Page 46 of Ladybird

“Just the usual,” said the kennelgroom, brushing his dogs. “You know, me, Gregory, Paul, Baldwin, the stable groom and his grandson, and the old deaf man from the mews.”

“Do you mean Cassian?” Hunter seemed extremely interested in this bit of information.

“Aye, that oddball,” said Paul. “He couldn’t even hear that nephew of yours when the boy was bragging how he won a pair of boots off a castle guard in a card game.”

“Luke was playing cards?” asked Hunter in surprise. Regina could see the tension building up in the man’s face.

“Aye. The boy is damned good at it, too,” said the kennelgroom, chewing as he spoke. “After he bled the rest of us dry, he headed up to the battlements to cheat the guards out of their share.” He licked the grease from the rabbit off his fingers.

“So that’s why he was up on the battlements in the first place,” mumbled Hunter. Then under his breath Regina heard him mumble to himself. “I never should have taught him how to gamble.”

“My guards were playing cards with a boy?” Robin’s temper raised now as well. “I’ll see that it is stopped immediately when we return.”

“Excuse me, Abe,” Hunter said with finger in the air. “Did you say that Luke cheated?”

Abe looked over at the huntsmen and they exchanged quick glances before he focused back on his hounds and started petting them. “Did I say that he cheated?”

“Yes,” answered Hunter. “You said after he bled the rest of you dry, he headed up to the battlements to cheat the castle guards out of their share.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I guess I was just upset because the boy is so good at what he does.”

“Yes. I’m sure he is,” grunted Hunter.

Regina decided to intervene to keep the mood uplifting. It had been a good day and she didn’t want any arguments or heated discussion ruining the night. Especially since Luke wasn’t even here to defend himself. “I think Hera deserves a taste of her kill today. Hunter, please pass me some of that duck.”

Hunter handed her some cooked duck off his plate. She giggled because he really didn’t know a thing when it came to falconry.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, looking down to the duck in his hand.

“Nay, not the cooked meat,” she explained.“Falcons eat it raw.”

“Oh, sorry.” Hunter looked around. “Did you want me to cut up a duck for her?”

“I’ll get it,” said the squire, heading over to the horses that held the kills from the day dangling from ropes. He returned with a whole duck and handed it to Regina.

“The whole thing?” asked Hunter in confusion. “Isn’t that a lot?”

“Hera will take what she wants.” Regina had a perch set up next to her. She took Hera down off the perch and placed her atop a log and put the dead duck in front of her. Hera used her beak to pluck out the feathers and to pull at the meat as she devoured the prey.

“I thought you were always careful not to feed her too much,” said Hunter. “Didn’t you say that you always wanted her to stay hungry so she’d return to the hand that feeds her?”

“Yes, that is true. But since we won’t be hunting tomorrow and Hera will have a day of rest, it doesn’t matter.”

“Aren’t you afraid she’ll fly away during the night?”

“Nay. She’ll be in the tent with me,” said Regina. “I have a perch set up in there and I will keep an eye on her.”

“Oh, that reminds me, Hunter.” Robin yawned before continuing. “I hope you don’t mind sleeping out here tonight. We need someone to tend to the fire and watch the horses so no wild animals try to steal our kills.” Robin yawned once again.

“Nay. I don’t mind,” he said, acting as if didn’t bother him in the least. Regina wondered if a man like him often slept in the outdoors under the open sky.

The men left one by one to retire to their tents for the evening. That left Hunter and Regina sitting around the fire together with no one else around but the bird. Hera had finished her meal and Regina had put on the bird’s hood and had her on the perch next to her again.

“Thank you for inviting me to join in on the hunt today,” said Hunter, breaking up twigs and throwing them into the fire. “I learned a lot.”

“Thank you for coming,” she answered. “So you weren’t too bored, then?”

“Bored?” He turned to look at her. “Never.” He brushed off his hands and scooted closer to her on the log that they shared. “You are amazing, Regina. I have never known anyone like you.”