to look everywhere at once in the dimly lit stable for the cause. Was there a fox, a lynx, a wolf—maybe even a snowcat—in here? What was it? She couldn’t see anything wrong, but the horses were plunging and kicking in their stalls and neighing like battle trumpets.
It was a long, scary moment before she realized that the frightened horses were none that she knew. And if she didn’t know them, they didn’t know her—or her familiar. She hustled Kiga out of the stable.
“I guess we can’t blame them for being afraid of you, boy. You’re a bit much first thing in the morning for tired horses. Go back to the house, there’s a good woods dog.”
Kiga rumbled in annoyance but turned and loped back to the timber-and-wattle guildhouse. He was almost there when he had to dart to one side or be trod upon by a half-dressed man bursting from the house. With one hand the man held up his breeches as he ran; in the other he clutched a stout cudgel.
As he passed the crouching woods dog, the man glanced at him. Then came a second startled look, a stumble, and a muffled curse; Pod held her breath, fearing the man would fall flat on his face. But he caught himself and staggered to a halt.
The woods dog hurtled across the stableyard to place himself between his person and this unseemly stranger. He crouched at Pod’s feet, snarling.
The man gestured at Kiga with the cudgel. His heavy black brows met in a fierce frown and his lips were set in a grim line. “ That, ” he said, glaring at Pod as if she played him a trick, “is a wolvering.”
For a moment Pod didn’t know what he meant; then she remembered “wolvering” was the southern Kelnethi name for a woods dog. She nodded. “That’s Kiga, my familiar.”
He studied her, looking, she knew, at her hair. “A girl with white hair and a wolvering.… You must be Pod.”
“I am.” She tilted her head, frowning a little. Was he a Beast Healer visiting from another chapterhouse?
Then she realized that the breeches he wore were dark green; a Beast Healer’s would be brown. Her breath caught; she thought she knew who—or rather, what —he must be. “You—you’re from— Am I—” She was so excited she couldn’t finish.
“I’m Leeston from the Healwort Guild. I arrived late last night.” He smiled, all fierceness gone. “And yes, you’re one of those chosen to go on this training journey, Pod.”
She whooped with joy and grabbed Kiga’s front paws, pulling him up into a clumsy, shuffling dance.
“We’re going, we’re going, we’re going!” she sang. “We’re going on a journey!”
* * *
A few days later, Pod stared at Leeston’s back as he rode ahead of the group of Beast Healer apprentices. She wished they weren’t so pressed for time. She would have liked to ask questions about the plants they passed. But time was in short supply; Leeston had been late getting to the chapterhouse, so now each day they rose before the sun and made camp after its setting.
This journey, Pod decided, had stopped being an adventure. Now it was just a thing to be endured. She turned in the saddle to wave at the other ’prentices strung out behind her. Darby and Marisha, riding side by side, waved back. Their familiars, Hazel and Jobbin—a squirrel and a raven—rode on their shoulders. Jeord, lagging behind, didn’t see; he was busy talking to the grey wolf loping alongside his horse.
Funny how Conor never talks about how sore his bottom gets when he goes on his journeys, she thought wryly as she turned back. He always leaves that part out. Or maybe he’s just usually not in this much of a hurry. I wonder if he’ll come back for a visit once the big horse fair in Balyaranna is over. She hoped so; she missed him.
Sighing, she kicked off the stirrups and let her legs dangle. Risla, riding alongside her, said, “Good idea.” They both groaned. Risla’s familiar, a stag named Fleet, snorted at them as if in amusement as he walked beside his
It was a long, scary moment before she realized that the frightened horses were none that she knew. And if she didn’t know them, they didn’t know her—or her familiar. She hustled Kiga out of the stable.
“I guess we can’t blame them for being afraid of you, boy. You’re a bit much first thing in the morning for tired horses. Go back to the house, there’s a good woods dog.”
Kiga rumbled in annoyance but turned and loped back to the timber-and-wattle guildhouse. He was almost there when he had to dart to one side or be trod upon by a half-dressed man bursting from the house. With one hand the man held up his breeches as he ran; in the other he clutched a stout cudgel.
As he passed the crouching woods dog, the man glanced at him. Then came a second startled look, a stumble, and a muffled curse; Pod held her breath, fearing the man would fall flat on his face. But he caught himself and staggered to a halt.
The woods dog hurtled across the stableyard to place himself between his person and this unseemly stranger. He crouched at Pod’s feet, snarling.
The man gestured at Kiga with the cudgel. His heavy black brows met in a fierce frown and his lips were set in a grim line. “ That, ” he said, glaring at Pod as if she played him a trick, “is a wolvering.”
For a moment Pod didn’t know what he meant; then she remembered “wolvering” was the southern Kelnethi name for a woods dog. She nodded. “That’s Kiga, my familiar.”
He studied her, looking, she knew, at her hair. “A girl with white hair and a wolvering.… You must be Pod.”
“I am.” She tilted her head, frowning a little. Was he a Beast Healer visiting from another chapterhouse?
Then she realized that the breeches he wore were dark green; a Beast Healer’s would be brown. Her breath caught; she thought she knew who—or rather, what —he must be. “You—you’re from— Am I—” She was so excited she couldn’t finish.
“I’m Leeston from the Healwort Guild. I arrived late last night.” He smiled, all fierceness gone. “And yes, you’re one of those chosen to go on this training journey, Pod.”
She whooped with joy and grabbed Kiga’s front paws, pulling him up into a clumsy, shuffling dance.
“We’re going, we’re going, we’re going!” she sang. “We’re going on a journey!”
* * *
A few days later, Pod stared at Leeston’s back as he rode ahead of the group of Beast Healer apprentices. She wished they weren’t so pressed for time. She would have liked to ask questions about the plants they passed. But time was in short supply; Leeston had been late getting to the chapterhouse, so now each day they rose before the sun and made camp after its setting.
This journey, Pod decided, had stopped being an adventure. Now it was just a thing to be endured. She turned in the saddle to wave at the other ’prentices strung out behind her. Darby and Marisha, riding side by side, waved back. Their familiars, Hazel and Jobbin—a squirrel and a raven—rode on their shoulders. Jeord, lagging behind, didn’t see; he was busy talking to the grey wolf loping alongside his horse.
Funny how Conor never talks about how sore his bottom gets when he goes on his journeys, she thought wryly as she turned back. He always leaves that part out. Or maybe he’s just usually not in this much of a hurry. I wonder if he’ll come back for a visit once the big horse fair in Balyaranna is over. She hoped so; she missed him.
Sighing, she kicked off the stirrups and let her legs dangle. Risla, riding alongside her, said, “Good idea.” They both groaned. Risla’s familiar, a stag named Fleet, snorted at them as if in amusement as he walked beside his
Similar Books
