mugs to Jorrim and Korreth, and some of the lukewarm liquid sloshed on to Korreth’s hand as Tomlen withdrew. “I’ll be back with yours,” he said to Soledad.
Olix threw his empty mug at the other man. “Tomlen, you idiot. If he’d got magic, don’t you think he’d’ve used it?”
“He did have magic,” Tomlen said. “He coulda looked any age he wanted to. He heard things on the wind.”
“What a coincidence,” Jorrim said loudly. “Soledad here can do the same thing.” Soledad sucked in a breath, and he amended, “Not talk to the wind, but she can change age.”
Lor rose from his chair in the corner, his eyes full of dawning understanding. Korreth stared at him in horror. Tomlen blocked the room’s only exit, but Soledad was the bigger threat. Jorrim had been cautious about avoiding their old masters’ wrath. With Soledad, apparently he couldn’t contain himself.
“I told you!” One of the women pounded another’s arm, making her drop her spoon. “Her clothes are just like Gryid’s!”
Korreth glanced between Soledad and Farlen. Her face revealed nothing, while Farlen’s expression filled with awe. “You’re a friend of Gryid’s?”
Soledad clutched her hands to her lap, appearing embarrassed, unsure of what to say. Tomlen disappeared into the other room for Soledad’s mug and returned a moment later. Korreth took a long drink to cover his relief, and the smug expression fell from Jorrim’s face.
Soledad took what Tomlen offered. “I haven’t seen Gryid in many years.” She briefly studied the mug before her expression turned resolute. “But I need to know who took him, and why.”
Lor pushed his way past Tomlen. “You’re all fools. Gryid’s already dead.” He left the room in a huff.
Farlen’s bushy eyebrows drew down. “But why would they have took him if they wanted him dead?”
Olix kicked his foot toward Farlen. “Your brother would say his ‘magic’ done made him harder to kill.”
Soledad gave each of them a steady look, and her next words were so sincere that Korreth wondered if her lies sprouted from a seed of truth. “Yes, well. Perhaps Farlen is right. Maybe our clan chiefs are alive. If so, we will get them back. One day Gryid will return to you.”
Farlen nodded. “We can only hope. I’m willing to bet he’s done been thinking of a way to escape them. Maybe he can even help your leader Rollick escape.”
“All we know is the man who took Gryid galloped off toward the grasslands,” Olix said, motioning toward the southwest.
Jorrim put his mug down. “One man caused all this damage?”
Tomlen’s eyebrows lowered, revealing the family resemblance between him and Farlen. They both had big bushy brows and dubious expressions that seemed eager to turn into frowns.
“It weren’t no man who burned down our houses. It was a woman.”
Korreth and Jorrim exchanged a glance. If just one woman wreaked this devastation, she must have been a Changeling.
Farlen took over the story from there. “Others came later while we were distracted. You see, we heard Gryid yell, and we all came running. He must’ve cornered her in his house, because they fought—broke one of his legs.”
Jorrim leaned forward. “She was a Changeling?”
“Yes,” Farlen said. “She was powerful, with claws and reflexes like a tiger. She started the fire. And she killed everyone who tried to catch her. They was just trying to save Gryid.” He took a deep breath.
Korreth set his mug on the table. “So she got away?”
Tomlen spoke up as Farlen’s voice faltered. “We did our best to stop her.”
Olix’s voice rose. “Some of us, he means to say. The cowards—” he looked pointedly at Tomlen, “—stayed to put out the fire, for all the good you can see it did. But me and Farlen and a few others done grabbed the horses and chased her off.”
Farlen frowned at Olix before continuing. “She was on foot, but she was fast, and we was two to a horse. We chased her
Olix threw his empty mug at the other man. “Tomlen, you idiot. If he’d got magic, don’t you think he’d’ve used it?”
“He did have magic,” Tomlen said. “He coulda looked any age he wanted to. He heard things on the wind.”
“What a coincidence,” Jorrim said loudly. “Soledad here can do the same thing.” Soledad sucked in a breath, and he amended, “Not talk to the wind, but she can change age.”
Lor rose from his chair in the corner, his eyes full of dawning understanding. Korreth stared at him in horror. Tomlen blocked the room’s only exit, but Soledad was the bigger threat. Jorrim had been cautious about avoiding their old masters’ wrath. With Soledad, apparently he couldn’t contain himself.
“I told you!” One of the women pounded another’s arm, making her drop her spoon. “Her clothes are just like Gryid’s!”
Korreth glanced between Soledad and Farlen. Her face revealed nothing, while Farlen’s expression filled with awe. “You’re a friend of Gryid’s?”
Soledad clutched her hands to her lap, appearing embarrassed, unsure of what to say. Tomlen disappeared into the other room for Soledad’s mug and returned a moment later. Korreth took a long drink to cover his relief, and the smug expression fell from Jorrim’s face.
Soledad took what Tomlen offered. “I haven’t seen Gryid in many years.” She briefly studied the mug before her expression turned resolute. “But I need to know who took him, and why.”
Lor pushed his way past Tomlen. “You’re all fools. Gryid’s already dead.” He left the room in a huff.
Farlen’s bushy eyebrows drew down. “But why would they have took him if they wanted him dead?”
Olix kicked his foot toward Farlen. “Your brother would say his ‘magic’ done made him harder to kill.”
Soledad gave each of them a steady look, and her next words were so sincere that Korreth wondered if her lies sprouted from a seed of truth. “Yes, well. Perhaps Farlen is right. Maybe our clan chiefs are alive. If so, we will get them back. One day Gryid will return to you.”
Farlen nodded. “We can only hope. I’m willing to bet he’s done been thinking of a way to escape them. Maybe he can even help your leader Rollick escape.”
“All we know is the man who took Gryid galloped off toward the grasslands,” Olix said, motioning toward the southwest.
Jorrim put his mug down. “One man caused all this damage?”
Tomlen’s eyebrows lowered, revealing the family resemblance between him and Farlen. They both had big bushy brows and dubious expressions that seemed eager to turn into frowns.
“It weren’t no man who burned down our houses. It was a woman.”
Korreth and Jorrim exchanged a glance. If just one woman wreaked this devastation, she must have been a Changeling.
Farlen took over the story from there. “Others came later while we were distracted. You see, we heard Gryid yell, and we all came running. He must’ve cornered her in his house, because they fought—broke one of his legs.”
Jorrim leaned forward. “She was a Changeling?”
“Yes,” Farlen said. “She was powerful, with claws and reflexes like a tiger. She started the fire. And she killed everyone who tried to catch her. They was just trying to save Gryid.” He took a deep breath.
Korreth set his mug on the table. “So she got away?”
Tomlen spoke up as Farlen’s voice faltered. “We did our best to stop her.”
Olix’s voice rose. “Some of us, he means to say. The cowards—” he looked pointedly at Tomlen, “—stayed to put out the fire, for all the good you can see it did. But me and Farlen and a few others done grabbed the horses and chased her off.”
Farlen frowned at Olix before continuing. “She was on foot, but she was fast, and we was two to a horse. We chased her
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