your chest?”
Tunstall groaned. “Not politics, Cooper,” he said quietly. “We’re Dogs, not useless natterers.”
Lord Gershom looked at me for so long that I began to fear I had angered him. Finally he said, “That is the problem with encouraging a promising young one to learn all she can of Dog work. There will come a time when she learns the things you would prefer stayed hidden. Cooper, His Majesty has enemies, some of whom think they are more fit to govern than he is. It may be that they have chosen this way to attack him.”
“Wouldn’t it be simpler to do away with Their Majesties?” I asked.
“Not if you want to make certain His Majesty does as he is told,” Master Farmer said, his voice soft. “Think how much easier it would be, Cooper, to have a pet king.”
“But His Majesty doesn’t do whatever he likes,” I pointed out. “The Council of Nobles and the Council of Mages make it curst hard for him.”
“Us worrying over such matters won’t get our evidence packed up or the prince found,” my lord said. “The political problems are mine, Cooper. Don’t forget, this kidnapping could be the work of someone else entirely, using a rough time at court to set us on another trail. Keep your mind open.”
“Yes, my lord,” I whispered.
“Of course, my lord,” Tunstall said, giving me a gentle elbow in the ribs.
“Now rest,” my lord ordered. “I’ll rouse you when you’re needed. Nond!” he called to one of the men. “Let’s have two of the blankets for Tunstall and Cooper here!”
Master Farmer saluted us. “Enjoy your nap,” he said.
Tunstall looked at him. “My lord said you went over the things we found on the beach. Did you find anything besides whatever led you to us?”
Master Farmer shook his head. “All of them had been washed by the tide. I found nothing but your traces.”
Tunstall cursed under his breath as one of the Own’s men trotted off toward the horse lines. The soldier returned with a pair of saddle blankets in his arms. My lord Gershom had gone by then. I could see him a few yards up the bank, near the mess, talking with other men. They’d brought oiled cloth to gather up the pieces we thought we could identify. Master Farmer stood over the mess. If he was using his Gift, I couldn’t see it.
“Here you are,” the soldier called Nond said as he gave Tunstall and me each a blanket. “Gods all be thanked for the two of you,” he whispered. “I know we wouldn’t be out here if you hadn’t found his trail. You needn’t say anything,” he said hurriedly when Tunstall opened his mouth to deny it. “I know it’s all secret. I’m just grateful for the bit of hope, you see. I’ve been giving young Gareth rides on my horse for a year. I don’t know what I’d—well, never mind. I’ll make sacrifice to Great Mithros in your names, in hopes he’ll keep guiding you.” He left us, his head bowed.
“Here I thought it was Achoo guiding us,” Tunstall whispered when Nond was well out of earshot.
I punched Tunstall’s arm. “Don’t blaspheme,” I said. “You know very well what he meant.” Tunstall worshipped the hill gods, Keirnun and his two wives, Morni and Danya. He liked to poke fun at the gods of the rest of Tortall, though he did so only lightly, and never at quiet Death.
Tunstall shrugged. “I think the god would say Achoo has earned her praise this night.”
I couldn’t argue with that, so I found one of the trees with a broad spread of limbs and leaves. I wrapped myself in my blanket. “Achoo,
turun
,” I said quietly. She was still pacing to and fro along the riverbank, trying to get the scent back. She looked at me. I pointed to the ground at my side. “
Turun
. We can’t do any more just now, so get some sleep, girl.”
She walked over to me and together we lay down, Achoo grumbling in her throat. She wanted to be on the Hunt again.
“I don’t like it, either,” I told her, “but when we have a
Tunstall groaned. “Not politics, Cooper,” he said quietly. “We’re Dogs, not useless natterers.”
Lord Gershom looked at me for so long that I began to fear I had angered him. Finally he said, “That is the problem with encouraging a promising young one to learn all she can of Dog work. There will come a time when she learns the things you would prefer stayed hidden. Cooper, His Majesty has enemies, some of whom think they are more fit to govern than he is. It may be that they have chosen this way to attack him.”
“Wouldn’t it be simpler to do away with Their Majesties?” I asked.
“Not if you want to make certain His Majesty does as he is told,” Master Farmer said, his voice soft. “Think how much easier it would be, Cooper, to have a pet king.”
“But His Majesty doesn’t do whatever he likes,” I pointed out. “The Council of Nobles and the Council of Mages make it curst hard for him.”
“Us worrying over such matters won’t get our evidence packed up or the prince found,” my lord said. “The political problems are mine, Cooper. Don’t forget, this kidnapping could be the work of someone else entirely, using a rough time at court to set us on another trail. Keep your mind open.”
“Yes, my lord,” I whispered.
“Of course, my lord,” Tunstall said, giving me a gentle elbow in the ribs.
“Now rest,” my lord ordered. “I’ll rouse you when you’re needed. Nond!” he called to one of the men. “Let’s have two of the blankets for Tunstall and Cooper here!”
Master Farmer saluted us. “Enjoy your nap,” he said.
Tunstall looked at him. “My lord said you went over the things we found on the beach. Did you find anything besides whatever led you to us?”
Master Farmer shook his head. “All of them had been washed by the tide. I found nothing but your traces.”
Tunstall cursed under his breath as one of the Own’s men trotted off toward the horse lines. The soldier returned with a pair of saddle blankets in his arms. My lord Gershom had gone by then. I could see him a few yards up the bank, near the mess, talking with other men. They’d brought oiled cloth to gather up the pieces we thought we could identify. Master Farmer stood over the mess. If he was using his Gift, I couldn’t see it.
“Here you are,” the soldier called Nond said as he gave Tunstall and me each a blanket. “Gods all be thanked for the two of you,” he whispered. “I know we wouldn’t be out here if you hadn’t found his trail. You needn’t say anything,” he said hurriedly when Tunstall opened his mouth to deny it. “I know it’s all secret. I’m just grateful for the bit of hope, you see. I’ve been giving young Gareth rides on my horse for a year. I don’t know what I’d—well, never mind. I’ll make sacrifice to Great Mithros in your names, in hopes he’ll keep guiding you.” He left us, his head bowed.
“Here I thought it was Achoo guiding us,” Tunstall whispered when Nond was well out of earshot.
I punched Tunstall’s arm. “Don’t blaspheme,” I said. “You know very well what he meant.” Tunstall worshipped the hill gods, Keirnun and his two wives, Morni and Danya. He liked to poke fun at the gods of the rest of Tortall, though he did so only lightly, and never at quiet Death.
Tunstall shrugged. “I think the god would say Achoo has earned her praise this night.”
I couldn’t argue with that, so I found one of the trees with a broad spread of limbs and leaves. I wrapped myself in my blanket. “Achoo,
turun
,” I said quietly. She was still pacing to and fro along the riverbank, trying to get the scent back. She looked at me. I pointed to the ground at my side. “
Turun
. We can’t do any more just now, so get some sleep, girl.”
She walked over to me and together we lay down, Achoo grumbling in her throat. She wanted to be on the Hunt again.
“I don’t like it, either,” I told her, “but when we have a
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