Page 49 of Gryphon in Light

“I’m canny enough to know when someone is keeping me out of the way of senior officers,” he said bluntly. “So why did you whisk us off here, then do something to make us unavailable for a while?”

“See?” Firesong told his mate. “I told you there’s more to Hallock than a ‘simple soldier.’”

“You win. The next time you do something stupid, I will refrain from telling you that I told you so,” Silverfox muttered.

Firesong put down his cup. “I’ll skim over all the nattering that’s gone on about this expedition, because it’s been addressed and dealt with. There was some resistance when Valdemar insisted that one of theirs come along; Kel quelled that by demanding you. But then you turn up this morning with three more outsiders in tow, and—and this is the important part—a military rank. Now the Elders all want to interrogate you to figure out whose side you are on.”

“Kel’s,” Hallock said simply. “I owe him everything.”

Firesong looked to his mate, who nodded. “Just hold to that, and don’t waver, don’t elaborate. They’ll see you in the morning. Now as to the rest of you—Genni, they’d be fools to turn down a Healer’s Hand. Jefti, Nightwind wants to see you tomorrow. Ammari, Nightwind wants you along. We have spoken about Jefti’s travel with us as an assumed thing, mainly because Jefti makes Kelvren happy, but anyone could protest it. People his age are trusted, but inexperienced, and “danger” is too small a word for what we may encounter. I’m certain what she wants is to make sure that you are ready—as ready as any mother could be—to allow your son to be parted from you on a potentially dangerous quest.”

Ammari bit her lip, but nodded.

“Be honest, both of you,” Silverfox concluded. “After you speak with Nightwind, Springrain will test your abilities in the compounding shed.”

Ammari nodded, but looked pleased. Well, she did concoct that glow-dye out of Change-Circle dirt. This was at least one area where she was probably comfortable.

Hertasi swarmed in, carried off all the detritus of dinner, and swarmed out again.

“Let’s go see Kel, shall we?” Firesong suggested. “He’s been having gathers of some of the people Silverfox already selected in the evenings.”

“Lead on.” Hallock said, levering himself up from his cushion and offering his hand to Genni. “I want to know how he’s really doing.”

“Remember you said that,” Firesong replied.

Kelvren’s shelter wasn’t big enough for many guests, but that was no matter. The hertasi had created an entire outdoor space, carpeted in a moss that actually thrived when trodden upon, ringed with oil lamps for night-time meetings, and of course the ubiquitous cushions from inside scattered liberally about. Kel liked it. Lying out there was the closest he felt to being normal, and in a normal place, doing normal things. And as long as he ignored the fact that he was glowing . . .

On the other hand, he felt as if he was getting closer to the thing that Firesong wanted him to do. Create something like miniature ley-lines in himself, that would—if Firesong could pull this off—lead to something like a miniature Heartstone that he would wear. The big Heartstones that anchored Vales could hold an incalculable amount of energy; he wasn’t sure how much this one could hold, but if this all worked, not only would he not be in any danger of bursting into flames, he’d be able to share the power he gathered by flying with all the other mages in the group.

He was getting to know the non-humans who were coming—he’d resigned himself to the fact that this was not going to be anything like a rapid trip, so he was trying now to make sure they all fit together and to get possible conflicts out of the way before they became a problem.

Of course, he mused, as he took his place off to the side of the clearing, something will go wrong. But at least I can try to bring along those who will try to pull together rather than pulling apart.

Hmm. Pulling apart, like that caramel and nut bread the hertasi make. I hope they bring some tonight.

The first to arrive, as usual, was the kyree pack: three young males and a neuter, Howellerr, Rruuss, Lerrirr, and Wirrell. As with the tervardi, part of the reason the kyree were coming was to look for good places to start one or more new packs. That was why Wirrell was along; as a kyree tale-teller and historian, he had a prodigious memory, and it was unlikely he would forget anything. Kel already liked all of them. They were eager, friendly, looked on this as a chance to make their mark on kyree history, and were prepared for just about anything, including great hardship.

“Rreetings, Elvren,” said Wirrell, leading the four into the clearing. Kyree were notoriously bad at pronouncing hard consonants, but that was to be expected, given what they were working with. Mindspeech was much easier to understand, but out of courtesy, they had all agreed to speak aloud when they met, to get used to how the different species and individuals spoke.

“Greetings to the Pathfinder Pack, and good hunting,” Kel replied with the traditional salutation. “You’re early.”

“Snacks,” said Rruuss, with a snap of his jaws and a grin. “Rou rave rest snacks.”

“Rruuss is rutting on rat for rourney,” said Lerrirr with a flick of his tail. Rruuss play-snapped at him as they settled down nearest to Kel on his right. Rutting on rat? Oh! Putting on fat. While they were milling around, figuring out how they were going to arrange themselves, the two tervardi appeared. Kel couldn’t sing their proper flock-names. Gryphon voices didn’t work that way. And there were not very many humans who could either. So they went by Rililia and Lyreren. Kel thought they were a very handsome pair. The feathers that covered their bodies were tiny, with an iridescent quality to them, more pronounced on Lyreren than his mate. As usual, they raised their crests and sang their greeting. As usual, it was long. As usual, it was a lovely song, and well worth listening to. After that, they took places directly across the clearing from Kel, perching on a pair of stumps in a way that looked acutely painful, but which they had assured him was quite comfortable. Today, they had limited their body coverings to simple, light tunics that matched the subtle blues and greens of their feathers.

Then came the dyheli bachelor-herd, a couple of them pronking and prancing like kids. Ransem led them in and gave two of them a flick of his hind hooves to get them to settle down. They did obey their leader immediately, though, so Kel wasn’t particularly concerned about herd discipline. Ayshen had a lot of good things to say about Ransem, and one of them was that while he was bidding to have as much mental power as Tyrsell, he was less ready to use it, either on his fellows or on other species. Which is good. I don’t want anyone else rummaging around in my head ever again!

Last to come, and bearing the “snacks,” were the hertasi, led by a hertasi Kelvren had not expected to see again, who was chattering away to one of the five others who were going to accompany the expedition. “. . . so once Treyvan found out Kelvren had reached here safely, he asked me if I wanted to leave him and join Kel,” Pena said. “Of course I did! It’s a chance for adventure I’d never get, keeping out of sight at the Valdemaran Palace! So Treyvan contacted Firesong by teleson and they opened a Gate between them, and I popped through while Kel was still being healed.” Pena glanced over at Kel and saw he was watching and listening, and quickly changed the subject to the fact that Hallock Stavern had finally come, and brought with him more Valdemaran humans.

So that’s how Pena got here. And he wanted to be here with me. Kel felt very touched, and a little abashed. Pena had been Treyvan and Hydona’s right talon ever since they arrived at k’Sheyna Vale. That he had volunteered for this, to take care of Kel—that was something Kel had not known or expected. He felt his throat close for a moment. He coughed to clear it. And Treyvan also subtly embeds a loyal agent on the expedition. “Well, friends, knowing how gossip runs in the Vale, you probably already know that the Valdemarans are here, and at least two of them are coming with us. That would be the brave Hallock Stavern and his wife Genni, who is a Healer’s Hand.”

Rililia, the female tervardi, came alert at that. “A Healer’s Hand!” she exclaimed. “Oh, this is very good. I have wanted to learn more of that craft.”

“I don’t see why you shouldn’t be able to,” Kel said, and made sure his sigh was entirely internal. “We’ll likely be going slowly enough you should be able to gather herbs you know, and test those you don’t.”

:When are we to meet these humans?: asked Ransem.

“What about now?” said Hallock, in good Tayledras, as Firesong led him, Genni, Jefti, and Ammari into the clearing. He paused for a moment to take in the varied group, then gave an abbreviated salute to Kel.