Heart Fortune

Sanicle straightened, grinning, and wiped his eyes on his shirt sleeve. He was dressed in sturdy work clothes, not like a man who faced unknown dangers in the wilderness. He carried no weapon.

She was ready for a damn ball.

“Well done, GrandMistrys,” he hooted. He didn’t mean it. He thought surprising her was funny, her reaction funnier still. She wanted to slap him.

“I’m sorry I overreacted,” she said, not meaning her words, either.

“My fault,” he said cheerfully, looking as if he still enjoyed her original distress and her reaction. “I couldn’t resist, you looked so citified here on the hill in the dawn. Just . . . unique. Everyone comes here.”

Glyssa shrugged. “I am not sure how long it will take for my city appearance to transmogrify into something more like the rest of the staff.”

His lips twitched, he ducked his head. “Um-hmm.”

Lepid bounded up the last few paces of the hill. What is wrong?

Glyssa stretched her lips in an unamused smile. “GentleSir Sanicle”—and that form of speech was a misnomer—“gave me a slight scare.”

That is not good. Lepid nudged her leg with his nose, leaving a smear on her clean trous. She actually liked that, wouldn’t look so prissy when she returned to camp. From here, she saw plenty of people stirring. She rubbed Lepid’s head.

Her fox focused his glare on Sanicle. You made me lose my mocyn with your stupid human noise! Lepid accused.

Sanicle frowned as if he barely heard the Fam. Lepid snapped his teeth.

Don’t bite him! Glyssa ordered.

Lepid gave the man a disgusted look. I am going back to camp to the breakfast tent. My mouth was set for more food. With a whisk of his tail, Lepid shot sure-footedly down the hill.

“What’d he say?” asked Sanicle, but not as if he cared.

“He was chasing a mocyn who got away.”

“Oh, too bad. Let’s head back to the camp.” Sanicle smiled. Was that smile supposed to be charming? Had he had a lot of success using it on women?

Glyssa nodded. Her quiet moment was broken, and as cowardly as it was, she didn’t want to be out of the camp alone. “Of course,” she said.

She looked for the path, but it curled around the bottom of the ridge. She supposed people and animals went up the hill as they pleased, to one end or another of the rise . . . or the middle where she and Sanicle stood. Halfway down the hill, her feet slipped on dewy grass. Sanicle caught her before she fell on her derriere, steadied her and tucked her arm inside of his.

“Let me take your arm,” he said, without letting go.

* * *

Jace watched Lepid race into the tent, tongue lolling, skidding to a stop before Myrtus, where he wiggled. You can pet me, wonderful cook!

“Huh.” But Myrtus bent down and rubbed the fox. Lepid yipped in pleasure, rolled over to his back, exposing his white belly, and the cook continued to pet him, grinning. When he was done, he looked at Zem, ordered “Cleanse,” again for his hands, then held them out to the BirdFam again. “Foxes are nice,” Myrtus said, nudging a still lying, all paws in the air, Lepid with his foot, “but hawkcels are majestic, unusual Fams.”

Zem bent his head. Thank you, Myrtus. His eyes gleamed and he looked healthier. A small breath like a burp came from the bird. I am done now and would like a nap in our tent.

Lepid sat up, offered his paw. I would like the rest of his furrabeast bites!

The plate didn’t hold many, but Jace gave it to Myrtus, who flicked each at the fox and laughed when he caught them in his mouth.

“All gone,” Myrtus said. “And I know your FamWoman feeds you well, Lepid, and that you hunt. You don’t want to get fat.”

I am a young and growing fox, Lepid said, his expression still hopeful.

“Enough of you, take yourself out of my mess tent.” Myrtus waved him away, but his tone was cheerful.

“Hmm,” Jace said. “Just a minute, Lepid.” Jace bent down and stroked the fox, found his collar. “Maybe you could transport Zem here to eat when he gets hungry and I am working.” Pray to the Lady and Lord that Jace would get back down into the ship, or doing something more with his hands.

“Let’s try an experiment.” Jace held his arm out for Zem, when the hawkcel climbed onto it, he lowered his Fam to Lepid’s back. Showed the bird Lepid’s collar that he could curve his claws over.

Very quietly, gliding more than walking, Lepid went to the door of the tent and through it. There weren’t very many people in the mess hall, but those who were there, clapped at the trick.

Jace caught up with the two Fams just outside the door.

Want up! Zem fluffed his feathers. I do not like being so low to the ground. Bad.

Lepid yipped. It is fine! I can slink and run through low holes and hide under bushes!

Bad, Zem repeated.

“That won’t work, then.” Jace picked his Fam up and put Zem on his shoulder, and got a wave of satisfaction from his companion through their link.

I am a bad stridebeast, Lepid said, but he sat and his eyes showed amusement. I will hunt and get more food for you, Zem.

That sounded good, as did the cat Carolinia’s offer, but Jace wouldn’t forget again that he should be the main source of food for his Fam until Zem could hunt for himself.

Jace considered. “I could translocate you.” He wasn’t great at that, or teleporting, and it took a lot of energy, but he could do it. Better start practicing more, in any event.

Why would anyone want to teleport when they could fly? Zem asked.

“Good point, but you can’t fly just yet,” Jace said. “And I think I could teleport us farther than you could fly.”

Running is BEST, Lepid said, and took off.

* * *

Glyssa fumed when Sanicle took her arm, but didn’t protest. She was such a coward, fearing the wilderness so close to the camp.

“So, did you like the sunrise?” Sanicle asked.

“Beautiful.”

“It is, and that’s a good spot to see it. Almost as nice as the lake that’s close. I’ll have to take you there sometime. Pretty blue. Bluer than the Great Platte Ocean next to Druida. Though not as blue as the Deep Blue Sea.” He glanced down at her and gave her another practiced smile. His teeth were white and even. “The Elecampanes usually give us all a couple of weeks off at the end of the season and Del runs a trip to the Deep Blue Sea. You should go.”

“That sounds nice,” Glyssa said. She frowned. “How soon do you think the season will end?” She hadn’t been here that long, wasn’t nearly ready to leave. Though her field trip report and the transcription of Hoku’s journal consisted of many pages, her story remained pitiful. She pursed her lips in irritation at herself. She didn’t know what to do to fix that.

“When will the season end? Depends on when the steady rains come.” He glanced around at the trees, the sky. “We might have almost two more months . . . or not. I don’t think the Elecampanes will leave this year until winter really sets in, there’s too much going on.”

“You’re assigned to Squad One, people going down into the ship,” Glyssa said.

“Yeah.” This time his smile came and went. No one had gone down into the ship since the explosions except a daily run by Lepid and Carolinia that brought back images of the first section of the corridor.

Del D’Elecampane had begun a map showing every item, box, sack, and odd belonging in the outer room and hallway.