Firekeeper Saga - Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart Part 26

Firekeeper frowned. Elation was actually not seeking Derian-she was trying to find out whether the stolen artifacts were still warehoused in Port Haven. If they were, having Derian scheduled to go west and north to Norwood lands, rather than east and south to the coastal city, would be difficult.

She shrugged the thought away. There was nothing she could do to change that now.

"I find Derian," the wolf-woman repeated, "but I have problem in that I not know how to find Derian and I think that Blind Seer not be welcome in the city."

"True," Holly replied, adding a dollop more honey to her tea. "Honestly, child, you wouldn't be very welcome either. Have you taken a look at yourself?""Not but in water," Firekeeper admitted, "and then not long or hard."

"I thought not," Holly tutted. "You're a mess."

Firekeeper was indignant.

"I washed!"

"I'm sure you did," Holly agreed, "but dipping into a stream here and there, and scrubbing off the worst of the mess does not a proper grooming make."

"She's right," Blind Seer commented. "Now that I see you in human company, you look positively molting."

Firekeeper hit him, but the wolf continued to sn.i.g.g.e.r.

Holly accepted this incomprehensible act on the young woman's part with the calm of one who had seen the like before.

"Happily," the old woman continued, "this cottage has some amenities. I insisted on them when I gave Timin the Head Gardener's house."

"Amenities?" Firekeeper asked.

"In this case," Holly replied, "that means a tin tub, a kettle big enough to heat water in, and plenty of soap. Hop to and we'll get you set. You can wear one of my dresses, and I'll see if anything can be done about those leathers. If you're good and quick, I believe there is an apple pie somewhere about and some mutton stew."

Firekeeper sighed. A hot bath would feel good, but somehow she felt as if she would be was.h.i.+ng off more than travel dirt in the water. Still, Holly was right. She couldn't stay as she was and not cause embarra.s.sment or worse for her human friends.

Jumping to her feet, she went to pump water into the kettle.

Firekeeper slept on the hearth rug in front of the fire and had to admit-even if only to herself-that the blanket Holly gave her to put over herself felt good.

When morning came, Holly offered her use of one of Holly's own gardening dresses.

"It isn't very big," she admitted, "but then neither are you, though I think you've grown since I saw you last."

Firekeeper, her mouth full of bread and honey, nodded. She knew she had, mostly from needing to have her clothing altered.

"My other clothes?" she asked.

"I haven't had a chance to see if I can get them cleaned and mended."

There was a stubbornness in the old lady's expression that made Firekeeper think that she wasn't likely to see that particular set of vest and breeches again. She accepted the use of a dress-a rather shapeless smock of brown homespun that hung to midcalf on her-but none of Holly's shoes would come close tofitting the wolf-woman.

"That fine," Firekeeper said. "I have gone without for long."

After Firekeeper was dressed and fed, and Holly had given up on trying to make some order out of her knife-cut hair, they headed for town.

"I do wish you'd wear a bonnet," Holly sighed, but Firekeeper flatly refused. She was beginning to think that hats-like shoes-probably had their place, but she couldn't see how this was one of them.

Holly had come up with a simple solution to the problem of Blind Seer.

"Put him on a leash," she said. "I still find it astonis.h.i.+ng what people will accept if they think it is under control."

Firekeeper took the old woman's advice. While Blind Seer wasn't absolutely thrilled with the collar and leash they rigged for him, he was willing to accept the arrangement.

The gardens were nearly empty when they crossed to the un.o.btrusive gate used by the staff. There was no need, now that the hard frost had killed most of the annuals, for the garden staff to get out early to tend to anything.

The guard at the gate started from drowsy contemplation of the steam rising from his mug of tea when he saw the two women and the wolf approaching.

"Good morning, Goody Holly!" he said, doing his best to hide his surprise. "And good morning, Lady Blysse."

Firekeeper nodded gravely. She knew the man slightly-he had been among those who had fought in King Allister's War.

"Good morning, Rush," she said. "Is your leg better?"

"Healing, healing," he replied, obviously pleased that she had remembered. "And your injuries?"

"All well," she said.

Holly snorted at this. The evening before, when bathing Firekeeper, she had said a great deal about people who would let a "mere slip of a girl go running about with scars like that hardly mended."

Firekeeper had let the criticism pa.s.s. She took a curious pleasure in the way the old lady fussed over her-perhaps because all Holly could do was fuss. It might have been different if Holly had possessed the power to stop Firekeeper from doing what she wished.

Rush didn't ask any questions, having become, like most of those who served with King Tedric's forces, accustomed to the wolf-woman's odd comings and goings. Giving the trio a hearty wish for a good day, he sent them on.

"And," Holly said as soon as they were descending the road from the castle, "he'll be telling what he saw to the next person who uses the gate-if he doesn't abandon his post to pa.s.s on the word. I hope you had no reason for wanting your coming kept secret."

"None," Firekeeper said.

She didn't feel much like talking. Although she had grown more accustomed to human cities and towns,Eagle's Nest remained the largest she had visited. The towering two- and three-story buildings made her feel shut in. The streets thronged-at least to her way of thinking-with foot traffic filled her with a desire to bolt.

Blind Seer didn't like it any better than she did and hung close to her side, growling or whimpering occasional rude comments.

Holly guided them through streets too narrow for any but foot traffic-knowing that Blind Seer would cause the most panic if he was encountered by horses or oxen. Firekeeper thought that the old gardener was enjoying this small adventure quite a bit. Even though Holly leaned heavily on her cane, her steps were steady and brisk.

When they reached the corner on which the Carter family's house stood, Holly had Firekeeper and Blind Seer wait in an alley along the back of the gardens while she went and rang the bell.

"Derian might not be in," she explained, "and there's no need to cause a fuss."

Firekeeper hunkered down and waited, her head against Blind Seer's flank. From the other side of the white-painted fence she could hear chickens fussing. Doubtless they'd somehow become aware of the wolf and were just smart enough to be afraid.

"They probably think you the biggest fox ever," she said, trying to lighten both of their moods.

Blind Seer, who had dined lightly on the remnants of the mutton stew, only growled.

Derian's familiar voice called out from the back door of the house.

"Come on in, you two!" he said. "We've warned the cat and the cook."

They emerged from the alley to find Derian unlatching the side gate, a welcoming grin lighting his face. He was dressed in working clothes: rough trousers, a smock, and scuffed boots-all smelling strongly of horse. His red hair was drawn back with a leather thong rather than the black ribbon he had worn at court. All in all, he was a comforting sight.

Firekeeper saw Derian's grin broaden at her attire. Then he frowned slightly as he looked at her hair.

"You've chopped off your hair again," he said sternly.

"Had to," she replied. "It got in my eyes."

"And just when I had you pa.s.sing in company," he said, but there was laughter in his voice. "Come inside.

I want you to meet my mother and my sister. Father and Brock have already gone to the stables, but I stayed here to help old Toad with s.h.i.+fting some timber."

"Good thing," Firekeeper said.

She felt suddenly shy. Derian had told her about both Vernita and Damita, speaking of them with great fondness. For a moment, she wished she had done as Holly wished and found more suitable attire. Then she straightened and followed Derian into the house.

They entered through a broad, bright room smelling of bread. She remembered how Holly's loaf had been brought to her by her grandson, Robyn, and the numerous busy bakeries they had pa.s.sed on their way through town. It seemed to her that Derian's family must be fairly well off if they possessed their own ovens.A stout woman with greying brown hair, her blue-flowered dress covered by a full ap.r.o.n, curtsied stiffly as they came through.

"Cook," Derian said with easy courtesy, "this is my friend, Blysse Norwood. Firekeeper, this is Evie, our cook and housekeeper-our family's Steward Silver."

Firekeeper, who greatly respected Steward Silver, gave Evie Cook a deep curtsy. Cook suddenly dimpled.

"Pleased to meet you, Lady Blysse."

They pa.s.sed through the kitchen to a front room that nearly matched the kitchen in size. A long table stood at one end; comfortable chairs were cl.u.s.tered at the other. A fire burned merrily in a tall stone fireplace, adding its light to what poured through a multipaned window that looked out into the street.

A tall, elegantly graceful woman rose as they came in, gesturing for the girl next to her to do the same.

Both mother and daughter shared Derian's red hair. Vernita's showed some threads of silver, but Damita's was as bright as polished copper. The three woman curtsied all at once and somehow this broke the solemn mood.

Vernita smiled at Firekeeper.

"We've heard much about you, Lady Blysse. Please, make yourself comfortable."

Damita, her gaze on Blind Seer-though in fascination rather than fear-nodded.

"I about you too," Firekeeper managed.

Holly, seated in a chair near the hearth, chuckled.

"Our girl here isn't at her best for talking until she gets to know you," she explained. "I recall when she first started haunting my gardens. She'd climb up on the wall and stare down at my digging, looking for all the world like an oversized cat."

Firekeeper, remembering from some vague lesson in etiquette that the others would not sit unless she did so first, plopped down near Holly's feet.

Damita's eyes widened. Firekeeper saw Vernita nudge her daughter covertly, so covertly that the wolf-woman probably wouldn't have even noticed if she hadn't been on the receiving end of similar nudges so many times.

"May I offer you refreshment, Lady Blysse?" Damita said quickly, red flooding her cheeks.

"Am thirsty," Firekeeper replied, "and, please, am Firekeeper to Derian's family-not Lady Blysse."

Damita smiled and headed into the kitchen, emerging again so quickly with a tray of tea, cookies, and sliced bread that Evie Cook must have had it ready and waiting.

Pa.s.sing out refreshments took the rest of the awkwardness from the meeting, especially after Firekeeper had fed Blind Seer several slices of bread.

"He's so dainty!" Damita exclaimed.

"Sometimes," Firekeeper agreed."You wouldn't think so," Derian laughed, "if you'd ever seen him go after a hunk of raw meat. Hard to say who was sloppier when I met them-Blind Seer or Firekeeper."

Vernita gave her son a disapproving glance, so Firekeeper came to the rescue.

"Is true," she admitted. "Derian have much trouble with me."

They chatted until the tea and cookies were gone; then Holly said that she really must return to the castle.

Firekeeper turned then to Derian and-under the cover of Vernita's polite parting requests that Holly feel free to visit again and Holly's return invitation for mother and daughter to call on her at the castle gardens-spoke urgently: "Can we talk?"

Derian nodded, looking quite serious.

"I have things to tell you, too. Why don't we walk Holly back to the castle and then find some privacy?"

"Blind Seer?"

Derian shrugged. "The leash is a good idea. Anyhow, it's about time the people of this city got used to him. You are Earl Kestrel's adopted daughter, and that gives you some privileges."

Firekeeper took the young man's word for it. After taking their leave of Derian's mother and sister, and complimenting Evie Cook on her excellent cookies, the three humans and the wolf made their way back up toward the castle. The streets were more crowded now and Holly moved more slowly as they mounted the hill to the castle.

Derian frowned, snapped his fingers, and then signaled to a youth pulling a light cart. Apparently, it had until recently held a load of root vegetables, for their earthy smell-and a dusting of dry soil-remained.

"Want to earn a bit extra this morning?" Derian asked the youth.

The youth-probably about thirteen, but well muscled-nodded, tow-colored hair shaking into his eyes from a loosely tied queue.

"If the work is honest."

"Give the grandmother here a lift to the castle in your cart. I'll help pull if the weight's too much for you."

The youth bridled. "I hauled this full of carrots and taters this morning two loads already. She doesn't look as if she weighs more than a bird. I can haul her, the chit, and her dog without your help."

"Easy, brother," Derian said, lapsing into an accent similar to the young man's. "I wasn't faulting you.

Here's a Kestrel token. Make the ride smooth and you'll have another."

The bargain was struck, though Holly protested that she didn't need a ride. Derian only shook his head and helped her into the cart, spreading a bit of sacking for her to sit upon.

"You've dressed and fed the earl's daughter," he said. "He'd beat me if I didn't take care of you."

Firekeeper realized that this was meant as much as a brag for the listening youth as to rea.s.sure Holly, and swallowed a smile. Apparently, Derian had not liked hearing herself described as a "chit" and haddecided to give the youth something to think about.