out?"
The girl grinned cheekily. "Well, if you haven't met him, it wouldn't do much good to explain. I would head over toward the plum tent in the center of the field." she motioned toward a bright purple tent about a hundred feet behind her. "He's wearin' a black hat today with a red feather in it. That ought to be enough information for you to find him."
With thanks for her help and a renewed sense of curiosity, robert plunged back into the crowd. He emerged close enough to the purple tent to see a lopsided group gathered around a table in the violet shade. On one side of the table, six or seven people collected coins and jotted down information from the swarm on the other side. A gambling center, robert decided.
The sight of a vocal crowd member ripped all other thoughts from his mind. The man's head towered eight to ten inches above the throng, and on it rested a roguish black hat graced with an ostentatious red feather. This, then, must be drew Fielding.
robert had to laugh when he thought of the girl's taunting comment about this man not blending in. He certainly did not.
In fact, drew resembled nothing so much as robert's childhood impression of a gentleman pirate. His skin was charcoal black and gleamed against a silk shirt, tight vest, and tawny trousers. With the exception of a pair of grass-stained boots, the entire outfit shone spotless despite the chaotic surroundings. Tied securely back, the man's dark hair hung below his shoulders, and a single ruby earring sparkled from his left ear.
robert found himself conceding yet another round to Aurelia. she might have mentioned that the man stood out from the general populace like a bird of paradise in a daisy patch.
suddenly the flamboyant horseman appeared at robert's side or, rather, appeared directly in front of Horizon. The man's eyes assessed the stallion, gliding over the black mane, drifting along the sleek red neck, halting on the powerful chest and shoulder muscles, sliding down the smooth forearms and over the black lower legs.
"I say, lad, fresh off the frontier, eh?" Fielding said.
robert chafed at the moniker, but adopted a slight frontier drawl and replied, "Fresh enough." The horseman could not be fifteen years his elder.
"Interesting mount you have here. Thinking of trading him for something better for the city?"
Don't you wish. "matter of fact, I've seen an interesting stallion. Thought maybe someone here could direct me to the owner."
Fielding's head snapped back. "someone direct you to me, did they? And here I thought I was the one who started this conversation."
"Hmm," robert replied, "I thought a fine horse was the only thing could start a conversation with a fine horseman."
The wary look disappeared from the other man's eyes and a loud laugh whooshed out of his lungs. At robert's shoulder, Horizon snorted in response and took a step back. Fielding moved a step forward, keeping his short distance from the stallion. "Now, that's a truth I can't deny." He met the horse's stare. "you are the one who started this conversation."
Without breaking his gaze with Horizon, drew spoke again to robert. "All right, lad, I'll direct you to this stallion that's caught your interest, in exchange for a little information about your mount here. What do you say?"
"Fair enough."
"Not here, though." drew gestured to the left. "I've had enough time in these crowded surroundings. Let's have a drink in my tent and share our information in a more comfortable location."
robert looked up hesitantly at Horizon. "I'm not leaving him alone, nor in anyone else's charge."
drew slapped robert on the back. "Can't say I blame you, lad. got to admit I'd be tempted to make off with him myself. If you can control him, bring him right into the tent with you. It's big enough, and we can't be excluding him from the conversation anyway, now, can we?"
The noisy crowd parted magically as Fielding led the way toward a white canvas tent propped on ten-foot poles. The heavy
The girl grinned cheekily. "Well, if you haven't met him, it wouldn't do much good to explain. I would head over toward the plum tent in the center of the field." she motioned toward a bright purple tent about a hundred feet behind her. "He's wearin' a black hat today with a red feather in it. That ought to be enough information for you to find him."
With thanks for her help and a renewed sense of curiosity, robert plunged back into the crowd. He emerged close enough to the purple tent to see a lopsided group gathered around a table in the violet shade. On one side of the table, six or seven people collected coins and jotted down information from the swarm on the other side. A gambling center, robert decided.
The sight of a vocal crowd member ripped all other thoughts from his mind. The man's head towered eight to ten inches above the throng, and on it rested a roguish black hat graced with an ostentatious red feather. This, then, must be drew Fielding.
robert had to laugh when he thought of the girl's taunting comment about this man not blending in. He certainly did not.
In fact, drew resembled nothing so much as robert's childhood impression of a gentleman pirate. His skin was charcoal black and gleamed against a silk shirt, tight vest, and tawny trousers. With the exception of a pair of grass-stained boots, the entire outfit shone spotless despite the chaotic surroundings. Tied securely back, the man's dark hair hung below his shoulders, and a single ruby earring sparkled from his left ear.
robert found himself conceding yet another round to Aurelia. she might have mentioned that the man stood out from the general populace like a bird of paradise in a daisy patch.
suddenly the flamboyant horseman appeared at robert's side or, rather, appeared directly in front of Horizon. The man's eyes assessed the stallion, gliding over the black mane, drifting along the sleek red neck, halting on the powerful chest and shoulder muscles, sliding down the smooth forearms and over the black lower legs.
"I say, lad, fresh off the frontier, eh?" Fielding said.
robert chafed at the moniker, but adopted a slight frontier drawl and replied, "Fresh enough." The horseman could not be fifteen years his elder.
"Interesting mount you have here. Thinking of trading him for something better for the city?"
Don't you wish. "matter of fact, I've seen an interesting stallion. Thought maybe someone here could direct me to the owner."
Fielding's head snapped back. "someone direct you to me, did they? And here I thought I was the one who started this conversation."
"Hmm," robert replied, "I thought a fine horse was the only thing could start a conversation with a fine horseman."
The wary look disappeared from the other man's eyes and a loud laugh whooshed out of his lungs. At robert's shoulder, Horizon snorted in response and took a step back. Fielding moved a step forward, keeping his short distance from the stallion. "Now, that's a truth I can't deny." He met the horse's stare. "you are the one who started this conversation."
Without breaking his gaze with Horizon, drew spoke again to robert. "All right, lad, I'll direct you to this stallion that's caught your interest, in exchange for a little information about your mount here. What do you say?"
"Fair enough."
"Not here, though." drew gestured to the left. "I've had enough time in these crowded surroundings. Let's have a drink in my tent and share our information in a more comfortable location."
robert looked up hesitantly at Horizon. "I'm not leaving him alone, nor in anyone else's charge."
drew slapped robert on the back. "Can't say I blame you, lad. got to admit I'd be tempted to make off with him myself. If you can control him, bring him right into the tent with you. It's big enough, and we can't be excluding him from the conversation anyway, now, can we?"
The noisy crowd parted magically as Fielding led the way toward a white canvas tent propped on ten-foot poles. The heavy
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