over and bit and scratched at her until she managed to free herself, only for it to come at her again a moment later. She tried to take shelter behind Skandar, but he had moved to the other side of the room, and Arenadd was nowhere to be seen.
She started to panic.
The griffin attacked a fourth time, but it was at this point that she realised that, despite its greater strength and apparently murderous intent, it hadn’t seriously injured her at all. It was just toying with her, maybe to get as much fun out of her as it could before it killed her.
She grabbed it by the beak and pushed hard, forcing it away from her. “Get off!” she yelled. “Get away, or I swear t’gods I’ll kill yeh!”
The ridiculous threat had no effect whatsoever on the griffin, of course, which struggled to free itself and dug its talons into her even more painfully than before. Desperate now, she let go of it with one hand and jammed her thumb into its eye as hard as she could.
The griffin screamed.
The talons let go instantly, and it backed off, shaking its head violently and hissing. Laela got up and tried to run out of the Hatchery, but a knot of griffins were in the way, and when she turned back, she found the one she had hurt still there, its eye swelling and probably making it even more violent than before.
But it didn’t attack. It sat back on its haunches and rubbed its head against its flank, and then settled down to groom its feathers as if nothing had happened.
Laela checked herself for injuries, and was frankly astonished when she found nothing more than a few scratches and a shallow gash on the side of her neck. Her clothes were torn, but other than that, the griffin hadn’t done anything to her at all.
She looked around for Arenadd, but couldn’t find him.
“Arenadd? For gods’ sakes, where are yeh? What’s goin’ on? Get me out of here! I ain’t jokin’!”
There was no reply.
The griffin finished its grooming and stood up. It came toward her, but slowly this time.
Laela backed away. “Keep away, or I’ll get yer other eye next, yeh overgrown parrot.”
It ignored her and came on until it was only a few paces away from her. Then it stopped, sat down on its haunches, and dipped its head toward the floor. It said something in griffish.
Laela blinked. “What?”
“She said, ‘You are a half-breed human, but you saved the King’s life,’” said Arenadd, from behind her.
She turned sharply. “What?”
The griffin spoke on.
“‘You are clever, to have come this far and climbed so high from such beginnings,’” the King continued. “‘With help, you could go much further.’”
The griffin came closer, but it looked placid now. It lifted its head toward her face and said something else.
“‘I have tested your courage, and found you worthy,’” Arenadd translated. “‘I will go with you now and make you my human until one of us is dead.’”
Laela blanched.
The griffin nudged at her hand and made an odd cooing sound.
“Touch her,” said Arenadd. “She’ll let you do it now.”
“I ain’t touchin’ that thing!” Laela exclaimed. “The damn thing nearly killed me already; it’ll take my hand off!”
Arenadd chuckled. “Laela, if she’d wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already.”
“Well, it attacked me, anyway,” said Laela. “I ain’t gonna
“She was testing you,” said Arenadd. “To see if you were brave and strong enough to fight her off.”
Laela eyed the griffin. Its own eyes were a brilliant green and contrasted with its tawny feathers. It didn’t look as if it were going to attack again. “That was a
“Nearly all griffins do that,” said Arenadd.
Laela looked at him. Then she looked at Skandar. “Did
“Yes.”
She looked at the griffin again. It still hadn’t moved. Very slowly and carefully, she reached toward it. The griffin made no move. Finally, Laela put her hand on its head and left it there. The griffin’s only response was to blink.
“Stroke her,” said Arenadd. “You don’t have to be too gentle; she won’t mind.”
Emboldened, Laela began to move her hand-running her fingers through the griffin’s head feathers. The griffin closed its eyes and crooned.
“You see?” said Arenadd. “She likes it!”
Laela kept her hand on the griffin’s head as she looked at him. “Yeh mean this griffin’s. . mine?”
“Don’t ask me, ask her,” said Arenadd.
Laela looked at the griffin. “Are yeh. . uh. . are yeh my griffin?”
The griffin rasped back.
“‘You are mine,’” Arenadd translated. “‘From this day, you shall go where I go and do all that I ask, as a human should. You shall clean my talons, bring me my food, translate for me, give me treasures, and clean my nest.’”
“Oh yeah? An’ what do I get back?” said Laela, hiding her bewilderment with sarcasm.
“‘Everything.’”
Laela gave up. “This is. . this is ridiculous. I can’t be a griffiner!”
“Why not?” said Arenadd.
“I ain’t no noble, I ain’t rich, I ain’t powerful-I ain’t nobody!” said Laela. “That’s why! I only just learned how to say ‘my favourite colour is blue,’ for gods’ sakes!”
“But you’re very high in the King’s confidence,” Arenadd pointed out. “You’re obviously a girl who’s going somewhere. And with a griffin beside you, you’ll go a lot further. And you showed a lot of courage. She likes that.”
Despite herself, Laela felt a blush of pride on her face. “Well.” She looked at the griffin again, with a new appreciation. “What’s yer name, griffin? I’m Laela.”
The griffin stood taller.
“Oeka,” said Arenadd. “‘Greeneyes.’”
“Oeka,” Laela repeated. “Oeka.”
The griffin clicked its beak at her. “Leeeeaela.”
Laela grinned. “That’s Lady Laela now, Oeka.”
16
Laela left the Hatchery and felt a deep and wonderful thrill of excitement when Oeka followed her. With the small griffin at her heels, she went back toward her quarters.
On her way, she ran into someone she recognised-and recognised in a way that made her feel sick with fright.
She halted. “Lord Torc.”
He eyed her cautiously. “Laela. Where are you going. .?” He trailed off as Oeka appeared around a corner. The tawny griffin came to stand beside her human, and a look of open bewilderment showed on the face of the Master of Law. “What. .?”
Laela’s mouth curled. “This is Oeka,” she said, savouring every word. “My griffin.”
