The Shadow's heir

“Mm,” Yorath grunted. “I don’t think I’d be able to. I’ve always had my family t’look out for me. . I can’t imagine what it’d be like without them.”

She paused. “Yorath?”

“Yeah?”

“What tribe are you from?”

Yorath yawned. “Deer tribe.”

“I dunno what my tribe’d be,” said Laela. “The priestess what teaches me about the Night God said I’d belong to my father’s tribe, but I don’t know what it was, so she said we’d have t’just sort’ve. . find out.”

“Ah, ye’d be Crow,” said Yorath. “For sure.”

She looked curiously at him. “Why?”

“The Crow has no moon, only darkness an’ the stars,” said Yorath. “He’s secret and mysterious; he lives in darkness an’ his black feathers hide him from anyone who tries to know him. He goes where he pleases an’ follows his own star, an’ nobody knows where he comes from or where he goes. That’s ye, Laela. All over.”

She turned it over in her mind, and then smiled. “I s’pose it is. Crow. Huh. I like that.”

“How’s the King?”

“Better,” said Laela.

“Are ye sure?” He sounded worried. “They were saying things. . Everyone’s sayin’ he’s been crippled.”

Laela stirred. “He said he’ll walk again, an’ I believe him.”

15

Griffins

Arenadd’s prediction had been correct. Within two days, he was able to move his legs again, and on the day after that, when Laela came to visit him, she found him out of bed and walking slowly around the room with the help of a stick.

He grinned at her. “There. I told you I’d get better. Now, I think it’s time for an outing.”

Laela did her best to look calm. “Are yeh sure yer ready t’go anywhere?”

“Yes, yes, of course,” he said, waving her into silence. “Now, let’s go. Skandar will want to see me.”

Ignoring the protests of the healers, he limped out of the room. Laela followed.

“Keep close to me,” he said. “I might need you to support me again.”

“I will.”

It was a slow journey up to the King’s chamber, but Laela kept pace with him as patiently as she could.

“Sire-Arenadd, I mean-can I ask yeh somethin’?”

“Of course you can.”

“Do yeh know who did it?” she said. “Who attacked yeh-did that to yeh?”

Arenadd winced as he took another step. “No. And he won’t be easily caught. He planned it very well.”

“We’ve gotta catch him, though,” Laela said in angry tones. “What he did to yeh was unspeakable. If I could find him, I’d have him hung an’ quartered.”

“Would you now.”

“Yeah, I would. Did yeh see him, though? Do yeh know what he looked like?”

“He was working with someone at the tavern,” said Arenadd. “I know that much. I only had one drink while I was there. One. And trust me, it takes a lot more than one drink to do that to me. It must have been drugged. By the time the bastard caught up with me, I could barely see straight. I only saw him very faintly.”

Laela shivered. “What’d he look like?”

“Scarred,” said Arenadd. “Horribly scarred, on the face. I heard him say something-he said the name Gryphus.”

“An’ later he shoved a bit of cloth with a sunwheel on it in yer mouth,” said Laela. “I pulled it out.”

Arenadd paused. “I see. So I wasn’t imagining it. Well, a sun worshipper could easily have done something like that. There’s not one single man or woman among them who doesn’t hate me. But how he managed to hide in my city. . that’s another question.”

“He’d be easy t’find, though, wouldn’t he?” said Laela.

“Not necessarily. He’ll have left Malvern by now, for certain. I already sent guards to the Blue Moon to ask some very blunt questions, but it seems the woman who gave me the drug has suddenly disappeared, and the owner hasn’t the slightest clue where she went or whether she had anything to do with what happened. So unless we find some other clue, it looks like our would-be assassin has escaped.”

“We’ll find him one day,” said Laela.

“I hope so.” Arenadd’s mouth tightened. “I have a few things I’d like to share with him. Most of them are sharp. But not too sharp.”

When they got to Arenadd’s chamber, he paused only very briefly to change into a fresh robe and boots, and then led the way out through the curtain that Skandar had appeared through on that first night.

Laela followed, intrigued.

On the other side of the curtain was a griffin’s nest. She had seen a few by now, but this was something else.

It was full of straw, of course, and there were stray feathers scattered about the place. But there were heaps of gold coins and gemstones heaped in the corners, and sumptuous tapestries and banners hung from the walls. It was ten times more luxurious than the King’s bedchamber-in fact, it was the most overdecorated room Laela had seen in the entire Eyrie.

She waded over to the water trough and nudged it with her foot. “Is this thing made out of gold?”

“Gold-plated wood,” Arenadd said absently. “He demands the best, Skandar does. And I make sure that he gets it.”

“I noticed,” said Laela. “Good gods, all this for a-”

“Skandar isn’t just an animal,” Arenadd said sharply. “Never let me hear you say that again, Laela. No, he’s not human, and he’s not the brightest star in the sky, but he’s as much of a person as I am. I owe him a lot, and so does this city. A little luxury isn’t much to ask in return.”

Laela drew back. “I’m sorry, I was just surprised.”

“I suppose you’ve got every right to be,” he admitted. “Now then, let’s see where the old rogue’s got to.”

He limped away through the opening in the opposite wall and out onto the balcony. There, he tucked his walking stick under his arm, cupped his hands around his mouth, and let out an unearthly shriek.

Laela cringed. It sounded like he was trying to mimic a griffin’s cry-in other words, it was a horrible noise that made her want to cover her ears. When he followed it up with another shriek, she did just that.

Arenadd continued to send out his call for some time before he lowered his hands and took a few steps back. Laela, venturing closer, heard an answering shriek from somewhere outside.

A moment later, Skandar arrived-landing on the balcony with a thump that shook the floor and nearly made Laela throw herself flat to save herself.

The giant griffin folded his wings and rushed at Arenadd, so fast and violently that it looked as if he were attacking. But a moment later, Arenadd was scratching his partner under the beak and talking rapidly to him in griffish, while Skandar cooed and nudged at him, like a cat asking to be petted.

Laela watched them with a bemused expression that vanished when Skandar suddenly looked up at her.

The griffin’s eyes were silver and full of untamed ferocity.

“Stay calm,” said Arenadd, as Skandar took a step toward her. “He just wants to look at you. Stand still and let him. He won’t hurt you unless he thinks you’re an enemy.”

Laela stood as still as she could and kept her jaw clenched while the giant griffin sniffed her up and down. His breath was hot and smelt of old meat, mingled with the musty smell of his feathers. He shoved her carelessly while