Animal Magnetism by Pavelle Kate & Fielding Kim & Wiley G.S. & Champa Heidi & Z. Cari & Vanderlyle Avery & Gould Emily & Kat Chris T. & Marcus A.J

Author:Pavelle, Kate & Fielding, Kim & Wiley, G.S. & Champa, Heidi & Z., Cari & Vanderlyle, Avery & Gould, Emily & Kat, Chris T. & Marcus, A.J. [Pavelle, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2012-08-11T16:00:00+00:00

ELPHABA stooped out of the clear blue sky.

“She’s after something!” Gavin cried, kicking Fiyero into a gallop across the valley, which was soggy with early spring snow melt.

“Wait up!” Heath shouted, trying to spur Frex, Gavin’s older bay horse, to a faster pace. The gelding worked himself up into a lope but refused to go any faster.

As Gavin rode across the small valley toward where he saw the eagle purposely drop toward the ground, he felt guilty about leaving the ranger behind. They’d decided to go on the hunt since Heath would return to work the next day. The falconer would miss having his boyfriend with him every day as he’d had the past month. They’d still have evenings, nights, and weekends, but Gavin had grown accustomed to having the ranger to himself. He didn’t know if he wanted to share him with the rest of the world.

By the time the horse and rider reached the far side of the valley, Elphaba still hadn’t reappeared, a sure sign she was on something. Gavin listened over the sounds of the horse’s breathing for bells. He heard them just off to the right. As he turned the horse, he glanced back across the valley, seeing Heath had finally talked Frex into moving faster.

From the sound of the bells, the eagle was on the ground just up the hill. Gavin edged Fiyero around a rock and spotted Elphaba standing on a large, dark-furred body. He turned back toward where Heath and his horse were coming up the hill. “We’ve got a bear down over here.”

“I didn’t think she could take down a bear,” the ranger called back.

“She found it,” Gavin replied, swinging down from the saddle.

“Wonder what killed it,” Heath said as he joined the falconer on the ground.

Gavin dropped the reins, looked at his horse, and said, “Stay.”

Heath watched with wide eyes.

“They ground tie well. It’s important as a falconer that I don’t have to go off trying to find my horse with twelve pounds of eagle on my fist.”

The ranger nodded with understanding. He’d held Elphaba several times the past couple of weeks and knew how quickly the large bird got heavy. He repeated the move with Frex and then followed the other man over to where the eagle worked her way through the carcass.

“Wow, that looks like it was a healthy bear,” the ranger said, appraising the heavy body.

The eagle flared up at the man, and he stepped back to relieve some of her tension. Elphaba roused and went back to pulling large strips of bloody flesh from the carcass.

“Let me get her off it so you can get a better look.” Gavin stepped forward. He pulled a rabbit leg from his hunting vest and held it on the glove just far enough from the bear that the eagle would have to step off it to get the leg. She looked down at the still-warm bear and up at the familiar gloved hand with food. Her training took over, and she hopped up to the glove.