The Well of Shades by Juliet Marillier Page A

adaptable.
    Ana sighed, and the little sound brought the crossbill up to her hand, its weight almost nothing. The bird fussed over its plumage, preening busily. The hoodie hopped along its branch, turning its head to one side. Cloud whined. “He’ll be back soon,” Ana murmured. “I suppose it is a little tedious for you waiting here with me. He doesn’t like me to be completelyalone in the forest.” She smiled at herself; probably none of them understood a thing she was saying. It was Drustan whose mind they knew, Drustan who could see through their eyes and give them instructions that they carried out flawlessly. She’d observed it all through the difficult journey she’d undertaken last summer, when the birds had watched over her and helped to find the way.
    Her thoughtswent to Faolan, companion and friend of that journey, Faolan who was gone on a new mission now. She had broken his heart when she fell in love with Drustan. And she hadn’t even seen it, not until she’d forced him into an explanation during that desperate flight across the wild lands of the Caitt. Oh, Faolan; she missed him so much, and she knew Drustan did, too. His place in their lives was unique.There was no word to describe it.
    Her mind shied away from
if only.
She loved Drustan, and they were happy. She had some news for Drustan that would make him even happier. But Faolan was a constant regret. Walking out of White Hill, he had looked wretched, desperate, as if he might do anything at all. She prayed that his return home to his birthplace would help him find a path forward, but herheart was full of doubts. She knew the dark story of his past; she knew what might be waiting for him there.
    “The thing is,” she murmured to the birds, “I was the one who made him go. If it turns out badly, I’ll carry some of the responsibility. I hope he’s all right. I can’t bear him to be so unhappy.”
    If crossbill or hoodie thought anything of this, their attention did not stay on it long,for with a rustle of feathers and a disturbance of air a larger bird now swept into the clearing, coming down to land on a tree stump with a neat folding of its tawny wings. Ana caught her breath. She’d never get used to the wonder of this, not in all her living days. She sat quietly, waiting for the moment of changing, and between one blink and the next the hawk became a tall, bright-eyed man withcurling hair the same shade as the bird’s glossy feathers. He staggered across and sat down beside her, long legs stretched out before him. Cloud crept closer, head lowered and tail cautiously wagging, her devotion not quite outweighing her uncertainty. Ana reached for Drustan’s hand. He was trembling violently; she could feel it. Shesaid nothing, only waited, and after a while the shaking slowedand stopped. He leaned over to kiss her cheek, then got up and began to stretch his limbs, working to overcome the weariness and confusion that generally attended his return to human form. Color came gradually back to his face.
    “All right?” Ana asked him quietly.
    “I will be soon. I’m sorry if I was gone too long.”
    “I was fine. It’s good for me to have some thinking time, and Cloud keeps meperfectly safe out here; she’d see anyone off, I’m sure.”
    “What were you thinking about? Come, I can walk now; we should head back to the house.”
    “Faolan,” Ana said soberly. “I was wondering how far he’s gone and what he’s doing now. Feeling rather guilty for sending him home, even though I still believe he needs to go there and work things out.”
    Drustan’s fingers came up gently to brush astrand of fair hair back behind her ear. “You should not torment yourself with that, Ana. He’s gone. I miss him, too, but in the end this was Faolan’s own decision. He was the one who chose to leave because it hurt him too much to see you and me together. He was distressed, yes, and confused. But he’s a grown man and a highly capable one; more capable