named Hoddack. I earned five hundred grood. There are five more of the beasts waiting. By the end of the week, we should have three thousand grood, enough to get us started.”
N’Rae frowned. “How did you break this kindia?”
“The usual way. I sat on her until she decided I wasn’t a danger to her.”
“How long did that take?”
“A little more than eight hours.”
A knock on the door announced dinner. N’Rae opened the door, and several servants brought in trays of food and drink. They laid the food out on the table and left. N’Rae brought out Jue Seeno’s basket and set up the minneken’s tiny table and chair so she could eat with them. Granny Kye prepared a medicinal tea for Bardon’s aches.
Bardon hesitated to sit with the ladies.
N’Rae, sitting next to the minneken, giggled. “Mistress Seeno says you may be sweat and grime all over, but you labored for us, so you may sit at the table.”
Bardon nodded to the imperious little matron and sat. He enjoyed the delicious food, and the minneken decided to regale them with tales of the Isle of Kye. The squire relaxed. The tea eased his discomfort. The food filled his stomach. And the company was pleasant, not taxing his poor social skills. He noticed N’Rae held her tongue and wore a pensive expression.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as they ate crisp lemon daggarts for dessert.
“Nothing,” she answered.
“You’re thinking about something.”
She blushed. “I would like to go with you tomorrow.”
“To Hoddack’s?”
She nodded.
“Whatever for? Watching a kindia being broken may be exciting for the first fifteen minutes, but from there on out, it’s just repetitions of the same thing, over and over. You’d be bored. And it’s hot and dusty, and there’s nothing but a railing to sit on.”
With her eyes downcast, N’Rae whispered, “I may be able to help.”
Help. Did she say help?
Bardon looked to Granny Kye. The old emerlindian nodded with a twinkle lighting her brown eyes. The squire looked at Mistress Seeno.
The minneken lifted her chin. “She does have one talent. But when she saw through the chicken’s eyes, I told her just what I thought of such an ability.”
“Saw through chicken eyes?” Bardon asked as he turned back to N’Rae.
She looked up, met his eyes, and looked down. “I can communicate with most animals.” She darted a glance at Jue Seeno. “The chicken didn’t have any thoughts, but I could see exactly what she saw. It was interesting.”
“But useless!” exclaimed the minneken.
“Yes,” agreed N’Rae, “useless.”
Granny Kye scooted her chair away from the table. “Taking the child with you may yield unexpected results. She can always come back to the inn if nothing comes of it.”
N’Rae now looked at Bardon, obviously waiting for him to pass judgment on the scheme. “If it takes you five more days, the comet will be much higher in the sky. If I can help, perhaps we can leave sooner.”
“Why not?” he said, wanting to please her. “I can’t see that it could do any harm.”
8
A F INE T ALENT
The next morning, N’Rae hovered close to Bardon’s side as they walked through the bustling streets of Norst. Her expressive eyes displayed many emotions—fear, awe, and dismay chief among them. The squire kept her hand in the crook of his elbow and patted it reassuringly whenever she flinched at the noise and confusion surrounding them.
“Have you never been in a city before?” he asked.
“This one.” She leaned close to him rather than yell over the noise. “But we came in the middle of the night, went straight to the tavern, and left through the gateway.”
“That certainly didn’t give you much time to get acquainted.” Bardon swung his hand in front of him, indicating the people and shops along the street. “This is a very nice city—clean, prosperous, and populated by mostly genteel individuals. Some cities are much uglier,
N’Rae frowned. “How did you break this kindia?”
“The usual way. I sat on her until she decided I wasn’t a danger to her.”
“How long did that take?”
“A little more than eight hours.”
A knock on the door announced dinner. N’Rae opened the door, and several servants brought in trays of food and drink. They laid the food out on the table and left. N’Rae brought out Jue Seeno’s basket and set up the minneken’s tiny table and chair so she could eat with them. Granny Kye prepared a medicinal tea for Bardon’s aches.
Bardon hesitated to sit with the ladies.
N’Rae, sitting next to the minneken, giggled. “Mistress Seeno says you may be sweat and grime all over, but you labored for us, so you may sit at the table.”
Bardon nodded to the imperious little matron and sat. He enjoyed the delicious food, and the minneken decided to regale them with tales of the Isle of Kye. The squire relaxed. The tea eased his discomfort. The food filled his stomach. And the company was pleasant, not taxing his poor social skills. He noticed N’Rae held her tongue and wore a pensive expression.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as they ate crisp lemon daggarts for dessert.
“Nothing,” she answered.
“You’re thinking about something.”
She blushed. “I would like to go with you tomorrow.”
“To Hoddack’s?”
She nodded.
“Whatever for? Watching a kindia being broken may be exciting for the first fifteen minutes, but from there on out, it’s just repetitions of the same thing, over and over. You’d be bored. And it’s hot and dusty, and there’s nothing but a railing to sit on.”
With her eyes downcast, N’Rae whispered, “I may be able to help.”
Help. Did she say help?
Bardon looked to Granny Kye. The old emerlindian nodded with a twinkle lighting her brown eyes. The squire looked at Mistress Seeno.
The minneken lifted her chin. “She does have one talent. But when she saw through the chicken’s eyes, I told her just what I thought of such an ability.”
“Saw through chicken eyes?” Bardon asked as he turned back to N’Rae.
She looked up, met his eyes, and looked down. “I can communicate with most animals.” She darted a glance at Jue Seeno. “The chicken didn’t have any thoughts, but I could see exactly what she saw. It was interesting.”
“But useless!” exclaimed the minneken.
“Yes,” agreed N’Rae, “useless.”
Granny Kye scooted her chair away from the table. “Taking the child with you may yield unexpected results. She can always come back to the inn if nothing comes of it.”
N’Rae now looked at Bardon, obviously waiting for him to pass judgment on the scheme. “If it takes you five more days, the comet will be much higher in the sky. If I can help, perhaps we can leave sooner.”
“Why not?” he said, wanting to please her. “I can’t see that it could do any harm.”
8
A F INE T ALENT
The next morning, N’Rae hovered close to Bardon’s side as they walked through the bustling streets of Norst. Her expressive eyes displayed many emotions—fear, awe, and dismay chief among them. The squire kept her hand in the crook of his elbow and patted it reassuringly whenever she flinched at the noise and confusion surrounding them.
“Have you never been in a city before?” he asked.
“This one.” She leaned close to him rather than yell over the noise. “But we came in the middle of the night, went straight to the tavern, and left through the gateway.”
“That certainly didn’t give you much time to get acquainted.” Bardon swung his hand in front of him, indicating the people and shops along the street. “This is a very nice city—clean, prosperous, and populated by mostly genteel individuals. Some cities are much uglier,
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