had succeeded in grabbing his attention away from the stracca house.
Hurry, Cloot. She could step out any second.
I don’t know what else to do, Cloot replied.
Flap!
He flapped. Saxon approached. He could see the falcon now and shock was written plainly across his face. His ear was bleeding from where Cloot’s talons had scratched him. The Kloek did not care about that though.
He shook his head in disbelief. ‘Is it you?’ he asked softly, almost with reverence.
In answer, Cloot dropped from the branch and landed on Saxon’s outstretched arm. Then he jumped off and headed deeper into the cover ofthe trees. They needed to get Saxon well away from the building. Tor was relieved to see the Kloek follow.
When Cloot landed once again on his arm, they were both choked to see the Kloek begin to weep.
‘You’re safe,’ he said over and again, stroking Cloot’s head. ‘We miss you, old friend.’
I wish we could speak to him, Tor said.
No link. Cloot felt powerless. He allowed Saxon to stroke him until the Kloek chose to stop and lifted him high so he could stare at him.
‘You are magnificent, Cloot.’
Thank you, Cloot replied. He bobbed his head slightly so Saxon knew he could hear him.
It made Saxon grin through his tears. ‘And what are you doing here, bird? What is your business at a stracca house in sleazy Caradoon, eh?’
Cloot hopped about on Saxon’s arm.
‘All right, we can’t link, I take it,’ Saxon said, ‘but you can hear me and you can find a way to respond.’ Cloot flapped his wings in answer.
‘Why are you here?’ Saxon asked.
Oh Light! Cloot said to Tor. This is going to be painful.
‘Apologies. I must say that a different way,’ Saxon corrected. He frowned then said, ‘Are you looking for something?’
Cloot flapped.
‘For some one ?’
Cloot flapped again.
‘For Goth?’
Cloot could have kissed him. Instead he flapped a third time.
Bravo, Saxon, Tor said.
The Kloek frowned again. ‘So you know he lives. Let me tell you what I know, Cloot.’ Saxon sat down on the grass beneath the trees and began his story.
Tor felt great guilt, for obviously the Kloek thought he spoke only to Cloot, yet he also felt great joy just to see Saxon again.
Saxon talked intently to the falcon. ‘I accompany Herek from time to time on various missions. I get bored of palace life and prefer the open road. We were headed for Kyrakavia, which was not in our plan when we left Tal. I questioned the Prime—oh, Herek is Prime now, by the way—and he admitted something which had been kept a great secret for several years. Goth never did burn. The bitch, Xantia, aided him to escape on the eve before Tor’s execution. Herek confessed that he was so shocked to lose a prisoner that he kept the information from the King and Queen until after the stoning.
‘And then, I am told, Lorys decided that the news should be kept from the people until Goth had been recaptured. Like Herek, he expected the Shield to swiftly track down the former Chief Inquisitor and bring him to justice. When that did not happen, word was given out that Goth had died in prison, inexplicably poisoned by his own hand. The plan was to execute him in private once he was captured; to deny him the final recognition of a public execution. The whole of Tal was in such despair after Tor’sexecution that everyone believed the poisoning story; no one seemed to care what had happened to the man who brought it about…’
Saxon blinked and paused, seeming to gather himself. ‘Why did he have to die like that, Cloot? Is that why you left us? Alyssa was inconsolable for months after your disappearance at the same time as his body. You were all she had of him.’
It was Tor’s turn to feel the tumult of emotions now. Cloot soothed him quietly. Just listen.
Saxon continued. ‘Anyway, after the shame of losing his prisoner, Herek vowed to do everything he could to find Goth. And he has never given up the search. Even now, he has
Hurry, Cloot. She could step out any second.
I don’t know what else to do, Cloot replied.
Flap!
He flapped. Saxon approached. He could see the falcon now and shock was written plainly across his face. His ear was bleeding from where Cloot’s talons had scratched him. The Kloek did not care about that though.
He shook his head in disbelief. ‘Is it you?’ he asked softly, almost with reverence.
In answer, Cloot dropped from the branch and landed on Saxon’s outstretched arm. Then he jumped off and headed deeper into the cover ofthe trees. They needed to get Saxon well away from the building. Tor was relieved to see the Kloek follow.
When Cloot landed once again on his arm, they were both choked to see the Kloek begin to weep.
‘You’re safe,’ he said over and again, stroking Cloot’s head. ‘We miss you, old friend.’
I wish we could speak to him, Tor said.
No link. Cloot felt powerless. He allowed Saxon to stroke him until the Kloek chose to stop and lifted him high so he could stare at him.
‘You are magnificent, Cloot.’
Thank you, Cloot replied. He bobbed his head slightly so Saxon knew he could hear him.
It made Saxon grin through his tears. ‘And what are you doing here, bird? What is your business at a stracca house in sleazy Caradoon, eh?’
Cloot hopped about on Saxon’s arm.
‘All right, we can’t link, I take it,’ Saxon said, ‘but you can hear me and you can find a way to respond.’ Cloot flapped his wings in answer.
‘Why are you here?’ Saxon asked.
Oh Light! Cloot said to Tor. This is going to be painful.
‘Apologies. I must say that a different way,’ Saxon corrected. He frowned then said, ‘Are you looking for something?’
Cloot flapped.
‘For some one ?’
Cloot flapped again.
‘For Goth?’
Cloot could have kissed him. Instead he flapped a third time.
Bravo, Saxon, Tor said.
The Kloek frowned again. ‘So you know he lives. Let me tell you what I know, Cloot.’ Saxon sat down on the grass beneath the trees and began his story.
Tor felt great guilt, for obviously the Kloek thought he spoke only to Cloot, yet he also felt great joy just to see Saxon again.
Saxon talked intently to the falcon. ‘I accompany Herek from time to time on various missions. I get bored of palace life and prefer the open road. We were headed for Kyrakavia, which was not in our plan when we left Tal. I questioned the Prime—oh, Herek is Prime now, by the way—and he admitted something which had been kept a great secret for several years. Goth never did burn. The bitch, Xantia, aided him to escape on the eve before Tor’s execution. Herek confessed that he was so shocked to lose a prisoner that he kept the information from the King and Queen until after the stoning.
‘And then, I am told, Lorys decided that the news should be kept from the people until Goth had been recaptured. Like Herek, he expected the Shield to swiftly track down the former Chief Inquisitor and bring him to justice. When that did not happen, word was given out that Goth had died in prison, inexplicably poisoned by his own hand. The plan was to execute him in private once he was captured; to deny him the final recognition of a public execution. The whole of Tal was in such despair after Tor’sexecution that everyone believed the poisoning story; no one seemed to care what had happened to the man who brought it about…’
Saxon blinked and paused, seeming to gather himself. ‘Why did he have to die like that, Cloot? Is that why you left us? Alyssa was inconsolable for months after your disappearance at the same time as his body. You were all she had of him.’
It was Tor’s turn to feel the tumult of emotions now. Cloot soothed him quietly. Just listen.
Saxon continued. ‘Anyway, after the shame of losing his prisoner, Herek vowed to do everything he could to find Goth. And he has never given up the search. Even now, he has
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