Heart Fortune

Del looked over at them, relief on her face. Raz appeared to be hiding amusement.

“What is your concern?” Glyssa puffed out.

Lepid shifted his intense stare from the couple to fix on Glyssa. Though he sat still, Glyssa felt wild excitement coursing through him, and through their bond.

“Your Fam, and Maxima’s”—Raz used a low, resonant voice—“have volunteered to explore the ship.”

I am small and agile and FAST, Lepid broadcast mentally, added a yip. Keeping from hopping to his paws and dancing around was killing him.

I am smaller than he, equally agile, and smarter. Carolinia the FamCat lifted a paw and licked it. She sent a private telepathic warning to Lepid telling him to stay calm that Glyssa caught the edge of, though the mental stream was in interesting images with bright-colored emotional tones that she’d never have imagined.

“The ship is very dangerous,” Glyssa said, a little weakly.

“And very dark,” Del warned. “A darker place than either of you have ever been.”

Lepid sat up straight. I have been in housefluff and mocyn warrens. They are dark and narrow.

Glyssa found her own surprised expression mirrored in Del’s. Glyssa shrugged. “Ah, maybe at D’Ash’s adoption office?”

Carolinia gave Lepid a cold stare. No wonder they wanted you out of T’Ash Residence.

I can make a spell light with Flair! Lepid proudly demonstrated a weak spellglobe.

The cat followed suit with a very bright spell light. Carolinia lifted her head. I repeat, I am smart. I am older than the fox, more experienced.

“What do you think, Maxima?” asked Raz gently.

The girl’s face had crumpled into fear, but Glyssa thought she saw pride in her eyes. “I don’t know. I should think on this.” Her parents shared a look, as if both of them were the kind who made quick decisions.

“Glyssa?” Del asked.

“No!” someone shouted. “The first things to really explore the ship should not be animals. They should not be able to see the wonders, maybe pick up a treasure or two, before humans!”

Everyone turned to see Andic Sanicle pushing through the crowd, his face angry. “This expedition is for people, not animals. They don’t get paid.”

Carolinia stared at him, claws extended from her lifted paw. I am compensated.

“You’ve got it all wrong, Andic,” Trago yelled. “Let the animals go in first, take all the dangerous chances . . . losing them isn’t as bad as losing people.”

Glyssa gasped, heard Maxima, too. She whirled toward the man. “How dare you think—”

“Maxima,” Raz said in a father-tone.

The girl quieted, but glowered at Trago.

“Familiar Companions are loved and valued members of Families,” Raz said. “We do not risk their lives more readily than humans.”

“That’s right,” Glyssa said.

“We thought to attach viz recordspheres to our courageous Fams.”

The crowd hummed in approval. Del turned to Glyssa. “And I have a question for you, GrandMistrys Licorice. Can you translocate Lepid to you if he gets in trouble?”

Anxiety riffed through Glyssa. She caught her breath. “I am good with translocation of objects,” she said. “But Lepid and I have not practiced translocating him, bringing him to me when I need to.”

“We all know that. He gets in trouble all the time when you’re not around,” someone said. The camp laughed.

So that afternoon she and Lepid practiced teleportation and translocation along with Maxima and Carolinia.

After the practice she believed he was too tired to get into too much trouble and allowed him to visit Jace and Zem for the evening while she worked.

Tried to craft the story. The field report was going fine.

She’d finished transcribing all of Hoku’s journal from the time he was on the ship, had helped with the founding of the town they’d hoped to live in, and the tragic disappearance of Lugh’s Spear. She knew the events well, but that was all. She wanted to write it from Hoku’s point of view.

After a futile septhour, she flung the writestick aside. Why did she think she could get into a man’s head? She couldn’t even understand Jace, and she had a bond with him. She had definitely misread him from the beginning.

She stared at her pitiful sentences and gulped, then her mouth dried. This story was terrible. She would fail her friend. She would fail her field study.

She was doomed.

Sixteen

Zem huddled on his perch, not looking good even in the predawn light. Jace strode to him, picked him up. What’s wrong?

I am very hungry, FamMan. I must eat often . . . and I haven’t been. I am . . . failing.

Guilt, fear, roared through Jace. “I’ll think of something. Lepid hasn’t been helping.”

He does some, but he is young and easily distracted.

“We’re heading to the mess tent, now. Myrtus Stopper will already be preparing for the first breakfast shift. And I’ll talk to him about allowing you in by yourself. Can you allow him to feed you?”

A dry cackle. I . . . will . . . try. I do not like him . . . much. He has . . . stuff . . . on his hands and . . . wants . . . to pet . . . me. Bad . . . for . . . feathers. But I . . . do . . . not . . . think I can . . . get . . . to . . . that place . . . alone.

They were outside Jace’s tent now, in the cool morning, moving along a path to the main road that would hold six across. Jace walked rapidly, kept his stride smooth.

Maxima’s cat appeared and sat in the middle of the path and Jace jerked to a halt.

Greetyou, Bayrum, the little cat said mentally. Her mouth was full of mouse, not that she was one to verbalize much.

Impatient, but not willing to be discourteous, Jace said, “Greetyou, Carolinia.”

Greetyou, BirdFam Zem, Carolinia said, eyes wide with curiosity.

Greetyou, CatFam, Zem said.

I heard you, Zem, Carolinia said. I was playing with this mouse, but you can have him. He is nice and fat from grains in the stable. She opened her mouth and the mouse dropped. It lay there for a second, then rolled to its feet.

Zem dove from Jace’s shoulder, click, snick, snap! He crunched and swallowed the mouse. Good. I thank you, Carolinia, Zem said, tilting a bit on the ground due to his injured wing.

Jace checked his own hands for any contaminants that might harm his companion, then picked Zem up, cradled him in his arm. “Thank you, Carolinia.”

You are both welcome. She blinked at Jace. You will continue to sneak me clucker in the mess tent. And egg, now. And cheese, too. I particularly like cheese.