leave?”
Ronan stifled the urge to pull the sword back out and slice off the man’s large head. “First light.”
* * *
Ronan watched the woman shake something that looked like a dried up foot at him. Ula had insisted that they do some kind of preparation ritual the night before they were to leave. Ronan wanted no part of it but the woman was unrelenting and Ronan finally gave in just to cease her rattling.
Now he and Arien sat at the table watching Ula move around them as she chanted words of a foreign language. The toes of that foot waved dangerously close to his face as she passed and he leaned away, glancing at Arien’s expression. The boy was terrified. He couldn’t blame him.
Finally she halted at the end of the table and retrieved a red ribbon from inside her pocket. One end was tied to a large brown rock. She dipped the rock into a bowl of saltwater and then swung the rock over her head, wailing like a harpy. She shook the foot again.
Laughter bubbled up abruptly and he lifted his fist to his mouth in an attempt to stifle his humor. She looked like a mad woman and he couldn’t be sure if she wasn’t truly half crazed anyway. One look at Arien and he found the boy was struggling in his own battle against hilarity, his earlier fear completely erased.
When Ula threw back her head and wailed, Ronan gave up the battle and bowed his head as he laughed aloud. Once he finally got a hold of himself he looked up to find tears rolling down Arien’s cheeks as he clutched his stomach, laughing so hard that he shook.
Ula grew still and frowned at them with disapproval. “This is serious business.”
Arien gasped for breath as Ronan pointed at the thing she held, “Is that a dog’s foot?” The boy held his nose, trying to stifle another gale that threatened to escape him. It succeeded in him making a loud snorting noise which only caused him to laugh louder.
“It is a foot of a swamp rat from Fullerk and it could save your lives,” Ula snapped and Arien doubled over with laughter. “It is nothing to laugh at.”
“She’s right.” Ronan forced a solemn expression. “If it can save us, let her continue without interruption.”
Ula’s frown deepened. “It must be done. I have a bad feeling about the journey.” She lifted the foot and swung her rock, continuing the ceremony, even when the two began to laugh again. She began to stomp her feet and chanted for nearly another hour before she finally ended the ritual.
“Now do that standing on your head and I shall be impressed,” Ronan challenged.
Ula’s lips pressed together in a thin line and she turned to stomp from the house, taking her rat foot and rock with her.
“Have you ever seen anything like that before?” Ronan looked at Arien as the boy shook his head and wiped tears on the back of his hand.
“She is an odd old creature,” Arien said.
“What kind of rock was that?” Ronan’s chuckled. “Looked like one she dug out of a river bank.”
“That was no rock.” Arien started to laugh again. “It is the same thing that I shovel out of the mule stable each morning. There were pieces breaking off and flying into her hair.”
Ronan stared at the boy for a moment and then begin to chuckle again.
* * *
Ronan knew very little about horses. His old mule was hardly any trouble and fat from being treated too well for too many years. There wasn’t an ounce of fat anywhere on any of the large beasts that Keegan arrived with the next morning. They were magnificent animals with muscles that rippled with every movement.
“They are Dulcet Horses.” Keegan swung down from the animal he rode and led the three remaining to stand in a row in front of Ronan. “They are pure bred with no mixed magic. Strong, intelligent, and I trained them myself.”
Ronan could hear the pride in Keegan’s deep voice. “Which one shall I ride?”
Keegan smiled and shook his head, the sun glinting across his red hair. “Don’t know
Ronan stifled the urge to pull the sword back out and slice off the man’s large head. “First light.”
* * *
Ronan watched the woman shake something that looked like a dried up foot at him. Ula had insisted that they do some kind of preparation ritual the night before they were to leave. Ronan wanted no part of it but the woman was unrelenting and Ronan finally gave in just to cease her rattling.
Now he and Arien sat at the table watching Ula move around them as she chanted words of a foreign language. The toes of that foot waved dangerously close to his face as she passed and he leaned away, glancing at Arien’s expression. The boy was terrified. He couldn’t blame him.
Finally she halted at the end of the table and retrieved a red ribbon from inside her pocket. One end was tied to a large brown rock. She dipped the rock into a bowl of saltwater and then swung the rock over her head, wailing like a harpy. She shook the foot again.
Laughter bubbled up abruptly and he lifted his fist to his mouth in an attempt to stifle his humor. She looked like a mad woman and he couldn’t be sure if she wasn’t truly half crazed anyway. One look at Arien and he found the boy was struggling in his own battle against hilarity, his earlier fear completely erased.
When Ula threw back her head and wailed, Ronan gave up the battle and bowed his head as he laughed aloud. Once he finally got a hold of himself he looked up to find tears rolling down Arien’s cheeks as he clutched his stomach, laughing so hard that he shook.
Ula grew still and frowned at them with disapproval. “This is serious business.”
Arien gasped for breath as Ronan pointed at the thing she held, “Is that a dog’s foot?” The boy held his nose, trying to stifle another gale that threatened to escape him. It succeeded in him making a loud snorting noise which only caused him to laugh louder.
“It is a foot of a swamp rat from Fullerk and it could save your lives,” Ula snapped and Arien doubled over with laughter. “It is nothing to laugh at.”
“She’s right.” Ronan forced a solemn expression. “If it can save us, let her continue without interruption.”
Ula’s frown deepened. “It must be done. I have a bad feeling about the journey.” She lifted the foot and swung her rock, continuing the ceremony, even when the two began to laugh again. She began to stomp her feet and chanted for nearly another hour before she finally ended the ritual.
“Now do that standing on your head and I shall be impressed,” Ronan challenged.
Ula’s lips pressed together in a thin line and she turned to stomp from the house, taking her rat foot and rock with her.
“Have you ever seen anything like that before?” Ronan looked at Arien as the boy shook his head and wiped tears on the back of his hand.
“She is an odd old creature,” Arien said.
“What kind of rock was that?” Ronan’s chuckled. “Looked like one she dug out of a river bank.”
“That was no rock.” Arien started to laugh again. “It is the same thing that I shovel out of the mule stable each morning. There were pieces breaking off and flying into her hair.”
Ronan stared at the boy for a moment and then begin to chuckle again.
* * *
Ronan knew very little about horses. His old mule was hardly any trouble and fat from being treated too well for too many years. There wasn’t an ounce of fat anywhere on any of the large beasts that Keegan arrived with the next morning. They were magnificent animals with muscles that rippled with every movement.
“They are Dulcet Horses.” Keegan swung down from the animal he rode and led the three remaining to stand in a row in front of Ronan. “They are pure bred with no mixed magic. Strong, intelligent, and I trained them myself.”
Ronan could hear the pride in Keegan’s deep voice. “Which one shall I ride?”
Keegan smiled and shook his head, the sun glinting across his red hair. “Don’t know
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