see.’ I chuckled, finished my pipe and tapped the dottle onto my plate. I opened my clasp knife and reamed out the bowl. Then I opened my old baccy pouch and set about rubbing the moist flakes into shreds. ‘Sorry the cook is taking so long. It’s not good to keep hungry guests waiting.’ Jant pushed the apology away but I continued, ‘I just can’t get the staff these days. The lad’s family is from Garron Mill and the lead fumes go to their brains . . . And it’s easier to raise the dead than it is to wake that damn cook—’
But as I spoke they came in, bringing a platter of roast beef, oat bread and some beer. The bleary-eyed cook set the beef down in front of me with a bowl of horseradish - though it was the last of the market heifer and supposed to last a week - blinked innocently and departed before I could give him any more orders.
I carved it as thinly as I could, aware of Dellin’s stare, like being watched by a half-starved lion. I passed the first plate to Jant, naturally, but he gave it to her. She carefully picked up a knife and fork, watching our reactions all the time, and began to eat with them in a contrived fashion. She was copying us; she used both quite dextrously but they were certainly new to her.
Jant poured her some beer and she drained the tankard! She slammed it down, helped herself to more and gulped that too. What a feisty lass! She snatched a quick glance into the furthest corner, which was quite dark. Another glance, like a falcon, and she put her mug down. Her shoulders rounded and her head lowered; she stared into the corner. She swung her leg over the bench and, graceful but hunched, crept away from the table, so lightly she didn’t even creak the boards.
‘I don’t see anything,’ I said, but Jant put his finger on his lips. She was halfway across when - a mouse! In a flash a tiny mouse streaked towards the wall, its tail and hind legs flying.
Dellin burst into a sprint and pounced. Her arm shot out, she landed in a crouch, lunged forward and grabbed it. She settled on her haunches, brought her fist in, and sure enough the mouse was clenched there. She pinched its tail with thumb and forefinger, dangled it in front of her face and examined it from all angles. I thought she was going to drop it into her mouth and swallow it whole.
She knelt more comfortably and let it go - caught it with her other hand and giggled. She released it, deflected its path with an open palm, and snatched it up again. She played with it for a long while, laughing quietly until I began to feel quite sorry for the poor thing. Then, holding it in her fierce little fist with its struggling head poking out, she broke its neck with a flick of her thumb, just as I would flick a match. She crossed to the door and threw its broken body into the courtyard, then jogged back to the table as if nothing had happened. Jant sighed heavily. ‘Excuse her. Please.’
I tapped the pleasantly worn stem of my pipe against my teeth. ‘Excuse her? I think it’s great! Translate for me: you’re welcome to live here any time, my dear. You’re a much better mouser than our old tabby.’
Dellin said, ‘Thank you for giving us meat. One mouse would leave me hungry.’
‘Ah, there are enough mice in Marram to feed a whole army of Rhydanne. What do you think of the hall, my dear?’
‘We passed by the mines. So much metal . . . but your hall is poor.’
‘Ah. Well, Lord Fescue takes all the profit, doesn’t he? He spends it on parties in the city, and with what’s left over he renovates his own house. It’s a good deal more splendid than this.’
‘The Awians steal silver from Carniss too.’
‘Well, lady mouser, there’s nothing either of us can do.’
She made a noise deep in her throat, just like a growl, which discouraged me from questioning her further. Just because she was with Comet didn’t mean she wasn’t dangerous. I filled my pipe,
But as I spoke they came in, bringing a platter of roast beef, oat bread and some beer. The bleary-eyed cook set the beef down in front of me with a bowl of horseradish - though it was the last of the market heifer and supposed to last a week - blinked innocently and departed before I could give him any more orders.
I carved it as thinly as I could, aware of Dellin’s stare, like being watched by a half-starved lion. I passed the first plate to Jant, naturally, but he gave it to her. She carefully picked up a knife and fork, watching our reactions all the time, and began to eat with them in a contrived fashion. She was copying us; she used both quite dextrously but they were certainly new to her.
Jant poured her some beer and she drained the tankard! She slammed it down, helped herself to more and gulped that too. What a feisty lass! She snatched a quick glance into the furthest corner, which was quite dark. Another glance, like a falcon, and she put her mug down. Her shoulders rounded and her head lowered; she stared into the corner. She swung her leg over the bench and, graceful but hunched, crept away from the table, so lightly she didn’t even creak the boards.
‘I don’t see anything,’ I said, but Jant put his finger on his lips. She was halfway across when - a mouse! In a flash a tiny mouse streaked towards the wall, its tail and hind legs flying.
Dellin burst into a sprint and pounced. Her arm shot out, she landed in a crouch, lunged forward and grabbed it. She settled on her haunches, brought her fist in, and sure enough the mouse was clenched there. She pinched its tail with thumb and forefinger, dangled it in front of her face and examined it from all angles. I thought she was going to drop it into her mouth and swallow it whole.
She knelt more comfortably and let it go - caught it with her other hand and giggled. She released it, deflected its path with an open palm, and snatched it up again. She played with it for a long while, laughing quietly until I began to feel quite sorry for the poor thing. Then, holding it in her fierce little fist with its struggling head poking out, she broke its neck with a flick of her thumb, just as I would flick a match. She crossed to the door and threw its broken body into the courtyard, then jogged back to the table as if nothing had happened. Jant sighed heavily. ‘Excuse her. Please.’
I tapped the pleasantly worn stem of my pipe against my teeth. ‘Excuse her? I think it’s great! Translate for me: you’re welcome to live here any time, my dear. You’re a much better mouser than our old tabby.’
Dellin said, ‘Thank you for giving us meat. One mouse would leave me hungry.’
‘Ah, there are enough mice in Marram to feed a whole army of Rhydanne. What do you think of the hall, my dear?’
‘We passed by the mines. So much metal . . . but your hall is poor.’
‘Ah. Well, Lord Fescue takes all the profit, doesn’t he? He spends it on parties in the city, and with what’s left over he renovates his own house. It’s a good deal more splendid than this.’
‘The Awians steal silver from Carniss too.’
‘Well, lady mouser, there’s nothing either of us can do.’
She made a noise deep in her throat, just like a growl, which discouraged me from questioning her further. Just because she was with Comet didn’t mean she wasn’t dangerous. I filled my pipe,
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