Dennis McKiernan - Once upon a dreadful time

Regardless, for the past three days not only had Michelle been intensely acquiring Wolfspeak, she had also learned from the pack some of the human words and silent hand-signals Borel had taught them all. In the beginning it had been painfully slow, but as her Wolfspeak vocabulary had grown, it had gone much faster. At times the entire pack had been involved; even Slate had deigned to speak with her.

As Michelle bade the Wolves “au revoir,” Slate turned to Dark and said: Master’s bitch two-legs cub-smart. Tears brimmed in Michelle’s eyes, and yet she had a great smile on her face, for never had any praise from her former human tutors made her as proud as Slate’s casual aside to Dark.

. .

Chelle hurried through the corridors to come to the blue room, where Jules and Arnot and Laurent waited with the guest. And as she entered, the princess paused, for Vadun was not like anyone Chelle had ever seen before: small, he was, child sized, and seemed to be dressed in nought but leaves and twigs. His hair, while clean, was unruly and long, reaching unto his waist, and though it was brown it had a greenish tint shimmering among the strands. His tilted eyes were green as well, though pale and translucent, as of the most delicate of jade. His face was narrow and his form slender, and his arms and legs lean. His smooth light brown skin seemed to match that of a young tree sprout, and his feet were shod in bark shoes. It was almost as if some small woodland being akin to a bush or a tree had somehow come to animate life. That such a creature lived in a realm of ice and snow was a mystery, one that Michelle, for reasons unknown, felt she had no right to delve into.

And as the princess entered the chamber, Vadun stood and bowed and said, “My lady.” His voice was soft, almost a whisper, as of a zephyr gently stirring foliage.

Michelle inclined her head and replied, “Voyant Vadun.” She took a comfortable chair and gestured to the others to be seated as well, and Vadun returned to the cushioned footstool that fitted his size.

“Princess,” said the small being, “Armsmaster Jules has told me the terrible news, yet unless someone in your household has had a dream bearing upon the calamity, I know not how I can help.”

Even as Michelle’s heart sank, Jules said, “He suggested I bring him here, my lady, just in case someone has had such a reve.” At the armsmaster’s words, Vadun smiled, showing rather catlike teeth.

Michelle turned up her hands. “I know of no one who has said so.”

“Princess,” said Arnot, “recall that you and Borel were dream-linked during your imprisonment.”

“Oui. We were.”

Arnot turned to Vadun. “Shouldn’t that help?”

“Perhaps,” murmured the dream seer. “What were the circumstances?”

With her hope rising, quickly Michelle explained.

Vadun sighed and said, “I see. Yet that was an enchanted sleep, and the fact that you could meet one another in your dreams is quite rare, even when one is enspelled, and rarer still in normal sleep, though great love or loyalty aids.” As Michelle’s heart fell again, Laurent said, “I do not seem to recall any of my dreams, yet that doesn’t mean someone else might not have dreamt of Prince Borel or any of the others. We could ask everyone here.”

Vadun again smiled, his features gentle in spite of the sharpness of his teeth. “Sieur Laurent, though it would help, one need not recall a dream for me to. . See .”

“What mean you?”

“Just that I merely need to be in contact, one at a time, with each member of the household.”

“What do you need?” asked Michelle.

“A quiet and peaceful room, preferably smaller than this, darkened and lit by a single candle. It should be furnished with a couch or such in which the member of staff can be at ease, and a comfortable chair for me at the head of the dreamer’s divan. I would also like some mint tea or other such to be brewing and fill the chamber with a pleasant scent.” Michelle looked at Arnot. “The green room?” He nodded. “A good choice, my lady.”

Michelle then turned to Vadun. “Forgive my manners, Voyant Vadun, but have you eaten? And surely you need rest from your travels.”

“I would appreciate a meal, my lady, but I need no rest, for the sooner started the sooner we might know.” ONCE UPON A DREADFUL TIME / 237

Arnot said, “Your pardon, Dreamseer, but what would you have to eat?”

“Some tea would be nice as well as. . might you have a vole?”

Arnot frowned. “Vole? Mean you a mouse?”

“Oui. A mouse will do. Preferably alive.” Inwardly, Michelle shuddered. How can such a rather plantlike being as is Vadun eat a live mouse? She looked at him and smiled, one that he returned, his catlike teeth showing.

. .

Passing among a gaggle of waiting, nervous women, some tittering, Michelle paused a moment to caution them to quietness, and then stepped down the hall to the green room, for she would be the first person Vadun would examine. Into the candlelit chamber she stepped and softly closed the door behind.

The odor of chamomile subtly filled the room.

The voyant de reves welcomed her with a smile, and he gestured to the couch. When she was fully reclined, he took his seat, the chair with piled cushions to raise him up on a level with the head of the divan.

“Now, my lady,” he murmured, “I ask you to clear your mind of as many thoughts as you can and to concentrate only on Prince Borel.”

“That will be rather easy,” whispered Michelle. She took a deep breath and thought of her truelove, with his silver-sheened hair, his ice-blue eyes, his handsome face, his ready wit and infectious smile, his caressing hands, his lean body, his-

Michelle felt a gentle touch upon her brow, yet she managed to maintain her thoughts of Borel and his ways.

“Oh, my, what strength of feelings,” Vadun softly said.

“And what troubled dreams of recent, yet pleasant ones as well: of Wolves and speaking to them, of ordinary things, but also of unknown and unseen dangers, of the prince and loving and of making love-”

Suddenly, Vadun broke contact.

Embarrassed over this last, Michelle said, “I did not mean to-”

“Oh, Princess, all beings have somewhat. . lustful dreams.”

“But then why did you break contact. Did you see Borel?

Did you find him?”

“Non, Princess, you have not dreamt a dream that can aid us in the search for the prince. Yet, do I understand it correctly?

You can speak with his Wolves?”

“Oui, though I am still learning.”

“Ah, good. Wolves are closer to nature, and extremely loyal to the pack, and, to their way of thinking, Prince Borel is one of them. Too, they dream. I would like to see if any have dreamt of your prince, their master.”

“You can do that? Be a voyant to their dreams?”

“Oui.”

“What of the members of my staff?”

“My lady, if the Wolves yield nought, then we shall return to the staff.”

“Where would you have me bring the pack?” Vadun shook his head. “Non, my lady, I will go to them, for they need to be in a place they find comfortable in order for me to see into their dreams.”

“Then follow me, Vadun.”

. .

In the Summerwood, this time Blaise, instead of Lanval, went to see the Lady of the Mere, but she did not appear at his beck.

And, upon his return, he found that no falcons had come bearing messages of what other seers might have learned.

. .

In the Autumnwood, Luc, fresh from the training grounds, had just sat down to his lunch as rawboned Remy, armsmaster at Autumnwood Manor, escorted a man into the chamber.

“My lord,” said Remy as they came forward, “I present Seer Malgan.”