and a witchwoman’s get with no magic,” Soilléir mused. “An interesting pairing.”
“She said exactly that.”
“She is a very wise gel. And to answer the question you haven’t asked, Seeing is usually a bloodright magic, but not always—just as there has been the occasional farmer standing out in his pasture, examining his hay, who wakes to realize he’s just become the archmage of Neroche. I have it because my father had it, and his father before him for as long as our line stretches back into the dreams of our forebearers. The magic itself comes from Bruadair, where the dreamweavers wander through their forests of spells and visions. But I have met those who have it gifted to them with no apparent connection to that birthright.”
Ruith looked at him. “Then you understand what she’s suffering?”
“I wouldn’t call it that,” Soilléir said with a pained smile. “She will find it useful, in time. As for the pain she endures now, how should I ease it for her? The work must be done, whether ’tis done slowly or quickly. Just as your work must be done, be it slowly or quickly.”
Ruith supposed that with Soilléir, he had no pride left. “My thanks for the game last night.”
“You look to have recovered well enough.”
“Not quickly enough,” Ruith said with a sigh, “but that will come in time.”
“Aye, it will.”
Ruith turned to study the few twinkling lamplights in the city below. “Why are you here?” he asked, finally. “Instead of in Cothromaiche?”
Soilléir’s breath caught, then he laughed very softly, if not a bit uneasily. “That is twice you’ve had me off balance over the past few days. How do you manage it?”
“I lie awake at nights working on it.”
Soilléir shot him a faintly amused look. “I daresay.” He folded his arms over his chest. “Only one other person has ever asked me that, not finding the usual reason of keeping Droch in check to be sufficient.”
“Not my mother,” Ruith said with a shake of his head.
“Nay, not your mother,” Soilléir agreed. “She had far too much on her mind to worry about the twists and turns of my life. It was Desdhemar of Neroche. She and Miach are cut from the same cloth, you know, relentlessly seeking to know things they likely should leave alone.”
Ruith had his own thoughts on things Miach should leave alone—namely his own sweet sister, who was definitely not old enough to be making decisions about her future without him, no matter what Soilléir or Sìle thought—but he kept those thoughts to himself. He studied Soilléir for a bit longer. “Is there an answer?”
“Not a very interesting one,” Soilléir said with a shrug. “To be the youngest son in a house full of sons ... let’s just say my work is best done here. My family is not overly large, but my great-grandfather did have several children, which you may or may not know, having had your own share of things to think on that didn’t include Cothromaichian genealogy. The magic in my family, as you also may not know, is a capricious thing.”
“Dangerous, you mean,” Ruith corrected.
Soilléir laughed softly. “And just how many times did you hear Sìle of Tòrr Dòrainn say that in your youth?”
“Every time my mother mentioned your name,” Ruith said without hesitation. “He would roar, ‘Sarait, you will not associate any longer with that young rogue full of dangerous magic!’”
“There are those of my family to whom that description might apply,” Soilléir agreed, “though I am more inclined to settle for capricious. It manifests itself differently throughout our lines.”
“But always with great discretion,” Ruith said dryly.
Soilléir slid him a look. “Are you mocking me, Ruith?”
“And find myself turned into a rock when I’ve still a stubborn, beautiful, impossible woman to convince to look at me twice?” Ruith asked with mock horror. “Of course not.”
Soilléir studied him for a moment or two in silence. “You know that you could have any lass from any house of the Nine Kingdoms—or, I imagine, from any house whose ruler would very much like to sit on the Council of Kings.”
Ruith shook his head. “I don’t want a life at court.”
“You won’t escape it—and you’ll force Sarah to be a part of it.”
“She walked into Ceangail with nothing but her courage in order to rescue me. I think she can manage the odd supper at Seanagarra.”
“But does she want to?”
Ruith pursed his lips. “When you find yourself in love, my lord Soilléir, just know that I will be there to aid