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 FINE TALENT
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, both in appearance and in the way people behave.”
“I don’t think I want to go to one of those.”
“N’Rae, you will learn that a quest, by its very nature, generally takes you to a lot of places you would rather not go.”
N’Rae stopped short and pulled her hand away from his light grasp. “You think I’m pretty stupid, don’t you?”
Oh, great! I didn’t mean to be so condescending. It’s a trait Kale tried to hammer out of me. And Sir Dar. And Grand Dost. And Scribe Moran. Now, I’ve offended N’Rae. He considered her indignant expression. How do I get out of this? Apologize or explain? Or both? “Not stupid, inexperienced.”
Her hands went up to rest on her hips in tight fists. Her mouth flattened into a stubborn line. “I have plenty of experience, just not in the things you seem to deem important.” She glowered at him. “How many babies have you seen born? I helped my mother deliver babies when I was six. Not high race babies, of course. But Mother said ropma babies arrived in the same manner as an o’rant or a doneel or any of the others.”
Bardon spoke in a calm voice. “You’re right, N’Rae. I have never been at the birthing of a baby. I’ve seen a litter of kittens born. Does that count for anything?”
“Not much.” She still glared. “And I can forage and keep myself alive in the wilderness.”
“Now, I can do that.” Bardon smiled, trying to get past her anger. “I’m sure we will be very useful to each other as we trek across Amara.”
“I know medicinal plants and how to use them.”
“I only know a few of the most common ones.”
N’Rae relaxed a bit at that remark. “I can hide, and I can track.”
“Again, very useful.”
“Are you patronizing me? Mother always said patronizing the ropma was rude, even if they were like little children.”
“Not in the least. It’s good to know in which areas I will be able to depend on you.”
She studied his face for a moment, as if trying to read his true feelings. Bardon’s years of keeping his expression neutral served him well with this prickly young emerlindian.
She looked away. “And I have very acute hearing.”
“Probably developed by conversing with Mistress Seeno.”
Her head whipped back so she could see his face. After only a glance, a twinkle came to her eyes, and she laughed. Smiling broadly, Bardon took her hand and tucked it back in the crook of his arm. They walked out of the market district, through a well-kept residential area, and into the country. Hoddack’s farm was only a mile out of Norst on the road to the sea.
Less than an hour later, they bypassed the larger barn near the farmhouse and went directly to the expansive paddock where the five young kindias still grazed.
N’Rae glanced at the animals and at the sod that the angry kindia had churned up with its hooves the day before.
“May I see the animal that did this?”
“I should think it would be all right. Her name is Mig. Follow me.”
The dark, cool barn smelled of hay and saddle soap. Only a faint, earthy odor of animals rose from the clean stalls. Bardon and N’Rae passed a half-dozen empty stalls before coming to the only one with an occupant. Mig thrust her head over the door and blew a welcome through her lips.
N’Rae walked up to the kindia and put her hand on the animal’s cheek. “She’s glad to see you.”
“Me? I’m the culprit who ruined her day yesterday.”
“No.” N’Rae protested with a vigorous shake of her head. Mig objected to the flying locks of blond hair. She backed away from the stall door.
N’Rae reached toward the frightened kindia. “It’s all right, girl. Come back to me. I’m sorry I startled you.”
Mig stood indecisive for only a moment before sauntering back and pushing her head against the emerlindian’s hand.
“She is happy to see you. She counts you as the one who brought her in out of the cold, provided her with fresh water and good food, and the man with strong hands, who rubs her coat.” N’Rae sighed. “She is so very content.”
Mig relaxed her neck, and her head hung close to N’Rae’s face. The emerlindian put her forehead against the animal’s broad nose.
“What are you doing?” asked Bardon.
“Gathering images. She doesn’t think in words, but in patterns of pictures.”
“You’re mindspeaking with an animal?”
“You do it with Greer.”
“That’s different.”
“Shh!”
Bardon stood silently for a while, then sat on a bale of hay. Occasionally, the beast would toss her head, but she lowered her face to N’Rae’s again each time. He w
atched the silent interchange. N’Rae’s concentration fascinated him, and the kindia’s apparent response to the girl amazed him. He had seen the meech dragon, Regidor, do incredible things, and Kale had shown Bardon talents of the mind that defied explanation. He wondered how extensive this communication was between beast and young woman. Did it come close to what happened between Greer and him?
Once N’Rae had patted Mig, told her she was a good girl, and turned away, Bardon sprang to his feet.
“What did you two talk about?”
She shook her head. “We didn’t talk. We just understood.” N’Rae raised her hands, then let them drop. “It’s too hard to explain. Let’s go see the others.”
“They’re wild.” Bardon followed her quick steps out of the barn into the paddock. “And dangerous.”
“We’ll see.” She started toward the far side of the fenced area where one kindia grazed alone. “I think I understand the pattern of their thoughts. I’ll try to show them what Mig already knows about the inside of the barn. They may want to join her without going through the struggle first.”
“That would suit me. If it weren’t for Granny Kye’s medicinal tea, I’d be back at the inn, stretched out on a bed.”
N’Rae gestured for him to stay behind and approached the lone kindia. She stopped ten feet from where it stood. It raised its head from grazing and stared toward the fence, refusing to look at this woman who invaded its territory. Its ears twitched, the only signal that the kindia disliked the presence of a person.
Bardon watched N’Rae’s back. She seemed to be doing nothing more than breathing, a deep and slow rhythm. In a few minutes, the beast turned and looked at her. Then it trotted to where she stood and lowered its head, just as Mig had done in the barn. N’Rae stroked its cheeks and neck with both hands. Bardon held his breath as she turned away from the kindia and led it right past him and toward the barn. He fell in step beside her.
“What did you do?” he whispered.
“I gave him the images Mig had given me.” N’Rae’s face beamed. “Once he’d seen the wonders of the barn, he gave up his independent desire to stand out in the cold, eating grass and drinking muddy water.”
“You convinced him with mind pictures?”
“I didn’t do much convincing.” She reached up to pat the kindia walking sedately beside her. “He’s intelligent enough to accept a better life.” She grinned at Bardon. “You still have to ride him.”
Together they put the saddle and bridle on the patient kindia. Bardon rode the circumference of the field twice and then into the barn. They chose a stall next to Mig, removed the riding gear, groomed the kindia, and gave him food and water. Ilex showed up as they worked with the second kindia that morning. N’Rae stood near the animal while Bardon hung back.
He saw the farm worker and strode over to the fence.
“We already have one in the barn,” he said.
Ilex nodded. “I saw that. I didn’t even expect to see you until late in the morning. You’re moving kinda free for someone who broke a kindia yesterday.”
“I used the liniment Hoddack gave me, and my friends have a tea that’s helpful.” Bardon rubbed his hand across his chin. “What’s wrong? Why do you look like you’ve been stepped on by one of these kindias?”
Ilex jerked his chin in the direction of the young woman who now stood face to face with a reddish-brown kindia. “She’s an emerlindian, isn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“Not sure how the master is going to react.” Ilex clicked his tongue and shook his head. “This ain’t the way he’s used to breaking his stock.”
Bardon studied the man sitting on the fence. “Why would Hoddack care as long as the animals are fit to be ridden?”
“I think I’ve mentioned before that Hoddack is a tricky one to get along with.”
“I don’t see your point.”
“Just expect him to be ornery, and you’ll be better off. She’s leading that kindia over here. What do you two do next?”
“I’ll saddle and ride him, then put him in the barn.”
“Well, I’ll go back to coddling the two that are in there. They like to hear me sing, you know.” He slipped off the fence and meandered into the barn.
By late afternoon, the barn held six contented kindias. N’Rae moved from one to the next, stroking their soft fur and looking deep into their eyes.
Hoddack marched through the open doors with Ilex following.
“I want to see this!” he shouted. “This is some kind of trick.”
Instinctively, Bardon moved so that he stood between the blustering man and N’Rae. “I assure you, it isn’t.”
The huge doors at both ends of the barn opened to the cool wind and the fading sun. Enough light poured in for the owner of the farm to inspect his stock. Hoddack stomped up and down the breezeway between the two rows of stalls. The animals watched him curiously. He slowed and came to a halt in the middle of his barn. The kindia trader removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. He put the hat back down on his head with a thump and pointed a stubby finger at Bardon.
“I hired you to sit on these animals until they broke. You haven’t done what I hired you for.”
“You offered five hundred grood for each kindia broken. Six are broken. You owe us for five. That’s twenty-five hundred grood.”
“I can do the arithmetic. But this isn’t right! How do I know this breaking is going to take? I give you the money, and tomorrow they’re all as wild as the day before yesterday.”
Bardon shook his head. “I’ve never heard of that happening. A tame kindia gone wild? Never.”
Ilex spoke up. “I haven’t either, Master Hoddack.”
The older man spun around and shook the same stubby finger at his hired help. “You keep your nose out of this.”
Ilex squinted, spat out of the side of his mouth, and jerked a nod.
Hoddack put his hands on his hips and glared at Bardon. “I’m not giving you the money tonight. If these beasts are still broke tomorrow, I’ll pay you. I’m a fair man, but I won’t take the chance that you’re not.”
With long, angry strides he reached the door and turned. “And another thing! How do I know these beasts will still run? How do I know that girl didn’t zap all the vitality out of them that makes them good stock? If they’re as meek as lambs, I’m not going to get a good price for them, and my reputation as a supplier will be shot, to boot. Come back tomorrow. We’ll see if you earned the money.”
Ilex waited until his master was out of hearing. “Come back at the crack of dawn. He’s planning a trip, and it would be convenient for him if you didn’t get here before he left.”
“Thanks, Ilex.”
“It’s nothing. I enjoyed working with you.” He tipped his hat to N’Rae. “Nice to have met you, Mistress. You have a mighty fine talent with the animals.”
“Thank you,” N’Rae answered, with a pleased smile brightening her face.
As they walked back to the inn, N’Rae chattered about the day. Bardon didn’t really listen but let the light babble wash over him like a merry piece of music. One phrase caught his attention.
“—so I think it should change.”
“I’m sorry, N’Rae. What should change?”
“Breaking the kindias. It should change to gentling, or taming, or even convincing, but breaking is too harsh. When we were finished with the kindias, they weren’t broken as if destroyed. They were happier, almost like they had realized their purpose and embraced it.”
“You are being quite the philosopher.”
“You don’t have to go to school to be smart. You do have to keep your eyes open, though. My mother always said I had good eyes.” She paused and sighed. “I wonder if Mistress Seeno will approve of what we’ve done today.”
9
THE RACE
The next morning as he topped the hill with N’Rae, Bardon saw Ilex pacing in front of the well-lit barn. The crisp dawn barely supplied enough light
for him to make out the other figures moving from the big barn near the main house to the smaller barn holding the newly broken kindias.
As they stepped into the circle of light thrown out from the open door of the barn, Bardon spoke to Ilex. “Is this the preparation for Hoddack’s trip?”
The older man jumped. “Didn’t see you coming. No, trip’s canceled. Hoddack had an idea in the middle of the night. He roused everyone a couple of hours ago. We’re going to have a race.”
“Why?”
“Hoddack thinks the kindias you broke won’t make it through the first mountain pass. Then he won’t have to pay you.”
“When does the race start, and who’s riding?”
“Eight o’clock, and the workers here on the farm. They’re all experienced kindia riders.”
“I want to speak to Hoddack.”
Ilex jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the barn. “In there.”
“Thanks.” Bardon strode into the barn bustling with activity. N’Rae followed like a shadow. Every stall had a kindia in it. Bardon counted fifteen. Men groomed the kindias and checked saddles for any signs of weakness.
N’Rae touched his arm. “May I visit with the animals?”
Bardon nodded his assent.
Hoddack came to him from the other end of the room.
“You heard about the race? I have men establishing their bonds with the kindias now. It’s a ten-mile run into the mountains, over Old Man Peak, and down the other route that lands them in rocky, no-good territory before they get to the clean run back to the farm. Should take five to six hours. A minor test of stamina for a kindia.”
“I’d like to ride, Master Hoddack.”
“In the race?”
“Yes.”
The gruff owner of the stables looked him over. “You want to be along to see there’s no foul play, don’t you? You think I might tell my boys not to push the kindias, to hold ’em back. Think I might pull something sneaky. Don’t blame you. I’d be thinking along those lines if our places were reversed.”
The older man slapped Bardon on the back. “Sure, you can ride. Just pick a mount.” He turned and shouted. “Ilex, give Squire Bardon any kindia he chooses to ride for the race. Men, I want you each to give an all-out effort to win this race. Therefore, the winner receives one thousand grood. If the squire here wins, he has to split it with the man who gave up his mount so he could race.”