The Chick Is In The Mail

even felt the whip.

Sabre gave a small sneeze of frustration and pawed his head again. He never wore bramble-guard… because he could never stop himself from chewing it to bits.

'There should be two,' Taliya said breathlessly, leaving Shiba's man to handle the magic smuggler as she kicked the whip well out of reach and dropped to her knees beside Sabre. Her long, tawny braid fell over her shoulder to brush the top of his head. 'There, now, son. Got you a good one, didn't he?'

Despite himself, desperately wishing Shiba's sharp brown gaze pointed elsewhere, Sabre whined in response. Hurts. And when Taliya soothed him, he wagged his tail in silly submissive little jerks and whined again. Couldn't help it. Never could, where Taliya was concerned.

Shiba looked away as though embarrassed for the both of them.

'Well, there's only the one,' Shiba's man-Tallon, that was his name-said, sounding frustrated. 'The other must've gotten away. Sons of bitches, taking a whip to him-'

Taliya looked up from Sabre, who'd managed to insinuate himself into her lap, even though she was kneeling and had no real lap of which to speak. 'How'd you train her for that? These dogs don't have an aggressive hair on their bodies, not when it comes to people.'

Tallon shook his head, still pensively looking off in the direction in which the smuggler had escaped. 'Didn't train her. Ever since the critter-based magic smuggling ring last fall, she's been impossible to keep off dangling things-laundry, ropes, hair, you name it. She's got a real grudge against the ugly things-and you know the way their tails hang down when they're treed. I don't hang my socks out to dry where she can reach them anymore.'

The other side had concocted their scheme knowing that the linehounds were trained off critter trail, and had used the critters to carry minor magics and amulets, hoping to confuse the hounds. Only pups took a second sniff at critter trail-and any adult dog caught chasing them was retired. It had nearly happened to Shiba, Sabre knew.

'They all hate the critters,' Taliya said mildly, which was true enough-no polite linehound would even think their true name, but used only the nickname commonly applied by humans.

'Shiba more than most, these days.' He looked after the escapee and shook his head. 'Damn.'

Taliya nodded at Shiba. 'Is she sound? Send her on.'

Tallon shook his head. 'We've near reached the border already. I won't send her into that alone.'

But she would have gone. Even Sabre could see that. And he would have joined her. That's what they did, the linehounds-patrolled the border between Ours and Theirs, sniffing out magic smugglers who wanted to contaminate Ours with Theirs.

'Smart man,' said the captive, derisive despite the newly applied restraints. 'You be smarter, you'll give up on those damn curs right now. They do you no good, soon enough.'

Tallon silenced the man with an intense look; Taliya swapped her appraisal from Shiba to her lineman, impressed. Sabre lifted his nose to the subtle scent of new magic, a strange, rich magicsmell he'd not encountered before. He couldn't sort it out.

He looked at Shiba, but she'd rediscovered the whip and snatched it up to administer a kill-the-rat death shake. The tolerant affection on Tallon's face gave Sabre a funny itchy feeling-except he couldn't quite figure out where the itch was, only that it was subtle and as invasive as a tick creeping across belly flesh.

Whipped. Embarrassed. Itchy.

More than a good linehound could take. Sabre hid his aching head under Taliya's arm.

* * *

Rumors flew. Sabre heard them when Taliya brushed him down-curried him, actually, massaging him while bringing the dirt up on his short, slick coat.

'Something big going on,' Taliya told him, knocking the brush clean against the side of their well-appointed log cabin. The line cabins ran along the border between Theirs and Ours, all more or less identical dwellings-if you didn't count the personal touches the linemen added.

Taliya had added plenty. Nice curtains-even if there was no one in these woods to close them against-a special platform for Sabre's food bowl, a niche below the raised porch for his cool summertime bed. He slept in the cabin with her, anyway.

Sabre applied a hind foot just behind his ear, still looking for that itch, not concerned with Taliya's gossip; the sound of her voice was enough. He paused, examining his foot-yep, still his-noted the continuing presence of the itch, and tried again, this time on his cheek, careful not to poke himself in the eye.

'Something they think will put us out of business, Sabre-old-boy.'

Sabre-old-boy. One of his favorites. He stopped scratching again to pant happily at her. Early morning summer sunshine, just been brushed, about to go on patrol… Yes. Happy. He nibbled absently at his shoulder. And at some point he became aware of Tallon's approach, Shiba with him…

Not important. Maybe if he pretended they weren't there, his morning would stay just between him and Taliya. So he nibbled, even catching wind of the strange human with them, and didn't warn Taliya-though he was sorry when she jumped at Tallon's words, and even sorrier at her look of reproach.

'Looks like it's time for a dip,' Tallon said.

As if Sabre had fleas.

'Grmph,' Sabre said, a half-hearted grumble of greeting, making it clear they weren't worth barking at. Not even the strange man… he'd had magic on him once, but no more, and besides, his hands were tied behind his back. And Shiba… she went without bramble-guards today, and her coat shone in the sun, deep glossy black.

He still didn't like her.

'Just did one,' Taliya said easily, as if no flea-born insult had passed. She even looked downright glad to see Tallon. 'Been out on patrol already?'

'Had a tip yesterday-caught this one just after dawn. We were close, so…'

'Let me get some water for Shiba,' Taliya said, picking up Sabre's dish.

Sabre's dish. 'Grmph,' he said, but no one seemed to be listening. And worse, he detected the strange new magicsmell. Shiba smelled it; she must. There-her nose twitched; she had the same puzzled look in her eye that Sabre felt on his own wrinkling brow. But she said nothing, merely took a polite drink from the water Taliya presented and stood by Tallon's side as Taliya gave him cellar-cooled tea and one of her own breakfast biscuits. And finally came to the point.

'What's this one been up to?' she asked, jerking a thumb at the sullen prisoner.

'He ditched the contraband before we reached him,' Tallon said. 'It doesn't matter. The point is more, what will he be up to? My source said he's a minor player-but he's got information. I thought you might be interested.'

Taliya grinned, a surprisingly predatory expression. Sabre stopped sniffing the air to give her his full attention. Maybe the morning had lost its happy, but it had certainly turned interesting.

'Not telling you nothing,' the prisoner grumbled, though no one had, strictly, asked. 'Don't lay a hand on me, rules say you can't.'

Taliya smiled beatifically; a slow grin spread across Tallon's face at the sight. 'I'm not going to touch you,' she said. 'Except for this.' And with two fingers on his shoulder, she guided him down. With a suspicious glance at Tallon, the man went to his knees, backed up against the house and with Tallon at his side to keep him there. 'You just wait there,' she said. 'Tallon and I are going to discuss the dogs.'

'We are?'

'We are. Sabre, son, come here.'

Sabre complied immediately, for she had her good dog voice on. He didn't like standing so close to the man, but Taliya positioned herself so he had little choice. 'Thatta boy,' she said. 'Tallon, you haven't been properly introduced to Sabre. He's the fastest thing on trail you'd ever hope to see.' Ooh, that was definitely the good boy voice. Sabre's tail waved with pleasure. 'In fact,' she said, her voice going positively gooey, 'he's the best linehound I ever hope to be with. He's such a good boy.'

Oh, joyful! Sabre's tail whipped the air, impeded only by something soft and yielding and inconsequential. He ignored the strangled noises behind him; all that mattered was Taliya. His linewoman, cooing at him, admiring him, praising him… oh, delight! His tail exploded into frenzied activity.

'I'll talk! I'll talk! Just get that dog away from me!'

Startled from his Taliya-worship, Sabre glanced back to discover the man had turned a strange shade of pale green and was all hunched over, hands still tied behind him. He gave the distinct impression that he was trying to cover his groin with his elbows.

Somehow, he nearly succeeded.

Taliya gave him a partial reprieve. 'Sit, Sabre,' she said, and Sabre plunked his bottom down, his tail sweeping back and forth across the earth. She put her hands on her hips and cocked her head at the man. 'Talk, then. Make it good. I still haven't said hello to Shiba.'

'No, nono-have mercy! I'll tell you what I know! It's not much-'

'Just talk,' Tallon growled, but Sabre thought he hid a smile.

'All I know… it's gonna happen soon. They've got a way to smuggle in a receiver spell, and once it's in, they'll trigger the other half from over the border. It'll make a safe corridor, one the dogs can't detect-they'll be able to bring magic right through.'

Taliya and Tallon exchanged a glance. 'How're they going to get the first spell through?' Tallon said. 'How are they so sure they'll get it past the dogs?'

'I don't know,' the man said, but he'd turned sullen, and wouldn't look either of them in the eye. Or at the dogs, for that matter Shiba had inched closer, scenting the air, eyes glinting with intensity, watching Taliya, following the swaying path of Taliya's long, thick braid against her lower back.

And Sabre scented it too, that strange magic again, the one that swirled around so close to imperceptible, not attached to any one person or thing. Although…

He turned a suspicious eye on Tallon.