbryan, whatever course you three might decide for me." And with that, she turned and left.
"Oh, but I'll go with her," Colleen said, her anger simmering near to a boil. "I've a visit to pay me dear cousin Shamus. One he's not wantin', to be sure!"
Belster and Al'u'met exchanged glances, both of them understanding the danger of the present situation in Palmaris, and both of them fearing that things might soon get much worse.
It wasn't much of a shelter, just piles of stones with bundles of brush slapped over the top. But though another storm had buried the Barbacan in several feet of snow, and though the mountain passes to the south were practically impassable, the shelter on the sacred plateau near Avelyn's grave did not need to be strong or warm. Winter's hand, like the goblins', could not seem to touch this place, and all the creatures here - man and elf, cen-taur and horse alike - were not only comfortable, but were thriving. The men who were badly wounded during the fight with the goblins - even the soldier who had seemed so near to death and Bradwarden, so torn and battered - were fast on the mend, and Tiel'marawee had healed completely.
Elbryan had no explanation; none of them did - other than to declare it a miracle and be glad for it.
And though he was glad that they had survived, Elbryan spent many hours staring forlornly to the blocked southern trails, his thoughts flying to Pony and their unborn child. "Soon after the turn of spring, I would guess," he had informed Bradwarden when the centaur inquired about when the child would be born.
"But we'll get ye there afore it happens," the centaur insisted; though if they could not get out of the Barbacan within the next two weeks - and nei-ther believed that they could - they would hardly be able to cover the six hundred miles back to Palmaris in time.
Elbryan could only stand and stare, hoping that his dear Pony was all right, and that the child would be born healthy.
He could not know that the child was already gone.
"I take my leave," Tiel'marawee announced, moving by the pair.
"Lots of snow, deeper than a tall elf," Bradwarden replied.