“They didwhat?” His eyes rounded.
“Sh.” She smiled reassuringly at the nearest guard, whowatched them. “It’s like an overgrown pup, Lief. They saved it. Nothing to worry about.”
“Yet,” he murmured, but he seemed to have softened at hearing her use his name. “And you’re going to see it?”
“Aye.” Aerity and the others were busy and the creature was all by itself. She felt bad for it. Someone needed to tend it.
“Not by yourself. I’m going with you.”
She lifted her eyes skyward and said, “Fine. Come see for yourself.”
They walked through the biting winds down to the kennels. As they got closer, Wyneth gasped. The beast had climbed up the high wooden door and was sitting atop it, watching them.
“Skies!” Lord Alvi reached back for his bow, but Wyneth smacked his arm down. He lowered his arm and stared at the creature. The cub let out a patheticrawrthat made Wyneth giggle in delight. And then it leaped deftly down from its perch, rattling the door.
“My lady . . .” Lord Alvi was not at all comfortable when she squatted and patted her knee.
“Come, Furball,” she said.
“Furball? That’s itsname?”
The beast climbed her, putting his paws on her thighs, and then her shoulders, and licking at her ears. She felt its claws dig against her upper back. Wyneth laughed in earnest, trying to angle away from its huge tongue.
“I cannot believe my eyes,” Lord Alvi mumbled. Hewalked to the kennel and opened the door. Then he let out a curse.
Wyneth looked and her stomach plummeted. The inside of the pen was shredded with claw marks.
“Oh, dear,” she whispered. Wyneth pulled Furball down and peered at his paws. One of them was bleeding where the claw met his skin, from scratching at the wood so hard. She ran a finger down the smooth claw to its sharp tip. Furball brought the paw up and licked the wound. They could not keep the little beast in the hounds’ kennels anymore.
Crackling leaves and footsteps sounded from over the hill. Lord Alvi and Wyneth raised their eyes to see Harrison joining them. He stopped, looking back and forth between them, then came forward. Lord Alvi stomped his way to Harrison, close enough to bump chests.
“What were you thinking bringing this beast here?”
Harrison, as calm as ever, met the coldlander’s eyes. “I was thinking it was one less creature she could use against us.”
“Then you should have put it down! Not kept it!”
“I realize this,” Harrison said. “I’ve spoken to Aerity of my concerns.”
“No!” Wyneth stood. The cub wrapped its arms around her shoulder and its legs around her waist. She held it like an overgrown toddler. “It is not a danger.”
“Look atthatand tell me the thing is not a danger!” Lord Alvi pointed to the destroyed kennel.
Harrison hissed and ran a hand over his hair. “I wonderedif that might happen. I was just coming to check.”
“And the cursed thing can climb,” Lord Alvi added. “It will be far larger than any of us men when it’s full-grown, and then it will be a greater challenge to kill.”
Wyneth thought of the creature she’d seen killed in the forest, the empathy she’d felt for it. She couldn’t help but believe the beasts were capable of something better if they were not raised to kill. The thought of anyone hurting this innocent cub sent a protective instinct shooting through her.
“You’re not putting it down,” Wyneth said, holding Furball tighter. “He stays with me. If the Rocato woman can train an army of creatures to be loyal to her, I can trainoneto be loyal to me.”
Lord Alvi clenched his jaw and Harrison dropped his gaze, his hands hanging loosely at his hips. Wyneth walked away from the men, earning herself another warm, wet lick in the ear.
Chapter
28
Aerity wanted to lie in the hot water forever and forget her worries. She’d moaned like an ailing woman when she climbed in the tub. The water was a cloudy shade of brown from the dye washing out, but she didn’t care about soaking in dirty water. It felt glorious.
