his lip, his gaze keenly observing the
reaction of his listeners. Jared Surcliffe was the first to speak. His
voice was a bit hoarse, as if he had been holding back tears.
"That's a good explanation, cousin," he said slowly.
"It explains much of what has puzzled me: how the girl survived; why
she stayed near to this place; why, even if someone had lived to care
for her when she was small, didn't that same person take her home to
Hawk Haven."
Earl Kestrel bowed his head in gracious acknowledgment of the praise.
"I like the touch about the prince giving his
daughter his own knife," Race Forester said, his envy forgotten under
the story's spell. "It rings true. A royal prince would have done
something just like that."
Derian nodded, but as he glanced at the dark-haired
figure trotting alongside his horse, her eyes alive with curiosity, he
wondered.
It could have been just like that, but was it?
He wondered if they would ever know and realized with
a shiver that discovering the truth was up to him, for if the woman
remained a creature of the wilds, the truth would never be known.
T HE TWO-LEGS STOPPED traveling toward the mountains long before Firekeeper was at all tired.
Still, she was glad for the break, glad for an opportunity to assess
what she had learned.
Fox Hair had clearly been made her nursemaid, a role
that was apparently a promotion among the two-legs, for it was evident
to her that Tawny resented him greatly.
She was rather pleased for Fox Hair, nonetheless. He was amusing and willing to make great efforts in order to befriend her.
After a day of watching the two-legs interact from
within their midst, she was certain that they could talk as well as any
wolf. Unlike wolves, however, they mostly used their mouths, a thing
she found limiting. How could you tell someone to keep away from your
food when your own mouth was full?
While the two-legs were lighting their fire and
taking all the things off the not-elk that they had put on them with
such effort a short time before, Fox Hair motioned Firekeeper to join
him by the fire. Although she disliked how the smoke dulled her sense
of smell, Firekeeper came over and seated herself on a rock upwind.
While busily washing some vegetables in a container
of water, Fox Hair chattered squirrel-like at Mountain, who was setting
up one of the shelters. Feeling left out when Fox Hair stopped,
Firekeeper attempted to mimic his final string of sounds.
She was a good mimic. So long ago that she did not
remember the learning, she had discovered that imitating various bird
and animal calls could bring her prey to her, rather than forcing her
to seek it over great distances.
Hearing her imitate him now, Fox Hair's eyes widened in an expression she recognized as surprise. In a sharp tone, hesaid something to her. She did her best to make the same noises back at him.
Hearing her, Mountain laughed and said something to
Fox Hair. She mimicked him as well, pitching her voice lower, though
she could not reach his great, thunder-deep rumbles.
Fox Hair nodded at this, reached up, and pulled at
his mouth in what Firekeeper was certain was a gesture of thought.
Two-legs pulled at their mouths a great deal. Those who grew hair there
often fingered it or tugged at it.
She wondered if her own inability to grow hair on her
face would be a handicap among two-legs, perhaps one as great as not
having fangs had proved to be among wolves. If so, she supposed, she
could fasten another creature's hair there, just as her Fang had
compensated for her other natural shortcomings. However, she hoped that
since Fox Hair cut the hair from his face she would be spared this.
Letting his hand drop into his lap, Fox Hair picked up one of the plant roots that he had been washing a moment before.
Slowly and carefully, he said: "Potato."
Firekeeper imitated him perfectly. Fox Hair smiled, picked up another root, this one long and orange.
"Carrot."
She imitated him.
"Onion."
A dozen items later, he
reaction of his listeners. Jared Surcliffe was the first to speak. His
voice was a bit hoarse, as if he had been holding back tears.
"That's a good explanation, cousin," he said slowly.
"It explains much of what has puzzled me: how the girl survived; why
she stayed near to this place; why, even if someone had lived to care
for her when she was small, didn't that same person take her home to
Hawk Haven."
Earl Kestrel bowed his head in gracious acknowledgment of the praise.
"I like the touch about the prince giving his
daughter his own knife," Race Forester said, his envy forgotten under
the story's spell. "It rings true. A royal prince would have done
something just like that."
Derian nodded, but as he glanced at the dark-haired
figure trotting alongside his horse, her eyes alive with curiosity, he
wondered.
It could have been just like that, but was it?
He wondered if they would ever know and realized with
a shiver that discovering the truth was up to him, for if the woman
remained a creature of the wilds, the truth would never be known.
T HE TWO-LEGS STOPPED traveling toward the mountains long before Firekeeper was at all tired.
Still, she was glad for the break, glad for an opportunity to assess
what she had learned.
Fox Hair had clearly been made her nursemaid, a role
that was apparently a promotion among the two-legs, for it was evident
to her that Tawny resented him greatly.
She was rather pleased for Fox Hair, nonetheless. He was amusing and willing to make great efforts in order to befriend her.
After a day of watching the two-legs interact from
within their midst, she was certain that they could talk as well as any
wolf. Unlike wolves, however, they mostly used their mouths, a thing
she found limiting. How could you tell someone to keep away from your
food when your own mouth was full?
While the two-legs were lighting their fire and
taking all the things off the not-elk that they had put on them with
such effort a short time before, Fox Hair motioned Firekeeper to join
him by the fire. Although she disliked how the smoke dulled her sense
of smell, Firekeeper came over and seated herself on a rock upwind.
While busily washing some vegetables in a container
of water, Fox Hair chattered squirrel-like at Mountain, who was setting
up one of the shelters. Feeling left out when Fox Hair stopped,
Firekeeper attempted to mimic his final string of sounds.
She was a good mimic. So long ago that she did not
remember the learning, she had discovered that imitating various bird
and animal calls could bring her prey to her, rather than forcing her
to seek it over great distances.
Hearing her imitate him now, Fox Hair's eyes widened in an expression she recognized as surprise. In a sharp tone, hesaid something to her. She did her best to make the same noises back at him.
Hearing her, Mountain laughed and said something to
Fox Hair. She mimicked him as well, pitching her voice lower, though
she could not reach his great, thunder-deep rumbles.
Fox Hair nodded at this, reached up, and pulled at
his mouth in what Firekeeper was certain was a gesture of thought.
Two-legs pulled at their mouths a great deal. Those who grew hair there
often fingered it or tugged at it.
She wondered if her own inability to grow hair on her
face would be a handicap among two-legs, perhaps one as great as not
having fangs had proved to be among wolves. If so, she supposed, she
could fasten another creature's hair there, just as her Fang had
compensated for her other natural shortcomings. However, she hoped that
since Fox Hair cut the hair from his face she would be spared this.
Letting his hand drop into his lap, Fox Hair picked up one of the plant roots that he had been washing a moment before.
Slowly and carefully, he said: "Potato."
Firekeeper imitated him perfectly. Fox Hair smiled, picked up another root, this one long and orange.
"Carrot."
She imitated him.
"Onion."
A dozen items later, he
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