He could not find a servant anywhere as they passed through silent stone corridors on the way to the outside door; that elated her even further, even as it visibly annoyed him. He was going to have to take her outside himself...He dropped the jesses, leaving them loose, as he wrestled with the massive brass-bound, wooden door, trusting in her apparent docility.
She rewarded that trust as he got the door open; a real hawk would have bolted the moment a scrap of sky showed, but she was not sure enough of her flying ability to try for an escape. The man was so fussy she was hoping he would take the time to make sure the door was closed before reaching for her jesses again.
Please, Lady of Stars, please don't let him see a servant out here... He looked about him, squinting in the light, as he emerged from behind the bulky door into the flagstoned courtyard, frowning when he found the courtyard as empty as the corridors. He held her with his arm completely extended, away from his body, as he started to shove the door closed.
YES!
She crouched and launched herself into the air, wings beating with all her might, just as she had practiced. With a cry of despair, Daelon made a grab for her dangling jesses-But it was too late. She flung herself into the freedom of the blue sky, putting every bit of her strength into each wingbeat, exaltation giving her an extra burst of power, as Daelon dwindled beneath her, waving in wild despair.
*Chapter wenty-three
Skif sat very quietly in his corner of the gryphons' lair and made up his bedroll with meticulous care. Elspeth had complained a few days ago that she felt as if she were being written into a tale of some kind. Now he knew how she felt. Strange enough to see gryphons this close-but to be rescued by them, hear them talk-No one at home is ever going to believe this.
The fighting had been real enough, and he'd seen plenty of misshapen things in the ranks of Ancar's forces. Too many to be surprised by the creatures that had been sent against them. But talking gryphons, Hawkbrothers No, they're going to think we made this up.
He tried not to show his fear of the gryphons, but one of his friends was an enthusiastic falconer, and he knew what a beak that size, and talons that long, could do.
The bigger of the two gryphons was already inside the roofed-over ruin when he entered it. The place was ten times larger than his room at Haven, but it seemed terribly crowded with the gryphon in it.
'Excuse me, my lady,' he'd said humbly, hoping his voice wouldn't break, 'but where would you like me?'
'Hydona,' said the gryphon.
He coughed, to cover his nervousness. 'Excuse me.
'My name isss Hydona, youngling,' the gryphon said, and there was real amusement in its voice. 'It means 'kindnessss.' You may put yourrr thingsss in that chamberrr. The Changechild will ssshow you.' That was when he noticed a girl in the next chamber over, peering around the edge of the opening; obediently he had hauled his saddlebags and bedroll across the threshold, wondering what on earth a 'Changechild' was.
Then the girl moved out of his way, and fully into the light from the outer door, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
She didn't have fur, and she didn't walk on four legs-but she had sharply feline features, slit-pupiled eyes, and the same boneless, liquid grace of any pampered housecat he'd ever seen.
He managed to stammer out a question about where he was to put his things. She answered by helping him; and that was when he noticed that once the initial shock of her strangeness wore off, she was very attractive.
Quite pretty, really.
He smoothed his bedroll and watched her out of the corner of his eye as she brought armfuls of nest-material to put between it and the hard rock. She was more than pretty, she was beautiful, especially when she smiled.
'Thank you,' he said, just to see her smile again. Which she did, a smile that reached and warmed those big golden eyes. There hadn't been a lot of smiles out of Elspeth lately... it was nice to see one.
'Let me aid you,' she said softly, and knelt beside him to help him arrange a more comfortable bed without waiting to hear his answer. there hasn't been a lot of help out of Elspeth either, lately, he thought sourly. In fact, this girl was Elspeth's utter opposite in a lot of ways.
Quiet, soft-spoken, where Elspeth was more inclined to snap at the most innocent of questions.
'What's your name?' he asked her, as they took the opposite ends of the bedroll, and laid it over the bedding prepared for it.
