Tarashana Rachel Neumeier (top 10 motivational books TXT) 📖

“They do. Far more often than our people. We teach our children to speak the truth and to expect other people to speak the truth. The Lau teach their children to suspect deceit and look for signs of forbidden influence. Often, a Lau will visit a kinsman in another town for some days before he will ...” sign a contract, but that was not a phrase that carried meaning in taksu. “Before he will come to a firm decision on some matter of importance,” I said instead. “This kind of caution is not considered an offense or an accusation. It is expected.”

My father nodded thoughtfully.

“Such caution may not be enough when a sorcerer is powerful. But few sorcerers are powerful. When the curse is weak, sorcery is not that dangerous—especially not to people who are prudent in their decisions and listen to advice.”

“This weaker curse does not drive men mad?” My father’s tone was skeptical.

“I know such people, and they show no more malice than anyone else. I think this may be because those with the weaker forms of the curse are not able to make people into their slaves or their dogs or their fools, and as they cannot do such evil, they have far less desire to try. Perhaps there are other reasons. Lau law forbids sorcery, but the matter is complicated. If someone is known to be a sorcerer, but does not commit forbidden acts, then the crime may be set aside. I do not understand everything about how the Lau manage such things, but some things I have come to understand. Someone with a weak curse might choose to be prudent so that his neighbors will not speak against him.”

My father nodded again. “If people do begin to speak against someone, then what happens?”

“Someone will bring a charge of sorcery before a ...” magistrate, but that was not a taksu word. I said instead, “A man with the authority to judge in such matters. Sometimes that man is known to be a weak sorcerer himself, and so expected to be unmoved by the sorcery of the one accused. Now that Aras is known to be a powerful sorcerer, those charges are often brought to him to judge.”

“So. His people trust his judgment.”

“They do. When he decides any matter, everyone can see he is just, and generous when generosity is due. They can see this at the time he gives his judgment and they can see it later, long after he has gone to some other town.”

I told my father about some of the situations I had witnessed. He listened carefully. Finally he said, “I am glad to know his own people consider that he is an honorable and just man.” He paused long enough to show that he considered that subject closed. After some time, he asked me, “Has anyone told you of the poet from the east?”

“Elaro inPorakario,” I said. “I have thought I should write to Darra inKarano. Or perhaps, after this other matter has been settled, visit her camp.”

“Perhaps you might do so,” my father agreed. “Will your lord give you leave?”

“I have not asked. But I think he may.”

My father nodded. After that we rode in silence. I gazed out at the lake, putting my attention on the way the sunlight glinted across the water and looking for the little movements in the sedges that showed where birds or small animals might be hiding. I saw a bittern, stretching her neck up alongside tall reeds, as bitterns do to conceal themselves from foxes and hawks. Farther from shore, a loon ignored us completely. But when an eagle drifted overhead, she saw that. Loons see everything that moves. This one sank gently below the placid surface of the lake and disappeared, first her barred back and then her black head and then gone.

But now I had too many things I wanted to think about besides birds and the lake. Finally, I said to my father, “We will want fresh meat later. I will hunt.” When he gestured permission for me to go, I turned my pony away from the path that led along the lakeshore and rode away from everyone else. Once I was far enough, I could think more clearly. I strung my bow and watched the land, but most of my attention was on my own thoughts. Too many of those thoughts were not pleasant ones.

Anyone could see, certainly I could see, that it was completely unreasonable to ask Darra to wait for me when neither of us had any way to guess how long that wait might be. I had known that all the time, but now that I knew of this poet from the far east, it was different.

A singer may marry later than most young women, especially a singer who is also the daughter of a king. But Darra now had nineteen winters. Probably she wished to marry soon. Perhaps this poet from the east had all her favor now. From what my mother had said, this seemed very likely.

Only the gods know what the coming days and years will bring. No mortal person can measure his own fate. But I thought, when the chance came, I would certainly ask Aras for permission to go to inKarano lands. I would ask Darra what she wanted. Then, even if I was uncertain of my future and uneasy in my heart, at least I would know that much.

Only as dusk neared did I turn back toward the lake. I found the company easily by the light of their fires. I rode up and slid off my pony, giving his reins to a boy and collecting the two marmots I had shot during the long afternoon’s ride. I brought these to the fires to give to the women, but then one of