A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

Author:Gail Carson Levine
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins US

Chapter Twenty

The dog’s back legs were hobbled. The chain around his neck had been tied to a rope, which had then been looped over the finial, a spike atop the merlon. A bowl of water lay near his head. I crouched by him and held out my hand, which he licked. He struggled to stand but toppled, though his tail continued to wag, slapping the ground so enthusiastically it lifted his entire rear.

“Nesspa?” With my purse knife I cut the cloth that hobbled him and lifted the rope off the merlon.

His golden coat was knotted here and there. I had to brush away his eyebrow hair to see an eye, which turned reproachfully up at me. Can’t you tell I’m drinking?

When he finished, he stood, legs trembling until he found his balance. His back was almost as high as my waist.

“Come!” The dog trotted ahead of me without tugging. What a smart beast!

I shouted, “Your Lordship,” although no one could hear me up here. We started down. Halfway, he must have sniffed his master, because he began to pull. I held on, barely succeeding in staying on my feet.

The gatehouse tower stairs took us down to the passage that led to the outer ward. This was the castle’s main entrance, wide enough to admit four horsemen abreast. As I ran, I saw rose petals beneath my feet.

Ahead, their backs to me, a knot of people and the count blocked the passage.

Nesspa was pulling hard enough to yank my arm from my body. “Your Lordship!” I cried, and let the rope go.

The dog cleared a path through the crowd. I followed more slowly.

“Oh! La!”

“Nesspa!” The count let go the chain of his substitute dog—Sheeyen again—and crouched.

Nesspa leaped up, again and again, to lick the ogre’s face.

“Nesspie, where were you? Are you hurt?” The count’s big hands felt the dog all over.

Sheeyen sniffed Nesspa’s rear quarter.

“Who found you?” He looked up, saw me, and beamed his rare, sweet smile.

A man took Sheeyen’s chain and tugged her away.

Might the return of Nesspa, His Lordship’s protector, thwart the plans of someone here or someone arriving?

Princess Renn leaned over to pat Nesspa’s head and placed her free hand on the count’s sleeve. For the feast she wore an orange cloak trimmed with royal ermine and an orange cap. “Ehlodie, where did you find him?”

Was she angry at me? She had wanted to find Nesspa and have His Lordship’s gratitude.

To let her know I hadn’t tried to outdo her, I said, “I wasn’t searching. I was on the wall walk, practicing for the entertainment. He was tied there.”

She didn’t appear angry. “You are lucky. Jonty Um, isn’t she lucky?”

“I’m lucky.” He frowned, while continuing to pat Nesspa. “We searched the wall walk.”

I wondered if he himself had searched or his servants had. I looked away from the reunion. My masteress would want me to see everything. Behind the princess, a woman hovered, a woman in middle age, tall but not so tall as Her Highness, the woman’s cloak simple but falling in the loose folds of fine wool.

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