Ciardis who nodded. “But we need to ditch these soldiers first.”
Seraphina sat up. “I agree.”
“Then let’s see if Skarar is ready for us,” Ciardis ventured.
Seraphina nodded.
Their eyes met as the corners of their mouths raised in fierce grins.
Chapter 8
W ith a quick intake of breath—a gulp, really—Ciardis turned carefully from Seraphina to eye the griffin. Skarar hadn’t flinched when Seraphina’s father was detained by the guards behind him. Which was odd because even if a scuffle hadn’t ensued, the griffin’s acute hearing should have picked up on the presence of at least two more men approaching him. But he hadn’t. As she eyed Jason SaAlgardis in the grip of the two men, Ciardis had the funny feeling that the invisible shield in front of them had something to do with it. She couldn’t see it with her naked eye but she could feel it with her mage sight. Perhaps Skarar wasn’t aware of it. Or if he was aware, he didn’t care enough to turn to see what his ears couldn’t tell him.
He’s smart , Ciardis thought to herself. Better to take on the threat in front of you than the possibility of one behind you .
Unless you could see the future and knew the person behind you would kill you faster than the one in front of you, it was her philosophy to take the one in front first as well.
As she watched Jason SaAlgardis’s mouth move angrily she had to admit that an outside threat didn’t seem so imminent now. The soldiers weren’t harassing or hurting him. It would seem they were true to their leader’s words earlier, she thought as she flashed back on what the captain had said: “We don’t want to hurt anyone.” She couldn’t say the same about a young griffin. Then again, if she had been overcome by fear, bound by ropes, and surrounded by strange beings she might have lashed out too.
Ciardis watched to see if Jason SaAlgardis would be able to negotiate something, anything , before she needed to get within striking distance again but his expression didn’t look too promising.
The soldiers surrounding him looked furious and determined not to let him loose.
The shield stayed in place.
He stayed in custody.
An uneasy truce reigned.
Ciardis turned her focus on the creature Seraphina was still staring at with slumped shoulders. The girl looked back at her semi-hopefully. Ciardis grimaced and decided to do her part in this mad plan.
With a soft voice, Ciardis coaxed the griffin. “Skarar? Skarar, we’re here to help you.”
The young griffin lowered himself as close as he could against the ground. He shivered like a ball of feathers and looked so pitiful that Ciardis wanted to gather him up in her arms. The fact that he was almost bigger than her, had sharp claws, and an even sharper beak kept her back. One life-threatening injury was enough.
Seraphina began to edge forward. With careful, cautious movements she managed to get closer.
Skarar eyed the young human female with piercing eyes. Waiting for something.
For her to attack him? Ciardis wondered.
It didn’t seem very likely. But a lot about this day didn’t.
He didn’t move though. Seraphina kept creeping forward until her hand hovered just over the crown of his head and she lowered her palm to softly pet the feathers on top. To Ciardis’s astonishment, a croon rather than a cry echoed from Skarar’s beak. The sound he made was very strange.
It sounds like an owl with the purr of a kitten , thought Ciardis.
When Skarar tilted his head into Seraphina’s head until her fingers were forced to slide down into the dense ruffle of his neck and his head bumped against Seraphina’s flat chest, Ciardis breathed a sigh of relief. If he was taking comfort in Seraphina, the crisis was almost over.
Seraphina lowered her chin to rest it on Skarar’s head and spoke to him. “It’s all right, Skarar. You’re all right. The bad men are gone. This woman’s going to help us get these ropes off and then we’re going to take
Seraphina sat up. “I agree.”
“Then let’s see if Skarar is ready for us,” Ciardis ventured.
Seraphina nodded.
Their eyes met as the corners of their mouths raised in fierce grins.
Chapter 8
W ith a quick intake of breath—a gulp, really—Ciardis turned carefully from Seraphina to eye the griffin. Skarar hadn’t flinched when Seraphina’s father was detained by the guards behind him. Which was odd because even if a scuffle hadn’t ensued, the griffin’s acute hearing should have picked up on the presence of at least two more men approaching him. But he hadn’t. As she eyed Jason SaAlgardis in the grip of the two men, Ciardis had the funny feeling that the invisible shield in front of them had something to do with it. She couldn’t see it with her naked eye but she could feel it with her mage sight. Perhaps Skarar wasn’t aware of it. Or if he was aware, he didn’t care enough to turn to see what his ears couldn’t tell him.
He’s smart , Ciardis thought to herself. Better to take on the threat in front of you than the possibility of one behind you .
Unless you could see the future and knew the person behind you would kill you faster than the one in front of you, it was her philosophy to take the one in front first as well.
As she watched Jason SaAlgardis’s mouth move angrily she had to admit that an outside threat didn’t seem so imminent now. The soldiers weren’t harassing or hurting him. It would seem they were true to their leader’s words earlier, she thought as she flashed back on what the captain had said: “We don’t want to hurt anyone.” She couldn’t say the same about a young griffin. Then again, if she had been overcome by fear, bound by ropes, and surrounded by strange beings she might have lashed out too.
Ciardis watched to see if Jason SaAlgardis would be able to negotiate something, anything , before she needed to get within striking distance again but his expression didn’t look too promising.
The soldiers surrounding him looked furious and determined not to let him loose.
The shield stayed in place.
He stayed in custody.
An uneasy truce reigned.
Ciardis turned her focus on the creature Seraphina was still staring at with slumped shoulders. The girl looked back at her semi-hopefully. Ciardis grimaced and decided to do her part in this mad plan.
With a soft voice, Ciardis coaxed the griffin. “Skarar? Skarar, we’re here to help you.”
The young griffin lowered himself as close as he could against the ground. He shivered like a ball of feathers and looked so pitiful that Ciardis wanted to gather him up in her arms. The fact that he was almost bigger than her, had sharp claws, and an even sharper beak kept her back. One life-threatening injury was enough.
Seraphina began to edge forward. With careful, cautious movements she managed to get closer.
Skarar eyed the young human female with piercing eyes. Waiting for something.
For her to attack him? Ciardis wondered.
It didn’t seem very likely. But a lot about this day didn’t.
He didn’t move though. Seraphina kept creeping forward until her hand hovered just over the crown of his head and she lowered her palm to softly pet the feathers on top. To Ciardis’s astonishment, a croon rather than a cry echoed from Skarar’s beak. The sound he made was very strange.
It sounds like an owl with the purr of a kitten , thought Ciardis.
When Skarar tilted his head into Seraphina’s head until her fingers were forced to slide down into the dense ruffle of his neck and his head bumped against Seraphina’s flat chest, Ciardis breathed a sigh of relief. If he was taking comfort in Seraphina, the crisis was almost over.
Seraphina lowered her chin to rest it on Skarar’s head and spoke to him. “It’s all right, Skarar. You’re all right. The bad men are gone. This woman’s going to help us get these ropes off and then we’re going to take
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