Crucible by Mercedes Lackey

Author:Mercedes Lackey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DAW
Published: 2015-11-16T00:00:00+00:00

A Fire in the Grass

Michael Z. Williamson and Jessica Schlenker

Keth’re’son shena Tale’sedrin led the caravan into the trade city of Katashin’a’in after a grueling, month-long ride from the Collegium. Even with Nerea beside him, it had been draining. Unlike his trip to Valdemar, however, he had traveled with experienced horsefolk. Not Shin’a’in, but horsefolk nonetheless.

His betrothed, Nerea shena Tale’sedrin, pulled up alongside him. “The younger sibs will be happy to be home,” she noted. His—their—clan share had increased during the time in Valdemar, as is the way of horses.

“The ones old enough to remember,” Keth’ agreed. He took in a deep breath. “It smells like home.”

:For you,: Yssanda said, a touch wistfully.

:I hope it becomes home for you, too, my friend,: Keth’ soothed.

:We’ll see,: his Companion replied. :At least with Jeris and Halath, I won’t be the only one for hundreds of miles.:

True enough. When Keth’ had proposed the plan at the Collegium, his lean and good-humored classmate Jeris insisted on taking part the moment he found out about it. The Valdemaran considered Keth’ a dear friend, and he would begrudgingly admit the same. Even after Nerea had traveled to be with him, Jeris remained hard to shake.

:Nor did you try all that hard,: Yssanda said.

:No, I suppose I didn’t,: he agreed.

They’d started with a much larger company. At likely points, the other Heralds had arranged Waystations, so future journeys would be both more restful and better supported. Eventually, there’d be other settlements, though most of the Plains dwellers were nomadic.

There was no embassy here; they would have to build one. The first night, they stayed in a small inn amid surrounding tents. Some were the tall, conical lodges Keth’ hadn’t seen in four years. Others were the long, low desert tents of the deep plains. He was too tired to walk any farther, so they paid at the inn, stabled and brushed the horses and Companions, and sprawled on woven hair over fresh straw.

• • •

For breakfast, they ate a hearty stew, redolent with the herbs of the plains, with a cup of butter tea. Keth’ smiled at Nerea as they held their bowls. They were home. They’d changed, it had changed, but they belonged here. He hoped.

After freshening up and checking on the horses and Companions, Keth’ took a walk around the town, gauging the flow of traffic, the people, the districts. Jeris walked with him, and they talked idly. Looked at with eyes fresh from four years in Haven, Katashin’a’in really wasn’t a town, but everything was represented, just on a smaller scale.

Eventually he found what he sought, between another inn and a stable with a split rail fence at the ragged edge of town. Structurally sound and well situated, the building would do nicely. It needed work, but it had grazing land behind. It fronted a road with several alleys. That it required repair might even work in their favor, as far as hiring help. After all, he had no direct clan here to aid in the effort.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.